BulgingButtons

Not bad for a fat girl

Category Archives: Other Thoughts


by Leave a comment

Welcome to August, and Another School Year

Seems like we should still be on vacation.

Today is August 1, so it seems strange to talk about a new school year already, but we’ve been back for a couple of weeks now. My district has changed to a new calendar, and honestly I’m not mad about it. Yes, we teachers headed back to school on July 11 (that sounds obscene), and kids followed soon after, but really, it hasn’t been bad. Granted my perspective has changed, but I’m looking forward to the two week breaks we’ll get in the fall, winter, and spring. I’ve been telling myself that thanks to the new schedule, I will have plenty of time for my globe-trotting adventures. Truthfully though, I don’t have any travel plans in mind, aside from a trip to my hometown to visit family and friends.

So, why has my perspective shifted? Well, I’ve taken a new job. I’m at the same school, but I’m no longer a regular classroom teacher. Now I’m a teacher of gifted students, which means I see kids from kindergarten to fifth grade throughout the week. Today I spent my day with second and fifth grade students, tomorrow kindergarten and fourth are on the docket.

I empathize with the classroom teachers. We’re in the midst of the most brutal stretch of hot weather that I’ve experience in the three decades I’ve lived here, so there’s no outdoor recess once the school day begins. Thankfully kids can play outside for a few minutes before the morning bell, before the day becomes unbearably hot, but that’s the only time outdoors they have. There’s no messing around with the heat advisory message sent out by the district each morning. The heat is dangerous, so the kiddos stay inside. Indoor recess is hard, especially here where we have mild winters and kids are outside almost every day. Every day, except in the summer.

But you know what? I don’t have to worry about it. I don’t have a classroom full of kids who need to burn off some energy. I have small groups throughout the day, and the work we do is interesting and engaging, so kids stay focused. I’m really enjoying the change. It’s a lot of work, adjusting to an entirely new set of demands, but I’m up for it. I’m finding that I especially like working with my first grade students, who terrified me before I actually spent some time with them. And of course my fifth graders. These are the kids who I taught last year in my reading class (and some in my homeroom). I adore these kids. They’re kind, funny, hardworking, and curious.

So there you have it, a brief glimpse into my new role, and my new attitude. Teaching gifted kids is fun. I’m so glad I have the privilege to spend my days with them, and to learn from them at least as much as they learn from me.


by Leave a comment

Frankenstein or Young Frankenstein?

Horror or comedy?

1930’s or 1970’s?

Which one do you prefer? Or do you even have a preference? I enjoy them both, and indulged in viewing them both in honor of Halloween. Boris Karloff as the monster is, of course, iconic. Wouldn’t it be fun if through some magic of time travel, and reanimation of course, Gene Wilder and Boris Karloff could collaborate on a sequel? I would watch that. Probably not in the theater, but on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

I hate to admit it, but I’ve never actually read Mary Shelley’s novel. I don’t really have any desire to read it. As a 21st century reader, I already know what the monster looks like. The delicious experience of envisioning him in my mind has been rendered impossible, thanks to Mr Karloff and his makeup and wardrobe wizards.

I did, however, get a little more curious about the creation of the story. A while back I saw an episode of Drunk History featuring the story of how Mary Shelley came up with the idea for Frankenstein, but it only made me wonder more about her. A little YouTube hunting around took me to a movie about Mary Shelley. I haven’t watched it yet, but it’s on my “to watch “ list. If you’ve seen it, I’d love to hear your opinion.

After watching Nightmare on Elm Street, I’ve learned that modern horror movies are way too scary for me. I’m going to stick to the classics, even if I don’t actually read the book. How about you? Are you a horror fanatic, or are you a chicken, like me?


by Leave a comment

November Musings

I can’t believe it’s only the second day of November, and already I have regrets. First off, my exercise routine has gone straight out the window. I had some minor surgery which has prevented me from really exercising to the fullest. Truthfully though, since it’s too cold to go in my pool, I probably would not have been exercising anyway. Now that’s not to say that I haven’t done any exercise, I have done some, just not as much as my body needs. I guess since it’s only the second day of the month, it’s not too late to fix the exercise issue. However, I can’t turn back the hands of time, and redo yesterday.

Since yesterday was November 1, I had good intentions of blogging each day in November. I’ve done it before, and really enjoyed the experience. In fact, several years ago one of my November posts was freshly pressed. I enjoyed my far less than 15 minutes of pseudo-fame from that post, and wouldn’t mind seeing some more readers checking out my little corner of the internet.

It’s not really about fame, though. I really would just like to get back into a productive blogging habit. Using my WordPress app on my phone seems to be helpful. At least so far. Maybe if I set an alarm for each day I’ll remember to put up a blog post every day for the rest of this month. No promises though.

One thing I do not regret is the amount of time I’ve been spending quilting recently. Although it’s really my friend who has done the actual quilting. I’ve sent her three quilt tops that she has professionally quilted for me on her large quilting machine. She does excellent work, and she has made my patchwork look terrific.

Another non-regret is the fact that I’ve been a more active football fan this season. When I was a kid, our class took a field trip to our team’s brand new stadium. It was magnificent. That’s when I became a football fan. Back in those days kids would write about their field trips on these giant pieces of paper that had a big space at the top for an illustration. My essay and illustration somehow survived my entire childhood and is now framed in my laundry room. Second grade me decided to illustrate my essay with a crayon drawing of OJ Simpson. We didn’t see The Juice, or any of the players, but the visit to the stadium left an impression on me. So did four trips to the Super Bowl without a win. Last year I rediscovered my team, and this year I’ve been enjoying watching and listening to them. Most weeks we don’t get the game where I live, so I listen to the team’s radio broadcast instead.

The commercials on those broadcasts transport me back to my childhood hometown. I went to school with the dentist, I worked with the daughter of one car dealer, and my first brand new car was purchased from the other. Things don’t really change much in that community.

Anyway, I’m glad the weather has finally cooled down, and we have a few weeks before the Christmas season onslaught begins in earnest. I, for one, plan to enjoy the rest of the month of November. I hope you enjoy it too.