Imagine the Possibilities

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

This morning I opened a drawer on my dressing table in search of something (can’t really recall now). Instead, I got sidetracked by boxes and bags and other assorted containers of old, broken, or otherwise discarded jewelry. There was a box I would label as “the school collection” – a jack-o-lantern pin, spider web earrings, jingle bell earrings, a bracelet that lights up (or used to), a variety of snowman pins, and a necklace with a large jingle bell (did I really wear that?). Then there was a container of what I might call “professional pins” – from conferences, organizations, or those that just declare my love for reading and writing in bright colors or simulated diamonds.

Then I came across a special pin that had been a favorite. It’s a small silver envelope with delicate etchings. A purple heart is about to be tucked inside, or maybe that heart is being pulled out.

As soon as I saw it I remembered my first visit to Chicago more than twenty years ago. I was there for a conference and took some time to visit the Art Institute. I bought the pin as a souvenir. When I touched it I remembered the wonder I felt at being in that great city. I knew I wanted to return (which I have quite a few times). When I examined it more closely I remembered why I chose it. It can signify so many things – the intimacy of a love letter, the power of writing, the importance of staying in touch, the closeness of connection.

I’m wearing it today (it matches my purple fingernails).

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

I was not in the habit of getting regular manicures until several years ago when I started doing more staff development and presentations. My hands were visible under a document camera as I shared picture books and student writing samples, and I wanted them to look nicer. I started with nail tips and had those sculpted fake nails for a number of years. Now I get regular or gel manicures. When it comes to color, I am very predictable – reds, maroons, pinks, and French (pink and white).

But, a few weeks ago I actually tried something a little different. It was supposed to be a sort of gray, but was actually more green than gray. Still, I liked it. It made me feel…more youthful? On Saturday I tried something different again – purple. Not just any purple – a sparkly purple. A shiny, sparkly purple. A shiny, sparkly, spring-is-here purple. I think my nails look like the foil on an Easter Hershey Kiss. It’s fun and flirty! What’s next, I wonder?

I probably don’t need to get a manicure biweekly anymore, but it always lifts my spirits.

Here’s my experience in six words:

Purple nails! I’m ready for spring.

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

Last Christmas I received a book of poems, Felicity, by Mary Oliver. It was a collection of hers that I did not own, and she is definitely a favorite. But for some reason I hadn’t found the right moment to read this work. Yesterday afternoon I saw it just laying there on the edge of my desk – an invitation. The very first poem, “Walking to Indian River” grabbed me. I quickly marked it with a post-it, then read the next poem. In a matter of just a few minutes I realized I was placing a post-it on nearly every poem!

The first lines of “Walking to Indian River” go like this:

I’m ready for spring, but it hasn’t arrived.

                                     Not yet.

Still I take my walk, looking for any

                                   early enhancements.

So, inspired by those words, I took a walk in my back yard, searching for signs of spring. There are still some patches of snow, but there are also tulips and daffodils reaching up through the soft, muddy earth. Their buds are tight, as if unwilling to let go until the air is warm and the sun is bright. The forsythia is trying, but may be losing the battle a bit this year. Still, hopefully there will be a sea, or at least a large lake, of yellow soon. The birds are returning. There was evidence of someone making a nest in one of the bluebird houses, although I could tell it was not a bluebird. Hopefully my bluebird friends will decide not to be bullied by the sparrows and will return this year. The cherry tree buds are small but abundant, whispering the promise of a full show by late April.

And then…this morning I woke to snow showers.

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

Yesterday I read an article in the paper about a new concept in spreading a love of literature. Philadelphia is one of four cities to receive a grant for Short Story Dispensers. In partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia, each kiosk will offer stories that can be read in five minutes or less from a range of twenty genres. They will be printed on eco-friendly paper and offered for free. Needless to say, I was intrigued. There’s nothing like curling up with a good book, but not everyone has that luxury of time. Offering a piece of literature that can be read in a short time frame is a unique way to hook a reader, offer hope, touch a heart. It also provides opportunities for writers. A win-win if you ask me.

A found poem from the article by Inquirer staff writer Grace Dickinson:

At the touch of a button

stories spit out

libraries without walls

airports

train stations

shopping centers

hospitals

unfavorable wait-times

and frustrating experiences

turned positive

a mission

to engage in the written word

and spread the joy of literacy

to everyone.

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

This morning at physical therapy I listened to four men trading lines from Seinfeld. At first I wasn’t sure what they were quoting, but then something gave it away. It was fascinating – one would say a line, they would all laugh, and then one of the other guys would come up with something else, and there was more laughter. This went on for quite a while. Finally one of them said that when you get a few people together that were fans of Seinfeld, there is always something to talk about.

That started me thinking about movies. In our house, there are probably more lines from movies rather than television shows quoted from time to time. Here are a few I came up with:

Walk this way.

Round up the usual suspects.

I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.

After all, tomorrow is another day.

I’ll be back (this line must be delivered as Arnold would say it).

We’ll always have Paris.

There’s no crying in baseball (insert any word which fits the situation, i.e. “There’s no crying on vacation.”)

Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

Did you get them all? It’s fun to think about the shared language that develops in families. I think it’s the same in classrooms.