My phone was off today. Not just silenced. Off. I spent some time with my hubby and younger daughter, and the three of us went to see "Catching Fire" since we had all read the book. It was a nice outing for us. 
When I turned my phone back on (after I realized I had left it in the car!) my heart warmed and out came a chuckle when I saw I had been nominated for a Sunshine Award! Thanks, Ben! @benjamingilpin has a great blog, so be sure and check it out here! He's also my principal and doles out sunshine to students and staff every day!
When I turned my phone back on (after I realized I had left it in the car!) my heart warmed and out came a chuckle when I saw I had been nominated for a Sunshine Award! Thanks, Ben! @benjamingilpin has a great blog, so be sure and check it out here! He's also my principal and doles out sunshine to students and staff every day!
This is a way for bloggers to get to know each other and one of the cool things about it is that there are limitless "winners"! The Sunshine award gives others an opportunity to learn more about me as a blogger and then, in turn, I will send sunshine the way of 11 other amazing bloggers for you to get to know! Here are the "official" rules:
- Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
- Share 11 random facts about yourself.
- Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
- List 11 bloggers. They should be bloggers you believe deserve some recognition and a little blogging love!
- Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. (You cannot nominate the blogger who nominated you.
11 Random Facts About Me
1. I flunked out of my first semester of college, even though I had a full music scholarship.
2. For three years I traveled and played music in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and the islands of Mauritius and Reunion.
3. My mother-in-law was my high school National Honor Society advisor, but I didn't marry (or know) her son until my late 30s.
4. Fudge Ripple ice cream and the machine to make it was invented by my grandfather. Even before I knew that, it was my favorite flavor!
5. I am a classically trained pianist, violinist, and vocalist (and love it), but my favorite genre to play and sing is jazz and/or blues.
6. My mother taught me to sew so I grew up making most of my own clothes. I've made a couple of wedding dresses and reupholstered several pieces of furniture. I really want to start making handbags. It's still one of those things I feel guilty doing because I love it so much.
7. My mother went into labor for me when she witnessed my dad rolling the car over as he came into the driveway. Fortunately he was okay and my life hasn't been a complete wreck!
8. I have done quite a bit of theater (but not lately). My two favorite roles were Sarah in the musical "Guys and Dolls" and Amanda in the Noel Coward play "Private Lives."
9. I would love to be a contestant on "Survivor." Honestly, it would be a dream come true!
10. School is my "happy place." Although there was a learning curve with the change to fourth grade, and the shift to common core is challenging, I love what I do and truly believe I make a difference in my kids' lives.
11. I do not feel like I'm as old as my drivers' license says I am. I think of myself as a young adult with lots of life ahead of me - and a lot to learn.
The Answers to Ben's Questions for Me:
1. I definitely prefer to shop in stores, although I also enjoy shopping online. I like being a "gatherer" and spending my time in the shoe or handbag departments of nice stores. Or dresses. Or skirts. You get the idea, right?
2. Ben asked how many pairs of shoes I own. Seriously? Do you want me to count the ones I am thinking about giving to St. Vincent's? I lost count at 60... I think I need to go shopping.
3. My favorite type of music is jazz or blues. However, I have very eclectic taste in music and also adore classical (especially from the classical: Beethoven, romantic: Chopin and Schumann, or impressionistic: Ravel eras). I also love musicals (Stephen Sondheim, Rogers and Hammerstein, Claude-Michel Schönberg), if that counts as a genre. The one genre I don't enjoy is country. My favorite band is Chicago, but again, there are so bands and artists I admire it's hard to choose one.
4. I love both cats and dogs. I believe having one or the other helps you as a person. However, at the moment I prefer dogs because if I said "cats" then my dog, Charlie, would be emotionally scarred.
5. My typical bedtime is 11 p.m. or later, despite my almost-daily resolution to hit the sack earlier.
6. My favorite twitter chat is #titletalk. (Thanks, @donalynbooks and @colbysharp!)
7. I have deep reservations when it comes to politicians and have never claimed allegiance to either the Democrat or Republican party, so I guess I'm "other." There are things I agree with and things I abhor in both parties.
8. The best place I ever vacationed was probably Culebra, a tiny island in the Caribbean whereI also got to teach for a bit. It's beautiful and unspoiled. It's also tricky to get to! But I also loved Germany with its beautiful castles and interesting history. 
And Panama.
And Panama.
9. Choosing the best book (singular) I've read so far in 2013 is very hard. Top five would be SO much easier...maybe! RUMP, by @lieslshurtliff, THE REAL BOY by @anneursu, THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING by @lindaurbanbooks, READING IN THE WILD by @donalynbooks, COUNTING BY 7s by @hgoldbergsloan. (I re-read WONDER by @rjpalacio - can that count?)
10. Telling my favorite television show when I was growing up is going to give away the age on my driver's license! I loved "The Wild, Wild West" but would have to say my favorite was "The Dick VanDyke Show" and then "Laugh-In" when that came out.
11. One thing I have rarely shared that I'm proud of is that I was blindsided by a divorce due to an affair (my older daughter was two at the time) and then finished my college education (bachelor and master degrees) as a single mom without child support. I finished both earning high/highest honors. During this time I had at least two concurrent jobs along with being a full-time student. I am now the first person in my family to have earned a masters degree. I honestly don't think about it that much, but when I look back, it's kind or surreal to think that I really did that!
Bloggers who deserve the "Sunshine Award" include:
Eleven Questions for these Bloggers
1. Why did you start blogging?
2. Do you prefer warm or cold weather? Any reason for that?
3. Have you (and/or your family) decorated for the holidays yet? Why or why not?
4. Whom would you say is the ONE person in history you admire the most and why?
5. What's your favorite beverage?
6. If you could recommend only one book to someone to read, what would it be?
7. What is one thing on your "bucket list" not many people - or maybe no one - knows about?
8. What's the most relaxing vacation you've been on? 9. Who brings you the most joy in your life?
10. If you could give a lot of money to one organization, which one would it be and why?
11. What's your favorite color?
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