I Love Hockey - Day 5 #sol17

Each sport has a personality and an unmistakable sound. In high school, I used to help collect tickets at the door of the gym for basketball games. The sound of basketball shoes squeaking on a hardwood floor takes me right back to those days.

My favorite sport is hockey. My team is the Columbus Blue Jackets. I usually tune into the games when they are broadcast on TV. There is nothing better than being at the game but watching on TV is a close second. Throughout the course of the season, I rarely miss a game.

Did I say I LOVE HOCKEY!

The clack of sticks on the ice.
The cold crisp air.
The bang of bodies against the boards.                              
The spray of ice as skates skid to a stop.
The band of a puck on the goal post.
The whistle from the linesman.
A hard-to-come-by hat trick.
The crowd chanting and cheering.
The cannon blasting in celebration.
Yes, I love hockey!

February Warmth - Day 4 #sol17

It's cold today with a trace of snow on the ground, and I am thinking back a couple weeks when we were blessed with weather in the 60s and 70s. It was quite unusual to have that kind of weather in the middle of an Ohio winter. 

We spent days outside, cleaning up the yard and flower beds. We picked up broken branches that had fallen to the ground and gathered pine cones that dropped from our pine tree. We raked leaves and twigs and cleaned up some brown withered plant growth from the garden making way for the little green newness that was just beginning to poke through the soil. The grass began to change to a brither shade of green. We warmed in the sunshine our arms bare and our faces to the sun. We rested in our lawn chairs with our dog, Barney, by our side. 

It was all just a brief and bright peek at spring but we loved it. I am thankful for those days of sun and warmth. We are back to colder weather and a bit of snow. But it's like we were able to peek around the corner of winter and gaze quickly at the spring that is sure to come soon. I'm waiting! Are you?

 

A Rainbow of School Supplies - Day 3 #sol17

My birthday is in August ... just in time for a shopping trip for school supplies!
I considered it one of my gifts to go shopping with my mother for my yearly supplies. 
It stretched my birthday out a bit and added to my excitement of new things I received for my birthday. I was like a kid in a candy store when it came to the aisle of school supplies. (And I admit, I still get excited when I see any office/school supplies all lined up in an array of colors.) 

So today my post is brief and colorful.


A Rainbow of School Supplies

New yellow pencils 
   waiting to be sharpened.
Fresh white drawing paper
   waiting for an image to appear. 
Crayons in a box of 64
   with a sharpener right in the box.
Bright lined white paper
   with a vertical red margin line.
A rainbow of watercolor paints
   and a brush for painting.
A yellow-lined legal pad 
   for notes and math computations.
Pens (maybe even a fountain pen    
   with blue ink cartridges).
A pink eraser
   to remove stray marks.
Binders and folders 
   in every color.
Blue-handled pointy scissors
   for sharp cutting.
Fresh white paste
   with a special smell.
A metal compass with a little yellow pencil 
   for making circles and arcs.
A clear plastic protractor
   for measuring angles.
A box of colored pencils
   sharpened and ready. 
Gifts of color
   organized and ready.
A rainbow of possibilities
   waiting to be discovered.

The Rhythms That Define Our Lives - Day 2 #SOL17

 

 

I retired three years ago and immediately missed being with kids and teachers. As a principal, I spend my days with them and lived out the rhythm of school life. The start of a new school year, greeting the kids and watching their learning unfold, parent conferences, holiday programs, staff meetings, talent shows, and field days. 

Once I retired, I missed the rhythm of the school year. It took me awhile to get used to the absence of the milestones that marked the passing of the school year.

About the same time that I retired, the school district in which I live opened a new middle school and the entrance to the school is directly across from my house. And so a new rhythm started. Fourteen buses make the turn into the school drive each morning. I hear the rumble of the engines as the buses slow down to make the turn and then head up to the school.

As I wake from sleep, I hear the buses rumble toward the school. I can tell when it's a school day or an occasional day when school is closed. I can tell when its the weekend. And I can tell when it's summertime in the absence of that early morning greeting as bus after bus comes by.

The rhythm of the school year is still with me. It's a little more passive because I can choose to rise or stay cuddled under the covers a few more minutes. But it is one of the rhythms of my life that mark my days. It is part of me. 

What are the rhythms that mark your days?

The First Robin

It was February 20 and time for an early morning outing with our dog, Barney. He is having some troubles with herniated discs in his back, so for six weeks we have to carry him outside and place him gently down on the ground. He is getting plenty of cage-rest as he heals.

On this day, I was thankful for the warm weather we have been having since I am usually out there in the backyard very early or very late letting him do his thing. I often pray no one sees me because I am often in my jacket wrapped over a nightgown with a pair of leggings hastily pulled on and my snow boots that sit by the back door. Quite a sight! But both the early mornings and late nights are quiet and gentle and it's nice to breathe in the fresh air.

It was early in the morning on a day that promised warm weather and sunshine. I stepped outside with Barney in my arms. The sky was a beautiful blue and the first thing I noticed were the birds chirping. They flew from tree to tree and their beautiful bird songs filled the air. Cardinals, bluejays and ... yes... robins! Three of them! 

At first those lovely birds that promise of spring flew away but after a moment they came back and rested on the fence to watch Barney and me. I always look forward to my first robin sighting of the spring. It means that warm weather and a garden in bloom are not too far away. And so this day began with hope and promise.