How to find happiness
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04, 2023
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04, 2023
Is Poetry a Waste?
It’s National Poetry Month again. The Academy of American Poets set up April’s month-long focus in 1996 to celebrate poets’ role in our culture and promote how poetry matters.
“Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K–12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, families, and—of course—poets, marking poetry’s important place in our lives.”
And poetry is not a waste. Research confirms that reading or writing poetry can support our mental acuity and potentially reduce our risk for dementia over our lifetimes.
Who doesn’t want that?
These are some of my favorite poems if you want to celebrate National Poetry Month with me.
The Tale of Custard the Dragon by Ogden Nash – A favorite of my children and grandchildren. I read it over and over to all of them. https://allpoetry.com/The-Tale-of-Custard-the-Dragon
Go Down Death by James Weldon Johnson – a funeral sermon in rhyme. I memorized this poem for a speech class in high school – a long, long time ago. https://allpoetry.com/Go-Down-Death
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein – I used this story poem often in my classroom. https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-giving-tree/ It’s also available as a storybook, a wonderful gift for any age.
Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost – I’ve loved this poem since I memorized it for English class in high school. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42891/stopping-by-woods-on-a-snowy-evening
My list could go on and on.
I hope you have a favorite poem too and pause sometime this month to read a poem or two.
21
04, 2023
Examples from Nature
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
I found a song in one of my old music books about a bee that I have incorporated into my Spring lessons every year. It tells about a bee working in the clover, resting on a flower, and hurrying home. It allows for movement and the kids really enjoy it.
I always start by explaining what clover is and how bees will fly from one flower to another gathering pollen to make honey. There are dots on the floor where I teach so I use those as the “clover.” I must confess, my favorite part is when they rest on the flowers. Anytime I can get a group of 4-year-olds to sit still, I consider it a win.
Our playground is covered in clover and right now, the bees are working in the clover just like the song says. I managed to take some pictures of them to show the kids.
I tried to be very discreet when taking pictures so as not to attract attention to the bees.
Singing about them in music class is one thing but I’m not sure the students would be excited about sharing the playground with them.
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04, 2023
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04, 2023
Have you adjusted?
Our spring Daylight Savings Time switches have been around since 1918. I’ve been doing the spring forward, fall back ritual my entire life.
You’d think I’d be adjusted. Right?
Wrong.
I find myself waking up an hour too early with the spring DST switch and an hour too late with the fall change back. My body clock isn’t fooled. It knows when it’s really 5 a.m.
When I was younger, I didn’t pay much attention to the time changes except for the task of changing all the clocks, especially the kitchen clock hanging high above the back porch door. Changing it was my special task.
I remember my daddy holding the kitchen stool, his hands steading me as I climbed up to reach the clock. I remember how the accumulated greasy dust clung to my fingertips and how we’d always wipe off the circular edge before we rehung it. I remember climbing down from the chair and standing beside him looking up.
“Done for this time,” he’d say and lift the chair back to its place in the corner of the kitchen.
From there, we’d move to adjust the windup Big Ben bedside alarm clocks and clock radios.
Next, we sat at the dining table and changed his Timex watch, the one with the genuine leather band. His eyes weren’t as sharp as mine so he’d undo the treasured timepiece from his wrist and hand it to me. He trusted me to move the hands ahead or back, but he never to do the winding.
Lastly, we’d set Mother’s gold bracelet Longines. Her prized possession. It always felt like such a giant responsibility. The watch ran on a battery so we didn’t have to wind it but twice a year we did have to change the time.
Eventually, glowing red or white digits replaced pointy black analog hour and minute hands. Watching the numbers spin around and applying the exact amount of pressure so I didn’t go too far and have to start over was (is) a challenge.
I can still hear Daddy saying, “Slow down.”
Those memories of helping Daddy are the best part of the DST changes for me. I miss that ritual. Adjusting to all the time switches, not so much.
It’ll be time for the reset fall back change again before I’ve settled into the new daylight time.
14
04, 2023
Field Trip Fun
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
Last month my principal asked me to go with the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades on their field trip. They went to the Museum of the American GI and Veteran’s Park. To be perfectly honest, I was not excited at first.
I was looking forward to the time at school without them. However, this seemed to be another example of “other duties as assigned” and I decided to make the best of it.
The museum was actually fascinating. I learned many things and my group of students was able to complete all the questions on the assignment we were given. It was a beautiful day so being outside at the park was nice. There were statues for each of the wars fought and my group wanted to take silly pictures at each of them. We had a lot of fun.
My favorite part of the day, though, was the last activity. We visited a different part of the park which included a music section.
I don’t know who had more fun – me or the students.
I can’t wait to go back and take my grandsons! I may even go by myself.
I am a music teacher, after all.
I can play whatever musical instrument I want – even if it is in a park!
10
04, 2023
Why Wear Easter Bonnets?
I saw no Easter bonnets at my church on Easter Sunday. I wasn’t surprised. The tradition of wearing any hat much less Easter bonnets seems to have all but disappeared in today’s culture.
Once upon a time, it was very important to have not only a new bonnet but a new outfit for Easter Sunday too. I’m guessing many of us have pictures like this buried in old photo albums.
The practice of new finery for Easter Sunday originated in the early church. Converts wore white garments on Sunday to identify themselves with Christ. The white symbolized purity and newness of life and became a powerful and tangible way to signify the life-altering spiritual transformation that had taken place.
In the 19th Century, there was even an Easter parade in New York City from St. Patrick’s Cathedral down Fifth Avenue. An after-church cultural event primarily for the well-to-do who decked out in new and fashionable clothing, and strolled from their own church to others to see and be seen.
The official parade’s popularity declined significantly as people came to view the frolic in finery as an ostentatious display of wealth and beauty.
Irving Berlin’s 1948 song “In Your Easter Bonnet” from the movie Easter Parade renewed the popularity of wearing an Easter bonnet. That’s why so many of us have pictures like the one above of me, my sister, and my brother posed outside my grandmother’s house on an Easter Sunday morning after church.
Although the parade falderal of bygone days is no longer, you might see some Easter parade strollers if you’re in New York City some Easter Sunday.
Check out these fabulous Easter bonnets from the 2018 New York Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival on 5th Avenue, Manhattan near St.Patrick’s Cathedral.
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04, 2023
Guess What We Found!
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
My 5th and 6th grade class had earned their free time so we went outside. The girls headed for the swings while the boys grabbed a football. Within a few minutes, the boys came running over saying “There’s a baby raccoon!”
Being an experienced teacher, I didn’t necessarily believe them at once. However, upon further inspection, there was indeed a baby raccoon.
Its eyes were not open but it was still alive. I sent one of the students to the office for reinforcements.
In all my various encounters with animals, I have never run across a raccoon but I knew enough to stay back and keep anyone from touching it.
I texted Rachel who happened to be at recess with her class. She called and suggested we contact Texas Parks and Wildlife to see if there was a small animal rehabilitator nearby. She texted me the number which I sent to the school office.
Meanwhile, the principal came out and got a shovel and bucket and moved the little fellow out of the sun. By the time I checked on him at the end of class, he had perked up a bit.
The woman from the wildlife rehab center came and picked him up. I have not followed up to see how he is. I like to believe he is happily growing and preparing to return to the wild.
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04, 2023
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04, 2023
Hand-me-ups
Growing up hand-me-downs and mended defined most of our clothing.
There were everyday school clothes, play clothes, and Sunday/dress-up clothes. You didn’t wear a Sunday outfit to school unless it was a special occasion and you never ever wore your good things to play in.
Dresses, jeans, shorts, and shoes were passed between siblings and cousins, and friends. We’ve carried that tradition down, always passing good clothing and stuff we can’t use on to friends and family.
Whenever our family gets together these days, we still exchange what we call the “obligatory bag.” Inside can be clothing, shoes, magazines, food, or any manner of re-useable household items to pass along.
In a recent exchange, my youngest daughter passed on some sneakers for me.
I have to smile. As the youngest child, she wasn’t always excited about her hand-me-down, homemade wardrobe. She rarely got brand-new, store-bought things. Now she’s carrying on the tradition in reverse—hand-me-ups.
I love my “new” bright pink sneakers.
