Catching Zs

Pin It Wondering what the dormancy of winter is all about? You know that sluggish drifting into the land of slumber, as Jack Frost commands the wintry winds to whip about the out-of-doors?

Come inside, the fire is warm; the hot chocolate is percolating with the simmering of marshmallows. Curl up with your laptop, click on Four Perspectives, and read all about it.

Throwing down the Gauntlet...

Pin It Will you take the challenge?

Every year I challenge my class; I challenge them to turn off their TVs sets, video games, and all gaming systems along with abstaining from attending movies - oh yes, and YouTube videos as well. In the place of these things I challenge them to spend more time with their families, playing outside, reading, writing, and enjoying the company of their friends.

I call this the “Turn off the TV and Get a Life” challenge—an idea I picked up a few years ago from John Bytheway. This will be the 9th year of my class taking this challenge, and I’d like to know if you’d take part in it with us. It'll start from the time you get up on Monday the 9th for one week from that moment.

Would you do it? Could you do it?

I'll be honest…there are a few days when I come home from school, beaten and tired and want nothing more than to pop in a movie or an episode of The Office, but for this week - no matter how badly I want to watch a program - I won’t.

Those students who are successful with this endeavor will celebrate their accomplishment on Tuesday, November 17th with a pajama day and afternoon party. So, what IS the party? Well, I call it, “Saturday Morning Cartoons.”

Remember the days before cable television when one of the only times cartoons were even on were Saturday mornings? Remember getting up at the crack of dawn so you didn’t miss a single one?

Yeah, so do I.

The kids, like I said before, are permitted to wear pajamas, bring pillows and blankets, and are allowed to bring their favorite box of sugar-encrusted cereal to share.

If you are successful, you are more than welcome to join my class and me in our celebration, whether it be with us physically in our classroom—or from afar in spirit.

Print the poster above if you'd like, challenge your friends, take it on, see if you really can do it. I will make you a promise if you do...this will be one week you'll never forget.

So, will you do it?

Darkness and Light

Pin It I hadn’t planned on posting tonight.

I’d planned on wallowing in a pool of self-pity.

Isn’t that the fashionable thing to do? After all, it’s all about being ‘in,’ right?

The past few days have been a battle for me...I’m not going to lie; it’s been a skirmish in endurance and perseverance.

…make that survival.

Do you ever find yourself in the midst of those days when you just feel that you can’t go any further? That you can’t do any more than what you’re already doing? That you have given your all, and it’s just not enough? That every time you start to get a bit ahead, you suddenly find yourself three steps behind where you originally thought you’d be? Then, to top it all off, when the day has ended, there is still far too much to do?

The inbox is still full.

The outbox is much too empty.

The dishes are piling up.

When you came to work the past few mornings, the sun still had at least an hour before it even considered coming over the horizon; then, when you left, it had set many hours before, leaving you in total darkness…

It’s been one of those days, for the past several days.

I came home tonight in darkness. I walked outside feeling as empty as the parking lot which was laid out before me, a shadowy reflection of myself in the twilight.

I closed my eyes, allowing it to drench me, to consume me, and overflow to capacity.

I breathed in the warm evening air.

I opened my car door and started the ignition, thinking of tomorrow. Despite it all, I smiled. I found myself taking comfort in the fact that a warm bed awaited me, and a new day was readying itself in the wings for the morrow. When I was to awaken, everything would begin again yet anew, and it would be better.

The sun would rise again…and when it did, I would see it.

Friends, there is light.

Something Snappy...

Pin It I thought about writing something witty this evening, something captivating which would have you rolling on the ground, begging for more.

However, due to the fact that I feel completely wiped out and parched in the sense of anything literally speaking, I’ll forgo this and instead will share some favorite images of a photography session I recently finished.

Goodnight, bloggers.

Footcover Cleanage

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So what does THAT have to do with anything? Well, if I truly have your interest peaked, you'll probably want to head over to Four Perspectives to appease it.

Halloween clones

Pin It When I entered my classroom yesterday morning for our Halloween festivities, one would have thought that it was the set for Invasion of the Body Snatchers. As I strode across the classroom, I found myself facing not only one or two, but three young men sporting similarly-familiar spiked hair, dress shirts, ties, slacks, and name tags indicating who they all were.

Remember that old expression which says that it is our actions which speak far louder than our words ever will?

These boys’ actions spoke not only loudly, but clearly as well.

I’m still flattered.



As an additional holiday treat, click here. Just know, it's probably inappropriate, but that's why I love it.

The Storm

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The latest forecasts are calling for storms brewing on the horizon; let the winds of chance blow you over to Four Perspectives to get the latest reports…