My beach book in November

I just reread To Kill a Mockingbird this week. I fell into the pages of my father's old book.  It smelled like smoke and must.........probably the reason I don't have a Kindle.  I read it in the voice of Scout.  It was one of those beach books that all you want to do is read.  Friday was a cold and rainy November day.  I wanted to call in literary sick so bad.  but I went to school.  I did have silent reading in my class so I could read a little to myself on Friday. I told the kids to find a book that is their good fit.  One that is so good you get a flashlight and read under the covers. I showed them my old book. I told them it is so fun to cry during a book.  It shows you are really into it.   Everybody deserves that.  I cried on my couch when Atticus told Scout " You never really understand a person.........Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." I want to put that on the front page of the paper.  If our congressmen did that.we would get so much more done!

 I read aloud to my dogs- they love Alabama accent.  I say to my little dog...hey Boo. i call my mother and have book club with her on the phone.  I want to talk about it.  I can't wait  to read it again next time.

A day in the life of me...........

I usually think I am a normal working woman...........but then I tell people what happened to me today and they say......jesus god you do not have a normal life!  Today is Thursday...I got up at 5:45 plugged in an IV antibiotic that lasts 30 minutes, prepared my 3 breathing treatments and laid down with my dog for a good snuggle time.  Feed dogs, make tea, take shower, find some fabulous 3rd grade teacher out fit, kiss husband, lock puppy in crate or she will eat the couch and I am off in the car to drive my 67 second commute to work.  Last parking place (it's 7:30 and no one has to be there until 8....) I haul my bag to my room, start my computer, pop open my icey cold coke and sit down to read a daily devotional that comes to me every morning at 3:30am.........quick make a copy ( print it on my printer because I probably have used too many copies this month)  Gather things for the day, talk to my special colleagues and kids come at 8:25.  Take lunch count, make sure I don't miss anyone- I read them the paper today.  How to stay organized.  It is a lifeskill we all are working on.  Started reading lesson, 9:45 break for small group work (High Tide we call it because we have a beach theme...or right now it is riptide...........)  back to do individual centers and more small group teaching, check in, are you getting things accomplished, sent one to nurse, back 101 fever I have to go home, we will finish all tomorrow, lunch, mashed potatoes and gravy, 18 minutes to eat and pee.  Kids restroom break lasts maybe 7 minutes.......I wait for them.  To room for read aloud, The Littles, out to recess, windy, stay a little later because it is fall.  Pass back math tests, somebody got an F, and a D, reviewed and corrected mistakes, chinchilla dies, miss margy, the chinchilla is not breathing, She's fine I say, chinchillas look like that when they sleep during the day.......not a good sign.  Just sleeping Susie as my friend's mother would say about roadkill.  Start new unit on shapes, use technology and projector today.  fly through math, pack and off to music and Pe.  The chinchilla IS dead.  The class pet died during math time today.  I pick her up and her beautiful furry body is lifeless.  compressions?  I try, sing stayin' alive! sing stayin' alive.  nothing.  I wrap her in a little towel and put her in her tub.  I tell my friends and go tell my children in music that their class pet has died.  Jasmine took it hard but it reminded her of her little gramma's dog.  Tomorrow we will have a spelling test and we will talk.  we will talk about death, we will talk about the circle of life.  chinchillas eat the grass and they become the grass (Mufasa)  I will give them time and we will think about everything it reminds us of.   It probably will be the most important lesson I take all year for these kids............this is not on any god damn test..........

I've lost my voice

Since I have started school, I feel I have not had time to post.  I have been all consumed with this new grade level of mine and think of nothing but school, school, school!  I work until 5 pm and don't know what time it is.  I guess life is all about balance.  Nothing works when life is out of balance.  Creativity needs quiet and time to think about it.  Space around your brain when you don't have to think.  That's what I loved about summer.  But it is now the change seasons in this midwest town.  Trees are starting to turn, football voices calm me.  And I want to cook again.  Last night it was spicy meatloaf from the Stop and Smell the Rosemary cookbook.  I made a big pot of minestrone soup at the same time.  when two recipes use about the same ingredients- do the double chop!  cook two meals instead of one.  My husband bought us a new refridgerator so we could keep all our condiments...........

End of summer

I was vaccuming the kitchen rug as the crash hit my brain........."your summer is officially over!" I have planned for this summer for so long and now it is done- This is it! no more...........now it is back to work and SCHOOL~but then after the negativity waned, I reflected. What a great summer.

It started when I immediately got in the car on Saturday after school was out in May. My husband took me to a dream, yes a dream. Star Wars in Concert It was so well produced, laserbeams, full orchestra from London, lightsabers, original costumes and foot long hotdogs! I was in my element. There were photo ops everywhere, Chewbacca encased in a large glass box, the back drop to Luke's 2 sun sunset of Tantooine, My master, Yoda. Lines were every where to get your picture taken with these historic figures. Kelly and I figured it out. I would swoop in while pepole were shuffling to be next in line- take the picture of me and Yoda, and then move on to the next one instantly- stick and move, stick and move. I do want to tell you that I was not dressed up in the Princess Leia costumes- there were some freaky deakies there.................The music was overwhelming. They opened with the Dolby surround sound "drop" just like at the theaters. This is live remind you-and we were in the front row. I kept pinching myself and Kelly realizing that people were playing this right now- no CD! I cried when they played the finale song from the original Star Wars. And couldn't breathe when they played the encore of the Empire theme, it was so ahhhhhhhh! Lucas dreamed up this concept and it was a winner. Giant screens of all the movies and audio as the orchestra plays the music that fits. And the narrator........C3PO himself, Sir Anthony Daniels- in a little gold vest and a black suit :) It was great and only the first weekend of my summer of 2010! It was definitely bucket list material.

Corn and tomatoes,
Corn and tomatoes.
There's nothing I like better
Than corn and tomatoes!!!

It is count down to the beach. Clothes are out....please remember that all you wear is your bathing suit and you don't need 3 pairs of jeans!!!! Have you ever walked into a place and felt in your soul that you have been there before, and I am not talking last year's vacation. That in some juju way this is home? that is how I feel when I walk up for the first moment I get on the sand and look at the Atlantic ocean. My brain stops thinking, My heart calms, my lungs open and I say to God, thanks for welcoming me home. I know what my heaven will be.

The beach started for me when I was 3- that was 40 years ago and it continues on Friday. Meeting my cousins the Clifton family at Summer Song house in Long Beach has moved to South Carolina. The easy drawl of the people suck me in immediatey. Early morning shelling and the grand search for sand dollars, elaborate sand castles, sea urchins, shark boiling....peeyew! Lobster man and net man, chewing tobacco, fishing poles, popsicles and peanut butter sandwiches with sand...........guitar music on the porch. Talent show, Rinso Blue, God dammit Dotsy, the pier and all the tricks and gadgets we would find. The memories go on and on..... and somewhere deep in my former lives I continue to add to them. My beach badge of honor is not how tan or how many shells I can collect.............it is how long can I keep the sand in my purse after I am back in Kansas-

Spring

I smelled honeysuckle today......Spring has sprung people. And we all have a bounce in our step. I took the dogs on a walk in a secret place. It's a beautiful place by pine trees and close to the river. While I was walking in the field, I kept hearing this sound like a bowl of rice crispies. I couldn't figure it out so I stopped under a tree to listen. The sun was shining, it was warm... It was the sound of pine cones opening and flinging its seeds. Have you ever heard pinecones open. I was blessed. I kept walking and then I heard the little cricket frogs that just developed. It was a listening walk.

Today I made asparagus risotto with shrimp and morel mushrooms. It truly was one of the most divine things I have put in my mouth. It takes an hour to make and stir. Risotto is therapy. Add some broth, stir until its gone, Add some broth, stir until its gone...........again and again. I used some dried morels my daddy had purchased for me. They are so expensive, I only used a few. I put on Hootie and the Blowfish on the ipod, poured a glass of Monte de Oro Syrah and started stirring. Spring is great...........it's proof that you lived through all the shit of winter.