Stories with Sophie

1. IT. IS. FINALLY. SPRING! 2. Next weekend we will open our lake trailer. Not going to lie. April was a long winter. When I should have been packing lake boxes, planting flowers and enjoying the nice weather, I was, instead, shoveling snow and wrapping in blankets for warmth. 3. Spring Flowers. I finally went this week and bought some. Created a couple of pots to put on the deck. It's not warm enough yet to plant them in the ground. But we're getting there. 4. Chloe and I have been walking again and checking out signs of spring in the neighborhood. Tulips are up. Snow crocuses are blooming. Birds are everywhere looking for food. And I think we've seen the last of the "snirt" 5. Awesome fun finds at the Dollar Tree. You have to love a store where everything is literally a dollar. 6. Subbing has been fun this week. I love making new connections with kids I didn't have in class while I taught. I also love that as soon as I walk in the door kids are a

I try not to complain, but spring has been slow in coming this year. Finally, the last couple of days showed promise. Sunshine and warmth visited and melted the last piles of snow from last week's blizzard. After school yesterday was marvelous. The grocery store and Shopko finally had their greenhouses up, waiting for the flowers to arrive. Chloe and I walked when I got home and the snow crocuses were up at the neighbor's. After our walk, we hit the deck even though it wasn't really ready for us. So today we have spring chore plans: Wash the deck Bring the outdoor rug up Chairs are good. Bring at least a couple out Maybe at least a little table (for wine) Buy some flowers and plant some pots A little raking A little planning of yard areas Check out the chairs with a nap in the sun Read my book Check out the table height for wine. Sip a glass. Enjoy

Scrolling through Facebook this morning as I always do with my first cup of coffee. It seems today my feed is full of the music of students and former students and it has started my day with a smile and a happy heart. I can't share the first with you (but oh I wish I could).  D is a former speech kid who now is attending college and majoring in musical theatre, I think. He's part of a jazz singers group that had a concert last night and thanks to his mom posting videos, this morning I started my day with D singing Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered. It's one of my favorite standards, sung by one of my favorite young men. I also listened to a group of sisters that attend our schools. The oldest, Addie, has been a student of mine since she was an 8th grader. Simply. I love her. She makes me smile and be happy. She is such a wonderful young woman. Yesterday I told her how much I enjoyed all the videos her family has been posting of The Sopha Sisters . The girls are

Today's Writing Quote: To write means more than putting pretty words on a page; the act of writing is to share a part of your soul with the world. I am a collector of quotes. Of words. Other people's words. I save them everywhere my notebooks, random slips of paper, Pinterest. Truth be told, I have four different boards on Pinterest where I save words that touch my soul. I have poetic words, quotes, book quotes and writing quotes. My love of other people's words began in ninth grade when my social studies teacher started class every day with a quote. We wrote the quote in our notebook, along with the author. The notebook was graded quarterly. If we were absent, it was our responsibility to get the quote we missed from a friend. I don't remember him writing the quote on the board so it would be easier to write down. I just remember him standing in the door frame, arms crossed, saying the quote in whole once, in phrases once, and then again in whole. No re

Today's writing quote: The Universe is not made of atoms. It's made of tiny stories. I subbed three days at our alternative high school this week. Most of these students I've had before when they were in "regular" school. It didn't work for them.  They all have stories. He Was abused for 5 years By. His. Mom. (I don't understand how moms can do that.) But he survived. His scars don't show, but they do have names. BD OCD ADHD Bipolar He Handles life with snark and suspicion. He has a right to be angry To hate the woman But he is a survivor He's starting a new life with new people and determination. She Wandered off her path and Ran with a bad crowd She was an angry ass she says Even though her family Was behind her and Tried to pull her Back to the path. She Counts sober days While most around her Count down to graduation She'll make that milestone too. She Tells me Every. Day. Is. Hard. Somet

LIfe has been good for this old retired teacher--although I don't feel old and I've been subbing a lot, so sometimes I don't feel retired. Wait! Yes, I do. There's no bag of grading and planning coming home with me every day :)  This week's celebrations were easy to find and you'll probably hear more about them in the weeks to come. 1. A former student and speech kid texted me the other day and invited me to a reception in which she will be receiving a Congressional Merit Award. I had no idea what this award was but told her I'd be honored. This is a student who has kept in touch with me throughout the school year. She filled me in on speech happenings, even thanking me at the end of the season for my part in her speech career. I haven't seen her to ask about this award, but if it's this , I'm incredibly honored that she asked me to attend. 2, Twice in the last couple of weeks I've been asked to sub in classrooms because the ki

Today's Writing Quote: There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; Sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.                                                                       ~~E Hemingway~~ I love any space by water.  I find myself most at peace,  most relaxed,  more me,  when water is part of my view. The sound of the waves The fresh smell, Warm breezes, and Campfire conversations I love our little trailer with sagging floorboards and  grandkid stained carpet I don't need perfect here. Today as I sit wrapped in a blanket waiting for snowfall and freezing temps I dream Warm temps Gentle breezes Summer

"Don't be afraid to write crap because crap makes great fertilizer." ~~ Jessica Brody And, this is the point in my writing year where I find it hard to continue. After I staggered to the end of the March slicing challenge my brain says, "No More. I have nothing left to blog about." I didn't write yesterday. I almost didn't write today. The procrastinating starts easily enough. "I'm just going to skip today." One day doesn't matter. But then tomorrow comes. I'll write later after I ____________________ (fill in the blank) Only later never comes. And before you know it, a week, a month passed. And you haven't written a word. So, that's why I'm writing now. Publishing now. Crap though it is. I need to start filling up notebook pages again. Crap though they are. Because somewhere in the lines I wrote today will be the beginnings of a poem or a slice of life. Someday I'll look back and be glad that I t