September 30, 2020 NO REST FOR THE WICKED

 BEST DAY EVER. Got a phone call this morning--NO SCHOOL TODAY.  Thank you Mother Nature. I guess all the wind caused A POWER OUTAGE. Thanks again-- Mother Nature--from the bottom of my heart.  I really needed a day of rest. A day away from the MASK. A day away from the BLOCK SCHEDULE. A day away from reminding students to SOCIAL DISTANCE. A day away from trying to find my virtual students on google classroom. A day away from SCHOOL. We have been going FULL STEAM AHEAD  for almost 5 weeks. In school EVERY DAY with ALL of the students. It's a lot.  The kids need THE BREAK just as much as we do. It's NOT easy for any of us. We are all thankful to be back at school though. Connecting and building relationships. Working together to make the best of school in the time of Covid.

  Jessica Farris, the main character of An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, tries to make the best of awkward situation after sneaking into a morality study. That sounds like an oxymoron in itself right?? Sneaking into a morality and ethics study? Anyways, Jessica needs the cash so she agrees to be a test subject in a physiological study by a renowned psychologist named Dr. Shields. After the initial consultation, the study moves to real life experiences that become more disturbing as the story twists and turns. Told in first person present from the point of view of both Jessica and Dr. Shields, the reader really learns about the characters and the true motives behind both of their actions. This thriller is filled with creepy drama that doesn't stop until the bitter end when it finally  leaves you shaking your head. WOW. This book was on every best list back in 2018--thriller, suspense, you name it. Find out more about this suspense-filled novel when you read it for yourself. It's about 380 pages or a 4 mile run that you won't be able to put down. Enjoy. 

September 20, 2020 YOU'RE A HARD HABIT TO BREAK

 Another thing keeping me from my blog these days is the Sudoku. Don't laugh, I'm serious. I'm kind of addicted.  Add that to my list of addictions---running, yoga, reading, crossword puzzles,  words with friends, cocktail hour and you'll have to agree--THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY. It was easy to fit it all in when I was home BUT now that I'm back at school--I'm finding it increasingly difficult. SOMETHINGS GOT TO GIVE.  I can't give up running--yoga-- reading-- my current fixation with SUDOKU-- OR cocktail hour--so I've had to cut back a little on my crossword puzzles, words with friends and THE BLOG. Don't get me wrong--I love writing the blog BUT it takes TIME. In addition to time--it takes BRAIN CELLS--which seem to be FRIED by the time I get home from school. It's HARD to come up with something CLEVER to say--when the brain's on PAUSE. No worries--this too shall pass. I'll find a way to make it all work because I can't give up ANY of my compulsions. They make me--ME and it's ALL GOOD.                                                                           

Vivian Morris, the main character of Elizabeth Gilbert's novel City of Girls, has a few addictions of her own that eventually land her in a heap of trouble.  As the story begins, Vivian Morris is a 95 year old woman from New York City, looking  back on her life as she responds to a letter from an old acquaintance. Vivian describes herself as a WASP who is sent to live with her Aunt Peg after being expelled from Vassar. Aunt Peg and her secretary Olive own a run down theatre where they produce shows for working class people. Vivian is initially shocked by their lifestyle, but quickly falls in love with the theatre, the quirky actors and the showgirls who reside at the theatre. As a seamstress, Vivian is finally allowed to design costumes and join the cast on their adventures in the city. She loves the bars, men, dancing, and the lifestyle a little too much. One night after too many drinks, Vivian makes a mistake that threatens to ruin not only her life, but the lives of other people she loves. Find out what happens to Vivian, Peg, Olive and a host of other great characters when you read this fun story for yourself.  It's an easy read of about 480 pages--4 mile run--that keeps you interested until the very last page. Enjoy. 

September 7, 2020 I WANNA THANK YOU

       September 7, 2020   I WANNA THANK YOU                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                           

Had to step away from the BLOG for a bit so that I could WRAP MY HEAD around the school year. It's THAT complicated. Seriously--when you see your teacher friends out and about please say--THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. It's Crazy.  Teachers are being asked to basically be MIRACLE WORKERS because of Covid 19. In addition to dancing and singing, we are now performing magic tricks while balancing teacups on our noses AND doing a handstand--or  maybe that's just how I feel. In an effort to keep kids safe, most schools are either going hybrid and or simultaneously teaching to IN-class learners  and ON-line learners.  It's a real balancing act. The logistics are ALSO mind boggling. Who's online? Who's in person?  How do I get the supplies/supplementals to the online learners so that it's equitable? AND the inevitable loss of the online learners because of "INTERNET PROBLEMS" which are way above my pay grade. I finished week one--BARELY--and am hoping for a SMOOTHER WEEK this week. I'm trying my hardest to live in the moment--AND KEEP IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE. Wish me luck. Emira Tucker, the main character in Kelly Reid's debut Such a Fun Age is going to need a little more than luck to get her life on track. Emira is a 25 year old African American college graduate living in Philadelphia who can't decide whom she wants to be when she grows up. She knows she needs medical insurance, but with two part time jobs, she's just barely scraping by. Emira loves her baby sitting job because they pay her well, but things get rather tangled after her boss, Alix Chamberlin, sends her an emergency call. In the call, Alix begs Emira to come over and take her two year old daughter, Briar, to the grocery store. Although Emira thinks it's odd, she agrees to help her employer, only to be accused by a security officer of kidnapping the child. After the mess is sorted out, Alix becomes slightly obsessed with Emira--for all the wrong reasons. Although Emira wants to leave her job, she truly loves Briar and feels guilty about leaving. It's only after Emira meets and starts dating Kelley that things go from bad to worse, especially, after he meets Alix. Find out what happens to Alix, Emira, Briar and Kelley in this interesting novel that explores race, class, friendship, forgiveness and how people can "trick" themselves into believing what they need to believe. This novel is about 300 pages or a 3 mile run that will keep you guessing and thinking. Enjoy.