SOLSC 31 of 31!! A Slice for You!

A Special Slice For All

I offer to you a slice of a multilayered chocolate cake

To celebrate the last 31 days of sharing by new found friends.

Baked to perfection, the layers of our lives offered to all,

Held together with decadent gooey  frosting, the carefully crafted words.

Garnished with fresh fruit dipped in a glaze, the details to be savored by all.

The whole creation finished with a flourish of chocolate curls, a taste of everyone’s uniqueness while recognizing a familiar sameness.

I look forward to sharing another slice, filled with new flavors and surprises!

SOLSC One Day to Go The Wait for Weight

How many times can a person lose 20 pounds or so? Unfortunately I am finding out for at least the third time.

I have been writing down what I eat, weighing and measuring portions, counting the points, drinking the water, watching the scale. Each week I formally weigh in. Down .2 of a pound! Are you kidding? Just planning healthy meals, writing it all down and fretting should have reflected at least a 5-pound loss on the scale.

Why is it so easy to put the pounds on? Without any journaling or planning I have on occasion successfully added 5 pounds in a week.

Just this last week, I passed up hors d’oeurves, dumplings, a mountain of cheese and even wine at a reception. No problem. I turned my head at two kinds of cupcakes with gooey frosting, dips, snack mix and pizza at a shower at school. No problem. The problem is that the scale won’t work with me, reflecting all my effort and sacrifice.

After putting on my lightest weight workout clothes, shedding my (I’m sure it’s heavy) jewelry and taking just a sip of water on my way home, I went for the weekly weigh in. I was rewarded with .4 of a pound loss this week. Euphoria crossed my mind and then reality told me that the weight wasn’t even that of two sticks of butter.

I know the eating is healthy too and that counts for something. But I don’t know if I can stand the wait to say good-bye to this weight.

SOLSC Day 29 of 31 In Awe of Fifth Graders!

Over half my day is spent working with students in Kindergarten through third grade who need extra help with reading and writing. I have always loved the challenge of working with these kids who need support to become effective readers.

Though the rest of my day is spent doing other miscellaneous literacy focused activities (not the point of this slice!), the last few years I have also added two groups of fifth grade students who are extremely capable readers to my week. Their exuberance and quickly generated thoughts help to balance my week.

With each group a book is selected and together we decide the length of the reading for the week. Since we only meet once a week, it takes several weeks to complete a book. The weekly discussions revolve around the questions and wonderings they have had for the week. We strive to have it interactive without raising their hands as in the larger classroom setting.

At the end of a book we recently completed, I asked them to take two weeks and choose a way to reflect on their reading. Though I offered some suggestions, they were encouraged to put their self-motivation and creativity to work.

The day they brought their “projects” to school they charged into my room, most pleading to share first. I had to control my jaw from dropping as they began their sharing. The first girl whisked her memory stick out of a pocket, placed it into my computer as if it were her own, turned on the smart board and was good to go. She very confidently presented her PowerPoint complete with bulleted highlights while perched on my stool. Next was a boy who accessed his home personal website and opened his project from there. He had created a portrayal of his favorite parts of the book and an aerial view of the train station from the description in the book. He used virtual Legos from a website he knew to do this. Next came the student who asked where the electrical outlet was. He had brought sections of his train set and characters designed from actual Legos which he used to reenact favorite scenes. Another girl developed an abbreviated version of the story written as if an important character had not been in the story. She wrote extensively about how all the other characters and events would have been effected. 

Each reflection presented was so individual and filled with thought beyond most 10 year old students. What a pleasure it was to observe! None of these depictions had been on my suggestion sheet or discussed in our conversations (hooray!). I felt such admiration for their creativity, ingenuity and self-motivation. I have little doubt that their success will continue as they head to the Middle School next year.

SOLSC Day 28 of 31 Best Not Judge

After a doctor appointment at the hospital, I was waiting in line in my car to pay for parking. The line was long, seemingly never ending due to the time. I must admit I was starting to grumble in my head about how much I might be paying for not only the parking time but the wait in line, in addition to burning expensive gas! My head was still grumbling as I approached the payment booth. Stopping to pay, I took a hard look at the attendant. He looked familiar.

Sebastian?

Yes!

I heard you speak at my church a few weeks ago.

So good to see you.

Very few words were exchanged but my head went into gear as I pulled away.

How many times do we entertain the thought of the attendant and how underappreciated their job might be, wondering if there was a job they might rather have. How long have they had this job and how much longer would they have it? Maybe even a stab of sympathy is felt.

Having previously heard Sebastian speak certainly made me smile. He was in this job to earn money to put toward finishing his college degree. He is one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. He had an unimaginable personal journey in Sudan and has continued on another for many years in the U.S. He is now a U.S. citizen and is planning a trip to the Sudan this summer to make arrangements for starting the construction of a school in the town of his birth.

Clearly he has aspirations and has worked unimaginably hard to achieve his goals. This job is just a brief road stop. He has high aspirations and ambition beyond belief.

It really reminded me not to judge anyone in the booth. Who knows what their personal journey has been or what it might be.

SOLSC Day 27 of 31 Dream

Though the temperatures still hover at the freezing point, the sun warms me inside and out and ignites dreams of a short April get away as well as outside moments to come this summer! It’s like holiday visions of sugar plums; visions of sun, warmth and breezes (hopefully from the ocean!) dancing in my head.

The bowl captured while shopping yesterday had me grabbing books from my shelf that wander like my mind and plant the seeds for ideas of small adventures we might take over the next few months.

The planning and dreaming are an important part of the adventure!

SOLSC Day 25 of 31 Retail Therapy

Since the announcement card arrived in the mail, I eagerly awaited the reopening of a favorite gift shop that is about 25 minutes from where I live. The store closes after the holidays to again open their doors at the end of March. 

This was the weekend!! As I drove through back roads, I kept imagining this wonderland with its newly displayed treasures that could help me transform my home from snowman land to a fresh spring meadow. This shop has so many unique items and a unique owner. She has the talent of displaying things so that they take your breath away as they draw you into the I think I have to have it frame of mind. There are no simple purchases; it is hard to leave behind any one of the half dozen items nestled together creating the perfect display. I am definitely speaking from experience here.

Picking up my pace, I walked up the long driveway to the converted house. My anticipation heightened as my eyes soaked in the spring flags, tin flowers, butterflies and bunnies lining my path. Walking through the familiar door provided a feast for the senses. Beautifully scented country candles greeted me. Which should I choose?  Oh and the moss to match and how can I leave the ribbon covered eggs behind? Maybe the little fence around the candle would be the finishing touch to create my magazine like display. Breathe deeply, I kept reminding myself, and wander through all the rooms and then decide.

Much like a child in a candy shop I had to show some reserve, as I knew that I had previous years’ treasures waiting in still packed away boxes at home.

I did however make several purchases to feed my spring awaiting soul; a tonic for the senses and the creative side of me. 

SOLSC Day 25 of 31 I Know You Can!

This is a small tribute to a first grade student who has been struggling to unlock the reading code. I read with him one on one today in the remedial setting since the rest of his group was absent.  He selected some books and as he got to the middle of one,  he looked at me and said, "I can read!" It must have felt right to him today as he put his strategies to work. What a treasure it was to have been there when he made this discovery!

Yes

I know you can.

You pick up the book

Point just right

To the parade of words

That is in your sight

Your mouth is ready

Out come sounds

Blending so perfectly

Saying words you found

You keep on going

See your look

It’s coming together

Marching through the book

“You know, I can read!”

Yes

I know you can.