tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155947212012-01-03T14:45:03.929-05:00Keeping up with my life through writing!JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.comBlogger1331100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-8683164873779477882011-11-30T21:39:00.000-05:002011-11-30T21:39:59.848-05:00

It's the end of THIS National Blog Posting Month. I guess they do this every month over at BlogHer. But not me! I have enjoyed pushing myself to write every day here at A Writer Within. However, sometimes it was a bit too much for me. And sometimes the posts just didn't seem worthy - like I was posting just because I promised myself I would post! (Yesterday was a case in point). But it was

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-269663193107444062011-11-29T23:30:00.000-05:002011-11-30T19:49:55.075-05:00

Twice in 30 days... I missed my deadline! Oh dear. And just so close to the finish line too! Deadlines are usually quite good for me. Apparently I can't make them all! :(

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-69807753578465612962011-11-28T23:36:00.000-05:002011-11-28T23:36:49.134-05:00

I have long suspected blogging might be a hidden form of writer's block. When you can't come up with that next line of poetry - write a blog post about something else. When you have no ideas for "serious" writing - write a blog post about why you're not writing. When you can't figure out a character or plot line - write a blog post about a grammar pet peeve. Instead of staring at a blank

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-53533505127932819872011-11-27T22:07:00.000-05:002011-11-27T22:07:35.334-05:00

I found this writing prompt over at Mama's Losin It to write about a time you climbed in through a window. Well... it wasn't ME exactly.  I wimped out. But once when my friend Sarah came to visit... we drove up to my parent's house (where I lived at the time)... and discovered nobody was home. Somehow (I have NO idea how this happened) I did not have a key with me. Somehow (I have no idea how

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-13248336009100294902011-11-26T22:07:00.000-05:002011-11-26T22:07:11.299-05:00

A HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Family is what I always end up being most thankful for at Thanksgiving. I know there are a million other things too... but family is always there!

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-87051814054943143362011-11-25T23:25:00.000-05:002011-11-25T23:25:52.803-05:00

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~ Aristotle For the past twenty-five days I have been repeatedly writing. I don't think many of the posts would be considered excellent. But I agree that the habit of writing is an excellent habit to cultivate, and my hope is it will lead to excellent writing. At first, I had to remind myself to write every day. But

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-83197765603488914232011-11-24T10:00:00.000-05:002011-11-24T10:00:02.932-05:00

I did the serious Thanksgiving posts already... now just have a laugh, eat a lot, and enjoy your day. I am thankful for YOU, dear readers! How did you spend your Thanksgiving?

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-38082800827598748882011-11-23T23:32:00.000-05:002011-11-23T23:32:58.307-05:00

I am resting in a little bubble of peaceful thankfulness tonight. This kind of feeling that really gives me nothing more to say than: Thank you, thank you, thank you, God! It's what I love most about Thanksgiving... being able to take a moment just for gratitude. May you all find your moment this Thanksgiving!

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-55649885754278297022011-11-22T23:12:00.000-05:002011-11-22T23:12:59.335-05:00

It's Thanksgiving week... of course I need to do a post on thankfulness. I'm thankful for so many things tangible and intangible - like having a roomy minivan, or feeling such love for my husband. I'm thankful for so many things obvious and not obvious - like good health, food, shelter, loving family, or the flushed and peaceful face of my child sleeping. I'm thankful for so many people

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-55623210050403336722011-11-21T20:35:00.000-05:002011-11-21T20:35:08.649-05:00

I tend to have a faulty memory. Either I am totally blank on something... as in certain childhood or college stories that when people tell them, I go, "Was I there for that?" and they assure me I was (no, drugs were never involved... I just have a faulty memory!). OR, I tend to aggrandize the memory... as in those French Fries in New Haven that were SOOOOO GOOOOOD that I dragged my husband

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-75096624366557985252011-11-20T20:55:00.000-05:002011-11-20T20:55:37.938-05:00

As a writer and writing teacher, I am a fan of the writing prompt to get started. To push yourself to write something outside your comfort zone. To do something different than the usual. However, certain prompts I have grown to dislike, whether from overuse, or just because they don't "prompt" anything out of me! Here they are - maybe they will work for you! Write about your most embarrassing

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-9340304796748095382011-11-19T22:07:00.000-05:002011-11-19T22:07:29.909-05:00

Tonight I want to talk about another common grammar faux pas. Well, complete error to be exact. It's a pretty big English Teacher pet peeve of mine (although don't worry, when I'm functioning as a regular person and not as an English Teacher, I am much more gracious!). It is when instead of: DEFINITELY people write: DEFIANTLY There are major differences between the two words. You don't want

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-32388857166845240092011-11-18T23:42:00.000-05:002011-11-19T00:48:02.242-05:00

The smell of burning leaves, or watching them drifting from the trees... something poetic about fall... Bittersweet for decoration...it's red and yellow beauty a contrast to green summer ... Winds are brisk and eager to catch at my words...as if they want to hear for themselves... How there's something poetic about fall. Do you find one particular season more inspiring than another?

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-16721703270903569502011-11-17T23:30:00.000-05:002011-11-18T12:53:19.225-05:00

Today writing didn't happen for me... between hosting a Mommy Party and attending the prescreening of The Muppets new movie... I just never got to write a post. I am sorry. This is how life happens sometimes. And writing a daily post is harder than it looks! I hate that I am even writing a "say nothing" post but I did promise to post every day... This would be the drawback of a project like

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-85101774451493590442011-11-16T23:27:00.000-05:002011-11-16T23:27:47.070-05:00

Stop a runner on the street, and they may not always be running a marathon that day. They may be running simply to run. Because that is what runners do. They run. Ralph Fletcher said, just as "Skiers ski...runners run...writers write." The simple act of writing daily puts you in a "writerly frame of mind." I find myself thinking about my next post, noticing small details (what little my shot

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-29052529211868887962011-11-15T21:50:00.000-05:002011-11-15T21:50:37.681-05:00

Today we had Asher's cousin's over for a cookie decorating day! It was supposed to be fall/Christmas, but silly me brought out all the cookie cutters and before you know it we had Storm Troopers and Yoda decorated for Christmas. Well, only a few! Mostly we had acorns, leaves, apples, and...  a tow truck! Asher wanted to squish all the shapes as soon as he cut them, but he definitely got into

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-3660657248285459702011-11-14T17:00:00.001-05:002011-11-15T01:09:12.512-05:00

Apparently it's Christmas time already. Thanksgiving? What's that!? It happened as soon as Halloween was cancelled due to snow/power outages over. You'd think Thanksgiving would get its meager 24 days between Pumpkins and Snowmen, but... nope. Everywhere I go, there's barely a nod to the meal of bounty and blessing. Stores have moved on to "the next big thing." Instead of fall leaves, turkeys

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-47743189525585334522011-11-13T23:23:00.000-05:002011-11-13T23:23:57.119-05:00

I always wonder what people do in the fall in areas where there aren't a lot of trees, or not a lot of deciduous trees. No scent of burning leaves (wait, is that illegal now? I wouldn't know because Matt chops ours up in the lawn mower)? No leaf piles to jump in? Well... I must say, leaf pile jumping is overrated. For one, I remember when I was a kid, sometimes we weren't allowed to have a leaf

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-44854999071933388832011-11-12T22:14:00.000-05:002011-11-12T22:14:23.669-05:00

Today was a perfect fall day. Crisp, windy, and a bit chilly. It reminded me of Saturdays when my dad used to take us all out hiking in "the woods" (which was the expansive lands behind our house that 10 years later they made into a huge housing development!). We'd tromp through the trees and leaves, certain we would find bears. Or maybe at least a fox.... we'd be lucky if we saw a deer or

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-19292170050760525002011-11-11T11:44:00.000-05:002011-11-11T11:44:15.257-05:00

The irritations were starting to pile up like the proverbial straws in the haystack. I couldn't find what I needed at the craft store. The wind blew hair in my eye. Ouch. The grocery store didn't have the ingredient I needed. The discount fruit wouldn't ring up. My pre-paid credit card wasn't accepted at the self-checkout line (b/c you need to tell the cashier the exact amount left on the

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-30269407984336267642011-11-10T22:53:00.001-05:002011-11-10T22:55:29.225-05:00

I've been working with my son to teach him to clean up his toys after he's done using them. This morning, he was coloring and dropped a lot of crayons on the floor. My mom ("Nonna") was on her way over, so I told him, "We need to clean up before Nonna comes." As young ones do he toddled around, pushed crayons further under his Learning Tower because he's not that adept yet, and was still

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-70115063012731911852011-11-09T23:12:00.000-05:002011-11-09T23:12:36.475-05:00

8 days of writing prompts I didn't enjoy... I think I gave that my best shot, now I'm forging my own path. I saw this prompt somewhere else and thought I'd try it. List-making is one of my favorite writing activities, and I need an easy task tonight! I have never... climbed Mt. Everest run a full marathon eaten squid ink pasta published a book given my autograph skiied a black diamond visited

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-52767090115767089042011-11-08T23:39:00.000-05:002011-11-08T23:39:46.552-05:00

Today's NaBloPoMo Prompt: Has anything traumatic ever happened to you? Describe the scenes surrounding a particular event. Okay I'll admit it. I don't love writing about sad stuff. I know I should. I mean, other writers do. And wow the colorful lives they lead. Sometimes I think I'll never be a "real" writer because I have't had eight hundred fantastical things happen to me, or I haven't lived in

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-82291827882747342732011-11-07T21:58:00.000-05:002011-11-07T21:58:18.593-05:00

Today's NaBloPoMo Prompt: How do you balance your children, relationship, and work life? After I stop laughing... Balance can be hard to find in life. I love routines, lists, and schedules. So to help me manage family life with blogging, and housework, I do a few different things: 1. Menu planning helps me reduce time spent thinking about what to make each night. 2. A cleaning schedule keeps

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-74572933647715992002011-11-06T19:48:00.000-05:002011-11-06T19:48:10.889-05:00

It's day seven of National Blog Posting Month. And a freewriting day at that. You know how much I dislike "free" writing, so I'll just post a little pat on the back about my getting through 7 days of writing... seems like all the topics and all my post have been about writing itself. I'm hoping to change that a bit for the next week coming up! Unless I find one of the prompts particularly

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-42331859494957828032011-11-05T21:08:00.000-04:002011-11-05T21:08:07.091-04:00

Weekends are for free writing during National Blog Posting Month. Great. My least favorite form of writing because I can never think of topics. Or I find I write about the same things over and over. I read somewhere that writers have three main topics they return to again and again in their writing. So I'm sitting here trying to figure out my three topics. Writing - I write a lot about

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-7191474175939430782011-11-04T21:00:00.001-04:002011-11-04T23:31:34.395-04:00

Today's NaBloPoMo post : When you are writing, do you prefer to use a pen or a computer? I learned to type early, thanks to a mom who taught high school typing class. I would sit in her classroom after school typing up library cards for my own books! By the time I went to college I was a fast touch typist, often hitting over 100 wpm with accuracy in the 90%. (note, this has decreased as I have

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-63536929351702806832011-11-03T20:29:00.000-04:002011-11-03T20:29:12.766-04:00

Today's NaBloPoMo Prompt: Can you listen to music and write? What song did you hear today? I prefer to write in quiet. Not necessarily silence, but a quiet and still atmosphere. Pretty music is nice to listen to, but when I write it is just a distraction. I've always been this way - even preferring to do schoolwork or run long distances without music. Last month I went to a writing workshop at

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-72453682714003751702011-11-02T21:26:00.001-04:002011-11-03T09:06:30.390-04:00

Keep your words sweet, you may have to eat them! Today's NaBloPoMo prompt is: If you knew what you ate next would be your last meal, what would you want it to be? A writer would start with an appetizer of light introductions. The move on to a salad of little-known words. Perhaps a soup of rhetorical questions. A main course of hearty verbs and specific nouns would follow, served with a side of

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-5557584022485109692011-11-01T16:53:00.001-04:002011-11-01T21:21:19.554-04:00

Last year I heard about National Blog Posting Month through BlogHer, and wanted to take part but I was too late. This year, I had totally forgotten about it... until today! I saw some bloggers talking about it online (see how great blogger connection groups are!), and decided that although I was getting in under the wire, I would do it. Every day in November I will (attempt) to post on the topic

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-62507049334854251142011-09-23T15:16:00.000-04:002011-09-23T15:16:15.389-04:00

Know what I'm good at? Words. Word games. Scrabble is my playground. But who has TIME for Scrabble anymore? The whole taking turns, waiting for someone to ponder the meaning of Q, or debate about using proper nouns... snooze fest! That's why my new mania is BANANAGRAMS! I honestly don't think I've ever been beaten at this game. I don't know what it is, but when those tiles spill across the

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-5402309874333879242011-06-30T22:17:00.001-04:002011-06-30T22:19:16.503-04:00

Okay so the English teacher in me cannot. help. it. I have to address some common errors I see all the time in blogging. Egregious spelling and usage mistakes. Mostly these are homophone errors, which are easy enough to make. I don't like to interrupt reading blogs (which I find enjoyable) to be the grammar police. I do NOT comment on every blog post I read telling them all their spelling and

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-58308016159847196432011-05-08T22:34:00.001-04:002011-05-08T22:44:45.914-04:00

Do you find it hard to squeeze in some quiet time? And when you do, you find you can't concentrate, or what you read just doesn't give you anything to think about? Recently I was sent the Billy Graham devotional Unto the Hills. I like having a devotional book that gives me a nugget of thought to turn over in my mind throughout the day. Unto the Hills is set up in a similar format to Our Daily

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-22086952856533387842011-04-30T13:05:00.000-04:002011-04-30T13:05:00.247-04:00

I'm doing a ton of writing lately. I'm not sure if it's helping improve my style or not... but it's a lot of writing! Here's where and what I'm writing: Our family and parenting blog - of course, I do daily (sometimes more) posts on A Year With Mom and Dad - product reviews, personal posts, etc. This keeps me pretty busy! Sometimes I get paid post opportunities that don't really fit our family

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-81613215737965708602011-04-27T23:57:00.000-04:002011-04-27T23:57:16.745-04:00

Blogging is such an infant genre. It's changing the way we write. What we write about. Our audience. And the way we interact with our readers. I got to wondering what would've happened if some well-known authors had blogs. Here's what I surmise: Victor Hugo: Would've lost his audience with his intricate sentences and terribly long paragraphs. Not to mention that he could stay on one topic for

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-76845532117988963652011-04-26T02:12:00.000-04:002011-04-26T02:12:13.502-04:00

Have you noticed the latest trend in online writing? The strike through. Right. Like when you're drafting and realize you have a better way to say what you already wrote. So you strike through a portion of your draft and write a new phrase or sentence. These drafts used to end up crumbled in so many piles around a garbage can. But lately, the strike through has become a way of writing. Not a

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-16896444979315070832011-03-05T20:32:00.000-05:002012-01-03T14:45:03.950-05:00

It's obscure, this reference to an old Italianwood maker...but he knewthe joy of making somethingwith your own two handsand having it spring to lifebefore your very eyes.Tonight, I lookedand where there was a baby that I had held in my hands for twelve months round and rolly, now stood a sturdy boy--a real boy!Gepetto knewthis same spurt of joythat ran through me all at onceto realize our little

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-75076981887112091622011-02-17T21:07:00.000-05:002011-02-17T21:07:10.616-05:00

It's a anomaly I've noticed lately. Bloggers are doing it. Facebook statuses. Twitter tweets. Fragments can be effective. But this is more than a fragment. It's a totally fragmented entire sentence. Like this: I. Am. Not. Amused. It's clever. And has become ubiquitous. I'm curious to know where it originated. And just how it has spread so organically throughout the Internet. I have used it

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-52784649083518416322011-01-26T22:11:00.000-05:002012-01-03T14:45:03.951-05:00

You arecuriouslike the butterflythat flits from thisto thathovering herefor an instant,then whirlingto find a new resting place.Bright in spiritand coloryou suck the sweetfrom all you seeand leave behindtracings of your delicatefeetechosof pitter-patterings.I love this curiosityand never tireto watch you flyfrom delight to delightyour smile the sunlightto my flower.

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-87300157550263491102011-01-26T22:02:00.000-05:002011-01-26T22:02:38.133-05:00

It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellows: he catches the changes of his mind on the hop. ~Vita Sackville-West This author captures it so perfectly... sometimes what I say might

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-57440822595249058442011-01-26T15:19:00.004-05:002011-11-22T23:18:18.097-05:00

It's the time of year when my husband and I start thinking about how we want to spend his February, April and Summer Vacation time (he's a teacher). With the rising costs of airfare, the added hassles at the airport, and a baby in tow, driving will definitely be our first option. What I like about driving also, is you can come and go as you please once you arrive at your destination - no waiting

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-8103610728406904472011-01-23T21:10:00.001-05:002011-01-23T21:16:35.405-05:00

I might seem delinquent on this blog lately. But I am not gone. I have merely shifted my energies... the irony is that in my rediscovery of blogging love, I actually neglected the blog that started it all - this one! I began this blog, A Writer Within, to motivate myself to do more writing, be creative, express myself, share my opinions. Sometimes this has been misunderstood, and even used

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-61118781377802593592011-01-11T23:43:00.000-05:002012-01-03T14:44:08.393-05:00

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-87460233313555852172011-01-01T23:06:00.000-05:002012-01-03T14:45:03.952-05:00

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-30202785176064388742010-08-28T22:46:00.002-04:002010-08-29T15:03:12.003-04:00

Yeah. Me too. It's my lifelong dream to publish a book. Preferably a children's picture book, or a book of poems (which yeah, big market for those, right?), or a novel. I supposed I'd better get going... These days - ANYONE can be an author (ugh, I shudder to think!). Obviously, there's blogging. Which is one way to share your writing. But please, folks, blogging platforms have SPELL checkers!

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-44463771452247620252010-08-02T04:00:00.001-04:002010-08-02T04:00:04.101-04:00

As I wrote previously, list-making is the number one skill that can help a writer write. Now I want to show you all the kinds of writing that are, essentially, lists. Brainstorming - lists of ideas How To - list the steps to do something Recipes - list ingredients and directions in the order they are needed Outlines - are highly detailed lists (sometimes, not that detailed) Essays - essentially

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-32202646112015231282010-08-01T04:00:00.001-04:002010-08-01T04:00:02.204-04:00

There's ONE basic skill in writing that can help all writers, everywhere, anytime. I firmly believe this. That skill is... LIST MAKING. Making lists can help your writing. All your writing. Any piece of writing. Watch me: 1. I don't know what to write - I make a list. 2. I want to organize what I write - I make a list and move pieces around. 3. I want to categorize what I write - I make

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-5477730711490982092010-07-10T21:33:00.005-04:002011-11-22T23:15:26.594-05:00

Phew! What a long post title. But it would've been LONGER had I not followed my own advice about "The ONE Word You Should Almost Always Edit OUT" You see, the ONE word is (drumroll, please)... that. What's the word? That's the word. I'm asking YOU what the word is! Okay... I'll quit before I end up plagiarizing the "Who's On First" skit. But, seriously, writers, the one word you can

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-49376475143423668832010-06-05T22:42:00.000-04:002010-06-05T22:42:20.586-04:00

It's been awhile... since I posted on this blog since I have slept through the entire night since I fit into my regular clothes since I have been able to listen to an entire church service in the auditorium since I have had a baby in the house... I have been somewhat remiss in keeping up with this blog but I am ALWAYS thinking, "I should blog that!" I always think I will the next day and then

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-89044719335574869952009-10-25T16:01:00.004-04:002010-03-14T19:56:52.852-04:00

At my UConn Teacher as Writer class on Saturday, the instructor asked us to think of a moment in a car... whether it was ourselves or a character we created. This caused me to think of so MANY moments, that I couldn't pick one, so I started writing about how much time we spend in cars in general... here's the rough draft... I would love comments or feedback as I might have to do some polishing up

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-49885380709452805922009-09-30T22:14:00.004-04:002011-05-03T22:11:47.858-04:00

Okay... having a baby has become fun at last... I mean, except for that sharp pain in my hip whenever I take a step (which is often since I work in the BASEMENT of our school and have to go up and down the stairs a minimum of 4 times a day! And I coach the cross country team ... no, I am NOT running with them this year!). But seriously, now that the nausea is gone, I am sort of okay with the

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-48557685037020631542009-08-29T14:09:00.003-04:002011-05-03T22:12:29.530-04:00

Okay - sorry that I've been In Abscencia all summer... but I've been busying growing a whole person inside me... yes, we're expecting our first child. First, I need to vent a little about the... morning sickness that lasts all day... the fact that last year I was running 10 miles at a time to prepare for the 1/2 marathon and now I can't even get up the stairs without losing my breath! the

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-82258718363920505772009-06-06T14:20:00.008-04:002011-11-22T23:13:36.316-05:00

I am just so amused at this product - and I don't know why... perhaps because I have started canning food a lot... Anyway, you know how when you open a jar of home-made canned food, and you don't use it, you have to put the metal screw cap back on over the flat lid... and somehow, doing this seems to get sticky jam or sauce all over the cap and lid as you try to line everything up? Okay, maybe

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-59431446671070668352009-06-01T20:06:00.004-04:002011-11-22T23:18:40.343-05:00

Four years ago I didn't even KNOW there was such a thing as the Teacher of the Year award. Now, I have been awarded this honor by a "jury of her peers." Five essays and one interview panel later, I'm still in shock that it's actually ME! Through the past four years at Windsor Locks, I've been surrounded by a core group of supportive teachers on my teams and in my department and even in other

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-53585376906963174982009-05-25T19:28:00.004-04:002011-11-11T11:45:05.561-05:00

...Begins with a single word. I'd like to think that this summer institute I'm taking at Uconn is probably going to require me to read and write about 1000 pages of materials... I haven't actually counted it out yet, but I believe that to be somewhat accurate. I plan to document my trip through this universe of writing on my blog - feel free to share your comments, read the books I'm reading, and

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-45394959778671666342009-05-15T22:58:00.005-04:002009-05-15T23:17:08.801-04:00

I have so many things I could write about my Grandpa Howard, who just passed away last night... he was a wise man, a godly man...even though we only saw him once or twice a year, he was a figurehead in my life. It's strange how you can miss someone you didn't really see that often, but that's how I know he was always there in the background of the fabric of my family...I have fond memories of his

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-13191085488337575402009-04-26T23:15:00.004-04:002011-05-03T22:12:10.347-04:00

Ha! I just found an online article with nearly the same title as my blog! Instead of "A Writer Within" it was called "THE Writer Within." I never knew this article (written in 2004) existed when I created my blog - I thought it was a great article on using sketching to draw (no pun intended) out details before writing... especially because it inspired some reluctant boys to write ... very

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-63626107121601360802009-04-26T23:04:00.004-04:002009-04-26T23:14:04.838-04:00

Quick news... very exciting...Just wanted to post that I received word this week that I've been awarded an Aetna Fellowship to study with the Connecticut Writing Project this summer at their Summer Invitational Institute.The CWP is part of the National Writing Project (NWP). In the summer institute, I'll get to work with a group of fellow writers and educators, devote 4 weeks to researching a

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-21474456803655386932009-03-31T00:37:00.003-04:002009-04-14T09:23:43.772-04:00

SNAP!My eyesflew openlike a windowshadepulled up too quicklyBut outside my two windowsnothing could be seenin the heavydarkness"Did you hear that?"a whisperfrom my husbandslides towards meAs I gavean invisible nodthe sound repeatedghosting through the nightA moose callechoing deeplyup and downthe riverbank

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-75262322252288156922009-03-23T17:20:00.003-04:002009-03-23T17:52:38.897-04:00

Richard Peck said (Saturday in his keynote address to the Workshop Reunion Folks from Teacher's College, Columbia Univ.) that "we learn the most from the experiences we would have avoided if we could have."Well said. What a great writing prompt THAT statement is! Make a list of all the experiences you've had that you wish you could have avoided... then make another list of what you've learned

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-18432371545643903892009-03-14T13:03:00.002-04:002009-03-14T13:05:16.398-04:00

I'm still laughing about this picture a student drew... and THANKFULLY I found out that she put the grammar error in on PURPOSE to be funny! Phew! Just when I was thinking, "What AM I teaching these kids!?"

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-41478964437082731662009-03-11T21:20:00.003-04:002011-11-22T23:17:56.088-05:00

Sometimes superheroes aren't all that super... heck, in my superhero persona, apparently I can't even speak proper English!!!! It all started when~~~~~ the kids in my 7th grade classes made a nickname for one of the science teachers - to protect the innocent, let's just call her, Mrs. Smith. So the kids decided she'd be SUPER-SMITH! They made her a poster and a t-shirt cape with a Superman like

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-68497687949726822952009-03-10T21:58:00.003-04:002009-03-10T22:50:08.024-04:00

Bamboo Roots gripping the earth close, Tracing a fine, black artwork Bamboo shoots skyward.This past week's prompt, "Bamboo," led me to think of the oldest, and perhaps most "organic" (choosing the definition of "fundamental" here) forms of poetry - the haiku.Haiku is a Japanese form of poetry based not on rhyme, but on syllable count. In Japan, the three line poem has a syllable count of 5-7-5.

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-16241650826515151082009-03-04T22:00:00.005-05:002010-07-07T13:05:05.797-04:00

I knew this site was there, but I'd forgotten how much fun it can be. Here's the random poem I created using online magnetic poetry - I could spent HOURS doing this! smile ..............young wild yesterday you vast web of sacred secrets words would perhaps prisoner time but we are born breathless our questions ..........................perfume ...........................................this

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-64631157089727627052009-02-28T22:19:00.005-05:002009-02-28T22:26:24.647-05:00

Metaphoric MoonThe moon,a cold, flat coinspinning on a black tableits face flashes bywhirling, twirling,until it becomes half circlesone side, then the nextfinally, a sliver, rolling on its edge -just a glimpse as it rotates in the skyPS: Sorry I didn't post last Thursday's prompt- my attempt at a "Holy Sonnet" in the style of John Donne did not pass muster! Perhaps if I get it right, it'll make

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-33368290269589572362009-02-17T15:03:00.004-05:002009-02-17T15:12:25.777-05:00

As I usually do, I have written a free verse poem in response to last week's prompt (sorry for the tardiness of posting!)"Every touch matters..."wiping a crumb from the corner of my mouth...blowing a lash off my cheek to make a wish...tickling my nose with a feather while I nap...pinky-swearing secrets to the grave...that delicate not-even-there feeling just before two hands meet...tipping a tear

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-7760856310047538032009-02-14T17:59:00.008-05:002009-02-14T18:46:36.184-05:00

What could be more romantic than...Buying dinner at the grocery store? Well, if you have a Whole Foods around... it's definitely up there for ME!! Here's our menu: Avocado/Cucumber SushiCrab CakesHazelnut CrackersDry-Aged New York Strip Steak with Grilled Onions OR Gorgonzola CheeseBaked PotatoSteamed Buttered AsparagusPetite Raspberry CheesecakeKey Lime TartChocolate Tuxedo Cup with

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-62803122447143673192009-02-10T21:50:00.004-05:002009-02-17T15:17:20.403-05:00

Ours is the age that is proud of machines that think and suspicious of men who try to.-- H. Mumford Jones Beware the machine... it is our modern-day Jabberwocky! If you can't calculate yourself, you'll never get the most out of your calculator!I don't have much more to say on this topic, as I already wrote about intelligent thought & behavior yesterday!

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-83884727299280392972009-02-09T20:42:00.006-05:002011-11-22T23:18:59.879-05:00

When I was younger, it was "nerdy" to get a 100% on a quiz or test. Today, as a teacher, this same disparagement of intelligence continues, as I watch kids downplay good grades, or I hear a student put down a peer for a good answer by saying, "Oh stop being so smartical, you make me feel dumb." Students "eyeball" each other for approval before volunteering to answer questions, or decline to

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-41522982728793231052009-02-05T19:03:00.003-05:002009-02-05T19:31:25.079-05:00

I'm still feeling at the bottom of Bloom's Taxonomy today so I'll create a simple poem that defines and explores the many facets of this word:"Folds In My Life"Fold a paper - events of a nationFold a page - bookmark imaginationFold a chair - end an eveningFold up time - wishful thinkingFold a napkin - set the stageFold a letter – the lost ageFold a dollar - pay a fareFold a flag – waved ‘til

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-7880815011323796782009-01-19T21:00:00.005-05:002011-11-11T11:45:18.855-05:00

I recently Re-discovered InspireMeThursday.com (see link on sidebar)... every Thursday a new prompt is given to inspire artists, wordsmiths, etc... participants may respond to the prompt in any medium they choose. Of course, my media of choice is - the Written Word... Breakfast... both noun and verb... At breakfast I breakfasted. It's a beautiful thing. Both the two parts of speech AND the meal.

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-88295919569942671772009-01-15T18:24:00.006-05:002011-11-22T23:15:44.181-05:00

I just put this book down. It took just 3 days to finish - and that with just an hour or two of reading per night. Gladwell develops a thesis that phenomenally successful people like Bill Gates are NOT, in fact, outliers as we'd like to think. In a neat and fascinating writing style, he lays forth anecdotal and statistical proof that success lies not necessarily in having high IQ or copious

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-81585488896888480172009-01-02T22:50:00.003-05:002011-11-22T23:16:59.575-05:00

Resolved. 1. Separated into its component parts; analyzed. 2. Determined in purpose Determined. Ended; concluded; decided; fixed; settled; directed. (Above are as defined in Webster's 1828 dictionary.) By definition, 2009 has no sooner begun, than my resolutions have both ended and decided the entire year. So many people talk about New Year's Resolutions being broken by the week's end.

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-46665481741805795372008-10-12T21:38:00.003-04:002008-10-13T20:36:21.804-04:00

It was a glorious day! After a night of getting up about 4 times due to nerves, a headache, and a head cold, and then nearly panicking (okay, I DID panic!) 10 minutes before the start b/c all 100 portapotties had about 300 people in front of EACH ONE, I found my place on Elm Street. My nerves were calmed by a veteran runner telling me that I would "have a great time running the half marathon -

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-64487119028935063372008-07-16T11:57:00.004-04:002011-11-22T23:15:07.168-05:00

Have you ever wondered why life's little instruction books don't tell you what you really need to know? Like how brushing your teeth is similar to swimming - you need to wait 20 minutes after eating! I forgot this and last night I felt like I was brushing my teeth with a chocolate graham cracker! It was delicious, but I'm not sure how healthy it was for the pearly whites. Just a quick update

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-86746345371914157992008-07-01T12:01:00.002-04:002008-07-01T12:05:24.441-04:00

And a good time was had by all... our first time camping, 2nd time up Mt. Washington, first lengthy road trip!

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-28164275395772003442008-06-11T21:37:00.003-04:002008-07-01T12:06:58.980-04:00

"Everyone has a story to tell" - a great article recently in AARP (not that I'm old enough! HA!) - led me to teach memoir writing to my 7th graders. I am touched by the "life lessons" they are trying to embed into their stories. I can't wait to read the final products next Tuesday at our Writer's Celebration - we're having a "beach towel" celebration to end the year. Should be fun! :) I think

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-91488714884620764112008-05-26T14:55:00.002-04:002008-07-01T12:08:07.750-04:00

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-56826964622031404842008-04-28T17:40:00.003-04:002008-04-28T17:43:44.129-04:00

To Lydia, (and others who are curious!)Great feedback on my last post, thanks! I am still working on this anacronym to possibly use in the classroom soon. The part about time - the "small moment" is a writer's workshop term from Lucy Calkins, I believe. Her instruction in writing asks students to choose to write about small moments, that is, moments that are short, so the writing can be DEEP

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-74598075592171081462008-04-21T20:43:00.003-04:002008-04-21T20:54:12.975-04:00

At school in Reader's Workshop, the reading teachers give the students a lot of instruction on choosing "just right" books - they have a "5 finger rule" and a few other tips for choosing a book that is at the "just right" reading level for each kid. Before they learned to choose "just right" books and thus become engaged with their reading, students would often grab any book, try to read it and

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-25640815580254989212008-03-25T19:26:00.002-04:002008-03-31T22:41:44.271-04:00

Interesting video - shots of the ship, Gordon Lightfoot song, actual radio contact replayed, photos of the 29 missing men.

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-87845821227779445602007-12-16T22:27:00.000-05:002007-12-16T22:32:44.178-05:00

Most of you know that I usually write a Christmas Poem each year - this year for some reason was especially hard - I couldn't get my thoughts together. I had a couple of directions I wanted to go in... 1) I wanted to create an allegorical story using the motifs of the real Christmas story 2) I wanted to write a song-like poem, or 3) I wanted to write a fictionalized version of the real Christmas

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-44541305291932468262007-09-16T21:48:00.000-04:002007-09-16T21:50:47.631-04:00

My Grandpa Howard was just in CT for a visit - I learned he is secretly a superhero codenamed: Torpedo Man! Just kidding - that was his title in the Navy during WWII, but I think it's pretty cool! Grandpa, I still turn off lights and faucets because you taught me that every time I stayed in Castalia with you & Grandma! :)

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-69891089077610263252007-09-16T21:45:00.000-04:002007-09-16T21:48:16.346-04:00

Introducing my latest writerly acquisition - an antique Royal typewriter! I snapped up this guy (and the stand!) for only $35 at a tag sale! It has keys with glassed tops and glass along the sides. I have to do some research to see how old it is, and if I can get more ribbon for it, but it currently has working ribbon in it. Can't wait to write the next bestseller!

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-17678367369816222062007-08-30T22:08:00.000-04:002007-08-30T22:10:50.407-04:00

I just logged in to find my BEST Portfolio score. I passed with a 3 out of 4!!! I know, it's not the FOUR I was hoping for, but still, I am very happy with the score! :) For those who don't know, the BEST portfolio is a huge project teachers complete their 2nd year; it's scored over the summer. If you get a 1, you have to do the whole portfolio all over again the 3rd year and if that one doesn't

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-20611334633179687562007-08-21T23:34:00.000-04:002007-08-21T23:39:13.122-04:00

Okay, it's 11 pm and I have just spent the last 9 hours STRAIGHT canning over 22 lbs of peaches! Phew! I now have (behold!): 8 jars of canned peaches in light syrup6 jars of peach jam8 jars of peach butter4 jars of peach jam low sugar4 jars of peach jam low sugar/honey mix (it wouldn't jell with just the honey so I had to add sugar - it still didn't seem to jell well). ...and, 6 leftover peaches.

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-1121581682985138352007-08-08T11:55:00.002-04:002007-08-08T11:57:26.441-04:00

I tried knitting once before and lost my patience with it, but this time, when I tried again, I found it wasn't as hard as I thought. Here's the hat I knitted! I just need some instructions in tying up the top... there's a dropped stitch, and a row of accidental purls (somehow!), but overall, I like my first hat! :)

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-26609595147596688602007-08-08T11:55:00.001-04:002007-08-08T12:01:32.520-04:00

Our surprise Birthday party for mom & dad went off well! They had no idea we were concocting such a surprise event, and were duly surprised! YAY! And, I promise, this slide show is MUCH shorter than the last one!

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-65009565290337806672007-07-31T22:29:00.001-04:002007-08-08T12:03:16.495-04:00

Washington is a beautiful state - certainly filled with many of God's Wonders - from Mt. Ranier (which we BARELY saw the last day), to the San Juan Islands, fields of lavender, funny-looking alpaca farms, and sparkling water everywhere!

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-91878497750843662412007-07-20T01:54:00.001-04:002007-07-20T01:56:26.163-04:00

Hello from cloudy Seattle!We're vacationing with the McMorrises in Sammamish - so far, we've toured about every sightseeing place in town, except the Space Needle, and seen some wonderful views of the city at all times of day. We've even seen the tip of Mt. Ranier - proof that it does exist! I'll be posting a slideshow when we get home!

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-75026221205669913162007-07-20T01:52:00.000-04:002007-07-20T01:54:36.046-04:00

Consider my first year as a Junior Camp counselor successful. Few buggies were seen, I wasn't entirely exhausted and I did enjoy our campers! Plus I got to make a new friend (Kelly!), and work with my mom (Hi mom!). Matthew and I were given the red carpet treatment on our anniversary - steak dinner at a table for two and a serenade on the accordion by Pastor Getto! And in the end, the Raiders

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-64171604630718272152007-04-02T22:28:00.001-04:002010-12-15T09:25:10.125-05:00

Is worth only about 3 bad ones, but still... (hey that's more positive than I've been about teaching in a while - so take it or leave it!). Today I was grading papers (that huge backlog that I got from being out sick on Friday - yeah, fun), and I came across one from this girl who, well, she really struggles to write well. She had an arrow at the bottom of the paper, saying "Please turn over

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-3300358343738774562007-03-25T22:58:00.001-04:002011-05-03T22:13:49.792-04:00

This past week, I had my students bring in photos of their "Everday heroes" as we read and discuss the novel, The Outsiders. They are SO into the book, they just can't stop reading! I've had to adjust my lessons about 3 times to keep up because they just can't put the book down. Hey, there are worse things! We're going to be working on themes in the novel this week, and then choosing a final

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-1168389299815194442007-01-09T19:27:00.000-05:002007-01-29T22:18:56.646-05:00

My students have been writing and filming TV Commercials to practice their persuasive writing skills. Some of them have been QUITE funny! :)I especially enjoyed "Long Shots" - a commercial for a Golf Store. I have the video if anybody is interested... it's almost professional - bloopers and all!

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-1165807835258217092006-12-10T22:23:00.000-05:002006-12-10T22:30:35.273-05:00

I guess this is the Howard way to celebrate the annual family Christmas Photo!I especially like whatever William is doing - homeboy!!Followed by a close up of my lovely little niece, Lydia!

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-1163124456041264922006-11-09T20:55:00.001-05:002006-11-09T21:07:36.060-05:00

So - once again I felt compelled to chop! My hair. I was thinking maybe grow it out but... once I got to the hair salon I figured, "Why Not?" right? Winter is coming - perfect time for a short 'do!Plenty of time to grow it out later!It feels good. and fun!Caio!

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-1163123637215470192006-11-09T20:53:00.000-05:002006-11-09T21:30:07.030-05:00

Not a surprise - but still a fun bday party at the house with a few folks!

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-1160087124575661722006-10-05T18:23:00.000-04:002006-10-05T18:25:24.586-04:00

This week I had some fun at school - Mr. D was holding his Puritan Court in Social Studies, so I teamed up to help the students write their cases. I also dressed up one day as Anne Bradstreet, and told the students about America's First Published Author... We read the poem "An Author to Her Book" and discussed her situation during Puritan Times. It was an interesting class - some kids knew a lot

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-1159412169286183922006-09-27T22:55:00.000-04:002006-09-27T22:56:09.300-04:00

Okay - so for me right now the BIG ONE was 30... check out my sister's site for some pictures of the SURPRISE event - I about jumped out of my SKIN when I opened the door to our house and saw PEOPLE! I thought some burglars had crept in!

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594721.post-1159060363617817492006-09-23T21:00:00.000-04:002006-09-23T21:12:43.630-04:00

What a beautiful weekend for a jet to Spokane, WA for Sarah B. Baumann's wedding on Labor Day! The hotel was GRAND, and the wedding was sweet and elegant. Sarah chose lovely reds and oranges that went perfectly with the fall outdoor pond setting. Loved the day, the dress, the bride, (and the cake! YUM!)Blessings to you Jeff & Sarah McMorris!Oh, and I HIGHLY recommend the Davenport Hotel in the

JKMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16468486248699926325noreply@blogger.com1