A bit of a retro look back; I wrote this poem last year and thought it was appropriate to share it again. Happy TG!(Read something great!)
Twas The Night before Thanksgiving
Readers! I am thankful for you! Tomorrow is the big day and my gift to you is a poem that I thought would make you smile (disclaimer) I am not a poet!
Read something great!
The Night Before Thanksgiving
By Tara Michener
Twas the night before Thanksgiving and look at my house
this place is so messy hope there is no mouse
The dishes are piled all the way in the air
and I still have so much food to prepare
The guests will help themselves to pies and breads
While thoughts of more gym time will be in their heads
I need my hair done but I threw on a cap
maybe while I'm under the dryer I'll take a short nap
I started banging pots and pans and made such a clatter
I lamented that after Thursday I would surely be fatter
The day will come and go like a flash
Then on Saturday I'll be signing books in a dash
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
Lots of little kids who want their books signed so dear
I'll sign at the mall and try to be quick
I'll be sure to have my sharpie never a BIC
But until Saturday I'll focus on dinner and try to stay lucid
Now potatoes, now rolls now tofukey and all
I hope I have enough to feed them all
My crock pot was boiling over like a brew
A house full of food and so much to do
And then, in a twinkling, I thought of my roof
and happily felt blessed to serve in spirit and truth
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, I noticed all of the blessings around.
I had great things and they would get done I needed to stay put
I said a small prayer and stopped tapping my foot
A bundle of food lay still in it's pack
And I smiled as I lined up the to-do's in a stack
My eyes -- how they twinkled! I no longer felt scary
I began to prepare the pies apple and cherry
I made things fancy adding a bow
and wondered if tomorrow would bring our first snow
I dug out our decorations and found our wreath
Now I was grinning and showing my teeth
I ignored my diet and embraced my little round belly
That shook, as I laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
The turkey looked pretty and plump, like art on the shelf
And I laughed when I saw it in spite of myself;
A tasted the gravy and tried out the bread
Yep I realized I had nothing to dread;
I stopped feeling bad and finished my work
And wrote cards so fast I felt like a clerk
Laying the bread in the dish that I chose
I gave a nod, when I saw how it rose
My hubby came in and looked impressed and gave a whistle
I gave him a kiss as I held up the toe of mistle
But I heard him exclaim, as he ran out of sight
I can't wait to watch the game tomorrow night
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
THANKS TO THOSE WHO SUPPORTED THE SHOW & TELL
We had an amazing day at the 1st Annual Show & Tell, celebrating the creative community of Michigan. Every vendor donated books to our "Be A Part Of Their Story Literacy Project" that provides new and signed books to local charitable organizations. This event is meant to celebrate their creative talent and allow them to show and tell about what they do because they are heroes for literacy. The public enjoyed viewing and purchasing their works and giving back to our project. A Special Thanks to our premier vendors and givers Mike Han, of Street Culture Mash www.streetculturemash.com Erica Howell and Melanie Verdell of Mia Verde, www.Shopmiaverde.com Kristina Marie of www.flutterbycreations.biz Nichole Wylie, Photographer & Poet; Chelle Enerio, Graphic Designer and Artist www.coroflot.com/cenerio Jennifer Halls, Singer and Voice Coach.
So many others helped this event to be a success and we thank you! Please view our pictures and enjoy! Read something great!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Show and Tell!
This weekend the creative community in Michigan will embark on a fun event that brings together two important subjects... Art & Literacy. We will have many talented artists in the form of photographers, jewelry makers, clothing designers, and other creators display their work, talk about it and share it with you for purchase.
Our goal is to ignite the spirit of creativity that helps Michigan to grow and florish. Each of these artists were kind enough to donate funds to help us out with our goal is supplying local non-profits books for the Holiday spirit. Are you a creative spirit? Do you enjoy learning about the work that is put into a beautiful painting? Join us! You can also donate to our effort to support Lighthouse Path, Detroit Reality Check and Detroit Parent Network. The Be A Part of Their Story Literacy Project was my idea to give back to our youth and help them to embrace the joy of reading. My hubistrator and Creative Director, Jason inspires the young people with his illustrations and talks about the way that their doodles can become more than just a past time.
If you can join us we will be at 118 S. Main (Workantile) top floor from 2-6 on Sunday November 21st. If you would like to donate but you can't make it take a close look at this page and donate a book or two to a deserving child. Lighthouse was helpful to me and my family when I was a kid and allowed me to enhance my education and everyday life so that I could be who I am today.
You might just be helping the next children's book author fall in love with reading.
-Read something great
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Guest Blog By Chelsea Rodgers #Breakingthepattern
Educators: Mentors or Bullies?
We have been discussing over the last month about students being bullied or the one who does the bullying. Recently, I have had an encounter with a professor and it was not a good one. I was insulted and bullied through e-mail. She tore me down and accused me of things that were not true and she passed this along to other professor that I admire and look up to and this really got to me. I have been working so hard and in a matter of one e-mail she made me look incompetent. That being said after all the professors saw her e-mail, this event I was throwing was canceled. I had a complete melt down. This came out of no-where and I could not figure out what to say to her. I also could not believe that she was such a mean bully. At that moment I felt defeated. Once I got it together and got some advice from an amazing mentor, this incident reminded me of something that happened to my brother as a child and it made me wonder; are the kids really the ones to blame for being bullies or are they acting out what they see in the classroom?
Teachers are supposed to be an important figure in a child’s life. Besides the children’s own parents teachers see their students for six hours or more a day. Teachers are to be mentors not bullies. They are supposed to help children find their skill and to develop it, not tear it down. Teachers are supposed to pick a child up if they fall down. Teachers are supposed to stop bullying if they see it happening. Are they the real bullies and is this why teachers have not put a stop to bullying in the past? Many admit to seeing the bullying occur in the hallways but do nothing to stop it, is this because they started it? What happens when that trusted mentor turns out to be the bully; the instigator. Children act out what they see and hear every day.
When my brother was in third grade he had a teacher who was a bully to him. She was so bad that she got the whole class to pick on him. I remember him coming home one day crying because during story time he raised his hand to ask a question about the story and when he asked the teacher in front of the class called him stupid. He said after that the kids started laughing and called him stupid all day long. He even said on recess one of the kids pushed him outside and not one teacher stopped this boy from harassing my brother. Every day my brother dreaded going to school knowing what was to come. He said it did not matter if he did anything because she found something to yell at him about everyday and that it was always in front of the class. This teacher was such a bully that she even began talking to other teachers about my brother saying that he was uncontrollable. My brother is smart and he would get done with the work before all the other kids so he would get restless and this teacher never gave him anything more to do. She would wait for him to do something so she could pick on him in front of the class.
It got so bad at one point of the year that my mom and dad went in to a meeting with her. The principal, and this counselor and they told my parents that my brother had ADD and needed to be medicated. My mom said no but just to make sure she took him to the doctor. The doctor examined my brother and told my mom he did not need medication. He said he is sitting in this room calmly and listening to us, he is fine. This was a relief to my mother but this also showed her that these adult figures were not going to challenge my brother’s creative mind. They were going to keep on bullying him. It was shortly after this doctor visit that my parents decided to move my brother up a grade because this teacher was still singling him out. This was the best decision made for my brother. He still got teased shortly after moving up a grade but he soon made a good friend that he still has in his life today.
In the end, where is bullying stemming from, the students or the mentors in our school system. Are we paying these professors/teachers to be bullies? The answer is no, we are paying to be educated and to be taken care of. Parents drop their kids off everyday thinking they are in good hands and the truth may be that they are placing them right into the hand of the bully. We need to start holding teachers accountable for not stopping bullying when it occurs. Being a bystander is just as bad if not worse. Teachers need to lead by example and to be mentors and teach children respect.
We have been discussing over the last month about students being bullied or the one who does the bullying. Recently, I have had an encounter with a professor and it was not a good one. I was insulted and bullied through e-mail. She tore me down and accused me of things that were not true and she passed this along to other professor that I admire and look up to and this really got to me. I have been working so hard and in a matter of one e-mail she made me look incompetent. That being said after all the professors saw her e-mail, this event I was throwing was canceled. I had a complete melt down. This came out of no-where and I could not figure out what to say to her. I also could not believe that she was such a mean bully. At that moment I felt defeated. Once I got it together and got some advice from an amazing mentor, this incident reminded me of something that happened to my brother as a child and it made me wonder; are the kids really the ones to blame for being bullies or are they acting out what they see in the classroom?
Teachers are supposed to be an important figure in a child’s life. Besides the children’s own parents teachers see their students for six hours or more a day. Teachers are to be mentors not bullies. They are supposed to help children find their skill and to develop it, not tear it down. Teachers are supposed to pick a child up if they fall down. Teachers are supposed to stop bullying if they see it happening. Are they the real bullies and is this why teachers have not put a stop to bullying in the past? Many admit to seeing the bullying occur in the hallways but do nothing to stop it, is this because they started it? What happens when that trusted mentor turns out to be the bully; the instigator. Children act out what they see and hear every day.
When my brother was in third grade he had a teacher who was a bully to him. She was so bad that she got the whole class to pick on him. I remember him coming home one day crying because during story time he raised his hand to ask a question about the story and when he asked the teacher in front of the class called him stupid. He said after that the kids started laughing and called him stupid all day long. He even said on recess one of the kids pushed him outside and not one teacher stopped this boy from harassing my brother. Every day my brother dreaded going to school knowing what was to come. He said it did not matter if he did anything because she found something to yell at him about everyday and that it was always in front of the class. This teacher was such a bully that she even began talking to other teachers about my brother saying that he was uncontrollable. My brother is smart and he would get done with the work before all the other kids so he would get restless and this teacher never gave him anything more to do. She would wait for him to do something so she could pick on him in front of the class.
It got so bad at one point of the year that my mom and dad went in to a meeting with her. The principal, and this counselor and they told my parents that my brother had ADD and needed to be medicated. My mom said no but just to make sure she took him to the doctor. The doctor examined my brother and told my mom he did not need medication. He said he is sitting in this room calmly and listening to us, he is fine. This was a relief to my mother but this also showed her that these adult figures were not going to challenge my brother’s creative mind. They were going to keep on bullying him. It was shortly after this doctor visit that my parents decided to move my brother up a grade because this teacher was still singling him out. This was the best decision made for my brother. He still got teased shortly after moving up a grade but he soon made a good friend that he still has in his life today.
In the end, where is bullying stemming from, the students or the mentors in our school system. Are we paying these professors/teachers to be bullies? The answer is no, we are paying to be educated and to be taken care of. Parents drop their kids off everyday thinking they are in good hands and the truth may be that they are placing them right into the hand of the bully. We need to start holding teachers accountable for not stopping bullying when it occurs. Being a bystander is just as bad if not worse. Teachers need to lead by example and to be mentors and teach children respect.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)