07/04/19, Sunday

Here is the link to Shel's obituary : https://bonneywatson.com/obituaries/2019/07/Michelle-Marie-L yon.html

I so clearly hear her voice !

Thank you, Diane. It was good to be able to go to an actual place and dwell in memorial of Shel for a while.

Thank you for posting this.

This is the quote that I read in my book this morning. It made me think of Shel, high on a summit. I wish for all of us those transcendent experiences big and small ...

Quote: For one wild, glad moment we snapped the chain that binds us to earth, and joining hands with the winds we felt ourselves divine! ~ Helen Keller, humanitarian/writer

Anne are you safely home from your night in the big city?

Thanks, DD. I got home last night at almost midnight. The play was OK, but the outing was better. :)

This afternoon I'm going to see the new Tarantino film, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

I'm feeling better. Socializing definitely helps.

I generally avoid Tarantino films because of the graphic violence, but I saw and truly enjoyed this one. I would say it was poignant on many levels. The violence was mostly contained to one scene, so I was able to close my eyes. I'll be curious to hear your thoughts.

Loved Leo's and Brad's performances.

And the dog deserves an Oscar! :)

Good morning! It's going to be another warm one today, though not quite as hot as yesterday. Should only reach the low 90s today.

Diane, thanks for posting the link. The obituary is lovely. Reading it was a nice way to start off my day. It was nice to learn something new about Shel. I did not know about her piano background. Yet another thing I admire about her. Pianists hold a special place in the adoration chamber of my heart!

I've had two nights of not great sleep - lots of waking up, tossing and turning, type of nights. No reason for the poor sleep that I can think of either. I'm sure it's just temporary.

My weight has been steady for the week since we've been back from camping. This is good, but it is time to start working on losing a few more pounds.

I am going to school today to work in my classroom. I have placed to huge garbage bins in my room so I can do some serious purging. I have things stored away I haven't used in years and it is time they went away. I need less clutter in my work life, not to mention my home life.

I am tasked, too, with making a clear commitment to how much "outside of school" time I will allow myself or force myself to do work. I cannot have another year like last year. If I do, I will have to find another job within the district. I can't go another 7 years with that level of stress and upset. I have made inquiries about a reading intervention position, but it is not full time. I can't afford to work less than full time, so I am directly asking if it can be turned into a full time position. It never hurts to ask, right?

Well, that's pretty much it for me. Over and out, my friends.

I almost never bring work home. I'd rather work late in my classroom and keep the two separate. I have that option because there are no dogs or kids waiting for my attention. One of my co workers refers to the work she brings home as her "bag of good intentions". She schleps it home, but doesn't always get to it. :)

For me it's more than that at this point. My district has adopted new LA and math curricula that require (as written) hours of prep and planning each day. I am not exaggerating either. We are supposed to do the Lucy Calkins Readers and Writers workshops daily, plus a program called Bridges in Mathematics (which is really two programs). The Calkins lessons are usually 10-13 pages to sort through for each workshop model and the math takes a good 60 minutes to prep most days (which is longer than the lessons actually last!). It's a lot of work for minor, if any, increase in student achievement. We have no daily prep time and we are paid for only 7 hours per day. We are with students 6 hours and 35 minutes. I have pushed for an 8 hour contract day for years, but the district won't go for it. It would sure make a lot more sense, in my opinion, but of course, that would cost them money. It is no longer a profession I would recommend to any young person who is seeking a balanced life. Well, at least not in California. I think it is better in other areas of the country.