The Sunrise Story

Thank you to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Tara, Beth, Anna, Kathleen & Deb for this amazing platform to write and share writing! What a wonderful community you've created! I'm honored to be part of it. Join us at Two Writing Teachers . After being away for a week, it's good to be home. I moved to Virginia in the year 2000. I'd gone through some life changing events in Massachusetts and I needed a change...time away. I spent months deciding where I wanted to go and finally decided on Virginia. Honestly, I thought it would be for a year or two, so I could get some distance and perspective. It's been over fifteen years and I love it. When I moved here I knew TWO people, friends from graduate school. They helped me find a job and a place to live. When I think about those first months, it was hard. I didn't know anyone. I barely knew my way around. I didn't have any money. I was lonely and lost. That struggle helped shape the person I am today and I am gratefu...

Thank you to Ruth Ayres for providing this space to share our celebrations. Please join us and share your own! Today I'm celebrating the In Between Days. Christmas is over. There's something about the day after a big celebration that we've been planning for weeks and months. I read this great quote and it really struck a chord with me. Find a"...new way to connect to the holiday- to the quietness and the in-between-ness..." Sara Eckel. I cherish the in-between moments. The quiet in the midst of the chaos. Searching those moments out becomes a challenge and those are the moments that become cherished memories. Today we woke up slowly... I watched my niece and nephew enjoy their trampoline. I drank in the sound of my mother giggling while she jumped with them... a date with my nephew to Friendly's... And a day after Christmas celebration with family tonight in our jammies...enjoying the in-between times. I hope you find th...

Thank you to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Tara, Beth, Anna, Kathleen & Deb for this amazing platform to write and share writing! What a wonderful community you've created! I'm honored to be part of it. Join us at Two Writing Teachers . The word I picked to guide my year was FLY. I found it challenging to explain my word. It encompassed so much and sorting it out was nearly impossible. Here 's where I first explained my OLW. As the year ends, I reflect and wonder...how has that word changed me? One thing I wanted was to face my fears. I've gotten better. It's about how I look at things and I don't feel terrified of flying beings, like birds, anymore. Another goal for my word was for me to SOAR. Did I soar this year? Yes! I attended my first week long writing retreat this summer. I completed a challenging year at work with lots of accomplishments. I began writing a book. I stopped saying, "I wish..." and I started doing. This year, I worked at ...

Thank you to Ruth Ayres for providing this space to share our celebrations.  Please join us and share your own! Many times this week I stopped and thought, "This is what I'll write my celebration post about on Saturday." I'm going to celebrate the entire week today! Last weekend was filled with cleaning, decorating, organizing and baking. I did some purging too which always feels good. As I was rearranging some books and looking for space on the shelves, I decided to try something new... Early in the week, I woke up feeling sick and decided I should stay home from school. I grabbed my coat and the leash to take Bella for a walk. I opened my door and saw a plastic candy cane hanging from it. Puzzled, but still sleepy, I pulled the door shut and turned to begin our walk when this is what I saw... Our church offers this as a fund raiser for our youth group. My friend, Sharon, sent these candy canes to me.  Oh did it make my whole day!! I took a picture ...

Thank you to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Tara, Beth, Anna, Kathleen & Deb for this amazing platform to write and share writing! What a wonderful community you've created! I'm honored to be part of it. Join us at Two Writing Teachers . Today my slice is about that moment when you feel it. The scratch in your throat. It tickles. It hurts. I cough. Where did it come from? The warm air creates chaos. Trees and birds are confused. Nothing feels right. December 15th. 4AM. It's SIXTY degrees outside. Sigh... Wishing I could be cheery and write about so many other things, but I'm congested. I'm coughing and have no voice. I'm tired and I have no time to be sick...yet, here I am. Sick day. 

Thank you to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Tara, Beth, Anna, Kathleen & Deb for this amazing platform to write and share writing! What a wonderful community you've created! I'm honored to be part of it. Join us at Two Writing Teachers . Writing is how I make sense of the world...how I make sense of my world. I've worked hard to meaningfully incorporate writing into my daily life again and I've seen the difference. I've returned to the practice of morning pages and I couldn't be happier. I wake at about 4:00 or 4:30 in  the morning and walk down the hall to my writing room. I light a candle, turn on the twinkle lights and write. The first page is always slow...ten minutes...as my brain is waking up. The next couple of pages come more smoothly. After that, I work on my writing or a blog post or I write out a card. I allow myself to work on what I want to work on to begin my day. It's lovely. I've missed one day so far and I felt the lack in the ...

Thank you to Ruth Ayres for the opportunity to focus on celebrations every week! Please join us! I celebrate perspective today. December can be a hard month. It's had a rocky start for me. People are stressed and pushed to their limits. As teachers, sometimes we are on the receiving end of this stress in our communications. In one day, I received two very different emails with two very different tones. One knocked me down and the other lifted me back up. Everyone has a story and I remind myself of that daily. Sometimes I need to remind myself of that minute by minute. I believe we are all doing our best. Getting knocked down is hard. It stinks. It's no fun...but it makes the kindness so much sweeter. I'm trying to model focusing on the good with my students. It's a practice I began in the beginning of November called The Best Part of My Day! I look for things to notice and then post about it after the students go home. No one has said anything, but tha...

Thank you to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Tara, Beth, Anna, Kathleen & Deb for this amazing platform to write and share writing! What a wonderful community you've created! I'm honored to be part of it. Join us at Two Writing Teachers . Dear Writing, I've missed you. Been gone too long All the excuses are there... Too busy, work, family, friends But it's not enough I haven't made time for you and I'm sorry. When I avoid you, I feel it. Less. Empty. Voiceless. Sad. I need you! Please forgive me. It's just that you ask, you demand EVERYTHING from me and my resistance comes from the fear that I didn't have enough to give I don't care anymore! Whether you're good or you're bad... I need you in my life. Recommitted. That's me: 4AM morning pages. Working on my book. Notebook writing. Blog writing. Card writing. Bullet journaling. I'm back. I'm here to stay. Ready t...