Teachers as Storytellers

Originally posted on Teacher as Transformer:
Think of the people we call teachers, not just in classrooms but in every facet of our lives. A quality they share is storytelling. They connect with our hearts and minds. We laugh, cry, yell, and carry on in every imaginable way with them. We remember them not because…

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Feb. 20, 2008 – Lunar eclipse

To find something appropriate for this week’s Flashback Friday, I went digging through my collection of CD-Rs. I’m winter weary, so I didn’t want to look back at other snowy winters past. Then I came across this… On Feb. 20, 2008, there was a total lunar eclipse. My husband took these pictures, starting with the […]

A Word A Week Photo Challenge: Broken

A Word a Week Photo Challenge: Broken Forgotten I was taking a walk one day and noticed this forgotten Barbie lying in a yard of newly mowed grass. The mowed grass adds to the sense of rejection I felt that the broken doll represented. Her former owner has moved on to new toys and excitement.

Writing 201: Elegy for Mother

Writing 201: Poetry, Day 5 Form: Elegy Theme: Fog I didn’t use the device of metaphor in this poem. Instead, I used repetition, and a pattern in the number of lines per stanza. Elegy for Mother She could no longer travel; Now fog descended over her eyes – Fog that didn’t allow her to read, […]

Weekly Feature: FLASHBACK FRIDAY- my son Jayme, 1985-1990

For this week’s flashback, I’m honoring my son, Jayme A. L. Villa-Alvarez, who will turn 30 on Sunday, Feb. 22. Here are some memories of his first five years. Feb. 22, 1985: Jayme with his dad, Fernando Villa-Alvarez and mom, Katy Villa-Alvarez 1986 Family pictures, 1988 1989: We move to Illinois 1990

Acrostic trust

Today’s assignment in Writing 201 is: Topic/theme: Trust Form: Acrostic Device: Internal rhyme Once again I find it necessary to write two separate poems on the topic – an acrostic poem and a poem using internal rhyme. My acrostic tells the characteristics of the man I love and trust. The one who is: Truthful, Responsible, […]

A journey by limerick

Writing 201/poetry: word prompt: journey Form: limerick Device: alliteration Although I tried, I couldn’t do all three in one poem! So I wrote two: Limerick Journey To describe ‘journey’ in a limerick It needs to be summed up very quick If I could arrive anywhere by five I’d find out what makes the world tick! […]

30 things to do on a trip from Illinois to Texas and back

One of the first assignments in Blogging 201 (since I’m not one to keep up with assignments or do them in order) was to analyze the statistics for my blog. I found out that my travel posts are by far the most popular and attract the most readers. In the summer of 2013, my husband […]

Writing 201/Poetry: Haiku – Visions of Water

Water….grand as in an ocean or a waterfall, the reflection in the surface of a lake, frozen as icicles in the winter, or a mere drop on a leaf… These were my visual inspiration for haiku about water: River River meanders, winding and twisting its way down to the ocean. Upper Kaubashine Lake Orange and […]

I’ve visited 9% of the countries of the world

Click on the first link below to see the map. You can create your own map – click on the second link! <div style=”width:550px; position: relative;”> http://static.travbuddy.com/flash/countries_map.swf?id=6831175 <div style=”background-color: #38235b; padding: 5px 0px 5px 0px; text-align: center; width: 549px; border-left: 1px solid #372060; font-size: 11px; color: #EEE; line-height: 1.4em;”> <a style=”font-size: 14px; color: #FFBF42″ href=”http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-widgets”><strong>Create […]