Little Limericks

Tuesday's Little Limerick

A little more smoothly today,

and we didn't get carried away.

Lessons went well

Right down to the bell.

We made it through Tuesday - hooray!

No lies - we were far from perfect, but hey, we were much better than Monday. Perhaps it was because we mixed up the schedule a little more, or maybe because we introduced material they hadn't really seen before (i.e. specific info about our Cardinal and the Pope), or maybe simply because it was Tuesday.

No matter what, though, I can't help but say a prayer of thanks for days like this. At the end of the day, I wasn't exhausted or even frustrated. I was excited for everything we did.

As for tomorrow...

Wednesday's Little Limerick

Let's see what tomorrow will bring

With hurricanes, fractions, and things.

Rain might come our way,

So inside we'll play,

Staying engaged till the final bell rings!

P.S. - (As heard on NPR - and not totally unrelated -,) I want this man's job. Seriously.

And we're back...

5 more Mondays (not counting Memorial Day) - that's what we've got folks. Hard to believe, but I checked the calendar, and, yes, it's true. Crazy! Summer vacation is on the horizon...

No time to check out now - we still have lots to do. How do we stay focused?, now that's the question. (And, it's one teachers have been facing for ages.)

More movement or songs?

Less textbooks?

More "games"?

More short activities to meet attention span needs?

More creative planning?

Hmmm...Let the challenge begin!

Simple Saturday Poetry

In honor of National Poetry Month, I decided to treat you (well, I hope it's a treat!) to some simple haiku about my day. Hope yours was terrific too!

~ - ~ - ~

HAIKUs for a Saturday

Tulips all a-bloom

Up and down Michigan Ave

Such a splendid treat!

Ministry of Care

keeps me busy Saturdays

Blessed - that's how I feel.

School work and laundry -

Getting ready for the week

Spring break's nearly done.

Afternoon flew by -

NCIS marathon,

then dinner with friends.

Soon I'll head to bed -

an early run tomorrow,

Mass, relaxing too

So, tonight be well.

Make sure your Sunday's restful

My haikus now end.

Coming to the End

Vacation is a good thing. 
All good things come to an end. 
Therefore, vacation comes to an end...on Sunday.

Just got back to the Windy City this afternoon, and, while it's mighty good to be back, it's also somewhat sad to leave family and friends back home. Visiting and relaxing were much needed activities, and my sister and I definitely kept busy with family activities, dinners with friends, movies (like Moneyball), jogs around the neighborhood, a haircut, Church events, and more. (So good to be home.)

But, as noted above, vacations only last for so long, so this evening I spent some time preparing for an upcoming reading convention (SO EXCITED!) and reading up on the latest reading research.

I guess tomorrow will be time to focus on the upcoming Religion unit I need to plan, some grading I've left unfinished, and some leisure reading.

And with ends come beginnings - and I'm taking bets Monday will begin the students' countdown to summer break...

Alleluia!

Alleluia!

Boy, have I waited a long time (namely, 40 days) to say/sing that.

Lent passed relatively quickly for me this year. One day I was on a retreat the weekend after Ash Wednesday, and the next I was home in Florida celebrating the most wonderful Feast in our faith tradition.

It was all well and good, yes, but I still don't quite feel that I am currently where I set out to be at the beginning of the Lenten season.

But, then again, maybe that's okay. After all, the Easter season lasts 50 days (that gives us 10 more days than Lent did), so there's still time for me to make some of those changes I originally set out to work on.

Amen and Alleluia to that!

“Easter is truly a verb, a dynamic event pushing upward from the darkness into the light.” -Alice Camille

Have a truly blessed Easter season!

Tenebrae - light from darkness

Holy Week is most likely my favorite time of the Liturgical year, and that's because there are just SO many services and opportunities to spend extra time in prayer with the Lord.

Take tonight, for example. My sister, my roommate, and I met up for dinner at a local Mediterranean establishment (mmm...falafel...) before heading to Church for their Tenebrae service.

What is Tenebrae? You've never heard of it before?

Don't worry - I didn't know about it until a few weeks ago when I saw the ad in the Church bulletin. Here's a basic rundown (as read on the parish website):

Tenebrae is the Latin word for shadows or darkness. This liturgy is filled with the singing of Psalms and the proclamation of Scripture. The liturgy helps to set the tone for the coming three days of the Triduum. Seven candles are lit in the church. The candles are gradually extinguished throughout the liturgy until the church is plunged into darkness and a thunderous noise envelops the space. One candle finally returns to the church thereby bringing peace and illumination, symbolizing the continual light of Christ.

I liken it to Lenten Lessons and Carols. The choir's chanting was incredibly beautiful, adding to an already solemn and grace-filled liturgy.

And the part that made my flesh literally crawl with goosebumps was when the final chant was sung, the lights in the Church were extinguished, and the congregation rapped (rather loudly) on the pews until the lit Easter candle was brought back to the altar of the Church. (I did not see that coming...and it was awesome.)

As the Triduum begins tomorrow with Holy Thursday, I am kind of bummed I will not be able to attend Mass for the celebration of the Last Supper and the washing of the feet, but that's what happens when you travel home for the holidays. And home is the place I am greatly looking forward to return this weekend...

O Poem of Mine

There are many versions of the following poem (see picture below), and many people associate it with Audrey Hepburn (although, it was written by Sam Levenson).

I'm posting it now in honor of National Poetry Month (April) - it's one of my favorites. If you take a moment to read it, I think you'll understand why...

In college, I actually made a wallet-sized copy of this poem so that I could pull it out from time to time and commit it to memory. I also made a gift of it in the form of a paired photo frame - one with a picture of friends and the opposite with this poem laid over the background of a soft rose.

Poems are things of beauty - they should be read, savored, memorized, loved, and shared.

So, if you don't have a poem rolling around in your head, might I suggest you take some time this April to memorize one? I think you'll find it quite rewarding...