Celebrating Small Sparkles

            Thanks to Ruth Ayres at DiscoverPlayBuild,  for beginning a Saturday tradition of sharing our celebrations.  It's a treat reading all the posts.  Tweet at #celebratelu.

           I've spent the recent two posts celebrating different parts of being at NCTE last weekend, and there is more to share.  However, today I'm going to make a list of those tiny things which make my life so good, some touching NCTE as well.

v Meeting Catherine of Reading to the Core at the Slicer breakfast was terrific. We also happily connected at several other sessions, including one she wrote yesterday for Poetry Friday, about the poetry session that included Georgia Heard.  Catherine always takes good notes, and explains things so well in her posts and I appreciate that very much.  This time, the ‘little thing’ I loved is that she remembered and shared this quote by Matthew Fox and shared by Georgia Heard. I am so glad to have it, because I did not write it down!   “The Celtic peoples…insisted that only the poets could be teachers. Why? I think it is because knowledge that is not passed through the heart is dangerous.”

v I had the pleasure of being with Ruth Sunday morning at NCTE.  We had a lovely talk, just the two of us for a while, and it was great to touch base again after meeting at All-Write!  I appreciate the thoughtfulness and friendship

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v I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my daughter, son-in-law, and two grand-girls-no more need be said.  The hours went too fast and I do try to hold them, I really do!

v I spent much of the day moving some of the shelves and books in my new house.  It’s nearly a year since I moved here, and it seems that one really begins to think a place is home when it’s time to change things!  I was able to “take back” a room downstairs that had been storage and moved all the bookshelves there that had been in my living room area. Slowly but surely I got it done!  It was great to have the time to go through the books, even organizing a little bit.  

v As I was going through the books, I found a little book given to me by 2 students a few years ago, titled ThankYou, in appreciation of you, and all that you do.  One quote that I’d like to share is from a Jeanne Reidy: “We cannot explain why these little signs mean so much to us, but the fact is that a word of thanks for some small thing can transform our day.”

v Also, from Julius Lester, “A good teacher is one who helps you become who you feel yourself to be.”

v I loved our weather today, back to shorts and short sleeves so it was heavenly to open the windows for some fresh air.  It's only going to last until Wednesday, so we'll relish it while we can!

     Have a good rest of your weekend, and wherever you may be, whatever doing, enjoy it!