Someone wrote in last Sunday's paper about 6 must read mystery novels. I want to check them out, not sure if I have read all of them. So I thought I would list them here and maybe later write my thoughts.
1. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes, of course)
2. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (think I have read this)
3. The Moving Target by Ross Macdonald
4. Strangers on a Train byPatricia Highsmith (was this a movie?)
5. A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George (read some of her books)
6. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
I am reading a series by Ann Purser. I bought the first one but found some at the library. The cover says it is for fans of the British cozy with a twist. Whatever it is called, I'm enjoying reading them.
All for now.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Thursday, November 13, 2014
What, me, write for an encyclopedia?
Well, sort of an encyclopedia. I have been asked and accepted to write 3000 words on the topic "Building Vocabulary through think-aloud/read aloud". Oh, Yes! I think I can write about that.
The article? will be part of a volume on vocabulary for second language learners. I have looked over the writing guidelines. I think I can do this. I want to do a great job.
Of course, no money is involved in this writing opportunity. But I have wanted to write a journal article and didn't really know where to start.
Looking back at my title, I remembered when we got encyclopedias at our house. I was nine years old. Whenever I didn't have a book to read, I would read the encyclopedias. Which probably led to my know-it-all attitude. What can I say?
Psyching myself up. This is just a little longer than one national board entry. I can do this!
The article? will be part of a volume on vocabulary for second language learners. I have looked over the writing guidelines. I think I can do this. I want to do a great job.
Of course, no money is involved in this writing opportunity. But I have wanted to write a journal article and didn't really know where to start.
Looking back at my title, I remembered when we got encyclopedias at our house. I was nine years old. Whenever I didn't have a book to read, I would read the encyclopedias. Which probably led to my know-it-all attitude. What can I say?
Psyching myself up. This is just a little longer than one national board entry. I can do this!
Sunday, October 26, 2014
What I'm listening to and remembering
Since my favorite radio station has been fund raising this past week, I have been listening to my Celtic Woman CDs as I drive around town. And when I listen to Celtic Woman I remember the concert we enjoyed at Red Rocks a few years ago.
It was a birthday present to me. Joey and Jessie still lived in the Denver area and we all went to the concert. I know it's not their music style but the concert was wonderful and the venue is outstanding. I wanted to get on stage and sing with CW. So glad we went and I can visualize the concert when I listen to their music.
My life has been about music, listening, singing, playing, and performing. I am so thankful for music.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Some Times I Feel Like a Motherless Child
When I was a teenager I would play the piano and sing sad songs and feel sorry for myself. After looking at posts on Facebook and looking at quilting blogs I'm ready to find some sad songs to play. I am overwhelmed with my lack of ability in things I thought I was good at.
And singing sad songs helps me get over feeling sorry for myself.
Friday, August 22, 2014
For the birds, butterflies, and cats?
We have a few favorite flowers around the yard. The morning glories and cypress vines are growing on the mailbox.
I love these in the planter by the front door. They may not attract butterflies but they are very hardy and need very little attention.
This garden 'room' is outside the kitchen windows. Birds come to the two birdbaths. Butterflies and hummingbirds visit the blooms. We can watch from inside and they don't seem to notice us.
The butterfly bush blooms and blooms.
Don't know the name of these airy flowers but they have bloomed twice this summer.
Jane has to check things out every morning.
When the weather is cold and dreary, I will revisit these photos and enjoy the flowers again.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Back to the routine
It's time to get back to my work routine after a very enjoyable summer break. I haven't written anything since late April. I check other blogs regularly but just haven't taken the time to write on this one.
This summer is the first one in about ten years that I have had the whole summer free. No summer school taking up the month of June. It has been wonderful.
First we took a trip to Rome. We saw all the touristy sights, ate wonderful food, walked, took buses and trains, and generally had a great visit.
As soon as we came back I flew to DC to take part in a test review workshop. I learned a lot about how the tests are constructed and field tested. It gave me valuable insight into how this particular test works.
The last two weeks of June I attended all of the rounds of the International Ballet Competition held here in Jackson. The dancers were incredible. I have tried to attend every time the competition is held here. This year I bought two passes to all the rounds. Different friends and relatives shared each session with me. I was glad to share the experience with them.
Another June activity was researching family history at the archives. My cousin and I found newspaper notices of my mother and her twin brother's birth and their twin cousins' birth. Just reading about small town goings on was fun. I went back by myself to look for more birth announcements but did not find them.
July was full of sewing, reading, swimming, and yoga classes. I tried all the daytime yoga classes offered at my gym. I read a stack of books that I picked up at IRA in May. When I finished those I started on the Elm Creek Quilters series that my sister-in-law lent me. I will write more about all the books I read this summer in another post.
Two end of summer professional opportunities rounded out summer 2014. MRA Leadership was the last week end in July. I took over as president and was very pleased with the group of literacy educators who joined us this year. We hope to make a difference this year in our state, nation, and world.
Finally, last week I presented three professional development sessions for my district. Not very many people came but I'm glad I did it.
Best things about the summer-sleeping late and swimming every morning.
This summer is the first one in about ten years that I have had the whole summer free. No summer school taking up the month of June. It has been wonderful.
First we took a trip to Rome. We saw all the touristy sights, ate wonderful food, walked, took buses and trains, and generally had a great visit.
As soon as we came back I flew to DC to take part in a test review workshop. I learned a lot about how the tests are constructed and field tested. It gave me valuable insight into how this particular test works.
The last two weeks of June I attended all of the rounds of the International Ballet Competition held here in Jackson. The dancers were incredible. I have tried to attend every time the competition is held here. This year I bought two passes to all the rounds. Different friends and relatives shared each session with me. I was glad to share the experience with them.
Another June activity was researching family history at the archives. My cousin and I found newspaper notices of my mother and her twin brother's birth and their twin cousins' birth. Just reading about small town goings on was fun. I went back by myself to look for more birth announcements but did not find them.
July was full of sewing, reading, swimming, and yoga classes. I tried all the daytime yoga classes offered at my gym. I read a stack of books that I picked up at IRA in May. When I finished those I started on the Elm Creek Quilters series that my sister-in-law lent me. I will write more about all the books I read this summer in another post.
Two end of summer professional opportunities rounded out summer 2014. MRA Leadership was the last week end in July. I took over as president and was very pleased with the group of literacy educators who joined us this year. We hope to make a difference this year in our state, nation, and world.
Finally, last week I presented three professional development sessions for my district. Not very many people came but I'm glad I did it.
Best things about the summer-sleeping late and swimming every morning.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Funny Recollections
More Tuesday memories with mom.
She started talking about her year on a Virginia farm when she lived with her aunt and uncle. She and her twin brother went to live on the farm because food and money were scarce in Brookhaven. She cried sometimes at meals in Virginia because there was so much food and she knew they were hungry back home.
Her uncle was a postman/farmer. Their farm grew everything they needed except coffee and sugar, so the story goes. Mom remembered that when they were heading back home, her aunt asked if she wanted to stay a little longer because the king and queen of England were coming to visit the US in a few months. Recently Mom googled the royal visit and found out it was 1938. So she and uncle John had come the year before when they were twelve.
She said the two of them were very homesick the whole time they were there. Then she started remembering the games and silliness of living with seven siblings. Younger sister Becky was a dare-devil. She would hang by her knees from the rafters in the barn and she would 'skin-the-cat' on a pipe lodged between the pickets of the fence where the fence was about 6 feet high.
The four girls would play jacks and convince their three brothers to play, too. Then the girls would have to play mumbly peg with the boys. This game consisted of flipping a pen knife into the dirt from different points on the body-wrist, elbow, shoulder, head. The loser had to pull out a matchstick with his/her teeth that the winners pounded into the dirt with the pen knife. Mom said she always hoped that they would be called to supper before the end of the game.
Grandmother Corona was a member of all the ladies' clubs in town until one fateful day. She came home and found that the girls had locked the boys out of the house and were splashing water on the boys when they tried to open the screen door. (Mom was pretty sure Betty headed up this operation.)
After that day when asked to join the bridge club, WMU, or garden club ladies Corona told everyone that she could not come because she had to look after the seven heathens at her house. Mom said the kids were often called 'heathens' by their mom.
Some of the games she remembered playing were hopscotch, devil in the ditch, who's got the button, and monopoly. On hot days they played on the shady porch on the cool concrete.
I asked about the main businesses in Brookhaven. My grandfather had a law practice and an interest in a lumber company. The next door neighbor, Daisy, worked in the office of the other lumber company in town. Mom said the office was above the Rexall Drugstore. So Daisy knew when any of the seven little Sauls kids was sick. She would order a milkshake for the invalid. It would be delivered by a boy on a bicycle who held the the shake in one hand balanced on a platter. Impressive to a sick kid, I'm sure.
That's about it for this memory lane trip.
She started talking about her year on a Virginia farm when she lived with her aunt and uncle. She and her twin brother went to live on the farm because food and money were scarce in Brookhaven. She cried sometimes at meals in Virginia because there was so much food and she knew they were hungry back home.
Her uncle was a postman/farmer. Their farm grew everything they needed except coffee and sugar, so the story goes. Mom remembered that when they were heading back home, her aunt asked if she wanted to stay a little longer because the king and queen of England were coming to visit the US in a few months. Recently Mom googled the royal visit and found out it was 1938. So she and uncle John had come the year before when they were twelve.
She said the two of them were very homesick the whole time they were there. Then she started remembering the games and silliness of living with seven siblings. Younger sister Becky was a dare-devil. She would hang by her knees from the rafters in the barn and she would 'skin-the-cat' on a pipe lodged between the pickets of the fence where the fence was about 6 feet high.
The four girls would play jacks and convince their three brothers to play, too. Then the girls would have to play mumbly peg with the boys. This game consisted of flipping a pen knife into the dirt from different points on the body-wrist, elbow, shoulder, head. The loser had to pull out a matchstick with his/her teeth that the winners pounded into the dirt with the pen knife. Mom said she always hoped that they would be called to supper before the end of the game.
Grandmother Corona was a member of all the ladies' clubs in town until one fateful day. She came home and found that the girls had locked the boys out of the house and were splashing water on the boys when they tried to open the screen door. (Mom was pretty sure Betty headed up this operation.)
After that day when asked to join the bridge club, WMU, or garden club ladies Corona told everyone that she could not come because she had to look after the seven heathens at her house. Mom said the kids were often called 'heathens' by their mom.
Some of the games she remembered playing were hopscotch, devil in the ditch, who's got the button, and monopoly. On hot days they played on the shady porch on the cool concrete.
I asked about the main businesses in Brookhaven. My grandfather had a law practice and an interest in a lumber company. The next door neighbor, Daisy, worked in the office of the other lumber company in town. Mom said the office was above the Rexall Drugstore. So Daisy knew when any of the seven little Sauls kids was sick. She would order a milkshake for the invalid. It would be delivered by a boy on a bicycle who held the the shake in one hand balanced on a platter. Impressive to a sick kid, I'm sure.
That's about it for this memory lane trip.
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