Newbery Books

I am currently growing my collection of children's literature with books that have won the Newbery Medal Award or the Newbery Honor Award. This award began in 1922, and to date (2010) 380 books have won. I have currently read 63 of these books, and own approximately 15 more that I have yet to read. I began this challenge several years ago while teaching upper elementary. I want children to read books that are good literature, and this is hard to do if you yourself know nothing about the book.

I currently own none of the winning books before 1935.

Trip to Missouri

Greetings to all. Well it has been several weeks since I returned from my trip to Kansas City, MO, where I got to spend lots of time with my family, visited some "old" teachers, and saw several friends (though not enough of them, as is always the case). This is my favorite picture of my brother Jacob, me & my girl Becky. We called it our model pose, though I think the two of them have a much better chance than I do. :) My parents and I spent an afternoon with my Grandma and Papa, who are doing well considering their getting older and Papa refusing to leave the farm. I sat in a chair by my grandfather and he kept nudging me with his foot when he had something else to have me read (excerpts from newspapers, church bulletins, etc), or to look at (he has many pictures beside his chair) or something to tell me - though there is a slim chance that he will hear any of my responses because he doesn't want to wear the hearing aids. A new addition to the farm is the puppy my grandma is calling Frisky. She fits right in because she can not hear either.   There were many special times during this trip home, and I am happy to say that I went through most of it sans cane. This represents a new chapter - that I am working through the mental era of needing the cane (my therapists said I was strong enough in March). This recovery has been a long road, but I have not ever stopped, I just continue to go at my own pace. The last picture is the smaller one of the TWO wood piles that my dad has been working on this winter, spring & summer.

End of an Era

On Tuesday, May 6 I had my LAST physical therapy session. This took place almost a year and a half since the car collision on December 11, 2006. I feel confident that this is taking place at the right time - I feel a bit like a child who has been given the okay to try to try something on their own. A HUGE thanks to all my lovely friends at TC - you are the BEST ever! I praise God for your caring and abilities to push someone through a hard time. You will always be remembered. I will miss you. These legs are made for walking!

A Flat Tire Story

We were driving along this beautiful stretch of I-10 heading out to the Cattleman's Ranch for a wedding reception when we heard a horrible noise . . . This is the VERY flat tire that we found. Then John started changing the tire while I kept an eye on the traffic. I am glad to say that we had fun during the experience and didn't share a single sharp word with one another. It was a beautiful place to stop, if only the traffic would have stopped making so much noise.

Thank You

On December 11, 2006 our lives were changed by a head-on car collision in El Paso, TX that came VERY close to taking my life. God has been faithful through these long months! I am nearing the end of formal Physical Therapy, but will continue to strive for gains in strength and flexibility on my own. I am currently working towards running again someday! Please join John and I in praising God for bringing skilled surgeons, kind nurses, tough therapists and good friends to walk with us through this difficult time. Thank you for your notes and words of kindness! You were a part of this recovery.

Hopping, is More Like It . . .

My therapists and I decided that I am really hopping, not JUMPING. I leave the ground, that is all I care about. The news is that now at a therapy session I do 10 sets of 10 hops each! I try to jump forward and now I also jump backward. I am asking myself, how many of you can do 10 sets of 10 without getting tired?

Jumping

A week ago I began undertaking the process of learning to run! This process entails having good balance & being able to jump. Today my therapist gave me a jump rope & I couldn't even try to jump over it!! I did jump without holding on to anything BUT the jump rope. We said that this is a good "jump" forward.