Sunday Dinner on the Stove

I'm making Country Style steak for Sunday dinner today. One of Steve's favorites. Other favorite is fried chicken. We're having mashed potatoes and pinto beans on the side, with peaches for dessert.

Y'all come!

Good News in Patrick's journal

If you haven't visited Patrick's journal, today is a day worth celebrating at his home. Go and see why! Click the link above or the link below to get there.

He and his wife are new owners of a new wheelchair accessible van... it is an amazing work of technology that they are pleased to tell the world about. The pictures tell the story. Don't forget, while you are there, to read his previous entries leading up to the purchase.

I am so happy for them! Their lives will never be the same. God bless them both!

http://journals.aol.com/daddyleer/CaregivinglyYours/entries/730

I just finished making an activity for my students to help them practice using the guide words in a dictionary to find a word they might have to look up. I need a catchy name for the activity.

Here's how it works:

The kids work in pairs.

Each pair will be given two word cards, representing the guide words at the top of dictionary page. I copied the words from an actual dictionary so if they look it up, they will see that these are really the guide words in the dictionaries in my classroom.

Each pair will also receive a little baggie of smaller word cards. Some of these words will fall between the guide words, and others will not. The students will have to carefully look at the spelling of each word to determine if it falls between the guide words or not, and then put them in alphabetical order.

When they have completed putting the word cards in their proper positioning, they are to copy the words that fit between the guide words on their paper.

Then they rotate to do the next pair of words, until all six pairs are completed.

My students sometimes have trouble using guide words because they get their middle alphabet letters out of order.

Anyway, I've cut up all my cards. They are all laminated. The little cards are in the baggies. All the words cards are neatly packed away in an old plastic Swiffer container (rinsed and dried, all clean). It's green, and I covered the label with dark green construction paper. It looks very nice and presentable.  The kids will think they are playing a game. I hope.

I want to write a catchy phrase or name for the activity, but it's getting late, and I'm tired and can't think. They are fifth graders, but it can be used with the fourth graders as well.

Some of you are really great with naming things. Think about the activity, and what it's for, and leave a comment with your name suggestion. I need it by Monday morning. I'm taking it to school by then.

Karen? Nat? Robin? Penny? Patrick? David? Jackie? Becky? Jackie? Nancy? Lori? Hillaree? CyndyG? Gayla? Michelle? Marti? Sugarsweet? Cathy? Betty? Donna? Pat? Patrick? Anybody? Y'all have any ideas to help me out? Thank you for helping!

Weekend Assignment #102: Life Out There?

I love reading science fiction, but I don't think there is life (like us) out there. That is, not anywhere within our ability to communicate, not in any imaginable time of the near future... say even three hundred years from now... unless someone does indeed develop warp speed and find a wormhole that really can take them to another part of our "folded" universe, and back again ...

I think there may possibly be other life in other galaxies, or even in our own, but in another solar system... we know enough about our own solar system regarding our needs as human ( and the needs of the other creatures here), and we understand why our planet has life, and Venus and Mars and the others do not (like ours).

I believe in the story of Creation. I know many consider it myth like all other creation stories, but I believe that the Big Bang theory and the Creation story share a common element. The earth and the planets, the sun, the moon, and the stars (the universe) came about as a result of a cataclysmic event: in one telling, worlds collide, and in the other a Master Creator speaks it all into existence. We cannot begin to comprehend the Great Beginning with our limited human brains, as superior as they seem to be on this planet. We try to explain it in scientific terms, using scientific observations and reasoning, but in the end, we don't know for sure what happened. A few great and interesting theories, but nothing proven.

I believe that God created the heavens and the earth, and even if the story sounds mythical and metaphorical, there is truth in the telling of it, a truth that we can understand and accept, even as we learn about scientific matters. The truth is that what we call our home was made for us, and we were made to take care of it, and to take care of all the animal and plant life living on it. We have been charged with that responsibility right from the very beginning  when Adam and Eve were given dominion over all living things, and again when Noah was told to build the ark and save the animals two by two.

This was written in response to John's weekend assignment.

My favorite fictional alien creature: Yoda. At any age, Yoda.

2nd runner up would be Chewbacca.

Third, Worf.

"Weekend Assignment #102: Do you honestly think there is life out there in the universe? And if so, what kind of life do you think it is?

Extra Credit: Name your favorite (fictional) alien creature."

"Your turn: Share whether you think there's life out there -- big or small, smart of dumb or anywhere in between. Write it up in your blog or journal and then come back here and leave a link. Let's get cosmic, people!"  John

 

What is in my bookshelf?

This is in response to John's "Your Monday Photo Assignment: Your Bookshelf" So, what are you reading? I want the visual evidence:

"Show us what's in your bookshelf right now. That's right, right this very second!  ... Take a snap, upload it to your blog or journal, and then come back here to leave a link. Let's see what you're reading... or at least wish to imply you read. Hey, that's okay, too. " John Scalzi

Well, here's my entry.  I'm having to use the little photo window once again because I tried the "Add pictures from Hometown" feature, but when I went to add the pictures here, I came to a sudden halt. I'll try to work it out later. I did upload four photos into a folder I made here at the journals. I clicked on the folder to view the contents, but nothing showed up. Maybe I'm supposed to not put them in a folder first? Anyway, I'll find out. For now, bear with the little pictures. If you click on view larger, you may be able to see titles... might something you have read as well.

Do you think I like to read?

My husband thinks if I stop buying bookshelves, I won't buy anymore books to fill them. He is so funny sometimes.

Show me your bookshelves!

Weekend Assignment 101: Talents

Weekend Assignment #101: Name a talent that you don't have that you wish you did. This can also include talents you have a little bit of, but wish you had more.

Extra credit: Do you have any completely useless talents?

I've always wished I could have the talent for writing and playing music. I'm always hearing music in my head, uncertain of its origin. Sometimes notes from familiar tunes will rearrange themselves and become new tunes and I hum them over and over again until I have it memorized.

Sometimes I'll take the tune I've heard in my head, or one that I have made up entirely with effort, and put words to it.

I have made up lyrics to a song that came to me that way. I call it a parting song. You'll think this is silly, but I sing it to my dogs each morning before I go to work. I could write the words here, but then it would only appear to be a poem. It is a song, and I sing it each morning. Just a ditty, but it's familiar to them. It's a song promising them that I will return. See, silly.

Other tunes I have written lyrics to are based on Bible verses. Two Bible verse songs I wrote last year. I recprded them on my mini-cassette recorder just so I wouldn't forget the tune. Whenever I can't remember it, I play it back and there it is, I can sing it and hum it to my heart's content. Helps me remember the Bible verses, too!

Here are the words to one song I wrote based on Ephesians 5: 1&2:

Be imitators of God,

as dearly loved children.

And live a life of love,

just as Christ loved us,

and gave himself up for us,

a fragrant offering

and sacrifice

 to God.

You see, I've taken the words, and they are nearly word for word from the Book, and put them to music, but you don't have the tune because I don't know how to put it on paper. If I could write music, then anyone could read it and sing it for themselves. I never forget that verse because I can sing it in my head.

I've always thought that if someone were to be taken prisoner (political, or in war), one way they could comfort themselves and thus survive any lengthy separation from their loved ones would be to pray. Even moreso, recalling words of faith, words that  carry strength, resolve, and hope would be a survival strategy. Particularly regarding spiritual survival, for once one gives up hope, the chance of surviving what appears to be a hopeless situation drops quickly. I have never been a political or war prisoner, but I can only imagine that if one didn't have something nourishing in their minds and on their hearts, one would perish from spiritual starvation and loneliness.

For instance, if a person had memorized some Biblical text, recalling familiar and powerful words would give them heart and hope. Yet, you don't have to be a prisoner of war to reap the benefits of memorized scripture, or other words of faith. When you find a verse or passage that speaks to you, that strengthens you, that assures you that God is with you, reminds you how to be a better person, how you are His beloved, how you have been rescued and saved, memorize it. Then, during the work day, when you feel a bit stressed out or chaos seems to surround you, take a moment to recall the words you have committed to your heart. Often when I do this, the rest of the day is more productive for me, and I find myself responding to others with less demands and with more compassion. Literally, it is like having a song in your heart.

Singing the verses I have stored in my heart and memory helps me remember them. A talent I would really love to have is writing music... but, you know, that is a skill that can be learned, so maybe I can look into it!

A completely useless talent? Hmmmm.... I can recognize actors and actresses in a movie, and name all the movies (that I know of) they had a role in.

It can be annoying to go to a movie with me. Sometimes I attempt to make a game of it when we are watching a movie on TV, and I'll ask my husband "Who is that actor?" or "Do  you remember the last movie we saw that he played in?" Completely useless! But I do it anyway.

I'd say that over the past ten years, my husband is getting good at the game. And for the past two years, he's even asked me the questions. "Bea, come here!" he'll call from the living room. "Who's this guy? Do you recognize him?" I'm always game.... I love to play that one. When we disagree, the internet usually resolves any confusion.

One time I cheated before we went to a movie. I did a search to see who was going to be in it, then looked up other movies the main actors had played in. I went prepared to impress my spouse. During the movie, my whispered comments were like little pop-up bubbles with trivia about the actors. Steve acted like he could care less, but I know he was impressed by my incredible memory. 

This is talent particularly useful if a movie turns out to be boring.

What talent would you love to have? Do you have a useless talent?

Write about it, then post a link here or at By The Way where it all started.

History of Writing...My writing that is.

The 4th grade writing test is upon us. In North Carolina, that will be Tuesday of next week. We’ve been working intensely with our kids, practicing the skills they weren’t born with but have been taught ever since they began kindergarten.

When I think about the writing I was exposed to as a child, and the writing we are teaching in the classroom, I am in conflict. Maybe it’s because I always enjoyed writing, long before I even knew how to do it well.

My first experiences with writing came about when I was a young child. I don’t remember writing much, or even thinking about writing, before I started school. I do remember watching my mother write letters at the kitchen table ( in the 1950's). My father, her husband, was an Air Force man, and from the time I was a toddler, he was in the military. Often he would be far away from us, and I would watch my mother write letters to him, or read the ones he wrote to her.

Later, when I was in grade school, I watched my mother write to her sister, my Aunt Del. I remember one day, I wanted to write a letter too. The flowing marks she made on the paper with her pen fascinated me, and I remember trying to read them. They looked nothing like the letters I was learning to write in first grade. I wanted to write like that one day!

Another time I remember thinking about writing was when I wanted to write to my aunt again. By then I was able to write the letter myself. I wanted to address the envelope myself, for this letter was going to my aunt directly from me. I asked my mom for the address, and she told me. There was the word “apartment number”, and as I was scribing what she dictated, I remember trying to spell that word, and the only word I could relate to that sounded like apartment was department. So I put on her mailing address, “Mrs. ……., 5555 whatever blvd, department #5, etc, etc.” Fortunately, my mother proofread the envelope for me and corrected my error, explaining the difference between apartment and department.

One Christmas, I asked for a typewriter. We were living in Manchester, New Hampshire, and I was in 3rd -4th grades. I wanted a typewriter to make my writing look neater. My parents were great! They gave me a child’s typewriter. It had a ribbon that could print red or black. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the typewriter would not always type what I wrote, and the ribbon quickly ran out. To re-use the ribbon, I had to remove the spool, rewind it, then snap it back into place. My fingers would be black by the time I was ready to type some more.

In Junior High, I discovered journal writing, and found that it was one of the easiest things I’d ever been told to do. If I were a fourth grader today, I’d have those writing prompts beat… give me a prompt, and I would write as much as I knew about it, or as much as I could make up about it. And I didn’t mind rewriting or revising.

In 10th grade my best friend Vonnie and I made productive use of our weekends and summers, even after school time, making up stories based on our favorite TV shows. I remember my most favorite TV show (from 1969-70) was Lancer, a western about a rancher and his two sons, each born of a different woman (mother of #1 son died, father remarried, mother of #2 son died). We wrote serious stories, as well as ridiculously funny stories making fun of the characters, or exaggerating their qualities. My friend, Vonnie, was a far better writer than I, though. She invented new characters to enhance the stories and complement the already established ones. I wish I had kept those stories… we laughed and pondered over many of our scripts, taking our writing very seriously.

When I was a high school senior, Vonnie had gone on to college, and was dating by then. I turned to another friend who loved to write poetry. She introduced me to the music of Carol King, and the Tapestry album, and I fell in love with her love songs. Debbie and I wrote poems and shared them with each other. My poems were usually silly, like the one I wrote about the frog we named Jeremiah who frequently showed up on her front steps as we talked late into the summer nights, or dramatic like the one I wrote about Napoleon as he pondered his fate on St. Helena. Her poems were about falling in love with a “bad” boy, and the agony of not being able to tell anyone (she told me though!).

In college, I learned to write essays about famous artists or periods of art for art history class, and advertisements for the advertising class. Journaling continued to be my preferred form of writing all through college. That and letter writing.

It seems I haven’t changed much since then!

I'm curious about others. What have your writing experiences been like? Have you ever written a piece that was published? Do you secretly write poetry? Do you have a book on the back burner? I'd love to know....

I'm thinking journalers in JLand don't do anything secretly! I also think most journalers have loved writing ever since they were kids. Am I write?  <grin>