A Religious View (SOLSC 26/31)

 

I am not religious, but I can appreciate religious art.

We stand together beneath a ceiling, bodies pressed together.  All our eyes are wide — trying to take in as much as possible.  No cameras, no video, just you staring up at a ceiling meant to represent our very creation.  The tilt of our heads is probably a slight revenge from Michelangelo who had to paint this ceiling in the most agonizing positions. 

A voice bellows from above.  It is not God, but it booms all the same: Silence.  Respect the silence.

The voices drop once more, but never for long.  Voices whispering in a hundred languages.  I look up in awe and feel myself tear up.

I am not religious, but I can appreciate religious art, especially when it comes to the Sistine chapel.

Across Five Marches (SOLSC 16/31)

I wasn't sure what to write about, and for inspiration I went to my photos on my phone.  It turned into an exercise in scrolling to previous years, specifically March.  Here is a collection of observations from the past five years.

March 2018 

Here we have a trip to the zoo and a local garden.  More specifically, it was one of my first outings with my first niece.  Ivey was a few months old in the pictures.  I am smiling so broadly, happy to have a little partner in adventure. 

March 2019 

A long standing tradition for me in March is to travel and go out into nature.  And no location is more visited than Hot Springs.  I was drawn to the picture of me and my friends enjoying ice cream and also margaritas.  Good food is also a must this time of year!

March 2020

And then there was the year I couldn't go anywhere, but could still enjoy the simple things.  I baked bread and decorated my car for a teacher parade through our local neighborhoods.  

March 2021

While I wasn't quite ready to travel the following year, I did get out again.  This was a time to be outdoors and embracing the beautiful weather this time of year has to offer.  I even found the slice I wrote from the pictures I took.

March 2022

Last year I finally got to travel again.  Not only did I see Ivey and her family (now including a second niece for me to love and adventure with), but we went on a family cruise together! The pictures remind me of my love of travel and all the places I have been and and have yet to go.

I can't wait to share the rest of March 2023 with you all.

Trivia Night (SOLSC 15/31)

I wanted to try something different.  Since this slice is about trivia, I have written it in the form of trivia questions.  Enjoy!

Q: How many years has the Vilonia AGATE program hosted a trivia night?

A: Three

Q: What was the name of last year's winning trivia team?

A: The Winners.

Q: Name the 8 members of that team.

A: Erica (me), Terina, Marion, Jessica, John, Tracy, Nathan, Brian

Q: Who answered most of the questions?

A: John

Q: How many rounds did they play?

A: 7 rounds

Q: What was the only question they got wrong?

A: The question about Robert DeNiro's baseball drama Bang The Drum Slowly.

Q: Which question did Erica provide the correct answer for that no one else did?

A: Ben Franklin as the first post master.

Q: Which round did Erica perform the best in?

A: The 4th round, naming secondary Disney characters based on silhouette. 

Q: How many points did The Winners wager for the final round?

A: 12 

Q: Name the three teams that tied in the final round.

A: The Winners, Take 3, and The Saltillo Stallions

Q: How many tie breaker questions did they end up having?

A: A ridiculous amount (at least four)

Q: What did The Winners place this year?

A: Third

Pick Up Sticks (SOLSC 14/31)

I am seeing more and more evidence of the beginnings of spring.  The itty bitty buds on the tree -- leaves just barely peeking out at the morning sun.  It's new life on a tree that was otherwise completely bare.  It still LOOKS bare until you get up close.  

Below, there is a smattering of sticks scattered around the base of the same tree.  It's old life shed from encounters with all of the wind and rain we have experienced in the past few weeks.  

I can't help but smile and remember a time when I myself was just beginning and the sticks I used to see everywhere in my pawpaw's yard.  The tiny buds remind me of my own tiny hands, clasped around the cool metal handle of a bright red wagon.  

In the summer, my pawpaw would set us out to pick up objects in his backyard -- I assume now that it might have been to help him have an easier time mowing.  I was accompanied by my sister as we dragged that wagon among the many trees of my pawpaw's backyard.  Every few feet we would stop and begin the process of picking up the trees' discarded items: sticks, pine cones, and green apples.  

Each would be tossed into the wagon and we would move on.  When we were done, my pawpaw always awarded us with some of his pocket change for our efforts.

Now, as I navigate the sidewalk with my dog, I have to resist the urge to stop and pick up some of the sticks.

Today's writing was inspired by one of the March Daily Writing Prompt from Teach Write.

Fortunately, Unfortunately (SOLSC 12/31)

The weekend seems like a good time to test out some of the styles that other blogs have used.  Yesterday, I used the "Currently" format.  Today, I was inspired to try out the fortunately/unfortunately format I first saw on Joyous Thought's blog.

Fortunately, the flowers and trees are starting to flourish.  Unfortunately, my allergies have responded in kind.  Fortunately, I started taking my allergy medicine early this year and that has helped a lot!

Fortunately, the days are getting warmer and brighter.  Unfortunately, I have to sacrifice an hour of my sleep to enjoy the daylight. Fortunately, I have coffee. 

Fortunately, this also means I have one week until Spring Break starts.  Unfortunately, I have A LOT I need to get done before I can enjoy it. Because fortunately, I am finally living one of my dreams and going to Italy for Spring Break (and a few days after)!  

Unfortunately, those few days after mean I have to have sub plans ready long before they are due.

Fortunately, those sub plans don't have to be complicated; it is the time of year where my senior English students are nearly done and AP exam season is just around the corner.  Unfortunately, AP exam season is just around the corner.

Fortunately, I am of the belief that everything will work out as it should!