Happy Summer Days and Happy Fourth of July!

Hello there!  Today I am once again linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals and Erika from A Little Bit of Everything for:

                                                              Friday Favorites!

Heart Shaped Hoya Plant

Years ago at Valentine's Day, I bought a cute little plant in the shape of a heart (officially called a Hoya Kerri).  Now this cute plant has several heart shaped leaves, and it flowers:

Every time this plant flowers, I feel so lucky to see these special and unique flowers!

Cooking:

Now that summer has arrived, I have been cooking on my grill ~ A LOT!  I love to make chicken and steak.   I especially love the petite sirloin (when it's on sale) sprinkled with Montreal steak seasoning.

In addition, I have a Cuisinart steam powered grill cleaner.  I love the sizzling sound!  More importantly, I love knowing that my grill is cleaned!

Falling and Getting Hurt = Resilience and Taking It Easy

In the past few weeks, I have had two falls.  

One was in my house where I tripped going into the kitchen.  I landed hard on my knee which ballooned up.  At Urgent Care, the doctor explained that nothing appeared broken on the x-ray but to get to the orthopedic as soon as possible.  Luckily, I went to the next day, and the PA drained the fluid from my knee.  The fluid contained blood so he said I needed an MRI.  At age 64, I got my first MRI which showed that I had a bone bruise.  I never even knew a bone could get bruised!

Six days after the first tumble, my dog pulled me down the stairs due to seeing a rabbit.  I landed on the brick walk flat on my back.  I headed back to Urgent Care that morning.  The doctor returned with news from the x-ray:  "So you have a compression fracture, but it's not that big a deal.  People have these all the time and don't even know it."    The orthopedic approved an MRI for my back.  Amazingly, I had two MRIs at the same time.  I do have a compression fraction and some bulging disks.  

Needless to say, I have been resting and icing frequently.  I can still walk, and I am grateful every day that I can move.  On Monday, June 30th, I start Physical Therapy.  It will be exactly two weeks since my fall down the stairs.

I got a BIG reminder after my tumbles:  Life can change in an instant.  I need to slow down and focus rather than letting my mind wander to the point that I misstep and/or become unaware of what's in front of me (like the rabbit).    

On the plus side, I still managed to give blood.  I figured that I am injured, but I am not sick.  The people who need my blood desperately need it to get healthy.  Plus, I have O negative blood, and the Red Cross never lets me forget how much they need my blood.

American Library Association 2025 Reading List:

Today I am sharing a link to check out summer reading books for Summer Reading Lists for preschool to grade 8 from the American Library Association.  I'm always on the lookout for new and exciting picture and chapter books!

Scaredy Squirrel books are always amazing!

In the meantime, have a happy 4th of July!  

Remember to check out other great blogs at the Friday Favorites Link-Up:

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Friday Favorites in June: Cecilia; Father's Day; Massachusetts; Line Leader Letters!

Happy Fabulous Friday!  Today I am linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals and Erika from A Little Bit of Everything for:

 Cecilia
Every Monday and Friday, my husband and I take care of our almost 11 month old granddaughter, Cecilia:

She is the happiest and most pleasant baby I have ever known.  She wakes up from her nap with a smile on her face.  
Father's Day Boston Harbor Cruise
Several years ago on Father's Day, my family and I went on a sunset cruise of Boston Harbor.  Here are 2 highlights:

Here's a picture of Boston Light - the oldest lighthouse in North America.  It is also a lighthouse that is still manned.  Back in colonial days, the purpose of this lighthouse was to warm of the presence of enemy ships. 

Continuing on, here's a picture of the famous USS Constitution.  In the background to the left of the ship, you can see the Bunker Hill Monument.  Every evening at sunset, the crew of the USS Constitution holds a ceremony to retire the flag in which they play Taps and set off a cannon.  The sound of the cannon is really loud, and many other harbor cruise ships stay in the area to witness this nightly ritual.

Massachusetts History I always loved teaching about Massachusetts history.  Any time I go to another state, my heart does sing when I'm on my way home and see the "Massachusetts Welcomes You" sign.  Plus, in 3rd grade, we studied about Massachusetts all year so I'm always happy to add to my knowledge base.  
Now it's the 250th anniversary of the start  of the Revolutionary War, knowing history is even more relevant!

This picture shows the recent 250th anniversary of the first battles in Concord, MA!
Line Leader Letters/Acrostic Poems

Here is an idea to keep in your back pocket for next school year!  

Every week, there is a Line Leader for the class.  Besides, always being first in line, this person gets to lead the class in the Pledge of Allegiance and choose a song to sing in the morning.  Every Friday afternoon, the students and I write a Line Leader letter (for the first half of the year) or an acrostic poem (for the 2nd part of the year).  Then I staple all the pages together and share the pictures with the rest of the class on the rug.  The prior Line Leader and I read our letters/poems out loud, and then the Line Leader receives their book. 

Here's a sample of the acrostic I wrote to one of the students:

This Friday afternoon tradition was VERY important to me because it is a community and confidence building experience.

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!  Make sure to visit this link up to check out other great blogs!

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Friday Favorites in the Beginning of June!

Happy First Day of June!  Today I'm linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals  as well as  Erika from A Little Bit of Everything  for Friday Favorites!  I have to remind myself every day that it is actually:

Planning

Next weekend I'm hoping to open up my above-ground pool and install the air conditioners.  Even though it is officially June according to the calendar, it was only in the low 60's yesterday so it's hard to believe that it's spring and that summer will ever arrive.

That super tall tree is my favorite tree in the world!

What I'm Reading

Now that I am retired, I am getting to read A LOT MORE!  Here are some books I would recommend:

Good Dirt

I already loved the book, Black Cake, by Charmaine Wilkerson, and I loved this book just as much.  In Good Dirt, ten year old Ebby Freeman grapples with witnessing the murder of her brother in their family home.  This violent act dramatically defines Ebby's life.  When she has the opportunity to house sit a cottage in the French countryside, she grabs it!  Unfortunately, her ex-fiance who stood Ebby up on their wedding day,  shows up to rent the guest house.  

If you're looking for a new book, this is definitely a book to check out!

 A Book Of Longings:

First, I love all of Sue Monk Kidd's books.  Second, the setting of this book is during Biblical times. (One of my all time favorite books is The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.).  Third, the premise of the book is that Jesus gets married to Ana ~ this book is Ana's story.  Ana is a woman who knows how to read and write which was very unusual at that time.  I highly recommend this book; it's a book that I love so much that I don't want it to end!

Check Out My You Tube Channe

I never expected to be a You Tuber.  Many of my students claimed to want this job as a career because of fame and fortune.  I'm not expecting any of that; I was just hoping to maybe help another teacher with virtual learning/teaching.  However, I continued recording the books I read to the kids during snack so there are plenty of videos to check out!

Remember to check out some other blogs here:

Thank you for stopping by the blog today!  Have a fun weekend!

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Happy Mother's Day and Happy May!

Happy May!  I'm excited to link up with Andrea from Momfessionals and Erika from A Little Bit of Everything for:

Student Drawn Portraits

My student, Blessings, drew this picture of me, and the resemblance is pretty close.  Of course, I do appreciate the long, thick eyelashes Blessings gave me!

Even after retiring last June (how is it almost a year!?), I still have all these student drawn portraits ~ they are very special!

Playing Corn Hole:

Yesterday I was browsing around in T.J. Maxx when a pink box caught my eye.  I pulled it out from underneath a display, and it turned out to be a Corn Hole game with a donut theme!

For $40, I got a one of a kind game!  If you go online at T.J. Maxx, you can get a similar version with an American flag theme right here!  We were outside in the cool, damp weather playing

Spring?:

I remember to check the weather every day lately ~ just in the event that the sun might peek out.  Here in Massachusetts, it's been a very changeable spring with 

Plus, I'm trying to not wear winter clothes which is challenging due to the low temperatures and rainy weather.

Reading: 

I have been reading online books on the OverDrive app.

Right now I'm reading Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove.  

What I'm especially loving about this book is that the main character, Meredith, is 50 years old!  She decides to jump start her life by buying a lighthouse on the coast.  How cool is that!  If you're looking for an endearing book to read, check out this book! 

A while ago, I read a really fun book, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman:

 Eleanor is completely honest and sees everything in black and white terms until circumstances, beyond her control, force her out of her comfort zone.  She is forced to assimilate into "normal" society and experience "normal" social situations which cause her to blurt out her own viewpoints ~ which are so true and funny!  If you're looking for a book that you'll remember for years to come, check out this one!

Well, thank you so much for checking in today!  Please let me know what another good book would be!  

Happy Mother's Day and Happy Spring ~ hopefully the weather is more cooperative where you live!

Also, remember to check out more great blogs at:

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Friday Favorites: Sunny Savannah ~ A Walkable and Historic City!

Hello there!  We recently came back from a five day trip to Savannah, Georgia.  If you like to walk and learn about history, you'll love Savannah!  Today I am linking up with Erika from A Little Bit of Everything and Andrea from Momfessionals for:

Savannah, Georgia

This was my first trip to this beautiful city, and it definitely lived up to its reputation!  We arrived on a Saturday at lunch time and hit the ground walking.

That day we visited Forsyth Park:

It's worth visiting for several reasons:  the beautiful fountain surrounded by flowers and watching the people walking by.  Not surprisingly, we saw many photographers taking pictures of their clients for graduations or proms.

After that we headed to Basilica of St. John.  We learned that a church becomes a basilica when it is recognized by the Vatican and has a special canopy to hold over the pope, if he ever visits.

This basilica is being renovated, but look at how beautiful it is inside:

This is called an umbraculum.   It is used to provide shade for the pope, just in case he visits.

We also went to Tybee Island which is about a 30 minute drive from Savannah.  We found a super deal on Trip Advisor for $95 which included round trip transportation from our hotel, beach chairs and umbrellas.  My favorite part of the beach were these brown pelicans: 

These pelicans dive bomb for fish.  When they land in the ocean, there's a big splash.  I could have watched them forever!

Here are some other highlights of our trip:

*Going on a ghost walking tour.  Savannah is a very haunted city.

*Watching giant container ships travel on the Savannah River.  Savannah is one of the busiest seaports in the US.  If you go directly north from Savannah, you end up in Ohio so all those containers can easily access the middle of the country.

That bridge in the picture goes to South Carolina!

That's all for now.  Have you ever been to Savannah?

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Friday Favorites: OK Day; What I'm Reading; Gyres Are Not OK; NYT Spelling Bee Picture Submission

Hello Friday!  Today I'm linking up with Erika from A Little Bit of Everything and Andrea from Momfessionals for:

March 23rd (last Sunday) was O.K. Day!

I do love the Checkiday site as a way to discover little known holidays ~ like O.K. Day!  According to Allan Metcalf, the author who started this celebration, O.K. is such an important word in the American language that he's written an entire book about it.  

Click on cover to discover more at Amazon.

On March 23, 1839, in The Boston Morning Post, the word OK was first seen in print.  The purpose of OK Day is to celebrate the word OK and its history.  Can you even imagine a world without the word OK?

If you're looking for a fun children's book, check out:

The OK Book by one of my favorite authors, Amy Krouse Rosenthal.

Currently Reading:

Right now I am reading another engaging book by Jo Jo Moyes:

I am only at the very beginning, but the main character has quite a chaotic life:  recently divorced; two children including one angry teenager; a big house with plumbing issues,...

What are gyres?  They are not OK!

Change Is Simple is a non-profit group that visits our school four times a year to teach us about keeping our world cleaner and healthier.  During one visit, we learned about the ocean and its different layers:

In our oceans, there are areas of large whirlpools called gyres.  Some of these areas become filled with trash and debris.  The biggest one is in the Pacific Ocean.  I never knew any of this was happening.  In addition, a lot of the debris includes plastic by-products, and that's why it's so important to use reusable bags and as little plastic as possible.

Photo Submission for Spelling Bee

I always love checking out the bee pictures for NYT Spelling Bee!  I finally got around to submitting this photo and hope to have it published some day:

Happy weekend, and thanks for checking in today!

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Happy March Friday Favorites: Massachusetts Children's Book Awards; Tops and Bottoms; and a Perfect Quote!

Welcome to March and Daylight Savings Time!  Today I'm delighted to link up with Andrea from  Momfessionals and Erika from A Little Bit of Everything for their weekly link-up:

Massachusetts Book Awards = Some Perfectly New Books to Check Out!

Even though I'm now retired, I still love children's picture books.  These are the winning and honor Massachusetts Book Award Winners from 2024:

Click on cover to read more at Amazon!

Picture Book / Early Reader Award

Once Upon a Book by Grace Lin and Kate Messner (Little, Brown Books For Young Readers)

Two great authors means ONE amazing book! This colorful and vibrant book underlines the importance of imagination and visualization when reading.

Picture Book / Early Reader Honors

Night Owl Night by Susan Edwards Richmond. Maribel Lechuga, illus. (Charlesbridge Publishing)

This is a beautiful book about science! The mom in the book is a scientist who studies owls, and her daughter (Sova)is finally old enough to come observe (this would be a great accompaniment to Owl Moon by Jane Yolen). Sova observes and learns about owls as well as how to keep owls safe.

Now that we're so entertained by the bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow, this would be an amazing opportunity to learn about owls!

Picture Book / Early Reader Honors

Mole Is Not Alone by Maya Tatsukawa (Henry Holt and Company)

Mole is going to a party, and he is nervous.  He's afraid he won't know anyone.  Also, he is shy.  This book sounds perfect for adults (like me) and kids!  This is a sweet story for kids of all ages!

Perfect Read-Aloud for Spring And/Or Plant Life Cycles:

One of my favorite read-alouds is Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens.

Tops and Bottoms is a beautifully illustrated book that teaches lessons about character and plants.  In the story, clever Hare tricks lazy Bear by offering him the parts of the plants that you can't eat ("So, what will it be, Bear?  The top half or the bottom half?  It's up to you - tops or bottoms?").  This is an all-around awesome and engaging book!

Some skills that could be covered include:  character comparison; summarizing or plants.

 I also found this free activity on TPT:

 Here's the direct link:  Click here or on the picture.

Perfect Quote From Weight Watchers

 

This quote is a great reminder for those days that are totally hectic and overwhelming:

I no longer go to Weight Watchers, but I know it's an effective program. . .

Have a wonderful week!

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