Monthly Archives: March 2013

Read it again! And again!

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When I write for Connections Academy’s national blog, my drafts go through at least three other people before I see a “final” draft that’s ready for my approval. This time I made a few more changes. I moved two sentences in order to practice what I preach in class and keep the content of a paragraph related to the topic sentence. I asked (politely, but I did ask) that most of the exclamation points be changed to periods, as it really didn’t sound like “my voice” the way it was. To be totally truthful, I felt like it read like a late-night ad on TV. “Buy before midnight and you’ll get two! Two for the price of one! And a wall holder, too! Such a deal!”

Finally, I chose a title from the SEO-generated list. I refused to choose one that singled out Moms with no mention of Dads or other extended family. I preferred the title that used the word Power, but I didn’t want to specify children, either, so I added my two cents to the title as well.

Believe it or not, the corporate social media gurus accepted my suggestions and my request for calmer punctuation so the content could speak for itself. Here it is, readers, Daisy’s latest post on the education front.

The Power of Rereading with Kids of All Ages

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Personalizing the Cube

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Teachers in brick and mortar schools, the standard classrooms with four walls and a ceiling, decorate for their students. Posters, bulletin boards, themes, student work – you name it, it’s on the walls. A classroom becomes by design a very welcoming place.

I teach from a cubicle. Decorating the cube is a little different. First, I organize my electronics for easiest access and maximum comfort. If I can reach the phone and the computer with ease, I’m ready to work. Next, I arrange basic teaching files, both electronic and paper, so I can reach both copies of my lessons without leaving my chair.

But welcoming – I do need to come into my cube and have the comforts of a home-away-from home around me. Chuck would call this a Cubicle Survival Kit. You’ve seen the fingerless gloves I keep in one drawer. Here are a few other components in the survival kit.

Plant life and flowers

Plant life and flowers

The flowers were from Chuck on Valentine’s Day. They beautified my bookshelf for almost two weeks. The plant on the left was a gift from a family grateful for my extra time and efforts.

On the top shelf, you can catch a glimpse of a few other survival tools: a Rubic’s cube, a cube-shaped trivia game, and on the right, my mantra of “Keep Calm and Garden On.”

I voted!

I voted!

My cane graces the cubicle with its lovely green color and the sticker from last month’s primary election.

Mail for me?

Mail for me?

And finally, how can a cubicle be less than happy when the mail regularly arrives sporting stickers?

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Thrift fun and an Encore Performance

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I went thrifting today and found – instead of telling you, I’ll show you.

What a deal!

What a deal!

Pants on the left: 75 cents.

Jacket in the middle: a light wool coat, Talbots brand, $4.50.

My favorite: denim Fleet Farm jacket, $2.95. And lest you think I’m joking, I tried on the jacket. Despite Fleet Farm’s reputation as the Man’s Mall, the jacket is for me. Because I buy a lot of garden supplies, rabbit food and litter, canning supplies, and more at Fleet Farm, this jacket is not just a cool piece of kitsch. It’s simply cool.

Not to mention that buying this jacket reminded me of an old post – enjoy Top Ten Reasons I adore Fleet Farm.

10. Fleet Farm had the tomato supports I needed when no one else in town stocked them.

9. My receipts come with a discount on gas at their gas station. If I fill up the minivan there after making a purchase, I save. I fill my van so seldom; if I can wait to fill the tank when I’m at Fleet Farm, it’s a winner.

8. The clerk at the Fleet gas station resembles a young Brad Paisley. If the teen girls start hanging around the bait counter, we’ll know why.

7. I can resist most impulse buys because of the unique merchandise. I do not need a blaze orange negligee. Really, honey.

6. I said most impulse buys, not all. I did buy a small funnel for my jam. It turned out to be a perfect fit for the tops of the jars, and it prevented waste and messes. I’ve never seen this little gizmo anywhere else – only at Fleet Farm.

5. It’s a huge store; getting what I need requires exercise. Who needs a treadmill? Who needs to walk the mall? I just shop at Fleet Farm.

4. It’s easier to say than Farm and Fleet.

3. Chuck and I bought our bikes there several years ago, and they’re still going strong.

2. It keeps me humble. Walking from the canning supplies to the garden center I pass through the equine section. There are things on the shelves that a city girl like me will never need. Need? I don’t even know what most of the equine equipment is!

1. At Fleet Farm, I found everything I needed to make my first batch of jam!

 

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