Snapshot Saturday

I love looking back at old pictures I had forgotten about.  This is from almost three years ago already.  CRAZY!   Andrea was SO into Club Penguin and just HAD to have the mancala game that cost three times as much as one without the penguins on the box.  Oh well, that's what Christmas is all about.  I didn't expect to like the game, but we all played for hours that Christmas and beyond.  I've even introduced the game to my 6th graders when we have studied ancient Africa, the birthplace of mancala.

Classroom Tour-2013

Well, it's that time again.  Come on in for a tour of my classroom.  With the help of Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers, my classroom is really coming along as far as decorating.  This year I have some really neat 7 Habits posters posted on the cabinets, and I have a Life Skill Habit of the Month.  The first month of school will be focused on organization.

My absolutely FAVORITE part of my classroom this year is my vocabulary tree.  As you will see in the pictures, the tree is bare right now.  It won't be like that at the end of the quarter! Each week we will add leaves to the tree.  When the tree gets filled up, we are going to design a garden around the tree, still using vocabulary words.  I'll see how it goes, but I may keep it up all year without starting over if my idea will work as planned.

Each classroom has a bulletin board outside their door.  We are expected to have a leadership theme and change the board monthly.  I always start the year with a welcome message and the names of my students, hoping to start building a community from the day students come to Open House.  I have some really neat leadership quotes on the board that are general.  In the coming months, I am hoping to design a bulletin board that will feature a famous person who illustrates one of the 7 Habits.  I will include information about how that person became famous as well as some quotes.  My September bulletin board will feature Henry Ford for Habit 1- Be Proactive.

This is the entrance to my classroom, with my handsome husband setting up my student computer in the background.  This year we are also going to have our pictures with our mission statements posted outside our classroom doors.  I HATE getting my picture taken, but I'm looking forward to the mission statement pictures being hung.  I was at another campus that did the same, and it looks SHARP!

I guess the first thing you see when you are looking directly into my classroom door is my desk.  I love my behavior management poster.  Those are colored bee hives, and students start each day on green.  An infraction of the rules moves their numbered bee to yellow, then red, if needed.  We use the color system, though a bit differently in each grade, school-wide.  I'm going to have the perfect class this year, so I'm sure this poster will look exactly as you see it now on the last day of school.  *Grin*

After the incident last year where students were writing messages to each other and leaving it on the log-in screen for the next student to find, I considered not bringing my computer back.  I just don't understand why students had to behave like that.  HOWEVER, I LOVED having a computer in my classroom for students to use, and we have many great opportunities to have students work on academic material throughout the school day.  Rather than having to check out the iPad cart, I can send one student at a time to work this way.  It's a fresh start, and I will be laying down the law regarding computer use right from the start.  I think it will help that the screen is facing not only the other students, but anyone who walks in or stands at my door.

Oh, you can see it in the last shot, too, but this year I have an extra bookcase in my classroom.  I had lent it to the teacher next door last year, and I didn't feel like dragging it home.  I am REALLY glad I found a way to squeeze it in, because I want my students to have their choice of reading material several times throughout the day.  It turns out I have a class of readers this year, according to the surveys they turned in at Open House, so I'm VERY glad to have this extra storage.  My exit slips worked really well last year, so I found a cute Exit sign with a guy walking out the door to label this area.  Last year people kept asking me what the papers were that were hanging on the wall.  And, of course, I couldn't forget the poster that has hung in every classroom I've had- "You never know what you can do until you try!"

Here's my vocabulary tree.  I can't WAIT to see what this will look like at the end of the quarter or school year.  If it works the way I'm hoping, I'm going to have to move some of these other posters.

My back wall always starts off pretty bare, though this year I have the small group/ tutoring area pretty full because I have my data tracking posters up.  I like to start pretty bare so I have room to add student work to the walls.  And, I'm a cheapskate and didn't feel like buying any more posters to fill the space.

My supply cart is in the back of the room this year.  It has the pencil sharpener, extra pencils, erasers, and crayons, and the bucket for returning papers.  Students will check their "mail" every week.  This is how I will pass back graded papers.  I have my Box Tops for Education bucket up, too, mostly because the sign I saw on Pinterest was just too darn cute and fit in with my garden theme.  Oh, wait.... I mean.... I really like the idea that the school gets 10 cents for every box top and want to help my school as much as I can.  Yeah, that's it.  We'll go with that story.

This year I decided to do my challenge or early finisher activities a little differently.  In previous years I had them on the wall.  This year there is a bucket.  I made many of the activities into file folder "games" and laminated them.  So, rather than each student having a paper for the word search, only one can work on it at a time, BUT I don't have to make multiple copies.  On the math games that required playing cards or some other manipulative, I have included that right in the file.  Students just have to pick up a file and go back to their desks.  I'm hoping this will allow me to offer more variety and keep the activities more organized.

My Wild Things are hanging out right on top of the 7 Habits.  Maybe they will learn something through osmosis.

We are SO spoiled with a sink in each classroom.  My students last year got really upset when they asked to get a drink and I pointed at the fountain.  They really wanted an excuse to go walk the halls.  I love that they don't have to miss class to get a drink.  Apparently it's not as cold as the fountain in the hallway, though.  I wouldn't know.  I drink out of this one all day long.  This is REALLY nice for me.  In previous years if I forgot to bring water bottles, I would be stuck waiting for a break time to get a drink.

Finally, the view from the children's seats.  A couple students from last year left me messages over the summer when their mom (another teacher in the building) let them come in for a few minutes.  I love the encouraging thoughts left by those students.

This is it.  This is my home for the 2013-2014 school year.  I start teaching on Monday.  This is going to be a great year with my students.  So many of them are excited about school, love to read, and are familiar with our school culture.  It's fun to have a class who is looking forward to coming to school as much as I am.

Haiku: Swing

Angry, sad, then glad
Always rocking back and forth
Mood swings are not fun

Five Sentence Fiction: Flight

Five Sentence Fiction

In the vast airport, she wondered how her life was going to unfold.  Abigail knew that she was just beginning, yet she held onto the memories of the past so tightly she was unsure if she could ever let go.  Having given the valedictorian speech in front of a crowd of 3000 fellow graduates and their parents just days before didn't feel nearly as frightening as this experience.  Today she would head off to college.  Like a bird pushing her young out of the nest, her mother had sent her alone to make this flight.

Interview

Wow, I can't believe it!  I've been interviewed for a national magazine for a story they are working on about shingles.  They found my story on my blog and thought I had something interesting to share.  How cool!

I have no idea how much of my interview will be used.  I don't know when it is going to run.  I basically know nothing about when and where this will be published.  But, I couldn't wait to share the news.

A couple of months ago, I was ready to shut down my blog altogether.  Someone encouraged me to continue to writing through a compliment she gave me.  (Thanks again, C.H.!)  I had begun to believe that my blog was not interesting to anyone, nor had it helped.  If I had listened to my own less-than-confident thoughts, the reporter would never have been able to find my journey.  It would have been hidden forever in Blogger purgatory.

Everything happens for a reason.  I spent the summer writing on this blog, and I know that I won't be able to tend to it the way I have for the past few weeks.  But, I will check in as I can.  Hopefully this year I will be able to share more of what we are doing in the classroom.  Since I now have a (working) camera in my phone, it sure will be a lot easier!

Tomorrow I start a full-time schedule.  So, if you don't hear from me for awhile, don't think I've disappeared.  I'll be back soon!  Fall break is in October.  I will DEFINITELY be sharing a link to the news article when it comes out.  I can't wait to see what the reporter does with my answers!

My Bedtime Reading Ritual

It used to be hard to fit reading into my schedule.  Ever since Daniel and I started a strict bedtime schedule, though, that time has really opened up.  We head to bed at 8 pm, but I have to be asleep by 9 in order to get my eight hours in.  I now spend just about an hour reading, every day!

It really is nice to set time aside for me.  There is time every day that I know I will not be disturbed and don't feel guilty about isolating myself.  Every day I know I get to enjoy a story or learn something new.  I think I have read more books in the last year than in the five years before.

Reading has been a part of my life since before I can remember.  I remember going to the library as a young child and bringing home stacks of books.  In junior high school I went though a novel every day or two.  In high school I would actually purposely get grounded so I could stay home and read on the weekend instead of going to a party with friends.  I'm glad I found a way back to something that has defined who I am.

Confessions of a Reader

1.  I have two bookcases full of books, but I keep collecting more.
2.  I enjoy young adult books almost, if not more so, than adult books.
3.  I miss my girls being young so I can read them picture books.
4.  I ALMOST wish I taught younger grades so I could share picture books with my students.
5.  I read picture books to my 6th graders anyway.
6.  I LOVED my Kindle, but I REALLY love having a Kindle app on my cell phone.
7.  The only downfall to having a Kindle app on my phone is that I get distracted by Candy Crush Saga requests.
8.  I have stayed up WAY too late recently reading books on my phone.  Time to get ready for that school schedule now, though!
9.  I love to compete with my students for pages read.
10.  I RARELY pay more than a couple dollars for a book, but when a new Jodi Picoult novel comes out it is REALLY hard to wait until it's available at the library.

My Favorite Five Blog Posts

1.  My Homeless Angel-  This is probably my all-time favorite blog post.  It really shows the heart of my family. It's a story of helping a homeless man, but in the end I really think he helped me more.

2.  Home- A Short Story-  This post is a short story I wrote about a real estate agent.  The home she is trying to sell is actually based on my memories of a house my family lived in.  I really liked that house, but we had to move, though we had expected to live there until our children graduated high school.  Ironically, four months later, we moved back into that house (my in-laws own it).  There are pieces of autobiographical information in the story, along with a fairly accurate description of the house.  The story itself, though, is completely made up.

3.  Update- Wow, this was a crazy post to remember!  This was the update on my shingles complications that I wrote from the hospital.  It sounds so calm, and yet I know there is so much emotion hidden inside.  I have to be honest, looking at this two years later is confusing.  Somehow I lost an entire day in my memory.  I could have sworn I wrote this post on that Friday, as I was admitted late Thursday night.  That doesn't make sense, though, as my computer wouldn't have gotten to me quite so quickly.  Boy, was I a wreck at this time!

4.  Bipolar Disorder was written in response to my husband's diagnosis.  What another intense moment in our lives!  I am so glad I shared this information on my blog.  I honestly feel I have helped others who had questions or just wanted to share their own experiences.

5.  A New Beginning- Well, of COURSE my very first blog post would be included in my favorites.  It's where this all began!  Looking back, I was so hopeful for my new start in life.  I did get down to the 150 weight, and sure enough, my mom thought I should stop.  I, however, still saw my imperfections.  I still wonder what impact my exercise routine and diet had on my shingles and the complications that followed.  Would it have been worse?  Did I stress my body too much, especially with the life changes that were occurring?  We'll never know, but I DO know that this blog has shown me that I can live through just about anything.

It's interesting that my favorite blog posts are the most intense.  I am attracted to the same thing in the reading I do- both on other blogs and in novels.  I think I'm always looking to connect with people and to share experiences.  If you have a blog post of your own that you would love for me to read, please leave a link in the comments.

Haiku- Sand

I didn't link up with the other author's, but I still wanted to participate in Haiku Heights.  This week's prompt was the word "sand."

Dreaming of the beach today
Toes deep in the sand
A great place to get away

Castles, dragons, building
all with wet, cold sand
Squishing between my toes- Ick!

You Have Made a Difference

I found the above song on the internet after a wonderful surprise from a couple of my students from last school year.  Last week I opened my work email to check my training schedule, and there was a video from two of my girls.  Who thinks about their 6th grade teacher over summer vacation?  These two wonderful, kind students.  That's who!

The girls video taped themselves singing the first verse of this song, then they held up signs that read "You Rock!" to the camera before signing off.  It was so awesome to receive such a motivational video.  I am definitely keeping it in my email inbox for those days I need to remember that I really am a good teacher.

For all my teacher friends, please know this song applies to you, too.  For all my non-teacher friends, forwarding this in an email would be an EXCELLENT teacher appreciation gift next spring!

Favorite Concert

I have been to exactly four concerts in my lifetime.  The first was the Metallica/ Guns 'N Roses concert when I was 17 years old.  When I was 21, I went to see Toby Keith.  At 24, I saw John Michael Montgomery, and when I was 26, I saw Colin Raye.  Each of these concerts have great memories attached, and I can remember each clearly.  My favorite, by far, was the Colin Raye concert.

I have loved Colin Raye since I was in high school.  Most people didn't know who he was back then, and you may know him best for his song "Love, Me."  EVERYONE who knew me also knew that a Colin Raye concert was on my bucket list.

In late January, 2001, Daniel saw a TV commercial advertising a February 14th concert.  I was so disappointed when I heard this.  Our baby would only be six weeks old!  That is way too young to leave a baby with a sitter for hours at a time.  My husband, who has always done as much as he could to make me happy, purchased tickets without me knowing.  He also scheduled for Andrea, and our then-foster son Alex, to stay overnight with his parents.  I had no other choice but to attend a Valentine's Day Colin Raye concert.

Andrea did great with her Nana and Papa.  She survived the horror of being left without her parents for an entire 12 hours.  And I even relaxed enough to have a GREAT time at the concert.

There were only 1000 tickets sold to the concert, and it was held at a small venue in Scottsdale.  Instead of sitting in rows of seats, we were actually in a barn, complete with bales of hay.  There were picnic tables set up, and an area for standing right in front of the stage.  No joke, we got close enough to actually see the red tab on Colin Raye's Levi jeans!  It was SO much fun.  The people attending the concert were awesome, too.  We all took turns getting up close to the stage for a song or two, then letting others have the same opportunity.

All in all, I think the Colin Raye concert is not only my favorite concert I've attended, but my favorite experience in general.  I would have fought Daniel on buying the tickets.  And, oh, how we have been judged for leaving our infant with a sitter!  I'm glad he arranged this date, though.  Even now we don't go too many places where we haven't taken the children.  Every parent deserves to have time to realize their own dreams.

Shuffle

The challenge for this blog post was to put my iPod on shuffle and see what comes up first.  I really don't store music on a device anymore, because I get pretty bored with the same playlists over and over again.  I have, however, fallen in love with Pandora.  Now that I have found I can shuffle my stations.... I have been a music listening fool.  I love discovering new music by having Pandora pick what I will like based on artists or songs I have entered!

So, I put on Pandora, hit shuffle, and came up with Dan Gibson's "Swept Away in Wonder."  I could not find that particular piece on YouTube so I could share it here, so I explored some of Dan Gibson's music.  Oh, I LOVE when peaceful piano is mixed with nature sounds!

I first discovered the "Liquid Mind" station on Pandora when I was sick with Shingles.  I literally could not sleep without the relaxation of meditation music.  Since then, I have always found this type of music to be an enjoyable way to unwind.  Enjoy Dan Gibson's "A Passing Storm" while you discover something new today!

Pinterest Fail

So, I saw this picture going around on Facebook (sorry that I don't know who to credit this to), and I just started cracking up.  I'm not alone!  EVERY single thing I have TRIED to replicate just doesn't work out so well for me.  Apparently that's pretty common.  No, seriously, go to Google images and type in Pinterest fails.  There are some pretty great examples of what I'm talking about.  This one picture, though... I swear I could have taken it.

There was one Pinterest idea that worked really well for me.  It was cooking corn-on-the-cob in the microwave rather than boiling it. I really liked this.  You can see the pin here:  4 minute corn-on-the-cob.  Andrea really liked the Coconut Poke Cake I made.  And, although they didn't LOOK the way they do in the picture, these potatoes sure did taste delicious!  Okay, okay.... not EVERYTHING I've tried failed.  I just don't do very well with presentation.

The thing is, I HATE the kitchen!  I do NOT like to cook, so the fact that I am even giving it a try is a winner.  I'll keep trying these Pinterest recipes.  Hopefully one day my attempts will look more like the top picture than the bottom.  Then again, I REALLY think the bottom picture has some character.

Wedding Songs That Weren't....

I got this idea from the post I wrote about musical memories.  For some reason, Daniel and I had a terrible time picking a song to dance to at our wedding.  Every time we thought we had one picked out, it turned out to just not work a couple weeks later.  Here are some we discarded along the way:

1.  Amazed by Lonestar:
I still love this song, and every time I hear it I think about Daniel.  We got SO sick of hearing this song, though that we decided we didn't want to use it for our official wedding dance.  The song was first released shortly after we got together and it was played about 75 times an hour.  Well, that might be a SLIGHT exaggeration, but I'm sure it's not by much!


2.  You're Still the One by Shania Twain:
EVERYONE predicted that Daniel and I wouldn't stay together for longer than a couple of weeks.  Our story is one of challenge, right from the beginning of our relationship.  WE both knew from the moment we decided to transform our relationship from friendship to romance that we would be getting married, though.  In fact, we pretty much made a commitment to spending our lives together before our very first kiss.  We didn't want to lose what we did have together.  Daniel is a GREAT friend and someone anyone would be lucky to have on his side.  It took some serious consideration to risk losing a friend like Daniel.  We eventually chose not to use this song as our wedding dance because it made it sound like we had been together forever, when the truth was we only spent 13 months as a couple before we got married.  I did, however, use this song on a digital scrapbook I made for our 10th wedding anniversary.


3.  Almost Paradise by Mike Reno & Ann Wilson:
This is surely the funniest of all the Songs that Weren't.  Daniel and I were seriously considering this song, but we were also going to Circle K (a convenience store) quite often.  During that time a new drink was being introduced:  Parrot Ice.  Well, once Daniel crooned "Almost Parrot Ice" as we were leaving Circle K with our smoothie drinks, I knew this song was doomed.  I still can't walk out of a Circle K without singing.


AND..... The One That Was:
4.  On the Side of Angels by Leanne Rimes:
Finally, a song that the lyrics seemed perfect, it wasn't overplayed, and we believed could stand the test of time.  This was, after all, something that we hoped to be played again at our 50-year wedding anniversary.  We wanted to still be able to dance to it and enjoy it when our hearing was fading, our eye-sight was less than perfect, and our bones weren't quite as strong as they were when we were in our 20s.  This song was so NOT overplayed that our DJ had never heard of it.  We had to go out and buy a copy of the CD for him to use.  He wound up keeping it for his collection, loving the song.  I hope you enjoy it, too!

A Bipolar Mind

I don't personally have bipolar disorder, but my husband does.  I liked the description of the bipolar mind.  Unfortunately, too many people are judged so harshly on the mistakes they make during a bipolar episode.  Yes, the mistakes can be hurtful, but I do believe that Daniel has always done his best to "clean up" the messes that were made once he is thinking clearly again.  Bipolar SUCKS!  I don't wish it on anyone.

I got this picture off of Facebook.  I am unsure who to credit it to, so if you know, please tell me so I can get proper permissions and give credit where it is due.

Life Lessons- From a Game?

So the other day I was playing a Facebook game and I realized how much it mirrored my life.  I had a goal, and the game kept giving me hints to "help" me finish the level.  The only problem was, the hints the game was giving didn't fit into my ultimate plan.  I would have made a match, the way the game is played, but the move wouldn't have helped toward the end goal of clearing the board.

I started to think about all the times someone has tried to give me advice or tried to guide me, but I just didn't feel it was the right thing to do.  I realized that only I know the big picture.  Only I can make decisions based on who I am, where I want to go, and my feelings and values.  Only I know, in the end, what I am looking to get out of each life experience.  I can listen to the help that friends and family offer me, but if it doesn't fit into the ultimate goal, there is nothing wrong with politely going another direction.

At the same time, this picture was floating around Facebook:

I really thought about this picture a lot, as at first I laughed and nodded my head.  We all know that person, the one who is constantly asking what you think, just to go the other way.  But, I'm thinking about that person in a different light after the lessons I learned from Candy Crush Saga.

The people asking us for information or advice are asking because they care about our opinion.  Many times the "askholes" aren't really trying to be frustrating, but they need assurance that we support what they are doing.  When we look at it from that perspective, we realize how important we are in the lives of others.

In the end, everyone has to live their own lives, but we should support each other in their big pictures.  Maybe they won't take every piece of advice we have to give, but the people who surround us are looking at their own big pictures.  I think it's pretty neat to be a part of that!

Five Songs That Bring Back Memories

Oh, music is so powerful.  There are so many songs to choose from, so I think I'll pick some that I haven't heard in awhile.  What a great excuse to walk down memory lane and to listen to some of my favorite music!

1.  Beth by Kiss-  I spent HOURS listening to Kiss when I was in junior high school.  My best friend.... boyfriend... whatever you want to call him.... was a huge fan of the band.  This song is the most memorable to me.  It was my favorite by Kiss, and I can really relate to it and understand it now from an adult perspective.


2.  When the Children Cry by White Lion-  Around the same time as I was being introduced to Kiss, I started to listen to White Lion.  I don't think this band ever got as popular as some of the other hair bands in the 80s.  This song really touched my heart then, and I think I played this record.... yes, I said record.... again and again until it was worn out.  I actually got this record as a Christmas gift from "Santa" when I was at work with my mom during winter vacation the year I was in 9th grade.  It was an awesome surprise!


3.  Sweet Child O'Mine by Guns N' Roses-  I think I wore out this cassette tape.  I played the whole tape, but especially this song OVER and OVER and OVER again.  Several years later, when I was 18, GNR, with Metallica, was my very first concert experience.  What an amazing experience!

I can't believe I was Andrea's age when all of these memories started.  I am glad, though, that Daniel and I have taken the stance that the girls can listen to the music they want to and watch movies that they are interested in.  I think it has helped the girls grow into their own individual personalities.  Andrea DEFINITELY takes after Daniel's taste in music and has strong opinions on what she does and doesn't like.  My parents raised me much the same way.  I was censored in my listening, viewing, or reading habits.  My parents trusted that I would ask questions if they arose.  I really do think a lot of my critical thinking skills came from the fact that I wasn't held back due to "age appropriateness."  I was allowed to grow at the rate that was natural for me.


4.  Reason to Believe by Wilson Philips-  A friend from high school recently caught up with me on Facebook, and flooded my heart with memories.  Some of the stories she reminded me of were of some of the best days of my life.  Some led to my heart breaking for the girl I was in those days.  It was hard to believe that I had forgotten about the days immediately following high school graduation when we would drive around and listen to Wilson Philips.  We would sing at top volume, not having a care in the world, it seemed.  We'd stop at the park to smoke a Newport menthol cigarette, then be on our way again.  This memory is for Kathy.  Thank you for the reminder of days passed.


5.  Nothing Else Matters by Metallica- This is one story I just can't tell because, even though I was only 18 years old and it was half a lifetime ago, it still hurts.  This is a song that reminds me so much of where I have been, what I have been through in order to grow up, who I loved and who I lost along the way.  My experiences definitely shaped who I am today, what my values are, and how I insist on being treated.  Man, I have ALWAYS had to take the long, hard road in order to learn life lessons!


6.  Desperado by Eagles OR Clint Black- So, after that last memory, I just couldn't stop.  I had to have closure with this song.  After the experience from #5 above, I became best friends with a boy named Kevin. Oh, I fell in love with him in a way I have never loved before or since.  With Kevin, I truly had no romantic feelings, but I would have walked through fire for that boy.  He taught me so much about life, loyalty, and love.  The very last time time I saw Kevin he said, "I love you.  Marry ME!!"  I laughed, Thanks for the offer, but no  I'll see you tomorrow."  Tomorrow never came for Kevin.  The next day he was shot and killed by another friend of ours.

I picked this song because Kevin and I had a running argument.  He was an avid lover of classic rock, and I was a country girl.  We argued EVERY time we got in the car about which radio station we were going to put on.  In 1996, Clint Black released a version of "Desperado" that The Eagles had sung before Kevin and I had even been born.  I almost fell out of my chair when I was listening to the country radio station, and this song came on.

Kevin died in 1993 and never got to hear the Clint Black version of Desperado.  I always laugh to myself when I hear this song, though, because my argument was that classic rock and country really weren't all that different.  Listen to these two versions of this song and tell me you can really hear a difference- I bet you can't!  I think Kevin would be surprised at how blended today's music has become.




Well, that wraps up my musical memories from my younger life.  Don't worry; I haven't forgotten about Daniel in all of this.  He is getting his very own musical memory post.  Stay tuned!

Book Review- The Hell of Me: My Life with Bipolar

I usually don't spend money to buy books for my Kindle, but when I saw this one posted on a support group I follow, I just felt compelled to purchase it.  Boy, am I glad I did!  This was a GREAT short book about what living with bipolar disorder was like both before and after diagnosis.

The Hell of Me:  My Life with Bipolar was written by a woman who lived through her disorder for many years, knowing something was wrong but not knowing WHAT.  When she was diagnosed, it was a blessing.  She finally knew what drove her to behave the way she did, and she finally got to experience quiet in her mind.  To say she was relieved seems to be just a bit of an understatement.

At the end of the book, the author states that she wishes to spread hope to other families.  She wants to let people know they are not alone in their journeys and that individuals who suffer from bipolar disorder CAN live fulfilling lives.  She has definitely hit the nail on the head with her wishes!  When I finished reading this story, I just sat...  feeling for one of the first times since Daniel was diagnosed over a year ago that the positive changes I've seen aren't just an illusion.  The rug isn't going to be pulled out from under us, there isn't going to be a television camera with a crew jumping out to say we've been punked... our lives truly are changing for the better.

THIS is exactly what makes this book so unique and so worth reading.  This author isn't afraid to say that with hard work, life can be GOOD!  You see, ever since Daniel was diagnosed I've been searching for something to tell me that I don't have to live on the edge anymore.  I don't have to build protection from the world that is bound to come crashing down around me.  Until now, I haven't found that.  I have found staggering divorce rates, even among those treated for bipolar disorder.  I have heard accounts of people being stable for years, then losing it all in the blink of an eye.  I have heard person after person saying that all is good.... for now.  Not one person has told me that bipolar disorder isn't an ugly monster that is ready to jump out from behind the curtain at any moment.  Not one person has told me that with the proper treatment life is enjoyable and even peaceful.  For the last year, I have kept my guard up high, so high it's been impossible to relax enough to enjoy the goodness, the positive changes I've seen in my husband.

The Hell of Me sounded so familiar that I finally believe I have a peek into exactly what my husband suffered through from the time he was a child until he was 33 years old.  The book's author seems to have had very similar experiences to my husband, which many bipolar sufferers share.  The biggest piece I understand now is the constant chatter in the head.  Not being able to shut down thoughts has got to be annoying.  I experience that to a small degree, but I couldn't image truly NOT being able to stop thinking and going.

If you have a family member who has been diagnosed with bipolar, I urge you to pick up this book. Even though it is short, it is well worth the $3 I spent for this Kindle edition.  I honestly believe that knowledge is power, and I have added yet another weapon into my arsenal against bipolar.

Five Sentence Fiction: View

I found this really cute writing prompt, and I just had to give it a try.  I've been reading the Five Sentence Fiction writings on a couple of other blogs now for awhile, and I am AMAZED at what people can do with just five sentences.  We'll see what I can do.

Here is what Five Sentence Fiction is all about:
Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week I will post a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word. The word does not have to appear in your five sentences, just use it for direction.

This week's prompt was:  View.  Warning:  There is a word that many people take offense to in the writing below.  I don't use it often on my blog, but when I do I use it with much thought.  For this particular piece of writing, I thought it was appropriate.  The character wouldn't have sounded right without the strong language.  I do understand if readers choose not to continue after reading this warning, but if you do, I hope you enjoy my first stab at Five Sentence Fiction.

Sitting on the backyard porch swing where they had spent so many hours together, Janie knew Roger wasn't ever coming back.  The leisurely morning coffee shared on the back porch, the late afternoon hikes in the middle of the fall, and the evening star gazing were all finished.  Nothing would ever be the same.  Janie twisted the ring off her finger and threw it out into the night, hitting the raccoon that was just waiting for her to go inside so he could raid the garbage can.  She screamed into the night air as she turned to retire for another restless night, "Fucking cancer....WHY?"

July Goals

How in the WORLD did it become July already?  Seriously, I know I was working most of June, but still....
Well, here are my goals this month.

Personal:  I would love to finish reading at least two more novels before heading back to school.  I think I've gotten into a pretty good routine of reading for 30-60 minutes before going to sleep, so this should be pretty realistic.  I'm trying to read a book called "Alex," by Adam J. Nicolai.  The book is GREAT, but it is a ghost story.  I can only read for about 15 minutes before I've scared myself enough that I know I won't sleep if I continue to read.  Ug, why do I have to be so sensitive in this way?

Family:  It's time to get Andrea registered for junior high school.  What?!  My goal for this month is to get her all set with what she needs to be successful this school year.  I heard the list of supplies is a long one.  I'm NOT thrilled about back-to-school shopping.  I think we spend more at this time of year than we do for Christmas.

Health:  I don't think I got in as much exercise as I wanted to last month.  I'm going to blame my curriculum committee mapping project, though the fact is I just got side-tracked.  I don't do well with morning exercise as it takes so much out of me.  By the time evening comes around I'm either too wiped out or I'm caught up in evening chores.  I know.... all excuses.  My goal this month is to get on the treadmill at least once a week for 30 minutes.  That's a realistic start that I should be able to build on.

School:  Well, by this time next month we will have finished our first day of school with our new classes.  I would say this month is all about preparing my classroom and welcoming my students.  I THINK my classroom decoration is pretty much done.  I just have to do my leadership board, and I forgot to get butcher paper for that before the office shut down for the week, so that will have to wait until at least Monday.  Right now I'm working on my Open House introduction letter.

Blog:  I have loved writing again, but I know that once school starts it really is going to be hard to keep up.  My training schedule for the month doesn't look too bad, though.  I would like to make sure to get a post up at least twice each week this month.  Pictures of my classroom should be coming soon!

Outside the Box:  This month is going to be all about staying calm and focused.  I got to meet with my grade level team this week.  It was really neat catching up with the other returning teacher and meeting the new one.  I think it's going to be an awesome year.  I just want to stay positive and excited right now and not give in to the stress that is bound to creep up.