Friday's Favorite

Who doesn't love vacations???!!!!  Definately one of my favorite things.

~A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in.

                                                                  --Robert Orben

Happy Vacation to All!

Tuesday's Tidbit

The average American will eat 35,000 cookies in his/her lifetime!  That is a lot of cookies!  The sad thing is I feel like I definately made a dent in reaching that goal this past week!  I am on a cookie fast now.

Friday's Favorite

Here is something to help you get through the day...Have fun!

http://www.seussville.com/grinch/coloring.swf

Tuesday's Tidbit

Did you know that a young child laughs about 400 times each day and an adult laughs a mere 17 times?  How many times did you laugh today?  Find time to laugh more...it is true, laughter is the best medicine.

Friday's Favorite

I am a picky eater.  Yes, I can admit it, but I am not proud of it.  I have tried to make changes in my eating habits and some have been more successful than others.  One of my most successful eating endeavors is Indian food.  I love Indian food!  Or more accurately I love Namaste Restaurant in Southington.  When I eat there I feel like I am right in India.  If this is what Indian food truly tastes like you better believe India has moved up on my list of places to visit.  India here I come! 

If you are looking for a new place to eat check out Namaste.  A little bit of heavenly Indian food right in our own backyard.   Enjoy!

http://www.namasteindiact.com/index.html

Make sure to try a lassi, naan and a spoonful of spices on the way out.

Tuesday's Tidbit

Today's tidbit is truly shocking, especially for a reading teacher...the average person reads less than one book a year!  Can this be true???  Why are people not reading books?  Do they not like reading?  Do they not have the time or are they not making the time?  I wonder if these same people only watch one television show a year...I would think not.  Is television the demise of good old fashion reading?  I hope not.  Reading brings me such joy I can't imagine reading only one book a year.  I can't even imagine reading one book a month!  My hope is with new technology (Kindles etc.) that reading will become more accessible for those busy people and hopefully inspire more people to read on a regular basis.

Friday's Favorite

Check out this site to learn more about American Sign Language.

http://www.aslpro.com/

The Perfect Tree?

As we were walking around the x-mas tree farm this past Sunday of course we were on a mission to find the perfect x-mas tree, like everyone else.  After only analyzing a few and giving them a nay, I saw the one!  Yes, the one!  The one that you can imagine in your house all decorated festive and in holiday catalogs.  The one that you dream of staring at while sipping hot chocolate and listening to x-mas carols. 

All was well with my dream until we got home and reality kicked in.  I began to ask...Will I ever get this tree to stand without crashing to the ground?  Will I ever get it to not look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa?  When did the tree become pregnant?  When did it grow sharp razor edges?  Where the hell did my perfect tree go? 

Enough is enough!  No more perfect trees!  I propose that from now on everyone look for a Charlie Brown tree. 

Tuesday's Tidbit

This tidbit comes from my American Sign Language class....

Did you know that American Sign Language is the third most widely used language in the United States?

Friday's Favorite

Today's favorite is all about saving money while spending...which I love to do!  My new obsession is Groupon, Living Social, & Savenowct.com.  Each day my inbox is filled with great discounts on restaurants, events, trips, and anything else you can imagine.  I can't wait to see all the deals of the day!  Whoever thought up this was genius....If you haven't joined the bandwagon yet, I suggest you get on it to start saving today!

Tuesday's Tidbit

Random fact for the day:

The dot over the letter 'i' is called a tittle.  Hehe..Try to use this information in a conversation today.

Friday's Favorite

Today's favorite is the show Weeds.  This is the best show on television.  Think Sopranos, but instead of a mafia killer, it is a drug dealing mom.  The acting is superb and the writing is unbelievable.  After each show I always wonder...what will they think of next???    Since I don't have Showtime I buy the seasons and right now I am counting the days until season 7 is released.  Make sure to check out Weeds!
http://www.sho.com/site/weeds/home.sho

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday's Tidbit

Top 6 reasons for being late for work:

 

1) traffic

2) oversleeping

3) procrastination

4) chores

5) car trouble

6) having sex

 

What is your reason for being late? 

Friday's Favorite

Check out the movie Food Inc.  It is a great documentary about where are food comes from...just beware you will want to start your own home garden after watching it.  For more info visit http://www.foodincmovie.com/

Tuesday's Tidbit

In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations....Did you get your turkey yet?

Thank you for all those who have served or are currently serving for our country!

They Did Their Share

On Veteran’s Day we honor
Soldiers who protect our nation.
For their service as our warriors,
They deserve our admiration.

Some of them were drafted;
Some were volunteers;
For some it was just yesterday;
For some it’s been many years;

In the jungle or the desert,
On land or on the sea,
They did whatever was assigned
To produce a victory.

Some came back; some didn’t.
They defended us everywhere.
Some saw combat; some rode a desk;
All of them did their share.

No matter what the duty,
For low pay and little glory,
These soldiers gave up normal lives,
For duties mundane and gory.

Let every veteran be honored;
Don’t let politics get in the way.
Without them, freedom would have died;
What they did, we can’t repay.

We owe so much to them,
Who kept us safe from terror,
So when we see a uniform,
Let’s say "thank you" to every wearer.

By Joanna Fuchs 

 

Friday's Favorite

This website is just for fun...check it out.

http://www.drawastickman.com/index.htm

Happy Friday!

Work Ethic in America?

Taking the easy way out is the American way...unfortunately this article just confirms what I see everyday in my classroom.  What will this mean for our future?
 
Check it out...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203733504577026212798573518.html?mod=WSJ_hp_editorsPicks_1

Tuesday's Tidbit

In 2004, 64 percent of eligible voters made it out to the polls on Election Day, putting us at 139 on the list of countries that hold free elections, just ahead of Tanzania.

Happy Election Day! Make sure you take the time to vote today!

Daylight Savings

Enjoy your extra hour today!

Friday's Favorite

One of my new favorites....

This website allows you to access your bookmarks from any computer. Very cool!  Enjoy!

http://www.symbaloo.com/

Wake-up Call

Check out this article...I wish even half of my kids I teach were this motivated.  My favorite part was when they mentioned about the lack of technology in the Shanghai classrooms.  Basically, spending more money does not equal learning.  Motivated students and good teaching does! Wake up America!

http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/02/8601934-shanghai-kids-show-intense-spirit-for-learning

Autumn Nor'easter

Some things I learned from this storm....

• It is possible for a foot of snow to be on the ground before November in CT.
• Halloween can be cancelled! 
• Heat, hot water, refrigeration, and gas are necessities.
• Difficult times bring out the best in people and sometimes the worse.
• When given unexpected time off, one will waste it.
• It is time to have trees trimmed around power lines if the tree is still standing.
• Be grateful for "ordinary" days. 
• Eventually, life returns back to normal.  (Back to school I go tomorrow)

Hopefully, you learned a few things from the Autumn Nor'easter.

Tuesday's Tidbit

There are exactly 60 days left until the end of the year!  Make sure to hurry up and finalize those New Year's Eve plans.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to those of you who celebrate the holiday. For those of you like myself, who were traumatized as a kid, enjoy the candy!

Scary Sight

Which is scarier?  The jack-o-lanterns or the 14" of snow before Halloween?