Painting by Brendan O'Connell. Courtesy of http://www.cbs.com. I spent the night in a horse barn. Years ago, I dated a guy who worked with horses. He built an apartment within a barn of six stallions. "Most of the girls where you come from would never spend the night out here," he told me. Most of… Continue reading Painted Blue: Beyond the Walmart Aisles
Author: Corrie's Mom
They say teacher turn over is high right now, and many teachers will leave the profession in five years or less. I will enter my seventh year as a full-time teacher, and my 12th year in education after I'd started as a sub and teacher assistant. I was the student in the 1990s you did not want in your classroom because I was diagnosed with ADHD and did not know how to socialize with other kids. I was due to be tested for autism, but this was considered an ostracizing experience for a child then, especially a girl. I am a third generation teacher and author of seventeen creative works.
Friday Night Writes: When the Stadium Lights Go Out
One man switches off the lights in the football stadium. No one is left that he sees, but sometimes someone or something stays hidden out of the spotlight. He, she or it is not ready to leave. But, as soon as Josh Harnett got it in The Virgin Suicides he left Kirsten Dunst alone on the… Continue reading Friday Night Writes: When the Stadium Lights Go Out
In the Coming Weeks
I am back. You: Back from what? I didn't know you were gone. Me: What do you mean you didn't know I was gone? You: You're not the center of the blogosphere. Me: Yes, you're right, but I am back. My husband, John, and I spent the weekend in Gatlinburg, Tenn. We took a break, planned… Continue reading In the Coming Weeks
The Write to Cook: Two Men and the Little Chef
The Write to Cook: Two Men and the Little Chef Mom and Dad both worked hard. Mom was a high school teacher, and Dad worked as an insurance claims adjuster. Most childhood meals were eaten at a restaurant or brought home. I believed Mom could cook if she put her mind to it, but she never showed… Continue reading The Write to Cook: Two Men and the Little Chef
When We Write Letters, Part VII
Cell phone alarm rings again. You wake up slowly and grab your clothes in the dark. Maybe you forget to check whether clothes match. Going outside, you realize it's raining. You're already behind the time it takes to get to work or to school. You race to the car. Just before you turn into the parking… Continue reading When We Write Letters, Part VII
Friday Night Writes: Reasons Why We Write
Write what you know. Write what inspires you. Write about what you're interested in. Write about what you're willing to research. Write what you fear. Courtesy of http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/lindsayreyes/ Some bloggers write to share knowledge of publishing and share how-to query. Others blog to write. I have heard the above advice and reasons at different points… Continue reading Friday Night Writes: Reasons Why We Write
When You are Recognized
What is an award or nomination? What does it mean whether you accept or politely turn it down? Whether or not you accept an award, it means someone has recognized your gifts. I want to thank the lovely Vikki Thompson of The View Outside for her nomination of my blog for the Illuminating Blogger Award.… Continue reading When You are Recognized
Get Lost Sometimes
"Love, I get so lost sometimes. Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart. When I want to run away, I drive off in my car. But whichever way I go I come back to the place you are. … In your eyes, I see the doorway to a thousand churches. In your eyes, the… Continue reading Get Lost Sometimes
When We Write Letters, Part VI: Letters from Grandma
Letters arrived at camp. The post man delivered them to my parents’ mailbox. Letters came all the time. Now they never come. I miss her letters. Only three or four remain. Paper slightly aged, and cursive letters written into the page. I feel where my grandmother’s pen pressed down. I called my grandmother “Dick Dick,”… Continue reading When We Write Letters, Part VI: Letters from Grandma
Friday Night Writes: Goodbye Shame
Courtesy of http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-1612-Job-Info-and-Trends-10-Modern-Blue-Collar-Jobs/ Frost covered the ground. Tips of naked tree branches above the silos began to unfreeze on my ride to work. I listen to the radio. A woman tells a story about another who spent most of her life living in a trailer park. She worked at McDonalds. "Don't get me wrong," the… Continue reading Friday Night Writes: Goodbye Shame
Corrie's Season 