Day 46

Long day today - sub shortage which meant no prep time for me. Women's restroom backed up into a small pond of sewage on the floor meant crossing the legs for a longer period of time than usual. Inclement weather schedule meant no breaks and staying indoors. All this followed by a 3 hour association board meeting before I was allowed to go home...

All in all, my students and I managed to have some fun. I wish I had taken pictures of my students' work from this afternoon's impromptu art/writing activity - a tear art project showing what 'snow-people' dream of doing/being.... Some were surfing; some roasting marshmallows; a few were NBA stars; one was a teacher; a couple were "rich", counting their mountain of dollar bills; one was a Sea World trainer; one was throwing snowballs at humans; another was "dancing with the stars", complete with two disco balls.... You'd have to see it in person to get the humor in it. We laughed a lot today. It pays to be flexible and live in the moment. Had it been a "normal" day....I would have missed all this.

One quick remnant shot - leftover this morning from yesterday's snow event..... Gone before noon.

© Diana Shay Diehl - 'Snow Still Life'

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Seeking Shelter (aka Querencia 2)

Image
I am having trouble picking up my camera lately. The spark of creativity is buried underneath a pallor of human unkindnesses. Can't watch the news or read the internet or walk through the staffroom without feeling personally assaulted in some way. The world outside is coming alive with wonderful spring light and peeps of color. The air is warm and alive with happy chirps and the whir of wings as life gets busy making more life. But I stare at it from inside. Unable to move. Tears spill over without warning. There's a sharpness to my speech. Breathing is shallow as it burns in my chest. I feel like a thousand elephants sit on top of me. The only solace is my walking buddy, Toby, who insists on his daily walk - which we do. Most of the time. And I always feel, a little, better. I turn off the tv. I limit the internet to communicating with friends and family on "good things",  researching fun lessons, or playing a mindless game (or 2) of (dare I say it), CandyCrush. Bu
Read more

19 March 2012

Image
Here is another shot from this past weekend in my beloved park....more for the benefit of my distant readers (and maybe those of you close by who haven't taken the opportunity to explore this beautiful area...). Considered the cornerstone of Joshua Tree National Park, this particular photo is of the Oasis of Mara which is a short and pleasant nature walk down a paved path from the national park headquarters / visitor center. When my daughter worked as an interpretative ranger there before sailing off into the Navy, she had the most interesting stories of what was witnessed just outside the large picture windows from inside the visitor center. One story that stuck in my mind, both kind of funny and sort of 'gross' if you aren't used to the ways of nature, centered around some European tourists experiencing desert life in all its glory one hot summer day. Both visitors and rangers were watching in awe and amusement the antics of a roadrunner in the garden area just off
Read more

Promise yourself...

Image
What to you think about as you meander around the great outdoors? Do you meander in the great outdoors? If not, you absolutely should. Dr. Shay's orders. It's good for what ails you and reinforces all that doesn't.  I stumbled upon this poem somewhere on the 'net.  Something to turn over in your mind as you wander instead of the usual things that can strip us of peace and joy..... My favorite light at the end of the day - just before sunset..... 2012 ©Diana Shay Diehl / JTNP Promise Yourself... To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel that there is something in them To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To think only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and pr
Read more