Back on the Mortorcycle

Today I was able to jump back on my other cycle......my motorcycle. I began the day with 525 miles on the motorcycle and over 1000 miles on my bicycle. Who would have thought? Reved the engine in the driveway and steadily pulled out. Destination? A favorite sporting goods store in southern Michigan. Twenty-five miles of wonderful highway along a wooded stretch of road. As we passed the campground the smell of fall campfires waffed in the air. A beautiful fall day, but one far more like mid-July than early October. Ninty degrees.....a third day of near record temperatures. One thing that my motorcycle and bicycle have in common.....it isn't the destination, but the journey that is important. Wish I could live my daily life focused more on the journey than what I need to check off my "to do" list.

Becoming An Author

What does it feel like when you finally accomplish a goal? Do you feel that way when you accomplish every goal or are some goals more celebratory than others? I always wanted to get something published. Not sure why, but it was something I wanted to do. And it finally happened! This month my unit on the American Revolution was published by Scholastic Publishing. Whaoo! This was the culmination of a six year journey which began in Washington D.C. one November Saturday. I had just finished making a presentation at a national conference when this wonderful person began asking me many questions about my presentation. Flattered than anyone who care enough to ask so many, in-depth questions I indulged her as long as the questions kept coming. That conversation led to an offer to publish the unit I had just presented. Several drafts later it appeared to be published soon, only to be sidelined because of the elevation of reading and mathematics in the wake of No Child Left Behind. Then one day a year ago I received the long awaited e-mail.....you unit will be published in the fall of 2007. That began a six month working relationship with a teacher and editors as we piloted and polished the final product. Today I can celebrate that product! The wait and work was worth! The joy of receiving a publisher's copy before release was indescribable. I can only thank God and Scholastic for the opportunity. Check it out: TEXT

A Fan in Enemy Territory

Fall, Fires and Football: Those three ideas go hand in hand for me. I love fall. It is one of the most wonderful times of the year. I love being outside in the cool, crisp air. One of my favorite rites of passage is the first weekend of football. I often try to get tickets to opening day somewhere. I'm a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. This year I was able to get tickets to see my beloved Steelers when they opened the season in Cleveland, Ohio. I found myself at the very top of the stadium....the very top row. The view was awesome. I could see every play and enjoy every touchdown of the Steelers' victory......in the midst of Steelers fans. Yes, Steelers fans in Pittsburgh. It felt like a home game for me. For just over three hours I could sit and forget the cares and pulls of my "real" life. During that time I could smell the amazing food smells, feel the chill of fall air on my face, and express the wide range of emotions that come from being totally sold out for a time. I could cheer after Roethlisberer threw touchdown passes to Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, and Miller. I could enjoy the athleticism of the amazing runs, tackles that comes between those scores. After 41 (Steelers 31, Browns 7) points and a down poor I could smile as I walked out of the stadium to my car, knowing that I my escape from the "real" world.