Ooh
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen (ABBA)

Today’s slice is brought to you by the 6th-grade girls in the room next door who were spending their lunch recess with their homeroom teacher. All of a sudden the above lyrics came boldly ringing through the mid-day air bringing a smile to my face as well as a question to my mind. Why were they singing ABBA, and why did they know all the lyrics?

This song was released in 1976, the year I graduated from high school. I was NEVER a dancing queen, just ask my family, but I did enjoy dancing (complete with bell-bottomed pants and platform shoes) and imagining myself as that 17-year-old dancing queen. The movie, Mamma Mia!, based on the songs of the Swedish pop group, Abba, debuted in 2008 with a sequel in 2018. Apparently, there is a Mamma Mia tour happening in 2022. I have to admit that I always enjoy a trip down memory lane when I hear musical selections from those movies including: “Take a Chance on Me,” “SOS,” “Waterloo,” and of course “Mamma Mia!”

So this chance encounter with a blast-from-the-past would not have me concerned for the present generation of young people if it weren’t for the picture my daughter sent me earlier this week from The Hollywood Reporter.

Don’t get me wrong; I enjoyed my teenage years in the 70s including bell-bottom pants, frayed jeans, midi skirts, maxi dresses, Tie-dye, peasant blouses, and ponchos. I had my share of Hippie accessories of chokers, headbands, scarves, and jewelry made of wood, stones, feathers, and beads. However, I am not sure I want to see the latest generation of teenagers in those “vintage” outfits. Been there. Done that. Don’t want to be reminded of just how old I am!

Today is National Cheesesteak Day. “Every March 24 America pays tribute to one of the all-time classic sandwiches — the cheesesteak. Much like national liberty itself, the cheesesteak is elegant, necessary, pure, and was born in Philadelphia. The cheesesteak rose from humble beginnings in South Philly to the cultural icon it is today: safely secure in the sandwich hall of fame.” (https://nationaltoday.com/national-cheesesteak-day/).

Being a Philly native, I have had my share of debates over who serves the best cheesesteaks in the area. Most notable is the rivalry between Pat’s King of Steaks (established 1930) and Geno’s Steaks (established 1966); the two venues are situated on opposite corners of 9th St. and Passyunk Ave. I have had them both, and I prefer Geno’s. But not all great cheesesteak joints are in South Philly. I have fond memories of having cheesesteaks with my Roxborough relatives from Dalessandro’s Steaks and Hoagies on the corner of Wendover St. and Henry Ave. Of course, some of my Philly friends will tell me to mention Tony Luke’s, Steve Prince of Steaks, or some other sandwich shop but that could make my post go on forever. Did you know there is a Facebook page dedicated to rating cheesesteaks?

If you are a true South Philly regular you know how to order your cheesesteak just the way you like it without holding up the line. Here are some pointers.

How to order a cheesesteak
“A cheesesteak wit,” is what you say if you want onions.

“A cheesesteak witout,” is what you say if you don’t want onions. (You can also order your cheesesteak “with onions” or “without onions” and nobody will mind.)

At some places, you may be asked to specify whether you want American cheese, provolone, or Whiz. Don’t ask for Swiss cheese. Presidential candidate John Kerry made that mistake.

Don’t ask for rare, medium-rare, or medium. All cheesesteaks are well-done.

So, for example, you might order “One Whiz, wit (or witout)”; “One American, wit (or witout)”; or “One provolone, wit (or witout)” (https://www.inquirer.com/philly-tips/how-to-order-philly-cheesesteak-20210609.html)

You may think you have eaten a “Philly” cheesesteak before, but unless you have eaten it in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, what you had was just an imposter!

Well, it has been a rough couple
of days
of weeks
of years

Today I give myself permission
to rehash
to be angry
to grieve

For now, I am stuck
in this bad moment
in this confusion
in this betrayal

But not for long – it is not worth
the bad memories
the anguish
the pain

Tomorrow I start to move forward
one moment at a time
one day at a time
one week at a time

And in time this will become
A lesson to be remembered
A distant memory to be forgotten
A non-threat to my peace of mind

You don’t get to have power over me anymore
I get to decide my path
and it leads to better days

Today is by far the hardest day of this challenge. Every idea that pops into my head is immediately shot down and tossed out like last week’s leftovers. I don’t know why today is so particularly difficult, but I cannot quiet my mind enough to write. I thought about waiting until later, but I have a list of things that I want to accomplish this evening before I sit down to lose myself in, “This Is Us” at 9:00 PM.

I can’t quite put my finger on the problem. I am feeling tired and restless, weary and on edge. I scrolled through some other posts – nothing. I looked up quotes of the day – nothing. I paged through my writer’s notebook – nothing. What do you do to break through writer’s block?

Today is National Courtesy Day which “is a great way to remind ourselves that the world is better off when we show gratitude and graciousness in both big and small ways.” Sometimes we forget that simple things can make a big difference.

At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon, I have to say that manners and courtesy are not something I see regularly in school. I remember as a child my mother taught us how to be courteous and mannerly, to say please and thank you, to hold a door open for the next person, and to push in our chair when we were excused from the dinner table. While I love my middle school students, I am always surprised when I drop something (even my cane) that no one moves to pick it up. When I was in elementary and middle school students would be flying out of their desks trying to be the first ones to help! When students are moving in the hallway hardly anyone stops to let an adult pass in front of them. Very few times do students ask if they can help carry something for a teacher, and I am forever reminding my students to push in their chairs before they leave my room. Please don’t get me wrong. My students will do ANYTHING they are asked to do to help me or another teacher, but few do things without being asked.

How do we get manners and courtesy make a comeback? Has it fallen out of fashion to be courteous? I try to lead by example, but sometimes I think I need to do direct instruction. 🤷‍♀️. What are your thought?

The first day of spring is always filled with hope and trepidation for me. I am hopeful for the warmer days with more sunlight and the increase in outings, but I am also worried that I will plan too much and burn myself out or fail in my ambitious undertakings. So today I am making a list of all the things I would like to accomplish before I have a total knee replacement in June.

Are you a list maker? Lists help me to stay on track and give me a good feeling as I check each item off when completed. Sometimes I add things to my list that were not on there just so I can cross them off as I do them. I have broken my lists into three categories – my home, my health, my heart.

Our home is on the smaller size yet it has so many things inside. I keep saying I am going to start purging so that I don’t leave a big mess for my children to deal with when we are gone. My family had to downsize my mom’s belongings three times, and it was such an emotional task. A Facebook friend, Paula Bourque, posted a book recommendation to help with this process.

This is now on my list to read. I just have to decide if I will purchase it or try to borrow it from the library so I don’t add another book to my still LARGE library even after a recent purging day with my daughter.

My health has been relatively good, but as I age there are definitely more challenges. I began reading The Obesity Code, a book recommended by my PCP, but only got a few chapters in before it sat ignored on the table. My ability to sustain a reading practice during Covid was practically nil, but I am ready to pick it up again. Burnout was a book I did read and need to revisit.

I certainly know what I should be doing for my health, but I never seem to make it a priority. No better time than right now to get back on track. Paying more attention to my heath can only be beneficial to my upcoming surgery and improve my overall wellbeing.

My heart is sometimes bullied by my head. My head can say mean things to myself that trouble my heart. So I am making a concerted effort to give my heart its own space each day. A Field Guide to the Heart is a recent purchase that is helping to shape that time for my heart. I have several other resources to help me reflect on what my heart needs at a particular moment.

I am not quite finished with my current writer’s notebook, but the goal is to write enough to fill its pages by the end of March so that I can begin using this beautiful duo that was a birthday gift in October. I have been saving it for Spring.

OK, so now it is time to go back to my list-making then I can prioritize and make a plan for what projects I will tackle first. Wish me luck!

I have been looking forward to Saturday all week, and here it is! My plans are finished; my trimester grades are finalized. No work this weekend!

Up early

Beautiful, sunny morning

Starbuck’s run

Seeing current and former students at OLM 5K

Checking things off my “to-do” list

March Madness

Reading a magazine

Date night with the hubby

What more could I need?

Today was very uneventful, yet I found just the perfect moment to write about. As I turned the corner into my development, I thought I saw something shiny in the air. I wasn’t sure if I really saw something or if the sun was playing tricks on me.

As I got to the next intersection, there they were. A mom, a dad, and a child taking a walk. They walked in a line, one behind the other, Dad, Child, Mom. What was shiny you ask? A simple soap bubble. Dad was “blowing” bubbles with a long wand. As he drew the wand through the air, lines of bubbles blew back on the child who was “catching” them and skipping in delight.

At the end of a long week, I took this as a reminder that spring is coming, that children still delight in the simple things, and that there is still hope in the world.

Look for the light in the little things this weekend!

So a couple of days ago I was wondering if I was getting sick or if my allergies were kicking into gear. Well, last night I found my answer. I was sitting in the recliner minding my own business watching the first quarter of the 76ers game, when I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. NO! IT CAN’T BE!! Well it was – the beginning of an aura similar to the picture below. Now I knew that my allergies were to blame for my scratchy throat and sinus pressure, but just to be sure they provided me with a migraine headache to cap off my evening.

My head was ready to explode. It felt like there was an icepick chipping away at my orbital bone. I popped two Excedrin Migraine pills, covered my eyes with a black towel, relined my chair, and waited for the headache to start. It arrived right on schedule – one hour after the aura began. I finally went up to bed just before midnight – the migraine in tow.

Today I have the migraine hangover – head and neck hurt, but not quite as badly as last night. Unfortunately, staying home was not an option, so I spent the day trying to manage my headache and my mood. You see today was a dress down day for my (usually clad in uniforms) students, the beginning of March Madness, and indoor recess due to the rain – not the best recipe for a calm and peaceful day, but I managed to get through it.

Once that final bell rings, and my hall monitor duty is over, I am looking forward to heading home for a cup of tea, a blanket, and a nap. See you in the morning!

Today I stopped what we were working on in ELA to give my 7th-grade students the opportunity to watch the live stream of Ukrainian President Zelensky addressing the United States Congress. I thought it was important that they witness this historic moment. In an effort to keep politics out of any discussion, I muted the commentators as we waited for the address to begin. I explained that depending on what news broadcast you watch, the information could be presented or slanted to a particular view or opinion, and we were not viewing this as a political issue, but as a humanitarian issue.

There were many lines in President Zelensky’s speech that moved me and gave me pause. The situation is so complicated in some ways yet so simple in others. The students made observations with the clarity of 13-year-olds. That is not meant to be condescending, but rather as a wonderment of the beautiful hearts of youth and what happens on the way to adulthood that changes and hardens some hearts.

I printed a copy of the speech because even though I took notes as I watched, there was so much I wanted to return to, to mull over, to reconcile. That is not a one-shot deal. Today I was able to create a blackout poem from the first of four pages of text. Tomorrow, I will try to digest a little more.

I’m proud
From Ukraine

Our beautiful people
Eight years
Resisting
Aggression

Destiny
Being decided
Against our values
Our rights

Live freely
Same dreams
Americans
Understand us now

Remember
December 7, 1941
September the 11th

Our country experience
Right now

Is this too much to ask?

I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge sponsored by twowritingteachers.org