Part of Slice of Life Tuesday Slices on Two Writing Teachers! Join in and write on Tuesdays!
Sara told me this morning that she has a vivid memory of me stuffing animal rights flyers into the pockets of fur coats at Macy’s. Back when there were malls, so much was possible.
And I wonder what kind of messages I could stuff into what kind of pockets now.
I knew the answer to one of the Thanksgiving trivia questions at inservice yesterday. It was 46 million. 46 million turkeys are murdered each year for this holiday. The question of course was worded a little differently than that, but even with the wording, and the cute turkey clip art, I still understood what it must mean to be a turkey in November.
And I wonder if that was the one time someone might have liked having a vegan on their Thanksgiving trivia team.
I have a friend who learned to slaughter a turkey. First, she sang him a lullaby in her arms and thanked him for his life. Once I met a flock of turkeys at Farm Sanctuary. I fed them blades of grass. If I had to disguise a turkey, I’d disguise it to look like your pet dog. Or perhaps I could just disguise it with facts about how smart turkeys are, how they pass knowledge down to other turkeys, how they purr when you pet them, how they talk to their babies even before they are hatched.
And I wonder what other trauma we would be okay with disguising in a cute school project.
Uncomfortable, I know. Especially if your turkey carcass is already in your house, waiting for Thanksgiving.
Part of Slice of Life Tuesday Slices on Two Writing Teachers! Join in and write on Tuesdays!
My day, as told by my advice — to you, and you and you, and me too.
Get new tires. Always order the venti coffee. Look at the plans. The ones I made. Take a deep breath. Listen. Go outside. Please stop screaming. Do your own work. Chat GPT isn’t the way. Read the room. Watch your face.
Part of Slice of Life Tuesday Slices on Two Writing Teachers! Join in and write on Tuesdays!
I took my son back to school tonight — fall break is over. We talked about egoism and empathy for most of the trip. But, with five minutes of the ride left, I gave him some reminders. I think he really appreciated my sound bites of advice. 18 year-olds usually do. “I get a hug!” I said, as we pulled into the parking lot, and he said, “Okay, but it has to before I grab all my stuff.” Spoiler alert: I gave him one hug before and one after. Plus, as he crossed the street, I yelled, ”Goodbye! I love you!” And he said it return. I win! I drove back, betrayed Sheetz for a Wawa coffee stop — which I like better, I have to admit, Wawa coffee. Maybe it’s nostalgia, I don’t know. Now I’m home, in time for bed. I’m hoping the melatonin wins against the coffee on this school night.
Part of Slice of Life Tuesday Slices on Two Writing Teachers! Join in and write on Tuesdays!
There are leaves crumbling all over the tabletop and I love it but this morning I balanced a box of capybara squishies as my coffee dripped all over the top of my lunchbox just so I could swipe my ID, open a door — but I love it
Teaching is an odd thing to do with your time today I told someone to stop talking about milk so they could finish their breakfast of apple juice poured on cinnamon Chex The things you never even thought of to think you’d never say, you know? One year I had to tell my sixth graders that we do not form cults in middle school So far, there have been no talk of cults in second grade. Instead we talk a lot about Star Behavior— but I love it.
Today I had to stop science because too many 7 and 8 year olds yelled, “It’s a magnet!” And ruined the aha! for half the class. We had a short class meeting where we talked about the big feelings we had from not getting to figure things out ourselves, and I reminded them that we all make mistakes, no need to say “Thanks a lot!” to friends in a way that means everything but thank you. After that we celebrated finishing our read aloud I handed out capybara squishies to a chorus of “You’re the best teacher ever.” and we lined up to go home
Awhile later as I was leaving my classroom I passed our community art table and saw that the leaves were still crumbling all over the tabletop but more were glued in place a scene was starting to be set I hope it is a metaphor and I love it.
Part of Slice of Life Tuesday Slices on Two Writing Teachers! Join in and write on Tuesdays!
when I was 9 the summer after fourth-grade I moved far away heartbroken to leave my best friend We met, you know, when I was 3 and she was 4. she hid in her car sobbing while we packed the moving truck in my driveway I rode away sobbing kept sobbing every night of fifth-grade that was almost 40 years ago Would it make me seem younger if I said that was over 30 years ago? 38 years between then and now I moved back we went to college together she moved away there have been visits phone calls FaceTimes and today as I drove 14 minutes from my house to help unpack her moving truck here Just 14 minutes from my house. I wondered two things Would it help if I could tell 9 year-old me it’s going to be okay – What’s a few decades and miles between old friends. Also be patient. and hear me out here What is it that my future self wants to tell my today self will be okay?
Part of Two Writing Teachers’ Slice of Life. I’m writing on as many Tuesdays as I can… join me!
Where does your writing come from?
Sometimes I catch a line a phrase something someone says or sometimes some rhymes sometimes my fingers wiggle Wiggle? Do real writers use words like wiggle? Would you prefer joggle squirm jiggle? My fingers want to write so they move hopping hoping a keyboard materializes by the time my brain realizes how to possibly process what made me laugh or cry or most maybe most likely made me angry one day I’ll write about the breeze that floats through the trees in my backyard makes you believe those people who talk to trees I’ll find a way to describe the bird songs so you hear them the way they interrupt each other just in time so the short quick repeating chirp chirp chirp chirps don’t act like an alarm but a melody until then I’ll just notice things, my fingers will joggle I’ll write the words when I can catch them.
It’s Tuesday! Time for Slice of Life over at Two Writing Teachers! Plus, it’s April! So I’m writing poetry!
Dear Grocery Clerk, I didn’t want to be a jerk So I watched in silence didn’t threaten violence when you slowly bagged what didn’t need to be bagged and stuffed the bag into the bottom of my cart
I didn’t have my reusables and this was inexcusable so you bagged with hate I’m not here to debate but could you not consolidate? Did you have to bag while so irate? It’s fine, 4 bags for 20 cents was my fate The extra two in the bottom of my cart
It was so windy outside I swear I almost cried As the cart started to roll It was so hard to control I pulled, and I pulled the stuffed bag The 5-cent brown bag The I didn’t need a fourth one bag from the bottom of my cart
This slice if part of the Tuesday Slice of Life Challenge on Two Writing Teachers! #sol25. I’m slicing as many Tuesdays as I can. Thanks for stopping by! It’s also April! That means poetry. Poetry is my favorite.
I tried to research a grouchy poem format. But, I couldn’t find one. So I decided to make my own. It could work with other feeling words, I’m sure. But right now I am very grouchy. Don’t take it too seriously though, writing it was fun.
I am feeling grouchy and that rhymes with slouchy which makes sense, especially when I’m sitting on the couch-y
I am feeling grumpy and that rhymes with frumpy which makes sense, especially when its all so Trump-y.
I am feeling irritable and that rhymes with uncharitable which makes sense, especially when life isn’t really editable
I am feeling snappish and that rhymes with brattish which make sense when happy seems to vanish
I am feeling bitchy and that rhymes with witchy which makes sense when days make me so twitchy
I am feeling snarky and that rhymes with malarkey which makes sense when life ain’t really a party
This slice is part of of the March Slice of Life Challenge on Two Writing Teachers! #sol25. I’m slicing every day in March. Thanks for stopping by!
I woke up around 5:45, and realized I was hearing my son taking out the garbage. At first I was sure this must have meant he never went to bed. A bunch of guys were over last night, and they didn’t have school today, so whatever.
But when I went downstairs and asked him, he said, “Nope. I told you I’d wake up at normal time and take out the trash. So I did.”
He even took all the trash out of the old trash can to put in the new trash can.
Yea. We have new trash cans, a new trash service actually, and it’s been a lot of drama about this new refuse collection. To be honest, it’s been annoying. A new service so you need a new trash can, and they promise it’s cheaper, but it doesn’t seem like that. And oh, you have to choose which trash can you want based on size. If you don’t choose, the large bin will be assigned to you. Your bill will be dependent on what bin size you choose, but you should probably get the big one anyway because anything outside of the trash can is going to cost extra, and by the way no more bulk trash, but you can get something extra picked up 4 times a year. But wait, is that four times or four things. And by the way don’t put your trash can out until the April 1st weekly collection but we will deliver it way earlier than that.
As I drove away this morning, I laughed to myself about all the drama of these stupid trash cans.
I texted my neighbor when I came home a month or so ago and saw the trash can had been dropped off in my driveway. It was confusing because I had just too many trash cans.
“Are we supposed to put these out?”
She sent me a picture of the tag which I hadn’t really read. Use it April 1st. Not before.
Okay. I will follow directions. So I stored the new trash can until today.
If I hadn’t been rushing this morning I would have stopped to take a picture of my new trash can on its first day at work. I thought about the funny signs I could have it hold up.
When I got home after school, I started to take my new trash can back in the garage, noticing that my son had already put the old trash can away, leaving space for the new trash can. I wondered if the new giant trash can would fit where the old one fit. I wondered when I could stop thinking about this stupid new trash can.
Then I realized it was still full.
I texted my neighbor.
“Did they pick up your trash?”
And then like a movie montage, I figured it out.
It’s March 31. The old trash truck came and wouldn’t pick up the new bin. The new trash truck doesn’t come until next week, after April 1, so no. . . it is not yet time to stop thinking about this new trash can drama.
I took the dog for a walk and noticed other people had the new trash cans out. I’m glad to not be so alone in my embarrassment.
Lucky for me when I checked the mail, I got the bill for the new trash collection, and an included flyer that reminded me to Begin to use your new cart on Tuesday, April 1. Do not use your cart before then.
On a Thought 