Slug...

Word of the Day... Slug.....n.,......any of numerous chiefly terrestrial pulmonate gastropods (order Stylommatophora) that are found in most parts of the world where there is a reasonable supply of moisture and are closely related to the land snails but are long and wormlike and have only a rudimentary shell often buried in the mantle or entirely absent. Impressive huh! Bet you had no idea I could be quite so biological. What might impress you more is not only can I define SLUG....I can be one!! Yes, amazing isn't it? My daughter is slowly healing from pnuemonia and a strained back and while I'm being Nurse Nancy I'm perfecting sluggism. I am watching daytime TV, which by the way, is insulting to anybody, even a slug. I'm walking Ellie, the dachshund, I'm fetching liquids and meds, and that's about it. This is slugdom at it's finest. In fact, I'm such a slug, I'm not checking this highly riveting blog for spelling nor grammar errors. Gotta go...there's a kangaroo in a 4 million dollar NYC apartment I have to check on.

Kids...................

Word of the Day..... Kids.......n.,.......those little people you gave birth to.....my def. not Miriam's. Okay Mamas everywhere....you're going to nod your heads like those little NODDERS you put on your dashboard when you want to look super cool. No matter how old your kids are, you feel their pain, worry about them, brave aliens (i.e....Dallas/FW traffic in the dark) to get to them when they need you. Well, to be perfectly honest....maybe they don't need you as much as you need to ahhhhhh, just get your hands on them. It's a definite tug on your heart. It begins the very second they're born and my guess is that is never leaves. There are hundreds of sayings about a mother's love......I'm just saying it's innate, deep seated and impossible to ignore. It's like a scent in the air if one of your kids isn't 100%. You can't ignore it.....it swirls around you. It draws you to wherever they are. Brain says........they are going to be fine.......heart SHOUTS......get to them if you can. So what if the coffee is instant and breakfast is cold pizza.....all is right in your world as you sit and watch your child sleep and heal.

Hurt

Word of the Day... Hurt....n.,...physical of emotional pain. We all have hurt. Sorry, but it's a fact of life. It is a reality. But here's the thing about hurt, giving it intentionally is shameful. Do you hurt loved ones and or strangers just because you can? Do you throw out words or actions because it makes you feel better, more powerful? Do you have no regard for the recipients of your barbs, abusive words, or physical actions? If so, them ask yourself why. What is inside you that makes you or drives you to hurt others? What pleasure do you derive? Other people's pain should hurt you, not give you power. Look deeply inside yourself. Be a giver, a friend, a helper, not a hurter. Your soul derives nothing from inflicting pain; you suffer; you demean yourself. You shrink. Build up; don't tear down. I'm going one step further. If you intentionally hurt someone, I'm betting it's because you feel pain that you're trying to release....trying to pass on....trying to heal. Life doesn't work that way. Don't abuse to ease your own pain. Try the opposite. Help, lift up, cheer on......use your power to give a hand up, not a strike out.

Pitter-Patter.......

Words of the Day..... Pitter-Patter....n.,....quick succession of light sounds. Today, I will hear the Pitter-Patter of feet for the .....well, I'm not sure of the number....but THINK it's the 28th year. Notice I didn't say Little feet. My pitter-patters come in big sizes...like 9's,11's',12's, and yes, even 14's. And come to think of it....they rarely pitter OR patter. They clomp, stomp, and sometimes drag. I think I will have somewhere in the neighborhood of 260 of them arrive at my classroom door today. Sorry, Lupe, but that bright shiny floor may just be a thing of the past by 3:40 this afternoon. These feet will bring in all sorts of new attitudes, personalities, mindsets and eagerness, or the lack thereof, to my room. It will be up to me to mold them into students, answer their questions, change their attitudes, applaud their achievements and somehow during all the above teach them Spanish. We will have good days and bad. We will have words to learn, specific pronunciations to vocalize, verbs to conjugate, sentences to form and soon our disarray will become one Spanish speaking machine. We will sit on the infamous Hot Seat and do our orals with pride and a feeling of accomplishment. Along the way, we will also learn a few social graces, kindness and respect. We will not be critical, we will not be rude and we will not be demeaning. So, if you think a classroom is merely a room to learn a certain set of data, you are wrong. We are our own small universe and as such, we will treat each other as equals, who are all there for more than one purpose and those are to grow everyday in the knowledge of Spanish and mature into young men and women who have an awareness that we are one tiny part of a wonderful world. Come visit Room 11 on the Hill. Bienvenidos, mis amigos!

Permission

Word of the Day.... Permission..n,.....formal consent Permission is part of everyday life...a green light gives you permission to drive through an intersection... money in the bank gives you permission to use your debit card.....parents give permission, teachers give permission. God gives us the permission of free will. When you think of it, our days are filled with permission both noticed and unrealized. Believe it or not, when we give ourselves permission, life takes on an an entire new depth. So today, give yourself permission to laugh, cry, relax, visit, stay calm, panic, speak, remain silent. This is your day that has been given to you. Take the concept of self- permission and enjoy the heck out of it!!

Expectations...............

Word of the Day...... Expectations.......n.,...the act or state of anticipation. This morning I think we should talk about expectations.....very broad subject and ever changing. We get up every morning with expectations for that day....good, bad or indifferent, we have them. What our expectations are for today aren't what we expect for tomorrow or the next day; therefore expectations vary and are hard to pinpoint. So I think we'll just talk about them as a rule. What do your expectations look like? HuH? You're thinking what the heck does that question mean? Well, what it means is this. Are they all huddled in a corner muttering to each other? "How does she expect me to happen?" What an idiot..I'll never do this." " Why would anybody think they can achieve this?" All your expectations grouped together, coffee mugs in hand cause it's early and they are grumbling about being failures before your day even begins. OR......are your expectations in a line....#1 HAS to happen first....this expectation stands tall and firm....#2 stands almost as rigidly arms stiffly at its side....#3 maybe isn't quite so inflexible.....#4 might be lounging around, sipping a Sonic coke, pretty sure it's never gonna happen.....#5 is slumped over because this expectation knows the line is too long for it to ever make the front.....#6 is taking a nap(need I explain this?). Here's the deal.....if your expectations for the hour, day, week, month are so very stiff that they MUST be achieved in order, then I'm not sure you'll ever get past the first couple of them. Or you are so sure, you'll never achieve them, that they are all sipping coffee, knowing they'll never be put into play. Life is about expectations.....well,life is about many many things, but expectations are some. How you predict and manage your hopes, I think puts either a positive or negative spin on your days. I don't know about you, but my day rarely goes as planned, so that line of expectations might as well be not quite so rigid. But neither should your expectations sideline you before you get started. Let's meet in the middle....let's have those expectations, those intentions, those outlooks. Let's work toward them every day, but let's also allow a little change, flexibility, elasticity not to completely shut us down. Let's hand our expectations their early morning Starbucks coffee just the way they like it so they can be positive, excited and fruitful. Big or small, expectations are a part of your life. Make them work FOR you...not AGAINST you.

Corner............

Word of the Day..... Corner.....n.,...the point where converging lines, edges, or sides meet. You are surrounded by corners....we all are. Rooms have corners, streets have corners, baseball plates have corners, tablecloths have corners, desks have corners.....surely you're convinced now. I could go on and on, but I won't. One time my husband and I had 'words' over corners.....we added on to our house, and had built a long, wide hall that turned to the left into a shorter space that lead to our kids' rooms.....I told him I wanted those corners to not be 90* angles.....then I felt very proud of myself for knowing that a corner was 90*. I wanted 45* He told me then it wasn't a corner if it wasn't 90*. Suddenly my pride was deflated. I insisted that since you TURNED to the left to get to their rooms, surely it was a corner....he repeated in his CONTRACTOR voice....45's AREN'T corners. I said ....semantics.....feeling very teachery. He just stood there.....then said....45* it is....walked off and didn't even get to see the smirk on my face. Now, I must tell you that I was just throwing out numbers like 90 and 45....I really had nooooooooooooo idea those were the correct terms. Anyway...away from that totally useless side note and back to corners. Let's imagine our lives...they are not straight shots.....roads.....runways.....paths. We all have corners we must turn...and the rather scary part is we have no idea what is around those corners. On any given day, your Interstate of life might turn into a County Rd and what you thought was a very direct, level road suddenly becomes twisted with corners you can't see around. You're speeding along and suddenly you have to slam on the brakes, slow down and squint, trying to see what's ahead. But in the end, You HAVE to turn that corner, because if you don't, you'll end up in the ditch. So here's the thing about corners...they can be frightening, unnerving and yes even shocking, but they are part of life and must be maneuvered, managed and lived through. Take your corners of life with grace and faith. It may be awhile before you get back on the Interstate, but when you do, you'll be a stronger, better, more confident person. You will have made that 90* corner into a 45* slant!

Carousel.....

Word of the Day............. Carousel......n.,....Merry-Go-Ground.....a round conveyor. Yesterday in a moment of CERTAIN madness I wrote about dogs who speak foreign languages. This was in my other blog and if you missed it, consider yourself lucky. But anyway, after that nonsense, I began to think of other animals.....horses being one. That led me to carousel horses......I know, don't dwell on this progression too long; it's not healthy for you. Nonetheless, here we are this morning...and these obsessive thoughts of carousel horses are still with me. Here's the thing.....I've always wanted one. Yes indeed, we had friends once who had an antique carousel horse in their sitting room. What an absolute wonder it was. It had been fully restored to its original beauty. If memory serves correctly and it probably doesn't, but who really cares at this point, the horse was purple and gold. The carving on this piece was amazing. Its mane flowed, its head held high, its hooves gleamed. It was truly a thing of wonder. I would have loved to have seen it on the Merry-Go-Round rising up and down as it traveled in a circle......over and over and over. Don't you know that in its life, this beauty made thousands of children ecstatic? Listen closely, you can hear their squeals of glee as they rode round and round.....some by themselves, some with parents standing close making sure the little ones didn't slip off. There was no thrill of falling from a great height, there was no speed, there was no sharp curves, twists nor turns. There was only the gentle glide of that magnificent stead as it took you in the same path over and over. O.....and the music that went along.....a wonderful calliope played in the background. No screaming guitars, no amps or whatever else.......just that happy happy sound making the ride more than just a ride. You were king/queen of your world. You know....I'm not going to make a point out of all of this.....and surely there is one about the simplicity of life back in that day. I'll let you make your own as you climb on that carousel horse and take a ride. Close your eyes, take a moment and just be on that horse.....going nowhere....and for just a moment, that's certainly okay.

Hand.............

Word of the Day........ Hand...n.,...the terminal part of the vertebrate forelimb (as in humans) where modified as a grasping organ. Okay...I knew that definition......geesh.....this is already sounding like Bio 101. I've always loved hands and can remember what people's hands looked like often after I can clearly remember their faces. I remember shapes of nails, lengths of fingers, condition of skin. I also remember how people use their hands when they talk....did you know that hands can be a very very expressive part of the body? We all know people that 'talk' with their hands. And we've heard the expression....if she had to sit on her hands she couldn't say a word. Sometimes I will look at someone's hands and it will drive me crazy because those hands remind me of someone else's hand and I can't think whose. My nails are shaped like my brother's. His of course being more masculine, and bigger, but we have the same shaped nails. So enough about physical appearances of hands because I'm starting to think I need a manicure. Let's think about how we use our hands......some of us make a living with our hands....carpenters, painters, welders, artists....the list goes on and on. We all use our hands somewhat in our jobs because we all must write, type or sweep or mop or whatever it is we do. Again.....one step further....we use our hands in more ways than earning a living...we encourage with our hands....big waves or clapping. We give directions with our hands, pointing out turns and curves etc. We CAN be discouraging with our hands...thumbs down, or God Forbid punishing with our hands. We can give a HAND up or Hold someone down...both physically and emotionally with our hands. We give a hand in marriage. We are dealt the HAND of life. We can pick up a tiny piece of trash or remove a huge rock. We hold hands for comfort, or safety. Hands are mighty things that I think we take for granted. Let's,for just this one day, be very cognizant of our hands. Use them wisely.....hold them steady, someone may be depending on you. Hand up, hand out, hand stretched to meet the needs of friends or family. So please use your terminal part of the vertebrate forelimb to make someone's day. I'll use mine for clapping hard when you do!

Groove.............

Word of the Day............. Groove.......n.,......a pronounced enjoyable rhythm, OR...... a fixed routine. Hey, hey, hey......two definitions? Well most days I could give us two or more definitions to a word. English words are very eclectic. Not only can they have two definitions, but most of them can be two parts of speech. But I'll leave that particular lecture to an English TEACHER. Which cleverly, I might add, leads me right into my particular choice of word for this day. If you're a teacher at BISD, well, darlin', it's time to head to the HILL, report for duty, man your stations, start your engines. NO kids yet, just our gathering back up like gaggles of geese, flocks of birds, litters of pups, prides of lions, or packs of wolves. It is time to get our GROOVE BACK. I'm pretty sure that the elems have already been to their classrooms doing their chart, bulletin boards and decorator things....having gone wild with markers and colors. Secondaries, I daresay, have picked up nary a marker. If we've been there, it's to start copying syllabi, making lesson plans, gathering textbooks, calculators, and other learning tools....that's how we get our groove. It doesn't matter how we get our rhythm, our routine, our groove started, it only matters that we do. It's our job, how we not only support of families, but also how we support the kids in our classroom. We all have grooves in our lives.....job grooves, family grooves, errand grooves, social grooves. We are all GROOVY....sorry, I'm a child of the sixties, I HAD to get that in....:))). Here's the thing......the point, the idea of this entire drivel.....don't let your GROOVE become a RUT. Any routine can easily do just that. Ugh, I HAVE to do this...or I HAVE to do that. Yep, we all HAVE to do things we don't want to do......over and over and over and over. Do those things, then get back in your groove......not stuck in the rut of whining about what you DON'T want to do. Whether your groove is an enjoyable routine or a fixed routine, it's yours. Make the most of it. Use it to better whatever and whomever is around you. And guess what....if you really don't like it...change it....get in the groove of another lane of life.....use your blinker....change your speed......whatever. Just remember, your groove won't last forever. Will it have changed lives, bettered your family and friends, or will it just have worn into a rut? Your choice; your GROOVE!

Fractured

Word of the Day...., Fractured....to damage or destroy as if by rupturing My Internet is down, so I'm blogging from my phone and I'm sure the formatting will seem fractured. I haven't learned the nuances of making it look cohesive from my phone. But let's dive on in to our FRACTURED blog! Sorry, couldn't resist. When I think of something being fractured, I immediately think Ouch! Broken bone, cast, pain.... physical fracture. But, truly there can be way more in our lives that are FRACTURED...our emotions, our families, our friendships, our finances....the list goes on and on. I wonder sometimes if we can even see what is fractured. Do we feel that heavy cast we're dragging along emotionally? I bet what is obvious to other people, may not be apparent to us. We are so busy being us, that we don't see the obvious breaks and splinters that surround us. Obviously there are times in our lives when we FRACTURE with good cause...death of a loved one, loss of a job, sudden illness....these occurrences are part of life. We survive; we heal. But, and this is a big but, if you're causing someone else's life to fracture in any form or fashion, Stop It! Step back, think, repair. Fractured bones knit and heal on their own. Broken spirits, families, friendships require more than time. Sometimes FRACTURED lives never repair. Look around you...help those in need whether you're part of the reason or not. Grab the knitting needles of life and put them to use. God gave us empathy; use it!! And if, you recognize yourself as part of someone's fracture, please step back, allow the emotional bones to heal. Madam DeFoe knew her place and power.....you should too!!

Height....................

Word of the Day................ Height.........n.,....the distance from the bottom to the top of something. I'm only gonna say this once.....my height isn't great. There, I've said it. Most if not all of my family is taller than I am. My friends are taller and some are way younger which makes for times of complete depression.....but that's another blog. Here's the thing about height. It scares me. Maybe that's why I'm not tall, God didn't want me scared every day. Sometime height means might.....on a basketball court, volleyball court, changing light bulbs, washing the top of cars, reaching the top shelf in a store, cleaning a ceiling fan (Yeah, I really wanna do that!). But I think we can look at height in another context. Goals.....and not basketball goals......what is the HEIGHT of your goals? Do you set goals? Do you make a list? Can you see in your minds eye achieving those goals of great HEIGHT? Let's take a step further......Height of Faith, Fear, Joy, Love, ......we all face invisible Emotional Heights. Some heights are wonderful, some are draining, some are common, some are rare......all are INEVITABLE. Don't think that height is all about stature; it's not. Height comes in all sizes, shapes and degrees. Think about it......stand tall physically, but also mentally. Achieve the HEIGHT that your family deserves, your job deserves, your friends deserve and most of all that YOU deserve.

Begin........

Word of the Day..... Begin......v.,...to do the first part of an action. Well...Here We Go!! Ready or Not!! School is about to BEGIN. For me, school bells have drawn me for well....I can't count that high. Elementary, Junior High, High School, College(Hook 'Em), then Teaching. Someone asked me how long I had taught and honestly I don't know. I stopped when the kids were born, and went back when they told me they were tired of me being at their schools every day. I had a couple of 1/2 years so I really would have to stop and figure it out. But what I do know is that to BEGIN a school year still gives me a spurt of energy. New students, new goals, new friends.....old traditions seeming new. To me as a teacher, New Year's Day is the first day of school. Getting the groove back, scheduling days, being more productive......these don't start on January 1...they start the first day of school. But......I won't make this ALL ABOUT ME......:))). We all BEGIN things in our lives...whether we're 9 or 37 or 54 or 78. We begin each day.....we begin each week....we begin new exercise programs.....we begin projects.....we begin new relationships.... we begin new jobs......BEGIN, BEGIN, BEGIN. Beginning is a powerful force. Some things we choose to begin...others may be forced upon us. But I don't think it matters whether it's a choice or a necessity outside our choosing, we have to BEGIN with an attitude of success. If we begin with frustration and defeat...we will be defeated....and in the process be miserable. Okay...I know...I'm sounding like a cheerleader......turn that frown upside down....:))). But in the end you know I'm right. Maybe your circumstances aren't perfect...maybe you are being forced to begin a a path that's full of weeds, and stickers and fire ants. But nobody promised perfect, nobody promised worry free, nobody promised THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD. It's okay to have dark days, it's okay to have 3 1/2 seconds of POOR PITIFUL ME. But at the end of the day......what we BEGIN with a positive attitude, succeeds more often, builds character and sculpts a life worthy of the LIFE you've been GIVEN. Life, breath, growth, choices are truly God Given gifts.......BEGIN to enjoy, succeed, deliver, share all these gifts with a worthy attitude. Life BEGINS now!!

Honest..............

Word of the Day...... Honest.....adj.,.....free from fraud or deception. Let's be HONEST.....no one is totally honest......nope, nope...you're not! And if you're saying you are then.....well, you're not being honest right now. Now before you get all worked up and say I'm calling you a liar(I've always considered that a hateful word), I'm not. I'm just saying we are not capable of being 100% honest. We fudge the truth here and there. You're getting your driver's license and are asked height and weight.......uh oh....deer in the headlight look. UmmmmmHmmmmm. Red lights flashing behind you....I swear Officer I was only going.....?????? I promise, Ms. Brannan, my backpack was in the back of my truck...how was I supposed to know it was going to rain? Let's just declare this little deduction on our taxes. And the old tried and true....Does this make my butt look too big. Why no!! Somewhere in that list I should have gotten a little nod. Okay fine...now that we've established we all sometimes fall off the Boat of Honesty, let's get to my point. NO, you're shouldn't cheat on your taxes, NO, you shouldn't tell me your backpack was in the back of your truck and got wet just to try and get out of your homework....geeesh..be a little more creative than that.....:))). NO, you shouldn't tell your wife, or best friend that possibly too much chocolate cake has entered her life. Here's the thing.....sometimes being honest has to be mixed with a little tact. After all, we certainly want to keep our friends, our jobs and our family. But I will say being blatantly DIShonest isn't the way of a good friend, employee or family member. In all honesty, sometimes being honest is brutal. It's hurtful but can be tempered with tact, sensitivity and grace. Now to the real point of all this rambling......you can and must be brutally honest with YOURSELF. Examine your feelings, ways of life, examples you set...and, yes, be harsh. See yourself as others see you. If they can't be honest with you.....please be honest with yourself. From that little kernel of truth will grow a garden of change. Keep the wonderful flowers of your soul and throw out the weeds. Deadhead the dried up blooms, so new ones can begin. You might hurt your own feelings...but hey, you'll get over it...after all, you can't leave yourself. And that my friends is the HONEST truth!

Ten..................

Word of the Day............... Ten....n.,....number between nine and eleven ( I think...I'm no mathematician). We must like the number TEN. Let's begin at the top...God gave us the TEN Commandments....not eleven or thirty or one...but TEN. Going further.....we tell our high school seniors they REALLY need to graduate in the top TEN percent of their class. There once was TEN Little Indians(or Native Americans). TEN Things I Hate About You......no, no, no...I'm not going to start listing things....that is a movie. Anybody remember Bo Derek.....10! Pearl Jam......Ten!! What are the top TEN things on you Bucket List? Who are your top TEN favorite sports teams? Has anybody ever asked you to list your top FOURTEEN anything? Bet not. We have TEN fingers...and toes. Nine times out of TEN...I wish I looked TEN years younger......They were outnumbered TEN to one.......hmmmmmm, bet you're trying to think of some more TEN phrases. I don't know why TEN is the Word of the Day today. And I have no clue what the point of this blog is......I wonder if maybe it's okay not to have a point....just to aimlessly wonder about the word TEN. Yep...think I'll go with that.

Loveseat................

Word of the Day....... Loveseat.....n.,....a double chair, sofa or settee. Today...and possibly tomorrow....my Loveseat is my BFF. I know hearts are breaking. Many people think they are my very very best friend. Gut up.....today my Loveseat has taken your place. It knows me so well. It has a very special place for me. Not much changes about my Loveseat....my hmmmmmmmm....derriere.......has successfully wallowed out a place that is comfortable. My Loveseat sits just perfectly aligned with a side table that holds my laptop, cup of coffee, cell phone, book and lamp. It doesn't try to move itself across the room so that I must realign my things. It affords me a direct view of the television, side yard and front porch. It allows my dog Missy to stretch out beside me and my cat Chica to perch on its back. I can view the kitchen and wonder if and when the dirty dishes will move to the dishwasher and what might be in the pantry or fridge to eat. I sometimes feel guilty about the relationship I have with my Loveseat........am I spending too much time with it......do I need to do something EVERYDAY about the dog and cat hair on it.......do I have the courage to move it and see exactly what might be under it? These things are gone from my mind today. I'm gonna enjoy this Loveseat like no other. I'm gonna Love to Sit in my Loveseat. I hope you have a friend as special too....a place to camp out and contemplate whatever it is you need to contemplate.....a Loveseat that won't judge you because well, maybe you take up a little more space than you did last year........something that gives you a feeling of home. If not.......don't EVEN think about borrowing mine. I truly love you all...but today....not as much as my LOVESEAT!!

Opinion...............

Word of the Day.............. Opinion......n.,.....a view, judgement or appraisal. We all have opinions. I have an opinion of you. You have an opinion of me. We have opinions of books, movies, laws, government, doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs. We get to listen to each other's opinions.....sometimes ad nauseam. We make opinions, we change opinions, we voice opinions and we disregard opinions. We boldly say...I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYBODY THINKS ABOUT ME OR MY OPINIONS!! Well, I sincerely doubt that, but okay. Everybody needs to have opinions. If no one had an opinion about anything, then nothing would get done. No decisions would be made. What do you want for dinner? I don't care. What movie do you want to see? I don't care. For whom are you going to vote ? I don't care. What time should we have the meeting? I don't care. Should we even HAVE a meeting? I don't care. Opinions are a necessity of life. They lead to action. BUT....when our opinions become judgmental, then we've crossed a line. You can differ with someone's opinion and still be respectful. One loses his/her credibility when disrespect and contempt cloud your disagreement of another person's thoughts, ideas or opinions. Our world with all of its Social Media now allows us to stand on our Soapbox 24/7. We Tweet, we Facebook, we Blog....we put ourselves out there everyday. We throw sayings, Bible verses, pictures, updates, statuses and OPINIONS into our virtual society anytime we want. Cyberspace if chocked full of opinions. Mine, yours, theirs, whomevers........if you want an opinion, just log on to the WWW. So, my friend, be careful how you voice your opinion. If you want to be heard, then conduct yourself with dignity. Your opinion matters, as does everybody's. But please, remember that he who screams the loudest isn't necessarily the one whom others respect. Have an opinion, stand by your opinion, even voice your opinion. The world spins on opinions and actions stemming from those opinions. But don't grab a virtual big stick and beat someone else over the head because their opinion differs from yours. At that point, you look like a three year old having a tantrum because someone has your toy. Play nice kids; we're all in this together!

Guest....................

Word of the Day............... Guest....n.,......someone sharing the dwelling of another. There is an old saying....."A constant guest is never welcome". I think that is pretty self explanatory. Don't go to a friend's or family's home and stay past your welcome. But I wonder if sometime we are GUESTS in our own lives. You know who you are.....you're the person who sits on the sidelines of life. Now....I'm not saying we can all be the one batting the ball, passing the baton or kicking the field goal. But what we CAN and SHOULD be is an eager participant in our very own lives. Live them folks!! Don't expect somebody else to do be what you should be, do what you should do, make your decisions because you don't care. How easy it is to become complacent. If you're complacent in your home, it falls down. If you're complacent in your job, you just might lost it. If you're complacent in your family, you become an object everybody dusts and forgets. NO....you don't have to join every club, board or political organization. That's not what I'm saying. I'm not a joiner. Thank goodness there are those who are willing to be on those boards, make decisions, stand up and be heard. But what I think you MUST do is be active, find a passion, get involved in something that makes your heart sing. Maybe it is following sports...then get out there and yell. Maybe it is reading...then delve into your TBR pile with gusto. Maybe it is writing...then start writing that book. Don't let your life pass you by and suddenly look back and say, wow....if only. Don't be a GUEST in your life...be the HOMEOWNER. Don't rent a room....own it! Take pride in your life...be an example to those watching. Let them see a person who may not be the best at what they do, but who eagerly participates. After all....we only get this one chance to MAKE IT HAPPEN. And when it's all said and done, maybe you'll not be remembered as the fastest, smartest or best....but you'll surely be remembered!

Attention.............

Word of the Day............... Attention.....n.,....the act or state of applying the mind to something. Pay attention.....this might be important! Think for a moment about to what or whom you pay attention.......because most assuredly this speaks volumes about your life. I'm waiting......again................okay, let's list some very common Attention Getters. Our list might include our families, our friends, our jobs, our commitments to others, our financial obligations. I'm liking those. How you handle the above does indeed say something about your moral code. If you shirk your responsibilities on any of them, then you do need to reprogram your attention. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.....we pay attention to books, movies, how our favorite sports teams are doing. These are all fun things and part of what makes life entertaining.....not to say your financial obligations aren't a barrel of laughs too....:))). I love to read and my TBR pile of books always is getting my attention.....maybe at times to distraction. And of course whenever the Burnt Orange and White take the field of any competition....well the dog, cat and husband usually go to the other end of the house due to cheers and jeers. So, okay, we can cut out a time slot for those entertaining things that draw our attention. Fun things, enjoyable things, and responsible things.....we are getting there. Here's the rub (you KNEW there would be one...didn't you)....do you pay attention to the homeless? Do you pay attention to the child in your town who never has enough to eat? Do you pay attention to the elderly person on your block who's kitchen light has been out for weeks, and they have no one to climb a ladder to replace the bulb? Do you pay attention to single mom/dad who is struggling to get her/his kids fed,clothed and to school? Do you pay attention to little details of people's lives who aren't in your BIG PICTURE, but to whom life is just darn hard? Do you open doors for others, push grocery carts back to their holders, pick up random trash on the sidewalk, say please and thank you, randomly smile at a stranger? Little things my friends......little to you, but possibly huge to someone else. I applaud you for paying attention to your responsibilities......I hope you have some entertaining things to take up part of your attention. But I also CHALLENGE you to just once a day.....pay attention to something new......something small.....something that might just make someone else's day. Have a good one Guys and Dolls...and while your at it....help someone else have a good one too!

Obsolete..................

Word of the Day...... Obsolete......adj.,....of a kind or style no longer no longer current. We live in an obsolete world. What you have today is out of date, old fashioned, or not state of the art tomorrow. Products such as computers, cell phones, cameras and televisions are in a constant state of change. The media leads us to believe that we aren't productive or competitive if we don't have the newest, fastest and most sophisticated tools. To believe this is to believe that we are somehow inadequate and should be ashamed if we don't carry that cell that tells use where to go and how to get there. Or if we don't have that television that allows us to count the individual blades of grass on a football field, we are missing out. The saddest part is I think we're teaching our kids these rules. They don't feel good enough if what they have isn't the newest, the best brand or the most up to the minute product. Here's the thing........self worth isn't measured by our toys and tools. Pride in one's self isn't gauged by what I have that you don't. Old fashioned values are never, nor will they ever be obsolete. Kindness, compassion, courtesy, friendships....these things never go out of style. They don't have to be plugged in and updated. How you respond to the people around you in your workplace, in your hometown, in your travels and among your family and friends is an age old response that should involve honor and value. Respect never goes out of style. Being humble and grounded isn't a new changing concept. Putting yourself last instead of first is not outdated. You will NEVER KEEP UP WITH OR BE THE JONES'S. Someone is always going to have bigger, better, more sophisticated. Don't live your life and judge your worth by this standard. Please live and teach your kids to honor the things that never become old fashioned. At the end of the day, when you go to bed on those less than 3,000 count sheets, and you review your accomplishments, I hope you smile that you touched someone in a positive way...that you held a door open, said a hello, hugged someone in need, shared a laugh with a friend. Rest easy on these things. Admiration comes in many forms. Don't worry how others look at the world for the world is a fleeting obsolete entity. Your reputation lives on long after you do; it will never be obsolete; it is a legacy you leave. Don't make it be about toys and tools. Make it be about those things that live on after you're gone. After all, you are your actions, not your possessions.

See...................

Word of the Day............ See.....to perceive with the eye. Look around! What do you see right now? I see so many things and I bet you do too. From my couch I can see things in our den, as well as things in our kitchen. Actually, I gotta tell ya.....I see too many darn things. I wonder why some of this stuff is on the counter, coffee tables etc. Okay fine, that's another blog entirely. About 25 feet in front of me is a big window. I see a brown pasture, a green live oak tree, a wonderful piece of stained glass and the right front fender of my car....so that's some of what I see. What do you see? If you're like me, you don't see nearly all that you should. O yeah..we see what we want to. We actually take for granted what we see. I'm going to bet we DON'T see more than we see. We miss so many details because our eyes are trained to pass over so much. Think about it......don't you agree? We train ourselves to be generalists.....we see what we want to see...we hear what we want to hear.....we say what we want to say. But consider all the underlying things we miss. Do you see the emotion on a friend's face, do you see the detail of a particularly pretty garden, do we see the devotion in your child's eyes? I can just hear you now.....who has TIME to see every little detail? Hmmmmmm...really? I know our days are packed......things to do, things to do, things to do. Name ONE thing more important than a hurting friend, or your child who just wants a minute of your time. I'm waiting.......................I waited. God gave you eyes to see.....this world is a wondrous place. Please SEE it for what it is. A gift, a miracle, a feast for your eyes. Don't only stop and smell the roses.....stop and SEE them as well.

Count...........

Word of the Day............ Count....v.,....to name the numbers up to and including. Today...I am grumpy. So join with me please as we count. Now anybody who knows me, knows a math scholar I'm not. So counting isn't my strong suit. It isn't even my weak suit. But we're going to count.....our blessings. Yes, one by one. First thing is throw them in a pile. There they all sit in front of you....a pile of blessings. Maybe a little pile...or maybe a big pile. Doesn't matter how big or small your pile of blessings are, we are going to pull them out one by one and count them. Okay, get started. I'll wait til you're through. And while I wait, I'm counting mine. Hmmmmm....I'm betting that as you're counting those blessings, more are appearing. Uh Huh...there's one you forgot. Pull it out of the pile and count it. Don't forget even one! Oooooooppppsssss....is that one trying to run away? Grab it!!! It's a blessing whether it's running or waiting patiently to be counted. O my...there are two stuck together. Pry them apart. We have to count all we can. My pile is growing....is yours? I'm wondering if I can count as high as I need to in order to get to the bottom of my pile. Amazingly while I count, my grumpy mood seems to disappear. Who knew?

Begin........................

Word of the Day............... Begin......v.,.....to do the first part of an action. We all begin....we begin each day, we begin new jobs, new books, new adventures. We begin different health regimes. We begin new friendships. Monday is a BEGIN word. Today begins football season for Texas high school players. Two-A-Days.......the dreaded, but equally anticipated practices. We begin new diets when we want to lose weight. We begin new exercise plans. We begin to grow old....or so I've heard...:))). We all commence, start and begin any number of things in our lives. Many of us are great BEGINNERS, but not so great FINISHERS.....yeah it's you I'm talking to. Raise your hand. Maybe we don't finish because we lose interest. Maybe we don't finish because we run out of time. Maybe we don't finish because we lose our mojo for whatever it is we have begun. Many times beginning is the fun part......staying with it not so much. We will BEGIN a new school year soon.....new teachers, new students, new expectations. Students will begin to learn different subjects, or old subjects on a higher level. Teachers will begin to learn individual personalities of students and learning styles. Athletes will learn more plays, begin new strategies, and goals will begin both in and out of the classrooms. Whatever it is you begin...whether by choice or necessity, I hope you give it your all. I hope your finish and complete your goals. ....learn your lessons, continue chasing the dreams you begin, keep holding onto the things that will lead you to a bright curtain call. Every action, dream or hope has a beginning, middle and finale. The old saying is....If it was easy, everyone would do it!....keep that in mind as you begin today, tomorrow and the rest of your life. Begin with the end in mind. I can't wait to see what you accomplish!

Zeal...............

Word of the Day............. Zeal....n.,......eager and ardent interest in pursuit of something. While I'm not a huge fan of the Olympics...please don't scream at this confession.....I am truly impressed by the athletes. I can't imagine the time, money and stamina they put into their particular sport. So this leads me to think about what makes some people have this ZEAL for something, and some people just wander through life without this passion. I'm not saying that the wandering is wrong. As a matter of fact the majority of people don't have the zeal of an Olympic athlete. And I truly think that's okay. After all, if we were all Olympic athletes, who would sit in the stands and cheer, watch our tv's and text about it and tweet results. I mean the tennis court would be a little crowded for Serena if we were all out there playing. Still it is interesting to think about the drive these athletes have. Now if we take it apart piece by piece, we have to start with God Given Talent....I mean, I don't think any amount of time, money, practice or zeal would turn me into a Serena, Michael or Gabby. But that being said, there is an entire world of effort that even the most talented people have to exert. They just don't get to this level by spending a couple of hours a week doing their thing. Their ZEAL is unlimited. They have something in their make-up that gives them the passion to devote 100% of their lives to their sport. What a admirable trait. There are many things I love doing; we all have fun things. For me it's reading, writing, chatting with friends and my kids. For you it might be watching sports, playing golf, sewing, painting or a myriad of different things. I wonder if we all had the zeal of the Olympians what our world would be like. I'm not sure that would be a great thing. I mean, the spotlight only shines so wide. So while I am in total awe of these athletes, I think I'm perfectly content to just be me. And I hope that you are happy being you. After all, someone has to sit in the stands.

Color..................

Word of the Day.............. Color.......n.,.....a specific combination of hue, saturation and lightness or brightness.......... I love color. Everybody I think probably has a preference of color. I can remember back in the 80's it was very popular for ladies to have their 'colors' done and you would find out if you were a winter, spring, summer or fall. You would then dress accordingly. This would be done by some 'trained' professional holding up color wheels to your face and determining which colors looked best against your skin tone and which colors didn't. Your Golden Rule then was to only wear the flattering colors. It was surely a fashion faux pas to wear the wrong color. You would also be instructed on what shades of lipstick, eye shadow and blush to wear. We wear our colors of our favorite sports teams.......of course my alma mater has the nerve to be a color that I'm not supposed to wear. Burnt Orange is NOT in my color wheel. Another fashion rule I grew up with was the shoe color rule. NEVER wear white shoes after Labor Day or before Easter. If your mom was a Southern Lady of a certain era, breaking this shoe color rule was a Cardinal Sin. As a matter of face, I still won't break it. We all have favorite colors of cars....here in dry Texas, lots of us tend to buy white or light colored cars, just because they become that color anyway with dusty roads and are cooler in the Texas sun. We decorate our houses in certain shades of color. Our actions and words are said to 'show our true colors'. We go on Fall Foliage trips to see the wondrous colors of autumn in the Northeast. We love the bright blue sky, the crystal clear blue of the ocean and the white sands along some beaches. Nature gives us so many colors to look at and appreciate. So here's the thing.......color is a gift. Free of charge. You don't have to pay to look at the color around you. You aren't sent a bill when you stop and enjoy a particularly beautiful sunset or sunrise. Color is all around us every day. I think it's one of those things that we take for granted and most probably have no clue just how many tints and shades of color fill up our days. So my advice is.....don't only stop and SMELL the roses in your life.....but also SEE their glorious color! I promise, it will make your life a happier place to be.

Persuade..............

Word of the Day.............. Persuade.....v.,.....to move by argument. We all do it! We try to change someone's mind about something. Whether it be a friend, your child, or the general public, you have, at some point, tried to persuade someone to come around to your way of thinking. Nothing wrong with that....unless it gets vindictive, critical or abusive. I persuade people for a living. Every teacher does. All day we are changing student's minds. Homework, dress, attitude, life...we address these issues daily. Here's the challenge, much like all of your actions, you have to persuade in a manner that isn't offensive. You get NOWHERE doing that. You can not now, or ever, cram your thoughts, feelings or advice down someone's throat and expect to be received with a smile, nod and acceptance. I really think we've turned into an " I'm right and you're wrong" nation. All our social networking has allowed us to become very vocal to an extremely wide circle. It's okay to have opinions, as a matter of fact, we must have opinions. You live your life according to what you think and how you feel. Your opinions are valuable to you and probably to other people. But when we force our thoughts on someone, when we lecture, preach, and harangue, then we lose our effectiveness and we might as well be talking to a wall. Use your words carefully; they reflect who you are. What you put out there doesn't disappear. It doesn't vaporize. It stays with people; it formulates their viewpoint, both of you and you're life. Are you someone to emulate or avoid? Be smart and compassionate.... I promise you you're not right 100% of the time. Sometimes we need to stop and listen to ourselves. Then decide if you like what you see and hear. Maybe, just maybe, you should PERSUADE yourself to alter your method of communication.

Disconnected.......

Word of the Day........... Disconnected....adj.,......separate. Do you ever feel disconnected? Maybe you do or maybe you don't. Sometimes it's a really frustrating feeling and then again, it may be a very comfortable zone. I usually feel disconnected in the summer. I wonder if most teachers do. It's a freedom thing,which is nice, but it's also a 'out of routine' thing. I think most people actually do better when they are in a schedule. I always look forward to the summer when I'm gonna get 'oh so much' done. Never happens. Has never happened. Why do I think this will change? The days stretch out in an endless pattern and I quickly fall into the .....I can do that tomorrow......syndrome. I pretty much disconnect myself from clocks. I've always said that for 9-10 months a year I live by bells sounding. In the summer...no bells! Here's the thing. At some point we all have to connect back up to life. Get out there and accomplish something. Make your day have a point. I don't care if it's 30 minutes or 3 hours or 8 hours or whatever, you need to connect. Kind of like a 'Connect the Dots' puzzle. We all need to make our way through our lives with purpose and connections. Stay plugged in.....join....communicate....be! So enjoy those days of disconnection when they come along. But realize that your life matters to someone else and if you stay separate, you're not only affecting yourself, but those who love you and depend on you. Get in the game Guys and Dolls.....it's your turn to bat!

First................

Word of the Day.......... First....adj.,.....preceding all others in time, order, or importance. We are a society that wants to be first. If you're not FIRST, you're last. Be there early to be FIRST in line. Second or third just isn't acceptable. I think we're teaching our children that anything but first is bad. Winning is first. Highest GPA is first. Newest car is first. More medals, honors and friends is first. Be, be, be, do, do, do, run, run, run, first, first, first. Be the busiest Mom, Dad, child. You can't be first if you're not out there doing, working, practicing. At early ages our children are crammed with activities so they can be first later on in life. So let me put this out there.......do you think that the 'First Syndrome' is taking over our society, taking over our lives, and possibly making us miserable? Have you put being first FIRST in your life? If you have, I think I'm sad for you. Life is not a competition; it's a miracle. Don't lose out on seconds, minutes and hours while you are spinning like a top and getting nowhere. Please stop for even a second; reassess your priorities and the priorities you've forced on your children. Maybe being FIRST isn't being HAPPIEST.