A Real Snow Day

Today, we enjoyed a "real" snow day, the first since pre-COVID.  That's right...no AMI (aka Alternate Method of Instruction), as in no emailing students, who for the most part chose not to respect the AMI expectations.  Happy, I am to return to the good ol' days!  Oh, yes, I am.

What does this mean?  A day has now been added onto our school calendar, which is fine with me, as we are out for weeks, even months.  A day, here and there, is such a small gift during our, otherwise, very busy weeks, consisting of many curricular and extracurricular responsibilites, both in school and out, as I am involved in probably more than my share!

I hope the students have enjoyed this "free" day, one that consisted of no homework or deadlines to be met.  I enjoyed the pictures on social media of kids playing in the snow; these days are made for making memories. Definitely.

Personally, I enjoyed finishing reading The Firekeeper's Daughter, making chocolate gravy/biscuits and homemade soup, and taking pictures of this very beautiful snow, such as the one taken on the right standing on my front porch this morning.

Here's to returning to normal, to snow days...and maybe serving hot chocolate tomorrow, as back to school we go!

All in the Comments

My week in comments (and observations) as said by others and myself:

• Asking who would like to serve our mission field…and witnessing the outpouring.
• Yes, I like seeing a junior so happy she just begins to skip down the hallway. Go, girl, go!
• “Listen. You are sounding like a teenager. You need to stop,” say I to that teenager standing in front of me imitating me!
• “Mrs. Gillmore, you sound happier. You are talking more.”
• What? More? Hummm…not sure that is possible?!
• Victoria Covington’s book is on pre-sale…and I am told I am in it. What?!?
• “Julia and I were talking about you singing in the hallway…and right then you began to sing, and we could hear you through door.” (Speaking of the ?!?)
• “Keep selling that Kool-aid.”
• “Mrs. Gillmore, are you in here singing to yourself?” (No…there’s a kiddo with me who I had just greeted.)
• “How about Gillmore Brownies?” (As part of a reward for scoring high on the ACT in March.) Alright then. Note to self: Buy stock in brownie mix!
• Teachers like to read. But…I read the most!
• “I’ll do that Wal-mart pick up for you.”
• Asking some to bring a dessert…and seeing the table is spread with more than enough. Of course.
• Gathering at the table is important. (Jesus did.)
• Dessert Buffets bring people together.
• “You are all unique. You all have a gift.”
• “He is at a 2.75.” - “But…everyone deserves three strikes.” (I am learning to appreciate a good baseball metaphor…and just maybe this time we will get a homerun…or, at least, make it to base!)
• Singing to Cadence one day and being told she cannot find her singing voice…then, being sung back to from my favorite Cadence in the whole wide world a day later. The music is in there.
• And…as I noted to my two passengers, my favorite part of a funeral is the drive to the burial…as car after car stops and pays that final respect to a life lived here. This one in particular would have been 95 next week and was a World War II veteran and whose family adopted me many years ago, further proving to me that not all family has to be blood related. Glad I shared those sentiments recently to him…for one is not guaranteed tomorrow. Yes, I am very glad I like to talk.

#MusicIsGoodForYou

#OneCanTalkTooMuch?!

#IEnjoyBoth!

2023 Intentions: All 23 of Them!

This tradition of writing intentions, I began about a decade ago after reading a blog post rationalizing the word change...gives one more grace when one initially fails at a resolution.  Grace...a beautiful thing.

As I look back over last year's intentions, I appreciate that grace, for I did not accomplish nearly enough, not even #1, which was to read Gone with the Wind...but!...I did begin this quite long text!  Therefore, this one remains as an intention!  Maybe this will be the year of accomplishments!

Here's to 2023 and 23 Intentions!

1. Continue to read and finish Gone with the Wind.  
2. Watch Gone with the Wind...only after having completed #1.
3. Lose 52 pounds...one pound a week.
4. More water...less sodas.  
5. Read an average of one book a week.  Hummm...see #1!  
6. Attempt to complete several book challenges and clubs.  Click here to see the list! Why this challenge?  To push myself to read books out of my comfort zone!
7. Read the Bible through...again...and complete Bible Studies (before going to the group meeting!).
8. Teach with more focus on those who want to learn, hoping to inspire those who need more interest along the way.
9. Read one professional read every two months. I receive five a year (and may or may not buy more!) through a professional membership.  Get to reading, Tammy!
10. Continue to re-read the Harry Potter books; only re-read two of them last year.  
11. Find good deals on books and buy/stock them up for 2023 Christmas gifts.  I gave books again this year, which I very much enjoy.
12. Give books as gifts for birthdays.  This one will take some planning, as birthdays tend to slip up on me!  (This really does take planning!  Need to work much more on this one in 2023!)
13. Send birthday and thank you cards much more diligently!  At this, I am just so bad.  Be better, Tammy.
14. Blog...more.  Write, reflect...just write.  I start off the year much better than I end.  Why do I stop...for I really do enjoy this reflection process
15. Finish all the quilts I currently have started or promised to others AND make more quilts for others...and for me.  Gotta work on this...as I did not complete one quilt in 2022.  Why not?  My sewing/craft room became a collect-all as last summer became the busiest summer of my life.  I began serving as chair of the Arkansas Literacy Association and their events dominated my summer (that, along with church events).  This resulted in my work work not bemaining a work area.  
16. Paint.  Yes!  So much fun!
17. Put away and pick up...especially in my car and house!  
18. Focus on my One Word:  intentional.  For this, I intend to create a hardcopy kind and record what happens with all my One Words, as I now have 13 such words.
19. Continue making time for my friend groups:  Meeting of the Minds and the Wildcats.  These groups mean much to me and keep me connected with their lives.
20. Be even more involved in ALA and WRLC...two literacy groups, especially since I seemed to burn out a little...need to revive that fire!
21. Spend quality time with the fam, especially The Man and The Daughter.  Our daughter was married last December, so on this one I want to make time for, as she just lives an hour away.
22. Plan more gatherings here at the house for the church ladies and my Bible study group.
23. Create and grow even more beautiful flowers than I did last year.  Especially begonias!  They love my front porch.
24. Keep up a list of Honey-Dos for The Man, for, one, he likes staying busy, and, two, I like his creations!

2023...going to be a good year, and I intend to accomplish each of the above!  

How about you?  Resolutions?  Intentions?  One?  23?!

The Synergy Energized!

This week, the Arkansas Literacy Association hosted our first face-to-face conference since pre-COVID.  What an amazing time at the 50th Annual Literacy Conference!

For ALA, this year I serve as chair and have spent hours preparing for this conference, and, now, that conference is over, I regret not one of them!  The first task was to choose a theme for what would be the 50th conference.  Fifty.  Just wow.  Seemed appropriate to simply choose our slogan and build on it:  Spreading the Love of Literacy.  This, this is what our group excels in in every project, event, endeavor.

From keynotes Colleen Cruz and Kekla Magoon to Book Award authors Wade Bradford, Shanda McCloskey, and Brian Lies to nearly 20 mini-keynotes to two luncheons, one with seven Arkansas authors...all added up to two packed days of meeting and greeting and sharing and learning.  Just powerful!  Those faces in these images?  All of them spent time with us...and seem human just like us!  In Nerdville, where I live, these are stars, even maybe superhuman?!  :)

Already, I look forward to 2023 conference and hope that many more peers will attend.

My favorite part?  Working with the Board to bring this event to Arkansas' literacy leaders.  They are a group of gifted ladies who give of themselves to grow and to encourage this growth in others.  Just amazing how each had a strength that was needed, one feeding off the other to ensure that success was the end result.

Yes, I bought more books!  How could I not when the authors were right there?  I look forward to taking some new Arkansas author young adult books into my classroom this fall.  Yes, I look forward to reading the children's book read alouds...or having the kiddos read the books aloud. 

What a great way to kick off 2022-2023!

Poem 4: Little Girls Love Unicorns

Little girls love unicorns
While Tam Tam remains in awe of one born
To friends who have become fam,
Of one much sweeter than strawberry jam!

Little girls love unicorns
For to these beauties they may adorn
Colors, glam, and worlds to us unknown,
Yet…
In little girls’ worlds, many they do clone.

Little girls love unicorns,
From daydreams and memories worn
As these beauties, both human and fantasy,
Become real, by pencil drawn you see.

Little girls love unicorns!
Today, we toot this artist’s horn,
Drawn with a receiver in mind;
Received with so unlimited pride.

I love you, Bayleigh.
Thank you! Keep drawing!

Poem 3: O Gideon

O Gideon

You doubted?
You questioned?
Confirmation you needed?

No more doubting.

No more questioning, 

For confirmed you were.

Wet fleece.

Dry fleece.

No dew.

Much dew.

Tell us: how many does one need?

12,000?

Drinkers?

Lappers?

Just 300.  

All chosen.

Conquerers.

Achievers.

Winners.

Leaders.

Doers.

His.

Tell us: how many does one need?

Too many wives.

70 sons.

Tell us:  how many did the one decide?

69 gone.

One survived.

While listening and following the leading of The One,

Gideon gained.

When no longer asking for guidance,

Gideon grappled.

Lesson read.

Lesson reminded.

Lesson realized.

O Gideon, from you so much to learn.

Poem 2: