closer

The end of the semester is so close I can touch it with my fingertips.I would never have blogged except that we were "forced" to (ha,ha), and it has been such a positive experience. Different from a paper journal because it is public and I am conscious of my audience. Where as in a paper journal I have more privacy, and can be as raw and honest as necessary. A good experience, but not sure if I will make the time to continue. I have enjoyed reading my peers blogs and a few strangers I began following this semester as well. What an interesting world blogging is, there is something for everyone. I have found some great recipes , gardening blogs and personal stories, better than reality t.v..
I think blogging is a great tool for teaching writing for college students.

Mother Nature

Mother Nature, what's up? 26 out of 30 days of rain or snow? Your KILLING me lady! Stuck home today, 9 papers due by Friday, two sick and fighting kids. And,... it's raining AGAIN. All I want to do is take a nap. I guess She wins. Doesn't She Always win?

11 papers and counting!

OMG! We are almost there! What a LONG winter and semester! This week so far I have written 9 Papers! Two more left and 1 revise and I am done...until Monday. Almost done, I can see the light. And I am proud of myself for juggling it all (not always so gracefully), but I am doing it! And you should be proud of yourselves too! We are amazing. There somebody needed to say it, praises to the hard working women!

"Beauty Tips"

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People even more than things have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others." Audrey Hepburn

Port Authority

I was thinking back to the first time I took a greyhound bus. I was coming back from college after my first semester away. I took a greyhound home to CT from upstate NY, normally about a 5 hour drive, on the bus it was a 12 hour drive. So after driving all around upstate NY, and Penn. through a blizzard the bus stopped my limp head slammed up against the window and the driver yelled "Port Authority last stop". I sat up, What? This isn't New Haven? This is NYC. I dragged my bag off the bus, to a scene only to be found in a city at 3 am, alone. Looking around the dark, dirty, scarey, dimly lit bus station, I saw a man beating a garbage can with a stick, a couple of other homeless folks passed out on the floor and a booth with an Information sign. I went up to the oh so helpful man who yelled and pointed in a direction through the glass, clueless to what he was saying I turned and walked in the direction of his finger. Suddenly, a man with rags for clothes and newspapers for shoes started grabbing at my big bag, grunting and cussing at me. I pulled back and said "Back off", petrified holding back the tears I thought it was over this time for sure when I saw two more coming towards me. "OH SHIT", I thought. When suddenly a big strong dark hand grabbed my bag flung it over his shoulder and said "This way Miss". I obliged when I realized it was my savior the bus driver. He walked me to the transfer bus and we exchanged "Merry Christmas's". Probably saved my life, or at least kept it from being changed forever. So, 22 years later, "Thank you Greyhound bus driver for getting involved."

mudseason III- The final installment.

So at this point in the season not only are we used to the hike up and down the road, we actually enjoy it. Not only that , we brag about it. "Yeah, thats right" I heard Sophie telling some kids, "I am so strong right now, I hike up and down my road 2-3 miles a day, My mom says most other kids would cry about it". Normally , I would tell her to not have so much hubris, but Hell, she earned it! She does hike up and down the road 10-15 miles a week and she has every right to brag about it.Especially when the alternative at 6:30 a.m. when it is snowing and cold is to curl up in a ball and cry with defeat that life is just too hard. Trust me, I feel like this every a.m., but a cup of coffee and my two little inspiring faces looking up to me to make it fun, there is no other way. So we trudge on,singing our songs and tweeting along with the birds, and soon it will be over, and we will all be alittle stronger for it.

P.S.- I didn't tell me kids about the cougar tracks I keep seeing.That's why one of our dogs always comes with us....

A Months Calendar

I just did my month's calendar for April (so I'm alittle behind, it's only the 10th), between 3 school schedules, and soccer it's going to be a busy month. I am so excited though because I am nearing Phase I PACE program, which I have been anticipating and planning for for years now. I am really progressing, life is really progressing. I noticed this as I walked with my 7.5 year old , the things she thinks about. How both of my children are learning to express themselves through speech and writing, amazes me, especially since this past semester of emerg. lit, teach. writing, and storytelling classes. I have learned so much already that is going to not only help me be a solid teacher but have even a stronger constitution as a parent.
Looking forward to the future.

And warm spring days in the green grass...

I've been avoiding you.

Okay, I admit it, I have been avoiding my blog. Life has been too emotional and writing about it all seems soooo heavy.
My beloved Golda Bear did pass naturally this week, (the 18 year old cat), my dear companion. What struck me most about the experience was the strength of those around me. Our big dog 140 pounds of love, sobbed for his feline sister. My dog, hide back and sadly watched as we buried the tiny being that in the beginning was larger than her once puppy self. My brave 7 year old, voluntarily getting the cats body (wrapped up in a towel) and bringing her out to the grave. I was shocked because I was not brave enough to do it myself. And thirdly,my dear husband who stepped up to help me through this painful experience. Lastly, the brave and loving personality of the deceased, who, although in pain , still pushed her head against my hand and gave me a soft burr song .
R.I.P. my dear friend.
I realize she is a pet, and many people suffer everyday losing loved ones and children. Hopefully this experience will help me and my children increase our empathy for others pain.

Mud Season II

This episode really began Fri. as I hurried to finish homework, pack all of us , deal with pets and drive down the road. Except not that simple. About a 1/4 mile down the road, I knew we were in the wrong spot. I compare it to river running, we were in a class 5 mud rapid and getting buried, and I still believe it was because of the collective power of the mind. I was trying to make myself think positive, and not that we were going to get a mud bath, but I could not Jedi mind power myself to stop thinking about getting stuck. And I could not stop my daughter from saying "We're going to get stuck, and My cousins are waiting for me in Seattle!". So we were stuck, for about an hour 1/4 mile from my house, We couldn't bail out on this trip, although seeming so far away.
Fast forward , Sunday evening, after a busy and fun weekend with family and friends and parties and dinner, we did the trek home about 6 hours if your single, 7-8 if you have 2 children with you, and a dog with a skin allergy. So, after more fast food then is ever allowed, we made it to the end of the road, well the end of the driveable part of the rd. We parked next to the other 14 tax paying neighbors cars (the commissioner told my husband our neighborhoods tax money wouldn't be missed if we stopped paying property taxes because the county refuses to maintain our rd., although they won't let us gate it to keep mudboggers from ripping it up for fun. I think they might miss 14 residents property tax money in this econonmy though). Anyway, I dumped all of my dirty clothes out of my back pack, find the essentials, the portable dvd player for my 2.5 year old, DS for my 7.5 year old, my school books, lap top ,kindle, brush, shampoo and purse, stuff them back in the back pack. It is 7:42 and it is getting dark rapidly, and I have dealt with the psycho moose on this stretch before, don't want to do it in the dark. We dress the kids and ourselves, mud gear, boots and raingear. My poor husband carries the 2.5 year old because we didn't expect to walk and bring the back pack or even pack his mud boots, so I carry 3 bags and my back pack and guide my daughter between us because it is dark, we are unprepared and don't even have a working flashlight, of course. But we must get home to our ailing cat and 2 other dogs we tied up in the wood shed lined thickly with straw and clean dogbeds.
To be continued......