Summer is Still Here! 07/24/2011
At the beginning of the summer, I created a list of things I wanted to acomplish. Most of that list is complete. A trip to Europe, a visit with my mom, some cleaning and writing. I even managed a few more submissions for publication. I'm proud of the items I've stuck to and completed. Still, one goal eludes me. It isn't a spotless house or waxing the car. It is my book. I want to finish my book this summer before I return to work on Aug. 19th. I started the book about 2 years ago, I think. I believed in it then, and I continue to. It seems allow other things to get in the way of my completing the book. I have overcome almost all the selfdoubt in regards to my writing. The manuscript just needs a few rough spots smoothed out. But for some reason, I have not yet been able to complete the book yet. Traveling has taken a big chunk of time, and my ebay selling also pulls at my time. However, with still about a month left, I am determined to finish the book before August 19th! Wish me luck, send me encouragament--PLEASE! I will do my best to keep everyone updated on my progress. Summer is still here, and there is still time. Thanks to all who read the blog and visit the site, you have no idea how valuable your feedback is. I appreciate every page view and ever coment positive or negative-it is all shaping me as a writer! 2 Comments Trip to Europe! 07/17/2011
I remember at 16, believing the world to be an enormous place, and never intending to experience much more than my family and home. I had big dreams at 16. College, career, a family, those were my aspirations. But the world our children have isn't like that. Our kids dream bigger. They will go further and do more. I feel blessed to have been with my girl as her dream of seeing the Eiffel Tower in person became a reality just a few days ago. We spent nearly 18 months in preparation, getting passports, saving money, attending meetings with the group leader and of course, packing. It was a quite an endeavor. We traveled by plane, bus, train, subway, tram and on foot to witness places we had only read about or seen in books. We ate unfamiliar foods, met new people that spoke different languages and learned to thrive in other cultures. It wasn't just a sightseeing trip, it was a journey that afforded us a deeper understanding of the world, it's people and most of all ourselves. The world is indeed big,but learning about each other makes it just a bit smaller. My daughter's dream was not just to take a trip, but to make the world just a bit more familiar for herself. I watched as she and her friends adapted to living with each other in strange places, and my heart swelled with pride when I also learned more about the great kids my daughter selected to be her friends. It was indeed, a trip of a lifetime for all of us. JKH On the Side 06/30/2011
When we go to a restaurant and place an order, we are faced with side dishes. The side dish is meant to compliment the main dish, not take its place. Some menus offer so many choices in sides, it is difficult to choose the one we think we will like best. I remember when one of our daughters was younger, she really wasn't interested in main courses, she wanted to create a meal by ordering several side dishes. Looking at our lives, I see we all appear to have a main dish or two. For example, my main dishes are my family and of course my teaching career. However, it seems I'm always adding side dishes! I write, sell books, cycle, etc. One day, I fear I will be overcome by all these interests. I think it might be in my best interest to sort and sift some of these side dishes more often than I do! The truth is, I find it hard to part with any that remain. So, for now, I will continue with my current side dishes and hope for the best! What are your side dishes? How do they fit into your life? Which ones are you unable to give up? Let me hear from you! JKH What if We treated Learning Like Sports? 06/21/2011
I'm guilty. I was one of those parents who probably pushed my kids into organized sports. I enjoyed watching them as they raced down the soccer field, ran across the tennis court, or swam the length of the pool. Somehow, after working all day, Chuck and I managed to rally ourselves and get them to whatever practice they were required to attend. We watched games and matches, cheered from the sidelines and ordered pizza with the other team parents. Of course, this pales in comparison to other sporting leagues. Once the children become involved in high school sports it's a new level of commitment. If an individual ever makes it big and moves on to the college level and beyond, he/she has invested a large part of themselves into this sport. The player may receive scholarships, a salary, equipment, uniforms, and additional coaching to become better. What if we treated learning this way? Take just a moment with me and think about what that might look like. Parents would take their children to "practice" beyond the school day, we may even pack coolers of drinks and snacks for them. Find lessons and camps to hone skills during the off season. Would we fill a stadium to spectate as the team or individual demonstrated what they have mastered? What could the cheerleaders be chanting? Something like,"Go, go, solve that equation...." The referees and coaches would be avaliable to ensure no one performed outside the guidelines. A coach may have a learner on the bench and say something like, "Okay, next up is the isosceles triangle, now..when you get in there...." All while proud parents, loved ones, or fans observed. "We knew she would be a great reader, she used to walk around the house with books." This example is extreme, of course. Please understand, I love school sports. Participating in sports boosts self esteem, forms bonds, provides physical exercise, and the like. As I stated earlier, I wanted my girls involved in sports, even though we didn't always feel motivated to get them to practice, we took them. We spend our time, energy and resources for sporting events. We create social events surrounding certain games or matches. What would it look like if we nurtured learning the way we nurtured athletic talent in this country? What if we treated learning like sports? As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome. JKH Time to Renew 06/20/2011
For me summer is always the time I utilize for recharging my battery. I enjoy the down time, and intend to get caught up on everything that lapsed during the school year. Housework, closet cleaning, financial matters get a jolt come June. I also try to recommit myself to any personal goals I've been chasing. I re-evaluate my progress toward the usual, physical fitness, being better organized and the like. However, I am proud to be able to say in the last couple of months I have moved much closer to meeting my writing goals. Today is June 2o and I have had about 200 visitors to my site! The blog is becoming more popular with each post. I managed last week to post my work on a few online sites and even got "cherry-picked". Tomorrow, I am sending my story out to a few more magazines. I am closer to becoming published. Still I neglect what I need to be doing most as a writer, and that is writing. I have a few unfinished pieces and some that need some work. As I make my way toward my goals, I find I must continue to add to them. Today, I am adding writing time. In order to reach my dreams I will have to write on a more regular schedule. I know I will attain the level I have decided on, but only if I do my part. As always, comments are welcome. JKH Fiction Friday 06/17/2011
As soon as she entered the waiting room, he threw his arms upward, paying no mind to the strangers in the space. "Where were you?" Mark said, with his arms gesturing. "I thought I said I'd meet you here at 4," said Kelly. "Whatever, the vet is ready," said Mark walking toward the exam room door. "Oh, so, we're doing this?" Kelly said, not moving. "Kelly, she's not going to get better, she's fourteen and her kidneys are shutting down." "But, Mark, I'm not, I mean, I didn't think..." "I know, but let's get in here, the vet is waiting." Once in the exam room Kelly could see Casey, her daughter, stroking the sheltie she'd nurtured most of her life. The beautiful dog, lying on the table, motionless. "Mom, we were waiting for you." Casey said, looking up at Kelly with tears streaming. "I know sweetie, I came as fast as I could." "Mom," said Casey, "Dr. Davis says it's time to let her go." Kelly felt something deep inside her intestines lurching. Must be the Caesar salad she thought. She couldn't bring her eyes to focus on Maggie, yet she couldn't look away either. "Dr.Davis, she's only been sick a day or so," Kelly said. "Yes, Mrs. Anderson, that's what Mark was saying. But she is so weak, I'm afraid she won't make it through the the tests, or even the trip to the animal facility. You know you can try, and she may get some better if she survives the testing." Kelly felt numbness take over her body. She stood, unable to move. How could now be the time to say goodbye? she wondered. Still, the thoughts of Maggie dying alone with strangers didn't feel like much of an alternative. "Okay, then, are we ready?" said Kelly. "I think we are," Mark said, looking at Casey and Maggie. "Let's do this," said Casey, sitting tall, but keeping a hand on Maggie. "Well, folks this doesn't take long, just pet her and tell her you love her and in just a minute or so after the medicine is in, she will be gone." Dr. Davis busied himself shaving Maggie's rear leg, Maggie really didn't notice. Kelly stroked Maggie's beautiful, sable body, still so soft to touch. Won't take long, she thought, no, it doesn't take long. Not long at all for a small puppy to become a part of everyone in the house. Not long at all for a lifetime of barking, chasing, chewing and loving to happen. Dr. Davis held the stethoscope against her, "Okay folks, she's gone now, take all the time you need." Kelly stroked as she sobbed, with Mark and Casey. "Dr., we could never have all the time we needed with her." Summer is Here 06/16/2011
At last, the books are stacked and the lunch boxes are put away. The end of the traditional school year marks the start of the summer season. As we ponder the coming summer, we tend to see it as endless. However, in our maturity, we realize how fleeting the season is. I've been reading, "The Happiness Project," by Gretchen Rubin. One of her phrases really grabbed my attention. "The days are long but the years are short." She is referring to her time with her small children. But, isn't that an honest statement? Don't we plan as though we see no end to summer? I have been off for almost a week now, and have made many efforts to get caught up on dr., dentist, other appointments along with housework that has been patiently waiting for me to finish the school year. Once on top of the chores, I'm convinced my real summer can begin. During the real summer, I will write, clean, travel, visit friends, family, swim, workout, sell stuff on ebay, plant flowers, spend time with Chuck and the girls, and the list goes on. The truth is, summer is short, like the years. Not so long ago, I had both my girls here under my feet. Now, they are busy with friends and summer classes. I recall even then wanting so desperately to feel caught up on the mundane events of life. Try as I might, I never got it all done, but summer came to a close anyway. My daughters will talk about their summers here and usually mention my cleaning frenzy, but also about the other things we did. We went to the lake, made crafts, played tennis in the park, among other things. Sometimes the days were long when trying to get them to where they needed to be or trying to referee. But, indeed the years were short, very short. So, most of my list will still not be checked off come Labor Day, but I do know that I will be going to Europe with Chels and to the beach with my entire family. The beach trip has been a bit of a challenge to schedule so that all of us could go, but I realize that from this point on, scheduling such events will only become more complex. Other things will be there next summer or next season, because the days are long, but the years are short. It won't be long until we are hunting down those lunch boxes and stuffing backpacks with textbooks once again. Make a promise to yourself today to add some special things to your summer list. PLEASE share with me your summer plans. Or, share a memory from summers past. Remember, it only seems endless. JKH Our Gift 06/09/2011
"I just don't think I'm ready to take on another dog," I said. "I mean it hasn't been a full 2 months since we lost our Molly. I need more time." Chuck gave me a squeeze. "Okay, no pressure, let's just go look at the puppies," Chuck said with pleading eyes. This is a paraphrased version of the conversation I had with my husband one chilly, November evening. I'm sure you can complete this one on your own. Yes, we brought the dog home and I can't imagine life without her. With our girls growing up and becoming more independent, we fill that void by showering attention on this beautiful, brown, wrinkled dog. She was only 6 weeks old when we she became a member of our family. Just like caring for a baby, she was awake at night and fussed to have her needs met. She chewed nearly every piece of furniture we have, making me glad that most of the furnishings came from second hand stores. Not long after her arrival, she fell asleep on our bed while Chuck and I enjoyed a movie. Yep, you guessed it, it's now her bed too. At times, it does get a wee bit crowded, now that she has grown. Her presence fills an emptiness I didn't know I had. She rises early with Chuck and keeps him company while he sips coffee in the family room and checks his email. She trots outside with him when he waters his garden in the evenings. Marley doesn't mind if his hand tremors or his legs cramp. In fact, she often moves closer to him as if to show him she's available if needed. When the snows of winter blew about the yard, she slept by the fire as I wrote, and raised her head when I read my manuscripts aloud. Her head would turn just slightly from side to side as I read my latest story. Marley listened intently to the stories rejected by magazines and contests. Her eyes fixed on my performance, regardless of my lack of publication. When I began to work on my website, her warm, snoring body kept me company stretched out on the bed we share. Friends are blessings from God, I have no doubt. However, even in the best of friendships, we may feel a need to hide our imperfections, embarrassments, or physical limitations. Dogs are friends who don't need a master with a steady hand, an even gait or a published story. All a dog needs is a family who is willing to be loved. In return, Marley is indeed a gift to this family. JKH A Secret... 06/08/2011
So, I have a bit of a secret! Isn't it intriguing? I must confess this is not my first attempt at blogging. I actually started another blog in December 2010. My idea was to write about how my husband's Parkinson's disease affects our family. Seemed like a worthwhile endeavor at the time. I don't know if it just wasn't the right approach or exactly what it was, but I found it difficult to keep it going. In fact, I think there's only one post. I have seriously considered separating my site from my blog. The blog old blog is located at www.wordfires.blogspot.com (If you are interested, you can access it right now, and read my real first blog!) I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not. Let me know what you think. JKH More to learn... 06/03/2011
As a teacher, I am a proponent of lifelong learning. I believe we must continue to learn new skills, information, and better ways to do all that we do. It is not a new line of thinking that lifelong learners are more likely to thrive throughout the various phases of our lives. Even though I know this, I am still surprised when I learn something that changes my life. Although these thoughts fit several aspects of my life, I am referring to my website. The site is about to end the first month of its existence. In that time, there have been more than 200 page views! The most popular page is this one! The blog! Who knew? Certainly not me. I would have never guessed that the blog would be more popular than my stories. But, I also would have never guessed that I would have a website where visitors could read my writing. It isn't something I considered myself capable of , not to mention it didn't occur to me to just put my work out there in cyberspace and share it with anyone who might be interested. I guess the biggest discovery of all is that people are interested in reading my work! I love teaching children to read. I know that literacy will impact their lives forever no matter what paths they choose. Just like the child who learns a new skill, this new information has impacted my writing life. I am writing regularly, submitting my work, and receiving valuable feedback. I am truly learning how to be a writer while I am becoming a better writer. What about you? Tell me something you learned that changed your life. Leave a comment, email, facebook or tweet. Anxious to hear about your lifelong learning! JKH |
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