Month: August 2015

Teaser Tuesday: Chaucer’s Tale

School is now in full swing; I suppose my 1-book lead on my Goodreads Reading Challenge won’t last long.

reading challenge aug 23 2015Along with lesson plans, seating charts, and handouts, the Wheel of Time has brought with it

Teaser TuesdayJust in case you don’t know, Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! All you have to do is grab the book you’re currently reading, open to a random page and share a few sentences from that page. But make sure you don’t share any spoilers!*

*I wish I could take credit for this introduction, but I shamelessly stole it from Heather over at bitsnbooks. To help me make amends, you should go check out her blog.

This week I’m reading Chaucer’s Tale: 1386 and the Road to Canterbury by Paul Strohm.

The Truly Random Number Generator sends us to page 134:

Not only would he [Chaucer] have had every
incentive toward vice, but he was deprived of
the rudimentary tools for maintaining virtue.
. . .
Rather surprisingly, and perhaps unaccountably,
Chaucer seems to have realized little personal
profit in a post normally occupied by egregious 
profit takers.

chaucer's tale cover

In Retrospect

I’m just about done reading July 1914: Countdown to War by Sam McMeekin.

I haven’t finished it yet because my reading was interrupted by three books, all by Andrew Carroll: War Letters, Behind the Lines, and Grace Under Fire.

Why these three? I was tasked with writing a Veteran’s Day program in under 48 hours; I did it in 24.

Each book earned 5 stars, by the way, and are each well worth the read.

Sticky Notes Veteran's Dayso many sticky notes!

 

 

What have you been reading?

 

 

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Monday Morning Grievance: No Turn Signals

It’s Monday and I haven’t had my coffee.

Monday Morning Grievances Logo 1

Dear Driver In Front of Me,

I see that you’re driving a vehicle made after the 1940s. Now, I can’t see into your vehicle, so I don’t know what features you have.

Maybe you have a cd/mp3 player or satellite radio. Those things beat a cassette player / radio combo, which is still better than an 8-track, which is either marginally better than nothing at all or slightly worse than nothing – I’m really not sure on that last score.

Perhaps you have heated seats; those are going to come in very handy in the next couple of months. Even here in eastern North Carolina (USA), the winters have gotten a bit colder and slightly more brutal than in the past. Climate change, am I right?

Conceivably you have seat belts and air bags and some kind of impact protection that – depending on the year and the study – safety experts alternately claim protect us or put us in more danger. Really, you’d think they could make up their minds.

If you’re really rolling in the dough, you’ve got a movie playing device or two or three to keep your passengers quiet while you navigate the blacktop. Whatever.

However, there is one feature I know you have (see made after 1940s):

turn signals

Please use them . . . or you just might end up needing some of those safety features I just mentioned.

Not that I’d ram you on purpose, mind; I wouldn’t go to prison just to teach you a lesson.

Fate will see to that

 

 

What annoys you?

 

 

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Wicked Word Wednesday Week 2 Results

Wicked Word Wednesday ResultsThe second Wicked Word Wednesday fared much better than the first; thanks to all for the feedback to make this possible.

Congratulations to the winners of this week’s Wicked Word Wednesday challenge!

The Wicked Word was contrary, and there were some wonderful entries.

With an Honorable Mention, kelli:

con·trar·y
2. perversely inclined to disagree or to do the opposite of what is expected or desired.
See also “teenager” or “rebellion”

Despite no longer having parts of my head shaved (or brightly dyed) or body piercings, I still maintain my contrarian status. Sheep are stupid, don’t be a sheep.

In third place, housewifeish:

To my son, the three year old:

Mister J, quite contrary
How are you still alive?!
With attitude and talking back
‘Twill be a wonder if you survive.

We have a tie for second place! Congratulations . . .

thediybistro:

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow…

Container gardening might seem a contrary way to grow edible plants, but we live in the woods and moose are contrary creatures who like to snack and don’t like to share.

Dr. Meg Sorick:

“Sir!” James cried as the candidate left the press conference. “Everything you just said goes contrary to the position you’ve taken! It’s political suicide!”
“Everything I stand for is contrary to popular opinion,” he replied. “That is political suicide.”

And in first place [drumroll please]

kakingsbury

Contrary to popular belief, Mary Quite Contrary wasn’t being difficult – she was just being herself. Don’t be contrary – just do it my way. Contrary, often with a negative connotation, actually just means someone has a different opinion. What’s wrong with that?

Congratulations to all our winners, you’ve earned the right to use a Wicked Word Wednesday Place Badge!

Get Your Badges Here

Thank you once again for participating; don’t forget to come back next Wednesday for another Wicked Word . . . and bring a friend!

 

Sunday Snapshots

One word dominated my week:

School

Teacher Grade BookA sure omen that summer break has ended.

classroom 2015-2016I finished my classroom with hours to spare.

I wrote the rough draft to a veteran’s day program – 6,000 words – in under 24 hours. Editing takes place this weekend; roles assigned on Monday; rehearsals begin Tuesday – only 46 school days to performance.

Sticky Notes Veteran's DaySo many sticky notes! So many references!

School began Friday; this was the first thing I did upon arriving:

first coffe of school 2015-2016Yes, it was gone by 10:00.

Oh, someone donated 2000 square feet of sod.

laying sod 1 laying sod 2Teachers wear many hats; now I can add “sod layer” to the list.

 

What Did You Do This Week?

 

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In Which it is Revealed that I am a Time Lord

Bow Tie

I teach high school history; I seldom interact with students in lower grades.

Last night, however, was orientation; orientation means families.

One particular little girl caught my attention, namely because she eyed the cookies I’d set out with the welcome materials.

A few minutes later she was back:

Hi! I’m _____.

Hello, _____. I’m Mr. Eldred.

I like your bow tie.

Thank you! I love wearing bow ties.

You know why I like your bow tie?

No, why?

‘Cause you look like Matt Smith with a beard!

[with a huge smile] I love Doctor Who!

[she screams with delight] I LOVE YOU!!

He’s like fire and ice and rage.

He’s like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun.

He’s ancient and forever.

He burns at the centre of time and can see the turn of the universe.

And . . . he’s wonderful.

Well, perhaps not.

But, for one brief moment in time, I was

All the Doctors WhoThe Doctor

 

 

Have a suggestion for a poem, photograph, or future post?

Drop a note in the prompt box!

 

Don’t forget to follow me on:

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One Left Behind

Creepy Plastic Soldierno man left behind . . . until he is

flattened, decapitated, worthless

dead on the ground

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Creepy

 

 

Have a suggestion for a poem, photograph, or future post?

Drop a note in the prompt box!

 

Don’t forget to follow me on:

Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.

Instagram – where I show you my Life in Motion and share quotes and such. The widget only shows my last three photographs – don’t you want to see them all?

Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.

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