Today is the last day of the Slice of Life Story Challenge for the month of March. This is the fourth year I have joined the community of writers over at Two Writing Teachers in taking up this challenge of writing for 31 consecutive days. It was hard work AND the growth was immeasurable. Thank you for following along!
Three Years Old
She turned three on Friday
And celebrated on Saturday
Nine toddlers
Decorating donuts
Homemade of course
Pizza
Salad
Cake
Balloons
And presents too!
Excitement
Family
Tears
Joys
Birthdays are exhausting!
At 3
Or at 60!
Time to make the donuts – pre-party fun with my granddaughter!
I am once again participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge for the month of March. This is the fourth year I have joined the community of writers over at Two Writing Teachers in taking up this challenge of writing for 31 consecutive days. I know it will be hard work but the growth will be immeasurable. Follow along!
Getting Emotional with Cinderella
The middle school drama club visited our elementary school yesterday to perform a few selections from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical Cinderella. The play will be presented next weekend and the club stopped by to give our students a sneak peek preview of the show. After the director gave a brief introduction to the musical, Cinderella walked on stage and began singing “In My Own Little Corner.” A big tear rolled down my cheek and in an instant I was transported back in time.
I am sitting on the floor of my childhood living room surrounded by my brothers and sisters. The popcorn was popped and we eagerly anticipated the yearly television special to begin. We nibbled, we watched, and we sang along with Leslie Ann Warren and Stuart Damon. Some of us even cried… every year.
Back to reality, I wiped the tears from my eyes and noticed a colleague standing next to me wiping her eyes too. “Well, aren’t we a pair? These songs brought me right back to my childhood living room couch” She giggled and nodded in agreement and asked if I was going to the show next weekend. I replied “Yes indeed! After all why would I miss another opportunity to cry over Cinderella?”
I am once again participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge for the month of March. This is the fourth year I have joined the community of writers over at Two Writing Teachers in taking up this challenge of writing for 31 consecutive days. I know it will be hard work but the growth will be immeasurable. Follow along!
Grandma’s Mints
It was grandma’s birthday and we were all gathered in the backyard to celebrate the occasion. The presents were splayed out on the ground while the children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren played in the yard on the hot July day. Everyone was enjoying the rare gathering of generations, some chatting with their grandma, while others participated in a rousing game of kickball.
Grandma didn’t like anyone to make a fuss over her so the presents sat at her feet in the sun. Finally my sister quickly handed grandma her beautifully wrapped box. “You better open this now before it gets even warmer out here!” Grandma carefully slipped the tape off the end of the present so as not to rip the paper. (She might reuse it on another day of course!) She slid the box through the sleeve of wrap and looked down at a box of chocolate mint patties. “My favorite!” she exclaimed. “I must eat one right now!”
She gingerly opened the box to quite a surprise: a melted mess of chocolate mint soup. She didn’t miss a beat, grabbed a nearby spoon, and dug right into the soupy mess of the peppermint chocolate liquid that sat in the little cardboard box. “Yummmmmy!”
I am once again participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge for the month of March. This is the fourth year I have joined the community of writers over at Two Writing Teachers in taking up this challenge of writing for 31 consecutive days. I know it will be hard work but the growth will be immeasurable. Follow along!
Mom’s Menagerie
My son calls it my menagerie, the animals that come to our lake each spring. Tonight as I sit and ponder what to write for my daily slice I look out the window and see such a wide range of wildlife.
Tonight I marvel at the mergansers as they bob under and over the waters of the lake. Did you know they have an extra eyelid that acts like a google so they can open their eyes underwater to help them catch their dinner?
I key in to the familiar sounds of the friendly squirrel, chirping around the yard, and jumping from my house to the tree and back again. Did you know that a squirrel wags it’s tail as a warning signal?
I gaze upon a pair of swan landing gracefully on the lake, leaving a long trail of ripples behind. Did you know that you can say two swan or two swans. And that a group of swan is called a bevy and when in flight they can be called a wedge of swan?
And just as I am about to walk away from my window seat I spy the elegant eagle gliding by. Did you know the average eagle has 7200 feathers?
Looking out my window gives me plenty to write about.
I am once again participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge for the month of March. This is the fourth year I have joined the community of writers over at Two Writing Teachers in taking up this challenge of writing for 31 consecutive days. I know it will be hard work but the growth will be immeasurable. Follow along!
Work Before Play?
What do you do when you have a meeting that gets cancelled? Do you jump for joy? Use it as an opportunity to catch up on some work? Go home and play with your grandson?
I found myself in that situation yesterday when I rushed across town for an after school appointment and upon arrival I was told the meeting was unexpectedly cancelled. As I stood in the office with my backpack weighing heavily on my shoulder, my mind whirred with all the things I could accomplish… the report that needed tweaking, the data that required crunching, the thank you notes that begged to be written. It was then that I decided to head home, make myself a cup of tea, and tackle those very tasks in the comforts of my living room.
As I get into my car the phone rings. It’s my daughter.
“Hey mom! How are you?
I’m fine and you?
I’m OK, but I’m in a jam. S. and I just came back from the doctors. Can you watch him for 10 minutes while I take a quick work phone call? We are at your house anyway letting Bill sleep so he can go to work tonight.
YES! Of course I’ll play with my grandson! I have nothing better to do!
My mantra is usually work before play…
unless there are grandchildren in need of some playtime!
My unexpected visitor. I know I am biased but wouldn’t you stop and play with him too?
I am once again participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge for the month of March. This is the fourth year I have joined the community of writers over at Two Writing Teachers in taking up this challenge of writing for 31 consecutive days. I know it will be hard work but the growth will be immeasurable. Follow along!
Golden Hour
It is golden hour.
Bright
Glowing
Brilliant
Shiny
Reflective
Peaceful
Awe-inspiring
Afire
Golden hour it is.
Over the weekend I was inspired to write a slice about the silvery scene outside my window with the grey sky and sun shining down on the newly fallen snow. The picture inspired a haiku called Silver Hour, a spin off on what’s known as golden hour here at the lake. I received a few comments curious about my lakefront golden hour and lo and behold on Sunday night I witnessed a perfect golden one as captured here. By the way, to me, golden hour is that time when the sun is just about to set and the reflection across the lake casts a glow that makes everything golden. I thought I’d try a skinny poem to capture that magic time.
I am once again participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge for the month of March. This is the fourth year I have joined the community of writers over at Two Writing Teachers in taking up this challenge of writing for 31 consecutive days. I know it will be hard work but the growth will be immeasurable. Follow along!
Sunglasses Don’t Float: Revisited
My sunglasses were lost last summer. Gone to the bottom of the lake after falling off the paddle boat. Lost forever. Or so I thought… (Read part 1 here)
And there I was once again finishing up the raking of the lake bottom thinking about my glasses. I was shin deep in the muck pulling back the leaves and making little piles to pick up later. I had pretty much told myself I’d never find my glasses, almost laughing out loud at the absurdity of the idea of ever finding them. Yet, I told myself one more dip in the water to pull back the muck. I was after all in the right spot where I fell. I drew the rake through the brown liquid and across the sandy bottom. Looking down I saw them, shining brown, yet dirty.
I screeched “My glasses! I found my glasses!” Yes indeed. There they were, and found just as I was about to give up. Sitting right where they fell off one year ago. Unbelievable!
