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 |   Theses are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call life. |
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These are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call Life. I blog with these groups:     "Blogging Circle of Friends "  [E] 
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30 Day Blog Challenge PROMPT January 11th Do you tend to be skeptical or trusting when meeting new people? Is your first impression of someone generally accurate, or does their true character surprise you? I would say I am trusting when meeting new people, but I would also have to clarify that by saying it depends who and where I am when I meet them. I would say my first impression is generally accurate, for the most part. I tend to get along with most people, but there are a few that send up flags of warning. One of those people is an EA in my class. She is a nice person, but there is a layer of caution I have when sharing information with her. Even when I first met her I was careful. Something didn't feel right. Then when we was she is suspected of being the one to report someone for a Facebook post... a situation that was quite innocent as a post, but seeing that we are educators, it went up the ranks at the Board Office and was investigated. I was surprised at first, but then when I took a bit of time to consider things... and she also told me she almost reported me when I said something under my breath in frustration one day. That made me reassess the situation and since then I take care in what I say and do around her. That investigation, by the way, came to nothing, but it made us be more cautious in what and how we say things to her. Innocent off hand comments can be misconstrued. Since we share the same birthday, I have found myself wondering if I do some of the things she does that bother me - like talking over other people in a conversation, or snapping at others when told repeatedly to do something (only because she hadn't acknowledged my request when I first made it) or arguing a point when we are trying to let her know that things have changed. I don't think I do these things, but I am more aware of not letting myself do them and breathing a few times when she does do them to me. I have never worked with anyone like this before. I also consider how I am going to tell her something so as not to ruffle her feathers or offend her. Don't get me wrong, she is a nice person and works well with the students, but I do find myself using caution. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge PROMPT January 10th What are some of the routines you follow in your daily life? Do you typically stick to your routine, or do you prefer more spontaneity? I tend to fall into routine quite well. I like to change things up on occasion, but even that has a pattern to it. I tried to set up a routine for the morning and evening with getting ready, but I was finding that moisturizing my face was bothering my eyes and making it hard for me to keep my eyes open so I have given it up in favour of finding a new routine once I am up for it... probably a variation on the old one. I work with students who have special needs, autism in particular and routine is very important to them. I find it calms me as well. Our classroom day follows the same routine so the children and the staff know what to expect. It makes things run better that way. We build any changes in slowly... if we are able. As for my writing, my preference is to work in cafes. I can write at home, but I like being out and about. Surrounded by the hum of others and the chance to people watch. Today I have chosen the library so that I don't spend so much money.... but our library does have a lovely café in it with good coffee and tea. The bonus with writing here is that I don't have to buy anything to be here and I do if I go to a café. Having already eaten too much today, I would prefer to not snack more. I tend to buy the same things when I go out to cafes. I will on occasion try something new, but I like the old familiars. I find even the people are more diverse in background and class here at the downtown Kitchener branch of the library. I went to an outlying branch that is attached to a high school which has an elementary school close by and the dynamic there was very different. More noisy with students talking to each other with headphones on... what's up with that. Any seniors seemed to know when to clear out for the day. There are also a few strange souls here at the downtown branch, but I find the library staff seems to check on them. They must be regulars. I overheard one staff ask a young man how he was doing today. Just a friendly check in. The Kitchener branch also has the Police Station right behind so I feel safe here. Even going to the downtown Waterloo library is different. It is smaller and I think it is more middle class oriented. That's just a feeling I get. When I am at the library I tend to sit in the same area - along the edge of the balcony overlooking the main area with the café. It is a great place to people watch and it also offers a wonderful view of the street as the wall in front of me is a bank of floor to ceiling windows. I love this library. I have wondered off topic. Routines. Routines also help me stay on track. Getting in regular walks, meditating and stretching all improve if I work them into a routine. If I don't, I tend to not do them as often as I should. With writing, I have a goal of writing 750 words a day. The website I do it on keeps track of my writing streak (currently at 190 days) and gives me stickers for my efforts. I don't have a routine time of doing my words, but I find I like taking a walk out and about to a café and then writing for a good while before walking back home. The walking helps me to work out story ideas and gets me out of the house and into the fresh air. Without that, particularly in the winter, I tend to get quite lethargic and feel like I am going stir crazy. Daily adventures help to keep me going. Where I go and what I do exactly is more spontaneous, but the routine of getting out is important. I don't want to stay home and slump around in my sweat pants on my days off. One day is fine, two... not so much. |
30 Blogging Challenge PROMPT January 9th What are some of your favorite foods? Comfort food, ethnic food, meal, beverage, fruit, protein, unique food combination, etc - make us hungry! Favourite foods. Hmmm. Since I am trying to recommit to a healthier diet this is not the best of prompts.. but I will indulge even if it is only to write about it. Last night I had a piece of Bailey's Cheesecake. It was wonderfully yummy and so not on my diet, but I gave in to the craving and enjoyed it. I enjoy Starbucks and happen to like Pumpkin Spice lattes made with almond milk and only half the sweetness pumps. I love White Chocolate Mochas as well, but they taste better with milk - though I prefer them half sweet as well. I love churros - those Mexican tube like donuts. I am a fan of spinach and feta combinations. The same culture that makes samosas also makes a fabulous feta and spinach wrap of sorts. I can never pronounce the name of it, but I love them.... especially dipped in sour cream or Greek yogurt (if I am trying to be a bit healthier). There is a wonderful booth at the market downtown that makes them. The market also has apple fritters. These are apple slices dipped in batter and fried, then dipped in a sugar and cinnamon mixture. They are sooooo good. Oh and cheese curds! Squeaky fresh ones! Whenever I go to the market I try to walk around quite a bit so I can burn off much of the goodies I eat. Thinking of cheese curds I would also add poutine - fries with curds and gravy. So good. So now that I have made myself hungry I need to head home to have a sensible dinner.... probably a salad.  |
30 Day Blogging Challenge PROMPT January 8th Share a story from your childhood when you did something you weren’t supposed to. Did you get caught? I was a pretty good kid. I stuck to the rules so I really don't have any interesting stories about doing something I wasn't supposed to. In fact, when my mother's cousin came to stay with us I asked to go stay at my Dad's place to avoid having to keep telling him we couldn't do all the things he wanted to get into. It was far too stressful. I think I was a pretty tolerant kid, but Daren was a busy guy and he was into everything. I was quiet and bookish. I got along better with his older brother Steven, but he wasn't there. Mom let me go... though I think she would have liked to have joined me as both of them were a lot to handle. According to my mother, her cousin had always been a pain in the ass; so the apple hadn't fallen too far from the tree, so to speak. I did take a school notebook before I finished my old one. I was in grade four and the teacher was married to my Dad's cousin... the Chief of Police for New Liskeard. (Even as I write that I giggle a little hysterically). I waited until I was alone in the class, then took a thick one with a blue cover. I used it to write my stories in. I've had a weakness for notebooks ever since, but I have paid for each one since then. I never got caught, but I felt odd and guilty about it and I never took anything else like that again. Now that I am a teacher, I don't see a real problem with what I did. I would have gotten to the point of needing a new one anyway... and I often used my unfinished notebooks to write stories in when the school year was over. I'm curious what other people will confess to.... |
30 Day Blogging Challenge PROMPT January 7th What skill (craft, instrument, sport, art, etc) do you wish you could do but can’t? What’s stopping you from learning? I would love to play the piano. I took lessons as a child, but we did not have a piano to practice on. I had to practice on the piano at my babysitter's place. That was fine, but I found the instructor, an old, German man to be quite intimidating. At one point he insisted he had taught me something and was angry that I had not practiced it, but I remember not having learned the piece. When I told him so, he only got more insistent. My lessons ended after that. I also wish I were more artistically inclined. I do try. In fact I am going to a watercolour painting class next week with my mother. Not sure how good I will be at it. My mother is talented in a more artistic way, whereas I tend to play with words more than paints. I am just hoping I will be more awake for the session. I am only scheduled to work half a day, but if I work a full day, I find my eyes start getting heavy and my concentration levels lag... particularly between 4:30 and 6:30 pm when the class is happening. If I like the instructor I think I will do fine. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge PROMPT January 6th Write about something that makes you squeamish. What is icky, gross, or just plain “yuck!” Is there anything that makes other people shiver with disgust that doesn’t bother you? I'm pretty okay with most stuff. I initially though of vomit, but I have worked in enough special education and kindergarten classes to make that not such a big deal anymore. I had one kid throw up beside me and after I quick beat I said, "Well, I guess we better get you cleaned up." I was so calm about it, many of the other children and the other teacher did not even realize it had happened until she was all cleaned up. So what about bugs. There are some pretty creepy crawlies out there. One that is high on my list is the cockroach. Even writing the word gives me the heebeejeebeeies. If I run across one, I do not sleep until it is dead. Enough said. |
30 Day blogging Challenge PROMPT January 5th What music makes you want to dance? I love to listen to Contemporary Christian music and also popular top 40 kind of stuff... so long as it stays clean - which most of it does. I am a child of the 80's so anything from that era counts. Manic Monday - The Bangles. This is playing right now - The Spice Girls And since I like to sing while I dance - I love this one: |
30 Day Blogging Challenge PROMPT January 4th What books and/or movies are on your list to read/watch this year? What are your “go to” genres? I am excited about seeing Little Women, the new Star Wars movie, Knives Out, and Cats. I also want to see Doctor Doolittle. How's that for variety. I'd say, I'm pretty eclectic. There are usually a lot of duds as far as movies go, but these all seem good to me. I'm pretty open... except for horror. I am not crazy about psychological thrillers either. There are always exceptions. I happen to like The Sixth Sense and The Others. Both have cool twists that I really liked. As for reading.... I am a big fan of anything Jill Shalvis. She is a romance author. I find I read romance when I need an escape, but I have also been known to enjoy a good mystery. My reading tastes are pretty eclectic as well as my GoodReads account can attest. I am currently dragging around Watermark by Jennifer Farquhar, Dare Greatly by Brene Brown, Calm The F*ck Down by Sarah Knight and The Book of Being and Doing by Barnet Bain. January tends to run towards nonfiction and self improvement. Though I will admit I usually have something like that going all year. I used to sign up to read 90 books for the year on GoodReads, but I have been making the list smaller (30 books this year) and reading a few more in depth books. By that I mean, books that take me longer than a day or two to read (like a romance). I got a Gillar Prize nominees and a Governor General nonfiction awarded book for Christmas. My aunt always gets me these and although the two she gave me do interest me, I cannot stand hard cover books! I already carry around far too much weigh on my back without adding a whole forest. Paperbacks are easier and lighter. They are also easier to whip out when I am in a line or waiting for a meeting. There is a strong chance I may not bother keeping them in favour of finding a lighter paperback version from the library in a few years. When it comes to prize wining books or movies, I am usually not a fan. I find them boring and tedious. I wonder what made them prize winning, but I don't want to waste my time with them as I have ZERO interest in the winner. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge PROMPT January 3rd Make a list of 20 random things (nouns). Try as hard as you can to make each item on your list as unrelated to the other items as possible. If your muse moves you, you’re welcome to add whatever commentary you like. Just for curiousity sake, I have opted to write the nouns I come across while reading an article from a Writer's magazine. Keep in mind I did not incorporate every noun or any repetition of nouns in this list. This is what I managed to come up with: thought story proposals queries morning editor day element account idea year window nature publication target lead consumer magazines business journals Interesting. When taken out of the article they look rather unconnected, but in the article they make perfect sense. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge PROMPT January 2nd Yesterday, we looked to the past. Today, we’ll write about the future! (No resolutions, I promise, Robert {e"wink} ) 2030 sounds so futuristic, but it’s only ten years away! What do you think the world will be like ten years from now? What inventions do you think we will have by then? What are some changes you think will happen in the world in the next ten years? My prayer is that we will still be around in 10 years given the state of our current world... but I shall not digress. I will try to find some hope filled thoughts. I would hope we would return to more face to face interactions and come to the realization that our current involvement in social media puts more distance between us than ever before. I will admit I have made many wonderful friends online - particularly here at WDC and I have also reconnected with friends and relatives over on Facebook, but I have also found myself just sending a text in favour of dropping in on a friend for her birthday. There is something wrong with that aspect. My wish is for us to appreciate the people who do come and spend time with us... and let the ones texting wait until we are available. Face to face needs to be raised up and respected. Phones away, my peoples. We were made to be social creatures and that does not mean staring at tiny devises and missing what is going on all around us. I will give a nod to things like FaceTime and Skype that allow us to see the person we are chatting with... this past Christmas my cousin opted to spend Christmas morning with her husband and daughter - letting Addy enjoy Christmas morning in her own place. I missed them Christmas morning, but my Cousin did a FaceTime call and all of us were able to chat and see Addy enjoying her new ball pit and laugh at her 6'4'' daddy in there with her! One of the things I have noticed is the rise of Escape Room venues that have you working with your friends to solve clues as a unified group. I have also seen the increase in cafes with board games and even places dedicated to playing these games. I have not done an escape room, but I have gone to several of the board game places and they are a blast. I had not realized Jenga could be so stressful or so much fun! As for new inventions.... I don't have the Gene Roddenberry creative genius of coming up with things the future may hold. I look forward to seeing what other people may come up with. Though a teleporter, to go visit your family without having to drive across Toronto, would be a treat! That may take more than 10 years. I could also see cars driving themselves with commuters being able to multi-task without having to drive. That is not a happy idea! |
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