Wishcasting Wednesday

It is once again Wishcasting Wednesday and Jamie Ridler asks us:

Where do you wish to be fierce?

With over 30 years in education, I know that I am becoming more and more fierce about mental health issues and abuse in elementary age children.

Children should have happy, carefree lives. So many come to school with huge burdens that prevent them from learning. There are so few resources for these youngsters. If we do not step in sooner, then we will have adults who are damaged and a heavy burden to society.

My greatest wish is that care and resources are provided much, much sooner for these young children that will enable them to have a much happier life.

As Jamie says:

"You can be a maker of magic and a tender of wishes. It’s easy. Answer the wish prompt above on your blog . Support wishes by visiting other participants. It’s that simple. There is great power in wishing together."

Sunday Weekly Wrap-Up

IMy new computer arrived yesterday and I am liking the greater sopeed but I am missing many of the features of my old computer. It will take time I guess.

ATCs
This week I worked on cards for two swaps:

Backgrounds done mostly with acrylic paint

The other fun project was the printmaking I did with my Grade 3s. We have been studying the Inuit of northern Canada and were looking at how their prints were created.

For the plates they used, we used sturofoam plates( with the rims cut off). The children used pencils to carve a scene, inked their plates and then printed on both plain and construction paper. We all had a fun time with that on Friday.

We are doing more printmaking next week, now that they know the process. I will share some of their work next week.

Have a wonderful week!

Shadow Shot Sunday

We have finally gotten some snow - not the huge storm that was forecast for yesterday but about 5 cm overnight. It is starting to melt already though, as the sun has been so bright. But good light for shadows.

Be sure to check out the wonderful shadows for all over the world here.

Book Monday

This past week has been dominated by the "Hunger Games" trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It has been quite a while since I have been obsessed with reading a series. But it has also been a week when I had more time to read, and read I did!

Thursday I was home as I had had a fall at work and was seeing the doctor that day. (Other than aches and pains, I was okay). I started the first book, "The Hunger Games" on the bus to the doctors and almost missed my stop. By the time I got home, I was hooked. I read all afternoon and finished it that night.

Friday I returned to school and was able to borrow only the second book "Catching Fire." Again I was caught up in the story and did something I haven't done in a long time - read til done at 3 in the morning.

Saturday we went to Chapters as I had to have the 3rd book "Mockingjay". Again I started reading right away and read til I finished at 1 in the morning.

I found the characters intriguing, the new world chilling and the whole trilogy extremely well written. For me, good fantasy and science fiction novels are all about the imagination and the creation of new worlds that draw you into them. "Harry Potter" did that and now the "Hunger Games" has done that. Of course, I am now eagerly awaiting the movie - comes out March 23!

This week I also read "We all Fall Down" by Eric Walters, another young adult novel. It had been recommended by a former student so thought I would read it. Again, a very well written novel. It gave a very different view of 9/11.

I won a picture book through a teaching blog "Grade 4 Frolics" and I received the book on Thursday - "Pink Tiara Cookies for Three" by Maria Dismondy. I loved the story of the 3 girls and read it to my class on Friday. They enjoyed it as well. It fit very well in our unit on friendship.

I have also started the 4th book in the Gamache mystery series., "The Murder Stone". This is another series I have been drawn into. I am slowly working my way through the books and thoroughly enjoying them.

Sunday Weekly Wrap-up

It has been an interesting week. It started with Valentine's Day activities at school and then a fall at school on Valentine's Day. I was on yard duty and stumbled over snow. I felt stupid - but was I ever sore. I ended up taking 2 days off to rest and recover. Nothing broken, just everything shaken up. But I did get to read - a lot!

Now we have a long weekend - and I have had more rest and some book buying.

ATCs

This week I had several swaps to complete cards for ATCsforAll. I only scanned one set of cards though.

I will be working on more the next few days as well.

I have decided to work through Patti Digh's "Life is a Verb" through Effy's Book of Days course (free!). The courses I am working on have been both challenging and rewarding.

Wishcasting Wednesday

Today Jamie Ridler asks us another of her penetrating questions:

What do you wish for the world?

There is so much strife, killing, inequality, fear and unhappiness. Every day there is news of war and riots and killing. I am always struck by the lack of respect, equality and peace around the world. Two few have too much and flaunt it. Too many have too little and suffer for it.

I would wish that those few with so much would share their millions with the poor and displaced of the world. I would wish that all people would co-exist with respect and sharing.

I would wish that there could be a transformation in how we live.

All religions have a form of the Golden Rule - do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It is time we all follow that rule!

As Jamie says:
"You can be a maker of magic and a tender of wishes. It’s easy. Answer the wish prompt above on your blog. Support wishes by visiting other participants. It’s that simple. There is great power in wishing together."

Be sure to vist other wishcasters here.

Book Monday

I am glad I signed up for the book challenges as I know that I am reading more because of them.

I have read a number of picture books the past few weeks:

"Chicken Sunday" by Patricia Polacco (I love all her books. I listened to a presentation by her last year and she was amazing. I now have several books autographed by her. )

"Amelia to Zora - 26 Woman Who Changed the World" by Cynthia Chin-Lee. An excellent abc of strong, important women role models.

I have also read a couple of young adult novels:

"Liar Liar Pants on Fire" by Gordon Korman. My class loved this as the read aloud at the end of the day. It had us all laughing!

"Things Will Never Be the Same" by Tomie de Paola. I enjoy his picture books and this was more autobiographical.

Right now I have a number of books on the go. I try to squeeze in a few minutes each day.

I am almost finished:

"The Bite of the Mango" by Mariatu Kamara. I am enjoying this book about the young woman who had her hands chopped off in the war torn Sierra Leone. She is now living in Ontario and lives an active, purposeful life. It is a very inspiring book.

I am also reading:

"The 12 Secrets of Highly Successful Women" by Gail McMeekin. I won this book before Christmas and am slowly working though it. I thoroughly enjoyed her previous 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women.

"MWF Seeking BFF" by Rachel Bertsche. I had read a review of this book a few weeks back and went out on Saturday and bought it. Her search for a best friend resonated with me. After living in one small town for almost 20 years I have found it so difficult to meet "kindred spirits". There are lots of acquaintances but not not BFFs. So thought I would read this one. I am enjoying her book.

"The Freedom Writers Diary" by Erin Gruwell . Loved the movie - wanted to read more.

Two books I will be reading next are:

"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins (A YA novel - the novel will be coming out soon)

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini (For our social justice book club. His first book "The Kite Runner" was excellent.

There are so many good books to read! I hope to tackle quite a few from my shelves this year.
Any suggestions??

Sunday Weekly Wrap Up

This week's weekly wrap-up is actually for several weeks. I have been crafting and reading but have not had the energy really to do more. But I am trying to get back on track and start living my word (Carpe Diem!)

ATCs

I have finished a number of ATCs for swaps. These offer challenges in small doses. I am creating but am not overwhelmed. The bonus is that I get some beautiful artwork in return.

 

 

Mixed media mandalas

I am working on others as well for a swap that involved asking others to create a card for my 60th. I received so many lovely cards. I still have a few to make in return but here are a few samples of some I have created for these special artists.

 

To create is a blessing. Art has been a saviour many times in my life, none more so than lately. It has helped me to get back on track, to push through the shadows of pain and the blues. It feels good to be back.

Shadow Shot Sunday - Back again!

It has been a while since I participated in Shadow Shot Sunday. I still look for shadows - it is a compulsion! But I have had an extended rest from blogging. I have missed the interactions with other bloggers the most, but needed this time away. I am slowly going to return to challenges I have so enjoyed in the past.

Thought I would share first some ATCs of shadows I created last year.

Here's another shot of my darling cat Fluffy - who will be 20 in May!

Love this shot of the rowers with the shadow over them, at Tampa.

Some greenery at Cozumel, when we were there on our cruise.

Be sure to check the world of shadows here!