Every day Celebrations

            

      Celebrating today with Ruth Ayres and others who share. I haven't written a celebration post since early April, first caught in the throes of a poem a day in April, then it didn't happen week after week. I have been much more busy at the bookstore where I volunteer. For those of you who don't know, this is a used bookstore that is run entirely by volunteers, and I am the volunteer coordinator. It's great to work with all these people, but takes time, and some finesse I think, too. I celebrate the more than forty volunteers who keep our bookstore going for book lovers!

     It's been a strange weather year for us. We've had winter when we expect spring, and summer when we expect, yes, spring. I hope things settle down soon! But whatever has happened, the flowers seem more beautiful than ever and I celebrate that something worked very well for those flowers this year.
     Ingrid (3rd grade) came home from a three-day overnight on Friday and was so excited about her time in the woods, she wanted to do something else on Saturday, our day this week together. So, we traveled to a favorite lake and loved our walk, seeing beautiful birds, sketching in our notebooks and hearing the concert they gave to us. I don't have a picture of Imogene (kindergarten) who went for one night last week. I celebrate the teachers willing to take their classes out into the wild, to show how wonderful it can be. 
     And finally, many of you know that my father was killed in action during World War II. I celebrate those in the military who keep us safe, today and long ago. The sacrifice of lives taken or years of service given is something we don't always think about, and this Memorial Day holiday is one that helps us remember. 
     It is the start of summer vacation for many of you. Wishing you one filled with rest and a slowing down of your lives so you can take time to celebrate the good things in each day.

Celebrating The Day - And Sky

       Celebrating today with Ruth Ayres and others who share. I have a favorite thing you may know about, taking pictures of the sky. Most of the time they are of our wonderful Colorado sky which is, even from the city, wide open, sometimes clear and bright blue, sometimes roiling with clouds, though seldom does a drop of rain hit the ground. It is simply too dry. The explanation is that although clouds might hold moisture, drops are absorbed before they hit the ground. It's called "virga".

     I was up very early this am because I was going to a party, a much fun gathering of former colleagues, some now out of town, and two families with new babies! Well, older babies really, 7 and 9 months, and they were precious to meet. I celebrate that there is still time to get together and visit, to love on these new ones, and watch them move and crawl, smile and look with wonder. And I was so happy for these new parents. They have a lot of joy to look forward to!

      And so, before and after the party, pictures of the one thing that pleases every day.

A Good Day Everyday

     Celebrating with Ruth Ayres and others today. Thanks for giving yourself to this community, Ruth. It's a good thing to celebrate the pieces of our lives.

      I agree with Ruth, "hope is sensible" and I found another quote that feels good to me at this troubled time in our country. It is anonymous: "When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." I am thankful and celebrate the good things in my life that help me begin each day with "hope" for more ahead.

Celebrating this week that:
         I'm loving a poetry challenge started last year named #haikuforhealing. Each morning begins with quiet writing time. Holding on to that moment of contemplation is a comforting start to my day.  Here's one for all of us celebrating:
                                               attention paid,
                                               my breathing slows -
                                               then I smile
                                               
       I got a perm and I am finally getting used to it. It's great that I no longer need to blowdry my hair.

        Imogene and I visited the Museum of Nature and Science for the first time in a while, and it was just as fun as always. As we leave, Imi has to do a bit more fun with the rear-screen part. Here, she's 'holding' hands with an astronaut.

Celebrating All Kinds of Fun

 Celebrating with Ruth Ayres at Discover, Play, Build, and linking with others who share, too. I'm always grateful to Ruth for our weekly celebrations together.

"A Smile is contagious. Be a Carrier!"  anonymous

          Celebrating 'useless afternoons' as Ruth shares sounds wonderful. I imagine working among the flowers, walking with the girls to the park, going to the beach, writing and reading on the front porch or patio. I know that teachers especially yearn for those days when the only thing to do in the early morning might be to water the flower pots on the porch. I have been doing some of these things, plus summer means vacations, so I've also worked some extra shifts this past week at the bookstore for those who are traveling. Our customers are easy, avid readers, sometimes want only to browse for their next good book, and other times ask for a recommendation. I help, I rearrange displays, I pull books for passing on to other places.  It's been a lovely past couple of weeks, and the next two days I'll have Ingrid and Imogene starting tonight till Tuesday evening while their mom's out of town, and their dad needs a break. They both are doing different summer camps this summer and having a good time meeting new kids, learning new things. 
           Celebrating. . .

My next great read - I won the book!

Ingrid's end of music camp group presentation.

Celebrating Good Stuff

         Celebrating with Ruth Ayres at Discover Play Build.  and linking with others who share their celebrations, too. I am grateful to Ruth for helping us celebrate together!  

           Life continues to be busy with family, the bookstore, reading and writing.  I saw Hidden Figures with my daughter and the grand-girls last Sunday, an inspiring story that also frustrates me because we continue to hear stories that have rarely been told.  We were glad to cheer these strong women "who persisted".  I am alarmed daily at the news and continue to attempt reading trusted sources and doing what I can to protest what is not right. I celebrate that many are doing this, and more!

          I've taken a challenge to celebrate Laura Shovan's February birthday, a poem a day, this time with ten words and a current news article as prompt. This is the fifth year doing, is quite a challenge, but also a joy to have a time when it's quiet and focused on words and creating.

Here's one poem that I liked writing.  One doesn't have to write from the topic, and can ignore the article, but sometimes I do write from it. This article is about the week's snowstorm in the east, and the ten words are 

pounds -

cancel

storm  -

path -

whiteout -

avoid -

slick -

quickly -

challenge -

plummeted -

Bonus: pack a punch -

Sneaking In A Celebration

  Celebrating with Ruth Ayres at Discover Play Build.  and linking with others who share their celebrations, too. I am grateful to Ruth for helping us celebrate together!  

      Among all the wonderfully usual, but very good things in my life, like museums and ice cream with the granddaughters, this week I celebrate two special things, both connected. One is the used bookstore where I am the volunteer coordinator. I haven't shared an Instagram pic all week because it has been closed for the past eight days. This old building with crannies and creaks needed a facelift, and while the plan was for many fewer days in which to be done, it is looking more wonderful each time I go in. The background is off-white, and all the accent colors are a bright, kind of ship's blue. I'm celebrating the volunteers, including me, today, because this non-profit store, in business for over forty years, is run entirely by volunteers. And during this past week, different volunteers have arrived to dust down the books and shelves, clean  the broad surfaces and the floors, re-label areas, and unpack those books that had to be entirely removed. We still aren't finished, but almost, and it is with a thankful heart, that I applaud those volunteers. I'll share more pics next week when it's really complete. 

All these shelves were emptied in order to paint them
a beautiful blue.

The view from the front window. All around the
window and its shelf, also blue.

        As for volunteers, I, and many others in all the categories, have been reading in every spare moment for the first round of Cybils' judging. It is a joy to read and celebrate all the gorgeous words. But it does take time, and focus, and a lot of love, I think. I celebrate poetry and other books, the writers, and this time the readers, too. As you've seen me share before, if you'd like to check the Cybils' lists in all the categories here. There have been numerous lists shared recently of the best of 2016, and the Nerdy Award nominations are happening right now! Go here! Guess what, all those are volunteers too, who are working hard to bring you grand literature for reading and sharing. 

Weekly Goodness

              I'm celebrating each Saturday or Sunday with Ruth Ayres at Discover Play Build. Come join in to share your own special celebrations.

So good because. . .

        I wrote a poem every day for Laura Shovan's birthday challenge!  Some days, eek, my mind was the blank slate like the page in my notebook. But, finally, after reading an old poetry book, I managed some ideas. They aren't all good, but I'm proud of a few!

        I finished a story/poem for Susanna Leonard Hill's Valentiny Contest, am pleased the way it came out. I've worked on it daily, bits and pieces, for several weeks. 

         My usual Imogene visit happened on Wednesday, and we visited a park a little further away, but marvelous with a playground, a stream and a pond, SPACE! We also stopped by the library on the way home so that Imi could choose a few books herself. She found a very cute book by Lois Ehlert, Holey Moley, a mole underground and all the others under there with it. What attracted her to this one? I'm guessing bright colors and inside, a hole in the page!

Making Stories

              I celebrate each Saturday with Ruth Ayres at Discover Play Build - It's a close community that celebrates together. Come join us!          Tweet at #CelebrateLu

              Ruth often writes about story and its value. Today, I celebrate story as I meandered through my week, reading and writing, spending time noticing on my morning walks. I spent time with my granddaughters, watching them build their own "libraries of memories, and observed a new teacher's lesson as he began his journey of teaching.  

Celebrating on Sunday

              I USUALLY celebrate each Saturday with Ruth Ayres at Discover Play Build - Week number 99! There are many others who celebrate, too. Come join us!          
                                                       Tweet at #CelebrateLu

             This time, on Sunday, after a day of cleaning up the kitchen with a stopped up sink, and finally, it's all working again. I celebrate the experts who know how to 'fix' things!

          Other good things this week include:

I wrote every day, including a poem about 9-11. Somehow this week it became important to me to reflect on this anniversary. You can read the poem on my Friday post if you like. September 11th is also my dear Grandmother Sarah's birthday, so I celebrate her and my other wonderful grandparents today, which is Grandparent's Day. I was so lucky to have them in my life. 

Nice Things, Nice Week

                The week has flown, filled with good moments. Thanks to Ruth Ayres at Discover, Play, Build  we share our celebrations with each other.

        A few more days until Thanksgiving, a few more days till family, and a few days of rest before back in that swift time before the holidays, such a joyful time, but busier than most of the year. This week celebrating different moments:

• Students who sit and talk of their goals for work with passion and enthusiasm. It's a gift to me to be able to have those conversations.
• A Friday trip where an hour into the mountains, the bus started smoking, and I made it to a stopping place, a helpful colleague came to the rescue--with another bus--and we were able to carry on with the trip. Flexibility was key, but what a day!  
• Shopping for dinner with my granddaughter and trying hard not to laugh as she carefully examined a few frozen packages to see what she might like. (Pictures mean a lot to those who cannot yet read, and Stauffer's won the day.)
• Spending a few hours shopping with my daughter  last Sunday. We are both so busy that a few hours is a treasure.
• Looking forward to this coming Thanksgiving with all the family. My son, daughter-in-law and grandson will be here!

Happy Thanksgiving with friends and family, wherever you are, whatever you enjoy on your table.

          From John Fitzgerald Kennedy: "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

Two Weeks-Good Stuff

            Thanks to Ruth Ayres, we also get to share our celebrations with others every Saturday. Check HERE for the links. And tweet at #CelebrateLu

The celebration of beauty is an invitation to ask your soul everyday, 'mind if I join you'

                                                                                                                           anonymous

I didn't post last week because...

I was celebrating:

School started, and so did my granddaughter Ingrid
 in kindergarten at my school.
Her little sister Imogene came along to see her off!

Celebrating-After the 4th!

       Thank you Ruth, for Celebration Saturday! Everyone come over to RuthAyresWrites to share in the celebrations! 
        Tweet at #CelebrateLu  


         I've been gone almost since school was out, and am now celebrating being home! I haven't posted since the wonderful All-Write Conference. I was happy to be home for a few days, to relax a little before the next adventure. A week ago Thursday, my grandson flew in from Texas, and on Friday, he, my daughter and two daughters, and I took off for Missouri, to visit with my brother and family. What a wonderful time, a list of celebrations day after day. Among all the wonderful things, the very best is visiting with family, talking over old times, catching up on new times, and this time my grandson (13 next month) got to stay up with the grown-ups, listen and add to the conversation. Do you remember when you were old enough to do that?
        I've posted some of these on Facebook, so forgive me if you've seen them already, but am really happy about all the small things we loved doing. Each part is a special memory for us.

It looks this way, across eastern Colorado, then all the way
 through Kansas, & finally, rolling hills begin
as we near Kansas City, Missouri. After that,
 two more hours. Long days going and returning!

Goofiness surrounds us. The kids are hamming it up here!

Quite a "glass-full" week! Chalk-A-Bration too!

Join Ruth Ayres for Celebration Saturday! Tweet at CelebrateLu  Link up here!  Thanks Ruth!

             Celebrating today and every day with words and pictures. A beautiful quote for you this week: "Memory is the scribe of the soul." Aristotle

This is the day of Chalk-A-Bration.
Thanks to Betsy Hubbard for beginning the tradition.
Check other poems out at her blog. Teaching Young Writers.

         It's been a terrific final work week with the class I've had the pleasure of working with. I will finish the year with them on the last day, next Thursday, but my time with them is over, and I'll spend the first days of next week cleaning/straightening/organizing my office, making plans with our librarians for next year. I'll miss the students, but it's also exciting to think of the next year and what might be! Almost time for summer! I posted writing from the group I've been writing with here.

Celebrating Goodness

        Thanks to Ruth Ayres, we Celebrate each week together! Tweet at CelebrateLu  Link up here!

             There is nothing better than a birthday party. Unfortunately it was supposed to be at the park near my house, and it turned out to be cold and windy. We crammed inside and had a great time anyway. Kids picnicked on a quilt in the living area, adults moved through the rest of the rooms. We did bundle up for a piñata outside! 

Ingrid celebrates being five with friends, and little sister Imi.

Monster cupcakes!

Celebrating The Little Things

    Thanks to Ruth  at Discover.Play.Build, Ruth Ayres Writes for creating a place for everyone to share their celebrations. 

                  It's a week of sweetest 'little things', some already shared on this blog, on Facebook or Twitter, but still it's a pleasure to remind myself that those 'Little Things Mean A Lot', as an old song says.  

*On Monday, the ALA Youth Media awards were announced, and my Newbery club celebrated our own vote along with the official vote of the committee.  What an exciting morning!

          

*We awoke Tuesday to hear of the death of Pete Seeger, and since then, music has been much on everyone's mind.  Posts on blogs and Facebook along with tweets have celebrated his life of songs that touched and influenced so many in his life.  I remember more than one time seeing him in a small concert place in Denver with my family, my kids loving seeing him after hearing and learning his songs while growing up.  Among them, one I've always loved and shared with students, this song, one for females of all ages.  Written by his sister Peggy, and made popular by Pete, it speaks to me still:

Live It Up!

           Thanks to Ruth  at Discover.Play.Build, Ruth Ayres Writes for this Saturday tradition of sharing our celebrations.   

Tweet at #Celebratelu

        So, it was a good week, a full week, but a three day weekend is something to celebrate for everyone SO tired even though they recently had a long winter break. We all decided coming back into the 'swing' of school is more tiring than starting school. Reminds me of a marching band getting back into their cadence, practice helps, but still…  

        And I'd like to start with a thought for Dr. Martin Luther King, someone I am glad to have known as a part of my living history, and feel sorrowful for his too early death.  He is quoted as saying: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."