My Blessed Little Life

16 of 31 for the Slice of Life Challenge from Two Writing Teachers Today is my 41st post for this blog.  When I started this a few years ago, I don't think I could have imagined where I am now.  Teaching again, Trying to get fit.  Juggling three teen/preteens and work and just life in general.  I know I couldn't have imagined that I would join a writing challenge that asked me to write everyday for a month.  I am sure that that Sarah would have just laughed, and said "Yeah, right!"  But here I am, on my 16th day of blogging consistently, writing my 41st post.  While I'm sure this achievement is a drop in the bucket for some, I am choosing to see this as a good starting point.  A place that I realized that I can write, even if my audience is pretty tiny.  I am making a start, and that is a pretty cool thing.

  15 of 31 for the Slice of Life Challenge from Two Writing Teachers In our weekly team meetings, we often have a question of the day.  Something along the lines of "What was the best part of your Christmas (Winter) break?" or something silly like "What would your pro-wrestler name be?"  We go around the table and give our answer.  Since we are a pretty tight knit group, we can usually predict what is going to be said. This week our question of the week was "What career would you choose to start if you no longer were a teacher?"  Because we had so much business on the agenda, we didn't get to go around the table like usual.  I started to think about this question after leaving the meeting. What would I be? I taught sixth grade for two years, and then I took a break from teaching for 8 years after the birth of my son.  Growing up, I really only had one career choice. I was going to be a teacher like my mom and dad.  In the back of my head, ...

  14 of 31 for the Slice of Life Challenge from Two Writing Teachers Today my oldest leaves to go to the state Stuco convention.   This is the first time she has ever left for more than one night and is traveling hundreds of miles away from home...well, without it being at her grandparent's house.  She will be staying with someone that I have never met, and even though I know that she will be well cared for, I can't help but worry.  Will she remember to use her manners?  Will she be safe and respectful? All of these nagging feelings come up.  I know I have taught her well, and have seen the way she behaves at school, so I shouldn't worry so much.  She will be in good hands with her advisor, and is going with a great group of students.  So why does a small part of me dread her leaving this morning?  I know she would say, "Mom, chill out.  I'm going to be fine."  Logically I know that.  My heart just wants the best for h...

  13 of 31 for the Slice of Life Challenge from Two Writing Teachers When my husband and I were first married, we lived with my grandma to help save money.  I was in my last year of college and beginning student teaching, and my husband started a brand new job two weeks before our wedding.  It really made sense to do this.  While we cooked separately most of the time, from time to time grandma would cook for us all.  One of my favorite meals from my grandma was not a fancy one at all.  We always knew that March 17th meant a celebration of our Scots Irish roots. Every March, Grandma would buy corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots at least a week in advance.  She was convinced that if she didn't do this, she would miss out on our St. Patrick's Day meal.  She would study each cut of meat, looking for the piece that had just the right amount of fat.   I always wondered why she went to so much trouble for a meal, but this meal alwa...

  12 of 31 for the Slice of Life Challenge from Two Writing Teachers I am an avid TV watcher.  Most often, I have Food Network or TLC on.  TV has always been a companion. It is extra noise in the background as I work on whatever I am doing.  Lately, instead of plot lines to move watchers, networks have cashed in on the reality craze.  It is interesting to me that everything on is some sort of a reality show,  Want to find love?  Join 24 other women on the Bachelor and you may have a shot..  Can you take random ingredients and create a restaurant quality meal in 10 minutes?  Food Network is your place.  Can you survive on a desert island?  Survivor is your game.  Need to lose a few pounds?  The Biggest Loser is for you. I have to wonder if these shows have convinced people that everything is a competition of some sort.  Everything is a game. Even with my lesson plans at school, I've noticed that kids expect to be...

  11 of 31 for the Slice of Life Challenge from Two Writing Teachers Daylight savings time always gets me every year.  It seems that just as I've gotten into a comfortable routine, the darn daylight savings time comes along and then my whole rhythm is messed up.  Since I have to be at school so early (7am), I am used to getting up bright and early.  I'm not sure why, but losing that hour of sleep just makes the next week drag on.  Last night I graded papers and was in a groove.  It wasn't until my husband came in that I realized how late it was.  Today I am paying for that late night. It was so difficult to get up and out of bed this morning.  Driving to school in the dark was really just a depressing feeling.  I had gotten use to needing sunglasses as I turned the curve to the middle school, and today there was no need of that.  The only thing I needed was my headlights in the dark. I even came home after school and fell asleep....

  10 of 31 for the Slice of Life Challenge from Two Writing Teachers Ten days of blogging for the Slice of Life challenge have passed.  I have really enjoyed the challenge so far.  It has made me really think about what is happening in my life and how I can put it into words.    I have always loved to write, but have never really considered myself that good at it.  I have so many ideas running in my head, but when I go to actually put those ideas onto paper nothing seems to work.  I write sentences, only to erase them over and over because they don't sound right or they don't really explain the feeling I want them to.  I explain to my students all the time that writing is really about the revision process. That is where the real work takes place, and it is really true.  It is where the frustration lies for me as well.  Self doubt plays the biggest role here, I think. That nagging thought that no one will want to read what I have to...