We Got This Wednesday (or rather Thankful Thursday)!

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday was nice and warm. I went for a long walk, enjoying the sun that continuously shined down upon me. In addition to getting exercise, I was able to get some important things that my mother and I needed. Mission accomplished. I said to myself, "This is a 'We Got This' Wednesday!

What a difference a grateful heart makes! Though, it's chilly and rainy outside today, there is still cause to be thankful! I had great conversations with my cousin and co-workers, my grilled cheese sandwich and veggie soup made for a tasty lunch, and more importantly, everyone in my household feels fine. It's definitely a Thankful Thursday!

What things have made your Wednesday or Thursday noteworthy? Think of three things that you feel good about. Maybe you accomplished a goal. Were you kinder in words and deeds? Did you take time for yourself and give a family member some space, too? Act it, dance it, draw it, or sing it out!

It's Technology Tuesday!

Even though most parents, students and teachers are currently working and learning from home, it may be even more difficult to monitor non-school-related screen time. Video gaming with friends often takes precedence over video conferencing with classmates. Don't worry! Here are some fun, teachable moments that can become daily habits:


1. Turn on the closed captioning feature on computers and TVs. Take turns reading (and acting out!) commercials. Role play--become your favorite character on that Netflix show you've been binge-watching.

2. Each one teach one. Find your favorite app on your phone or computer and become an expert at it. Grab a few "students" and teach them how to use it. For Android users like me, Keep Notes is great for grocery shopping for the family!

3. Keep screens visible to monitor usage. The Internet offers plenty of opportunities to learn and have fun. Unfortunately, each click can expose children to the dangers behind the dot coms. Have frequent conversations about the appropriate way to search and interact with others on the world wide web. Grown-ups, feel free to apply filters, block certain sites and check search histories. Have fun! Be safe! Check out the link below:

                                                   How To Chat Safely Online

We Will Get Through This Together!

It is 2020. 20/20. It is supposed to be a time of perfect vision. Can you recall how many people really believed, more than ever, that is would be "a new year, a new me!"?  Ready. Set. Goals in sight. Go achieve them, right?! Well...

We are living through incredibly scary and uncertain times. There are no hard and fast answers that will make us instantly feel better. Being kind, patient and sensitive will help create a less stressful environment. Engaging in positive activities that bring us joy and those that may help us build better relationships with others are essential.

I have created this super short reading list to connect you with some characters who have had some extraordinarily challenging experiences. Maybe you can identify with some of them. The protagonists in the books below exemplify how--against the odds--human beings can be adaptive, innovative, resilient and self-reliant. Which characters give you a sense of hope? What can you do to offer that sense of hope to those around you?

(Summaries have been taken from amazon.com and Follett Destiny.)

Fiction

Holt, K. A. House Arrest. 

Timothy is on probation. It's a strange word - something that happens to other kids, to delinquents, not to kids like him. And yet, he is under house arrest for the next year. He must check in weekly with a probation officer and a therapist and keep a journal for an entire year. And mostly, he has to stay out of trouble. 

But when he must take drastic measures to help his struggling family, staying out of trouble proves more difficult than Timothy ever thought it would be. Enjoy the follow up book, Knockout.

Mbalia, Kwame.  Tristan Strong Punches A Hole In The Sky. 

Seventh-grader Tristan Strong tumbles into the MidPass and, with allies John Henry and Brer Rabbit, must entice the god Anansi to come out of hiding and seal the hole Tristan accidentally ripped in the sky

Reynolds, Jason. As Brave As You Are.

Genie thinks Grandpop must be the bravest guy he's ever known, but he starts to notice that his grandfather never leaves the house - as in NEVER. And when he finds the secret room that Grandpop is always disappearing into - a room so full of songbirds and plants that it's almost as if it's been pulled inside out - he begins to wonder if his grandfather is really so brave after all.

Then Ernie lets him down in the bravery department. It's his 14th birthday, and Grandpop says to become a man you have to learn how to shoot a gun. Genie thinks that is AWESOME until he realizes Ernie has no interest in learning how to shoot. None. Nada. Dumbfounded by Ernie's reluctance, Genie is left to wonder, are bravery and becoming a man only about proving something, or is it just as important to own up to what you won't do?

Tarshis, Lauren. I Survived The Great Molasses Flood, 1919. 

One hundred years ago, a killer wave of molasses struck a crowded Boston neighborhood. Discover the story of this strange disaster in the next book in the New York Times best-selling I Survived series. 

There were warning signs that the molasses tank would break. The steel sides moaned and groaned. Molasses oozed from its seams. But the people of Boston's North End - mostly poor immigrants - were powerless to complain to the big molasses company. On a bright January day in 1919, the tank finally broke and almost three million gallons of molasses rushed the neighborhood. At 15 feet tall, 160 feet wide, and traveling at 35 miles per hour, the gooey wave was more destructive than any flood of water would have been. Lauren Tarshis tells the riveting story of one child who was swept up in the sticky storm and lived to tell the tale.

Non Fiction 

Bausum, Ann.  The March Against Fear:  The Last Great Walk Of The Civil Rights Movement and The Emergence Of Black Power. 

James Meredith's 1966 march in Mississippi began as one man's peaceful protest for voter registration and became one of the South's most important demonstrations of the civil rights movement. It brought together leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Stokely Carmichael, who formed an unlikely alliance that resulted in the Black Power movement, which ushered in a new era in the fight for equality.

Burkhart, Jessica, ed. Life Inside My Mind: 31 Authors Share Their Personal 

Struggles. 

Have you ever felt like you just couldn't get out of bed? Not the occasional morning, but every day? Do you find yourself listening to a voice in your head that says "you're not good enough," "not good looking enough," "not thin enough," or "not smart enough"? Have you ever found yourself unable to do homework or pay attention in class unless everything is "just so" on your desk? Everyone has had days like that, but what if you have them every day?

Life Inside My Mind is an anthology of true-life events from writers of this generation, for this generation. These essays tackle everything from neurodiversity to addiction to OCD to PTSD and much more. The goals of this book range from providing home to those who are feeling alone, awareness to those who are witnessing a friend or family member struggle, and to open the floodgates to conversation.

Kamkwamba, William.  The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. 

African teenager William Kamkwamba explored science books in his village library when he was forced to drop out of school, and was able to change his family's life by creating a windmill to pump water for his family's farm.

Syed, Matthew. You Are Awesome:   Find Your Confidence and Dare To Be Brilliant At (Almost) Anything! 

Challenge the beliefs that hold you back! Whatever you want to be good at, the right mindset can help you achieve your dreams.

Times journalist, two-time Olympian, and bestselling author Matthew Syed demonstrates how grit, resilience, and a positive mindset can help in every aspect of your life―from school to friendships to sports to hobbies. Using examples of role models from Serena Williams to Mozart, You Are Awesome shows how success is earned rather than given, and that talent can be acquired through practice and a positive attitude.