Talent

As a teacher, I have many students who want me to 'look at this' or 'listen to this' based on the context of whatever content I am teaching them at the moment - which I try to do as much as my time will allow, and if appropriate, incorporate into my classroom.  Last week, I had a student who asked me to watch a YouTube video called "Through the Fire and Flames" by Tina S.

This morning before school, I finally had sometime to watch this video.  OH.MY.GOODNESS

Let me say this:  I love all kinds of guitars.  I wish I said I played one - it's actually on my bucket list, but I can barely strum a G chord.  For you non-guitar players - it's the easiest, most basic chord to strum on the guitar.

I prefer acoustic over electric (if I had to choose), but appreciate anyone who can play the guitar and play it well.  This video highlights a young woman (she's 15!) playing the guitar as no one I have ever witness play it.

Seriously, it's just over 7 minutes long.  You will not be disappointed.

Through the Fire and Flames

Today I wish you to witness a great talent - and then tell someone about it.

Quotes

(Monday, 3/30)

I am a 'quote hound'.  I love quotes of all kinds.  I collect quote books.  I write quotes down on post-it notes - and I keep them in a drawer on my desk.  I follow several quote accounts through Twitter and Pinterest.  My students bring me quotes.

I'm not sure why I have this love of quotes - maybe because they challenge me to be a better person or they succinctly say what I would like to say.  I post quotes on my board that relate to what we're learning about in my classes.

I 'googled' quotes and came up with 787,000,000 hits.  Apparently, I'm not the only one who loves quotes.

Today I wish you the love of a good quote.

James Bond

I'm not a huge TV watcher, but tonight as I was grading papers and flipping through the channels, I realized that we had a free weekend of Starz and Encore…and there was a James Bond movie marathon on Encore.

I love me some James Bond.

I will watch all James Bond movies, but I'm especially partial to the Sean Connery ones.  My three favorite are "Dr. NO", "Thunderball" and "From Russia With Love".

I guess maybe it has something to do with the fact that my dad was a James Bond fan and we always watched the movies growing up.  Good times.  Good memories.

Today I wish you something that envokes some good memories for you.

ChildServe

Sometimes you find out things about your community that just makes your heart happy.

Today I was introduced to ChildServe.

ChildServe is a not-for-profit organization that partners with families to help children with special health care needs live a great life. Originally founded in 1928 as a convalescent home for children, today ChildServe provides specialized pediatric health care services to more than 2,500 children in Iowa. Through the support of private insurance, public funds, and the generosity of donors, ChildServe offers accessible, family-centered care unique to each child’s needs, hopes, and dreams.  Website:  ChildServe

You can volunteer or donate to ChildServe.  I encourage you to check out their volunteer site.

I was introduced to ChildServe because of their annual fundraising event - The Bubble Ball.

The Bubble Ball is an annual fundraising event for ChildServe.  The Bubble Ball is a fun and unique event showcasing over 70 designers and their bubble wrap creations.  This year's theme was Walt Disney.  The runway (yes…literally, a runway) held several models dressed in bubble wrap costumes displaying different Disney characters.  One of the designers asked Ballet Des Moines for some dancers (ballerinas) to dance during the runway show…and my daughter was one of those ballerinas.  Next year the date has been set for April 2nd.  Dinner and great entertainment are part of the ticket price.

But best of all… it benefits kids who need the help.

Today I wish you to look around your community and volunteer or donate - to give of yourself.

 

Someecards

You've seen them...

Heck, you may have pinned, shared, posted or tagged them.

They are the someecards.

I copied this from the someecards website:  "Someecards may or may not be the greatest thing since ecards. It was created by Brook Lundy and Duncan Mitchell and a dollar and a half-assed dream. New cards, categories, and features will be frequently added until everyone involved with the site dies."  See the website: http://www.someecards.com/

I love these sayings - maybe because they are sarcastic and I love me some sarcasm.  But some days - they just really say what you would love to say, but you don't because you know that it would hurt someone's feelings.  Instead, you just post a someecard.  Feels good, doesn't it?

A co-worker of mine posted one on my Facebook timeline today and it was so completely and TOTALLY spot-on about me.  I bought the one-day-at-a-time calendar for this year, so I can enjoy one sarcastic saying after another.  Seriously, I wish I had thought of these cards.  I'm actually a bit jealous of the founders.

Today I wish you a bit of sarcasm in the name of fun.

Goals

In my Leadership class, we are working on goal setting.  Today, we were working through an activity where students were practicing identifying and writing SMART goals.  SMART is an acronym for the following:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-Bound

A goal written well should meet all five of these criteria.  So in the process of the activity, a student asked me if I thought I could give up junk food for a week.  (It was one of the goals we were critiquing.)

Yikes…

I answered that I wasn't sure, but he challenged me to give it up and said he would too.  Another student overheard us talking and said he would do that too.  So, we wrote the goal on a poster and signed it.  In the course of the morning, four more students added their name to the goal, plus after I "tweeted" it out - one other teacher and our principal also added their name to the goal.

We start tomorrow…for a whole week.

The thing about goal writing is that not only should it be SMART, but it should also be written down.  I'm also telling you - so you can hold me accountable.  Here is our poster after 1st period today:

Today I wish you the courage to set a goal…and stick to it.

Oscar Romero

Today marks the 35th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Romero.  The bulk of this post is from the homily last Sunday by Father Vince, St. Boniface Parish in Waukee.

For the last 10 years, St. Boniface has partnered with the village of El Recreo in the country of El Salvador.  This is the story...


"If we were to look at the poverty in our partnering village of El Recreo, El Salvador, a life of subsistence living would look similar in 1925, 1975, 2005. Interspersed in the first two dates were attempted revolutions by the poor against a repressive government who would easily murder tens of thousands to keep in power. In 1977 when the Archbishop of San Salvador died, the Church, as well as the wealthy class of Catholics, tapped an extremely introverted man who would not rock the boat. His name is Oscar Romero.

They were in the middle of a revolt by thousands of poor peasants who simply wanted a better life -- a life that was not offered by the government and the wealthy. The murdered bodies of peasants were strewn on the roads and town squares as a warning of what could happen to them.

For a year, Romero never spoke out. It took the murder of a priest to jolt him into seeing what was happening. From there, a saint was born -- one who will be beatified as a martyr by Pope Francis this spring, and declared a saint in 2016.

A saint HOW you might ask?

He took to the streets and to the radio. People would see the man in white getting out of his car, and his driver helping to remove dead people from the streets. On the radio he would read off the names of the dead, and the thousands of people who were missing, many never found. He begged the government and the ruling class -- mostly wealthy Catholics -- to stop repressing God’s poor and innocent. He begged our government to stop supporting the government of El Salvador. It took until 1992 when Pres. George HW Bush recognized we were backing the wrong side.

Romero received death threats.

His homily on the same Sunday we are celebrating today (the 5th Sunday of Lent) contained these words:

You have heard that one must not allow oneself to avoid getting involved in the risks of life that this age will demand of us; like the grain of wheat which dies, the harvest comes about by allowing it to be sacrificed. We will usher in a new age!

From that moment the poor knew he would never stop fighting for them. And the government also knew he would not stop. He would not back down. He said if they kill me, I will rise again in the lives of my people. Justice cannot be killed.

As he was celebrating mass in a small chapel that we visit every time we are in San Salvador, a small Volkswagen Passat pulled up outside the open front doors. He was beginning to lift the host and speak the words of consecration (‘this is my body given up for you’) -- his eyes would be on the Body of Christ held high. If for a second he looked out, he would have seen the young man taking aim.

But he picked up the cup and began the words to transform the wine (‘this is my blood given up for you’) and the shot rang out and they killed him. And the new Body of Christ fell dead on the floor.

The day was March 25, 1980 -- 35 years ago this week.

For the funeral, thousands upon thousands filled the Cathedral and Open Square and down the many streets. The crowd was estimated at 200,000 peasants who had walked dozens of miles. The government was surprised that the murder did not frighten the people away. So they put snipers on nearby roofs and shot into the Cathedral stained glass windows, and fired on the crowd. The funeral never ended.

To shelter the body of Archbishop Romero, dozens of people rushed to surround the coffin, some hit by gunfire. The crowd in the Cathedral was in such chaos that there was no room to get through to take his body to the basement. So they handed his body, one over the other over the other to down the steps.

Hundreds of people surrounded his body for the rest of the day so the government would not try to steal his body.

A grave was made in the basement, and he has rested there ever since.

To show you that some things never change: for decades, the new archbishops celebrate mass in the Cathedral usually attended by well-dressed people, and people of means. In the basement, masses are held near Romero’s tomb, usually attend by the poor and tourists. As far as I know, the new Archbishops have never celebrated mass in the basement. On any important anniversary of Romero, it is always held upstairs.

The war ended in 1992. But for an end to violence and war, the lives of the poor have seen little change.

Fast forward to 2005, the year St. Boniface first entered El Recreo. There was electricity in a building owned by the GeoThermal Company and the people of El Recreo could use it. Other than that, when it got dark, it was pitch dark. It was still a village where there is subsistence living. People went to the river for water, gathering wood for the fire, tended their crops, cooked their beans and tortillas and that would repeat and repeat and repeat.

We formed a partnership from which a true and lasting relationship has developed. In those 10 years, you have assisted in forming a civil government and taught them leadership skills; you have given water retention tanks, seed and fertilizer; built a church; sent every kid to school every year; built a clinic and supplied it; bought the only open field and turned it into a soccer field; built on it the only public rest room; and much more.

We’ve gotten back family, community, people we know and love, and they love us in return. They give us a challenge to see beyond ourselves into the lives in another world. They help us appreciate what we have. When we sit down to eat, we remember people who live on 600 calories a day, and two glasses of boiled water.

They allow Americans, who were on the wrong side of the war, back into their lives, to give us an opportunity to better represent what is good about America.

We celebrate mass in our church which is about the same size as the chapel in which Archbishop Romero celebrated mass, and was assassinated in. I can look out the open back doors and not see danger, but rather see the happy people who consider us their brothers and sisters. They ask about you because we are family, and we bring back something more priceless than any money can buy. Our high school youth, who have made two trips, will go again in June to learn about love in a new way and will never see poverty in the same way ever again. They will see the poor as their brothers and sisters. They will take out into their lives a new way of looking at life.

The words of Romero still ring true today:

Do not allow yourself to avoid getting involved in the risks of life that this age demands of you."

Today, my wish for you is to embrace risk - no matter the cost.

Birthdays

One of my favorite things to do is check Facebook first thing and see who has a birthday today.  Then I wish them a "Happy Birthday" on their timeline.

Cheesey…yes.
Hokey…maybe.

But everyone deserves to be wished a happy birthday.  I happen to love birthdays.  It's a good reminder on why you were put on this earth in the first place.  Oh, I know, some wish to forget their birthdays or that they're aging…but I liken it to "It's a Wonderful Life" - how would the world be different if you had never been born?

I've thought about it many times.  I wonder who my husband would be with and think about how my children would not be in existence, as well as how different people would be because I was not around to have a relationship/friendship with…whether that's good or bad.

So, today, reflect on how the world is better for you in it.  Because it is…

A Snow Perspective

Ok, I realize I've already written a post about snow, but I can't help myself…and this one will be remarkably different, so would you just hang with me here?

Why I would be writing about snow in late March, when I've already written about the 'green haze' of Spring, might befuddle the most faithful reader of mine, but I do have a point because some of my readers are experiencing some spring snow right now and might be all crabby about it.  I know I would be.

So here is a 'top 10 list' of why snow (in March) is positive…with all respects to David Letterman.

10.  It's snowed in May before…like a couple of years ago.  Better now than then...
9.  Snow makes great homemade ice cream.
8.  Snow hides the ugly gray grass.
7.  "Snow" is one of the best songs in the movie "White Christmas"
6.  The Snow scene in The Nutcracker ballet. (my favorite, by the way…)
5.  Sledding, snowman, and a good snowball fight
4.  Snow puts moisture in the ground and we'll need it for the flowers and green haze
3.  Snow days! (well…only if you're a teacher or a student)
2.  One more run of the snowblower before you put it away for Spring…
1.  Think of the Jeopardy sketch in SNL 40th - 'Let It Snow' (if you've seen it - you're laughing now)

I hope I've cheered you up a little.  Sometimes when the outlook is dismal, we need to find our sense of humor about our circumstances.  We all need to laugh sometimes.

Today I wish you laughter amongst the bleakest of circumstances.

Facebook

Growing up, I would have considered myself to have a lot of friends.  I had various "levels" of friends - some people I was much closer to - others I was friendly to - and yet, others, we just had some common bond or activity that made us friends.

The word "friends" is an interesting word.  I liken it to the word "love" in the English language.  We only have one word to describe the emotion - love - but that word can take on such a different meaning depending on the context that we use it.  Other languages have several different words for "love" - for example, 'I love my husband' is a different word than 'I love chocolate ice cream'.

I would imagine the word 'friend' is the same...

I love knowing that people that I care about - whether we were close friends or not or once were close friends and now are not - are still well and thriving in their lives.  Bring on social media.  I love, love, love social media - Twitter and Facebook are my two favorites.  I love Facebook for nothing more, than to "friend" people that I now know or once knew well, just to know that they are well and thriving in their lives.

I have 584 friends on Facebook (as of today).  These include work friends, neighbors, classmates (high school, college and graduate school), parents of my kids' friends, people I 'hang' with, relatives, acquaintances, church friends, etc.  I know everyone that I am friends with in person.  I say this last statement for my 6th graders - I teach them that you ONLY friend someone who you've met in person.  :)

What I like best about Facebook?  Finding someone with whom I've lost contact with over the years and getting 'friended'.  That happened to me today. 

Today I wish you to reconnect with an old friend.

Green Haze

Welcome to Spring!  The weather is turning warm - even unseasonably - and we are shedding the coats of winter. 

I am usually not a huge Spring fan (I actually prefer Fall instead), but as I was driving around today, one of the phenomena that happens in early Spring has started to happen that I do particularly love...I call it the "green haze".

You know what I'm talking about - although you may not call it that.  It's when the green grass just starts popping through the grey winter grass - and this green tinge of color just skips across the yards.  Although we're not quite there yet - it also happens to the trees.  So now that I've made you aware of the green haze, you can watch for it in the trees in the upcoming weeks.

Today I wish you the excitement of Spring.

Quality Time

I don't consider myself an artist, but I think I do have some creativity...so when my daughter suggested a trip to Glazed Expressions in Clive, I was all for it.  Of course, anytime your teen wants to hang out with you, you need to jump at the chance!

I hadn't been to Glazed Expressions for years...four/five years ago probably, and I often wondered how it stayed in business.  Especially since I used to frequent the place quite often when the kids were little - Annie even had a birthday party there in elementary school and it was also a great place for girls' nights out too, but since I hadn't been there for so long, I just assumed that other people hadn't been there too. 

However, I was wrong.  On our afternoon there, the place was PACKED.  I was concerned that we wouldn't get a table - we did - and the people kept coming in and out all afternoon.

Glazed Expressions used to be known as the paint-your-own-pottery studio, but now it's much more than that - it's now known as an art studio.  You can still paint your own pottery, but you can also paint canvas, create candles and do glass fusing too.  I really want to know more about the glass fusion because what was on display at the studio shop was really, really cool.

An afternoon of what seemed like "just" painting pottery actually came with bonus mom/daughter talking time and a chance to relax and 'paint' our little corner of the world.  That meant more to me than the vase that I glazed.

Today I wish you a little quality time in your world.

Laura Ingalls Wilder

I have been a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan ever since I was in elementary school and picked up "Little House in the Big Woods".  I've read all her books several times and love all the 'back story' books written by historians and other authors that tell more about her life than the watered-down version of Wilder's "Little House" books.

While I did watch the show, "Little House on the Prairie" - it was frustrating to me that they didn't stay with the books - having different characters, stories and settings.  Now as an adult, I realize that the 'creative liberties' were more for ratings than wanting to be true to Laura's stories.

So when "Pioneer Girl" was set to be published - I knew I wanted a copy.  This was Laura's self-written autobiography - what she originally intended to publish before Rose (her daughter) thought maybe the children's literature route may have been better.  And that route certainly turned out well for Laura...

So, I did what I usually do - combed Barnes and Noble - both in store and online and I could not find it.  So finally, I checked Amazon.com and there it was - and I finally ordered it in November last year.  When I ordered it, is was already backordered with a 2015 ship date.  Nothing more specific.  Today it arrived. 

Today I wish you the arrival of something waited upon.

Story People by Brian Andreas

If you are not familiar with Story People by Brian Andreas, you really need to be.  He creates amazing art and stories to go along with each piece he creates.  Story People  

I have a few pieces of his artwork hanging in my classroom and also "like" his Facebook page.  I highly recommend liking his Facebook page, because every so often, you'll get something positive in your Facebook feed.

A couple of weeks ago, I received one that reminded me so much of my dad, but I wanted to wait until his anniversary of his death to post the saying.  Of course, Brian had others too that reminded me of that date and where I've come since his passing, so today (3/18), I honor my dad - who has been gone now four years ago with some Brian Andreas' Story People.  Here are some of Brian's stories...


"I didn’t listen to him because he was my father & wouldn’t know anything until I was much older...."

"The last time I saw him there were so many things to say & all I could do was hold his hand, tears streaming down my face. I know, he said, almost too soft to hear. I know."

"After her father died she carried his life more gently & left an empty space for the birds & other creatures."


And just because I want to...here is my favorite picture of me and my dad.

I miss you everyday.

Today I wish you to honor someone special in your life.

Iowa DOT

If you've traveled the interstates in Iowa in the past year, you are familiar with the "fun" little messages on the permanent digital message boards.  These messages are put there for you to think about your driving behavior.  If it can save lives and give you a little laugh...well, that's all positive in my book.

Today I read "Don't Press Your Luck! No Whammies!"  It made me giggle.

So I went out to the Iowa DOT site to look for some past ones...

It's all about the belt...the belt. Just click it.
Pass on the left.                  Drive on the right.
Hey Bobblehead, stop looking at your phone.
It's not a race, leave some space.
Snow plows need room to groom.
Get your head out of your apps. Drive Safely.
Does your blinker not work or what?
Distracted driving is more than texting.
Drive hammered.  Get nailed.

And my all-time favorite:

Not buckled? You're killing me, Smalls. 

(The Sandlot reference for those of you scratching your head.)

Today I wish you safe driving.  (And please, do not text and drive!)

Whitey's

3/16 Monday (I think I'm caught up!)

I was introduced to Whitey's Ice Cream when I was in junior high school.  I would go to Davenport with my friend to visit her grandparents - and we would always go to Whitey's.  It's a Quad Cities/Southeastern Iowa thing...the ice cream is so smooth and creamy and it tastes SO GOOD!!

Whenever I get a chance to have it (which isn't often), I get really excited.  Today, my daughter and I took a road trip and shopped the I-80 corridor...Williamsburg Outlet Mall and Coral Ridge Mall.  Guess what was in the food court at Coral Ridge?

Yep!  You guessed it!

Today I wish you some Whitey's Ice Cream!

Sisterhood

3/15 Sunday

Some of you know that I am a member of Alpha Phi sorority.  I loved the "Greek life" experience in college where I gained leadership skills, learned how to work and live with all sorts of personalities, met my husband and made some really amazing life-long friends.  Oh, yes, I had fun too.

But Greek life tends to get a bad rap in the press - typically one house on one campus makes a few poor choices and everyone who has ever belonged to a sorority or fraternity is written off for life.

Well, there's lots good about being Greek - and of my list above, I'd like to address the latter - some really amazing life-long friends.

Because I have them.  And yes, I had to pay dues to belong to the sorority, but I didn't buy these friends.  When you share life altering experiences with these women you deepen the bonds of friendship so tight that I can honestly say I can call any of these women up at 3:00 am in a crisis and they would be there for me.  Seriously.  It's what we do.

And when a sister is in crisis...we respond.

Currently, I have a few sisters in crisis - one just lost her mother, another her oldest sister and a third is fighting brain cancer.  Would you pray for them?

Today I wish you the bond of a sister.

Pi Day

3/14 Saturday

I'm not a mathematical kind of gal.  I did ok in math in school, but if you did a personality profile on me, I'm way more emotional than I am logical.  I think you have to be logical to love math.

On March 14th, everyone loves math - ok, Pi.  Today is "Pi Day".  Officially, Pi is the symbol used by mathematicians to represent the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.  It is the lowercase Greek letter π, sometimes spelled out as pi.  I had to look that up - although I did know it had something to do with a circle, but Geometry was 32 years ago.  I still know the first few digits of pi by heart (3.14159), but then I can't remember anymore.  

Pi is an infinite decimal. An infinite decimal is a number where all the numbers to the right of the decimal go on for as long as some smart guy/girl has calculated the number.  There are also no repeating patterns in pi. So it would seem that the numbers after the decimal are random.

There is a math teacher at the building that I used to teach at and she has her students create a paper chain of pi - where each color represents a number.  The chain can circle the entire school building.  Pretty cool.

By the way, is it any coincidence that the pie pastry is round?  Now you know how my brain thinks...

Today I wish you the love of math, well, at least pi (pie?)

Ballet Des Moines

3/13 Friday

Many of you may know that my daughter dances for Ballet Des Moines' productions, so some of you may not be surprised that this is my positive post for today.

However, if you're reading this and living in the Des Moines area - and have never seen a Ballet Des Moines production...you are really missing out.

Tonight, Ballet Des Moines (BDM) did an outreach in Stuart, Iowa.  Sponsored by a local business, BDM performed at the Saints Center.  Several pieces were performed - solos, duos, trios, and small groups - and all different types of music and dancing.

At the beginning of the performance, Serkan Usta - who is the Artistic Director of BDM, thanked the audience for coming and said that watching - or rather - experiencing ballet is good for the soul.

I agree with him.  Yes, you may not understand the dance or like the music - but for a moment you are taken somewhere you haven't been before and you are experiencing something magical, physical and musical all at the same time.

Today I wish you something good for your soul.

(And by the way - Wizard of Oz is performing at the Des Moines Civic Center on April 4th - seriously, get tickets - you will not be disappointed.)

Be Awesome

3/12 Thursday

Today marks the end of the 3rd quarter at our school.  This semester, the students and teachers on the 6th grade Gold team have been focusing on being "more awesome".  This, in part, has been spurred by Kid President and we are using him as our role model.  If you are not aware of Kid President, you can check out one of his videos here:  Kid President

During our Advisory time and within various classes, we have been working with the kids on what it means to be "awesome" - creating videos, posters, writing notes, rewarding awesome behavior and pledging to be more awesome.  The picture below is of our pledge letters - all 6th grade Gold team students and teachers signed.  Pretty awesome…eh?

Today I wish for you to be more AWESOME!

Coins and Crayons

3/11 Wednesday

I arrived at work Wednesday afternoon and this was posted on the doors and walls in the 6th grade pods:

A fundraiser spearheaded by 6th graders from a Language Arts project called "Genius Hour".  The purpose of Genius Hour is to allow students to learn about what they are passionate about.  I know this year students were encouraged to find a passion that focused on making the world a better place.

I thought this was pretty cool.

Coins and Crayons is a fundraiser to provide kids getting medical treatment small activities to help pass the time -- color or draw or even play a small game; just something to keep them entertained as they get checked out by a doctor, go through a medical procedure, or are confined to a hospital bed.

Selfless giving is priceless.  FYI...I'm shopping for crayons on Spring Break.

Today I wish you to give of yourself…whatever that may look like.

No Technology

3/10 Tuesday

Today is my third day in bed with norovirus.  If you've never experienced this, I'll spare you the gory details…but let me say this - it's a hell of a way to lose 15 pounds.

I've been off anything electronic for three days now because I'm so dizzy and feeling like crap that I can't stand to look at a screen, so I haven't blogged, checked Twitter or played Soda Crush Saga and that's probably the longest I've gone in awhile without screen time.

And I kinda liked it.  In fact, it was liberating.  For just a few days, I wasn't "in the know" and I didn't have to respond.  You should try it … without the norovirus.


Today I wish you a vacation from your technology.

Substitute Teachers

3/9 Monday

The interesting thing about being sick and being a teacher is that you still have to plan for the day you are absent.  When I worked in the corporate world, I rarely had to make plans for the day for anyone while I was going to be out…no one covered my job, did my work, checked my email…it just sat for the day I was sick and waited until I came back.

Not so in teaching - students come in the door and expect to be taught - so life goes on without you.  So Sunday morning I came down with the Black Plague…ok, norovirus, but essentially the same thing... so I knew going to work Monday was not going to happen (nor did Tuesday or 1/2 of Wednesday…did I mention I had the Black Plague?).  Anyway, having to write sub plans when the LAST thing you want to do is think, let alone type, was a daunting task at best.

My sub plans consisted of two paragraphs - one for each class that I teach.

Now, normally, I type two PAGES of sub plans when I'm going to be gone, so I was not doing my sub any favors by the cryptic notes I was giving him/her.  So you see, when I say substitute teachers are a positive thing - they really are.  They don't know you or your class well.  They accept an unknown job at 5:30 am and come in prepared to teach, handle, and discipline anything that comes their way.  They tackle so many unknowns, it's crazy.  And I was blessed to have three wonderful substitute teachers this week.

Today my wish for you is that if you have to be substituted - may it be a good one!

100 Years History

3/8 Sunday

My great-aunt Marcella passed away today.  She was 100 years old.  She was my maternal grandmother's twin sister.  My grandma (Mardella) has been gone for just over 13 years.

My memories of Marcella are all fun ones.  Most of them involved her and my grandmother together - stubborn, German-decent women who had lots of opinions and shared them with everyone.  They had great smiles and laughter and enjoyed family, friends and having a great time.  Marcella was a teacher and worked as a florist (she did the flowers for my wedding).

And I got to thinking what all of the experiences, changes, and innovations she had witnessed over the last 100 years…and what wisdom she would impart as the we encounter the struggles of recent over education, technology, racial tension, government reliance, strained foreign relations, etc.  Because she's lived war, the Great Depression, racial tension, government reliance, strained foreign relations, changes in education and technology.

Interesting…isn't it?  Isn't this why we teach History?  Or maybe we should take the time to talk to our relatives about historical events?  How fun would it be to get a personal account of events as opposed to reading it out of a textbook?

Today I wish you a historical perspective.

Community

*Editor's Note:  Sorry for the absence of posts lately - was very sick from Sunday - Wednesday, so I'm trying to catch up with blog posts.  Be prepared to be inundated.

3/7 Saturday

There's something about March that I love - basketball tournaments!  While I'm not an overly huge basketball fan, there is something about the excitement of tournament time that draws me in and I'm hooked - high school or college - I'm glued to the sports page, TV or internet - trying to find the latest score, update or live stream.

Today was the finals for the girls state basketball tournament and Waukee girls were playing.  The game was against cross-town rival WDM Valley and we knew that it would be a tough game, but the girls played strong and we won our first state championship!

As I was sitting in the stands for this game and the quarterfinals earlier in the week - I was looking around at the sea of purple and white (Waukee side) and even the opponent crowd and what I realized was how blessed we are to be in an area where crowds of people come out for the games and support the players.  Now, I get that we are located less than 30 minutes from the arena where the games are played, but in an area of nearly half a million - there's lots of other things to do on a Saturday night - and the games are televised and live streamed, but the crowds still came.  And to me, that says a lot.

We are a supportive community.  This is Iowa…and we're about community.

Today I wish you the support of your community, whatever that looks like for you - family, neighborhood, job, church, school, city, county or state.

Otter's Bookshelf

If you are an avid reader and like teen genre, there's a blog I want you to check out.  Ok, even if you AREN'T an avid reader and DON'T like teen genre, I still want you to check this blog out.

Because it's amazing…

And it's written by one of my 6th graders.

This student is a fervent reader and logs all of the books that she reads - title and author.  Then on her blog, she writes a review and a synopsis of the books she has read.  I love her writing style - it's very conversational and animated and FUNNY.  She has a great sense of humor.  Sometimes she'll post her own writing for the reader to examine.  This might be writing she has completed for Language Arts class or writing done on her own.  So, go check it out.  No excuses - I even provided you a link:

Otter's Bookshelf

I love it when people find their passion and do amazing things with it.

Today my wish for you is to find your passion and share it with the world.

Thank You

I was looking in my desk drawer for something today and came across this thank you note I received in December from a student.

And it got me thinking...

When was the last time I wrote a thank you note? 

It's been awhile.  Last September, I believe.  I had received a very nice and sentimental gift from a family member and I was so overwhelmed by the gesture, that I had sent a heart-felt thank you note.

But it seems like I only take the time to write thank you notes for gifts I receive.  I need to take the time to write more thank you notes for the little things, small gestures and daily deeds.  Yesterday, in our staff meeting, all different kinds of thank you note paper was laid out for our use to acknowledge a fellow co-worker for something that they did.  I picked one up, but I still have it 24 hours later and haven't written anything.  It's not that people don't deserve it - I have lots of great co-workers that have done things for me, but I just haven't made time for something so simple and impactful as a thank you note.

So, I would like to take this time to thank all of you who read my blog.  I am overwhelmed by the comments I get either online or in person about a subject I have written that has resonated with you.  Thank you all so much.

And with that, I challenge you, my readers, to thank someone today for something big or small that they have done for you.  Who knows?  It may make their day and you will feel better by the gesture too.

Today I wish you the feeling of gratitude.

Light

Thank you to Cheryl Stillman for posting this today.  I needed to see it.

We all start out in this world the same.  We're born - helpless and completely dependent on others for our existence.  Yet, a baby brings so much joy for today and hope for the future.  And for just a brief moment - the world is perfect.  A baby is light for the world.

What happens as we grow up?  We are judged by our actions, how we dress, who we choose to keep company with...the playground bullies find us, our friends abandon us, circumstances harden us and we become closed.  Our light dims.  Oh, it's still there, but it takes much effort to see the light in people.

We're all in this crazy world together and we can tear each other down or build each other up.  I think building each other up makes for a better world...don't you?

Today my wish for you is to always look for the light in others.

Home

We all need a place to call home.  It doesn't matter if it's a house, an apartment, or a condo - it's that one place where we feel we belong and we can claim a piece of the world.

I looked up 'home' on Dictionary.com.  There are several definitions depending on what part of speech you are using the word 'home'.  Here were the definitions that stood out to me:

Noun

1.  a house, apartment or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family or household.

2.  a place in which one's domestic affections are centered.

6.  Any place of residence or refuge.

Adverb

17. Deep; to the heart.

Today I learned of a student who's family is in the process of being evicted from their home.  I don't know where they will land - if they have a place to go to; if they have family that will take them in; if they have to move away...I don't know.  My heart breaks for that family - the loss of their refuge, their corner of the world, their home.

My husband came home tonight after a long day at work and told me a story of a repair job that he completed today in a house that was built less than a year ago.  The house had typical 'winter settling' and was making noise in the floor and floor boards.  The homeowner was not happy that these repairs had to be made this soon after building and all I could think of was, "at least he has a place to call home."

I am thankful I have a place to call "home".  My home is not huge, but I feel safe here.  It has a lot of dog hair on the furniture and things aren't always picked up, but it is comfortable and happy.  My family is here and it is a place that I love - it is my refuge.

Today I wish you a place to land that you love...your refuge...your home.

Pam Dixon

I am an avid listener of 93.3 KIOA.  I wake up to this station every morning and it's the primary station in my car.  I love the station for lots of reasons - mainly the genre of music that it plays (70s and 80s) and the morning show with Maxwell and Pam.  If you don't listen to them, I would encourage you to do so in about 4-6 months.

Let me explain…

Pam Dixon is one of the funniest, nicest and most genuine radio personalities that we have in the Des Moines area.  I was first introduced to her in 1989 when I was doing my student teaching in Marshalltown and I listened to her on KLYF 100.3 in the mornings on my way to school.  I got really excited when she landed back in town on KIOA a few years back, and have been listening ever since.  She and Maxwell (whom I also love to listen to) have a great rapport with each other and they together have amassed a huge following in Central Iowa and beyond.

Last Friday, Pam announced to her listeners that she has been battling breast cancer for the third time and is taking a hiatus from work to "rest, heal and kick cancer's ass".  She is planning to be back in 4-6 months time.  If you would like to hear it: Pam's Announcement

This morning, I was listening to Maxwell while I was ironing my work clothes.  He played some of the phone calls that came in for Pam on Friday and this morning.  The genuine concern, care and love for Pam from these listeners frankly, was overwhelming to me and I ironed clothes with tears streaming down my face.  And I kept thinking about the positive impact Pam has had on the listeners of Des Moines and surrounding communities and how completely cool that is.  It's not only the phone calls - if you look at KIOA's Facebook page and KIOA's home page, there are hundreds of comments and well wishes for Pam.  We only wish to make her days as bright and cheerful as she has for us over the last few years.

Pam, I dedicate today's blog to you and your positivity for your listeners in Central Iowa.  You make our days a bit better and brighter because of your attitude on life.  Praying for you.

Today I wish you a positive attitude in the face of adversity.

Music

Music has always been a very important part of my life.  When I was born, my great-grandmother told my parents that I would be musical because of the shape of my ears.  A story that I loved to hear when I was young, and I was determined to see it through.

I started taking piano lessons when I was 4 years old.  I begged and begged my mom for lessons, but she had a hard time finding a teacher who would take someone that young.  She found a piano teacher at our church and I stayed with it until I was 8.  The piano sat after that and was eventually traded in for a new organ.  I started taking organ lessons from our church organist at 11.  Not only did I learn how to play the organ - she was training me to be a church organist.  My lesson books included hymnals and lots of Bach fugues.

High school came and I became too busy for lessons, but I was still involved musically in school - played clarinet and saxophone in band and sang in choir and participated in folk group and swing choir.  I also joined the church choir from 8th grade on.  I fell away from music after I graduated high school and did not participate much in college (except for a year in marching band) and it wasn't until after I was married that I became involved with music again on a regular basis.

Since 1992, my husband and I have always been involved with our church choir.  I started singing, then cantoring and now playing the piano.  Music is a very powerful ministry to those who share it and to those who hear it.  It is wonderful to be a part of a group that shares this love of both God and music.  Even if you are not the most musical, I would encourage you to be a part of your worship choir and if that doesn't interest you - please sing from your seat! 

So this morning, I asked those who participated in 9:00 am Mass at St. Boniface Church in Waukee to pose for a picture.  We have several more music ministers in our church - and this picture doesn't even scratch the surface of how many people we have involved in our music ministry.  We do it because we love it and we are called to use our gifts in the name of God.  That's pretty awesome.

Today I wish you the gift of music.