Strokes for Folks

SMWP functions never fail to impress me. Last night, at our Continuity Meeting at Cane Creek, Jen led us through a poetry writing experience that brought me to some harsh realizations about my life. I guess it's really the power of writing that never fails to make an impression on me, or is it the power of good writing instruction? At any rate, some changes are in order for me, and all because of that writing experience. Thanks, Jen.

Speaking of writing, I ran across a piece at Dane Conrad's blog that brought a smile to my face: http://www.wethreeconrads.com/index.php?module=announce&ANN_user_op=view&ANN_id=3. That little Reed is quite a cutie, and I will pray that Dane and Darcie help her find the lamppost.

Uplifting experiences are everywhere for me these days, it seems. After being totally burned out the last three or four years with National Board mentoring, I met two fantastic teachers from Petal last Saturday. Dr. Foxworth e-mailed me late last week to ask if I could work with "two crackerjack teachers" the next day. When I read the e-mail, I sat here thinking "I'd rather be shot at sunrise, walk across glass, have my teeth pulled out with pliers". But, it was Marilyn making the request, and Marilyn is all about giving and she inspires me to give, so I went. She was right. Leigh Cliburn and Tessa Trim are crackerjacks. It was refreshing to read their work. Makes me want to move back to Petal so Lizzie can be in their classes.

I got a laptop computer last week, and I've hardly had time to turn the thing on. I don't know why I bought it; purely impulse. It was the daily special on HSN, and I watched the presentation three or four times, thinking I didn't need it, but then somehow before the end of the day I'd placed the order. Just to show how much I do not need it, I'd forgotten about it completely when the UPS man knocked on the door last Wednesday. "Got your Gateway here." I almost told him we didn't order a Gateway, but then I remembered that I had. My question: How do you print from a laptop?

Yesterday I was playing Whitney Houston's "You Are Loved" while the children were working some math problems. (Yes, I know you're not supposed to play songs with lyrics while children are working, but the teacher needed it.) Katie Bug stopped working, stood, looked around for a few minutes, said "I just have to dance" and started leaping and pirouetting around the room. The other children watched for a while, then went back to work. When the song was over, Katie Bug sat down and finished her work too. It would seem that the environment is safe.

Jaydn is excited that he may get to "ride in a limbo". His mother got married in Las Vegas over the weekend, and he might get to go there soon and take a ride.