My cards have mainly fit into two categories: Bunnies and Flowers, including my favorite, daisies.
Bunnies!
Daisies and Flowers!
And a third theme, the one already represented on my fireplace mantel — snowmen.
Snowman!
The snowman has a little surprise in store. Snow-buddy represents two of the major food groups:
Chocolate and Coffee.
You were thinking vegetables and protein? You make me laugh. But the final picture made me smile. Enjoy.
This guarantees that I will smile and get better.
Two years ago – February of 2012, in fact – I posted this picture.
A new table has turned up in our hallway. I happened to be in the building for a different reason (I’m on sick leave recovering from surgery, remember?) so my chauffeur (Petunia) and I stopped by the table to pick up lists. I do have time for reading as I heal, so I might look into getting a few of the titles I haven’t yet read.
But wow. There are a lot of books that I haven’t read on the list . On the list for grades 7-8, I’ve read five out of the ten titles. In those for grade 9 and 10, I’ve read one, exactly one, out of the suggested sixteen. In fact, I read it and reviewed it and found it fascinating. Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer — here’s the review.
None of the previously listed books are here, so I’m guessing those already approved might remain part of the curriculum. I’ll start with those I know, and then see what I can find on Paperback Swap and at the downtown library.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is on my Kindle. Now I have motivation to read it.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls is a classic piece of literature in many categories. I remember a gifted sixth grade reader asking to borrow it from my shelf, and then asking a friend to reminisce. “Remember when we were in third grade and Mrs. Sippi couldn’t finish reading this aloud because she cried?” Red Fern belongs on the “Read it with a box of tissues” shelf with Stone Fox and Walk Two Moons. The story is wonderful, and the setting is just foreign enough to my local kiddos that it will keep their attention.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a popular favorite. Personally, I might leave this out of books to read in class because so many young people are picking up the trilogy and seeing the movies.
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen and Holes by Louis Sachar have been “listed” for years. Both are excellent, and fairly easy reads for grades 7 and 8. Hoot shows a typical Hiaasen environmental bias and is a lot of fun to follow. I’ve read this aloud to fourth graders (who hadn’t seen the movie) and it was a hit. Holes? Brilliant. Louis Sachar braids present with historical and a hint of supernatural and somehow it all comes together seamlessly in the end. Fans of Holes might also enjoy Small Steps, also by Sachar, which follows two of the inmates from Holes into their life after Camp Green Lake. I read Small Steps to my 6th graders, most of whom knew Holes, and they took to it like shovels to snow. Um, poor analogy there, sorry.
Lemony Snicket’s opening salvo in his Series of Unfortunate Events also appears here, and my reaction is similar to The Hunger Games in that so many students have already read this and its many sequels. Lemony Snicket has a lot of fun with language, and that leads to a humorous telling of otherwise disastrous tales. The Bad Beginning is short and the plot is simple, leading to a quick and relatively easy read. Since this is the first in a lengthy series, it offers a chance to get readers interested in the characters and the story structure and read more of the same. That would be the strongest reason for me to assign The Bad Beginning for students to read.
Now I’ll dive into the rest of the list and see what I can swap, download, or check out for the remainder of my sick leave. Readers, let me know. Leave a comment. Have you read any of those I discussed or any of the rest of the list here?
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
The Boy in Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Four Perfect Pebbles: A Holocaust Story by Lila & Lazan Pearl and Marion Blumenthal
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke and Christian Birmingham
That’s the list for grades 7 & 8. I’ll share the rest with you later.
As seen on social media –
- Free snowman, some assembly required, you haul…..
- Beginning to think we may not have mail service today.
- Snowing like crazy and whiteout conditions! Already have 6 inches and more to come!
- It’s coming down and supposed to get heavier as the day goes on. I am currently doing the snow day happy dance.
- Snow is on the way. When do we get out of this pattern?
- Snow scatter is pretty.
Are you getting the idea yet? I hear you thinking: Daisy, you live in NE Wisconsin. You are a fan of the NFL’s venue nicknamed the Frozen Tundra. Why would you post crazy snowstorm highlights?
Folks, this is not my yard. And this is not my truck, either.
I give in. Much of the land is experiencing wild weather, and much of that stormy weather is in areas that aren’t used to being pounded and pummeled like we are in the upper Midwest. They get snow, but not piles like ours. Here’s the weather map. Please think warm thoughts and send good vibes toward my friends in Kansas.
On a summer day or a regular work day, I’d be taking a break now after hitting my stride around mid-morning. Today, one week post-surgery, I was home from errands and appointments by 10:00 and ready to settle in for a long winter’s nap. And it’s all good. I’m recognizing that.
Step one: since I’m not driving yet (the discharge instructions said two weeks), so Petunia came over to do the driving. We always chat on the way, so that’s good.
Step two: health “assessment” at my school building. Basic blood draw, height, weight, blood pressure, body mass index. Optional, supposedly, but you know how these things work. If I “participate”, I get a small discount on my insurance premiums. If I don’t, well, I don’t. Many of us with chronic and/or recent health conditions resent this requirement because it offers us no new information. .
I did it anyway, nodded my head at the nurse who told me I was overweight (honey, I just dropped five pounds, some of that in removal of reproductive organs, and I already feel better) and my body mass index put me in a danger range. I’m aware of this problem, among others. I’ll deal with it head on.
Step two and a half: breakfast! The Clinic That Shall Not Be Named hosts a small branch of a local coffeehouse, so Petunia and I treated ourselves to refreshing beverages and I had a little breakfast. Yum.
As we got up to go, I was the recipient of a random act of kindness. A young man wearing a stethoscope paid for my refill. I didn’t know him, or at least I didn’t recognize him. It was surprising and a little unusual.
Step three: post op follow up appointment with surgeon. He answered my questions, told me what to expect, set me up with a follow up visit, and then we were done. Quick, painless, and on my way.
Step three and a half: stop home and pick up package for mailing.
Step four: Go to post office, mail package.
Step five: That’s enough steps for one week post-surgery. It’s time to rest. But first, I’ll reheat my coffee (thanks, random stranger!) and settle into my favorite corner of the couch to watch a morning news show. Ah, the simple pleasures.
Okay, readers, here’s my question for you. Please suggest various random acts of kindness. Next time I have the opportunity, I’ll pay it forward in honor of the stranger who bought my coffee. Random acts of kindness can be small; they just need to be unexpected and kind.
Works for me.
Sometimes, it’s just wiser to keep hands off the keyboard. It’s not that any of these posts were bad, just that they were rather dull and at times, whiny. And really, folks, in the big picture, I get over it. But sometimes, just once in a while, a blog is a good venue in which to rant and complain. Because, I said because, releasing tension makes for a better night’s sleep.
I am tired and sore and even a little cold and shivery today. Maybe going out to lunch yesterday was a little too much for my energy level. Solution: double blankets, couch, nap. Between naps, rest. And if Amigo sneaks into my spot on the couch while I’m in the shower – I’ll get even. I’ll grab my blankets and a pillow and tuck myself into his bean bag chair.
The daily injections of the anti-clotting drug seemed to be going fine – until I realized I’d given myself a bruise every time. As long as I’m getting the meds injected and they’re getting absorbed properly, I’ll put up with a tummy that resembles the surface of the moon. I mean, really, I’m not a low-rider jeans or bikini babe type, even in the best of weather. But allow me to feel a little disgruntled. Jabbing myself in the tummy with a needle isn’t a happy thought even on the best of days. Maybe I should plan the landscape as I choose a new spot each day. I could connect the dots with multi-colored Sharpies.
If I start posting updates like this, it’s time to take my laptop away and hand me another blanket. Coffee or chocolate might help. I wouldn’t turn down a big bag of fast food popcorn, either. If I post a picture – well, then take my camera and hide it. Now.
On the positive side, Buttercup the service bunny seems a little less worried about me. She attached herself to my side when I came home from the hospital by establishing a spot under a chair next to the daybed I’m using. I came back from a bathroom trip that night to find her standing right next to the door, staring at me disapprovingly (trust me, she does this well). She doesn’t give me the evil eye any more when I’m out of bed. She must know something is going well.
So now comes the big question. If these are posts I will refrain from sharing on social media, should I share the link on Facebook and Twitter when this post goes live?
Chuck had the week off and spent much of it in the kitchen. He goes back to work next week on a normal workweek schedule. As normal, that is, as normal can be in an NFL market not represented in the Big Bowl in the Jersey Snow.
Meanwhile, back at the O.K. Chorale, Amigo and I will be tasked with cooking our own meals. I will still have limitations to what I can do in terms of lifting and bending, so we’re thinking and planning ahead.
Tip number one: Chuck is making extras. When we make leftovers on purpose, it’s called planned=overs. Amigo and I will be able to slip a leftover into the microwave and call it Lunch.
Tip number two: Chuck and Amigo will make a trip to the corner meat market six blocks from home. Their task: bring home chicken pot pie and/or pre-made lasagna. If anything else jumps off the shelf or out of the freezer section, I could be in a positive frame of mind toward anything that Amigo can cook. I’m willing to offer help, as long as he handles the bending and lifting.
Tip number three: Chuck and I picked up several pantry basics such as beans in many colors, soup mixes (not cans), and chili fixins. If the pantry is full, a pantry raid supper is a simple plan.