Raising Readers and Writers

Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company.  ~Author Unknown

A few weeks ago I had the privilege to attend the bicentennial celebration of The First United Methodist Church in Ashatabula, Ohio.  My mother-in-law and sister-in-law and I gathered with other ladies  to share fellowship and an old fashioned tea party.  The tables that filled the church hall were impeccably set with linens and china.  We learned the history of tea and tasted 3 different kinds of tea.  We tried Gunpowder tea (which was actually a very mild green tea served during the Civil War), St. Catherine’s tea and Soho tea.  The Soho tea was the most flavorful with a combination of chocolate, coconut, and almond. We ate tiny tea sandwiches, and of course scones and other tiny desserts served with lemon curd and jam.  Everything was delicious!

There is something soothing about tea. I never got used to drinking coffee.  Tea is always my first choice.   I’m sure it goes back to when I was little and my mother made tea for me when I was sick.  I loved how the sweet, hot, milky drink slid down my throat and settled my stomach.  Iced tea was the beverage of choice on a hot summer day in my teenage years.  I have so many memories of sitting on the patio with my grandma sipping iced tea that my grandfather had made.  He had a very precise recipe that involved boiling water in the small sauce pan and steeping 5 tea bags for 10 minutes. Water and ice were added and we had tea!  When we were dating, my husband and I would often go to Perkins late into the evening and “do tea.”  We didn’t order pancakes…we just drank tea and talked.  Many decisions have been made over a cup of tea.  To this day, there is always a pitcher of freshly brewed iced tea in our refrigerator.

So, you can see that spending the afternoon sharing tea with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law was very special.  It gave us time to laugh together and chat…just the girls.  The day ended perfectly as the hostess of each table stood and told the story of her table setting.  (That was one of my favorite parts of the tea.)  We heard stories about china that came from England, place settings that were bought on a new teacher’s meager salary from a door to door salesman, and dishes that once belonged to a great-grandmother.  Karen, our hostess, shared that her dishes were a gift from her father a year before she got married.  He was very ill and knew that he wouldn’t live to walk her down the aisle.  Her story, like many of the others, was very touching.  The afternoon ended with laughter, smiles and good wishes.  It’s one I will always remember and cherish.

Thanks to Ruth and Stacey for hosting Slice of Life.  Sorry for the interruption in my Slice of Life stories.  There have been too many “slices” in my life the last couple of weeks!  Hopefully we’ll be back on track and I’ll be posting each week.

I’ve been dreading it for a long time.  In fact, I started dreading it in the fall when I knew what I was going to have to tackle this spring.  As I gazed out onto my garden beds, I ran my fingers through my hair in utter dismay.    Weeds have pushed up through the gravel pathways, in the beds, and along the white picket fence.  Chives and cone flowers grow haphazardly where their seeds have landed, recklessly claiming their own spaces in the garden.   Where do I even start?

Of course, having time to think while working, always takes me on a metaphorical journey.  I actually began thinking about my students as the OAA looms ahead in the next 2 weeks. And then, I slowly turned to the weeds flooding my own life right now…end of year preparations, imminent changes, decisions to be made etc.   I was tempted to go back into the house and ignore the whole thing,  but that doesn’t get me anywhere.  Instead,  I started to wade through the mess and hence another blog post was born.  Lessons from my Garden:

Take a deep breath and dig in.  Challenges take root every day.  We can choose to face them to our best ability and move forward or we can scurry back to our status quo. If we persevere and keep digging away, eventually, we make progress, new beginnings emerge and  the struggle is worth all the hard work.

Use the right tools.  When I find myself unsteady along the path, there are certain truths that guide me.  First and foremost, my friends and family.  Those forever friends I’ve mentioned before mean the world to me.  They listen without judgement and offer support when I most need it.  My faith sustains me through the stormiest seasons as well as carries me through in joyous times.  And I’ve rediscovered a new relationship with my tennis shoes.  My mind clears as I my feet hit the pavement.  I can feel myself grow stronger.

Change is inevitable.  Transitions are hard.  Giving up is not an option.  I know without a doubt that if I keep working at it, the paths will open up and  new life will bloom again.  My garden, like all of us, will spring back, hopefully in better shape than ever!

Thanks to Ruth and Stacey for hosting Tuesday Slice of Life.

As my son embarks on the journey to become an educator, I can’t help but think about how the climate of teaching has changed in the last few years.  It makes me wonder what it will be like for him when he walks into his own classroom for the first time and faces his own set of students.  I believe that many aspects will be different, but some things will always hold true.  If I could sit him down and give him some advice, this is what I would say…

First, I want you to know how proud I am that you are joining this very, very important profession.  You will be touching the lives of many…and not only children.  You will impact their families and your colleagues.  Know that for some children, their time with you at school will be the only time of the day that they feel safe and happy.  For others, your classroom will be a place to excel and reach for the stars.  If you want your students to soar, first find what they can do well.  Don’t focus on what they can’t do.  If you know their strengths, you can build on them.  Be compassionate and remember that each child who crosses your threshold is precious to someone.  Find the good in all of your kids, especially the ones that frustrate you the most.  Take time to get to really know your students and what motivates them to learn.  Each child is unique.

Surround yourself with positive people.  Find colleagues, near and far, who are always striving to be better at what they do.  Believe me, you never will know it all.  It’s important to keep an open mind.  Take risks, learn new things, challenge yourself.  Ask questions and expect your students to ask questions too.  Remember that you are not the only expert in the room.  I have the privilege to go to school every day and be with 22 others who are an expert in something. I learn from them every day.

Finally, don’t be afraid to go against the grain.  There are going to be times when you don’t agree with what everyone else is doing.  Be strong and resolute in your beliefs about what is best for your kids.  You are their strongest advocate.  I love this quote by Penny Kittle, “I believe you’ve got to do what’s right, every single day of your life, even if the rest of the crowd isn’t. Teaching is about honor and goodness and mercy. You either live up to the calling of this profession or you don’t, and most likely no one will ever know but you.”

I am so very excited for you.  So many wonderful experiences await you.  Find joy in every day, even those days that are lonely, frustrating, and maddening.  You will have those days.  But the positives far outnumber the negatives.  And remember…have fun!  Lead your students into a love of learning.  You have the power to show them the possibilities.

Love you~

Mom

Check out Two Writing Teachers to find more Slice of Life Stories.

I had so much fun participating in the Slice of Life Challenge, that I will be posting a Slice of Life story every Tuesday.  Thanks to Ruth and Stacey at Two Writing Teachers for hosting! 

Tuesday mornings don’t start like most days of the week.  I don’t hit the snooze 2 or 3 times.  I don’t drag myself out of bed, thinking of all the  things I didn’t get done the night before.  Tuesdays are different.  It’s the day that I meet 2 very good friends for breakfast at Bob Evans.  We have been meeting at 7:30 (yes, that is 7:30 AM) for at least 8 years.  It’s a time we treasure and  hold sacred.  We don’t miss unless we absolutely have to.  It’s a time to share our ups and downs, our joys and our fears.  We laugh together and we sometimes cry together.  We’ve watched children being born, others going off to college and starting new jobs, kids getting married, and new business ventures beginning.  I cherish my Tuesday mornings with Kathy and Joyce…it’s the perfect way to start my day!

I’ve discovered that several of my blogging friends are participating in this wonderful meme hosted by Jen and Kellee at Teach Mentor Texts  I thought I’d join the fun!

Being on Spring Break last week gave me opportunities to get some great books read…

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Marty McGuire Digs Worms by Kate Messner (second book in the series)

Some poetry…

Dear Hot Dog by Mordicai Gerstein

Georgia Heard’s The Arrow Finds Its Mark:  A Book of Found Poems

And an adult read…

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman is a wonderful book with a lot of strong female characters.

How fitting is it that today is my last day in Florida as well as the last day of the SOLSC?  When I decided to participate in SOLSC, I didn’t know if I could discipline myself enough to write every day.  I found out that I could.  It’s been an amazing journey…I’ve connected with new people through their blogs and comments, I’ve learned new things about people that I already knew, I’ve discovered some things about myself as a person and as a writer, and there have been many lessons learned that will carry over in my teaching.  Thank you to Ruth and Stacey for hosting the challenge.  I plan to continue writing on SOLSC Tuesdays and have some ideas for other kinds of writing I want to do.

I’m sitting by the pool writing my last SOLSC12.  My flight back to Ohio is booked.  There are lots of things to look forward to in the next several months…but I’m still a little sad to say good-bye to both my sister and to this daily writing challenge.

I’ve been trying to get into an exercise routine and I knew that being in Florida would be the perfect opportunity to be outside and get some walking in.  Each day, my sister’s dog, Roxie, has taken me for walk (or you could call it a pull…she’s kind of big and not a very good walker).  Today, after our short clip outside, I took her home and decided to venture out on my own.  As I walked, I noticed that all the squirrels in this neighborhood are skinny.  They aren’t round and chubby like the ones we have in Ohio.  I think it’s because they are active all year round.  Do they need to set aside a cache of nuts for the winter?  I wouldn’t think they would have to hide their food supply for the cold winter months…it doesn’t get that cold here.  What do I know about squirrels though?  I guess it doesn’t matter,in the grand scheme of things,  the squirrels here are skinny.

In my quest to get healthier, maybe I need to pay attention to these squirrels.  I walked/ran for almost an hour this morning.  Don’t be too impressed.  I mainly walked, but I did get some running spurts in.  When I texted my friend that I was running, she replied back that she couldn’t run.  My reply?  Maybe if she saw me, she’d think I couldn’t either.   I’ve been eating healthier foods…lots more vegetables and fruits all in the hopes of helping my body be stronger and physically fit.  I know that I have to make exercise a priority.  It’s very easy to tell myself I don’t have time.  But I know that if it was important enough to do, I’d find the time to do it.  I found the time to write every day this month didn’t I?  So my goal for the month of April is to document my healthy endeavors.  I want to get out and walk/run at least 4 times a week and continue eating healthy foods.  I’ll check in at the end of the month to let you know how I do.

Thank you to Ruth and Stacey for hosting SOLSC at Two Writing Teachers. 

Today was an idyllic day spent with my husband’s aunt who lives in Florida.  I’ve always felt a special connection to Aunt Jean, maybe because she’s a former librarian and we book people send out vibes that attract other book people.  Whatever it is, I always enjoy my time with her, which isn’t often enough.  As I drove down the Florida turnpike, palm trees towering over the highway and orange groves sprinkled throughout, I wondered what stories I would get to hear today.  Aunt Jean is a fountain of information and she did not disappoint. After a delicious lunch, we went for a walk around the pond and down to Lake Harris.  As we wandered along the trail, different spots held different stories.  Today, I’d like to share some of them with my readers.

This is the garden that Uncle Ronnie created.  An avid gardener and someone who loved the land, he wanted a way to get his exercise and do something he enjoyed.  He cleared the land and planted some vegetables and flowers.  He’d walk down every day to water the garden.  There was the day that he decided instead of using the hose to water another resident’s flowers, he’d fill a pail with water from the pond.  As he dipped his bucket into the water, he slipped and fell in.  No one was around  and he had to figure out how to get himself out of that slimy muck.  He was covered in mud when he arrived back to their apartment.  After Uncle Ronnie passed away, the groundskeeper put the fence up and takes care of the garden for the residents.  Anyone who wants a small plot of land, is welcome to have one.  I think this garden is such a beautiful reminder of Uncle Ronnie.

As we sat by the water on the dock, a family of ducks swam by.  Aunt Jean told me the story of going to Canadohta Lake with her sisters and parents.  She noticed right away the rope that ran across the lake and the children who were playing on the other side of the rope.  Not knowing how to swim did not deter her from venturing out into the lake.  As soon as she went under the rope and joined the other kids, the bottom dropped out from beneath her. She grabbed the first thing she could find…the swim shorts of the nearest boy.  She held on for dear life as he dragged her back to where she could touch.  She learned that ropes are there for a reason, but she never told her mother what had happened.

This is the bank where Uncle Ronnie used to chase alligators back into the pond!  That sounded a little too scary to me. 

On a trip to California, Aunt Jean and Uncle Ronnie brought back seeds from a jacaranda tree.  They planted 5 trees around the property.  This map hangs in the porch of Aunt Jean’s apartment.  The pins show every place she and Uncle Ronnie visited and spent the night.  (If they didn’t spend the night there, it didn’t get a pin).  They visited all 50 states, lived in 5 states (Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida), and traveled to the Middle East. They certainly had lots of adventure together!

On the advice of my husband’s cousins Ron and Cinda, I also recorded the story of Aunt Jean’s first pair of glasses.  I’m hoping to share that later, as I’ve gotten the idea in my head that I want to start gathering others’ stories.  Doing the Slice of Life Challenge has made me even more aware of the stories that are out there.  I want to thank Aunt Jean for sharing these wonderful stories with me.  It’s an afternoon I’ll always remember.

I am currently reading Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, on the recommendation of my friend Karen.  I have highlighted so many quotes as I read this wonderfully charming book.  Last night’s favorite was, “It’s my fire.”  Aunt Tootie (see already you want to read this book when it has characters with  names like Aunt Tootie) explains to Cee Cee, “Yes.  Everyone needs to find the one thing that brings out her passion.  It’s what we do and share with the world that matters.”

Of course, I started thinking about my own passions…what is it that drives me? Gives me that intrinsic pleasure that makes me feel complete?  I can’t narrow it down to one thing, but I can narrow it down…

My family  I love spending time with my family.  I grew up in a loud, close-knit family with lots of cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents.  My cousins were like my siblings.  My aunts and uncles were my second parents.  And my grandparents were just the bomb!  We love each other warts and all.  Now that my children are starting to venture out, I relish the times when the 5 of us can be together.  My children have grown into wonderful young adults who I couldn’t be more proud of.  Sometimes my husband and I just look at each other and smile. We both know what the other is thinking…”We’ve made mistakes along the way, but we did a good job with our kids.”

My friends  I’m not one who has gads and gads of friends.  I’m not the life of the party (nor do I particularly like going to events where I don’t know anyone).  The friends I have are ones that I hold near and dear to my heart.  It is important to me to keep those ties to friends from long ago to those new friends and connections I make as I continue along life’s path.  I have a few old friends from high school and college who are forever friends.  It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since we’ve seen each other, it’s like we never left off. The same goes with friends I’ve made through raising kids and teaching.   Friends matter…I need them to help me keep balance in my life.  They remind me to not take life so seriously, to have fun, and stretch my wings a bit.  Nurturing those relationships and keeping them alive is vital.

Gardening and Cooking  There is something soothing to my soul about plunging my hands into the earth, planting, and waiting for the bounty.  Even weeding is therapeutic for me.  It’s a little metaphoric…as I yank those weeds out, I think about all those things in my life that need to be yanked out.  It just makes me feel better.  Baking just makes me happy.  And baking for others makes me even happier.  I think I spend more time looking for new recipes to try than it actually takes to make it.  I was raised to be a baker.  I have vivid memories of standing next to my mom, apron wrapped around me, stirring, sifting, measuring, and mixing.  It’s one of the ways that I can show people I love them.

Kids  I LOVE working with kids every day.  I LOVE being in the classroom every day.  It doesn’t matter how badly the rest of my life is going, I know that I am in my element when I am surrounded by eager (and not so eager) children who are ready to learn.  I love matching kids up with books, I love finding ways to help kids see writing is fun and meaningful, and I love helping kids realize that contrary to what they’ve always believed about themselves, they CAN do math.  It’s not all about the academics either.  Anyone who teaches knows that our jobs are much more than that.  It’s social and emotional as well.  It’s finding the connection that makes kids know they are important and that I believe in them.

Reading, Writing, and Rejuvenation  I’ve always been a reader.  Writing has come back into my life.  Both fuel me.  My latest focus is taking time for rejuvenation.  I’m almost 50 years old.  It’s been a time of reflection for me.  What is it that I want for the rest of my life?  I know that I want to be healthy.  I want to focus on what’s important.  I’m making a concerted effort to exercise again.  I know I’ll never be that skinny bean pole I was in high school and college, but I certainly can improve where I am now.  My family is eating more healthy foods (which puts a damper on the baking thing I love to do), but we all feel better for it.  Most importantly, I am making time to just be still.  I so enjoy being outside listening to the busyness of nature around me, noticing the arrival of spring as buds burst through, and savoring the beauty around me.

All of these passions build the foundation for my fire.  Each contributes to the other in preparing me to be the best person I can be so that what I do makes a positive difference to those I touch in this world.

What is your fire?

Thanks to Ruth and Stacey from Two Writing Teachers for hosting SOLSC12. 

I grew up being the oldest of 3 girls.  Linda is 18 months younger than me and Susan is 5 years younger.  I have a July birthday, so I didn’t get to celebrate my birthday at school.  I was so excited when Mrs. Motter told me that I could bring in a treat for my classmates to celebrate my sister’s birth.  I still remember how proud I was to hand out those Hershey chocolate bars.  I knew even then that being the oldest sister of 2 younger girls was an important responsibility. My sisters would tell you even now that I’m still a little bossy and I like to be in charge.  And it’s probably a little true…but deep down we have a deep love and respect for each other and know that we can depend on each other at all times.

How do you even begin to explain the complex relationship with sisters?  In our younger days, it was a love – hate relationship that rivaled no other.  We grew up in Bryan, Ohio out in the country with a soybean field- sometimes – corn field behind our house.  There was a junky wood pile in the back of our property that was our fort.  We played for hours…Growing up Catholic, church was one of our favorite games.  The soybeans were the perfect substitute for the wispy Communion wafers.  I’m sure you can guess that I got to be the priest because I was the oldest.  And I had to practice being a nun for when I grew up.  We put plays on for our parents in the living room; ridiculous plays, but oh, were they fun.  I remember teaching Susan how to spell “stop” by taking her down the stop sign and practicing until she knew it.  (Maybe that was a sign that the nunnery was not really going to be for me). Those were also the days when they wouldn’t let me play Barbies with them when they were mad at me.  They knew how to get back at me…shut me out and ignore me.

We continued the roller coaster ride through adolescence.  I was the serious one…always worried about the consequences.   I was happiest when I could be by myself lost in a book or writing in my diary.  Linda was the fun one.  If Linda was in the room, laughter was sure to follow.  She was the tomboy of the family and on any given day could be seen outside playing baseball or football with the neighborhood boys.  She thought a little about the consequences, but didn’t let them deter her.  Then there was Susan…she definitely had a mind of her own (and still does).  When we would dig worms for Dad’s fishing trips, she would kiss them good-bye before putting them in the bucket.  She always had a heart for the underdog, which is why she is such a good social worker now.   She was also the risk taker…not sure where the consequences fell in her mind.  Those years were not such close years.  I distinctly remember screaming matches, hair pulling, and “I hate you” being shouted from any one of us.  I couldn’t even imagine ever liking my sisters at that point in my life.  I thought my mom was crazy when she’d tell us that one day we would be best friends.

My dad got a new job right before my senior year in high school.  We moved across the state to Jefferson, Ohio near Lake Erie.  That experience pulled us back together, especially Linda and me since we both were going to high school.  For awhile, we only had each other as we encountered new people and new experiences daily.  Neither one of us was very happy about the move and we gravitated toward the other.  We began to hang out with the same friends and do things together.  Our relationship began to change.  We had fun together!  Since I lived at home my first 2 years of college and then even through college at KSU, we bonded over first loves, boy trouble, “What were you thinking?” decisions (that would have been my short-term boyfriend Jim, whose claim to fame was his ability to pop wheelies on his bicycle), and  “What’s next?” conversations.   Linda is the one who taught me that I didn’t really HAVE to follow Dad’s 11:00 curfew when I was a sophomore in college.  He would just get a little mad and then he’d get over it.

As we got older, the three of us just got closer.  Linda introduced me to my husband.  Molly and I went with her to Florida on what was to be her honeymoon after her engagement was broken off.   They worked really hard at spoiling Molly and teaching her how to not be the bossy oldest girl.  Soon,  they began having children too and our kids have grown up together.  We learned quickly not to judge the bad behaviors of our nieces and nephews as our own children would soon be following suit when they reached that age.

Over the last 25 years, we’ve bonded over raising kids, dealing with the ups and downs of marriages, moving far away, and just living every day.  We laugh together, we cry together, we commiserate together.  I know now, that my mom was right all those years ago.  My sisters are my best friends.  I know that I can trust them with my deepest secrets, my darkest fears, and my most wonderful highs.  The sister bond is indeed special.  I’m grateful for it every single day.

Thanks to Ruth and Stacey at Two Writing Teachers for hosting the Slice of Life Challenge.