Three Years Old #SOL19 Day 31/31

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!

Getting Emotional with Cinderella #SOL19 Day 30/31

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?”

Photo courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

 

 

Grandma’s Mints #SOL19 Day 29/31

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!”

Mom’s Menagerie #SOL19 Day 28/31

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.

Mergansers making their yearly appearance

 

Work Before Play? #SOL19 Day 27/31

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?

 

Golden Hour #SOL19 Day 26/31

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.

Sunglasses Don’t Float: Revisited #SOL19 Day 25/31

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!

Now I wonder how I’ll get that swampy smell out!

Silver Hour #SOL19 Day 24/31

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!

Silver Hour

A series of serendipitous events led to this haiku about my Saturday morning.  I had just commented on Christie’s post about her golden hour, stating that golden hour for me is that time when the sun has just set and the lake is all aglow, making everything a gorgeous golden hue.  Two minutes later I look outside my window to see the snow frosting from early this morning was glowing brightly due to the sun peeking out from behind the clouds.  The effect was surreal.  I had to capture the scene of my teal and purple paddle boat covered in snow as the clouds dissipated in the distance.  I shared the picture with my siblings and my sister quickly chimed in: “Wow! How poetic,  It’s silver hour!”  So now I had to write a poem about this newly proclaimed silver hour. Thank you Susie and Christie for inspiring this haiku.

Silver Hour

Frosting covered world

Glimmering magic throughout

Early morning glitz

 

Sunglasses Don’t Float #SOL19 Day 23/31

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

I wonder if I’ll uncover my sunglasses after all this time?

I was thinking back to last summer and the first day on my paddle board, while I was raking the leaves off of the exposed lake bottom.

It was a beautiful Friday in late spring and the weather had finally turned warm enough to try out the two paddle boards I had just bought. I was thrilled to finally get on so I quickly changed into my bathing suit and ran down to the waters edge. I thought about grabbing my sunglasses band, but quickly told myself I wouldn’t need it. Being the first swimming day of the year there were several of us hanging around enjoying the sunshine and eager to get on the boards and paddle around. I tooled around in a sitting position for a while to get used to the paddle and the temperature of the water.  I was starting to feel comfortable so I decided to try standing up.  Slowly I moved into position and wobbled slightly.  The crowd jeered and laughed. I steadied myself quickly and then splash, I fell into the water.  I lifted my head from the water only to be greeted with chuckles and screams: “Grab your glasses! Quick, they are right there!”  I turned around and saw them sinking into the water I had just stirred up, now murky from my fall, gone and out of sight.  Several missions with goggles ensued, but we were never successful in recovering those glasses.

A year later I stood there at the sandy bottom of the lake with rake in hand and still chuckling over that first fall. And still hoping Id uncover them. But no luck. Oh well, at least now I learned my lesson to always wear a band for your glasses because sunglasses don’t float.

A Change of Pace #SOL19 Day 22/31

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!

A Change of Pace

My dryer broke and the repairman had to be called.

I can take a look at it on Thursday morning at 8:30.

Any openings on Saturday?

Sorry we don’t do Saturdays.

OK.  I’ll make Thursday work.

This is how I found myself home later than usual waiting for the dryer repairman to arrive.  While waiting I treated myself to an extra cup of coffee and watched the swan and other water fowl returning to the now open lake waters. I am not used to having time at home on a weekday morning so I tried to make the best of it.

I enjoy the quiet of the morning gazing out the window and observing the bird behaviors. The avian species seem to disappear in the winter.  With this week’s relatively warmer weather they have suddenly appeared swimming here and there, cackling and honking at all hours of the day.  With coffee in hand I can take the time to enjoy their movements, their eating patterns, and their flight paths.  This gift of time slows me down to breath and take in the beauty of the lake that I oftentimes miss in my hurried state each morning.

The repairman arrives telling me I have to replace the heating unit and call the electrician due to a faulty outlet.  An hour and $194 later he leaves reminding me to not use the dryer until the electrician comes to replace the plug.

I wonder if Dan the electrician makes house calls on Saturday? Or maybe I really prefer another weekday.