This year (2025) finds me with 53 years of teaching “under my belt.” I have taught all levels from pre-K “(library lady” or “book lady”–volunteer) to juniors, seniors, and graduate students enrolled in my Advanced Writing class at the university where I have just completed 34 years. My first paying teaching job was junior high, and I spent 13 years with ages 12-13, the “difficult years.” I had some of the “funnest” experiences with this age group. When I was no longer the “young, fun teacher,” I taught in an elementary school setting before sixth graders went on to junior high, teaching language arts blocs, an assignment that was a “dream-fit” for me. After completing graduate school in my 40s, I went on to community college, then university teaching. This past fall I accepted a part-time teaching job at Apogee Gulf Coast Schools in its first year at the Alvin campus. After my Better Half died n 2022, I achieved a lifelong dream: opening a bookstore of my own, Rae’s Reads. A year later, I sold the house we had lived in for 47 years and moved into the bookstore. My goal is to circulate and repurpose books.
Just as teaching is “in my blood,” so is a passion for reading, writing, libraries, and everything bookish.
This blog will be open to anyone who loves books, promotes literacy and wants to “come out and play.”
“AUDACIOUS” was the word I chose for 2020, not necessarily a word to “live by”, but a word to emulate. Audacious means, “showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.” I have always lived my life on the “safe side,” never being one to take risks. At the same time, with my students, I give them the advice of Maya Angelou in the movie, American Quilt, “Go ahead and stick your neck out…you know I’m going to love [what you write].
There is a negative connotation to “audacious.” It can mean “impudent” or “lack of respect.” These are things I would never condone.
An audacious person is BOLD, daring, and sometimes unconventional. My goals for 2020 are to stop being so scared at…
…looking foolish.
…doing something you think you can’t.
…starting something before you think you’re ready.
“The Arthur series “is today’s recommendation for both boys and girls ages four through eight. Arthur Read (Yes, “Read” is his last name.) is an anthropomorphic aardvark created by Marc Brown. For the girls, Arthur has a little sister. He is a good Big Brother. Himself eight years old, Arthur addresses the fears of eight-year-olds like asthma, dyslexia, cancer and diabetes. Family issues like taking turns, being kind, controlling anger, etc. are also dealt with.
One of my favorites is Arthur’s Eyes, dealing with eye checkups and getting glasses.
Arthur’s adventures include writing a story, meeting the President, and his eyes, ears, nose (another favorite), and tooth (about loosing a baby tooth).
A friend gave me multiple copies of Arthur books, which I not only put out in my Little Free Library, but shared with teacher wannabes in my classes for their classroom libraries.
Arthur has been made into a PBS TV series as well.
Looking over an old, finished journal, I found an entry near the end dated January 16,2020. It involved questions to be considered at the end of each day.
“Today I am grateful for…” Hurricane Laura not hitting our part of the Texas Gulf coast yesterday.
“Today I helped someone by…” sending several texts of encouragement, answering a request for advice, and disinfecting and restocking my Little Free Library after emptying it in preparation for the storm.
Now the neighbors will have reading materials for tomorrow’s Severe Heat Warning when they have to stay indoors.
“Something that made me happy today…” was being checked on by a younger friend.
“Today I learned…” that online teaching is going to be very time consuming.
“Tomorrow I will…” try to catch up with myself and bake cookies to replace the ones we ate today.
“Eventually I will…” accomplish my dream of owning a used bookshop. My little town has NO bookstore, and I am thinking and saving up for it now. Maybe when I’m 90? LOL
Try this little “game” with me. Wait until the end of a day, and answer these questions, either on your own blog or in the comment section below.
Fixes for a draconic mid-life crisis #1 – Find a pretty young dragon queen to polish your scales for you. Maybe polish hers too…
Castellan the Black, mighty dragon warrior, features in my short story Picky Eaters, written to provide a humorous escape from all the stuff that isn’t happening on Wyvern Peak… All proceeds for the duration of its publishing life are donated to mental health charities.
YES, I love memoirs. It was not until recently, this past spring, that I really got into them. In order to expand my own “sense” of the genre, I required my Advanced Writing Class, Spring 2020, to do a “Memoir Project” for 30% of their course grade. (I am so blessed to pretty much get to write my own curriculum as long as I include the requirements of the course.) My students were all juniors and seniors at the university where I teach, but I was shocked to discover how few of them had read a whole book in their entire lives! Since many memoirs are thin books, I thought it was a good place to start.
First, they were to choose and read a memoir–yup! the whole book. They received 10 points just for doing that, and I did it on the honor system. Then, 10 points for writing…
Several years ago, I did a color challenge with a fellow blogger where books were picked by the color of their covers. Most of the books came from my TBR shelves, which was an added bonus.
Today, I’ve written a color challenge of my own and urge you to join me. There is no “due date” or timeline; there are twelve books to read; you don’t have to read them in order; and, it is a chance to read books first, then count them towards the challenge. What could be better?
Here are the books to read:
A book with a red cover or any shade of red in the cover design.
Blue on the cover
Yellow on the cover
White on the cover
Black on the cover
Green on the cover
Orange on the cover
Pink on the cover
Purple on the cover
Brown on the cover
The word “color” in the title
An author “of color”
I have already started, out of order, but that’s not necessary, my first book.
Any shade of blue will do. Gee, I’m a poet and don’t know it! LOL
Blue background frames the cover of The Dalai Lama’s Cat by David Michie, first in a three book series of books about Buddhist beliefs written from a cat’s point of view. A cat of many names, “Little Snow Lion,” “HHC” (short for His Holiness’s Cat), and many others depending on who comes in contact with her, she was rescued by His Holiness when driving along a street. It is a “warmhearted, irreverent, and wise” look at the inner workings of the Dalai Lama’s household, with secondary characters that are delightful: monks, a “fake it” restaurant owner, and Italian woman who is His Holinesses’s cook, and others. Also, the book (and the series) has been described as a “multi-layered treatise on the practical aspects of Buddhist teachings.” (Goodreads)
After reading the Breakfast with Buddha series, this series (and I certainly will read the other two books.) will expand my understanding of and appreciation for the Buddhist principles and teachings. The book is great as a stand-alone, but it ended with a cliffhanger which demands I read the next book.
“Time you enjoyed wasting is not wasted time.” (Martha Troly-Curtiin)
“There’s a time for hard work–a time to do everything you can to get things done–and there’s a time to relax. Celebrate everything you’ve accomplished, and mark your progress on projects you have yet to complete. Congratulate yourself for sticking to it, despite the setbacks that have come your way. Dream! Bask in the beauty of a lazy day.” (devotional book given to me by a former student for my birthday last year.)
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