 |
| Link up here at Discover, Play, Build. |
I used this picture with a poem earlier in the week, but the daffodils are so pretty, I thought I'd share it again. A poet blogger, Michelle Barnes, at Today's Little Ditty often gives a prompt for which we are to respond in only five words. This time the prompt was what poetry means to us personally. My response: "A poet's words linger longer." You can read the rest of the answers here. I'm celebrating April-Poetry Month!
On Sunday, I was invited to help celebrate the life of my daughter's family's cat, LeRoc, whom I wrote about a few weeks ago. A beloved pet, she is so missed. My granddaughter, Ingrid, requested a funeral, so we carried the chairs to the front lawn, and each shared some words about LeRoc, a poem, some special things we will remember. Then we spread her ashes where they will mingle with the grass, and help it grow this spring. Words are not enough to show how much this meant to Ingrid, to plan it and for us to help her carry out her wishes.
I caught up with housecleaning on Monday and that felt good, also wonderful to open the windows and invite fresh air in.
All the rest of the week I had good meetings with colleagues, making plans, discussing different challenges with students, trying to figure out best approaches to some direct teaching.
I taught a fib poetry session to some 7 and 8 year olds. I've worked with them before and they have written lots of poetry, so were very ready to write more!
Wednesday, I awoke with some gum/tooth pain. Helped with ibuprofen, I ignored it. Thursday, still there, I could ignore it no longer. The short version is I taught the poetry, went to my dentist, and ended up at an endodontist for the beginning session of a root canal. Ugh, but! I will be working full time starting next week, helping a fellow teacher, and I certainly won't have time for a medical problem. I'm fine, a little tired, and am celebrating that I didn't procrastinate. I wanted to! So happy I didn't.
Friday I had some great talks with colleagues, came home a little early and napped in the late afternoon. I needed it.
Saturday - today- will be a wonderful day and I plan to take a long walk, because. . .
Tomorrow-the last of winter? There is a snowstorm headed in for Saturday night and all day Sunday. Is it the last? I will celebrate with staying in and being cozy, then going to dinner with my daughter, son-in-law and two grand girls! It is Ingrid's fifth birthday on Monday! Doesn't that sound old?
Have a wonderful week next week. I hope you'll have much to celebrate!
=============================
And, do remember the Progressive Poem hosted by Irene Latham at Live Your Poem! The list and links are on the sidebar. Tabatha Yeatts is sharing the next line today.
Feel better, Linda. I think pet funerals are important for bringing closure and for introducing children to social ceremonies. I like that yours included poetry.
ReplyDeleteThanks Diane. Yes, poetry was important to our goodbyes this time.
DeleteI'm so glad you get to share your love of poetry with others! We've had wonderfully spring weather recently here in Portland, Ore. and my mood has been considerably lighter! Have a great week! -Earl!
ReplyDeleteAgreed about the weather, and after this quirky snow, we'll return to warm again. Thanks Earl, hope you have a good week, too!
DeleteLove your recap of the week! And snow? You are much more positive than I would be. :)
ReplyDeleteIt seems like snow is the only way we're going to get moisture, Katherine. At least it's a one-day wonder!
DeleteI love your response to what poetry means to you - those words do linger longer! We are just beginning to see the daffodils bloom and yes, I have opened windows. The only bad thing about that is now I know how dirty they are! I am glad your fib lesson went well and thank you for sharing mine with your students - I am humbled and honored! Hope your tooth is feeling better. I had that done once and it was the closest to childbirth pain I have ever experienced, so I know how you feel! Have a great time with your family.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Leigh Anne. Yes, I do love that 'lingering' poetry. It seemed like serendipity to see your poem just the day before my lesson-was wonderful to have & share!
DeleteI love your recap of your week. I too am exploring FIBS with my students! We should share them. I love your response to the 5 word poetry challenge. I hope the snow passes by or melts quickly!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jen. It's been so, so warm that I think the snow will melt quickly & we really can use the moisture! I won't see the fibs for a while, but will see if the teacher would like to share!
DeleteHow many of these small moments would be lost in memory if we didn't have this time to reflect on the celebrations of the week? There is much to celebrate in our lives and sharing words is priceless. Your storm will just bring us cold on Monday, so glad it won't be snow.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, Elsie, the capturing is a good thing. Glad you won't have snow, the storm is coming this time from the gulf, so heavy moisture, which is very good for us! Everything will green up fast!
DeleteYuck to the root canal! Good that you took care of it now and did not have to try to schedule around a full schedule while working. Those daffodils are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYep, you're so correct. I feel fine now & am so glad I went in. Happy you enjoy the daffodils! Aren't they so, so lovely to see?
DeleteLinda - so sorry about the tooth! Take care of yourself. I am a little teary reading about this process for Ingrid that you have all supported in letting her say goodbye to her beloved pet. She will never forget this. Happy 5th birthday to her!
ReplyDeleteThanks Carrie, as I wrote, I am so glad I went. Actually I'm feeling fine, so it was a blessing to get it done. And yes, we were all teary with Ingrid's plans and words. It's quite wonderful to think that a five year old can guide us, isn't it?
DeleteSo sweet that you had a funeral for your grand-cat. I hope your root canal works and pain subsides. I know neither of us have time for that. I can't believe you have snow again. Spring is in full bloom here; sorry to rub it in.
ReplyDeleteI actually am fine, no pain at all, & it would be different if I hadn't called, so I'm very glad for that. The funeral was sweet, & needed. Yes, we can actually have snow all the way through May, but that's rare. This time, I will relish the wet!
DeleteA snowstorm?? A root canal?? A cat funeral?? I love that you're able to celebrate in the midst of some challenges. I also love all your poetry!
ReplyDeleteThanks Holly, and as you see me explain, all of it was/is needed, so also must celebrate. Sounds strange, but really, it's true! Thank you!
DeleteRoot canals are the worst! Hope you're feeling better soon, and don't get too much snow tomorrow. I'm on vacation this week and can't wait to clean my house and get caught up on reading books & blogs.
ReplyDeleteOh, have a marvelous break, reading, reading. Mine already seems long passed! I really am fine, no pain at all, Just have to deal with the finishing through the next weeks.
DeleteAnother snowstorm? I have been TV-less a lot of late and actually love it, but miss keeping up with the weather. Too much going on and I need to stop and breathe once in a while. I am a pro at root canals, sad to say, but really the root canal part is the good part in my opinion. It is the pain before they fix it that hurts worse. (My childhood dentist was "old school" and so used to drill away too much tooth, fillings cracked and voila! root canal time!) Hope you have a lovely day and walk! It is warming here and so nice. And that your tooth does just fine from now on.
ReplyDeleteJanet F.
Thanks Janet, & you are right, as I said above, I'm fine now, & glad to have gotten rid of the pain before. Snow tonight & tomorrow, then warm again! I imagine you all might just get a little cold. Happy weekend!
DeleteSo much last week! I love what you said about what poetry means to you -lingering a great word. Boiling it down to what matters. Ingrid is so smart to honor her loved pet. Those rituals help us heal. So hard for someone so young. The rest of the week sounds so full. I'm glad you tooth pain is gone (the worst) and you can focus on your "full time" work!
ReplyDeleteThanks Julieanne, I appreciate all your comment. Ingrid was pleased with what we did on Sunday & we all hope she now can find ways to grieve whenever it's needed. Yes, I feel fine, now time for 'next week'!
DeleteI love that you honored your granddaughter's wishes to have a memorial. The spreading of the ashes made me think of that picture book The Tenth Good Thing About Barney. How precious! And boy was getting on top of that dental issue the right move!
ReplyDeleteYes, we had the book, The Tenth Good Thing... Christy, and Ingrid said five things for her sharing. Thank you!
DeleteYour week certainly had a little bit of everything! So glad your tooth is taken care of. Hopefully the snowstorm turns out not to be too much (we might get some too).
ReplyDeleteFor us, they're saying 4-6 inches, nearer the mountains there will be more. But it is like rain, which we so rarely receive, & I can't gripe about it.
DeleteLinda, what a week! I love the picture of the daffodils and your five words, can't wait to check out the link. I ran into a parent in the bookstore yesterday who told me her daughter had been writing poetry all week (our spring break). It warmed my teacher heart!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you slowed down and listened to the pain. Root canals - I've had a few. Glad for modern dentistry, so I don't end up with dentures like my parents.
Yes, it WAS a week. After I began writing, I realized that it was certainly full of things, some I didn't necessarily want to happen. Thanks, Ramona!
DeleteWow, Linda, you've had quite a time of it this week! I'm glad your tooth is feeling better - dental problems are NOT fun (speaking from personal experience). Thank you for reminding me of the Fib poetry form. Love fib poems! = )
ReplyDeleteThanks Bridget. Your short poems will be great for trying fib poems. Hope you do! And yes, I am happy to have done the dental work!
DeleteI think another storm would bring me under right now. I hope it misses you. So nice of you to take a cat's funeral seriously. I think closure of a dear friend is so important. I hope your tooth feels better. I must admit I need a root canal and I've been avoiding it. I need to take your lead.
ReplyDeleteReally, other than the actual "ordeal" I'm feeling fine. You should get it done, Kim. I had pain before, not sure I could have waited. It's 8 pm now, & still warm out, but a large dark cloud is moving in. Will have to see what happens when I wake up. We all will miss this dear cat, even though it wasn't mine, I miss her when I visit-such a sweet thing! Thank you!
DeleteLeave it to you to put a positive spin on a root canal Linda. How sweet of you to hold a cat funeral. Hope you are all better soon.
ReplyDeleteAlready better, thank you Gigi.I certainly wasn't happy about it, but really, so happy it's now behind me! The funeral was a blessing for us all.
DeleteDay-by-day celebrations. One would never expect a pet funeral or root canal be part of a celebration, but as you write about it, it makes sense. Daffodils - still waiting here.
ReplyDeleteIt is now raining here, will soon be snow, but yesterday was a marvelous day! Thanks Terje, & both were causes for celebrating!
DeleteI love the frozen moments Linda, day-by-day.... The month of April so perfectly deemed Poetry Month was created just for you! SNOW!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYep, on its way, but all will be warm again by Tuesday. I just hope that the flowers already out won't be totally ruined. Thanks, Bonnie.
DeleteIt sounds like your family had a wonderful celebration of LeRoc's life. It's seems like it was quite meaningful. I hope winter is over soon.
ReplyDeleteI hope winter says goodbye soon, too, Crystal! It's a snow/rain mix now, so don't know if it will worsen or not. Yes, the celebration of LeRoc was nice. Thank you!
DeleteI love that your family honored your granddaughters wishes. That probably provided the closure she needed.
ReplyDeleteHope your tooth is feeling better.
Jen
Thanks Jen, I think that Ingrid was pleased with her plan. Yes, I'm better, glad to have it almost done!
DeleteI've had a root canal, empathizing with you Linda. Best wishes with the teaching. I love 'linger longer' great response.
ReplyDeleteThanks Catherine. I appreciate the wishes-a lot going on! Have a good week!
Delete