Friday, October 3, 2014
Jeff Anderson and Lynn Dorfman-- New Books
I ordered Jeff Anderson's new book from QEP today. I also ordered Lynn Dorfman's new book as well. I am so looking forward to reading them and trying out new ideas! This is going to be fun!
Disgusting Dog
I have been working with some teachers this year. We have spent some time studying the teaching of writing. In these workshops, I have shared what was going on in my life. The last time that I met with this group, I spoke about my disgusting dog named Cutie. Don't let the name confuse you. Outwardly, she is so cute. Cutie lives up to her name. She has white curly poodle fur and small body with dark eyes, black mouth and black paws. She is half poodle and half Maltese. Cutie is a
Maltepoo.
Lately, Cutie's behavior has much to be desired. She has done some quite disgusting things. When I spoke to the teachers about this the first time, I shared with them that my Cutie little ten pound doggie is a rat killer. Yes, I said it. She is a rat killer. It is either that or rats just suddenly come into my yard and croak. I choose to go with the rat killer scenario.
About two months ago, my daughter went out in the backyard to fix the air conditioner. Sometimes, out of nowhere the air conditioner stops working and then spews out hot air. When that happens, we have to go to the electric box in the flip the switch back on. It clicks off from time to time. That day Elizabeth noticed that there was a dead decomposing rat near her feet. She freaked out and ran to the house and would not leave me alone until I helped her dispose of the dead rat body. I went into the garage and scooped up a shovel and a big plastic garbage bag. She held the bag and I scooped up the smelly rat. Then I disposed of the body in the garbage can. Done. I didn't think more about it. I didn't put much thought into the fact that it died in my yard. I never thought a thing about Cutie.
I did remember Cutie was rolling in something the day before though. I watched Cutie, from my bedroom window, wallow. I thought that what she was wallowing in could be be something disgusting and smelly. But what? I wasn't sure what it could be. I never imagined that it would have been a dead rat. Disgusting! I thought. Why do dogs have to be so disgusting? I asked my daughter. Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders and sighed, I don't know Mom. Cutie is disgusting!
I shared that story with the teachers and they agreed that my dog is very disgusting. Hold the phone! I have more. Not long after the back yard incident, I came from work and it was a zillion degrees outside. The humidity was extraordinary that day. I was seeing lights and my head was throbbing something horrible. The lights are the beginnings of my migraines. When I opened the door and entered my house, my dogs went crazy because they know that when I get home, they get to go outside. I noticed immediately that the air kicked off again and it felt like an oven inside. I let the dogs out and went straight toward the electric box in my backyard. My dogs were overly excited about me joining them in the backyard. They keep barking and jumping around. After I turned the switch, I looked down at Cutie and she seemed so excited. She had something in her mouth. It was dangling from her mouth. I focused in and then I was able to make out what she was carrying around. I was horrified and disgusted at the same time. Yes, you probably have guessed. She had a black rat in her mouth. It's head was dangling from the body. I could make out its teeth. She was galumphing in the grass with a dead black and white rat in her mouth. It made me want to gag.
I was suffering from a major migraine and I had to witness my adorable dog walking around with a dead black rodent in her black mouth. She had no care in the world. She seemed to be very content to have this prize in her mouth. Not a pretty sight. Not so cute at all. Since I could do nothing about it, because by this time my migraine was raging and my head felt like it was ready to explode, I decided to run inside and lay down. I cannot deal with this now! I said. When my daughter arrived home from school, I asked her to deal with it. She didn't know what to do. Because she saw me in my condition, she tried to go out and dispose of the dead body without my help. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your point of view, my daughter couldn't find it. I don't know where Cutie had buried it or hid it, but my daughter could not find it. I am sure that she did not look in every nook and cranny. After all, she would have to work this crime scene without me. Thinking about this spectacle made my migraine worse because then I thought, I didn't know that we had rats in our yard. Rats? Disgusting! I know the dogs always go to my neighbor's part of the wooden fence, where we had a tree cut down. It is mostly a worn out, rotting stump now. Maybe the rats have taken up their residence there. My ferocious predator canines make a bee line for that area most days and bark up a storm.
Through this process I have learned some things about my dog Cutie. These revelations were not completely new to me. First, I now know that my dog is a serial rodent killer. She is a pathological rodent killer that shows no remorse and gladly displays the bodies for all to see. She rolls in anything dead or deeply disgusting. I need to pay attention when I see her rolling in the grass. I thought maybe her back needed scratching and that maybe that is what she was trying to do? Not anymore. She cannot jump up on the furniture either because I have seen her roll on her back on the couch. Now that I know what could possibly be on her back, there is no way she can do that. No way, no how!
Lastly, I have come to understand that even though Cutie is adorable, she is capable of some dastardly acts. I cannot trust her in the least. Never would I have thought that she would find and kill rats. I had no idea that rats were roaming in my backyard. From time to time, I see cats walking along my wooden fence and sometimes possums, but never thought I would see rats. Uggh! Disgusting!
Maltepoo.
 |
| America's Most Wanted Cutie Serial Rodent Slayer |
Lately, Cutie's behavior has much to be desired. She has done some quite disgusting things. When I spoke to the teachers about this the first time, I shared with them that my Cutie little ten pound doggie is a rat killer. Yes, I said it. She is a rat killer. It is either that or rats just suddenly come into my yard and croak. I choose to go with the rat killer scenario.
About two months ago, my daughter went out in the backyard to fix the air conditioner. Sometimes, out of nowhere the air conditioner stops working and then spews out hot air. When that happens, we have to go to the electric box in the flip the switch back on. It clicks off from time to time. That day Elizabeth noticed that there was a dead decomposing rat near her feet. She freaked out and ran to the house and would not leave me alone until I helped her dispose of the dead rat body. I went into the garage and scooped up a shovel and a big plastic garbage bag. She held the bag and I scooped up the smelly rat. Then I disposed of the body in the garbage can. Done. I didn't think more about it. I didn't put much thought into the fact that it died in my yard. I never thought a thing about Cutie.
I did remember Cutie was rolling in something the day before though. I watched Cutie, from my bedroom window, wallow. I thought that what she was wallowing in could be be something disgusting and smelly. But what? I wasn't sure what it could be. I never imagined that it would have been a dead rat. Disgusting! I thought. Why do dogs have to be so disgusting? I asked my daughter. Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders and sighed, I don't know Mom. Cutie is disgusting!
I shared that story with the teachers and they agreed that my dog is very disgusting. Hold the phone! I have more. Not long after the back yard incident, I came from work and it was a zillion degrees outside. The humidity was extraordinary that day. I was seeing lights and my head was throbbing something horrible. The lights are the beginnings of my migraines. When I opened the door and entered my house, my dogs went crazy because they know that when I get home, they get to go outside. I noticed immediately that the air kicked off again and it felt like an oven inside. I let the dogs out and went straight toward the electric box in my backyard. My dogs were overly excited about me joining them in the backyard. They keep barking and jumping around. After I turned the switch, I looked down at Cutie and she seemed so excited. She had something in her mouth. It was dangling from her mouth. I focused in and then I was able to make out what she was carrying around. I was horrified and disgusted at the same time. Yes, you probably have guessed. She had a black rat in her mouth. It's head was dangling from the body. I could make out its teeth. She was galumphing in the grass with a dead black and white rat in her mouth. It made me want to gag.
I was suffering from a major migraine and I had to witness my adorable dog walking around with a dead black rodent in her black mouth. She had no care in the world. She seemed to be very content to have this prize in her mouth. Not a pretty sight. Not so cute at all. Since I could do nothing about it, because by this time my migraine was raging and my head felt like it was ready to explode, I decided to run inside and lay down. I cannot deal with this now! I said. When my daughter arrived home from school, I asked her to deal with it. She didn't know what to do. Because she saw me in my condition, she tried to go out and dispose of the dead body without my help. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your point of view, my daughter couldn't find it. I don't know where Cutie had buried it or hid it, but my daughter could not find it. I am sure that she did not look in every nook and cranny. After all, she would have to work this crime scene without me. Thinking about this spectacle made my migraine worse because then I thought, I didn't know that we had rats in our yard. Rats? Disgusting! I know the dogs always go to my neighbor's part of the wooden fence, where we had a tree cut down. It is mostly a worn out, rotting stump now. Maybe the rats have taken up their residence there. My ferocious predator canines make a bee line for that area most days and bark up a storm.
Through this process I have learned some things about my dog Cutie. These revelations were not completely new to me. First, I now know that my dog is a serial rodent killer. She is a pathological rodent killer that shows no remorse and gladly displays the bodies for all to see. She rolls in anything dead or deeply disgusting. I need to pay attention when I see her rolling in the grass. I thought maybe her back needed scratching and that maybe that is what she was trying to do? Not anymore. She cannot jump up on the furniture either because I have seen her roll on her back on the couch. Now that I know what could possibly be on her back, there is no way she can do that. No way, no how!
Lastly, I have come to understand that even though Cutie is adorable, she is capable of some dastardly acts. I cannot trust her in the least. Never would I have thought that she would find and kill rats. I had no idea that rats were roaming in my backyard. From time to time, I see cats walking along my wooden fence and sometimes possums, but never thought I would see rats. Uggh! Disgusting!
Poema-Honduras
Honduras
Por Maureen Ucles
Honduras
Un país lejano
Pero no tan lejos
De mi corazón
Honduras
Un país lleno
Que sigue tu reino
De alegría y mucho más
Honduras
Así es la vida
Me dice la gente
--Si Dios quiere—
¡Nos vamos a llegar
pa’ ya!
Honduras
Un país amable
Gente humilde
Tan humilde
Y fluente
De muchas canciones
Y música
Los
Tambores, tambores, tambores
¡Tocando tan, tan, tan!
Conchas de caracol
Pura vida
Honduras
Que me encantaría
Verte
Una vez
más
¡Vaya pues!
Allá nos vamos
Disfrutaré mis días
Desde Lago de Yajoa,
Rosa de Copan,
Lluvia de peces,
Valle de Angeles,
En Triunfo de la Cruz,
Tela,
La Ceiba
Playas hermosas
Con Las Garífunas
Bailando, bailando, bailando
En la costa
Caminando medio día
--¡Pan de Coco! ¡Pan de coco!
En la tarde con
Las sopas de caracol y camarón
¡Qué rico!
Honduras
Siempre feliz
La vida buena
Tranquilo
Tranquilo como las olas de mar
Mar Caribé
Allí es donde
Quiero estar
Quiero quedar
Hoy
Siempre
Querido Honduras
Te quedaras
En mis pensamientos
y alma
Pura vida
Pura Honduras
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Family, Food and Story...Family Literacy at Edgewood Elementary
I had the great honor of doing what I love...conducting a reading and writer's workshop with bilingual parents. For years, I have been itching to do something like this. Everyone has a story and what a better way to share our stories than through a writer's workshop with parents. Love to work with writers of all ages, just love it! I addition to that, my Spanish seemed to come back to me, including all the phrases and sayings from my Honduran Peace Corps experience. All the memories came running back to me as welcome friends to a reunion.
I have been yearning to conduct workshops in the area of writing and reading for years now. Alana Morris and I shared this same desire for family literacy including reading and writing. We joined forces to begin this literacy journey with families. Vivian Pratts, the principal, welcomed us to her campus to serve her Edgewood parents and students. Sarah Salas, Omaly Sandoval, Teresa Dolan, Eliza Prati and countless teachers at Edgewood, volunteered their time and efforts to make this a complete success. Thanks to all for helping Alana and I plan and organize this event. I know there were lots of details that we ironed out, from the snacks, rooms, materials, and location, location, location. The classroom lessons were embedded with Reading and Writing connections. These were very meaningful for children from toddlers to fifth graders. I even had some middle school kids with me in my session with parents! The parents were so energetic and ready to tell their stories and then write their stories. Everyone has a story to tell, everyone. When you realize that your story must be told and recorded, then it becomes a powerful medium of empowerment. Literacy then is the means to an end!
It was an awesome gift to meet so many parents from all over the world. There were parents from Honduras, different parts of Mexico, and El Salvador to name a few. Everyone has so many stories to tell! I look forward to reading and listening to all the stories that will come out of this project. I cannot wait until the next meeting to see what stories the parents share with us and their children. The children's writing will be so great gift to all. I myself am going to be writing in my notebook and rehashing many moments of my time in the Peace Corps. For years now, I have been telling myself to sit down and get these stories together. Now, I believe is the time.
Speaking of stories, I was taken for a complete loop and brought to tears. I shared my story with the parents and part of my story is that I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras. One parent stopped to talk with me after we finished our meeting. She said that she recognized me during the meeting but wasn't quite sure where she had met me before. Maybe I was a former teacher of one of her sons? No, that wasn't it. There was something so familiar to her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She couldn't quite figure it out until...until...I started sharing my Central American experiences. I shared a poem that I wrote about Honduras. As I read it aloud, I was overcome with emotion and had to stop several times. Reading the poem brought back memories of the wonderful and caring people of Honduras. That was it! She had remembered that about 20 y pico years ago, she had met me. She described my work and it made sense. Her eyes filled with tears as she remembered that I somehow helped her in some way twenty years ago in Honduras. I was shocked and kept trying to remember her and where it would have been. She then mentioned some of the work that I did while I worked with environmental education. She kept saying, "Medio ambiente." I did work in the area of environmental education because of the deforestation problems at that time. It had been so long that I cannot remember all the details. Twenty years...twenty years and more. I couldn't believe it. I still cannot believe it. Who would have thought that after all these years that I would meet someone from Honduras who knew me way back then? Wow! This was so crazy! I guess that goes to show you that you never, ever know. I was in my twenties at that time. I wonder how old she was back then. I met lots of people in my work and I have lost contact with my Honduran family and friends. I think of them often and wonder what they are doing now. Family, food and story...wow! Writing, reading and being human brings you closer globally and otherwise! The world is not such a big place. Vaya pues!
Friday, September 26, 2014
New Day, New Post-Circus, Monkey and Ain't Nobody Got Time for That!
Sometimes you just know when enough is enough. Sometimes you know when you are tired of being tired. Sick and tired and tired of being sick. Which is it? I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. Am I going to stay here and just complain or am I going to do something about it? Right now, I am going to do something about it. What is my plan of action? Monkeys and circuses. For now, my solution is just to let things go and fly away, far, far away from me. I am dropping things and letting them out of my sphere of consciousness. I shall use the phrase, "Not my monkeys, not my circus." I like how that phrase sounds and I like the implications. To me, it is not worth getting all worked up about things that I cannot control. For example, I cannot control the way some people behave, the weather and the price of of tea in china. I cannot control endless traffic, time flying by, and the endless amounts of junk mail that I take out of my mail box daily. Cannot control it, so why should I be so stupid as to pay attention to it? Not gonna do that. I am also not going to worry about things that I cannot control. Do you know why? Do you really want to know why? I do not have any time in my life for excess stress. I choose to exercise it from my life and to do what I can. I cannot wait to put this into practice. I have been saying those words to myself quite often. I plan to stay out of any drama from your dad, sister or mama. Drama has got to go. Someone shared a funny, but true video with me. I loved it because Sweet Brown said,"Ain't nobody got time for that."In the middle of the monkeys and circus, I am going to breathe in and out and say, "Ain't nobody got time for that!" I know I don't.Nope. I definitely don't have time for foolishness and rudeness. By the way, I just let the monkeys out of their cages. The circus has moved to another part of town. You might want to catch it down the street. I didn't buy any tickets for this one.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Driverless Car
How cool would this be to own a driverless car. I would also like to order a car that can drive me to work without me having to drive. Thinking a great stimulus for oral and written discourse. The possiblities!
Derek Jeter Tribute Commercial
I just watched the Derek Jeter commercial from Gatorade. I loved it and a tears came to my eyes. Derek Jeter is the captain of the New York Yankees. He leads by example. His is a definite hall of fame shoe in. I thought about reading and writing and how I could use this commerical to figure out the theme and to think about how the producers and directors used the images and music to bring the audience to inspiration and tears. I also thought about how this could be used as a stimulus for expository or narrative writing. I don't want to ramble on, but I have to sleep tonight. Enjoy this great commercial. Gabby Cruz, I know you would love this!
Scratch and Itch-New Day, New Post
Just getting an itch. Getting so excited about this future itch. Usually my itches come from lack of Bendadryl and allergies to all things Houston. I am allergic to the different pollens, mold and grasses around Houston. When I first starting seeing my allergist, he said, "Welcome to Houston!"
When you have an itch, you usually scratch it. Usually the itch might be something negative, like something isn't going so great in your environment. For me, that is usually the case, but not this time. No this time is different, way different. This time, I cannot quiet this itch. No amount of Benadryl, Claritin or even Zertec can quiet the rumblings sounds of the itch. "Scratch, scratch, scratch!" This itch has been with me for such a long, long time. I have satisfied these allergies numerous times and in numerous ways. It is as if I was placating it with different answers, resolutions and some type of pacification. Not any more. This whisper has grown into a full blown lion's roar. This roar can be described closely to a category five hurricane or a catastrophic Tsunami. Definitely this cannot be ignored much longer. I cannot and will not ignore it anymore. Nope. That is not posssible. Sometime very soon, my attempts to satisfy this itch will be realized and I will be in more than my element. I am so pumped about it.
The other day I became a little giddy when looking at books from a Scholastic Book Fair. My giddiness heightened, when I spoke with the Book Whisperer herself, Donalyn Miller. I saw the books in a far different light. My eyes lit up and the possibilities before me seemed endless. Cannot, cannot, cannot, cannot wait to scratch this itch soon. Why have I waited this long is beyond me. How could I have walked away with such a precious gift? I really don't know, but what I do know is that it is about time. Someday soon, I will be scratching this itch, without any regrets...only possibilities. To be continued.
When you have an itch, you usually scratch it. Usually the itch might be something negative, like something isn't going so great in your environment. For me, that is usually the case, but not this time. No this time is different, way different. This time, I cannot quiet this itch. No amount of Benadryl, Claritin or even Zertec can quiet the rumblings sounds of the itch. "Scratch, scratch, scratch!" This itch has been with me for such a long, long time. I have satisfied these allergies numerous times and in numerous ways. It is as if I was placating it with different answers, resolutions and some type of pacification. Not any more. This whisper has grown into a full blown lion's roar. This roar can be described closely to a category five hurricane or a catastrophic Tsunami. Definitely this cannot be ignored much longer. I cannot and will not ignore it anymore. Nope. That is not posssible. Sometime very soon, my attempts to satisfy this itch will be realized and I will be in more than my element. I am so pumped about it.
The other day I became a little giddy when looking at books from a Scholastic Book Fair. My giddiness heightened, when I spoke with the Book Whisperer herself, Donalyn Miller. I saw the books in a far different light. My eyes lit up and the possibilities before me seemed endless. Cannot, cannot, cannot, cannot wait to scratch this itch soon. Why have I waited this long is beyond me. How could I have walked away with such a precious gift? I really don't know, but what I do know is that it is about time. Someday soon, I will be scratching this itch, without any regrets...only possibilities. To be continued.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
New Post New Day...Changes
Changes
Just sitting in my vehicle
contemplating life
Sitting and sippin' my McCafe
from Mickey Ds
Chilling on a cool September morn
Thinking 'bout next year
What will come...
Go
Throwin' in the towel
Raisin' the white flag
Full surrender
A peace accord
of sorts
But can I afford?
Not to?
Just trudging forward
Hand to the plow
Blistered, tarnished hands
Sweat on my brow
Get it done
No words needed
Next year
... full bloom
Pensive
Resolute
Moving forward
Just sitting in my vehicle
contemplating life
Sitting and sippin' my McCafe
from Mickey Ds
Chilling on a cool September morn
Thinking 'bout next year
What will come...
Go
Throwin' in the towel
Raisin' the white flag
Full surrender
A peace accord
of sorts
But can I afford?
Not to?
Just trudging forward
Hand to the plow
Blistered, tarnished hands
Sweat on my brow
Get it done
No words needed
Next year
... full bloom
Pensive
Resolute
Moving forward
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