Forgot the birthday candles, again...

Sidney Lanier's, that is. Last year, I really wished that I had brought cupcakes to celebrate his birth. This year, I thought the same thing. Somehow doling out the money to buy cupcakes for 99 students doesn't seem like such a good idea. And bake? Nah.... That didn't happen, either. But it would be such a fun idea, wouldn't it?

We did watch a short video about the poet and read "Song of the Chattahoochee." That's going to have to be enough this year.

Happy birthday, Sidney!

So many friendships...

were created through Scrapblog.com. Many of my friends here on the blog first met each other through that site. We would create digital scrapbook pages and visit each other's creations, leaving messages and "loving" them. That's how I came to know Annemarie (Mommy Victory), Peggy (Miruspeg), Wendy, and Julie (Octamom). Tonight as I looked through some of my scrapblogs, I even saw a message from Mummy McTavish! (I didn't remember that link; she probably doesn't either!)

I saw on Facebook over the weekend that Scrapblog has been bought out by Mixbook. I haven't visited that site yet, so I don't know the capabilities, but I'm kind of doubting that the scrapblogs with embedded videos will work.... Fingers crossed, though, just in case. As I looked through my creations, I had to take the time to watch the video clips in my August Rush scrapblog. I loved that movie, the music, the characters.... If you haven't seen the movie or just want to watch the clips, I'm adding it here. It should work at least for a while.


The company is allowing us to download free print quality jpgs of our scrapblogs until February 28. Books or cards must be printed by January 31. I've downloaded five so far. That's also where I make my blog headers, along with a little help from Picnik.

*sigh*

I don't like change very much.

...feeling free

This is the first weekend since September that I haven't had to worry about grading essays. Talk about feeling free! I woke up today feeling like a huge weight had lifted from my shoulders. It's not that I don't enjoy grading essays.... I actually do. I love to read good sentences and paragraphs that really say something. I love to see my students become better writers. It's just that it takes so much time, I feel like I'm missing out on life when I have essays to grade. So finally, none to grade, none waiting to be graded. None. Instead, I have hours spilling forth in front of me with the freedom to do as much or as little as I want. And that, my friend, is what feeling free is all about.

It doesn't always cover the ground....

Snow days in the South aren't the same as snow days up North. For instance, it doesn't take tons of snowfall to earn us a snow day from school. A little bit of snow or ice and temperatures below freezing will do the trick. No snow chains on our tires down here. Up until a couple of years ago, snow days were pure fantasy for my daughter and for most of my students. Nary a flurry to coat our roads from the time they were four or five years old until they came close to being teenagers. Now, though, we're getting a little comfortable with annual snowfall, although I must confess that we had a little more ice than snow this year.

A few spills made it even more exciting....


Did you notice the type of sled she used today? It doubles as a boogie board during summer trips to the beach.


Nothing like a little repurposing.... and a day in the snow!

Driving down the highway...

you would never know that a long, winding trail lay hidden in the trees and vegetation beside it. The three of us traipsed along the trail yesterday afternoon, dogs in tow (or perhaps people in tow), as twilight began flirting with the last rays of the sun.

I had dropped back a bit, enjoying some solitude as the others pushed forward. As I walked, I couldn't help but make the metaphorical connection to life.

I noticed how at times the trail curved ahead of me, leaving me wondering where it was leading. Isn't life often like that? We know we are traveling a path in life, but we're not quite sure where it will lead. It seems we have to have faith to keep moving ahead, even when our destination is none to clear.

In some spots along the path, trees and bushes closed in on me, making it a bit more difficult to see my way. Vines hung low, causing me to duck under them. I even saw caution tape in a few places along the route. Caution tape. I guess the caution tape in our lives are those hunches we have.... the feeling that maybe this isn't the best idea afterall. We don't stop. We don't turn back. We just move along a bit more carefully.

And then, there are times when the path is wide open and easy to follow....

Even then, don't we wonder sometimes what would have happened if....

I think of Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken," as I watch my daughter on a switchback coming toward me... almost. It seems true that we can never go back, but we can come close to picking up the pieces.

And as darkness begins to descend in these woods, I look up to see a fiery sunset. A reminder it seems, that there is a light at the end of every journey. And that the sun is always shining, somewhere, even in the darkest of times.

Sometimes You Just Need To ...

Write it down.

Live your dream.

Make it happen.

It's been a while since I made to-do lists

and checked off what I accomplished

each day.

Maybe that's what's been missing.

Maybe this year I'll write down my goals,

live my dreams,

and make it happen.

I hope you get to live your dreams, too.

Happy New Year!

The art work is my second mixed-media piece. I used charcoal to shade around the girl, her wings, and her clothes... something I didn't do on my first piece. The charcoal really seemed to add some dimension I think.

Changing My Perception...

It's January 1, 2011. That means a fresh start. A new outlook on life. At least that's what it means to me.

A new outlook on life.

I'm embarrassed to admit that even with all of the blessings in my life, I have a difficult time accepting them, appreciating them, and keeping a positive outlook. I want that to change this year. That's why I've chosen "perceive" as my word of the year.

Simply put, "perceive" is to attain awareness or understanding... to notice or become aware of something. It can be a mental process, or it can mean becoming aware of something through your senses. Both definitions work for me, as I embark on this new word journey in 2011. As I focus on how I perceive things, I hope to see through the worry and negativity and become more aware of the good things in my life. To count my blessings. I also hope to slow down and truly experience life through all of my senses. Listening to and appreciating the sounds that surround me... the laughter of children, the rustling of leaves in the wind. Seeing and appreciating the beauty all around me... the way the sun's rays break through clouds, the mist rising from the river. Acknowledging the soft comfort of an old t-shirt or warm blanket.

This will be my third year focusing on a word rather than trying to keep resolutions. During 2009, Annemarie, Peggy, Wendy, Julie, and I posted jointly each month about our words and how they were impacting our lives. Last year, left to my own devices, my word "fulfillment" fell to the side. I tried to think about it off and on through the year, but I often let the busy demands of life push feelings of fulfillment to the side. At least far enough to the side that I wasn't truly acknowledging how fulfilling my life was.

This year will be different. To make my word more a part of my life, I plan to share my journey here, and you're invited to join me.

Interested in choosing your own word for the year? I have two blogs for you to visit. The first one is Christine Kane's. She has a free discovery tool you can download as you think about the word you want to focus on for 2011. I also want you to visit Caroline at Constantly Evolving and Nowordz Photography. Not only will you get to see beautiful photography, but you will also read inspiring posts. It was Caroline who inspired me to choose a word in 2009.

Finally, I want to wish you an amazing new year... A year full of blessings and good times.

And the artwork at the top... that's mine! My first mixed-media piece of art. I was so excited to finally, finally, use canvas and paint and paper and embellishments and gel medium and gesso to create art. I'll be posting another one soon.