Today I Love being SCATTER BRAINED! Slice of Life 2014 - Day 20

Thanks to the good people at Two Writing Teachers for sponsoring the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Today is Day 20 and it has been one scattered day! 

 

When I was a 6th grader, I asked my teacher if I could sit next to one particular, very cute, very tall, and very new to our school, young man.  

My teacher told me no.  She said she didn't want me to rub off on my new classmate.  She told me that I came into her class scatter brained and she'd be d***ed if I was going to leave that way. To her credit, I was the one who still didn't know what 8 x 7 was (56, by the way...right?) and I was the one who may or may not have been a bit on the impulsive side.  And yes, had my parents pushed for me to be tested, I most definitely would have been declared ADHD!  But scatter brained?  A bad influence? A bit harsh I do believe!

Well....umm....Mrs. H, where ever you are these days...guess what?

 

A few years have passed since then and now I am the one teaching Middle School...by definition I MUST be scatter brained!  I don't do anything for any longer than 50 minutes at a time and that's a stretch.  

I teach three different Language Arts classes, one Math (that one right there would make that woman shriek in hysterical laughter!), and one History, and right now a twice a week (be still my heart) Creative Writing class.-->

 

 <----

Today my 8th graders were all wearing mustaches by the end of the day...but that's another whole long story.

This evening I left work,

Drove to pick up our taxes (yay refunds!),

Came home and cooked dinner (three pots on top of the stove and garlic bread in the oven all at the same time!),

Ate and cleaned up said dinner,

Danced a dance or two with The Man (used to be a family rule to dance after dinner and we are trying to reinstate it.),

Sat down to balance the checkbook,

Called friend to help with the balance of the checkbook,

Called another friend to book a Tastefully Simple show,

Paid bills after balancing checkbook,

And am just now at 11:15 sitting down to (be still my heart once again) write my slice and declare my love for being scatter brained!  

You know what?  

It works for me! 

And hey look!

There's a squirrel!  

 

Today I Love giving concert advice! Slice of Life 2014 - Day 20

Thanks to the good people at Two Writing Teachers for sponsoring the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Today is Day 19, but I am writing about Day 18!  The Man bought me concert tickets for Christmas and last night was THE night!  I am no concert expert, but I had fun putting this list together.  

I actually debated not going.  A friend and co-worker lost her husband the night before and I was still reeling from that crushing news.  The more I thought about it though, the more I thought I didn't want to miss a second of any special time I could spend with my own dear Man, who took this spectacular photo!  Enjoy and feel free to add your own hints to the list!

 Top Ten Things to Remember When Attending a Concert

10. Do your research.  Know at least a few songs and lyrics so you can sing along with the rest of the crowd.

9.  Order tickets on the aisle and near the back of the floor level.  You can stand whenever you want to and not block anyone's view and you don't have to climb out over anyone else...however, you will BE climbed over...a LOT.  Sigh.

8. Plan to take the next day off of work...you will want to sleep in!

7.   Get to the concert venue early (downtown Columbus, Ohio, in this case) so you can stroll around, see the sights, and eat at a local establishment.  This is no time for Tim Horton's!  Look around the restaurant and try figuring out who else is attending the same concert as you.

6.  Bring money for the T-shirts!  They are the softest cotton ever and they are expensive...and they are cut small.  Order the Extra Large!

5.  As soon as you arrive, scope out the restrooms...if needed, there will still be time to run down the street to some place cleaner! If you are attending a concert at The Palace in Columbus, this is not a worry.  And if you are attending a Crosby, Stills, and Nash concert like The Man and I did, AND you are a woman, you will be oh so very pleased to know that the line to the women's will be SHORTER than the line to the men's!  We were definitely on the younger edge of this crowd!

4.  Be nice to the good folks who are helping you find your seat.  Even though they do get to see the concert for free, most of them are volunteers, and they have to stand the entire time.

3.  Make conversation with the people sitting near you.  It just may be that one of them can tell you which one is Crosby, which one is Stills, and which one is Nash! 

2.  Once the concert starts, stay in your seat, unless you are simply standing to applaud and/or dance.  (See #9 above) Make sure you do a good share of people watching!  A good time was had by all at our concert and a much much much better time had by some, if you get my drift!  I do not drink or smoke, but I had a lot of fun watching those who do!

And the Number ONE thing to remember when attending a concert is....

1.  LOVE every minute!(Did you think that word WASN'T going to show up?)
   
             Sing! (See #10 above!)   

                  Dance! (See #2 above...give others something to watch!) 

                         Life is short, friends!  Live it well!

 

Today I Love being friends with the Irish -Slice of Life 2014

Thanks to the good people at Two Writing Teachers for sponsoring the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Today is Day 18!

 

I've been playing this daily Today I Love game for a little over a year and a half now, and every so often, I'll cut myself and break and write something very short and simple and end it with "'Nuff said!"  Today is a perfect day for that kind of slice.  

Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day and there was lots of talk of the luck o' the Irish.  Luck o' the Irish nothin', I say!  Today I love being FRIENDS with the Irish!  One Cori Sinclair (mother of a student) showed up in my classroom today with leftovers from her St. Patty's Day feast...HOMEMADE Shepherd's Pie, TWO pieces of HOMEMADE Irish Soda Bread (that I dutifully schmeared with real butter as instructed), and some kind of HOMEMADE heavenly trifle dessert!  I am literally eating as I type and my spoon is hovering between the dishes because I can't decide which one to eat next!  It's THAT good!  

And that, my friends, is 'Nuff said! 

 

Today I Love Thoughts of Summer - Slice of Life 2014

Thanks to the good people at Two Writing Teachers for sponsoring the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Today is Day 17 and I am continuing to challenge myself with poetry.  As The Man and I did some backyard clean up last week, I came across this gem and it got me thinking about warm days past...and hopefully yet to come.  

Thoughts of Summer...

I found you 

       after the snow melt 

Winter's rapid onset left you

             abandoned 

     at your post

Then Winter's winds tossed you

     to the ground

I remember you
Your vibrancy
Your sweet reflection
Your silent call

I remember your visitors
 
   Buzzing
           
                Zipping

    Zooming     
                                                         
          Silently 
                                                                           of
                   Sipping                          Flashes
                                                                                  Emerald
                                 Dipping                                             
                                   


                                            

Today I Love Baking Day! Slice of Life 2014 - Day 16

The Man got called back in to work this morning and I've been busy all day long!  Flew solo to church, then groceries were purchased, and Freda the Freestyle got herself all gassed up for the week. There are three loads of laundry in various stages of completion, lesson plans are done and printed, along with a couple of math worksheets.  I'm headed over to my school blog to round up my kiddos' slices in a bit, but wanted to report here first.  

I had a great helper today getting all of my baking done. I haven't gotten to bake in awhile, so I really got that out of my system all in one day! Wouldn't have been able to get it all done without my good little helper man.

First we baked Chocolate Chip Applesauce Muffins, along with a few non chocolate for a friend who can't eat chocolate.  My helper was right by my side the whole time.




We got two dozen Scrambled Egg Muffins in the freezer and ready to go for a quick breakfast on the way out the door.  Helper boy was right there when I needed help with the ham pieces.

It wouldn't be Sunday if I wasn't making cookies!  Today I got slightly creative and stepped away from the chocolate chip cookie pattern and made Reese's Minis Peanut Butter cookies.  Again, my friend was there for whatever I needed.

 


One of the best parts of Baking Day is packing some goodies up to give away.  I still haven't mastered the art of Empty Nest cooking, so I ALWAYS have too much!  Today that meant two friends and a neighbor got to benefit too! This is me and my friend, Jaci.



 Last but not least, as much as I was wishing it could be Steak Sunday or Salad Sunday, it was just too cold yet again, so it was back to Soup Sunday and I broke out the Amish cookbook and made Cheesy Ham Chowder.  (Glorified potato soup!) Again...
my helper 
never 
once 
left 
my 
side 
just
in case 
I needed
his help...

with anything that hit the floor! 

 

Today I Love...my red front door - Slice of Life 2014 Day 15

Thanks to the good people at Two Writing Teachers for sponsoring the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Today is Day 15!

 

  

Today I Love My Red Front Door

A few years ago

 we painted 

our front door.  

It used to be a 

dull 

boring

blue.

Now it is a 

homey,

 cranberryish,

 Christmassy,

 Memorial Day

 and 4th of July

all 

rolled 

into

one

 red.

It is the first thing

 that catches my eye

 as I near home

at the end of the day.

  It beckons to me

 and says things like,

'Ahhh, there you are',

and

'Where've you been?'

and

'I've been waiting 

just for you'

to 

come

home.

Tonight the spring

sunset

is setting the

red ablaze

and helping me

to remember that

even warmer days 

are on the way.

It is warm

to the touch

and 

I just want to

bask in its

reflected light.

Today I Love that secret container in the freezer...Slice of Life 2014 - Day 14

Thanks to the good people at Two Writing Teachers for sponsoring the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Today is Day 14! 

It's been a long day

My eyes are blurry

My pillow is calling my name

So I will take inspiration from

one

Paul B. Janeczko

who wrote a poem about 

 an August ice cream cone: 

Lick

Quick 

As soon as I visit

the freezer 

and lick quick

I will

Sleep

Deep

Good night...today I love that secret container in the freezer!