Today is Slice of Life Tuesday! It is on this day each week writers can share with others via the TwoWritingTeachers.org blog who host Slice of Life Tuesdays. It is a supportive and welcoming environment filled with dedicated writers, authors, and teachers. Today, I have been “retired” for a month. But, in the last month,…
The month of October was pretty awesome for my blog! I didn’t change anything I was doing, so I am not sure what to attribute the success to, but I am grateful in any case! On October 8th, one of my blog posts from 2016 went crazy and had an additional 166 more views. The…
This morning we cleaned, my son and I. We cleaned out his room and had much to enjoy! Who knew it would be so much fun? We laughed when we saw the dried-up tube of paint, its cap left slightly askew. I jumped when a plastic spider was found in a corner and sent my…
Since my work a week ago when I conducted a mini-lesson on writing Haiku at Wetland Education Days, I have been thinking a lot about writing. One of the most common questions I received from the students was whether their haiku needed to rhyme. Of course not, was my response! Flow trumps rhyme in poetry…
Recently, my son bought an iPad for his artwork. It was part of a deal we made when he agreed to create a mural on the outside wall of a business as a school project this fall. As the mural was completed, he asked again about the iPad. So, last Monday night we went out…
Today, I am in a contemplative mode. Inquiring Minds Want to Know: How many college applications does the average college-bound senior send in? Are digital applications easier than the paper ones of the past? Why does it take until senior year in High School for English class to be fun? Why do you feel like…
Last night I got to see a performer whose music I have enjoyed my entire adult life. My oldest son and I saw Vince Gill at Stephens Auditorium in Ames, Iowa. We’ve been going to shows together for several years now as he enjoys music and theater as much or possibly more than I do….
On a Saturday in mid-September, I was at large event for work. It was an event I organized. There were at least 125 people in attendance, probably more. It was an event to celebrate land conservation hosted by our local land trust and promoted by the state governing body of land trusts. It even was…
Almost nine years ago (I cannot believe that much time has passed), I started a parent group for those families with children that had been identified as talented and gifted (TAG) in our school district. I did it out of great respect for our TAG teacher, who I asked if I could be of help…
My parents have been on my mind lately. They live about 900 miles away on the Western side of New York State. I haven’t lived near them in over 20 years. But, they are aging and so am I. As the saying goes, time doesn’t wait for anyone. Lately, there have been several things that…