SOLSC Day 5: Back on Track

One of the things I struggle with in a writing challenge like this is finding interesting topics to write about. Part of my 101 in 1001 list is to respond to creative writing prompts. So I went to this site and moused over a few of the prompts. The one I've chosen today is about rainy days, which fits today's weather.

10 Things to do on a Rainy Day:

1. Sleep!

2. Read a good book, like Jennifer Donnelly's A Northern Light (the one I'm reading now).

3. Watch tv on dvd, like Bones, Mad Men or Weeds.

4. Blog!

5. Shop online (my favorites are Barnes and Noble, Amazon and Old Navy)

6. Burn candles and enjoy the scent

7. Scrapbook, because I'm so far behind that I may never catch up at this rate!

8. Cook fancy dinners with lots of ingredients, especially if it's a new recipe :)

9. Play silly video games with my husband like Wii Sports and Just Dance

10. Write a poem about how much I dislike Duke:

There's a school in Durham with a funny smell

I think it's part of Dante's...well,

They wear the ugliest shade of blue

There's a lighter shade, and it's prettier, too!

8 miles from Durham there's a quaint little town

It's named Chapel Hill, and there I found

A wonderful school and new friends for life

Hey, my husband even found his wife!

Seriously though, this Dook place, it stinks

And don't trust me, EVERYONE thinks

That if you get the choice, and you have to choose

The finest shade is Carolina Blue!

GO HEELS! BEAT DOOK!!

SOLSC Day 4: Catching up

I did not get a chance to blog yesterday *puts nose in corner*

So I'm treating you to a music review of an album I recently purchased, then I'm doing my Slice for today back to back. Double bonus!

I downloaded Adele's album "21" on itunes and got a chance to spend some time listening to it on my way to Teacher Academy in Concord. The opening track, "Rolling in the Deep" is amazing! It has a peppy tempo and I just love the soul of Adele's voice combined with the jazzy feel. This is the perfect music for me when I'm cooking or enjoying a glass of wine and unwinding after a long day. I also like the infusion of the gospel choir sound in the track "Take it All" and of course I'm going to like any song called "I Found a Boy." I highly recommend this album to anyone who likes John Mayer, Michael Buble and others in that genre.

What's your favorite kind of background music? I don't mean to say that Adele's music doesn't deserve attention, because it does, but it's the kind that you don't necessarily sing along with as much as you just enjoy being immersed in while you think or relax. There isn't much music like that in my house, as I'm a shower/car/anywhere singer and perpetual hummer :)

Musically,

SOLSC Day 3

How can it only be day three and I've run out of things to write about?! I think I'm more concerned than I have been in the past about blogging and mentioning anything about work, seeing as this teacher has pretty much lost her job over her blog.

So I guess, then, I'm brought to the topic of teachers' blogging. Should they do it? If they do, can they talk about work? Is anything off limits? Is anything actually permitted? What, then, dictates this teacher "moral code" that people have no issue enforcing arbitrarily? What is it about teachers and some other positions that require this additional set of values and rules that other people who work regular jobs do not have to bear? I'm leaving this here for discussion. The topic of blogging about work has nothing to do with my frustrating day, just for the record.

I just love writing (when I have time) and I think it's an ideal outlet for discussing the things that frustrate us and the things that overjoy us. Writing is a place for us to share our struggles and our victories. Why should teachers, and other people with the additional moral code, be denied that outlet? What do you fellow writers think?

Hark the Sound: Slice of Life Day 2

Oh, what a roller coaster day I've had! It started out so well, then dipped, then rose, them completely plummeted in the "can we go back and get my guts?" kind of way. So I did what any self-respecting girl would do: I went to the tanning bed for some "me" time, then shopped online for books and clothes :)

Johnathan and I spent most of the evening with his family, including his oldest sister and our new niece Layla. She is such a sweet little girl, and I finally got to hold her tonight! We all watched the Carolina/Florida State game (Heels won!) together and really enjoyed ourselves. All in all, the day ended about as well as it began, so hooray for salvaging it instead of letting it destroy me (which can happen, I've seen me do it).

I'm excited about some upcoming opportunities, too. I'm going to a conference in Concord, NC this weekend on Teacher Leadership, so look for some live-blogging during the session if it's possible. If not, look for updates on Friday and Saturday nights. I'm hoping this one will offer some good ideas to take back to my school!

My principal said to me yesterday as he was signing a letter for me to apply to an NEH workshop in Chapel Hill this summer, "well you really love Chapel Hill." And he's right; I do.

Here's why:

Chapel Hill in the Spring is a heavenly place.

Franklin Street is ever changing and timeless all at once.

I've drank from the Old Well.

I've moraled the Dance Marathon (twice!).

I met the love of my life at Fall Fest 2003, even if I didn't know it yet.

I know the words to all the fight/pep songs.

I still get chills every time I walk campus.

My eyes tear up when we sing the Alma Mater.

Many of my lifelong friends are from my time at UNC.

My husband asked me to marry him on Graduation Day May 14, 2006.

Going to UNC was always my dream, and I spent years working for it. All that work paid off the day I moved into Morrison dorm, and again the day I turned my tassel next to my friends. Since then, I have more respect for myself than I ever did before and I share a bond others may never experience.

Hark the sound of Tar Heel voices

Ringing clear and true

Singing Carolina's praises, shouting NCU

N-C-U!

Hail to the brightest star of all

Clear its radiance shine

Carolina, priceless gem

Receive all praises thine!

I'm a tar heel born

I'm a tar heel bred

And when I die

I'm a tar heel dead

So rah rah, Carolina-lina

Rah rah Carolina-lina

Rah rah Carolina-lina

Rah Rah Rah!

Slice of Life Month: Day 1

I want to talk about books. It's no secret that I love them. It's also no secret that I don't love every one I encounter, and that I've been known to throw them against walls when they frustrate me or don't end the way I think they should (ex: Jodi Picoult's Handle with Care).

The book I'm currently reading is Jennifer Donnelly's A Northern Light. I'm going to share some quotes from the book that I've written down because I like them, but before I do that I want to share a little about why I love this book so much:

1. The characters are so real. Donnelly really does a magnificent job developing all the characters into distinct individuals, even those that (at this point) I'm not sure are all that significant. Nevertheless, I feel like I know each one, especially the protagonist Mattie.

2. The setting is marvelous. I don't know much about this kind of place, but I know that I'm there while I'm reading. It's farm country, huge pieces of land being farmed for livestock and crops, complete with chores and cooking dinners and hanging clothes on the line. I love every minute I get to spend there, just watching life unfold.

3. The language is precise for a YA or YA loving audience. I don't think Donnelly gets over her head with language, even though the protagonist is a self-confessed collector of words. Even the integration of big words into the text fits the character seamlessly (see point 1) and it's believable.

4. The conflict is real. Mattie has a real struggle before her that involves her family, a secret promise, her own desires and her own sense of duty. I can't wait to see how these things resolve, or if they resolve at all!

Basically, this book is wonderful and while I'm excited to continue reading, it's the kind of book you don't ever want to end. I want to be part of Mattie's world forever; I want to watch her grow up, following whichever path she chooses. This kind of book reminds me why I love reading YA literature so much, and I think that my love of books and reading brings me to a place like this blog, where I can share the wonderful things that I come across in such books.

And now, some quotes:

• "But then he turned and smiled at me, and my breath caught and I wondered if this is how it felt to be pretty"~Mattie Gokey
• "For someone who reads so many books, you're awfully damned stupid"~Royal Loomis
• Then she took her writing paper out of its box, put the books in the box, covered them with a few sheets of paper, and handed them to me. "Cripes, Miss Wilcox, they're not guns" I said. "No, they're not, Mattie, they're books. And a hundred times more dangerous"

The last quote speaks to me about the "dangers" of reading. What would happen if kids in all the schools read books that could change their minds? Change their lives? What a dangerous place that would be!

Until tomorrow,

We'll Give it a Shot

I'm going for it.

March is Slice of Life month over at twowritingteachers, where each day in March you are challenged to post a piece of writing that (to me) can summarize your day, how you're feeling, or whatever is going on in your day-to-day. I'm excited as I've been looking to get back into blogging, and this sounds like a great way to do it. I know one of my colleagues did it last year and is doing it again this year, so hopefully we can push each other to get it done!

Check out the website if you're interested, and let me know if you decide to participate so we can keep up with each other!

Happy Macy-versary

Monday, February 14 (Valoween in our family) marks our 2 year Macy-versary. 2 years ago Monday we brought home the sweetest little puppy I had ever seen. She has brought us so much joy (and panic) in the last 2 years that I can't imagine not having her in our lives. Yes, I know she's not a human baby, but she's our fur-baby :)

We also did the traditional Valoween practices. Johnathan bought me a chamilia charm bracelet with beads and charms. I love it because it isn't anywhere near complete, giving us a chance to buy charms as life marches on and we make new memories. I think sometimes I'm more drawn to the sentimentality that the physical beauty. We also had an amazing dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in the Southpark area of Charlotte on Sunday night, the 13th. The food was fantastic, and the restaurant itself was gorgeous. I really felt like a princess that night!

I cooked dinner on Monday night: Italian baked chicken, pasta tossed with olive oil, asparagus and parmesan cheese, and a loaf of garlic bread. It was also delicious, and far less pricey than our fancy dinner date on Sunday night.

Overall, things seem to be slowing down for me to a pace I can actually manage (woohoo!). I am feeling way less overwhelmed by my job, the yearbook, band stuff, school stuff, and the list goes on. I'm looking forward to finishing up some of those things for good (like school!) this year.

How was your Valoween? Do tell in the comments!