still learning....

The Gr. 6 teacher at my school asked me to teach he and his class how to blog.  We're hoping to inspire their writing....
So I've started a new blog to help walk the kids through the process.  In doing so I have been re-inspired to learn something new.  My "new thing" this week will be to add pages.  Some of my favourite blogs have pages so that they almost look like websites.  The page I've added so far is "recipes," and since I decided to add the page before I found a worthy recipe to post I've just posted a link to a really good cooking blog.  Check it out....

the nicest thing

I had the nicest thing happen today. I was at a principal's meeting (usually "nice things" don't happen there....) and the Director spoke about visiting my school the day before. He told everyone that one of my staff members had pulled him aside to compliment me. She told him I was one of the reasons she liked coming to work everyday. I got all teary-eyed and flustered when the Director spoke, and everyone clapped. It was so amazing that someone said that about me -- to my boss, and that he shared it with all my colleagues.
I tell you this not for acclamations, but because it made me realize something. I realized that it did not take really any time at all, or much effort on the part of my staff member or the director to change my current perspective. This small kindness, this recognition, reminded me of the important part of my job. I've been a bit bogged down in some things lately, and now I am refreshed.
I am also reminded of the importance of words of appreciation. Too often I think I have taken friends, colleagues, and family for granted. If I can "fly" all day, and find renewed hope in this "nice thing" then I ought to be purposely seeking out "nice things" to share with others.
That's my new mission.

something to think about

Found this link on Twitter. It gave me something to think about.
The more I think on it, the more it makes sense.

Check out "Two Questions that Can Change your Life" at
http://http://www.committedsardine.com/blogpost.cfm?blogID=967

I don't know what my sentence would be. I think I'm with JFK in that I currently have a strange jumbled paragraph complete with run-on sentences, dangling participles and sentence fragments. If someone could see through my jumbled paragraph, I would want them to read "She takes care of her people" be that family, friends, staff, or students. I think that sentence speaks of the things I aspire to -- kindness, compassion, understanding, competence, gratitude, loyalty, honesty and service. Perhaps the point of the defining oneself in a single sentence is to create the vision to follow. Now I need to edit the jumbled paragraph and focus on the vision.

Was I better today than yesterday? Good question. Deep. The kind of thing I will wrap my mind around when I'm doing my gratitude journal before bed.
Then the question becomes "How can I become better tomorrow than I was today?" That's an even better sentence -- sets a goal, creates a vision.

I love reading or viewing something such as this clip; something that is inherently simple, but that cuts right to the point. This clip speaks to me in that it challenges me to reflect and envision. Cool.

the most wonderful peace

I got to spend several hours on Friday evening holding DH's new niece. Ally is about 6 weeks old. She was fussing and I got to her first. Then she snuggled right in to me and fell back to sleep. I settled in the big LazyBoy and we were both completely content. I had forgotten how peaceful it is to hold a sleeping baby. Every now and then she would stretch a wee bit and sigh. I sighed too. Her wee wrinkly neck and soft down on the top of her head smelled really good. They only stay so little for a smidgen of time. I am blessed that I got a piece of it all to myself.

politically correct

I've had some issues in recent weeks with some bullying on the playground. The teacher and I have been dealing with both the "victims" and the "bullies". We've been doing quite a bit of reading on the issue to see how we can get everyone past this.
One of the most shocking things I've learned is that recent literature does not refer to "bullies" but rather to "children who are relationally-challenged." Relationally-challenged -- are you kidding me? We've reached the point in society that even those who go out of their way to hurt and to damage others need to be referred to in a politically correct way, so not to alter their self-esteem.
Incidentally -- It used to be assumed that those who bully did so because they lacked self-esteem. Recent research indicates that most often that is not true -- bullies exude self-confidence.
So who comes up with these terms -- and for what end?
Mean is mean. A bully is a bully. Kids get that -- too bad over-educated adults don't....

phone crazy

I got a Blackberry about 3 weeks ago, then I lost my mind. I used to have an old flip phone. I didn't text with it, 'cause I couldn't figure out how to erase if I made a mistake. When I did text it was only to DH, and he learned to read around my typos. That worked for us, 'cause I had to do the same thing when he sent me a text.
In my bid to become more technologically relevant I headed to Rogers to get an iPhone (I NEEDED those Apps!) but the gal there convinced me that the iPhone was for "play" and the Blackberry was for "work." Since I was justifying the purchase as being NECESSARY for work, I had to go with the Blackberry. I am impressed with how easy it has been to learn to use.

Now, how did I lose my mind? I first noticed the insanity when I had to carry it around with me at ALL times. It comes with a holder that clips to the waistband of my pants. That meant I could no longer wear my dresses or jumpers (no place to clip the Blackberry...) My old phone stayed in my purse -- I often missed calls (DH is the only one who called me, and when I noticed I'd missed the call, either I was already home and talking to him, or I called back. Easy) Now when the phone rings, I jump. My blood rushes. It's for me. It's still only DH, but I really like the ring tone....
I also get a weird thrill when I get an email, or text. I feel the little vibrate (not THAT kind of a thrill) and I get excited that someone has something to say to me. I try REALLY hard not to check right away -- I learned that's poor Blackberry etiquette -- but I check as soon as socially appropriate.
I was wearing Blackberry on the band of my trackpants at home, whilest doing the cleaning. I came to my senses when I nearly dropped the thing in the toilet. Note to self -- do NOT check emails and clean the can at the same time....
Told ya -- crazy!

quote

"Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted." ~John Lennon