One Thing Each Day, Just One

A dog Sat down In the rain By the sea

 I am thinking about the Slice of Life Challenge today.  Questions I had: In my mind I went back and forth many times about signing up. Will I have enough time? Can I make the time? Will I have anything to write? What moments in time might I capture? Things I was thinking: It is important to be a teacher who writes. I can talk about writing more easily if I write. Writing slices of my life might help me capture moments for my family. Just sign up! Slicing: is not always easy. helped me carve out time to sit and think about my day. gave me a community to share with. taught me a lot about writing. Happy I signed up!

 I wonder... how novels are written, how are the ideas woven together across so many pages the mechanics behind a "perfect" row about the ocean tides how scientists studied birdsong during the COVID 19 pandemic if groundhogs really can predict the spring why the same temperature can feel different at different times of the year

 Another morning 5 am All ready, time to go. Step outside  Warmer air than yesterday With a breeze rolling in. Down to the lake in record time I settle in to wait Then, a message... " You are coach boating Come wait outside By the benches FAST!" Quick! Move! Gather warm clothes Run down to the dock Careful not to stumble. Made it. Bundle up Layers of clothing, fuzzy socks, fleece gloves. Ready and waiting. The team comes down Boats perched on their shoulders Soon to roll gently into the water. Swiftly they launch Into the darkness Bow lights blinking. Away I go A grateful guest Watching from the coach boat. Blades dip, into the water Rowers ready to move as one Coxswains guiding their crews. Start at the catch Lean forward Arms extended. Powerful legs ready To move the boat. Arms pull To the finish. Ready to release then Return to the catch. Together, The boats travel. Across the lake And back again Working hard against the wind. Elegant, Fluid, Strong.

 Alarm rings 5 am Tumble out of bed. Ready in a flash. Into the car And off we go. Black sky, Still lake, Early morning chill. Cars arriving. Doors slamming. Momentary silence. Fast feet, Voices buzzing, Hill run, Warm up. Traffic humming on the highway. Black sky slowly lifting. Orange glow above the mountain. Birdsong A lone bird calls, Another answers, Soon it fills the air. What's that movement? A waddling of ducks that move as one. Searching for their breakfast. Large wings spread. A lone heron lands. Preens.  And I am peacefully waiting. 

Sunday Dinner I love to cook. Inspiration for meals comes from different places. Perhaps from a magazine, a cookbook, or something I tasted when out for dinner. Sometimes I follow a recipe exactly and other times I use it as a guide, changing it up as I go.  On the menu this evening is a "changing on the go" type of recipe - vegetable curry. The basic base for the curry was shared with me. Recently a friend of my daughter's, a former chef, taught it to her and she passed it on to me. A curry from one of my favourite restaurants served as the inspiration for the flavours added to the base.  To round out the meal I included rice, naan, and a cucumber salad. Voilà, a Sunday feast!

Tired. Read a few pages. Drift off to sleep... Awake.  What time is it? Surely it must be the middle of the night. I've only been asleep for an hour? How can that be.  Wait. Wait.  Drift off to sleep... Awake. Anxiety. Heart palpitations. Did I sleep through my alarm? Oh right, it's Saturday.

Finally it rolls around, Reminding me of the rest that awaits. I'll take some walks, Dawdle through morning chores, Adapt to a slower pace, Yet, all the time knowing the busyness will return. 

Today I am thankful for: waking up with a puppy on my toes a sunny lunchtime walk through the neighbourhood work from home Thursdays a colleague that I really click with getting laundry done a short walk in the dark  two amazing daughters a date night shopping trip chana masala wraps and vanilla rooibos chai a cozy bed to snuggle down in

Today's writing is inspired by a Two Writing Teachers post by Tara Smith that I came across today called Using the Writer's Notebooks to Grow Ideas: Diving into Information Writing .  I think Wonderopolis Wednesdays are a great idea. I thought it would be fun to try it out. It's actually not as easy as I thought it would be.  Tara compared ideas or wonderings to seeds. She stated that some of these seeds may take root and transform into something else.   Here are some of my initial thoughts.  What do I wonder about science, geography and the way things work? I wonder about... Joshua trees desert landscape formation and vegetation mutualistic relationship between animals jellyfish meteors I wonder how... Jellyfish Lake was formed people discovered the healing properties of different plants changes in climate will affect the geographical area I live in I wonder why... some viruses are more harmful than others insects are so resilient

I was reading through some brainstorming I had done before the challenge started and when my eyes landed on The Cookie Dough Gang I smiled.  So here it is. I hope it makes you smile too. When I was growing up I spent most of the summer with my maternal grandparents. For me they were magical days. They lived across the city from us in a large bungalow situated across from a large park and best of all, had a swimming pool in the backyard.  Most of the time it was just me and my younger sister but sometimes our cousins came to stay over as well. The four of us would spend hours outside both in and out of the pool and on rainy days would sneak downstairs to watch T.V. (our screen time was extremely limited), read books, or play cards for hours.  The one thing we all felt we lacked was access to fun food. Grandma was a stickler for healthy food. Snacks mainly consisted of carrot and celery sticks and apple slices. If we complained then of course we couldn't really be hung...

Today I am stuck. It was a beautiful sunny first day of spring, the kind of day that I like to spend as much time as possible outside. Picking up my laptop to write is the last thing I want to do. But here I am and lying on the table next to me I see my writing notebook. In it I have been collecting quotes from the books I have been reading as well as writing ideas pulled from other slicers blog posts.  Some of the ideas I have collected are: Weekend Coffee Share 5 Things on a Friday 10 Things About Today Favourites 4-4-4 Found poems Spine Poems Haiku Paste Pot Poems As I read through these and other ideas, I notice that I seem to be particularly drawn to posts that contain poetry. This is interesting to me as I have spent very little time reading or writing poetry.  I wonder what it is about poetry that is drawing me in?

Woke early.  Brain buzzing.  Flashback... Elementary school recess. A stressful time for me. Wandering around the school yard, bouncing a ball against the wall in a game of 7-up, looking for a swing, hanging from the monkey bars, mostly alone. New school. Seventh grade. I remember being excited to start junior high. I was looking forward to being with a larger group of kids and hopeful I would find some friends. I was still searching for a someone or a small group of someones that I might really connect with.  First days came and went. It wasn't so easy. I discovered that students seemed to stay in already formed cliques from their elementary schools. And there wasn't much room for breaking in. So I was very excited when I met L. We had some classes together and talked easily with each other. She introduced me to her friend M. and soon we were hanging out together. I was having fun and starting to feel less apprehensive about the more unstructured times of the day like be...

This evening as I was brushing my teeth the title and image of a book from my childhood suddenly popped into my head -  Happiness is a Warm Puppy by Charles Schultz.  It was a small book with a black and orange hard cover. On it was a simple picture of Lucy squeezing Snoopy.  I don't remember what was inside the book.  What I do remember is the feeling of warmth and happiness that I got from reading it.  I decided to use the title as my inspiration to write this evening. Happiness is... not having to wake up to the alarm sunshine streaming in the window  bright blue prairie skies sipping a matcha latte in the living room with a dog curled up next to me having a long telephone chat with my mom having fresh vegetables delivered by my aunt  picking up books from the library and a new cookbook from the bookstore hearing of the daily adventures of my daughters who are both away at University a long walk in the almost spring sunshine with my husband and thre...

 Today I noticed... that sometimes, when Fisher barks in the early morning hours, all he wants is a friend to doze with until the sun rises. how, when working from home I can snag a few extra minutes to tackle the wordle of the day.  the warmth of the noonday sun. puddles forming as the quickly melting snow seeks a path to the street. an evening with friends in a busy restaurant feels almost normal again. I am late to write my post this evening and will miss the deadline. What did you notice today?

Pablo: Our little black Havanese. I remember when Kate brought you home. So tiny. Waking up in the middle of the night to carry you downstairs and outside. How did I not notice how bossy you were? Dublin: Pablo's brother. Kate rescued you. A little fluff ball who was scared of his own shadow. Following Kate everywhere. You can sense when one of us is upset. You come over and put your little face to ours. Fisher: The golden energy ball, still a puppy. Sophie brought you home on a sunny day. She was so excited to have found you. Her therapy dog. You helped her grow. You are her best buddy. You saved her.  Fireplace: We gather around.  These are my four things within four feet written about within four minutes. I ran out of time before adding the rest of my ideas to the last. Writing about four things within four minutes really forced me to let the ideas flow and not overthink my writing. I think I will try this again. I wonder if I will be able to write more next time.  Wha...

 I found this sign at the beginning of one of our hikes last week. Today I was thinking about the different slices of poetry I have been reading on other blogs this month and wondered "What if I used a sign to write a poem?".  What do you think? Rattlesnakes... Will not attack. But...  If disturbed or cornered, They will defend. Respect!

Why are questions powerful? I am reflecting on this after a comment about how bloggers often begin or end with a question to invite readers in or to respond.  Is it because they hold promise?  The promise of discovering something, of learning or inviting in new people and experiences into our lives. Is it because they are the beginning of something? Questions might begin a friendship as we get to know others. They might lead us to try out new things or enter into new areas of study. Is it because they connect us with others? When we ask a question, we usually expect a response. We may connect with the person providing that response.  Why do you think questions are powerful?

Three things I am thinking about... connectedness - I just finished reading the book Positive Behavior Principles by Dan St. Romain and it really got me thinking again about the importance of developing relationships with students, families, and the people around us and how this leads to connection. I am thinking about how the importance of connection can be overlooked.  writing - Sitting down to write every day is hard work. I might struggle with finding an idea to write about, a writing form to try out, whether or not I have anything worthwhile to say or if my writing will engage readers.  deserts - How were the desert mountains created? When do different desert plants bloom? What is winter in the desert like? What would it be like to live in a desert climate all year? Two quotes from writers I admire... "You don't have ideas. You grow them. It's an inordinate amount of work. It takes patience and perseverance; there's a lot of experimenting and a lot of failing....

Trying out this format today, inspired by Beth at Seeking Six .  Celebrating the Good of the Week! 7. Vacation with my husband... warm desert days, cool desert nights, blue skies, grey skies, warm winds, cacti, Joshua Tree, hiking, yoga, reading, swimming, Whole Foods, avocado salsa, Palm Greens Cafe, iced chai, date shakes, strolling downtown Palm Springs 6. Family... our return flight was cancelled, a whirlwind ensued and a day trying to regroup and make the most of it, no place to stay then family to the rescue! We were welcomed into my brother in law's brother's home with his most generous family. We are filled with gratitude.  5. Sumo oranges... if you have never had the good fortune to try one of these beauties do so if you get the chance. I have had them on two vacations. Once from the Seattle Public Market and on this vacation. They are large and sweet and only available at a certain time of year. 4. Daughters... two very special ones who, although they are both away a...

4:49 am. Ping! Ping! Already time to get ready? Processing. Processing. Notification: We are sorry but your flight has been cancelled. Enjoy a hotel stay on us. You have been rebooked for... Tuesday! Yikes! Car rental extended. Contacted supervisor. Connected with dog sitters. Spoke with airline. Waited for a workable link to get that stay on them. Waited and waited and waited. Called again. Waited again.  Tried to seize the day. Went to the art museum. Very cool! Lunched at a fabulous place recommended by a friend. Walked El Paseo in a tremendous wind storm.  News breaking. Four flair aircraft were seized today. Uh oh. Will we even get home on Tuesday? No luck with booking link. What now? Message from Mom. Offer of a place to stay. Family connections. So grateful! Settled in. Mind is spinning. The investigation can continue tomorrow. 

  Vacation Stay Sunshine and desert heat, Shorts and summery dresses, Date shakes, Reading by the pool. Running shoes for hiking, Palm trees, cacti and blooms. New horizons. At Home Days Sunshine and blue prairie skies, Cozy sweaters and puppy cuddles, Warm ginger chai, Reading by the fire. Warm winter boots for long walks, Frosty trees and a promise of spring, Renewal.

Today we went on an excursion to Joshua Tree National Park. Everything about the excursion was amazing but there is one thing that made my heart particularly happy. We discovered that one of the couples on the tour was from the same city we live in. That in itself was not so surprising as many people escape the snow and cold in winter for the warmth of the desert. The amazing thing I did discover after chatting with Danny and Connie was that my dad was one of Danny's professors when he was in law school and that they had known each other after that as well.  Dad died suddenly almost fourteen years ago. I don't meet many people who knew him professionally, let alone hear stories about him.  Danny told me what he remembered about my dad both professionally and personally. Dad was a pretty serious man but he could be unexpectedly quite funny. He also had a big smile and a loud laugh. It was nice to hear him remembered in a way that I also remember him.  Then Danny shared a s...

  Strolling down Palm Canyon Drive. Warm sunshine hugging me. Wait - what's that I see? Non-dairy date shakes! The sign invites me in. "What can I get you miss?" I plunge the straw in. Thick, Creamy, Sweet California dates, A perfect sip!

Lone Duck Where did you come from? Paddling in the silent pool - Morning visitor.  

  Teddy Bear Cactus, Fuzzy and silvery white Reaching out - BEWARE!

Desert oasis - Begins with an aquifer, Refuge for wildlife.

  Travel Day Restless night. Woke before the alarm. Up and ready. Uber here.  Smooth drive. Baggage dropped. Through customs. Seemed like a breeze. People: families, friends, couples, lone travellers, and those with pets.  Boarded smoothly. Friendly crew.   Taxiing down the runway. "Are we driving there? Dad, did we get on the wrong plane?" Laughter. Settled in. Lost in Scotland and Antarctica with  How the Penguins Saved Veronica . Arrived early. Collected bags. Waited in line to rent a car.  Desert air. Bright blue skies. Warm sunshine. Cacti. Palm Trees. Grateful. A new adventure begins.

Out of My Comfort Zone  We are heading out early in the morning on our first vacation out of the country in a long time. It's so easy to forget all there is to do before leaving as well as all of the stress involved. And the craziness of air travel these days adds another layer of potential stress.  Before leaving: find caring folks to look after our precious pooches- always hard to leave them! clean the house - Why? I could do that when I return.  prepare all of the documents - So many! check in - Did I fill everything in correctly? pack - what to take? Do I really need all of this? book transportation to the airport - Did I get the date and time right? set the alarm - or maybe two or more - Will I wake up? Will I sleep? Is there anything else? Did I forget anything? What will I wear? Oh my! When I imagine being at our destination I feel warm and relaxed. When I see all that must click into place before we actually get there I am overwhelmed and I just need to get this s...

Sleep Eludes Me Eyeballs itchy. Eyelids heavy. Go to sleep they say. Brush teeth. Head to bed. Time to snuggle in. Close my eyes. Brain buzzing. Will sleep come?

February Morning First steps outside, Fresh dusting of snow.  Morning walk,  Three dogs in tow.  Not a soul to be seen,  Round the block we go.  Back to the start now,  With frosty toes. Dash into the house, My cheeks aglow!