Slice of life – summer

My summer begins with a new phone and time to learn how to really use it. 

So far I have:
learned how to silence my phone by inadvertently clicking the silence button and missing 5 calls,
learned to use my voice mail by fumbling around until I figured it out,
spent some time downloading apps and music with some instruction from my daughter;
learned how to sync my calendar with some help from google,
learned how to block and unblock my number by, once again, tapping the wrong button (now I know why my husband did not answer my call),
learned how to add a photo to my contact list,
learned that even though she was very pleasant, the woman at the store didn’t really download all of my contacts,
spent some more time adding back the lost contacts (hope I got them all).

It has been a lovely few days.  Now if the sun would come out, I could really enjoy summer.

***read more Slice of Life stories at TwoWritingTeachers****

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moleskine monday

Today is the first real day of my summer break and I am thinking about what I want to accomplish over the next six weeks.  Not that I am making a big list of things to do but the time will slip away if I am not intentional.  This morning I spent some time looking up writing classes in my area.  I found one that looked great but I would miss two of the six classes so that won’t work.  I could probably do daily writing exercises using some of the many books on writing that I have on my shelves.  But I need to sit down with my planner and schedule the time or it will slip away.  I was reading this blog recently and it does seem a bold yet brilliant idea to make a public statement about writing – that old accountability thing.  So I guess I am here to say that I am going to write this summer, not a novel or even a short story.  What I want to write are some articles about early childhood education that I can use in my communications with families next year.  Now, I just need to find my planner and get it in writing.  Then I will put it on my google calendar which will download to my new iphone and I can even find an annoying reminder sound.

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a slice of practice

This used to be my dining room.  It is actually still the dining room but the table and chairs have been pushed aside to make room for the drums.  The drums were upstairs in the spare bedroom until we welcomed our daughter and son-in-law into our home while they job hunt.  So the drums came downstairs.  They are now very accessible.  And there is no reason to avoid practicing.  Last week I was really dragging my feet about practicing.  The patterns were complicated and required hands and feet to move in opposite directions.  And I was getting tired of the practice music – 16 and 24 bar pieces played over and over again.  I began to question this whole idea of learning to play the drums.  But there they were, taking up that space that used to be occupied by the table I brought home when my parents moved.  They would not be ignored.  So I sat down for short stints, 15 minutes here, 20 minutes there.  And you know that practice pays off.  I managed to do pretty well at lessons last night.  Of course now I have a new set of rhythms and this week I need to learn to open the hi-hat and crash cymbal.  I think having those drums right under my nose might be the best practice technique yet.

Read more Slice of Life stories at TwoWritingTeachers.

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the uphill climb to summer

I’ve been walking this trail for months.  You can’t really see it from this picture but there is one small dip and then a long downhill stretch before another fairly flat section.  But since I start at the top, I need to return to the top so when I turn around, it’s all uphill.  Yesterday, I stopped at this point and thought about the return trip – the long uphill.  It was warmer than I expected so I was overdressed.  For a brief moment I considered turning back before I had even begun.  But I pressed on, tried not too look too far ahead, and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.  It is that time of year.  One more week of meetings and paperwork and my summer begins.  There are many things tugging at my attention but I need to focus on these last few tasks.  When I walk this trail, I have an amazing view of the mountains off in the distance.  I need to create a mental image of the view that will begin on Friday afternoon.  And then, one foot in front of the other, one task at a time, and the hill won’t be so hard to climb.

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Slice of life Tuesday

Two boxes arrived in our mailbox yesterday.  One contained some books for work.  The other one held this thin book by Luci Shaw on journaling.  The timing was perfect.  Ruth had written a post about making time for writing and I had my end of year staff meeting.  The next two weeks of work will be less hurried as fewer of us are on campus and the work to be done is more about paper and less about people.  This morning, I read the first few chapters and spend a bit of time writing about writing. tIt reminds me of a time when our daughter (who was not fond of reading) saw a magazine about books and exclaimed, “Who would want to read about reading?”  (She loves to read now I am happy to say).  So, I am equipping myself to do more writing this summer, reading and writing and reading about writing.  Sounds like heaven to me.

Read more Slice of Life entries here.

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moleskine monday – recipes

I have longed loved cookbooks and recipes.  I can spend a whole evening with cookbooks, flipping the pages, reading the lists of ingredients and ticking off in my head what  I have in the cupboard.  I make copies, add items to the grocery list, and imagine the process of chopping, blending, and stirring that goes into each recipe.  And I do enjoy cooking, not so much baking, but cooking.  So this moleskine, the recipe version of the Passions, was an obvious choice.  I have had it a few months but have yet to really make it mine.  Last night I added a few more recipes to my journal, a Yam and Pomegranate Enchilada and Peanut Sauce.  I need to write in some of the recipes from the class I took last month before I lose those loose paper.  This is a great blending of my favorite things – writing, cooking, journals, and recipes.

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a slice of green

Our yard is about 20 different shades of green, from the grey-green of the lambs ear to the deep green of the trees (and the vibrant green moss my husband would add).  We have had so much rain that I had my first “if this rain doesn’t stop I might do myself body harm” thoughts.  We moved to the Pacific Northwest almost 23 years ago and after growing up in Arizona and then spending years in California, it was a welcome change.  I love the way the sky can change in an instant.  I love the smell of rain coming.  I love the sound of the rain outside while I curl up on the couch with a good book.  The rain has helped me embrace my curly hair.  I rarely use an umbrella but I do own some fun hats.  But really, this year has been too much.  All of my red poppies have bloomed and then were beaten down by the rain before they could be enjoyed.  I am not sure if my peonies will ever bloom.  They need those little ants to eat away the sticky substance holding those buds tight but the ants keep getting washed away by the rain.  The lawns are lush but that gives way to grumbling all around as folks lament that their yards are too wet to mow.  But I won’t let the wet beat me down (here comes the half-full side that makes my friends roll their eyes).  We had just enough sun yesterday afternoon for a good hike and a short-sleeved shirt.  And today we are starting out dry. We might even see 70 degrees today!   Just enough.  All I need.  Then I will be ready for the rains that are coming back tomorrow.  And remember, you don’t get all those greens without the rain.

**To read more Slice of Life stories, visit Stacey and Ruth and check out their new greens!  ****

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moleskine monday -writing in color

I have two places to write it down.  The first is my book of lists.  I have been using this for about a month and it is saving me from the end of the school year brain fade.  I found four of these little moleskine notebooks in a drawer so I am planning to make use of them for my listmaking.  The second notebook is my moleskine monthly planner.  I love the format – a two page calendar and then two pages of ruled paper.  This year I have added a bit of color.  I have been using colored pencils to designate special days or events.  Last month I even used a grey pencil to color in a few really crummy days.  It only takes a quick glance to see how I was feeling.  I use the ruled pages for journaling.  Not too much, just enough.  Just a few more weeks and summer begins.  I  hope I get to use some sunny colors soon.

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seize the day

Seize the day, seize whatever you can
‘Cause life slips away just like hourglass sand
Seize the day, pray for grace from God’s hand
Then nothing will stand in your way
Seize the day

I love that song and yesterday was one of those days.  There were plenty of chores to be done, tasks on the list, but the sky wore blue and the sun was making an appearance after 17 days of rain and clouds.  After a stop at the library and a quick run to the grocery, I parked myself on a deck chair with a cup of iced coffee and three potential reads.  (I ended up beginning with The Story of Forgetting by Stefan Merrill Block which I just happened upon.)  And as I sit here this morning, listening to the sound of rain once again, I am happy to have seized the day, the moment, the time.

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starts

Generally speaking, we have a last frost date of May 15 around here.  That means  we shouldn’t  put any seeds in the ground before this.  But this year, it is still too cold this first week of June to plant seeds.  That is actually fine with me since digging and raking are forbidden activities right now.  I mean, I would love to have some sunny days or see the temperature get above 60 degrees.  But I am a tiny bit happy that I have more than one reason for not digging in the garden.

I received this container with some basil seeds for a birthday gift.  A few weeks ago, we had a sunny day so I poured in the package of soil and planted the seeds.  For two days, my little seeds languished in the sunshine that splashed across the kitchen counter.  And then the rains returned.  Each day I peek in to see the little green and purple sprouts pushing through the soil.  This picture was taken over a week ago.  And they continue to grow.  I love that these small plants are called starts.  Such hope in that word.  So I watch and I wait and I hope for some fresh basil.  It is a good thing to have some starts in my life.

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