Celebrate: Star Things About the Past Few Weeks

Thank you, Ruth for providing a place to share our celebrations each week.

How good to be back. I have missed you all. You see, we left for Disneyland on November 23 along with Thanksgiving with my niece and family and her father, my brother. While we returned the next day, I feel like tonight (this was Friday night and then the WordPress APP on the IPad decided to be cranky) is the first time in a long time that I could take a breath. It’s so nice to be cozy and writing. So here are several celebrations of the last three weeks.

Family

On the plane to Disneyland with daughter, grandgirl, and husband.

With grand girl’s favorites, Jack Skellington and Sally.

With great-nephew and grand girl.

Nature

Bird of Paradise is one of my favorite flowers. We had several bushes of these in my childhood backyard.

The other morning.  My oldest grand girl called this cotton candy sky.

School

Students and Chromebooks.  So excited to get these into the hands of the students.

The Holiday Season

My friend hosts a really fun party every year.  Some people I only see at this time.  She has outfits and hats to wear.

 The Singing Christmas Tree, a Portland tradition for over fifty years.

No pic but buying personally autographed books for my grand girls and great nephews.  I so love doing this.

So what are you celebrating?

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Celebrate: Five Star Things About the Week

It’s Saturday and time to celebrate at Ruth Ayres Writes.

ONE

Celebrating the marriage of my “adopted” niece.

TWO
The annual district in-service day. The new deputy superintendent sat in our library media. As we move to a district with 1:1 devices, our roles are changing. And for the first time in a long time, I feel teacher librarians are being taken seriously.

THREE
Monday I met with my writing group. What I love about my group is the camaraderie and their feedback.

FOUR

Family Library Night, the first one of the year. Bingo and Books is always well attended.

FIVE
Smaller kindergarten classes. This was the first week with the smaller classes. Now instead of twenty-five, each class has eighteen. It’s so much better. Even the students noticed the change.

What are you celebrating?

Celebrate: Five Star Things About This Week

It’s Saturday. Time to reflect on the week and it’s goodness. Thank Ruth for providing that space at Ruth Ayres Writes.

ONE
Recovery from shoulder surgery. This coming Monday marks a month since surgery. Still a long road but so far it’s going well.

TWO
Summer Poetry Swap. This week I received a poem in the mail from Linda Baie as part of the summer poetry swap. Her poem reminded me of my childhood. It was as if she had played in the same neighborhood.

THREE
Reading. I love to read but I am also very active. My surgery has made it so I have more sitting time(which is difficult). I have tackled my pile of middle grade novels. REVOLUTION by Deborah Wiles is my current read.

FOUR
Time with my friend of forty plus years. We are like sisters. During the last three years she has spent more time as a snow bird in Arizona. These past few weeks we have had a lot of time together. Today’s her’s daughter’s wedding shower, so the celebration continues.

FIVE
The new CYBILS website. The season of the CYBILS is upon us. The call for panelists and judges goes out on Monday.
Also the eight annual Kidlit Con is coming up in October in Sacramento, CA. It’s a really great way to meet other bloggers. The theme is diversity and Mitali Perkins is presenting the keynote.

What are you celebrating?

Celebrate: Five Star Things About the Week

It’s Saturday. Time to celebrate and share at Ruth Ayres Writes.

ONE
Getting some organizing task completed. I saw an orthopedic surgeon this week. He wants to do surgery this coming week (hopefully) or by July 23. There’s not much I will be able to do once surgery happens. I feel this great need to clean and organize the house. So today I spent time in the garage and guest room. Some of it is on my “summer to do” list.

TWO
Green plants!

As I have stated to friends recently “Our house will end up like Briar Roses’ castle”, this is proof that it’s actually happening. And with my shoulder, pruning is not a task I should do.

THREE

Watching grandgirl in her pool. This picture just cracks me up. I celebrate her joyous nature.

FOUR
I finished the book Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams. It’s a powerful book written in verse. An editor suggested I read it as a mentor text.
Also recently read Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

FIVE
Time to have breakfast and catch up with friends this week. It’s what I love about summer.

What are you celebrating?

Celebrate: Five Star Things About the Week

Today’s the day to reflect on the week.  Celebrating all the good things at Ruth Ayres Writes.

ONE

It was one of the busiest weeks ever and I persevered.  From the play performance to “Bring Your Child to Work Day” to a frustrating library media meeting and the cast party.  Plus other happy events, I am celebrating.

TWO

The play.  After over forty hours of rehearsal, students learning their lines, last minute costumes, and students filling in for absent students, “Mowgli, Boy of the Jungle” performed three times on Tuesday.

 

 

THREE

Arrival.  This box arrived from The National School Project.  Of  one hundred fifty poems submitted by students, more than one hundred thirty nine poems were selected.

FOUR

“Bring Your Child to Work Day.”  This is the second year my oldest grand girl has spent the day with me.  She’s  great fun to have around.  She read four books to my kinder and first great classes.  Her comments to others were hilarious:

When asked how she liked working for me: “She (meaning me) doesn’t run a sweatshop.  I want to work.”

To my library assistant: “So you check out the books and grandma entertains the students.”

FIVE

Having two college friends attend the play. It was serendipitous and meant a lot to me.

What are you celebrating?

 

Celebrate: Five Star Things About the Week

1. The week did not start well. My friend and former colleague died of brain cancer. But the response from the online community of writers with poems made the list especially this ONE.

2. Preschool Read and Play continues to grow and we have consistency with families who attend. We now have bells and shakers for music. This week the local public librarian presented the program.

3. My friend, Barbara, came to spend the day with me. We student taught together. I had no license so she was my driver to school. She stepped in to read when I had to help a student.

4. Our School Showcase on Tuesday evening. We gave away over 500 pieces of pizza! Some many families came to hear the band, orchestra, choir, and to see what was happening in the classrooms.
5. The annual present exchange at my friend, Carol’s home. Carol is a retired teacher librarian. We have known each other for over 28 years. She gathers the people from all parts of her life for an evening. There’s food, drinks, and holiday adornments which we all must wear. This year we shared stories from Christmas past. My favorite was the woman who was raised in Hong Kong and what she would do in Christmas Day with her Catholic dad. How they would go to service, then out to the villages to see friends, and finally to a bakery. Her mother, a Buddhist, stayed home.

My friend, Carol.

My adornments.

More celebrations can be found at Ruth Ayres. What are you celebrating?

Celebrate: Five Star Things About the Week

Every week, people gather at Ruth Ayre Writes to share our weekly celebrations.

1. Being flexible. I had a Readers’ Choice Book Talk event with the public librarian that needed to be rescheduled to December. I feel for all classroom teachers. They are handed things to do at a moments’ notice anymore. Things that one wonders if it is truly what’s best for kids. It seems they are always assessing in the name of data. So I knew that I could be flexible and change the date.

2. The view of Mt. Hood on the way home from school on Tuesday. The mountain was glowing against the grey sky. The photo doesn’t do it justice.

3. Lunch and catching up with a college friend on Wednesday(no school). It’s so nice to be able to go to lunch mid-week.

4. Thanksgiving. My oldest grandgirl stayed overnight. She helped with making cranberry sauce and tried her hand at peeling yams. This was not to her liking which was fine. Dinner was great. Later I met up with her mom for late night shopping. For me, it’s the experience. I never have to have anything and I have never seen poor behavior.

5. An email from a friend that let me know she does read my Slice of Life Posts at Deowriter. I wasn’t aware. It was such a good email.

What are you celebrating?