That Crazy English Teacher

I've been called that before.

Now I think I wear it a bit like a badge of honor.

Yep, I'm that crazy English teacher your children warned you about. I am always doing some kind of project with one or another of my classes.

My junior English III class got to experience this first hand. Or should I say hands on?

We had just finished reading one of my favorite short stories from their textbook: Outcasts of Poker Flat. And one of my favorite activities to do with this story is to experience life from the viewpoint of an outcast. This meant going outside (gasp) and walking around in the sunshine (gasp) while using our imaginations (gasp gasp).

They soon discovered this may be one of the most memorable activities of class this year. And I look forward to sharing even more of our adventures in the future.

4 Lessons from One Week of Fashion Effort

I made it through a whole week of "fashionable" outfits! I even wore makeup every day! (And I said "no" to one invitation, thus continuing to rid myself of burdensome obligations.)

What did I learn this week? Plenty!

1. Choosing outfits for the whole week ahead of time is NOT just for kids! One of the saving graces this week was having every outfit planned for the whole week. On Sunday evening, I hung up each outfit in the order I'd wear it during the week. This meant that even when I didn't feel like getting "dressed up", it was easy to do because it was right there in front of me! I highly recommend this for any adult professional! So what if you only did this when you were like 5?! It works!

2. Put on the matching outfit, even if you don't think you're going anywhere. This was Saturday's big lesson. I hadn't planned to go anywhere. Normally, I'd just lounge around all day (in lounge pants and oversize tee, of course). But there was the outfit, waiting for me. So I wore it anyway. And put on makeup. ("Why not?" right?) And it turned out I needed to run errands, so I looked great while out and about. Especially great since I ended up taking my pic for my driver's license!

3. Dressing professionally really does make your day better. Have you ever noticed that other people's attitudes rub off on you? Well, the same is true of your attitude about yourself. I noticed that I really did feel better about myself when I looked nicer in my own opinion. And similarly, other people started to take notice as well. I wish I'd kept track of how many people commented, "You look nice today." That just made my day! And I just felt better about myself knowing that I'd tried.

4. Fashion has its own language. Learn it. Two of the fashion-specific phrases I learned during my Pinterest research (and Facebook stalking of fashionable people) were: "#ootd" and "capsule wardrobe". These two phrases have figured significantly into my lexicon this week. Hopefully I'll be able to blog a bit more about how those two phrases have made such a difference to me.

Have I learned everything there is to know? NO WAY! I know there is so much I still need to figure out. But I'm getting there. Slowly but surely. Will I make some missteps? Probably! But I'll post them here and share what I learn from them.

As a professional librarian, I recommend using Pinterest for research! I now have a whole board dedicated to "fashion advice", which are great little posts that I can refer back to and reread as needed. Sometimes I need the reassurance!

As your friendly neighborhood librarian, I recommend reading Outside Beauty by Cynthia Kadohata. A great book about where beauty truly can be found, and what beautiful truly means.

And as your local church song leader, I recommend you repeat Philippians 4:13 whenever needed!


(And please enjoy these #ootd photos from my week!)

#ootd Day 1

In my research (on Pinterest, Stitch Fix, and other fun internet places), I learned this fabulous hashtag: #ootd. "Outfit of the Day".

So, to show my progress in my Be a Professional journey, I thought I'd post my very first #ootd. This is Spring Day 1, from Sunday, March 23. I chose to wear my Little Black Dress (lbd in fashion lingo). Then I put the aqua shrug and coordinating earrings with it. I also wore my fabulous black heels.



To make this outfit possible, I obviously learned about needing a lbd. I also learned about this season's colors (aqua and coral, which I hope to share with you later). I also learned that I have a favorite neutral -- and that EVERYONE has a favorite neutral. Who knew?! My personal favorite neutral is grey, so I plan to add more to my wardrobe as time and money allows. It was hard finding the perfect lbd, and I don't think this one is quite "it", since it's a little shorter than I'd like. The work continues!

I did have so much fun shopping! My daughter's bff, sometimes called my "other daughter", went shopping with us, and she took some hilarious pics of me while I was "modeling" some of the outfits. If I get brave, I'll share those too.

When I was working on this post, a great song kept running through my head. It's called "Day 1" by Matthew West. So inspirational, and fitting for my new adventure:

"Day one of the rest of my life,
Day one of the best of my life,
I'm marching to the beat of a brand new drum,
Here I come,
The future has begun,
Day one."

Beginning something new? Need inspiration? I recommend listening to Matthew West's "Day 1" and reading "Ordinary: How to Turn the World Upside Down" by Tony Merida. Make a new beginning!

A Wonderful Rat

Everybody knows the movie It's a Wonderful Life. You know, everything goes wrong in the guy's life, and he wishes his life could be over. Then, miraculously, he sees what the world would be like if he could wish himself away. It's a poignant holiday movie that seems to be always playing during the Christmas season.

I just finished a great kids' book that tells the same kind of story. It answers that age-old question: what would you do if your life could be completely different?

In When You Wish Upon a Rat, the main character gets a chance to find out. Ruth is unhappy with the way her life is going: she's lost her favorite relative, her family is a bit bonkers, and she no longer has any close friends at school. All she really has is a stuffed rat that her aunt gave her before she passed away.

This was a fun story, a unique interpretation of that classic "give me a different future" story. Ruth gets to try out three different versions of her life, before deciding that her "real" life is really the best one. She also finds a friend along the way (not just a rat).

Tweens will love reading this book. I bet my daughter will love it, if she can get past the beginning sad part, where the aunt is dying from cancer. The rest of the book is fun, even though it teaches an important lesson about loving your life just the way it is.

"These People Are My Bones"

Sometimes when reading a book, a passage just pops off the page. The words and meaning resound deep inside, making the book more meaningful than it had been.

The book I'm currently reading is Tiger Lily, by Jodi Lynn Anderson. It's a unique retelling of the Peter Pan story. Like the Peter and the Starcatchers series, this book goes its own way, developing a story line all its own. The story is fun, but also dark. Anyway, I've been reading it just for fun, not studying it for a class or anything "studious" like that.

Then, out of the blue, this passage strikes me. Suddenly, the book resonates in a new way, and I find I'm having trouble putting it down (even to write this post).




Here's the passage:

" I could never leave," Pine Sap said.
"Why?" she asked.
Pine Sap shrugged, and gestured in the direction of the village. "Because I think people must be the same everywhere. Only these people are my bones."

It's true. People are people wherever you go. But your family, your village, are the ones in your heart, in your bones, that you carry with you. No matter how far you roam, your small town family is still with you.

:)

Author Discovery

Sometimes it happens when you least expect it ... that discovery of an author. Maybe you've just picked up a book because of the cover. Maybe someone has recommended a title. Maybe it just arrived across your desk, and you were bored so you picked it up.

However it happens, you find yourself devouring the book. Then looking for another by the same author. Then scanning online for a list of all the books by that author. And reading as many of them as possible. You find yourself waiting anxiously for the author to write a new book so you can read it as soon as it hits the shelves.

This scenario has happened to me many times before, and yet I'm always amazed at the process.

Today, it's been about Sarah Dessen, author of many chick-lit teen titles. I have enjoyed all of her books, but haven't read any of them in awhile. Today, I picked up What Happened to Goodbye, and I can't put it down. I'd forgotten how much I loved her books. I now remember why teen girls love her novels so much!

Reading for Class Assignment (and for fun)

I am really enjoying my grad class this semester! I'm taking Children's Literature, and although there is a lot of reading involved, I am having so much fun!

I'm enjoying the lively discussions with other classmates from around the state, via the college discussion boards. One particularly lively discussion centered around The Giver by Lois Lowry. I enjoyed reading the book, and its sequels, and I relished the responses given by other students about their interpretations.

I also had to read a couple of books from this year's Sequoyah reading list (available here: http://www.owasso.k12.ok.us/webpages/stcmedia/index.cfm?subpage=554878)
I read Strange Case of Origami Yoda and reread Moon Over Manifest. Comparing the main characters in each, and then creating cross-curricular lesson plans, was an enjoyable task!


We also had a couple of great assignments that involved writing. Each assignment involved reading something from a selected list, and then writing about it by following the course rubric. The hardest thing about these assignments is learning how to pare down my writing. For example, one assignment called for a ONE-PAGE paper about an illustrator; however, the instructions also called for us to become an expert on that illustrator by reading several of his/her works and research him/her on the internet! Let's just suffice to say that my paper was actually 2 pages, not one. I used Chris Van Allsburg as my illustrator, and discovered so much about him and his unique books.

Another assignment asked us to suggest a poem for class study and for a detailed plan to teach various skills (not just poetry) in a cross-curricular format. I really enjoyed that assignment! I used the book Whiff of Pine, Hint of Skunk as the basis for my lesson, since there are so many ways to connect it to science curriculum (and much more)!

Most recently, we were given an assignment to read two different children's books that re-imagined a fairy tale. There are so many great ones out there, I had trouble deciding. I ended up going for a Gingerbread Man retelling, by using The Sugar Child and The Stinky Cheese Man. These two books are roughly based on the same story, but are polar opposites in reality. It made the writing so much easier, and the reading so much more fun! (Of course, this paper was supposed to be 1-2 pages, and ended up 2 1/2. Proud of myself for keeping it that short!)

Can't wait to see what the next assignment will be!







Reading suggestions? Well, any of the above, obviously. And dive into the above assignments on your own! You never know which book will spark your enthusiasm until you try!

Serious Reading Endeavor

I've been reading again.

I didn't really stop reading. But sometimes I just read for fun, just frivolous little fluff bits that entertain me.

Not this time. This time, it started as a serious endeavor.

It began with an assignment for my class. I'm taking my last master's class, Children's Lit. We were assigned to read Lois Lowry's The Giver.

I've read the book before. Apparently, it was so long ago, I'd forgotten most of it. Or maybe reading it again with new eyes caused me to see it differently.

What an amazing book! It is well-written, chock full of foreshadowing, symbolism, and vivid imagery. This imagery despite the fact that no one can see colors or have feelings!

I was so impressed, I had to read the sequels! The only one our school doesn't have is the finale, the fourth book. So I'll have to check it out from the public library.

Our assignment for class was to read The Giver. Next week, we will have a class discussion (via messageboard) about the novel. I can't wait to see what my colleagues think about the book!

And so it goes...

So, my final (I hope) grad class is back in session. It's not a difficult class, but it will involve LOTS of reading and writing.

I started a bit later than the rest of the class, so I've been doing catch-up work this week. I'm all caught up, and I've started to work on my MAJOR project that's due at the end of the semester.

What does this project involve? LOTS of reading and writing! (Surprise.)

The class is Children's Literature, so I'll be reading children's books. Thankfully, that fits in well with what I do every day. It just involves doing MORE.

Which means less time to do the other tasks I have to do at work. It's going to mean more hours at work, and fewer hours with my family.

And so it goes...

Here is one of the children's books I just finished reading and reviewing for my class: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger. Great book, fun read, and my son loved it too!

My Grandma

My grandma, 92, is in the hospital. She had a heart attack on Monday, stints put in yesterday, and is doing better today.

My grandma is my rock. Since I lost my mom, and my mom-in-law, who were huge in my life, I have relied so much on my grandma.

I don't get to see her too often, since she lives so far away.

And it's very difficult to live so far away now, when she is in the hospital. I can't go see her, reassure myself that she's going to be okay. Or reassure her that she's going to be okay.

Grandma lives in Kansas. Kansas is very much a part of who I am!

Books about Kansas? Try Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool, or May B by Caroline Starr Rose. Different takes on historical fiction, but both are great reads.

Maybe I'll read a little to take my mind off worrying.

To Excite...

This morning is an example of why I truly LOVE my job!

A very excited young lady just bounced into the library to say that the book she checked out yesterday is "amazing"! Then she proceeded to ask me questions about it, and she continued to rave about it. And THEN she says, "I'm only 3/4 of the way into it!"

Yep, that's what I needed to hear first thing this morning. :)

I absolutely LOVE getting to recommend books to students. And I love it even more when they come back LOVING the book.

Perhaps the best part of my job is getting to pass along my enthusiasm, my excitement, my LOVE of books! I really enjoy seeing students come in to ask for a book the SECOND time, knowing I can help them find something they'll enjoy.

Why do I LOVE my job? My work is never done! :)

Oh, by the way, the exciting book she was reading? Au revior, crazy European chick by Joe Schreiber!

Cleaning House

This week is all about cleaning house. Not actually my own house. I'm cleaning the libraries.

You see, school is out, and I'm using this week to clean, straighten, dust, and organize at the school libraries. These are all the tasks that just didn't get done during the school year. The final month of school is a bit like a foot race -- a mad dash to the finish!

So, today I'm dusting. It's not that I haven't dusted all year. But you'd be surprised how much dust accumulates during a busy month of school! I believe the elementary computers were attacked by monster dust bunnies!

It's a time-consuming process, to be sure. Sometimes, I will finish an area, move on to the next, only to discover the first area looks dusty already! (Insert huge sigh here.)

I think I know how Cinderella felt. Or Snow White. I may be a princess inside, but today I'm just the library maid.

Covered in dust.

Please pardon my sneezing.

For a fun read about a princess doing manual labor, try Goose Chase by Patrice Kindl. A neat take on the "goose girl" fairy tale!

The Music of Movies

We recently went to see the Hunger Games, which my husband describes as "Lord of the Flies" meets "Survivor", with a little "Most Dangerous Game" for good measure.

I enjoyed the movie. Like most movies that are based on successful novels, it was impossible to include all the detail of the book. Naysayers, please realize, if the director did that, the movie would be 13 hours long. The movie really did a great job portraying the events of the novel without messing it up too much. (Here, I must refer to the disasterous job movie makers did with The Lightning Thief!!)

However, what I really appreciated about this movie was the music. The under-running soundtrack is amazing! In many places, the music itself is so subtle, the casual movie-goer will never notice. However, it's the music that drives our emotions through the entire movie.

For example, the emotional Rue scene near the end of the movie makes me cry every time. Yes, I read the book. Yes, I know what's going to happen. It's that the music cue is so emotionally poignant that you HAVE to cry. Well done.

Another great example is in the "finale" of the games. Yes, I know a large animal is going to jump out from the bushes. Yes, I am going to jump every time. The second time through the movie, I closed my eyes. Guess what? I jumped anyway. And that's when I figured it out -- it's the music! It rises and falls, rises and falls, each time making the movie-goer more tense. Until right at the last moment, the music drops out. That's when the main characters get attacked.

Music is vital to the movies. It's how directors get the audience to respond appropriately. Think back to your favorite movie, remember the music of your favorite moments during that movie, and you'll understand. Music makes the movie.

BFFs

I have read, and reread, a wonderful book over the past two weeks. It's called MWF seeking BFF, by Rachel Bertsche. The book is about the author's search for a best friend. After moving to Chicago with her husband, the author misses her bffs in New York. She has a few acquaintances, but no one she can really call a best friend. Thus begins her year-long search for a local bff.

Rachel's stories of meeting new people, and learning to make friends as an adult, are funny and poignant at the same time. She also mixes in plenty of research-based facts that support her ideas and theories that drive her search.

The book made me really think about my own friendships.

Most of my deepest, truest friends were made when I was in school. I have often said that my best friend during my growing-up years was my brother. He was the one who always stood by me, and believed that I could do things even I didn't think I could. (This odd belief inspired me to go out for track my senior year -- which lasted for two days.) My two best-friends-from-birth (since they were born just two months before me, and I really don't remember a time without them) are still my friends, although I rarely see them and only visit with them via facebook. Speaking of facebook, I've been able to reconnect with several friends I made in my elementary years that I haven't seen since my family moved in 6th grade. I think my closest friends were made during my college years. Even though we often disagreed about a lot of things, this group of friends still remain the closest group of friends I have (though most of them I only visit through facebook).

The book also struck a chord with me in that I, too, have lived in my present location for 5 years, but have not made a lot of close friends. It's hard to make close friends when moving into a small town. Everyone already has their group or clique, many of them having been friends since birth -- or at least kindergarten. Also, it's my husband's hometown, so I get the feeling that everyone expects me to already know them. I don't.

I do have friends. Most of my friends either attend my church or are parents of kids the same age as mine. But I think I'm still seeking my bff, the best friend forever to whom I can run to or call at all hours of the night.

Let me also mention that although the author of the book talks about her brother, she doesn't have one special friend that I do have -- my sisters-in-law. No, God did not bless me with sisters. He must have known that I would need sisters later on in life! :) I have four fabulous sisters-in-law who are truly my sisters and my friends.

So, while I am going to reread Rachel's book (again) and think about new ways to make -- and keep -- friends, I feel blessed to have met many wonderful people in my life already.

And here's hoping I'm make some new friends along the way.

For more about the book, author, and her blog, check out http://mwfseekingbff.com/

Easter

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. I love seeing the spring grass and the rain, everyone dressed up in new clothes, and families getting together.

We all coordinated because my daughter picked out our clothes. We had a unique Easter meal after church, because my husband and my father-in-law designed the menu (and cooked it all). We did enjoy our steaks and burgers off the grill!

I think my favorite thing about Easter is what happens in the church. It certainly is a time when we are filled with joy and hope. The sanctuary fills with people, lillies, and powerful hymns that we only sing at Easter. It is at Easter than communion means more than ever, and our eyes are stung by unexpected tears at the wonder of it all.

This year, our kids (ten of them this time) did a skit of sorts to the song "Hero" by the Christian group Abandon. What a moving experience! No words were needed, they just acted out the story of Christ's coming. Yep, the kids get it, even when the adults have trouble remembering.

"There He goes, the Hero, the Savior of the world, here He stands with scars in His hands. With love He gave His life so we could be free." Powerful words. If you haven't heard this song, I heartily recommend it!

For a light springtime read, try Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson. Newbery Award winner 1945, a bit like Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit mixed with Richard Adams' Watership Down. One of my favorite lines happens just before Little Georgie sets off on his journey: "As he drifted off to sleep he could hear Mother still worrying and Father talking on and on -- and on -- and on -- and -- on --" And then there's a picture of Little Georgie asleep. So sweet!!

Time in Trees

The kids were climbing trees this afternoon.

Now, frankly, I didn't remember we had any climbable trees in our backyard -- and I'm pretty sure the giant tree in our front yard is unsuitable for climbing. But climb they did.

My son must take after my brother. He found ways into the topmost branches of the little tree in our backyard, and discovered various ways to get down! I even heard talk of a "tree house".

They remind me of times climbing trees with my brother. He was always much braver than I was. Yes, I could climb, but not nearly as well as my brother. And I'm pretty sure he is still climbing trees!

We've also been watching the Lord of the Rings movies. It's easy to see the connection between my kids climbing trees and the pro-nature/anti-industrialism theme at work in Tolkein's grand design. I heartily endorse reading this masterful trilogy. (The Hobbit is good, too, but a bit more difficult to make one's way through.)

The timeliness of my kids' discovery of the love of trees has not been lost on me. Arbor Day is this month. I hope everyone will find time to enjoy the great outdoors -- and maybe plant a tree.

Speaking of planting trees, I just heard that my dad has been planting trees at the farm! Can't wait to see what they will look like in a few years!

The Disney Challenge

My daughter has proclaimed we are going to Walt Disney World next year. My husband has confirmed it -- we're going to celebrate his 40th birthday at Star Wars Weekends. Can't wait! So unbelievably excited. And it's still a year away!

So, I've decided to challenge myself. I'm going to learn one new thing about Disney World every day until we go. That's more than 365 days, but I'm up for the challenge. I've found lots of websites, blogs to follow, and of course, I'll be listening to the Lou Mongello WDW Radio Show podcast every week.

Here's my new thing for today: the next book in the Kingdom Keepers series is out! Book 5! My family is still reading book 4 (got sidetracked by the Lightning Thief series), but you know we will be in the bookstore buying Shell Game soon!

Love the Disney magic! :)

Blast from the Past

How amazing it is to discover "new" novels!

Did you know that the author of the Tarzan books, Edgar Rice Burroughs, was really a prolific science fiction writer? In fact, the majority of his body of work was sci-fi. How is it that I have never heard that before?

My husband got one of these books for me on the kindle: A Princess of Mars. It's the first book in a rather long series. This first installment was originally published in 1911. How different the world must have looked 100 years ago; and yet, many of his ideas (low gravity, teleportation, etc.) are still used in many modern series.

I bring this up because we recently went to see the movie John Carter. Incidently, this movie is based on the Princess of Mars series. Many people didn't know that. I think the movie might have been more appreciated if people had known. It kind of puts in in a new perspective to realize that the story playing out on the screen was originally envisioned a century ago!

I applaud free thinkers like Edgar Rice Burroughs. And, as always, I recommend reading the book before seeing the movie. (Insert Hunger Games reference here, for all those on the movie bandwagon.)

The Meaning of Family

Anyone who knows me probably would tell you that my family is the most important thing in my life. In fact, just a quick glance through my blog would tell even the casual observer that my life centers around my family.

This month is a big birthday month. First, we celebrate my daughter's birthday. Shortly after that, we celebrate my niece's birthday. Finally, we celebrate my birthday! Besides just this inner circle of birthdays, I also have various uncles and cousins with March birthdays. My brother- and sister-in-law celebrate their wedding anniversary in March as well. So you can see how March, for me, is all about family.

Recently, my sister-in-law's husband decided he wants a divorce. Imagine how hard this is for her; imagine how hard it is for such a close-knit family! We are all hurting with her, and hoping and praying that she will somehow find herself during all of this.

Yes, March makes me think about family. Spring Break, the big event of the month, is usually spent with family. This year is no exception; we're looking forward to lots of family events and trips.

So, I've been pondering, "What is the meaning of family?" To me, it starts with those to whom I have been born. My parents, brothers, and children. The heart of my family is my husband, and by extension, his parents, siblings, and their children. But family is so much more than that. My family circle also extends to my church family (we're having a church family game night tomorrow, in fact) and my work family. When one of my colleagues hurts, I hurt. Might as well be family.

So, March is all about family.

I'm in the middle of reading a novel that looks at family a little differently.

In the book, the main character's parents are researchers raising a baby chimp as a family member, studying language development and chimp intelligence. What is so interesting about the story is that it seems like the teen protagonist is really the one being studied. Kind of blurs the definition of family.

Anyway, no matter your definition of family, March to me is the time to pull family close and enjoy every precious minute of time with them.

Recovery

Yesterday, I had surgery. Not major surgery, just an outpatient procedure. Today, I'm recovering.

Even though I have a really low pain tolerance, I always think I'm going to just "feel fine" the next day. I don't know why I think this. It doesn't make any sense, given that I've always had a low threshold for pain of any kind. I guess I just think I should be fine after surgery.

Well, it doesn't work that way. Most frustrating are all the things that are not getting done while I am stuck in bed! Two birthday parties today, for example. So dad is stuck running kids to parties, and I get to go to none. Sigh. And attending church tomorrow is out, too.

Thankfully, I stocked up on library books on Thursday! Somehow, I've ended up with not one but two murder mysteries about ladies that knit! And they aren't old grannies that solve mysteries... Weird. Two very different authors, and different takes on the stories. But how odd that the heroines of each book should have knitting in common!

Is knitting really that popular?