Adieu to You

Summer........ fleeting images still linger: enjoy!!!!  

A word or several of explanation. I've had a blog for over 3 years at this point. Lately I've really been attempting to learn how to be of better 'service' in the blog-o-sphere ......better posts, more interesting, more inspirational, more readers. More + better. Right?

I'm flumoxed. Completely. All of a sudden this particular post has jumped from total obscurity (virtually no readers) to being in my all time Top 10 list? How on earth did it get there? I truly don't know???? Wish I did. Not one comment left, but suddenly in the Top 10?

Originally I hadn't even written a word here. LOL. Maybe there's a message there? I was just dumping my memory card and attempting to move my mind out of one season and into the next..... which I've been known to do periodically. Don't know if someone gave a shout out on a photo blog somewhere?? Don't know how all ya'all found this??? Leave me a comment if you came here specifically from somewhere else. Pretty please with sprinkles on top.

 FYI: I'm living a rather charmed chapter of my life. I'm a children's picture book author and illustrator and I took these photos at our summer heavenly hiatus home, which is up in northern WI, Door County to be specific. Sister Bay (pop. 886) to be even more exact.... Where we have goats-on-the-roof, in addition to sailboats-in-sunsets as nightly entertainment. There's applause as the sun goes below the horizon. Seriously.

Our place is a block from the marina. These are daily images for months on end. It's easy to be inspired in Door County. I fill my bucket all summer long with these images. It recharges my battery for my school visits and conference presentations and by sharing here -- hope to offer you some glimpse of the joy I see.

                                                                      

Poets and artists. Photographers and quilters. Painters and nature and vistas and the Arts in every third re-claimed dairy barn. It's a place of wonder. If you want sailboat sunset pictures, click here. If you want more goats on the roof, here's your click. If you just need a big fix of daisies this would be the click for you with 24 posts devoted to daisies, seriously, plus a 5 minute 'movie' of hundreds of daisy pictures! Or maybe you like photography and want to fall into this well of 199 previous posts that garnered that tag, if so click here.

Here I thought I was writing a blog about my original songs for children? I'm glad that you found me, found this post and I hope that you enjoy these images. ---- Debbie ----

                                                                          

Farewell Summer

Dr. Katz at Concordia

Dr. Lilian Katz @ Concordia's annual back-to-school conference. Chicago-land.

I told you that I had old-time pictures that I hadn't ever reported upon. I was fortunate enough to hear her keynote to the entire crowd. Ironically, I had once shared a cab with her at NAEYC a couple of years ago -- and knew that she would be very personable and share stories of her family. She started her address by speaking of how early childhood professionals can compare 'our' work with that of her husband -- as he consults with builders for massive new buildings. She started by speaking of the significance of early childhood being compared to the very FOUNDATION for life.

Her husband told her that he ALWAYS considers three things when beginning to consult on a new building:

1. Learn EVERYTHING about the elements that the building (child) will need to deal with
2. Be very clear about the structure to be built -- the materials available
3. Be certain that you know all the forces that will be 'acting' on the structure. 

She quoted her husband as saying, "If you don't get it right from the beginning -- it is VERY expensive to repair." 

First Book Club Appearance

MIGRATION TIME. Summer's over: sigh. In real life I am packing my bags and boxes and preparing to leave our little summer slice-of-heaven to depart for a month of Buckeye vagabond ahead..... and then continue heading further south to arrive in Florida in time for NAEYC in Orlando.  I'm packing up my tank-tops and shorts in an effort to head south for the winter. In putting my feet up tonight I happened through my camera's memory chip and realized that there are any number of events and sights that never got out of their film-stage and here on to my scrapbook and blog-central.

I spend a great deal of my time with people that are three, four and five years old. Now in my evolution to that of being an author-illustrator I've been stretching my comfort zone quite a bit in the past couple of years by making regular visits to elementary schools and speaking to mature eight, nine and ten year old people -- with the occasional section of pre-teens thrown in to make me feel like I'm growing up with the kids.

Time for another first!!!  Add a few more decades to the people or six or seven decades as the case may be. This was the season that I had the opportunity to 'speak' to Door County's longest running book club. A group that's met together continuously focused on the subject of books and literacy for WELL over half-a-century. Let me just suffice it to say that the book club's been in existence longer than I have.... beyond that I'd have to make a call for the absolute specifics.

This was a group of women who have amazing lives and an entire cross section of professions were represented. Some in attendance have already reached their eighties. Any number of gals are already GREAT-grandmas. There were also LOTS of seventy-somethings in attendance and a few spring chickens in their sixties. The conversation at our table over lunch was utterly fascinating!!!

Good sports learning sign language.

Look at these glorious smiles. That's the leadership-officers-brain-trust, MOI and fellow guest Lynn from my yoga class. What a power-house. Guess what? My books work with three year olds and they're well received by eighty-three year olds as well!! I once had a seventh grade teacher purchase my "You're Wonderful" for her seventh grade students. When I raised an eyebrow, she responded without skipping a beat:
"You know, Debbie, there's no shelf-life on self esteem."

A Few of My Favorite Things

REFLECTIVE REVIEW.

It's such an enormous thrill to be learning how to blog in such a way that people are actually reading what I'm writing: what a concept!!!!! I thought that I'd round up a dozen of my earlier blog-posts that I wish had received some readership. Most of them are poignant. So bookmark the post and save for a time when you want to sigh, consider, reflect and treat yourself to some encouragement -- even inspiration. [Click on the link highlighted-in-blue to go to read the original post.]

1. Here's the post that explains the name: Rainbows Within Reach. It involves a fish tank and a child's perspective -- which remain with me everyday, inspiring me to do my best and look at the world thru the eyes of children.
2. This is the post that tells the amazing story of a non-English speaking classroom  and one little girl's response to my picture book "You're Wonderful" written in her own handwriting and from her heart to mine.  ****If you can only read one flashback, please choose this one!******

3. The posts that tell of the 19' by 11 foot' quilt of construction paper created in response to my picture book "Red, White and Blue" are simply amazing and you can read all of the connected posts to that story here at: Carie's Kindergarten.
4. An up-beat little post that tells a heart warming story of a family's adoption (shared with me at I Teach K)

5. This one is about the heroic nature of parents of a child with special needs

    6.    Here's a heart-warmer about a family who fosters [if you're in a hurry -- just go to see the picture]
    7.    This ones still in my Top-10: 'rules-to-live-by' thru the eyes of kindergarten hopefully if a few more of you are lead to read there, it will stay visible on my wall for the future.

    8.   THE most amazing greeting & backdrop for me as an author/illustrator was visiting an elementary and took place on Long Island last year..... worth clicking over there just to see the children's artwork.
    9.    TEAR ALERT: I'm writing about the 'Blue Christmas' service at church for Christmas eve -- significant to me as a two-time survivor of early Breast Cancer. What an amazing concept to honor those who may not be feeling full of star-light & star-bright.
   10.   This one shares my appreciation for my son-in-laws service in the Air Force: Freedom Isn't Free  and BTW: he just returned home again tonight -- after having been deployed for 40 days on this particular war-zone assignment.

   11.  With all of these poignant stories maybe you just want to see some wedding photos, when we're all cleaned up and smiling so pretty. These are from our youngest delightful weekend celebration. They've JUST celebrated their 2nd anniversary: perspective.
   12.  Here's a recap of the amazing serendipitous parade-in-Verona-Italy  during my USO style tour to four of our Army bases earlier this year, click to read the rest-of-the-story.

   13.  BONUS: This final installment in looking back was my effort to celebrate the life of my dear friend, Saint, introduced to me because of Breast Cancer, whose life was cut short by the inability of science to extend her life.... an appropriate ending for this re-count and the simultaneous beginning of "Pink-tober"

It was fun to think this through and realize what an amazing time it's been blogging over the past couple of years. Thanks so much for joining me!!! Having an audience of readers is a lovely joy and responsibility. I truly think about what you might be interested in reading, before I begin typing.

THANK YOU for spending some of your day with me!

Ladybug Puppet Tutorial

All of the stars are aligning!!! With the advent of Pinterest and my continuing quest to build-a- better blog I had a recent brain-storm!!!! I have always wanted to offer my experience and insight to you as teachers (and librarians and parents and grandparents, and ALL OF YOU!!!) Now I have an idea how I can do that tutorially!!!!

Back in the olden days I used to cart around dozens of pairs of scissors, hoards of glue guns and an entire yellow SUV filled with tons of tubs of stuff and we used to have THE MOST AWESOME make-it-take-its in all of the Midwest. If I do say so myself!

Drumroll......... my new mission is to create 'how-to tutorials' for your own teacher resources that you'll put together. I will start with tutorials that support my songs. We'll see where we end up. I know that you're going to LUV this so let's get started. I'm dusting off my old elementary school Art-teacher hat from a by-gone century & getting seriously excited. [BTW: Here's my collection over at Pinterest of 129 Ladybug-ideas of snacks, bulletin boards, counting games, art projects, costumes the whole of the ladybug goodies for your ladybug adventures.]

LADYBUG GLOVE PUPPET

1. One black glove from the dollar store (they sell as pairs, make the extra for your friend!!)
2. One sheet of red 'foam' cut into a heart shape for wings
3. One LARGE black pom-pom as big as you can find, two inches if possible
4. Small black pom-poms for spots on the back (number to please you or to teach numacy)
5. One black pipe cleaner for antennae
6. One set of wigglie eyes
7. Glue gun & glue sticks to adhere everything into place

**********NOTE: Before you begin gluing, make a decision as to which hand you prefer to use as your "puppet-hand". Some right handed teachers prefer their puppet on their left hand, so that they can hold a book in their right hand and zip their puppet about. Certainly there is no correct answer, but think thru how & why you might prefer one hand vs. the other before you get underway.

*****I happened to have these white pearlie buttons in my miscellaneous button bin and they were just the right size to give the wigglie eyes a bit of extra focus. Certainly not necessary..... but might add some sparkle, giving your ladybug that "gifted and talented" look of focus and attention.

 

"Ladybug, Ladybug, red and black.

I see circles on your back.

Ladybug, lady bug fly up high.

                                          Fly back safely from - the - sky!!"

This is the first half of the first of three verses..... there's always a fly down low section to help teach the concept of opposites. ******If every child had their own hand-puppet they would have the opportunity to experience the concepts of high and low in a kinesthetic manner -- in their own, whole-body way!!!

In a perfect world I would purchase some cute clip art, type-faces and fonts and make some adorable lyric sheets and put them on my freebies tab.  If this were the land-of-my-dreams I would also know how to give you a taste test of the song right here. Please be patient. I am a work in progress. Stay tuned, tho..... I've been known to learn stuff and shock my family, friends and neighbors!!! If you leave me happy comments that this is helpful I would probably be inclined to create the next tutorial quicker & faster. Just sayin'.................................
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My song "Ladybug, Ladybug" is on my second CD, "Debbie's Ditties for Little Kiddies" and can be purchased at my website: http://www.rainbowswithinreach.com/  Please feel free to use the promo code "GREAT" and receive 10% off your order.

*****How cool are these linky parties? I have just added this post to one over at "I Can Teach My Child." Believe it or not, I do know how to insert html code and add it to a post, so that I can share someone's button. This one is eluding me and my infancy html skills. You'll just have to go there directly to see the dozens of other ideas in the hop.

Here's another blog-hop and linky party at: Let Kids Create.

Here's another linky-party!