I can't wait for mid-February!

 Chicken Soup for the Soul, Too Funny, will feature one of my humorous stories. I am very excited to have received the contract announcing MY STORY made the final cut. It never gets old; 32 books in which my stories appear and I always rejoice. I am thankful for my ablility to write and tell my life stories. 

I am diligent and always submit one or more essays when I see a call out for a new book title. If at first you don't succeed... well, you know the rest. Never stop trying.

The worst part about sending a story off into cyberspace is wondering if it arrived at its destination and waiting to hear if it is rejected or accepted. Such is part of the writing life. 

I am waiting to hear if another humor essay places in the Erma Bombeck contest. In two weeks notifications will be going out. Plus it's my anniversary and Valentine's Day. I'd like to at least take honorable mention. If not, that story will find another home. It is a doozy that makes everyone cackle when I tell them what happened to me when I sneezed at Mickey D's.

Hope you have a great week. I am grateful we are not in the path of the snow storm heading up the East coast. Not happy to hear of the possibility for ice and snow coming to the Midwest mid week. Buy what can we do about it?

All I need is another loaf of Italian bread. We always buy lo-cal multi grain bread. On a whim Bill tossed a $1.00 loaf of sliced Italian bread into the basket. What a mistake! I always thought my vice was dark choclate, but that crusty toasted slice of buttered bread with a cup of tea, teased my taste buds at 5:00 a.m. I toasted two more to have with my breakfast egg. Another two slices for a sandwich. 

The loaf was narrow. Half the calories? Maybe one more slice with marmalade before bed?

I may need an intervention!

Skating their way to success

I am always amazed at how much knowledge preschoolers acquire by watching television. When I asked three-year-old Charlie and four-year-old Alex if they knew where penguins live, they both shouted, "In the arctic. Where it's cold."

 I taught for forty years and each year I was amazed that the new group of students came in with more skills and information than the previous class.

I read Penguin's Skating Party. Penguin experienced lots of emotions because he could not skate. The boys listened intently and identified with Pete the Penguin. In the end, Pete tried, and with a little support from his friends, he was successful. The boys' smiles were revealing.

We played hands-on learning games. Pete skated to shapes printed on cardboard covered with contact paper, which made it look like ice. 

Then "Pete" called different shapes and Charlie and Alex clipped a clothespin to the correct shape. Soon their skating rinks were filled with clips. Kids really learn best by doing, touching, experiencing. 

I seldom used work sheets. I made learning games that were played on the floor, wall, or table top. Paper and pencil learning is limiting and not always age-appropriate, because little people don't all develop at the same rate. Some can handle a writing instrument and some are not ready... YET. Give them time.  Clipping clothespins strengthens hand and finger muscles used for printing... when they are ready.

Have you ever been ice skating? I have not, but I have certainly slipped and slid on ice. 
 

And away we went...

A short day trip.

 

The sun was shining on Saturday. The temperature reached 43 degrees. We headed to Kimmswick, MO, a quaint little historic river town. The Dough Depot, a cute restaurant in a former 1900's home, serves yummy sandwiches on Pretzel buns, huge salads and homemade baked goods. We called in a carry out order, and while we waited, we drove a few blocks to the riverfront. Walked atop the small bluff and admired the blue sky and wide Mississippi, River.

It was good to be outside and enjoy the sunshine. It's been bitterly cold here with temps in single digits. Tomorrow it will be 53 degrees by day and 13 by nightfall.  

I have no idea what this plant is. Maybe skunk cabbage? When I stepped on it I thought it was artificial holiday decor that had blown there. But there were patches of it all over that hill. Is it greening up or fading brown? Even our garden plants which I ripped up last month, have brand new growth exposed to the elements. This crazy weather is so confusing.

What is the weather like where you are? What part of the country/world?

Just finished the other half of our chicken, bacon, cheese sandwich and salads. Oh and the chocolate cream cheese cookies were delightful.


 

I did it! I DID IT! All by myself. Lots of news.

 I am back!  

We had a serious health issue in our family in October. I neglected posting on my blog. I was busy with my loved one. When I tried to return to blogging, somehow a password or sign in code had been changed. I can't begin to describe my frustration level over the past weeks that turned into months. Thanks to Kim Lehnhoff for trying her best to retrieve my blog. When even the pros like Kim couldn't figure it out.... I cried for days. Tried every possible password daily to no avail. I shed lots of angry tears.

Today I am crying happy tears. I did it all by myself. The solution was so easy. Why do we worry ourselves silly? Complicate the issue by making it much bigger than what it is? I am grateful.

My story, Something's Bufgging Me! is coming out in the spring in an upcoming Chicken Soup for the Soul book. Details soon. This will be 32 CSS books my stories appear in across the world and read in many languages. I am so happy to be a part of the CSS team of writers.  

Christmas 2021 was one of our best. Bill and I visited each of our children instead of having a houseful in our small home. I love having all of the family at once, but Covid concerns prevented it this year. We enjoyed ourselves so much being able to spend individual time with each family.

I have not babysat our great grandsons since before Christmas. Charlie and Alex will be returning next week and I will have them on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Their daddy has been Mr. Mom since being furloughed from his job more than a year ago. He has been called back and starts Monday. Lots of changes coming. I promise to post again soon.