Day 5!

HFridays are, if course, Fridays and this predeposed to be good if only for the fact that they are followed by the weekend.

Today, however, was an exceptionally good Friday. My classes all went very well and I ended up having a lot of fun. My AP students are just as invested and dealing with as many FEELS during our docudrama as I was the first time around. In my other two classes we began a new writing competition and WOW did they engage. They writing round robin ground stories in a free write narrative style and so far they're wacky and highly entertaining! I'll find out in two more Fridays exactly what becomes of them...anyway, it was a great start to the lesson and made all of the learning that came after stay full of energy and be really productive. 

As if that wasn't enough, my good friend from home is visiting and we caught up over delicious BWW.

Hanging out and chatting! :)

I am very excited to have company in the tundra and am hopeful a good day and a bit of relaxing will do me good.

The only scary bit of the day was nearly getting too up close and personal with Bambi on the highway. Luckily there was only one deer and when I swerved my car stayed on the road. It felt like a miracle, for sure, since the deer came out of nowhere and was just bam! there in the middle of the highway.

Happy Friday indeed!

Day 4!

Today was a pretty normal day in terms of just work and continuing to recover. It was really exhausting again but I'm doing my best to get through the week.

Things were a bit rough towards the end of the day - unprepared students getting angry about a quiz. In any case, you do the work for the sub and you'll be prepared, ya know? It's a comprehension quiz only. Did you read and pay attention? Then you'll be fine.

Days like this from certain classes at every school though, so I'm not too worried. Now I've just got to get them all graded!

The one thing that really made my day today, however, was popping onto Facebook to a flurry of notifications. It was then I realized that 5 years ago today I became a sister of Tau Beta Sigma.

Alpha Etas at the 25th Anniversary!

I have always loved music as well as being able to teach and help others. Yay Beta Sigma let me do that. It was a place to be with similarly minded folks and contribute to the bands.

As a class, we went through a lot and I'll be eternally greatful for being a part of both the sisterhood and my class.

Day 3!

It was my first day back at work today and I am completely knackered. My students were overall good, but it's hard to realize how much an illness takes out of you until you try to do what you are used to doing.

Luckily, I was productive while they took quizzes and can afford to relax this afternoon. I just hope this goes away really good.

Today's happiest part?

The Bruins are back! I love the Olympics, but I'm glad to be watching my boys in black and gold again.

Another really positive moment today was talking to the sophomore English teacher. I was all worried about how I'm doing and he was really, really encouraging. It's nice to have someone really believe in you and to realize the kids might whine, but they're believing in me too. Apparently they were asking where I was with concern and I honestly didn't expect that. Sometimes you get good things from bad times, right?

Ciao!

Day 2!

I have a miserable upper respiratory illness that's kept me out of work and on meds but I guess it's given me time to think.

So, what can make me happy when my lungs are trying to escape my body?

Finishing all the project and other grading I had to do over vacation!

Lung illness happened a week ago, so everything has been really slow going. I do a little work, I nearly die, I rest, I do a little more.

I am, however, SO EXCITED to be on track. A lot of my stress comes from being overwhelmed at work, and I have it under control right now.

So take that, lung plague, take that.

100 Happy Days Challenge

I decided to start a new blog because the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there was a rather profound connection between mental and physical health. I decided I needed to be more positive in order to achieve my goals. Everyone that knows me can say that I can get really high strung. Stress and anxiety make it so hard to stay focus and actually do anything outside of getting by.

I'm done getting by.

There are things in my life I want to do and the first is making my life a life I want to live because I enjoy it. This does not mean my travel and desire to hike the AT are gone. Au contraire, my dear reader, they're all still there.

My inspiration came when several friends began this 100 Happy Days Challenge. Find one thing, every day, for 100 days that makes you happy. I was unsure what to think and yet the more I saw it the more I realized how transformative it could be.

Now it's my turn.

100 Happy Days. 100 tiny or long blog posts. 100 chances to make a change.

Day 1 

Fresh strawberries are coming back into season! My love for fresh strawberries rivals that of Firefly's Kaylee.

Until tomorrow!