Coloring

Coloring.

I have always liked to color. It is the type of thing that I seem to latch right on to. There are rules, rather you decide to follow them or not is entirely up to the color-er. It is easy to scribble about the page and make a modern design and find some way to over analyze and provide some psychobabble about what it really means. Or, one may find comfort in following the lines and coloring within them. It think this is good practice for lots of things. We have to stay within metaphorical lines and physical ones all the time. I still wonder why I’ve never been pulled over for drunken driving, as I struggle on the best of days.

But, I love to blend colors and pressure to my coloring. I love the smell of the crayon dust and how little specks get caught in other areas making a streak. I went to a break out session at a conference once with Wendy Anderson that I found the art of coloring in a whole new realm of the adult art world. I was able to create ART…

When I was a child, my favorite aunt, Aunt Wendy, would buy my coloring books often as gifts. I liked the gifts, but the best gift she gave was when she would sit with me and color for hours, discussing color choice and pressure. She liked to outline the entire picture with the color she chose, while I kept a soft hand. Later, for school projects I would mimic her style because it was so expert.

Recently, Susan, my best friend bought me a gift that was well needed and appreciated. It was a book of lots of different ways to avoid anxiety and to de-stress. I had the busiest spring ever and could really use any help I could get. But, the book came with toys and things. Several of her favorite ideas in the book, she bought the corresponding items to make my stress levels plummet. One such item was a coloring book and good Crayola crayons. She was good to keep it simple to the primary pack and I could blend my own colors. I keep the book and box in the kitchen, right next to the potholders and tea towels. When I get overwhelmed with everything on my plate, I pull them out and color. The soft rhythmic motion and the methodical rules and design features allow me to be an artist for a moment, but I can too float away into the world on the page for a few minutes.

9 weeks left

OMG!!!

I can’t beleive we only have one marking period left of this school year!

Where has the time gone? I really need my senior class to get together and figure out the plans for the rest of graduation?!??!!

Humm…

Reading, Writing, Guiding, Steering. Helping students make decisions.

Good decisions. Choices. How will you cope by yourself? Can you do it on your own?

Do you know the process? Do you know to think and weigh the consequences?

     Man, I wonder if you’ll struggle.

End of January

I’m getting really excited about our upcoming fishing tournament. I think we will have so many people attending this year it will be out of control!

The month is wrapping up and, man, am I glad exams and end of the sememster grading is done. I have been so drained after all that reading of exams and end projects.

 I Don’t Remember

I don’t remember my first steps or words or kisses.

I don’t remember my how I got this scar on my elbow.

My mom spanking me, but I do remember my dad trying to.

I don’t remember my great grandma calling to me by my nickname.

I don’t remember graduation. I can think of the walk and the tears, but not the what of it.

 I want to remember my past, but fail to think of it all. I suppose time takes away my thoughts. I wonder what it would be like if you could only remember the good times. I wonder if people would repeat mistakes if they couldn’t remember. And, what if they couldn’t remember the good things. Would more people commit suicide? Would people feel like they had no hope? Do our good experiences and memories hold us in this world? Do they make us go on?

Homework:

1-Read Sci-Fi, 3-study vocabulary, 4-read, 5-essay due Monday, 6-smile, 7-Chapters 13-14

Remembering and wondering,

sMack

Survivor

Exams are over!! Here’s my Survivor Exam–by Mack’s Child

Now that you’re out of my life
I’m so much better
You thought that I’d be weak not taking you
But I’m stronger
You thought that I’d be broke without you
But I’m richer
You thought that I’d be sad without you
I laugh harder
You thought I wouldn’t grow without you
Now I’m wiser
Thought that I’d be helpless without you
But I’m smarter
You thought that I’d be stressed without you
But I’m chillin’
You thought I wouldn’t achieve without you 
Achieving millions

I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m not gon give up (What?)
I’m not gon stop (What?)
I’m gon work harder (What?)
I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m gonna make it (What?)
I will survive (What?)
Keep on survivin’ (What?)

7 days til Christmas

Time keeps swirling out of control this season. Last night’s Christmas program helped to put me into better spirits, but man! I have to get so much stuff still! Friday we are headed down state. I hate to shop down there and then have to wrap everything! Maybe I can get my fam to come to Grand Haven so I don’t have to go all the way down there.  Whirlwind of red and green! Yikes!

The plan for the rest of the week: 

20th Cent-Friday is the Rebecca Quiz; Mr. Chips projects due; Resume’s due Tuesday, January 2

Espanol-chapter 4 test Friday

Novels-Create an ornament for your novel. (we’ll only have 20 minutes for book talk, so be quick)

English 11-Read chapter 19-20, start Frankenstein, the movie, Focus ?#11

 Writer’s Workshop–Writing Fiction, typing

English 9–Read chapters 7-8, Focus for Reading, Author’s craft, Word Study

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

Everywhere I look I see elements of the holiday season. I love it. I like pulling out my brooches for the season and adorning my house with glitter and powered sugar.

As my home fills with the twinkling sounds of Christmas music, I begin to stress about the enormous cost of this holiday. I need to remember to step back and be grateful for my wonderful life. I need to celebrate my strengths and the sweetness in my life. It is NOT about how much I can give, but the love that I give with each gift and kiss.

Plan for the end…

of the 9 weeks.

 1st-Vocabulary and analogies

3rd-Examen de capitulo 2.

4th-Poem due Friday & book talk

5th-Drafting your persuasive essay.

6th-Typing

7th-Marginalia of Viet Nam JigSaw. Write bias article.

1st-Read chapter 1 of Little Prince. Reread it. Log. Answer ??

3rd-Vocabulary quiz tomorrow. Verb song quiz today. Friday is your chapter test. STudy time and verb conjugations!!

4th-REad and write poem (due Friday)

5th Reflection w/ 2 pieces. Character chart w/ LOTF & WMMC

6th typing

7th-8th of November

OMG!!

Holy Cow! I can’t believe Friday is here already.

 1st-We finished our mystery theatre. There will be a log check on Monday along with a TEST over And Then There Were None

3rd-Study vocabulary 

4th-Book Talk. Letter of Action due today. Log check on Monday.

5th-Read around. Quick Write-Cheese Station C. Write 1 essential question from first 30 pages of Who Stole My Cheese?. Read pages 31-68

6th-Read ARound. Finish essay.

7th-Read ARound. REad Book 12.

Good Luck in Pellston, guys!

Live Like You Were Dyin’

“Live Like You Were Dyin’”

He said I was in my early 40’s, With a lot of life before me, And a moment came that stopped me on a dime. I spent most of the next days, lookin’ at the x-rays, Talkin’ ’bout the options and talkin’ ’bout sweet time. Asked him when it sank in, that this might really be the real end. How’s it hit ya, when you get that kind of news. Man what ya do. And he says, [Chorus] I went sky divin’, I went rocky mountain climbin’, I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fumanchu. And I loved deeper, And I spoke sweeter, And I gave forgiveness I’ve been denying, And he said someday I hope you get the chance, To live like you were dyin’. He said I was finally the husband, That most the time I wasn’t. And I became a friend a friend would like to have. And all the sudden goin’ fishing, Wasn’t such an imposition. And I went three times that year I lost my dad. Well I finally read the good book, And I took a good long hard look at what I’d do If I could do it all again. And then. [Chorus] Like tomorrow was a gift and you’ve got eternity To think about what you do with it, What could you do with it, what can I do with with it, what would I do with it. [Chorus] Sky divin’, I went rocky mountain climbin’, I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fumanchu. And I loved deeper, And I spoke sweeter, And I watched an eagle as it was flyin’. And he said someday I hope you get the chance, To live like you were dyin’. To live like you were dyin’. To live like you were dyin’. To live like you were dyin’. To live like you were dyin’.

Tim McGraw

1st-MEAPers were gone, so we’ll play games tomorrow. We will also pick out characters for the Mystery Breakfast on Thursday…your costume is a grade. Friday will be the And Then There Were None test.

3rd-Study study study. Quiz on Friday. Also review time notes.

4th-Get your SSR projects done!

5th-We begin Who Moved My Cheese tomorrow.

6th-Write your 2nd High 5 prewrite.

7th-no homework. We turned in the prewrite from Calypso, did the jigsaw presentations, and turned in the listening exercise from Cyclops.

Have a great day!

SMack