Come Celebrate with Me

With a bit of curiosity I opened the envelope. Inside held a colorful invitation with balloons and confetti sprinkled on the front. Hummm, I thought…a birthday party? Honestly, I thought my days of attending birthday parties had long expired.

“Please join us to celebrate Nicolle’s 50th birthday! Shhh…it’s a surprise!

There have been a lot of celebrations lately, milestone celebrations: high school graduations, college graduations, 50th birthday parties, weddings, and anniversaries. In fact, when I think of the word celebration, these are the types of events that come to mind ever so quickly.

But in actuality, celebrations are all around us, every.single.day! We just need to slow down and take the time to notice. Yes, notice!

Daylilies that have finally bloomed. Sporting their vibrant colors of yellow and orange, celebrating the arrival of a warm summer day.

Birds gathering together, serenading the morning sun, celebrating the arrival of a new day.

A warm, soft breeze that wisps the branches of the willow tree back and forth, back and forth, celebrating the gentle calmness of the lazy afternoon.

Or perhaps the fragrant honeysuckle perfuming the nose, celebrating the delicate smells of a humid summer evening.

Celebrations, a form of noticing. Noticing and leading me to my journal, my writing journal. A place for me to capture, cherish and relive what it is I want to celebrate, what I want to remember. Big celebrations like the surprise 50th surprise birthday party or small celebrations that I encompass just sitting in the quiet presence of nature.

So it is, writing is an invitation. An invitation to celebrate those noticings. Whether it’s big or small, the reward is in the writing just waiting for the writer in you to celebrate all that life has to offer!

Won’t you join me?

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This post was originally posted on the #TeachWrite Chat Blog on 7/16/18. Thank you to Jennifer Laffin at Teach Write for asking me to reflect, write, and share.

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It’s time to celebrate the joy!

#whyiwrite

writing |ˈrīdiNG|

noun

the activity or skill of marking coherent words on paper and composing text

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October 20th is the National Day on Writing, which is hosted by the National Council for the Teachers of English. Thanks to my friends at #TeachWrite who have also inspired me to share the reasons #whyiwrite.

Without further delay, here is why I write. Drum roll please…

• to challenge —> I write to challenge myself. Writing is rarely a simple task for me. Truthfully, I’m not sure I really need another challenge, but I show up anyway.  I challenge myself to commit to the task. Sometimes I’m satisfied, and other times not so much. One thing I know for sure is that writing never seems to get easier for me, but I do believe I get better. That’s the beauty of a challenge.
• to capture —> I love all the moments I can capture with my writing. My moments and memories are captured in my various journals, right here on my blog, and on my social media sites (Twitter & Instagram).
• to reflect —> I’ve read a lot lately about the power of “morning pages”. While I love the idea of morning pages, I just can’t seem to find the time in my morning schedule to write. I do, however, write in my Fit Happens gratitude journal most evenings.  I’ve said it before, but I adore this little journal. It allows me to reflect on multiple aspects of my day in about 10 minutes. I guess I’ll call this reflection time “evening pages”.
• to relax —> I enjoy sipping a cup of hot tea, relishing myself with a chai latte, or taking delight in a glass of wine. But if I want to be truthful, I am never going to sit down and enjoy my tea, latte, or wine unless I’m doing something else. That something else would be writing or reading. Writing allows me to relax and enjoy some other guilty pleasures of life.
• to inspire —> My primary purpose for writing is for me, but when others share that my writing or my topic has inspired them in one way or another, I feel a sense of accomplishment. I’m happy when I can inspire others and I’m inspired when others share positive comments with me.
• to reminisce —> If I’m being honest here, I love reminiscing through my journals and my blog. It’s fun to relive the moments I’ve captured and this too inspires me to keep up with my writing!
• to connect —> Writing has enabled me to connect with others via my blog, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’m grateful to “meet” others who enjoy doing what I do. Writing also allows me to connect with myself as I reflect on my life, my emotions, and my daily happenings.

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So, there you have it!

It’s…

I’m curious if you’re a writer too, and if you are, why do you write?

If you’re not a writer, I encourage you to find a little time and a little writing space so you can reap the rewards of writing!

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Thank you to Jennifer and her colleagues at TeachWrite for providing this opportunity to share #whyiwrite.

Her Name Is Joy

They’re furry, they’re fluffy, and they’re playful. I’m sure you’re already speculating, guessing, or maybe even confident that you know what I am referencing. And if you are thinking that perhaps I’m referring to a family pet, you are correct.

In our home, we call them our fur babies. Yes, they are our pet rabbits, but they are so much more than just pets.

They bring us joy!

We have special little voices we use when we talk to them. Oh yes, I have a certain inflection in my voice that I use when I announce it’s snack time. When I go to the store I’m sure to purchase their favorite treats. And I know if you have a cat or a dog, you most likely do the same thing. Why, why would we do this? Because…

They bring us joy!

In our house it’s not uncommon to have a conversation that revolves around what the rabbits were doing when we got home, how much food they ate while we were away, and well, if they pooped! I send Snapchat pics of my rabbits to my family and friends, just to keep them updated. I know; it’s weird! We care for them just like we care for a child. And we do this because…

They bring us joy!

Our little fur family began in 2014 when we became empty nesters. In fact, we adopted a new member each year since 2014. That’s right, our first rabbit in 2014, our second rabbit in 2015, and our third rabbit in 2016. Rest assured though, there will not be a new member in 2017! I know that some people don’t understand and perhaps find it odd, but our fur family gives us a purpose.

They bring us joy!

When we adopted our third rabbit at Christmastime in 2016, we couldn’t help but to name her Joy. She was our first female rabbit and she bonded with our sometimes grumpy male rabbit.

She brought him joy; she brought us joy!

Animals are amazing in the way they unconditionally love humans – the way they make us smile and the way they help relieve our stress. They are there for us day in and day out. They are therapeutic.

They bring us joy!

Her name is Joy and we love her dearly!

 

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What does JOY mean to you? What brings you JOY? How do you sprinkle JOY in your day? Write about it and share your post with the #TeachWrite community by linking up to our blog here.

The #TeachWrite chat is dedicated to supporting teachers of writers and teachers who write. Join us for our next chat on Monday, September 4th at 7:30PM EST. You can sign up for the Remind here.

Thank you Jennifer at #TeachWrite for hosting this platform!

 

one of those posts

It’s been a while since I’ve been here.

I guess you could say I’ve had an extended recess. Whatever the case, it’s been a challenge to get back into the swing of blogging.

It’s not like I haven’t been writing, because I have been – in this journal and in that journal. But, well, I’m finding it difficult to add the excitement, the lure, to anything I want to write about.

There definitely is not a shortage of topics that’s for sure!

I could write about the book I just finished, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal…

but not today!

I could write about the book I’m reading now, Only Love Today by Rachel Macy Stafford…

but not today!

I could write about the ten day vacation to Europe that we just completed…

but not today!

I could write about my new fitness class obsession called Barre….

but not today!

I could write about the fact that I don’t have a lot of friends but the friends that I do have mean an awful lot to me…

but not today!

I could write about how frustrated I am with spending money on “pop-up” problems that seem to be happening again and again…

but not today!

I could write about how comparison is the thief of joy…

but not today!

I could write about the cardinal that lives in my backyard…

but not today!

While I may not have the words to tell my stories, today I decided to show up, to say that I am here.

So today is one of “those” posts.

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This & That

March was the month of

writing

    publishing,

writing,

    reading,

writing,

    commenting

all on the BLOG!

Then it came to a sudden halt, STOP! And April arrived.

No longer am I wondering what do I write. No longer I am wondering which rough draft do I dust off. No longer am I wondering what post to publish. No longer am I frequenting my favorite blogs or discovering new ones. What to do with my time, what to do! Then I realized I missed a little of this and a little of that!

I missed this One Line a Day journal.

In theory, I am to add one little line a day in the journal over a period of five years. In March, did this happen? Not so much. My line a day turned into 15 lines on one day to make up for the deficit. ~sigh!

I missed these training journals.

This cute little Fit Happens journal is where I jot down what I eat and how my regiment of cross training is going. So, how’s that working for me? It’s not. I’ve been eating way more junk than I should and my cross training has drifted away. On a good note, I have been tracking my training runs in this Believe Training Journal, but I haven’t been filling in any of the other areas of the journal. ~sigh!

I missed this catch-all journal, my personal journal.

During March I only used this journal for planning blog posts for the Slice of Life Story Challenge. It was a dumping zone of randomness that captured my ideas for the blog. I’m ready to resurrect this journal and get back into my daily writing and doodling.

I missed that reading I would do at the end of the day.

Two books have been somewhat patiently waiting for me. One Amazing Elephant has been quietly slumbering on my night stand while The Sun Is Also a Star was summoned back to the public library. I’m happy to report that the latter is back in my hands.

April is here and I’m finding a new balance. I’m learning, however, this is how we roll in life. A little of this, a little of that, and everything in between.

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What’s Your Marathon?

I’m a runner.

I’ve planned, trained, and completed 4 marathons (26.2 miles). The training plan requires 72 days of training over a span of 18 weeks. It’s an enormous commitment.

And then race day arrives. My mind plays mental games. “Trust in your training, trust in your training,” I whisper to myself again and again. I step up to the starting line and I run. I run up the hills. I glide down them. I use the flat road ahead for recovery.  It’s a roller coaster of emotions and a ping-pong of thoughts the entire time. I exhaust both physical and mental energy. Consequently, this saying that I stumbled upon couldn’t be any further from the truth.

Enter the Slice of Life Story Challenge. It’s a marathon of writing. Thirty-one days of blogging and sharing life stories during the month of March.

I’ve blogged throughout the year so I’ve trained. I created a rough drafts here, there, and everywhere. I’ve spent time planning what I will write. Some are content rich and some say less but perhaps mean more. Yes, I’ve planned. And I showed up at the starting line on March 1st and have blogged for the last twenty-five days.

On March 23rd I pretty much felt like I was at mile marker 20. I have the topics. I actually have more topics than what I need to complete the challenge. But I’m tired. This marathon of writing is taxing on my mind. I feel like my writing is dead.

Today, March 25th, I feel like I’m at mile marker 22…I’m ready to quit. I’ve told my husband to remind me not to sign up next year. It’s been a balancing act to say the least. But just like running my marathon, I keep.on.going. I keep.on.writing.

Why do I keep on going? I keep on going because next week I know I will have crossed the finish line…too tough to kill. Undoubtably, I will forget about the anguish. What I will have is thirty-one days of memories and thoughts captured and shared, always here to relive and enjoy. I’ve come to realize that we all face marathons in our life in one way or another and we keep plugging away. This month, this challenge has been a marathon of writing, a marathon of writing for me. What’s your marathon?

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What Works Wednesday: Six by Six Memoirs

For today’s edition of What Works Wednesday I would like to share an introductory writing activity that I did with my Passion Writers.  I call this writing activity a 6 by 6 Memoir. I modified the writing activity from Kelly Gallagher’s book Write Like This. I love Gallagher’s work and this book certainly does not disappoint. It’s packed with excellent information and real-life writing activities.

In this book Gallagher identifies six “Real-World Writing Purposes”.

• Express & Reflect
• Inform & Explain
• Evaluate & Judge
• Inquire & Explore
• Analyze & Interpret
• Take a Stand/Propose a Solution

We focused on the first purpose, Express & Reflect. For this type of writing the expression part of the writing piece are the details that surround the event and the reflection is what the author learned or can take away from the experience. This is a great activity to introduce expressive and reflective writing because it is easily embraced.

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modeling the brainstorming process for my writers

I began by creating a “Circle of Life” map and then just brainstormed several one-line (six words) memoirs.

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modeling the rough draft for my writers

From there I choose one six-line memoir. I elaborated by expressing and reflecting on that original one-line memoir for a total of six lines, six words in each line.

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I published and shared my Six by Six memoir on our Schoology course.

creating a 6 by 6 mentor text for my writiers

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Here are some of the Six by Six memoirs that my Passion Writers wrote and posted in our Schoology course:

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This is a great way to get to know each other at the beginning of the year and it’s a nice alternative to the “I am” poem. It could also be an excellent activity at the end of the year to see how well learners know each other. It would make for a fun “Guess Who? ” activity.

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If you missed last week’s What Works Wednesday, click here to read all about Book Vines.

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Writing Territories: 34 Ideas to Push the Pen and Keep the Keys Clicking

Several fellow slicers have been kind enough to share writing prompts and/or topic ideas for the upcoming Slice of Life Story Challenge. Some of the ones I stumbled across can be found here at Sweet Writing Life and here at Just for a Month. Thank you for sharing, ladies!

I  would like to share some writing territories that I created for myself to help me keep pushing the pen and clicking away at the keyboard. I’ve broken them down into days of the week and sprinkled in some alliteration just for fun! So, here we go!

Monday

• Marvelous Monday: What made your Monday marvelous today?
• Make a Change Monday: Time for reflection here. What changes would you like to make to enhance your life? Or perhaps enhance the lives of others?
• Mindset Monday: What can you say instead of “This is too hard?” How can you change your mindset? How have you changed your mindset?
• Motivation Monday: What motivates you, who motivates you? How do you motivate others?

Tuesday

• Tome Tuesday: Calling all book lovers! What’s on your reading radar? Please share what you are reading, what you have read, or what you want to read.
• Tickle Tuesday: Laughter, we all know it’s healthy for us. What has tickled your funny bone or are you that person that likes to make other people laugh?
• Terrific Tuesday: Celebrate the goodness of your day. What made your Tuesday terrific?
• Today I Will Tuesday: What’s one positive thing you will do to make today great?
• Top Two Tuesday: It’s quick, it’s fun. Share the top two highlights of your day, week, month, life. You choose!
• Teacher Tip Tuesday: Go ahead, give us a sneak peek into your classroom, into your teaching world. What do you in your daily grind that makes teaching easier for you? What would make teaching easier for others?

Wednesday

• Warm-Hearted Wednesday: Celebrate the goodness of your life. What warms your heart? How have you warmed someone else’s heart?
• Wi-Fi Wednesday: Calling all tech savvy individuals here. Share how powerful technology and/or the internet is for you. Is there a new app you’re using? Please share!
• What’s Good Wednesday: Keep is simple, keep it fun. Focus on the good and sprinkle that goodness around.
• I Wonder Wednesday: What are you wondering? What are you curious about? Model your post after Wonderopolis or just take this time to reflect.
• Workout Wednesday: Go ahead, share your workouts. What do you do to keep your body physically strong and healthy?
• What Works Wednesday: Go ahead, give us a sneak peek into your classroom, into your teaching world. What do you in your daily grind that makes teaching easier for you? What would make teaching easier for others?

Thursday

• Thankful Thursday: What are you thankful for? Focus on an area of your life and share what makes your life better.
• Three Things Thursday: Celebrate a little bit or randomness here. Don’t worry about rhyme or reason. Pick three things and share.
• Think About It Thursday: This is for all those who have thoughts on their mind. What are you thinking about today?
• Today I Will Thursday: What’s one positive thing you will do to make today great?

Friday

• Fitness Friday: Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. What do you do to stay mentally fit and work that brain muscle? Or, what do you do to stay physically fit? Maybe you focus on both. Please share!
• Fresh Air Friday: Calling all nature lovers or those who just like to get outside. What did you do outside today?
• Five Words Friday: Five words, just five words. Sprinkle them on the page. Perhaps leave us wondering how they connect, what they mean to you. It’s been said,  less is more!
• Furry Friends Friday: There’s not doubt about it, animals enhance our lives and bring us joy. Celebrate your furry friends and maybe share a funny story or two about them.
• Fam Friday: Focus on your family today. You chose what you want to share about how important family is to you.
• Foodie Friday: This is for those who love to create in the kitchen! Food planning: love it, loathe it, or wing it? A trend right now is to have your meals delivered to your doorstep. How’s that working for you? Or, perhaps you’re a restaurant connoisseur. Share some of your favorites.
• Friendship Friday: Who are the friends that are important in your life? Celebrate your friendship and honor your friend on Friendship Friday.

Saturday & Sunday

• Let It Be Saturday/Sunday: You made it through the week. What will you do to celebrate the day?
• Satur-Yay / Sun-Yay: YAY! It’s the weekend! What fun plans do you have to kick back and enjoy?
• Six Words Saturday: Six words, just six words. Sprinkle them on the page. Perhaps leave us wondering how they connect, what they mean to you. It’s been said,  less is more!
• Seven Words Sunday: Seven words, just seven words. Sprinkle them on the page. Perhaps leave us wondering how they connect, what they mean to you. It’s been said, less is more!
• Saturday Six Minute Share: Set the timer for six minutes and write! You only have six minutes. Share what you wrote in those six minutes.
• Sunday Seven Minute Share: Set the timer for seven minutes and write! You only have seven minutes. Share what you wrote in those seven minutes.
• If It’s Saturday/Sunday…: What will you do today to enjoy your weekend?
• Saturday/Sunday Celebrations: What did you do today to celebrate the goodness of life?

 

There you go!

Happy writing!

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Marooned in the Margin & Caught on the Curb

True confession…I haven’t been writing. Well, I have been writing, but barely. And honestly, I haven’t felt like writing. I guess you could say I am…

marooned in the margin.

The ideas are there. There is no shortage of them. But, I just haven’t had made time to write. Yes, I am …

marooned in the margin.

And then there is the Slice of Life writing challenge. Just around the corner in March. Some days I’m all in ready to accept the challenge. But then on other days, I know I am just going to shy away from it all and throw in the towel. Yes, I am…

marooned in the margin.

True confession…I have barely been running. My weekly mileage is at an all-time low of about six miles per week. I guess you could say I am…

caught on the curb.

I have been cross-training though.  Mixing it up with a little yoga, a little core work, and a little strength training. But the running, well, I’ve found an excuse here and an excuse there to legitimize skipping a run. Yes, I am…

caught on the curb.

And then there is the Pittsburgh half marathon. Just around the corner in 12 weeks. I’m finding it difficult to get motivated to complete my training runs. Yes, I am…

caught on the curb.

But then I stepped forced myself on that treadmill and I ran.

It was magical!

I fell into my own little world.

My running world,

my writing world.

And while I ran, I wrote.

Yes, I write while I run, in my head anyway.

After 3.1 miles, my run was complete and my piece was written.

I bounced off that treadmill.

The words spewed out from mind,

to my fingers,

to my computer.

My run was complete.

My piece was written.

Marooned in the margin,

caught on the curb,

hopefully, no more!

sometimes the most difficult part is just showing up! and sometimes just showing up is enough! ~me

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Live Your Why

By fulfilling your why, you may realize that you can have an even greater impact than you have ever imagined. Surround yourself with things that remind you of why you do what you do and find something each day to help you live your why.

~Lucy West

Why I Write:

I write for me. I write because I want to capture my moments that have now turned into memories. I write because I want to tell my story. I write because I want to remember my story. I write because writing is thinking on paper.

Why I Read:

I read because knowledge is power. I read because I know that reading can take me away when I need to stay where I am. I read because I want to share the passion. I read because I believe I should exercise my mind everyday.

Why I Run:

I run because I can challenge myself in ways that I never thought possible. I run for the thrill and I run for the accomplishment. I run to inspire others to live a healthy lifestyle. I run for mental toughness and I run because my body was meant to move.

Why I Teach:

I teach for my students. I teach because I understand their struggles. I teach because I want to celebrate their successes. I teach because I believe I can make a difference.

Why I Advocate for the SPCA:

I advocate for homeless and neglected rabbits. I advocate for them because they don’t have a voice. I advocate to show these precious animals that there are good humans in this world of neglect and abuse. I advocate because I believe I can make their world a better place.

Why I Will Always Be a Mom:

I will always be a mom because I have the best daughter in the world. I will always be there when she needs me. I will share in the highlights and lowlights of her life. I will always be a mom because I have been blessed to be given this role.

What Is Your Why?

Live Your Why!

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