This is my 9th year participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge sponsored by https://twowritingteachers.org/. I am participating in two other writing challenges at this time as well, and I am a little behind in both of them. I contemplated not participating in the #SOL24 challenge because I was afraid of not being able to keep up and complete the challenge based on how the other two were going, but I love being a part of this community.

I began January with high hopes of renewing my writing habit. I took the ten-day Winter Writing Sanctuary with author Beth Kempton. (https://dowhatyouloveforlife.com/) Off to a great start, I was writing every day and tapping into my creative self, but life got in the way. There was some personal writing that had deadlines, a few snowstorms that included shoveling duties, and just sheer tiredness that all took their toll on my plans. I couldn’t even take advantage of the extra day in February!

That is behind me now. A fresh page on the calendar means a chance to start over. As the quote above states, my winter doldrums are beginning to thaw, and my creativity is beginning to run again. What I am going to keep reminding myself is that these writing challenges are a chance to “wake into myself again.” While I will do my best to meet the goals I have set for myself to complete these challenges, I am going into March giving myself grace and looking forward to the hope of spring.

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.

One thing I know for sure is that my hourglass has more sand on the bottom than on the top. This realization is not meant to be maudlin or overly sentimental; it is a fact. Another thing I know for sure is that my vision of life has gotten clearer (and not just because I had cataract surgery on both eyes). Here are just a few of my “visions.”

Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Yes, I have heard this all my life, but now that I am older, and people around me are getting sick and/or dying, it is really hitting home. Losing parents and aunts and uncles is very sad, but losing contemporaries is sobering. It reminds me that living every day and staying in the moment is even more important.

It is okay to say, “No.” I have been a people pleaser for most of my life. This often resulted in me being overworked, stressed out, or frustrated. There was no one to blame but myself. Now, I guard my time and energy and only commit to things that are important to me.

Not all people are meant to stay in your life. Over the years I have had many “friends” with whom I thought I would have long-lasting relationships. That isn’t how life works though. I use to be sad that I had not remained close with some of my friends, but I realize now that each person comes into our lives at a certain time for a certain reason. Not all are meant to be with us for a lifetime, and that’s okay.

Do what you love. So much of life is taken up with responsibilities and “have-to-do” moments. Not everything on the “have-to-do” list is of equal importance. It’s okay if I let the less important things go and do what is really important – spending time with my husband watching sports, reading, or writing.

The creation of this list is still a work in progress because every new day is an opportunity to see life through a different lens. The closer your focus, the clearer the view.