May 26, 2025

Our class total is growing! I’m trying to stay positive. Lily’s been taking her pills with juice (a treat to make it sweeter), and I’m really proud of her. My daith piercing is infected and keeps getting almost better, then worse again. I’m just gonna keep cleaning it with saline solution and soaking it with salt water. I don’t want to take the piercing out because my ears close overnight and it’s been a miracle for my migraines. Cross your fingers for me. I am. I started writing some music today. I’m going for something inspirational for other people going through rough times, to help them get through. I was inspired by a short piece on reels, I’m looking forward to to where it’s going to go.

Mar 25, 2025

 

This morning the plant that Lily planted for me for Mother’s Day sprouted! I got in some practice with Keith for our re-booked show on Friday. I’m keeping the posts light, but I’m struggling. Something’s got to give. There needs to be a break in the clouds. I am juggling so many balls up in the air, and I’m terrified my ADHD or circumstances or something will slip my mind and one of the balls will drop. I’m thankful for Megan and the cats. They’re getting me through right now. 

Mar 24, 2025

 

Today I used the last of my tattoo gift cards to get the long awaited “this is fine” tattoo. It’s inspired by both the dog meme and this:

Today this was pretty much how I felt. Pat and Amanda came out to play cards with the kids and I and be an ear for me to vent. It was so lovely. They put on a bid on a house and I’m so excited for them. Lily and I also built my birthday Lego set. I got shelves that matched the wall at the bizarre back in December and I’m going to use them for the Lego kit displays.

May 23, 2025

 

Today was devastating. I need to have hope and faith that things will get better. I am heartbroken, and a wreck, but I have to push through. I am so grateful for Megan who literally came to the rescue, I couldn’t have gotten through this without her. I am also thankful to Moya, my therapist, who gave me piece of mind today. I am so incredibly thankful to them. Finding the positive, four good things about today were that my bandage from Shel’s stick man tattoo with a cape came off. It looks sick. I got to spend some down time with Lily doing her hair. And I got to relax with some sudoku. Ryan came over with Margaritas, and we watched a bad wolf episode, which are always cool.

May 22, 2025

Today was an alright day at work. Terrible after school. I ended up pinching my ciátic nerve (sp? My phone is doing Spanish spelling thanks to duo), and I’m in excruciating pain. Buttercup was super sweet. Also I saw these desserts. Might try one in the summer.

May 21, 2025

 

Today was the ASNL conference. There was a good group of presenters, but it was DRY this year. The highlight was one of them that passed around these little crocheted fuzzies that she made. I may have to take up the hobby this summer. Before I headed home, I stopped at the dollar store for some stress fidgets for the kids like they had on the tables of the conference, and I saw this bag. Made me laugh out loud but boy do I support not being a quitter.

May 20, 2025

Today my class surprised me by having a big birthday wish on the board! Our paper crane count at the end of day 4 is over 200! These were our efforts from today. I will have to string them up after school on Thursday. The class lovingly refers to our growing pile as our “flock”. We finished Hatchet, and watched the movie. Tomorrow we start on the Breadwinner. Dave and Maya came and took us out for Chinese food for my birthday, and I got a green ukulele and flower Lego set. I’m going to put up some shelves to hold it. I do love the Lego set builds.

May 19, 2025

 

Today I checked the weather, got the railing done of the new part of the deck, and then it rained. I took the time to sit and do a new style on Lily’s hair. We both loved it. I had practice with Keith. One of the songs he wanted to do I fell in love with. I recorded it and added it to my music website, https://musicallymotiv8ed.wixsite.com/musicallymotiv8ed

It’s called Run Away to Mars, by Talk.

May 18, 2025

Today I started staining the deck again. Even though it’s supposed to seal and protect for five years, I have to redo it every summer. The kids got the furniture off the deck, I swept it and scrubbed where the barBQue had left grease etc. then started the stain. Got the old part of the deck done with one coat. Then headed to Ryan’s with the kids for Margerita night and movie! We finally watched my old “Canibals the Musical!” DVD. It was great. 

May 17, 2025

 

This morning, Pt and Amanda treated me to an amazing breakfast at Bagel Cafe. It was SO GOOD. I got the ingredients to make it at home. (Store bought fish cakes. I don’t know how to make them). When I got home, there was a woodpecker outside on the power pole. Llly went grocery shopping with me and found a baby Sweet potato, and Kate’s salad contribution was so good that I made it for supper. Tomorrow, I will likely stain the deck and put together the new hand rails. Or not. We’ll see. You never know what adventure awaits.

May 16, 2025

 

What an absolute blast! For my birthday this year, we had a cowboy-themed murder mystery, Amanda L. Brought a piñata, Sheldon gave me the stick figure tattoo I’ve been bugging him for for years, and then karaoke to boot. The entire evening was AWESOME. Just one piece missing. Kate and Shel absolutely MADE the murder mystery with their characters’ shenanigans, and Pat’s character was full of well-crafted one-liners! Thanks to Shel, we now have a new catch phrase - “Bang bang!”

May 15, 2025 b

 

Stayed up late making more. And during a lot of the PD day while I listened. I even tried with some legit origami paper. It makes it easier to get more precise folds because it’s slightly thinner and lighter than regular paper. The larger ones on craft paper are more difficult. I actually have a sore pec now from pushing down so hard on the folds of the cardstock-like craft paper when the folds were thicccck. I have almost 30 now for my class.

May 14, 2025

 

In two days, we’re up to 107 paper cranes. I’ve now mastered it too! The challenge continues! My student is so talented. He couldn’t field a paper cranes three days ago. Now, he shocked the whole class by folding one from a piece of paper 1 inch squared. He even went smaller still. The two tiny white ones in the pic.

May 13, 2025

 

This was such a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants teaching day! I ready the kids Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes a few days ago. Then left the instructions and blank paper at the back table of the classroom for them to poke at during the day. One of my students came in with 9 made! We started tallying them on the board. We got into a great discussion about how Sadako could only make a few a day, but my one student ended up making 58 just today! We talked about free time vs quality of life/ability while ill. He taught four more how to make them. Our collection grows! I challenged him to make them on sticky notes. He did. I gave him smaller sticky notes, he rose to the challenge. So we went to the art room, cut a 1m squared piece of mural paper, we all did a picture and our signature on both sides. He folded it into a huge paper crane. Tonight I had to take the kids to cadets so while Connor was doing his marching drills, Lily and I hung the cranes from the ceiling like Sadako did in the book. I’m interested to find out if we’ll get to 1000 by the end of the school year. If not, I’m going to leave them till we do.

One of my other students brought a 3D printed lizard on shimmery filament. It was SO cute. For my 5/6 class, I showed them the evolution of recording/listening devices. We started by talking about digital files, then CDs, cassette tapes (one of my students brought it in), my 8 track player, vinyl records, then my antique wax cylinder player. They loved getting to see them all in real life. They LOVED the 8 track player!

And finally, it was a glorious sky tonight! So many colours!