Slicing and Worrying

       I'm slicing with the Two Writing Teachers community today. It's always a pleasure to read what everyone writes about their lives.

 

        Best wishes to all of you who are going to NCTE this week! I hope to follow some of the tweets!

         

Trying to laugh a little, too!

THIS, THIS IS WHAT I WROTE IN MY INTRO LAST WEEK: Yes, I'm happy. It's been a long and rocky road to this day, and I will be celebrating when it's over. I want to move on to help our country do better!

I AM NOT CELEBRATING! I am very concerned, and Donald Trump's decisions since last Wednesday continue to confirm my concern. This is my slice of life, worrying about what's already happening, worrying about people who say "give him a break", worrying about my friends and family who are frightened. Feel free to ignore my slice if you feel uncomfortable, but my intent is to make people uncomfortable. Attention should be paid. I'm doing what I can to be aware of decisions made that I believe are wrong for our people and our country.

Early, early in this election process I posted the following: 

"The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country." -Hermann Göring, Nazi military leader (12 Jan 1893-1946)

Later I found this quote that helped me feel firm about my beliefs:

Whitman’s advice on living a vibrant and rewarding life: “Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others… re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul…”

 And I posted this:

   “I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

        You may have other words that comfort. And I do have hope, like E.B. White: 

“Hang onto your hat.

Hang on to your hope.

And wind the clock,

for tomorrow is another day.”

photo credit: Howdy, I'm H. Michael Karshis If you were looking for a sign this is it. via photopin (license)

Slice of Life Always With Me

       I'm slicing with the Two Writing Teachers community today. It's always a pleasure to read what everyone writes about their lives.

Happy Election Day!

         Yes, I'm happy. It's been a long and rocky road to this day, and I will be celebrating when it's over. I want to move on to help our country do better!

        

          First, best wishes to Betsy Hubbard and her family for every part of your recovery from the fire to go smoothly with the best possible outcome. 

         This is a little bit of a sad post, too, because often for reasons small and big, I miss my husband, Arvie. And much of what I miss is sharing words. The fall that he passed, three years ago this past September, I wrote a poem that expresses these thoughts. You can read it here, and I imagine some of you remember it. It begins "And I would show you. . ."

        Lately, there is much I want to share, like about my visit to see Nathan, Barb and Carter, and how proud he would be to see the wonderful young man Carter has become.  And I know that he would love spending time with Sarah and Dave and seeing these growing up little girls that are the sweetest granddaughters. 

Celebrating Some Personal Things

              I'm celebrating each Saturday or Sunday with Ruth Ayres at Discover Play Build. 
            I love reading your celebrations, too. 

         Today: loving this quote on my desk: "Barn burnt. Now I can see the moon."

          I attended a potluck luncheon with my bookstore group last Sunday. It's the annual meeting to visit, and I enjoyed meeting many of the volunteers that mostly I'll only connect to through e-mail. I'm celebrating kindness and niceness today. The person who welcomed me and trained me, then has given much support since he is the one I'm replacing as the volunteer coordinator. During this transition with new learning, and a myriad of names that have no faces, a varied schedule, I have been so grateful for his timely, and humorous, answers. He's made the complexities navigable. Whew!