Guest Editor? Yes!

Well, today is the day I write about my six picks as GUEST EDITOR at AOL journals... this is that special entry I've been hinting at these past few days.

Thank you.... thank you very much!

                         

I was pleasantly surprised when I read Journals Editor Jeff’s email about two weeks ago…. He invited me to be a guest editor for aol journals this week. I felt honored to have this much attention put on my journal, but then the reality of what he was asking me to do sank in. I would have to pick six journals to feature in my guest editor entry.

Just six? I have at least 25 on my journal alerts. How would I narrow it down to six?

I’m not one to seek the spotlight, but I’m facing my fear by saying “yes” to the Guest Editor opportunity. Thanks for asking me, Jeff!

I’m supposed to write something about me… Uh, I’ve been writing about me for over a year now…. Do you want me to bore them to tears with a repeat of all that?

For those of you who are new to this journal, I am an Exceptional Children’s teacher, in my eighth year of teaching. I was 46 years old when I started teaching. This year I had made the decision to change what I do and how I do it, so I put in for a transfer to another school. In the same school system.

There is the excitement of starting over, like I felt seven years ago: meeting new people, learning something new, treading in untrod (by me) territory, and getting to know the students.

At myage, that feeling is one to treasure. I highly recommend it (starting over) to anyone over fifty. I want to learn more about my profession by teaching with others who have different backgrounds, by learning new methods, and sharing what I have learned in my seven years as a Special Education teacher. I have learned from the best these past seven years, and want to continue that path in a new environment. Likewise, I hope to bring the best of what I do into my new classrooms.

I’m married to and in love with the man who pursued me thirty-one years ago when I was a senior at the University of Georgia. He he was in the Air Force. I loved Air Force men, grew up with one all my life: my dad.

Then the third man in my life was born a few years later, my son. Now, he is in Pharmacy school at UNC-CH, but I don’t write much about him because I respect his privacy. I am very proud of his work and commitment to excellence in his profession, and especially with the dedication he shows toward community involvement. He organized a fundraiser last year, the First Annual Aging In Stride 5K, to raise money for a local senior citizens center in Orange County (NC). I participated, but not as a runner. I’m a walker. It was so successful that they are going to have it again this year. I'll be there.

My contribution to the event last year (beside walking fast and paying the $15 entry fee) was telling him to make sure that next time there are some strategically placed bathrooms for us older women. He laughed, but I was serious.

I have two mini-schnauzers, Max and Misty who keep my laughing and give me something to do when I'm home. I know, they need grooming. They'll have to wait until I have some unclaimed time.

                           

Enough about me. I want to get my editor picks in. They are not in any particular order.

http://journals.aol.com/jcgeorgiapeach/ThePeachPages/ Tara is on to something really big. I mean BIG! You can’t read her entries quickly and then leave without feeling something is touching you inside, prompting you to think again about something you thought you understood. Her writing will either surprise and delight you, anger you, or, as she has admitted, it has turned some away. But that doesn’t stop her. She has some serious work to do through her writing.

http://journals.aol.com/caromarls/ANewAdventure/ I picked Caroline because she is relatively new to aol.journals. She began about a month ago, and is learning fast the technical aspects of journaling. She is a teacher from South Africa who dearly loves our country and wants to live here permanently. Caroline has a deep capacity for loving and taking risks, and if you talk to her for ten minutes, you will find that her source of happiness is in the Lord. Her story unfolds in her journal.

http://outmavarin.blogspot.com/  I’ve directed readers to Karen’s journal several times throughout the year because I’ve been fascinated with her experiences and stories about the writing process, as well as the stories themselves. If you are interested in reading her fantasy fiction, you can start here with Part 1 of The Jace Letters. I’ve have read the first three chapters of Heirs of Mavarin, and I’m completely charmed by her characters and the story plot. But if you just want to check out her daily journal/blog, OutPost Mavarin (pronounced Mayvarin), you will learn about “Mages of Mavarin“, her newest volume which, I believe, is in the rewrite/edit phase.

I found Patrick one day while visiting another journal. He‘d left a comment there. I have since come to know him through his daily journal,  http://journals.aol.com/daddyleer/CaregivinglyYours/  where he generally reflects on his life as a Caregiver. His wife has MS. He has to modify their lives so that hers is as comfortable and active asthey can possibly be … most of us take for granted what we can do without thinking about it. His outlook is positive, humorous, and helpful. When you read his journal, you learn something about how to modify and adapt to life with someone who needs 24/7 care. He reminds us that someday we (either you or your spouse) may be the Caregiver, or the one needing the care of one.

http://journals.aol.com/siennastarr/Hopefloats/  Jackie has been through hell and back. The name of her journal speaks to her courage and vision of her future. She is on the road to a new life that even she is not sure where that will take her. She does not give in to the darkest of nights. She has a story to tell, but you won’t find out that story in one sitting. You’ll have to read it over time to hear the story this woman has to tell. Hope does float!

Natalie at Interface has always been a favorite of mine. http://journals.aol.com/lurkynat/Interface/  I think what drawsme to her journal are her brief entries about global issues and controversies. I usually avoid these topics in my journal, not wanting to think about some of the ones she brings up. Yet, they do make me search for more information so I can think about them. She also writes poems. She wrote one about me once! How flattering that was! Even so, she is very modest about her talents.

I’d like to say hello to some of my other favorites:

Kate, who lives in Scotland, is living an interesting life, with her two beautiful kids and husband, as an archaeologist and author. She writes about places in the world I‘ve never been. I think she has a wonderful life. I learn ancient history when I read her journal.

David in Sunshine Colorado is retired and living with his family in the mountains. He walks his dog and raises the school flag every morning. There is something quaint and comfortable about him, his life, and his journal.

A big hello to Michelle and Jackie, EC teachers. I like to visit their journals to see how they’re handling their classrooms, although they also write about their families and other areas of interest.

Hi also to Lori (Fitzzer) and Lori (Helmswondermom), Liz (Bethjunebug ) , Robin, and Gwynn, Donna, Penny, Gayla, Becky, Barbara, Sugar, Donna, and Marti. Oh, and Detective Dave who makes me chuckle.

Thanks for visiting and reading about my picks. I hope you find someone you would like to visit.

Bea

A good day

It's been a couple of days since I last made an entry. I just hadn't counted on being so tired when I got home from school, nor that I would be getting home as late as I have. Lately, it's been 6p.m before I even walk out of the building.

The good news is that I will soon be moved into my new classroom. I haven't been able to take any interior pictures because I've been waiting for the previous occupant to move her things that she will need in her new classroom. It's been a difficult week here at our elementary school, with the moving, and teachers being half in their classrooms and half out, waiting for the final move. Which may take place as early as Friday morning.

Yet, the spirit of the staff is positive, hopeful, and high. Being the new teacher on the block, I am impressed with their friendships and their willingness to step up and do whatever has to be done to make the school run smoothly. Without complaining. Cheerfully, even.

I wondered if maybe I just wasn't hearing the complaining since I am one of the "new kids" here. It's possible there is something going on around me that I wouldn't be aware of if others were hiding it from me, but I have this intuition that they try to make things work here, even when there are sacrifices to be made.

I am pleased to be part of this new team, and today I had a good day. I am finding out the difference between teaching fifth grade students and first grade students. This year, I have a first grade group, a second grade group, and a fifth grade inclusion class. I've been teaching 4th and 5th grades for the past seven years. I had forgotten how much fun working with the younger ones can be.

But I can't lose sight of the fact that they aren't there to make me laugh and enlighten me with their innocent wisdom and wonder. They do have learning problems, and I am there for them, to find their strengths and to give them support where they falter, to help them find ways to overcome their processing weaknesses.

Tomorrow, I hope to have that special entry in place. It may mean that I'll be posting it tonight, or very early in the morning. If I don't get to it by then, it will be after school before I can get to it.

A New Mousetrap

I'm back!

The headache is gone... I appreciate your sympathetic responses to last night's entry. From Thursday afternoon until this morning it lasted... all through the night I'd wake up and there it was, a deep dull ache.

Maybe it was the TylenolPM I took before I went to bed that helped... I took it before I wrote the entry last night, but even as I entered it, my eyes were aching from the light coming off the monitor.

Maybe it was knowing that today was Saturday!! Yeay!

I thought about going in to school to play catch up, and even put my school key in the car, hung it from the rear view mirror so I wouldn't forget it. I never made it to school.

Before I drove into town for a few groceries, I stopped at my girlfriend's house. Her eleven year old daughter had called to tell me about her new kitten that her dad had found at work this week.

Knowing her dad, it was quite a surprise that he would do such a thing. Just goes to show us all that he has a very soft spot in his big guy heart.

He had found the tiny kitten outside his work place, laying on top of another kitten, which was dead. The mother cat was nowhere to be seen, and the kitten appeared to be malnourished. From what I understand, he took the kitten into his workplace, and of course, everyone thought it was cute and fussed over it, but nobody wanted to take it home and take care of it.

He called his wife (my girlfriend) and told her what he had, and told her the sad story, before asking her if he could bring it home... they already have a dog and two cats.... but she knew if she said yes, she'd be the one taking care of it after the first three days. So she said no.

She is not a heartless woman, no. She loves animals, but like me, she believes in taking only as many pets as one is prepared to be responsible for. And she did not want the responsibility to fall on her. Someone would have to take it to the vet, clean up after its accidents, feed it, etc, etc. You know what happens when you take in a new pet, especially one so young.

Well, to make a long story short, she told him he would have to be responsible for it, he would have to take it to the vet, and so on. He agreed, and brought it home. He took it to the vet, it's clean and free of critters, malnourished somewhat, but they are taking very good care of her.

                                      

Here is my friend's daughter with the kitten, named Smitty. There's a clever story to how the cat got its name, but I wanted to make a brief entry tonight. This is going to be another spoiled, but well loved kitty cat.

And now, for one more animal story. We've always had problems with mice getting into our home. I've tried various mousetraps.

The poison. Didn't like it. They die in the house, between the walls where you can't get to them. You have to wait for the stench to go away.

The spring trap. Didn't like that kind either. I have to see the poor dead body of a tiny mouse with its eyes bulging. Not pretty. And there's blood.

The spring trap with a clip so you don't have to touch the mouse. Press the clip and it releases the dead mouse. Supposedly. Didn't like them because they don't always kill the mouse right off. Sometimes the mouse struggles for a long time, strangling, and suffering. That makes me cry.

The sticky glue pad. That one is horrible! Have you ever watched a mouse caught on that one? Worst, have you ever tried to rescue the mouse from it after it has gotten stuck? Horrible, horrible, painful. They should do away with that one.

The mouse hotel. Now there is a friendly mouse trap. The mouse is tempted to walk into the little clear plastic box. The hinged door flips open easily and lets them in. A dab of peanut butter rubbed on the outside, and some further inside is the key. The mouse goes inside, licks up all the peanut butter, then turns around and ... the lid has closed. It only opens one way, coming in. The mouse can't get out.

Now if you are a vigilant box checker, you can carry the little box outside, and release the mouse about five miles from your home so it won't come back into your house. However, it will go into someone else's house.

Any closer to your house and the mouse comes back into your house. It's a fact. I did an experiment once, after we caught a grey mouse in the box, with blue food coloring. Painted the mouse all over with blue, then released it into the woods. Two days later there was a mouse caught in the box again. A regular colored grey mouse. Not a hint of blue on it. Surrounded by a day's worth of blue poop.

Okay, for the reason I brought this up. Tonight, my husband calls to me from the garage, "Do you want to see a mouse in a predicament?" 

I wondered as I grabbed my camera, "I don't recall setting up any mousetraps lately."

I walked slowly to where he stood next to a shelf in the garage. I turned on my camera to get ready for the shot. He indicated a paper cup sitting on the shelf.

I asked if it was dead. He chuckled, "No, take a look. I think I have an idea for a new kind of mousetrap."

I peered into the tall cup, about a fourth filled with a soft drink. Must have been left behind during the week. I set down cups all the time, so does he, when we are working in the garage.

Inside was the mouse. We wondered over how it came to get into the cup. It probably crawled up above the level of the cup, then fell or jumped in. Couldn't get back out.

After I took a quick picture of it (turned out to be fuzzy), he took it outside and poured out the drink, mouse and all. The mouse took off so fast we didn't see which way it went in the darkness.

                                   

Poor little mouse!!

I love animals, and don't like to see them suffer, even mice. They have fur, and they're tiny and cute. They are food for the owls and snakes in the world, but I don't like killing them.

I think Steve is onto something when he said that it gave him an idea for a better mousetrap. The worst that can happen is that the critter will have a sugar and caffeine overload. The secret is only put enough to get the mouse wet, not to drown it. Hmmmm....!

How do you respond to the mice that get into your home? Do you have a preferred method?

Heacaches can be disabling

I hadn't realized that my last entry was on Monday... but you understand, school has started.

Staying up until midnight did not help me out this week. I expect that between now and Monday, I will have to cut back on that.

The Open House on Wednesday went very well. I had arrived at school by 7 a.m., helped other teachers move into their classrooms for a couple of hours, and worked on getting our combined resource class ready for the evening Open House. The kids and their parents were happily filling the halls by 7pm, it was over by 8:30, and I was home by 9:00pm. It was a very long and tiring, but eventful day

Thursday, I helped a teacher move her things into her new classroom for another hour or so, then was able to unload some of my things from the car and put them into the closets of my mobile unit. I could not do more than that since the 4th grade teacher has to teach from her mobile unit until her new classroom is completed and passes the inspections (along with the nine or so other classrooms in that wing). When she moves out, I am moving in. That could happen by Tuesday... could.

A painful migraine is gnawing at my brain ... has been since yesterday. I'm thinking a combination of all that physical work of moving boxes, and middle aged hormones are the cause.

Even so, today the students returned. It was a very good first day in my new school.

Not only am I remembering teachers' names, I am now learning students' names. I've been looking at the names of my students for three days, reading their records, making lists, sorting them into their classrooms, trying to get a mental picture of where they will be each hour of the day. I had met a few of them during Open House... for the most part, they seem to be very much like the students I had at my former school.

I look forward to teaching them, to helping them realize that they have the power to change the course of their life. They will improve their reading skills, and that will change their life. They don't realize the importance of that, yet, and they may not realize it until they are long into adulthood. It will be what sets them up for success in all that they do. Not just the reading skills, but the realization that they have the power to change the course of their lives.

The headache ruled today, despite my desire to eradicate it. I took something early this morning, and again at lunch time, but no results. By 5pm, I couldn't think. After I gathered a few things to take home, I left, promising another teacher that I would return either Saturday or Sunday to do what I couldn't finish today. I have to be prepared for Monday, and as of this minute, I am not. I expect I will see many teachers playing catch up tomorrow.

Darn those headaches!!

But I do look forward to Monday, and especially look forward to the day the principal says "Teachers, you can move yourself and your students into your new classrooms!"

Then you will see some interior photographs ... before and after. I want to make some surface changes to add color and style to the building. I want to personalize it, make it mine.

What I like most about the building is that I have control over the room temperature. For the first time in years, I will be able to wear long sleeves and sweaters in the winter. In my former classroom, I didn't have control over the temperature, and apparently, neither did the school... technical and mechanical issues. My room was always hot, winter or summer. I could wear sleeveless summer shirts and lightweight pants all year long in that room. Even before the hot flashes started, I would feel  hot in that room. Complaining about it often resulted in the classroom getting extremely hot in the winter or extremely cold in the summer. So I said nothing during my last year there to maintain some kind of manageable range.

Before I leave the journal tonight, I have to tell you that I will be writing a very special entry this coming week. Many of you will read it with high interest. So keep coming back for the surprise!

Now I'm going to bed and hope to wake up in the morning without this nauseating, blinding headache. I can hardly keep my eyes open while I'm typing this. Goodnight, all!

School Jitters? Not this year!

First day of school, and our principal read us a story called First Day Jitters, by Julie Danneburg and Judith Dufour Love.

It was a cute story about a girl who is very anxious about going to school. Her dad has trouble getting her out of bed... it's her first day going to a new school. She doesn't know anyone there. The principal of the new school greets her warmly as she steps out of her car, and walks her to her classroom where she meets all of .... her students!

It was hilarious... all the while a story about a teacher's first day at a new school, told as though she were a kid who wasn't ready to go. You never see the girl's face until the end when the students meet her. We all laughed!

I hope that when you click on the link above it will take you to an online reader where you can read about the story, the author, and see a couple of the pages from the story. A must read for all teachers, and for students. Older students, like 3rd-5th, I think will appreciate it, too.

Yes, our principal, after introducing all the new teachers (including myself), and reviewing highlights of the policies and procedures, the teacher handbook, dress code (for staff and students), grading, out of classroom duties, field trips, etc. etc., read us a story. As a matter of fact, she wasn't bad at reading out loud. I had no trouble imagining her reading to her own young children once, and now to her grandchildren. She has an expressive, gentle reading voice.

Did I mention she introduced all the new teachers? I didn't count them at the time we were introduced and all stood in one great line along the length of the cafeteria floor, but in my head I can see us all now, and I'd say there were about fifteen of us newbies in the building. A couple of us were formerly retired and returning, and some like me with a few years experience.  Some were brand new teachers, entering for their first year.  One was from Virginia, one from Iowa, various parts of NC... and me, from just down the road.

As she called our names, one by one we stood up and stepped forward. The AP (assistant principal) gave each of us a balloon with the word Welcome! on it, and then our principal asked us to tell something about ourselves.

What would I say? I wondered as I waited for her to call my name, listening to what the others were saying. Will I mention my former career before I became a teacher? Should I mention my family, my dogs, and how long I've lived in this fair state? How I came into teaching? Should I tell them why I came to their school, or what I was looking for? Should I give a brief rundown of my strengths, or be modest and make light of some embarassing event? Do I make them laugh? Nah, probably not that... I'm not good at improv.

Well, there I am standing at the front of the room, beside the principal, staring out at all those new faces.... new teachers to work with. I didn't know more than four of them, and had met a few more last week. One woman I remembered from twenty-eight years ago, when we were nursing mothers in LaLeche League! She had homeschooled her kids, and now they are all grown, and here she is. It's a small world!

I took a deep breath, and smiled at them all. I told them where I came from, that I had been teaching in EC for seven years, that I started teaching relatively late in life, but that I was thrilled to be part of their EC department, and looked forward to working with them, their students, and supporting them in the classroom.

Nothing spectacular, nothing memorable, but it was a start.

There were door prizes... I won a plant basket! I think I'll find a special nook for it in my new classroom.

Another EC teacher and I attempted to get a schedule made up for all of our grades... we have grades K-5 between us... and lots of kids... more than I had to serve last year. Today, right now, I don't know how it's going to look two weeks from now, but somehow we aregoing to work it out.

Maybe tomorrow I can move into my classroom. My car is packed and ready to go, but the classroom isn't ready for me to move into.

And now I've got to end this entry because I wanted to be in bed by 11:00pm and it looks like I've missed the deadline. I will have to work on that next week, though.

It's been a great day at school, meeting the teachers, sharing in their excitement, planning the schedule, and even making a brief trip to the post office during lunch break.... once the kids come back, there will be no running to the post office during lunch break.

Thanks for visiting!

Happy Anniversary J-Land!

                                            

I'll be back with an entry later in the day. Wanted to add this beautiful graphic for the occasion by Donna. This is the winning entry from the lighthouse graphic competition, started in honor of the 3-Year J-land celebration and Julie won.

So glad that I'm a part of it.

I wrote about my past in J-land last Tuesday, so here is the link if you are following that activity today! Seems I thought it was for last week... I got an early start.

If you are wanting to add an entry on your past in J-land, no matter for how long or short a time you have been here, be sure to post a link here with my entry, then stop by and say hello to Krissy, of Sometimes I Think, and leave a link there as well since it was her entry idea.

By the way, Krissy's husband John is very ill, and undergoing some extreme treatment for cancer involving blood transfusions and chemo. Do add him to your prayers and let her know you care by stopping by her journal, even if you are not planning to write about your past in J-land.

I visited for a few moments the Live Chat last night. Saw a few familiar screen names... they were having a ball talking to each other.

Have a great day. I'm off to school.

Success and Gifts

Another day that I did not go into school. I mopped and waxed my floors, instead. An extension of the cleaning that started a week ago just before I went to the mountain for my solo spiritual retreat.

Oh, don't think I am bragging about that though (not going to school), No, that is one place I really wanted to be this week, taking all of my boxes of books, materials, supplies, games, files, etc... unloading them into my new classroom, deciding how I want my classroom to look, then rearranging all those things in their proper places.

All the while, imagining the reading, math, and writing lessons I would teach, the students who would come to me with great hope in their eyes that they would learn how to read better, or pass the end of year test, or understand multiplication better... better than last year... that this year they would try harder, that this year they'd feel smarter.

I know it's the hope of every student who ever struggled with these core subjects, but probably moreso with reading than any other. It is also my hope. Reading above the others, reading first, ... reading because without it, what can you come to learn and understand for yourself without hearing of it from another, and without experiencing it first hand?

With books, and now the internet, you have a fairly unlimited myriad of sources to find out just about anything you want about China, or any place, anything, in any time period. You can read books or articles or newstories written by many different authors, giving you many viewpoints, from those who lived there to those who are only visitors, from wealthy citizens to the common workers, from those involved in politics, to those involved in the religious culture of the country... You can read it and be there today, or be there a thousand years ago. With a book, you can read it when your interest is high, put it away, and pick it up when it interests you again (or check it out of the library). With the internet, it's a keyboard button away. Not so easy to do with a TV.

If there is no one around, I can find out for myself by reading about it. If other folks don't know the answers to my questions, I can find out for myself. Maybe I'm interested in something that no one in my circle of friends and family is interested in... so what? Go read about it and find out for myself.

I know, I'm not revealing any news here.  Everyone at J-land, I feel safe in saying, loves to read, and readers often find themselves writing in response to life, and in response to what they have read.

Speaking of which, I am reading a great book to start off the school year. I had seen it laying on my Asst. Principal's desk earlier this week, made a comment about it, and the next thing I know I'm taking it home (I didn't lift it, it was loaned to me!).

It's called Leading with Soul, An Uncommon Journey of Spirit. I'm finding the parable-like story, about an executive of a large corporation who suffers from burn-out and who seeks help from a very wise woman, provides me with illumination for my own journey as a teacher. I haven't finished the book yet, but it seems that the same leadership qualities needed for successful business executives are the same as for teachers, no matter how much he or she is paid, these days.

When I say successful, I'm not referring to financial gains for the company or for the business executive. Success in this book is measured by how many people are empowered as a result of using the gifts we are given, and the gifts that we give to others.

And when I use the word gift, I am not referring to flowers, chocolates, and candles, or even trips to the spa, though these are perfectly fun to give and receive. Gifts like authorship, love, power, and significance are the keys, say the authors Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal, to igniting the passion in one's life, and as a result, in the organization in which one works.

Ah, that word passion again!!

It's often the missing ingredient in many workplaces, and I'm thinking that many folks don't expect to find it in their workplaces. I'm beginning to believe that one can find a passion for one's work, if not one's job, when one recognizes the value of service. I think we should not be ashamed if we find ourselves serving another.

Serving is not a menial labor. Certainly, when it comes to our job, we should be paid for our service. Yet, there are times in the course of the day when we would do ourselves a great service by giving something of our time, our attention, our appreciation, and our love to another.

I know, not allowed at work. Too soft. Not professional. I'm not talking about the kind of love and giving that leads to sexual harassment charges, either.

One must remember that serving is what our Lord Jesus Christ did. It's what he came to teach us how to do. To love one another is to serve one another. He worked. He was a carpenter, and a good one. Yet he lived in service to others. Certainly, he had the divine agenda on his mind during his last three years, but in the end, serving the Lord was his divine agenda (as well as saving mankind).

I know there are those who will scorn this philosophy/belief, especially in regard to the workplace, and others will jeer at the suggestive nature of serving and giving, but there is something to be said for making others feel capable, important, powerful and loved in their own lives.

Teachers do that with students. Research supports that students learn when they feel important, skillful, when they have choices (power), and are loved.

Why does it have to stop at the classroom door? Why can't it follow them into the workplace? Why do the rules often change at work? Wouldn't people feel better about themselves, and when they do, wouldn't they get more work done? More importantly, wouldn't they improve upon the quality of their work, in their relationships, their attitude, and their health?

What do you think?

The Dragonfly Drama continues

I spent about an hour near the lotus pond just before noon, knowing the dragonflies would be out and about.

Today's session went differently, and I have some new photos to share. The details of what I saw today are not quite the same story I told yesterday. It's worth reading on if you don't have the opportunity to observe mating dragonflies, as I most definitely will not have any of such opportunities as of next week.

                                      Meet the Great Blue Skimmer!

         

I think this is the best shot I've taken of the Great Blue Skimmer, but it doesn't seem to be the same male dragonfly that I was observing earlier this week... his wings are not tattered like the other was. I'm calling this fella Mr. Blue Eyes. Isn't he a pretty one?

Mr. Blue Eyes tried to chase me away, flying all around my head, but I stood fast, and he soon came to ignore me. For awhile, nothing happened.

                             But then, an intruder showed up.

             

I haven't got the ID on this dragonfly, but he's definitely not a blue skimmer. Mr. Blue Eyes sent him on his way. Several times. At one point, there was a dragonfly standoff. Can you see the Trespasser to the right in the photo below? He was a stubborn one, but I suppose he needed to seek a mate of his kind as well. At least they wouldn't be fighting over the same girlfriend, just the rights over which one gets to lay their eggs in the pond below them.

Soon, Mr. Blue Eyes caught sight of his mate, and off they flew, circling slowly at first just a few feet above my head, and then more intensely, their circle grew. They flew higher above the treetops, and the circle grew wider. The distance between them seemed to decrease as he pursued her.

I stood still below, trying to follow them with my eyes, but their incredible speed was impossible to keep up with. So close they flew at one point, I thought he was going to nab her, but he didn't. Their circle grew tighter and tighter, they were flying closer together, faster and faster above my head. This went on and on, and I thought to myself, "Get her already!!"

My neck was aching from looking up, and around and around, my eyes squinting against the sun. But I knew if I waited long enough, they would mate, and they would come down in tandem to the ground where I could take their pictures.

Which is what they finally did. But this is the best shot I got of them today.

                          

And then I waited for her to come back and lay her eggs in the lotus pond water, but she didn't. Maybe there was another small water source nearby where no intruders stood with cameras like paparazzi, waiting to invade their rigorous ritual of reproduction.

Mr. Blue Eyes returned to his observation station on the tree branch just inches above my head, and waited for the next Ms. Blue Eyes. She didn't return while I was there.

I waited for another ten minutes in the hot sun, but the only flying insect that came through the territory was the trespasser dragonfly. Mr. Blue Eyes chased him off again. Then Max saw me and wondered what I was doing, came toward me, and scared the dragonflies off for good.

                                 

I did not go to school today. I didn't think it was necessary since we didn't have a student list to work with, and I can't move into my classroom until it is cleared out by the former occupant, and she can't move out of it until her classroom is completed. Sort of at a standstill... so much to do, but things are tied up, and we are not free to move.

I did some things around the house, and some work on the computer, then Steve and I went out for dinner. Around 5:15 I drove to my church where the Methodist Women were providing meals to the Kiwanis Club. I helped serve and clean up.

There were nearly 120 members meeting for the meal, so we were quite busy for three hours. I and another woman served the drinks: iced tea or water. It was actually a fun evening with some of my most favorite ladies, and our pastor.

And now, it's time to go to bed! I plan on going to bed much earlier next week, folks!

(By the way, Jackie, in response to your concern over the doomed progeny... I thought about it, and you know what? The frogs and tadpoles aren't as high on the food scale in this environment as I previously thought. They have predators threatening their existence in this tiny little puddle of a pond as well, so the future of the young dragonfly eggs and larva may be more secure than I had thought. I imagine enough eggs will survive into the nymph stage, and enough nymphs will make it to adulthood, so it is not as fatalistic as I made it sound yesterday. Now, don't go worrying over the frogs and tadpoles!  : - ) 

AOL Journals Celebration links added

I just discovered two other journals that are preparing for the 3rd Anniversary of AOL journals. One is Steven at Sepintx. He's made a photo album for the journalers. I just emailed him my picture to add to it... if you want to send him yours, go by and visit his album first, check it out. Then email him your photo.

Also, Viv at Viviansullinwank has a journal with an update of all the events going on at AOL Journals. You might want to check her out to see which events you would like to participate in. If you haven't read any updates for a week or two, she has some news for you!

 

Back later with school news.... I've found some new teacher blogs.

Mr. Blue is a very busy dragonfly

Mr. Blue Skimmer returned today... probably never left ... possibly the same one... I recognize the piece missing from his top left (his left, not yours!) wing, on the bottom of it.

                          

As I was driving away to school, my trunk filled with storage cubes of lesson files, books, and a stepladder, I looked to my left, wondering if there'd be any dragonflies hovering over the pond. Sure enough, I saw one.

                         

I stepped out of my car to take its picture, and just like the other day, a female flew through, and flit, buzz, buzz, boom... they're flying in tandem. I wasn't as successful capturing their brief interlude today, though I did manage to get a better picture of her washing the eggs off into the water.             

                            

I can understand, if it is the same one... he has the perfect arrangement: plenty of food, water, attractive surroundings,  females flying through on a regular basis, and a little pond for her to lay their eggs.

I'm supposing neither of them notice the tadpoles and frogs swimming in that pond. Sadly, their progeny are doomed.

And here's what I really wanted to show you today.... my new classroom!                        

                             

It's one of those trailer buildings... and it's huge inside. Air conditioned. Bathroom. Lots of cabinets and storage space. .... carpeted... I am delighted!

I was all prepared to move into the other classroom where I would be sharing the room with another EC teacher. I heard the news today after I dropped my things off.

I was asked did I want it? You bet I did!

                                                I AM SO EXCITED!

But I can't move in until after Monday when the former teacher of that classroom has moved her things out. She's moving into one of the newest classrooms, a wing just completed this summer.

This classroom I'm getting is about four times larger than what I had for the past seven years. I realize bigger isn't always better, and size has nothing to do with it, but it does when you have a lot of stuff to put away.

My own homebase classroom.... yeay! We have some scheduling details to work out, of course, but somehow we will make it work. Flexibility, collaboration, and good planning are going to be the keys.

Students come back on the 25th....

After speaking with the Assistant Principal, Principal, and a few other teachers, I can honestly say I'm getting excited about the new year.

I found the missing ingredient today.

                           Passion

New school blues?

I dragged my feet this morning. I did not want to go in. What would I do? I don't know where my students will be, and don't have a list yet of who they will be.

The anxiousness of starting all over was doing a good job of keeping me away from what I needed to do: I needed to get to school. Officially I go back on the 21st. Unofficially, I'm weaning myself away from home and into school.

I made a rather lengthy entry this morning, which, if you notice all the links and photographs, took me three hours to complete. Then I found out from Sugar that Krissy intended for the entry to go in Monday the 21st, not this week... I wasn't paying attention.

Still, on Monday the 21st, I won't be blogging much since I'll be in school. Seems it was good to post it early. I can always leave a brief link next Monday back to this morning's entry.

On the way to school, I bought lunch at a fast food. I figured if I took the lunch to school, and ate it in my classroom, I'd be doing something there that felt comfortable. I needed to do something that was familiar and comfortable because the room is so big, and I'm not used to such a spacious classroom. Sounds weird, but I don't know how else to respond to it.

I walked around the building, inside and out, getting my bearings, making sure I knew where I was, and what was where. I walked across a small playground, and had a brief feeling that I had been there before ... probably when my son went to kindergarten there! Nothing else felt familiar.

I ran across a few teachers, and introduced myself. That felt good, talking to teachers about scheduling.

The men working on the new wing had left a small pile of broken and half sized pieces of purple tile in a corner of the hall. I asked one of the workers what they were going to do with them... he said throw them away. I asked if I could have them... teachers, always collecting materials for something, even if they are not sure exactly what they are going to do with them. We'll think of something cool!

Maybe tomorrow I'll have a file cabinet to fill, and I can bring some of my boxes of books and things, get things in place.

I'll bring the camera tomorrow and take some pictures. That might help me get familiar with my new classroom. I'm feeling better already.

How are you other teachers doing out there?

My Past Year in J-Land

Krissy, at Sometimes I Think, suggested that folks wanting to honor the 3-Year AOL Birthday/Anniversary write a Monday entry called MY PAST YEAR IN J-LAND. I had not read of her celebration activity until this morning. I hope it isn't too late to submit!

I will be leaving to go to my classroom for the day soon, but I wanted to get this off first.

In fact, AOL Journals' three year anniversary coincides with my own year anniversary this August. I wrote about that a couple of weeks ago.

I'm going to highlight some of the things, and some of the changes that took place in my life and in my journal this past year.

As I mentioned in that previous entry, my journal began as a means to record my not so scientific observations of the progress made by a small colony of ants living within the space-age blue gel habitat I had bought at an educational toy store last summer. I was like a little kid during those last weeks before school started, constantly checking on the ants to see what they were doing, wondering about their behaviors. I thought my entries were quite interesting. Still do. It was called AntFarm Analogies back then. I changed the name, however, by the end of that first month to better reflect the nature of this evolving journal.

In September, 2005, the MOST EXCITING thing I have ever done to date (next to having a baby, of course) was when STARBASE came to our school, and a crew of NC National Guardsmen flew in on their Blackhawk helicopter.

                

Students watched it land in the ballfield next to our school. Ten teachers were chosen to ride in it (teachers of 4th and 5th grade, the Principal and Asst Principal)... I was among them!

                I wrote about it, and included pictures in my entry.

                     

This is me and one of the pilots just before we boarded the BlackHawk. He and his crew ate lunch with us that day. Do I look happy or what? My girlfriend, Alyson, snapped this picture. Friends have a camera ready for that special moment!

The flight was 20 minutes of pure thrill and joy, and when it was over, we were so proud of our National Guard. I had nearly fifty pictures to hold it all in our memories by end of day. Impressive and touching what those young men gave, of their time, patience, humor, and flight skills, to our students and staff that day.

                                               

Here, our Assistant Principal expresses all of our feelings, including joy, sadness, and patriotic pride for our military heroes with a final thumbs-up sign as they flew into the setting sun.

In October, some second grade students found a Big Fat Green Caterpillar in the playground.

                     

                                                     I kept it.           

                      

         It cocooned, and stayed in my home all through the winter..

By November, I was mentally exhausted, and since my husband had to work that day, we decided not to drive the two hours to have the Big T dinner with the family like we had been doing for years. We stayed home for a quiet restful day instead.

I was facing the awful truth by February, that blogging (blog is short for web log), or journaling had become an addiction for me. I spelled out the warning in my journal.

Flat Scalzi took a whirlwind tour of our country early last spring, visiting various J-landers... he came to visit me!.

For a few months, my siblings and I worried over my mother. She wavered between Georgia (just after Katrina hit Louisiana) and Alabama. I visited her in her Alabama home during Easter week ofthis year and found her to be happy.

I wrote about the turning points in my life during April... looking back, I wonder if even then the spiritual nudge was pushing me to change schools? I don't know....

Also in April, the caterpillar that had been cocooned since October emerged.

                                

We admired her, took her picture, then released the beautiful Giant Silk Moth, Polyphemus

                              

My husband's grandmother, just a few months shy of 100 years, died in May of this year. Her passing changed the dynamics of his family, and gave me some moments to ponder her life, and make an entry.

Also in May, I took the last photos of our last koi pond before Steve had to take it down. A freak hailstorm on Mother's Day beat the pond liner, tearing holes into it, causing irrepairable damage.

School let out in June. A little visitor in church said a few words that made us all smile. We marked our 31 years of marriage on June 14 by driving to Orlando and spending five days in five famous theme parks.

In July, of course, was our Vacation Bible School, which I wrote extensively about for nearly three weeks. J-landers probably got tired of seeing my journal entry alerts!

All through the year, many of you have read about and prayed for little 5 year-old Diego Santiago... I first mentioned him in my journal in April. For awhile it seemed he was getting better, but the cancer took its toll, but not his nor his family's faith that God would remain with them all. While I was away on a 2 1/2 day mountain retreat in West Jefferson, North Carolina, little Diego's brave fight came to an end on August 2nd. Cookie continues to struggle with what has happened in their little family, and asks that we continue to pray for them in losing the precious one, their youngest and only son. His story can be read at Diegoland in the CarePages. You will need a password to enter it, though, and it's easy to do once you get there.

                 

Most recently, I blogged about my great-nephews, the Tornadic Trio. The fireman and the teacher have a wonderful family... many happy years of raising children lay ahead of them.

It's been an eventful year... and I didn't even get into world events... each one of us has a story to tell. Here's where I tell mine.

If you would like to link your year in journaling, write up your entry, then go to Krissy's journal and leave a link in her comments. Or email her at fisherkristina@aol.com.

It's all part of the AOL Journals 3-Year Anniversary Celebration.

The Eagle Nebula

Once more, Mr. Scalzi sends us tripping into outer space, this time not with a tale from the pages of his soon to be released science fiction novel, but with a photo taken by NASA.

The photo he chose is here at ByTheWay. He challenges us to find a Hubble photo on the internet as well. Writes John:

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show off a favorite space photo from NASA. Challenge for the folks who participated in the Photo Shoot last year: Pick a new photo you love. Given all the amazing photos from NASA over the years of space exploration, this shouldn't be difficult.

The reason I specify pictures from NASA, incidentally, is that they are not copyrighted, so you have every right to use them however you want. You already paid for them with your taxes after all (except for those of you who aren't from the US, but we won't tell if you won't).

I didn't participate last year. But I selected this photo:

                                       

It's been one of my favorites ever since I saw it in a calendar a couple of years ago. Called Gas Pillars in the Eagle Nebula (M16): Pillars of Creation in a Star Forming Region. Click here for a larger version of it. It's quite a shot.

My guess is that I'm not going to be the only one selecting this photo. I'm sure someone chose it last year. What can I say? It's mysterious and splendid in this three dimensional image.

Looking at the picture, you wouldn't expect it to be merely light reflecting off of pillar-like clouds of dust and gases in space, but that is what you are looking at! I will not pretend to know and understand the description of its creation or even the process that created it, though it is artistically and scientifically explained in the text accompanying the photo.

Here's what I understand: God made it.

Simple, clear, and easy to understand when you believe that God made all things in the universe.

What is most interesting is that forming within these pillars of cool hydrogen gases are raw materials for building new stars...embryonic stars! Inside the pillars of gases are globules of even denser gases, containing the young stars. Someone has cleverly named them EGGs (Evaporating Gaseous Globules). If you are wondering how big one of these EGGs are, my source says that our solar system would fit nicely inside of one of them.

How they know this, I don't know, not my field of expertise... but here are some facts about this nebula: it is 2 million years old, is 7,000 light years from earth, contains the mass of 12,500 suns, and the right column is about one light year from top to bottom. Click here for source. 

If you want to see it for yourself, probably with a telescope, look into the Serpent constellation.

To read the complete story behind this picture and the subject of the photo, go to the Hubble Site News Center here. 

For starters.

 

Check out Stevie's AOL Journals Video!

Stevie's Tribute to AOL Journals in honor of AOL Journals' 3rd Anniversary/Birthday is nearly completed. He's still accepting pictures if you haven't sent yours in.

If you'd like a peek at the product, check out his journal, The Life of Stevie.

I had emailed him my picture when I first read that he was making the video, and sure enough, there I am in his tribute video! The music he picked to accompany it is perfect. What a clever and thoughtful gift to celebrate AOL Journals' 3rd Year.

If you are a J-Land Journaler, you may see some of your friends in the video. Also, he asks that if you did send in a picture, to preview the video to make sure he's got all the names spelled correctly.

What an awesome job, Stevie! I can't even imagine how much time you have put into this venture.

The Tornadic Trio strikes again!

I wrote about my nephew and his family visiting last weekend in a previous entry.

The Tornadic Trio (I just dubbed them that) and their patient parents arrived at my house here in NC last night between eleven and twelve o'clock. I'm accustomed to staying up past midnight during the summer months, so waiting up for them was not in the least any problem at all. Steve had already gone to bed (he gets up at 4 a.m. for work).

I was watching the movie, The Ron Clark Story, to get in the mood to return to school. Ron Clark is famous among teachers in the nation. He left a comfortable teaching position in a North Carolina school, moving to New York City to accept a position in an inner city school, one of the most challenging public schools in the country. To read more about this dynamic teacher, click here.

The boys had been sleeping in the van on the return trip from Georgia, so they were somewhat awake and ready to play by the time their feet hit the carpet. I could tell that mom and dad needed a break, some sleep, a good night's sleep, in fact. So, by one a.m., we were all in bed or on the blanket-covered floor for the night.

Early morning, I heard crying... I thought it might be Avery because he had not been feeling well. Seems he'd caught a cold germ from one of his cousins while in Ga. Common little cold viruses that just give us the sniffles have greater impact on Avery due to health related problems he was born with. When I heard his cough, I thought we'd be taking him to the doctor today, but later his parents said that was his normal cough.

But it wasn't Avery I'd heard crying. My nephew told me that Casey fell out of bed early this morning, and bumped his head on the lamp table. Ouch! Poor Casey! He's okay, though.

While I fixed breakfast (homemade oatmeal with cinnamon and sugar, and peanut butter toast, orange juice), the boys played amongst themselves on the floor at my feet. I was hoping their parents were getting a few extra Z's during this time.

                       

They appeared to be wrestling. Then I heard two of them talking (3-year old talk) to each other. Brody, the comedian, was telling Casey a story of some kind. Like they were pretending to be firemen, and he was telling Casey what to do. Avery watched on with his love-my-brothers smile.

                   

It is quite entertaining to listen to them talk to each other, their fascination with firemen and firehouses (which they know quite a bit about having visited their dad's firehouse).

Soon, Casey rediscovered our treadmill, and climbed it. Then he demonstrated how to slide down it like a fireman on a pole,

                             

while Brody explored my ancient collection of videos. Seems he heard his mother talking about buying some new movies to take with them on the road for the remainder of their trip back to Connecticut.

                                  

It wasn't long before the two of them discovered the fireplace. It must be in their genes, this attraction to climbing poles, and fireplaces.

                          

Ah, but Aunt Bea was smart, and she had tied twist ties into the metal mesh curtain to keep the boys out of her candles tucked away inside. That didn't stop the two. Brody encouraged Casey to break in, and when Casey gave up, Brody jumped in. He removed the brass pull quite effectively!

                                  

That's okay... it can be fixed. They ate breakfast, then mom and dad cleaned them up, packed their bag, and back on the road again for these five fine family members from up north. I wished them well, and I hope to see them again before too many years pass.

                            

I miss their little faces already. I think Tom and Becky are good parents, teaching their kids good manners, to be sensitive to others, and to share their toys, among other things. At three years old, these three little guys are happy, healthy, and hugely curious. As any three-year old should be.

Before they left, T and B told me they had a great visit in Georgia with their family, even got to see an uncle (my brother) they hadn't seen in quite awhile. I know my sister (A-B-C's grandmother) enjoyed having them at her house for part of the week. The other part, they visited Tom's sister, and a brother and his family, also in Georgia, and possibly some cousins. Tom has one brother in CT, and a sister (twin) in Arizona as well. It's tough when your family lives so far away like that.

Between the Ron Clark Story on TV, and the Tornadic Trio's visit, I was somewhat ready to enter my new classroom.

I went back to school today. Just to get a feel for the classroom, get oriented in the building, help the other EC teacher move everything back into place, put our desks where we want them to be. I didn't do much else, but at least I have an idea of what to bring into the classroom from home.

......(sigh).......

Who am I kidding?

I'm not ready to go back just yet.

Ten months in the classroom is a long stretch for a teacher.

The Great Blue Skimmer

I had a couple of visitors in my lotus pond garden today. Or, perhaps, I was the visitor.

I approached the lotus plants with caution, noting that many of the long stems were laying on the ground. It was their response to having some undergrowth and weeds pulled out from under their "feet," if you will. Growth that was providing a significant amount of support, it seems, for now many of the great round leaves are leaning and laying on the ground. Today, I shored them up, tying in sticks to brace the fallen stems until their roots get rooted again.

The dragonfly buzzed me before landing on a branch just above my head. He or she, I didn't know, but found out later, after doing a search, that most likely it was a he. A Great Blue Skimmer, as a matter of fact, and he was watching his territory, waiting for a female to pass through it. A female dragonfly, that is.

                         

Not a shy insect, the handsome dragonfly posed for me a few minutes, momentarily flitting away, then returning to another position, on a different branch or stem.  

I took a few pictures, he'd flit to another nearby branch, I took a few more, he buzzed to a lotus leaf, and so on. He lead, I followed. I guess I was helping him pass the time while he waited for a very special guest who had not yet arrived.

                                    

Suddenly, this little dance we were doing ... stop, pose, pose, pose, flit, buzzz, flit, stop, pose, pose... no longer held his interest. He buzzed away so fast, I ducked. Instead of one buzzing sound, I heard two, and with a quick manipulation of my head and by stepping back away from the pond, I was able to better view Mr. Blue and his new dance partner.

Before I realized she was the mate he sought, they were simply two dragonflies, one pursuing the other. It took only a moment for me to recognize the real drama playing out in my yard, so I stepped back to watch. A few seconds of pursuing, and then he had her, and the two flew in tandem.

Another second passed before I remembered I had a camera in my hand. I started clicking away, but they moved so fast, in tandem, flying in and around the lotus leaves. I gave them space, snapped three pictures, hoping for a decent shot, not able to see on the monitor what I was getting.

                 They flew in tandem like this for just a few seconds, and then he landed on the edge of a lotus leaf.

He's the one on top holding her head with some little claws at the end of his abdomen. I read that the female dragonfly is often injured (usually her eyes) during this violent procedure. She's extending the tip of her abdomen into his thorax, where he keeps the sperm.

                   

CloseUp of dragonfly eye. (photo by permission of Will Cook, at Digital Dragonflies)

They separated, and he hovered about the stems growing from the pond while she repeatedly dipped her abdomen into the pond water, washing off the eggs. I read that he does this to ensure that she lays the eggs safely without interruption. In other words, to make sure no other dragonfly comes by to snatch her away for his own propagation, or no other predator swoops down upon her for a meal. If this were to happen, the male would chase them away.

Here he is hovering.  

I took pictures of her egg laying maneuvers, but none of them were clear enough to use.

When I was able to get a better look at him after the mating, I was surprised at the wear and tear he had been through. Scroll up and look at the barely touched wings of the male dragonfly before, then look at him after. He looks a little bedraggled. I thought it was the female at first, but now I'm sure it is the same male dragonfly.

 Dragonflies are carniverous, eating mosquitos, small fish, tadpoles, and even each other. For some really great pictures of dragonflies, click here.

I was only outside around the lotus leaves for a few minutes, during which the entire mating ritual of the Great Blue Skimmer took place.

I'm always surprised when I walk outside and notice something going on in the animal kingdom that I hadn't noticed from the chair at my computer. But from the chair of my computer, I can find out more details, and learn more about what I saw outside!

A pleasant melding of technology and living.