Turkey Centerpiece: Apple with Goodies

There are some days where my heart is so full I think I might just literally 
*POP* from such a feeling of well-being and joy. Today is that type of day multiplied about a gazilliondy-million times seven. 

What is it about seeing an apple festooned with cereal and candy corn that brings a grown adult woman to tears? I suppose one contributing factor is that this sculpture was created by my very own Little Red. [To those new around these parts -- that would be my grand-daughter, the carrot top.] 

At four-and-a-HALF she is already coming into her own. For real. She has her own sense of style and the fact that it echos my own delightful flair for unique combos-of-fashion makes my heart reverberate across the miles. 

The apple-as-turkey above is just a portion of my morning's Halmark commercial, parade of tear inducing emotional bliss + overwhelm. Truth be told I'm sending Allen out the door to obtain Dayquil. Nothing exotic, just all of those delightful symptoms from their commercial. Seems I've been gifted with germs from this last cross country series of flights.

At this minute I'm home-in-Florida, but less than 24 hours ago was the unfolding of what is my newest, favorite picture of all time. This was me hopped up on cough drops yesterday, with a library  filled,  packed, STUFFED with PreK peeps, Kinder Kiddos and mature first graders in SOUTHERN TEXAS, a few miles from the border. Doesn't it just make you smile?

If you've read here for very long at all, you might get the impression that I'm living a fairy tale existence. It's days like today that I believe it myself. How many angels does it take to orchestrate my visit to these amazing students in a truly amazing school, half-a-country away? 

Truth-be-told, there's oodles of strands of Ripley's Believe it or Not fortuitous flotsam and jetsam that are woven deftly for this visit to occur. Michelle Ayala of Kinder Fun fame has been working behind the scenes for months to orchestrate our day yesterday. We 'met' on Pinterest and then have become blogging buddies via Top Teachers. 

Where there's a will there's a way! We are now bonded to one another forEVER! She holds a very dear place in my scrapbook of incredible memories. Read here to see her impressions of our time together, narrated from her blog. 

I took several hundred photos yesterday and will be sharing those sights and inspiration over the coming year, when there's ample time to replicate their collective holiday excellence in your own program. There's so much to share. 

Michelle and I were able to orchestrate our day yesterday, because I was already way-down-south in Texas, presenting an all-day seminar in McAllen at Southern Texas College. And how did I get that invitation you ask? The lovely Veronica, director of their ECE program googled: "creative Arts" and located MOI!!! Yeah internet! You are responsible for this entire series of delights cascading. GRATITUDE. 

Second Grade Boys in Tennessee Reading "You're Wonderful" Together

Just off of the airplane last night and completely jet-lagged, I opened my email to receive this image of ubber mature second graders in Tennessee. This is the latest, again courtesy of yet another fellow blogger, Jenn of Best Practices for Teachers. She is bound and determined to teach me about using my picture books and songs as the backbone for 'shared reading' amid mature readers: LUV it! The fact that two mature boys are pouring over my picture book? PRICELESS!

Then this morning as I'm fishing around Facebook for several of the above images, I find yet another picture left for my heart. This photo is on my FB wall today, directly from California, via a fellow survivor of Breast Cancer. It is her own beloved wonder-peep, curled up with a good book. Thank you Helga. Thank you Alice. Yes. Folks. That's MY good book. Makes my heart melt. LITERALLY. 

So in less than 24 hours I have gratitude rippling in southern Texas, Tennessee, California and Ohio that I'm aware of.... while I'm in sunny Florida this morning. Maybe it's the cough drop fumes penetrating my heart? Pinch me, I'm literally living my dream. Thank you to all who have participated in inching my efforts further forward toward visibility in this great big world of ours. 

-- Debbie -- 

And to add a final footnote. While typing here I see that I have a new person who has just this moment purchased my song featured in all of these images above via instant download at TeachersPayTeachers.

This cyber footprint of mine is beginning to reverberate with greater impact! Oh happy day of gratitude.