Fifteen. Fifteen days until the last day. The last day of school!

This time of year is so hard. Hard for teachers. Hard for students. Hard for parents. Patience is being tried by many things – antsy kids, deadlines, grading, changes to the schedule – the list can go on and on. A person could very easily be prone to behaving badly, but what would that prove? Who would benefit from the impatience?

Instead, I am going to try and be even more patient than normal. How am I going to accomplish this? I have compiled a list of 15 things I could do for 15 minutes to help reduce the stress of these last 15 days. Some of these things could be done in school, and others can only happen after school or at home. In no particular order…

• take a walk
• Chai latte from Starbucks
• meditate/breathe
• listen to music
• sit on the deck
• ride the recumbent bike
• yoga/stretching
• take a long shower & use an aromatherapy shower steamer
• write in my gratitude journal
• watch a stand-up comedian
• connect with a friend
• read
• pray
• power nap
• walk in the pool (this one is longer – have to go to the gym.)

I am thinking about putting these in a 15-block grid and choosing one a day to be my reward for keeping my cool in school. It will be like an end-of-the-year bingo game for one. Let me know if you have any tricks for holding onto your patience when it is being tested.

Today is National Moscato Day! This day was created by the Gallo Family Vineyards in 2012. When it comes to drinking wine or any alcohol for that matter, I am a lightweight. I have tried fancy red wines and dry white wines, but my palette could not grow accustomed to the tastes. It did not mature with the rest of me. I prefer light, sweet wines, and Moscato is one of my favorites!

Moscato is made from the Muscat Blanc grapes from Piedmont Italy. Believe it or not, muscat grapes are the same grapes that are used for raisins. Moscato has peachy, orangey, and nectarine flavors and is often used as a dessert wine and comes in white, red, and rose’. It is the third most popular win in the US. I guess there are many other wine drinkers with the same taste as me.

Moscato is a great summer wine. Here are a few ideas.

If you haven’t tried Moscato, put it on your shopping list and start creating sweet summer beverages. Cheers!

PIECES – This was yesterday’s writing prompt provided by teachwrite.org on their May Writing Prompts list. If you haven’t visited them, please check them out.

It really got me thinking. What do I write about? Missing pieces? Broken pieces? Puzzle pieces? Bits & pieces? After searching for quotes about “pieces,” I landed on the one above and the idea of “pieces of me.” Then everything started to fall into place – like pieces of a puzzle.

I have been listening to “Words & Music” on Audible as well as some celebrity memoirs. What I have enjoyed hearing about the most is the people/things that influenced each of these people. They have given me a glimpse into their many “pieces.” Yoyo Ma was greatly influenced by his immigrant parents, Sting by the town he grew up in and left behind, and the list goes on. I began to think about my “pieces” and how they all fit together to create the puzzle that is me.

• Places I Have Been – Philadelphia, Horsham – all the places I have visited in my life.
• People I Have Loved – parents, siblings, aunts & uncles, cousins, Chuck and his family who became my family, my kids, their spouses, my grandkids, and friends from grade school, high school, college, and beyond.
• Song Lyrics – too many to begin to even make a short list, but those of the 70s for sure.
• Book Quotes – beginning with my favorite Nancy Drew and all those that followed that helped me garner the nickname, “Read-a-book.”
• Places I Have Worked – Burger King, Brooks Drugs.
• Places I Have Taught – St. James, Holy Angels, St. Catherine, St. Alphonsus, Bucks County Community College, West Chester Writing Project, Our Lady of Mercy, and all the wonderful colleagues I have had along the way.
• Students I Have Shared Learning With – I have even taught children of former students!

This list could go on, and on, and on, but what is important is to recognize that I did not get to be here in this place being the person I am today without capturing “pieces” of every person, place, and thing that has come into my life. I wholeheartedly believe that every experience – good or bad – shapes us and helps us grow.