Writer’s Block

Sean's oldest and dearest friend came for a visit. Gareth arrived last Thursday, 5.26, and left Sunday…..so I have not blogged much. Don't get me wrong, there's been lots to blog about (where we took him, his reaction to eating his first burrito ever, his fascination and appreciation of Fenway, how Lucy attached herself to him, how he introduced Lucy to Scooby Doo cartoons…) but it appears I have writer's block. I'm having trouble getting motivated to write…and then when I get motivated, everything is all jumbled in my head. So I decided I need to do something to unjumble everything that is flying around in my brain – this is my attempt to focus myself.

Sometimes, when I'm on Blogger, I browse through the other blogs that are out there (using the Next Blog link thing on the top of the page). The other day, there was a blog that caught my eye – actually, there was a link on the side of the page that caught my eye. It was called Listology…so I clicked on it and was taken top another blog…..where someone has posted 52 questions and challenged you to write answer to one question a week and post them on your blog…linking to her blog so she can see all the people who are participating.

Given that I am not one for group activities…and did not want to come off as some creepy blog stalker, I just decided to steal her question and use them when I felt like I needed a jump start……I've given myself ten minutes for each list

List all the teachers you can remember:

Ms Howard, Kindergarten, I made her cry

Mrs Hooper, First Grade, I still adore her and get giggly when I see her

Mrs Hamlin, Second Grade, she had the Reading Castle and may have started my love for reading….this is also where I started to become an over achiever as you were rewarded with stars on the castle for every book you read and I always had the most stars….more so because I loved reading

Mrs Howard, the reading teacher was the one who cultivated my love for reading

Mrs Alley was my Third Grade Teacher and used to read to us Paddington Bear….but she also made you sit on a box if you misbehaved so her good deed was sort of undermined by the whole box thing

Mr Mugnai was my Fourth Grade Teacher….we did not get along….I think that was when I started to develop and attitude towards teachers…also my first foray into politics as I was elected Class president

Mrs Lent was my Fifth Grade Teacher….she was kooky and I loved her! She taught me to knit during inside recess when it was too cold or rainy to go outside. I must have made a million pairs of slippers that year.

Mr Walker was the music teacher, Ms Kellenbeck was art and gym was Miss….I have no idea how to spell her name..Collasey…Linda was her first name. And Mrs Capen was the Librarian at the school….I used to want to be a librarian because of her…..and I wanted to be a teacher because of Mrs Hooper

When I got to Junior High, that was when you had multiple teachers and I remember most of them: Mr Drisko (social studies/civics) Miss Cluff, Mrs Stoneton, and Mrs Lisnick all taught reading/English. Mr Kingsbury and Mrs Harrington (best teacher ever!) were the Science Teachers. Mr Thurston and Mr Quint taught Math

High School….Mrs Sullivan, Mrs LeBlanc, Mr and Mrs Delvecchio, Mr Nahra, Dr Jones, Mr Cowan, Mr Floyd, Mr Merry-o-la, Mrs Millet, Mrs Sprague, Mr Wilson, Mrs Strauch, Mr Schaab, Mr McCarthy, Mrs Waring, Mr Soucy

Oddly, I remember my elementary school teachers better than anyone….what does that tell you?!? I can name maybe three professors from College….and that would be pushing it….Dr Copeland, Dr Schafer, and….okay, I can remember two…so sad….

List things that freak you out:

Twins…identical twins more than fraternal….but twins nonetheless

Snakes

Listening to someone describe how an injury occurred or a dental procedure

Death

Heights

Liberals

Dwarfs

Gnomes

A lot of anything in one place (I blame my sister Mikel for this) specifically flocks of birds

The thought of the world ending freaks me out – not like the apocalypse but like the physical earth blowing up

The movie Planet of the Apes freaks me out but I watch it whenever it's on

People who believe in paranormal stuff freak me out…..because they always seem so paranoid and that freaks me out…and new age stuff

Fairies

I think more thoughts than things freak me out….that would be a list in itself

Flying freaks me out

Feet and toes, especially when they are clammy and cold

List books that made you cry:

Bridge to Terabithia

Where the Red Fern Grows

The Giver

Sounder

Messenger

Love you Forever

A Taste of Blackberries

The Shack

Joshua

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

To Kill a Mockingbird

The Bible

Little Women

The Red Tent

The Stone Diaries

We Were the Mulvaneys

God on a Harley

Deep End of the Ocean

Stones From the River

Tuesdays with Morrie

Lesson Before Dying

Conversations with God

Into the Wild

Cider House Rules

Lovely Bones

Happiest Baby on the Block

Prince of Tides

Kite Runner

I Heard the Owl Call My Name

Shoeless Joe

Ok, my thirty minutes are up....maybe now the block is broken.....

Maria, the Mum