It’s Gonna’ to Be Alright! As I am sitting on my big fluffy, overstuffed sectional sofa, a feeling of calm suddenly came over me. Everything’s going to be alright. Although I don’t see any evidence of it yet, I know it will.

If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know that I am a bargain hunter. This combined with my love of books makes me one happy camper if I find the two together. Well, imagine how happy I was when I found this store a couple years ago. I don’t know why I haven’t shared information about this wonderful bookstore before, but I’m sharing it now. It has the greatest prices. I have to warn you that it’s not the prettiest place. It’s a warehouse. There are absolutely no frills. The books are definitely the stars of the show. But do you really care if you can purchase a recently published book for less than half price? I don’t.

This is what I bought last night:

Auntie Claus by Elise Primavera ($8.00) retail price= $16.99

Welcome Comfort by Patricia Polacco ($5.00) retail price= $16.99

Rotten Richie and the Ultimate Dare by Patricia Polacco ($8.50) retail price= $16.00

Boy, even with the 9.75% sales tax, I still only paid a grand total of $23.60 for all three hardcover books. That’s less than 1/2 price. I love it, love it, love it!

Here’s the address:

D.W. Pages (Formerly Crown Books Liquidation Center)

8655 Sepulveda Blvd.

Los  Angeles, CA 90045

(310) 568-9553

Okay, I got my rant out earlier, now I can move on. In spite of everything, I had a great time. If I could just foot the whole bill and/or cater it for the day, things would be just fine. But, I digress.

Of course, since I did almost all the cooking, the food was spectacular, amazing, & whatever great adjective you can think of. This is the menu:

*Honeybaked Ham, *Honeybaked roasted turkey, baked Turkey, sweet potato cheesecake, pistachio cake, yellow cake with cream cheese icing, yellow cake with chocolate icing, strawberry cake, *red velvet cake, 20 lbs. of homemade mashed potatoes, homemade & store bought gravy, *green bean casserole, *greens, homemade dressing, sweet potato casserole, *black eyed peas, *mac n’ cheese, *scalloped potatoes, peach cobbler, sweet potato pies, *whole candied cranberries, jellied cranberry sauce.

Yes, we ate gooooooooooooood! As I write this, there’s half a sweet potato cheesecake and 1/4 of a red velvet cake in the fridge calling my name. My husband & children are soooooooo happy.

* Didn’t make it *

Yes, dear readers, this is my rant for the month. I am so tired of my family’s antics. Most of them are so cheap. So, instead of running the risk of getting into a family feud with everyone picking sides, I will just do what I do best- blog about it.

Wanted:

New family members to replace old family members. Must:

1.) enjoy participating in family functions,

2.) being on time.

3.) participate in potluck. If you say you’re going to bring it, then bring it.

4.) have everyone’s best interest @ heart.

5. know that Thanksgiving is not Takesgiving, where you arrive a couple hours late and load up on food that you did NOT bring.

Always remember- Absolutely NO sabotage is allowed.

If you are interested in replacing any old family members, you can reach me @ savemysanity.com. THAT MY DEAR READER is my rant for the month.

Thank you so much and do have a nice day!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Eat your ham, turkey, greens, dressing, sweet potato pies, cakes, etc. Just remember to wear loose pants or pants or skirts with elastic waistbands.

Hello dear readers. As you know, I’ve been having a hard time lately and have been feeling a wee bit sorry for myself. I have been thinking about ditching teaching and getting another type of job altogether. I was thinking that I was not meant to teach. You know, I’ve had so much trouble and all. However, all of that changed when I “worked” @ a daycare center yesterday & today to fulfill my community service obligation for that alleged $20 cell phone ticket that’s actually $242 once you tack on fees & penalties. I felt really good because I know that I still have it. I really am meant to be a teacher. I knew it in my heart but was having serious doubts as of late.

Well, yesterday I got that much needed validation. One of the teachers @ the center asked me if I worked with kids. I told her that I taught special ed. @ the elementary level.

She told me that I was a natural. She also told me she knew that I thrived on the challenge. Boy she read me like a book. I appreciated it though. I was feeling down, but not so much anymore. I feel really great that I got some much needed validation!

Dear readers, this post is totally not like the other Mission Impossible Assignment of Holding On. I was positive then. Right now, that is not the case. Yes, this theme is becoming redundant. I am in the dumps. I have been fighting it, but so far, it’s winning. It’s so bad, I don’t even want to get my hair done or shop. I know, oh Horror! I’m so tired. I thought my life was getting better. I’m not saying the problem I have hanging over my head is bigger than God, but I just don’t see how things are going to work out. Not only am I stopped from getting a job in L.A.U.S.D., but it’s hurting my chances at getting a job in other districts. You see this is all because of my ex-boss who blacklisted me.  She had no reason to do what she did. Initially I was questioning God and why he would let this happen. But this has nothing to do with God.

But, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that KARMA is a bitch. She will get hers but good. You know what, I’m going to see it. When my husband got rudely fired from his job with no explanation, we were shocked. We didn’t understand. He was fantastic at his job. He actually, literally gave his company a million dollar idea and got no absolutely no compensation. NONE. So, we were very shocked when he was fired and blacklisted. We found out the reason why. It took about a year, but we found out the reason why. The CFO was embezzling money- to the tune of $250,000. He thought my husband knew. But he didn’t. He fired Phillip to cover his own ass. The good part in all of this is that my husband was totally vindicated. Dookie, as I like to call him, fired Phillip by sending a messenger on Sunday telling him not to come in with no explanation. However, Dookie was escorted out of the lobby on a crowded day while handcuffed by the police. KARMA catching up to him? You bet. I would like to say I took the high road and didn’t take any glory in his displeasure, but I’d be lying. I was jumping around, doing cartwheels, & laughing at the top of my lungs. That bastard got his and so will ???.

Happy Veteran’s Day to all the former, current, & future veterans. Thanks for all you’ve done!

Happy Anniversary Sesame Street! The 40th to be exact. Can you believe it? It’s older than I am. I remember watching it when i was a child. All of my children watched it, now younger members of my family watch it. It truly transcends generations.

Today is my baby David’s 12th birthday. He is such a great kid. I love him so much.

Happy 12th Birthday David! Here’s to many more.

I Don’t Like to Read!, written & illustrated by Nancy Carlson, is a book that I’ve book looking for. I am always on the lookout for amazing books; especially ones that deal with slow learners or those with learning disabilities. This book, my latest purchase, deals with slow learners. The hero of the book is a little boy named Henry. He’s now in first grade and he’s learning lots of new things. But there was one thing Henry did not like about first grade…READING!

This is a really good part. I know a lot of slow learners or special education students will really empathize & identify with Henry. He feels so left out. When his teacher Mr. McCarthy asks who wants to read, everyone volunteers. Everyone, that is, except Henry. Henry never volunteers to read. HE.HATES.READING!

“Reading is boring!” he said.

No matter what, whenever Henry was asked to read (@ school or @ home), he said, “No. I don’t like to read! It’s dumb!”

His teacher, being the wise soul that he is, asks Henry why he doesn’t like to read. Henry responds, “Because all the words and letters just don’t make any sense!” cried Henry. His teacher tells him that it’s okay, that everyone learns to read in their own way and that with a little extra help, he’d be reading soon. Henry still wasn’t so sure about that. But he started getting extra help with his reading at school.

Pretty soon letters and words around him started to make sense. (The book shows him reading another Nancy Carlson book, “I Like Me”.)

The pivotal part of the story happens when his babysitter is reading a brand-new book to him and his little brother. Just as she gets to the best part, her friend calls and won’t stop talking. What is Henry going to do? He really wants to know how the story turns out. Not to mention the fact that his little brother is begging him to finish it also. What do you think Henry does?

I guess you’re going to have to read it to rind out. As always, check it out @ your local library or bookstore. You’ll like it. I highly recommend it.

*** I had Phillise read this book and was quite surprised by her response. She said she felt the same way when she was beginning to read. We used to work on Starfall.com together. She told me she hated it. I didn’t know that she felt that way. I thought she loved it. I would never have thought my little read-a-holic felt that way. This lets me know that I really need to write my own book. Once again, go out and get this book.***

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his namesake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me… Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies…Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Psalm 23

When I was in church a couple of weeks, the preacher, Caleb, spoke on this very scripture. Imagine my surprise at finding myself in the very situation of being in the valley of the Shadow of death just a couple weeks later. When the preacher spoke on this, I simply thought this was a great sermon. I liked it but only had a small personal connection to it. Now that I feel I’m in the valley of the shadow of death, I feel the connection to this sermon even more.

This is how I feel right now. I feel like I’m not really living life. I feel like I’m being tortured. My life has been really hard for the past couple of years. If I’m not experiencing financial hardship, then I’m experiencing emotional hardship. It always one bad thing or another. Murphy’s law- If it could go wrong, believe me when I say that it has gone wrong.

I’m extremely disappointed in my early warning “system”. Usually I can feel when something is going to happen- good or bad. I’ll have an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. I don’t know why, but it didn’t happen this time. I feel sideswiped. Because I was so taken by surprise, I am having a hard time recovering. When something happens to me, I like to withdraw to my little cave. I’ve been told that I’m like a man in that  respect. But, I digress.

I am so distraught. I feel like nothing has been going my way for a couple of years now. I thought things were different. I thought my life was going to get better, but it’s just one trial after another. I really feel like giving up. I don’t feel like I’m living life, I feel like I’m being tortured. I know. I know. I know life is not fair, but life sucks. It sucks so bad. I know this is going to pass. It always does. It’s just what happens in the meantime. All the hell I have to go through as I go through the valley of the shadow of death. But, I will prevail. I know that God is with during this travail through the valley of the shadow of death. I’d just like to know when is it going to end?

Ok, so I’ve been screwed over, but I don’t have time to stop or worry about that now, I still need a job. I am going with Plan B. I will begin applying @ Charter schools & private schools. I don’t have a choice. I know I will make a difference no matter where I go, so onward I march.

Although I get a significant amount of hits, I know that I’m not one of the most popular blogs out there. That being said, I would like put out a feeler for guest bloggers who teach elementary special education. I am not in the classroom right now and cannot bring the latest information to you, so I would like to connect with someone who is. I would love someone who teaches SRA’s Open Court to multiple grade levels. Voyager is a perfect, if you teach that. Contact me if you can help me out. My e-mail address is specialedandme@gmail.com

I contacted L.A.U.S.D. regarding the available positions and am awaiting news. I’m very hopeful though. Here’s hoping!

Yes, dear readers, I am so happy. I have acquired that once oh-so-elusive list of teaching vacancies. Here’s hoping for the best!

I love these messages from Facebook. This is the one I got the other day.

You are not your wallet, your job, your kids, your house.

You are not your activities or your worries or the labels other people give you.

Like an actor you play these roles, and like a good actor you sometimes forget who you really are.

Time to wake up now, and remember that you are a being of immense power and breathtaking beauty created in the image of God.

Yes, dear readers, I hope everyone put their clocks back last night. I am so happy that now until April, we are the proud recipients of an extra hour of sleep each day. Yippee!!!

Since today is Halloween, I decided to review a book about Halloween, called Halloween (2003). This book is hilarious. Of course it is. It’s by none other than Jerry Seinfeld. He perfectly captures the spirit of Halloween. He begins the books by saying… When you’re a kid you can eat amazing amounts of food. All I ate when I was a kid was candy. Just candy, candy, candy. And the only really clear thought I had as a kid was get candy.

In the grocery store. In the mini-mart. At his grandparent’s house. Looking out the window. Alllllllll the time. That’s all he thought about was how to get his next fix of candy. So, imagine his glee over discovering Halloween where, for a whole night, people just give it away. His young mind couldn’t process that. Are you serious? They’re just giving it away. The fools!!!!

The first couple of years he made his own costumes. A ghost one year. A hobo the next. However, those were just the beginning. He was in training for the real thing- Superman. One day he was going to get the real Superman Halloween costume from the store. You know the one…The cardboard box….the cellophane top…mask included in the set.

He then reminisces about the rubber band on back of the mask…that broke almost as soon as you put it on. Then you had to get your friends to wait up as you tried to fix it. “Because”, he says, “when you’re little, your whole life is up. You want to grow up. Everything is up!

Wait UP! Hold UP! Shut UP! Mom, I’ll clean UP! Just let me stay UP!

So, the day finally comes when he convinces his parents to buy him an official Superman Halloween-store costume. Well, what do you think happened? Did it fit just the way he wanted it to? Did he get all the candy he wanted? I guess you’re going to have to read it and find out for yourself. You’ll like it. It’s too cute! As always, pick it up at your local library or bookstore.

***P.S. This comes with an audio CD, which is a live performance of the book. As I thought. As I was talking to Phillip, I thought about how this book read like a classic Seinfeld script. I listened to the CD and my suspicions were confirmed.***

Happy Halloween everyone. Have fun, but above all, be safe!

I say, no, no, no. A THOUSAND TIMES NO! My dear readers, I say this very emphatically, “I am no benchwarmer!”

True, I have been sidelined with this no job having thing. I truly did not think it would take this long.

True, I did think I would have a job by now. I was probably even a little cocky. However, I am back to my old humble self.

True, I have been a bit discouraged, of late, but I am no benchwarmer. I am not the guy who will never get any playing time in the game. EVER!!!

I am not the slacker who rests on their laurels. I have had tremendous success in the past and I will have even more tremendouser (That’s right, I wrote tremendouser) success in the future. I push myself to the limit. I want to squeeze every bit of learning out of a kid that I can.

Believe me, dear readers. I am down on the sidelines right now, but I am definitely not out of the game. That bench will soon be cold!!!

Well, obtaining that list of available teaching positions from L.A.U.S.D. is going to be easier said than done. What is the problem????? Well, the problem is that access to L.A.U.S.D. e-mail is necessary to obtain the list.

Other problem????? If you’re not a current employee, you do not have access to L.A.U.S.D. e-mail.

I tried for half the morning, calling over & over, on hold for more than 30 minutes each time, only to be told (each time) that I could not gain access to the e-mail.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but there is some sort of disconnect here. I need access to the e-mail in order to obtain this oh so elusive list, in order to be gainfully employed again, so I can gain access to said e-mail. ^^^ (Those are raised eyebrows, by the way).

I need help. I need a job. If anyone reading this has access to this list, please let me in on some of the action. Please. A teacha’ needs a job. You can e-mail me @ specialedandme@gmail.com.

Don’t let me down.

The Plot Chickens (2009) by Mary Jane & Herman Auch was the cutest little book.I really liked it because it can be used during English/Language Arts time to help children with the writing process. The illustrations were a very colorful mixed media mishmash. They were quite enjoyable to look at. Now, on to the review.

The story begins with Henrietta Hen who loves to read. She loves to read so much, she’s read all the books on her farm. There’s nothing more to read. Now, she must go into town to the library to get more. She goes into the library & gets in line. As she gets to the counter, the librarian tells her that they have nothing for chickens there. Henrietta indignantly clucks at the top of her lungs. BUK, BUK, BUK!

“Well, why did you say so?” says the librarian as she hands Henrietta three books.

Henrietta’s four aunts love being read to. Every day she reads to them and returns to the library for more. Now, this is where one of my favorite parts come in. Henrietta loves reading so much, she wonders if writing them is as much fun. She does what anyone is serious does. She researches it. She finds a book, goes home and reads it, and promptly begins writing a book. I love, love, loved this part. This part reminds me so much of Phillise. She is a read-a-holic. She loved reading so much that she has decided to write her own stories. She is constantly writing her own stories. One of her favorite things to do is to cross popular stories. She wrote one entitled, Fancy Nancy Meets Junie B. Jones. She inserted her own pictures in it and everything. As I write this, she has another one on the backburner. I’m not going to tell the name of that one until she finishes writing it. I am so proud of my little girl. I encourage her to write her own original stories as well. I’m just happy that she enjoys reading & writing. But, I digress. On with the review.

While visiting the library, Henrietta comes across an excellent book about writing that has eight writing rules.

Rule #1: You need a main character.

Rule #2: You need to “hatch” a plot.

Rule #3: Give your main character a problem.

Rule #4: Develop your plot by asking “What if?”.

Rule #5: Write what you know.

Rule #6: Build suspense.

Rule #7: Make your story come alive by using all five senses.

Rule #8: The main character must solve her (or his) own problem.

So, with the help of her aunts, she writes a story. What do you think happens? Did Henrietta’s research pay off? Does her book become the #1 bestseller? Well, I guess you’re going to have to read it to find out for yourself. I know you will like this. Especially if you’re an elementary teacher.

I can think of a few ways this book can be used in a writing center, after I’ve used it for a read-aloud. I would begin by photocopying the middle of the book that explains how to write a story, along with its explanations & make it into a mini-book for the children to refer to. That is, as soon as I get another class.

What would you do with it? Drop me a comment and let me know.

Today is, Sam, my oldest son’s 20th birthday. My, how time flies. He was just a baby. Happy Birthday!

***This post is for all the displaced L.A.U.S.D. teachers.***

I just got off the phone with Recruitment & Placement @ Beaudry building and have some very good news. Believe me when I say this made my day. I was a little down yesterday and today.  I was told that L.A.U.S.D. just received a list of vacancies today. The list would be going out tomorrow to all displaced teachers. So, be on the lookout in your L.A.U.S.D. e-mail. If you are a displaced teacher and don’t receive this list, try calling Recruitment & Placement @ 213-241-1000 and ask for the certificated specialist in your local district.

Hope this helps.

In the words of India.arie- I am not my hair. I am not this skin. I am not your expectations. No… I am a soul that lives within.

You know what? That is so true. I am a soul that lives within. I am more than the title of teacher. But if that’s true why do I feel like a loser, a nobody. I feel- bound & gagged. Since I don’t have a job I feel like I have nothing to contribute at all. My whole identity is wrapped up in my job.

Why is that? Why do we, as human beings, wrap all of our self-worth up in our jobs? Why am I doing it? I know it’s unhealthy, yet I keep beating myself up anyway. I need to stop this roller coaster ride and get off. Life is scary enough as it is. I don’t need anything else wreaking havoc on my emotions. I need to get a hold of myself & my emotions. I am more than my job. I am the soul that lives within.

***(If I could just make myself believe it, I’ll be just fine.)***

1.) When you are sad, I will jump on the person who made you sad, like a spider monkey hopped up on Mountain Dew.

2.) When you are blue, I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3.) When you smile, I will know you are plotting something I must be involved in.

4.) When you are scared, we will high tail it out of there.

5.) When you are worried, I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining, ya’ big baby!

6.) When you are confused, I will use little words

7.) When you are sick, stay away from me until you are well again. I don’t want whatever you have…

8.) When you fall, I’ll pick you up and dust you off– After I laugh my a$$ off.

9.) This is my oath… I pledge it til the end.  “Why?” you may ask… because you are my FRIEND!

***********************

Friendship is like peeing your pants, everyone can see it, but only YOU can feel the true warmth.

I would like to extend my apologies to the interested reader who requested research on Traumatic Brain Injury. I was extremely busy last week and did not have time to research & post it. I will post next week.

Miss Malarkey Won’t Be In Today (2000), written by Judy Finchler and illustrated by Kevin O’ Malley, gave me quite a little chuckle. In this 2nd installation in the Miss Malarkey series, Miss Malarkey is back and this time SHE is the one with the over-active imagination! Stuck at home, delirious and helplessly sick, Miss Malarkey can’t help but worry about which substitute Principal Wiggins has called in.

Will it be Mr. Doberman? A guy so tough he even scares Miss Malarkey. Or will it be Mrs. Ungerware, who the kids call Mrs. Underwear? Or will it be Mr. Lemonjello? He is such a nervous man. Miss Malarkey worries he’ll be scared stiff if they let the iguana out of its cage. Visions of myriad horrors dance in her head of what the students will do in music class because Mr. Lemonjello cannot control them.

They’ll crank up the volume, dance on the desks, and swing from the lights.

When they have art, OH MY, they’ll go crazy. They’ll paint the ceilings AND the floor. Mr. Lemonjello will be two shades of blue.

So crazed is Miss Malarkey that she rushes to school in her bunny slippers and bathrobe, lesson plans in hand. She gets to school, looks in the class, and can’t believe what she sees. What, oh what, does she see? Well, I guess you’re going to have to read it and find out for yourself.

I think teachers will get quite a chuckle out of this book. Although some didn’t. I read other reviews of this book. Someone thought it was, how did they put it, trite and banal. They thought the author made substitute teachers look bad. I can see their point. There were some inept subs, but you have to admit that that’s how it really is. I have worked with some bad subs in my day. I’m not saying all subs are bad. That would be a gross overgeneralization. However, some are as bad as the book portrays them.

Oh, does this book remind me of my own class when I took a leave of absence earlier this year. In a two month time period, my class ran away 9 subs. You read right, 9 subs. Just like Miss Malarkey says in the book, “My class can be a handful sometimes.”

As always, read it and decide for yourself.

An A.P.L.E. a Day? Maybe not! It seems my site has become an unofficial sounding board for A.P.L.E. recipients who haven’t received their promised payments. Now, this disheartens me since I am signed up for the A.P.L.E. grant. I am beginning to get scared. Am I going to have problems collecting like all those who use my site as a sounding board? Will the A.P.L.E. program do me like all the others. That remains to be seen. I hope not though. I need A.P.L.E. to take a bite out of my loans. I owe a truckload of money!

I feel a little better today. I’d been feeling a little down ’cause I thought I’d have a job by now. I’m going to send out so me more resumés tomorrow. I’m confident I’ll find something in the coming weeks.

Leadership is not the ability to command, it is the ability to inspire others to act in ways that make them leaders as well.

-Unknown-

Yep, dear readers, I am still unemployed. I thought I’d have a job by now, but not so. I’ve done all I know how. I’ve reached out to contacts & sent out resumes. But, so far, nothing at all.  I’ll just have to keep on pounding the pavement.

Cornrows (1979), written by Camille Yarbrough & illustrated by Carole Byard, was a very nice book. It’s a tribute to braids or cornrows as they’re sometimes called. The book is beautifully & simply illustrated with charcoal, and/or pencil drawings. Can I just say that I love these drawings?

Since I my mother used to braid my hair and I braid Phillise’s hair, I had to get this book. Imagine how pleased I was when I found this book. I didn’t realize it was so old until I looked at the publication date. Whew, this is old! This book was actually published when I was 9 years old. I didn’t know of too many books that had brown people who looked like me when I was younger. It was readily available, I just didn’t have access to it. I wish I would have had access to this book when I was younger.

It wasn’t a problem for me to be proud of my braids when I was younger because I grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood in the ’70’s, so almost everyone wore braids at one time or another. Even though my neighborhood’s a little bit more diverse, it’s the same situation with Phillise. Not to mention that I, and 5 of my 6 sisters braid our children’s hair. Danielle is just learning with Moriah, but she’s getting there.

So, needless to say, this book took me back to a time when I was little. Back to when my mother used to braid my hair. Sometimes the styles would be simple; sometimes they would be elaborate. More often than not they were simple, just like in the book. So, on to the review.

Shirley Ann, otherwise known as Sister calls Mike, her little brother, otherwise known as Brother, MeToo because he echoes everything she says. They listen to the Mama & Great-Grammaw’s stories. They love listening to the stories. Yesterday, when they went in, Great-Grammaw was fixin’ Mama’s hair in cornrows. Great-Grammaw says the braids got that name because our old folks down south planted rows of corn in the fields that looked like the rows of braids they fixed in their hair.

Sister & Brother want their hair fixed too. They also want to know the name of the style Great-Grammaw is doing, but Great-Grammaw tells them to go outside & play. Before they do though, Mama stands up and turns around in front of the mirror like she was going to dance or something. Then she bent down and kissed Sister on the head. Then she said:

I delight in tellin’ you, my child–

yes, you please me when you ask it–

it’s a hairstyle that’s called suku.

In Yoruba, it means basket.

Then Brother looks at Sister and tells her, “You gonna’ be a basket head.”

Sister asks her mother what she’s going to put in the basket. Mama says she thinks she’ll put love in it. Brother asks Great-Grammaw what she’ll put in her basket. Great-Grammaw says she’ll put love in hers too. Brother then asks if he falls down, will the love go away.

“Oh, noooo, my darlin’! she said. “Because the love, like the basket, will be a part of you.” So Sister asks her again, what kind of love would she put in her basket. To which Great-Grammaw replies, “Hand-me-down love, baby.” Of course, ole’ MeToo asks Great-Grammaw too. She gives the same answer. Then Great-Grammaw picked MeToo up and hugged him in her lap and started humming just like she does when we’re in church. She said, “An’ if you fall down, that ol’ hand-me-down love won’t go nowhere. Because it’s gonna’ be a part of you. Just like the basket I’m fixin’ to braid in ya’ hair.

The story goes on like this really sweetly. Read it for yourself and see how it ends. It’s a sweet story. This story will pique your interest whether or not you got your hair braided. Either way, this review is just in time for Chris Rock’s new movie “Good Hair.”  As always, go pick it up at your local bookstore or library.

I love books. What I love even more than buying and reading books is buying them for cheap. What am I talking about? Well, the ROADIUM open air flea market, sells books for very cheap. How cheap? Today I purchased some books for as cheap as $1 for hardcover books. My latest acquisition:

The Roald Dahl Treasury, all 443 pages for $2 (list price=$35) 

Miss Spider’s Wedding by David Kirk for $1 (list price= $16.95)

Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk for $1 (list price= $16.95)

Miss Spider’s New Car by David Kirk for $1 (list price= $16.95)

Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing (Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist) for $1 (list price= $16.95)

David Goes to School by David Shannon (list price= $16.95)

There’s No Place Like Space, a Cat in the Hat Learning Library book, for $1 (list price= $8.99)

These are all in like new condition. So, for a grand total of $7, I got over $100 worth of books. Love it, love it, love it!

I wish I felt like this when I was younger, but I didn’t. This book and all it represents reminds me of a situation I’m dealing with right now. I have been very upset lately with someone that I am very close to. It has to do with a young female relative. You see, this person is so extra, super-dee-duper, ridiculously cheap. She doesn’t buy her little girl any pretty clothes. Nor does she fix her hair nicely. It’s doubly bad because this person is a hairdresser. Needless to say, this little girl is very insecure. She told me that Phillise is so much smarter, prettier and has better clothes than her.

I really felt like crying when she told me this. I had to tell her that she is pretty and that she had nice clothes too. To which she replied, “My clothes are dark and ugly. They’re like boy clothes.”

“Phillise’s are much prettier. They’re girl colors,” she said.

I felt like crying again. How can I help her? She has no confidence. Her hair, at times, is like whateeever. He clothes are too small and sometimes very outdated. What do I do? I bought her a couple of things when she went shopping with me & Phillise, but I don’t have the funds to do that all the time. I want her to have confidence. How do I approach her mother about treating her better?

Right about now, you may be asking, what does this bother me? What does this have to do with me? Well, I grew up really poor. There were always so many of us, with not enough money to go around. Put it this way, we always had more month at the end of our money. I was always so jealous of the girls at school who had pretty clothes and hair. Don’t even talk about Hello, Kitty! stuff. One of my classmates had a lot. I would look enviously at her cute little trinkets and wish I had them. That’s why I made a vow to myself that when I had a daughter, I would buy her nice clothes, shoes, and cute little trinkets. Did I keep my part of the bargain? Yes, I sure did. I don’t go overboard and overspend, but I do keep my little girl looking as cute as can be. I know how to bargain hunt. I can buy her a whole outfit (top & bottom) for less than $20. So, can my relative’s mother. That’s why I am so mad about this particular situation. It reminds me too much of my situation when I was younger. My mother didn’t have the money. That didn’t make me any less furious, but at least there was a reason. This person has no reason. She’s such a cheapskate and her little girl is suffering. I’m not saying she should spend an insane amount of money on this child’s clothing, but she needs to try.

I really need to work through this. I don’t have a choice. I do not need to put my own feelings in this but, it’s such a tender spot, I can’t help it. I will work my way through this, dear readers. I’ll come out on top. I always do.

Until next time!

October is Learning Disabilities Awareness Month. So, I’d like to take this month and dedicate a week to a specific disability. My personal specialty is Specific Learning Disability or SLD. I’m not sure why it’s called Specific Learning Disability because there is nothing specific about it. I will, however, discuss that at a later date. That will be this next week’s focus.

Next week, I’d like to highlight a different disability. Or, if you have a request, leave it here or in my inbox @ specialedandme@gmail.com. While you’re at it, why don’t you subscribe to this blog by clicking on the orange button like thingy  to the right.

Until next time!

Yesterday after I picked Phillise & my niece, Melodee, up from school, I decided to stop by Michael’s. We hadn’t been there all summer, so I figured it was high time we did. Initially, I thought about buying some stickers, but thought about the 1,000 we already had at home. (Translation: I was being a big fat cheapskate). However, Phillise didn’t have that problems. She had $2 to spend and by golly she was gonna’ spend it. She picked up a pack of stickers that we thought were $2.99. She told me that she’d find her extra dollar in her drawer and pay me when we got home. So, I told her okay. The problem began when the stickers rang up for $4.99 instead of $2.99.

“Uh-oh, honey,” I said. “Those stickers are waaaaaay too much.

After I asked the cashier to remove them, I told her that she would just have to use what we had @ home. She really tried to get me with her big puppy dog eyes, but I stayed strong. As I was driving home, trying not to look @ the tears welling up in Phillise’s eyes, I thought about how privileged Phillise is. When I was younger, I yearned for stickers and scissors that cut wavy lines. I didn’t have the privilege of having 3 die-cutting machines, 2 binding machines, a laminating machine, and a whole host of brightly colored markers, crayons, and pretty paper. So, I thought to myself that she could make do with all of the stuff we have at home. No need for $5 stickers. She can use what we already have.

Until next time, dear readers!

Nope, dear readers, I did not get the job that I was up for. At first I thought I was a shoe-in. However, after I was contacted after a week, I knew it wasn’t meant to be. I’m not upset though. It would have been fine if it happened. It didn’t, so next. Hopefully someone will call soon. I’ve been putting out a ton of resumés.

Lulu’s Hat (2002), by Susan Meddaugh, author of Martha the talking dog series, was my latest purchase from the .99¢ store. I could not believe it. It’s a chapter book. Since I have a middle school student, it’s high time that I begin re-familiarizing myself with chapter books. But, even though this is a chapter book, the chapters are short. So, I would say this book could be for someone as young as 3rd or 4th grade; 2nd in Phillise’s case. She’s currently reading this. N-e way, on to the review.

In True Magic Families, a single member of each generation was born with the magician’s touch. Real magic. It was a genetic quirk that no one could explain. Either you had it or you didn’t. (Reminds me of Highlander- “There can be only ONE.”)

Lulu, the title character, belongs to a magic family who only has one magical person per generation. They are all waiting for the one. Lulu desperately wants to be the one. However, she knows that she cannot. She’s adopted. But, she still wants to help Uncle Jerry who discovered her during a performance in Atlantic City, wearing a sealed locket.  One summer, Lulu goes on the road with Uncle Jerry’s Traveling Magic Show and discovers her knack for hat tricks. She decides that even if she can’t do real magic, she can still be a good assistant. As a present to his new assistant, Uncle Jerry’s lets her pick anything she wants from his trunk. Lulu picks a beautiful black top hat. Before she picked the hat, she couldn’t do any of Uncle Jerry’s magic tricks. Now that she has the hat, the sky’s the limit. She can perform all the tricks now. She even has a special trick of her own. Her unpredictable top-hat produces rabbits, giant cane toads and a thick-set, Martha-esqu (Martha Speaks) dog, who Lulu names Hereboy. No matter what comes out of Lulu’s hat, Hereboy always rounds it up. When Hereboy vanishes into the hat and won’t come out, Lulu follows him into Deep Magic Space, where she learns the secret of her original family- the Caste’s. Lulu, who only set out to save Hereboy, learns more than she ever imagined.

Trouble begins when Earl Zopton, who’s always up to no good, discovers the hat. He causes a series of mishaps that he eventually pays for. Earl’s mother throws the hat into a shallow pond. As Lulu discovers, what happens on the outside of the hat affects what happens inside the hat. So, since the hat is in water, guess what, then so is Lulu! Later, the hat is put into the fridge. Can you guess what happened then?

Do you think you can guess how this story ends? I’ll bet that you can’t. There are many surprises and twists and turns in this cute little book. If you want to know what they are, read it and find out how it ends for yourself.

The cost= $1.50 for a packet of 12 coupons.

What you get?= 3 bags of Apple Dippers, Small Apple Juice or Milk jug, small cone, or Hamburger.

Who it’s for= 12 and under. My McDonald’s a stickler for this. They’re actually kinda’ anal about it.

It’s a limit of one coupon per customer per visit.

I love these coupons. They’re sold year-round and are good for 2-3 months @ a time. I began purchasing them when David was in Kindergarten (Gee, has it been that long?). I’d pick him up from school, take him to McDonald’s & let him have his pick. He loved it. This was at a time when I was low on funds, but he didn’t know because he still got his treat @ the end of the day. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

**P.S.- Mine don’t look like this. They look slightly different.**

I miss my students so much. They miss me too. They want me to come back. Oh, if I could. That’s just not in the cards, but I miss them so much.

Sister
Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
Love the ones who don’t just because you can.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Kiss slowly.
Forgive quickly.
God never said life would be easy.
He just promised it would be worth it.

How to Eat Fried Worms (1972) is so gross. It is totally a little boy’s book. The author, Thomas Rockwell, is the son of beloved American painter Norman Rockwell, and he was the recipient of the Mark Twain Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and the Sequoyah Award for Worms.  He wrote several other young adult books (most of them seemed to start with How to…i.e. Fight a Girl, Get Fabulously Rich, etc.), but Worms is the only one that most people remember.

I read this book when I was younger and was totally grossed out by the worm eating. I don’t care how much ketchup or whatever seasoning you use, I. WILL. NEVER. EAT. A. FRIED. WORM. I also did a presentation on this for my first class @ APU. I made this whole lesson plan for it. It was wonderful. N-e way, on to the review.

Believe it or not, this book was banned at one time or another in the United States. I can only guess it was because it encourages gambling- (a stretch). Another reason I read, which is kinda’ crazy, is because the boy is eating fried worms. This is deemed unacceptable behavior. I can almost understand that, but it’s just not flying with me. Boys/men make silly bets and do silly things. It happens, so just deal with it.

This book, as the title implies, is about how to eat fried worms. The man character in the book, Billy, must eat 15 worms in 15 days to win the $50 (which was a small fortune for a kid in 1972), which he will use to buy a bike. He thinks of all kinds of delightful ways to fix the worms to make them more palatable. He fries them, uses ketchup, and other things. I think the most disgusting part in the book was when the bully (I forget his name) digs up the biggest, blackest, most disgusting earthworm he can find for Billy to eat. I can remember wanting to barf after reading that. In the end, he eventually ends up liking the worms. DISGUSTING! I stick to my original opinion. Although this book is #96 of the 100 most challenged book on the American Library Association’s list, I say it shouldn’t be. It’s disgusting, but not bad enough to be banned.

Taken directly from Wikipedia.

A Wrinkle in Time (1962) is a science fantasy novel by Madeleine L’Engle. The book won a Newbery Medal, Sequoyah Book Award, and Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and was runner-up for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. It is the first in L’Engle’s series of books about the Murry and O’Keefe families.

Meg Murry is a teenage girl, regarded by her classmates and teachers as a bad-tempered adolescent. Her family recognizes her problem as a lack of emotional maturity but also regards her as being capable of great things. The family includes her pretty scientist mother, her mysteriously missing scientist father, her five year-old brother Charles Wallace Murry — a nascent super-genius — and her 10-year-old twin brothers, the athletic Sandy and Dennys.

The book begins with the line, “It was a dark and stormy night,” an allusion to the opening words in Edward George Bulwer-Lytton’s 1830 novel Paul Clifford. During that stormy night the Murrys are visited by an eccentric old woman named Mrs. Whatsit, who has previously made the acquaintance of Charles Wallace. After drying her feet and having a snack with Charles, Meg and their mother, Mrs. Whatsit tells an already perplexed Dr. Murry that “there is such a thing as a tesseract,” which causes her to almost faint. It was a joke that Mr. and Mrs. Murry shared.

The next morning, Meg discovers the term refers to a scientific concept her father was working on before his mysterious disappearance. The following afternoon, Meg and Charles Wallace encounter Meg’s schoolmate, Calvin O’Keefe, a high-school junior who, although he is a “big man on campus”, considers himself a misfit as well. They go to visit an old haunted house near town which Charles Wallace already knows as the home of Mrs. Whatsit. There they encounter an eccentric companion of Mrs. Whatsit, a Mrs. Who. She promises that she and her friends will help Meg find and rescue her father. Meg tells Calvin a great deal about herself, including the disappearance of her father, and they become close. In the evening, Charles Wallace declares it is time for them to go on their mission to save their father. This is accompanied by the appearance of the third member of the “Mrs. Ws”, Mrs. Which.

Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which turn out to be angelic beings who transport Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin through the universe by means of tesseract, a fifth-dimensional phenomenon explained as being similar to folding the fabric of space and time. Their first stop is the planet Uriel, a Utopian planet filled with joyous beings who live always in a state of light and love. There the “Mrs W’s” reveal to the children that the universe is under attack from an evil being who appears as a large dark cloud called The Black Thing. Seeing the Black Thing even from a distance is disturbing to Meg. While working on a secret government project to achieve faster-than-light travel by tesseract, Meg’s father was accidentally trapped on Camazotz, an alien planet dominated by the “Black Thing”. The children are then taken elsewhere to visit a woman who is a kind of medium with a crystal ball. In it, they see that Earth is partially covered by the darkness, although great religious figures, philosophers, and artists have been fighting against it. Mrs Whatsit is revealed to be a former star who exploded in an act of self-sacrifice to fight the darkness.

The children travel to Camazotz to rescue Meg’s father. They find that all the inhabitants behave in a mechanistic way and seem to be all under the control of a single mind. They look for the central headquarters on the planet (described as CENTRAL Central Intelligence) and they discover a man with red eyes with telepathic abilities who can cast a hypnotic spell over their minds. He claims to know the whereabouts of their father. Charles Wallace looks into his eyes and becomes taken over by the mind controlling the planet. Under its influence, he takes Meg and Calvin to the place where Dr. Murry is being held prisoner because he would not succumb to the group mind. The planet turns out to be controlled by an evil disembodied brain with powerful telepathic abilities, which the inhabitants of Camazotz call “IT”. Charles Wallace takes them to the place where IT is held. In close proximity to IT, all of them are threatened by a possible telepathic takeover of their minds. Dr. Murray “tessers” in order to escape, but Charles Wallace is left behind, still mentally dominated by IT. The rest arrive on a dimly lit planet inhabited by sightless but wise creatures. Meg is almost paralyzed by an encounter with The Black Thing that occurred during the “tesser”. She feels frozen as if all energy and heat has been drained from her. Meg recovers over a period through the helpful care of Aunt Beast, and is tessered to Camazotz with Mrs. Whatsit, as she is the only one who can rescue Charles Wallace from IT. Confronting IT, Meg realizes that she can free her brother by loving him intensely, because love is an emotion that the evil IT cannot stand. Meg’s realization comes through her recalling a Biblical verse that “God has chosen the foolish things of this world to shame the wise and the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” Charles Wallace is freed, and the three Murrys and Calvin return home.

*** Reasons given include the book’s references to witches and crystal balls (although the characters are not in fact witches, and the crystal ball is a science fictional one), the claim that it “challenges religious beliefs”, and the listing of Jesus “with the names of great artists, philosophers, scientists, and religious leaders”. ***

Taken directly from echeat.com

I did read this book. I just didn’t take the time to write a review. I can remember when I read it, way back in 1985. I was in 10th grade. It wasn’t for a class. I was just pleasure reading. I don’t remember who recommended it to me, but do remember someone recommending it to me, but cautioning me about the language and the situations in the book. I can see why it was initially banned. I’m glad it’s not now, though. It’s quite an intense read. On that note, I will let you read the review just in case you haven’t read it or seen the movie.

The Color Purple (1982), by Alice Walker, is a very intense book to read. By intense, I mean it is a book touching very difficult and hard aspects of life of a poor, black oppressed woman in the early twentieth century. Walker does social criticism in her novel, mostly criticizing the way black women were treated in the early twentieth century. Walker uses the life experiences of Celie to illustrate her social criticism.

The Color Purple is not written in the style of most novels. The author does not tell us everything about the characters, the setting, and why the characters behave the way they do. The novel is written in a series of letters, not dated. There are large gaps between some letters, but this is not revealed by the author; we have to figure it out ourselves. The letters are written in what Walker calls black folk language, which also reduces the easiness of the reading.

When the novel opens, Celie is a young black girl living in Georgia in the early years of the twentieth century. She in an uneducated girl, and writes her letters in common language. Celie is entering her adolescence believing she was raped by her father and that he killed both of their children. She writes to God, because she has no one else to write to. She feels that what happened to her is so terrible that she can only talk about it to someone she feels loves her. She knows her sister Nettie loves her, but she is too young to understand. Celie believe only to God may she talk honestly and openly about her suffering. Celie is not, however, at this point, complaining to God, she is simply confiding in him.

Celie was born into a poor family; her mother was sick most of the time, mentally and physically; there were too many children in the family; and Celie was abused by the man she believed was her father. Celie feels used and abused, but does not understand why. So many bad things have happened to Celie that she lacks self esteem and confidence. Celie does not even feel she is worth enough to sign her name at the end of the letters.

Slowly, Celie evolves into a mature woman with great confidence, but not before her sister Nettie is taken away from her, and she marries a cruel man who really wanted to marry Nettie. For a long time, Celie is almost a slave to her husband, until her husband’s mistress comes to live with them to recuperate from a sickness, and Celie becomes her nurse. Shug is a strong woman, and encourages Celie to grow stronger. At the same time, Sofia, Celie’s daughter in law, shows Celie to stand up for herself and fight prejudice and injustice, and fight.

By the end of the novel, Celie’s new strength pays off, because she is able to live happily with the people she loves. She reunites with Nettie and her two children, who have been raised by Nettie. Celie learned to fight, to stand up for herself, and she was rewarded. Celie was able to survive physically and spiritually, and is able to mature into a full, modern twentieth century woman.

In The Color Purple, Alice Walker is able to illustrate the abuse, neglect, and oppression a black woman had to go through in the early twentieth century, but she also illustrate how a woman must fight back to regain the self esteem and confidence lost way back in the early adolescent years. The Color Purple is a story about growth, endurance, and fight, all nurtured by love.