Good morning, Everyone. It is crispy cold on Long Island south shore. Warm up with a cup of coffee and me rambling.
If we were having coffee together, I would have to admit that I took on too much. After the conference presentation, last Saturday, I felt so light and ambitious. I thought I had time to focus on other writing projects. In my hubris, I jumped into the NaBloPoMo daily challenge to post on my blog every day for the remainder of November. I could submit to the daily prompt or write my heart’s desire. I lasted four days. Maybe five since I did write a November 15th post but did not post it because I was too tired to edit properly.
I loved the concept of this challenge. It was just too difficult to do on-the-spot posting when my Kindergarten class saps energy, and report cards and education evaluations are due after the Thanksgiving holiday. Also, my house needs a real cleaning rather than a superficial wipe down. One can write on dusty surfaces, and it looks like there are several generations of spiders and their webs hanging in every corner. I have guests coming next week and a Thanksgiving dinner to plan and execute—a task I really love. My dining room is cluttered with notebooks, envelopes, books, and boxes. The shopping list has not been tackled. Then I need to prepare for Christmas—another task I really enjoy.
So, I need to drop out of NaBloPoMo18. Thank you, Hareem Sumbul and Angela Kennedy, for letting me give the NaBloPoMo a try. I will post weekly, and try to get a family story or two written before the year’s end.
If we were having coffee together, I would add that this past week was very busy at school. My Kindergarteners experienced their first field trip to a children’s theater production of The Very Hungry Caterpillar–an Eric Carle classic. The experience was magical. Also, my school celebrated the traditional feast day as a school family. All of the children come together at a common lunch period to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. School board members and local dignitaries join us for the feast. The festivities include songs of gratitude, essay contest participants, and a Native American pageant starring the K-Kids in paper bag costumes and headbands decorated in Native American writing. The K-Kids performed well, behaved while waiting for cues and were so stinking cute.
If we were having coffee together, I would report that last week was a long weekend in observance of Veterans Day. My sister, Barbara, and her husband, John, visited. We had hoped to get in the last 2018 sail, but Saturday and Sunday’s winds howled relentlessly. It must have blown itself out because on Monday there was barely a breath to fill the sail. We decided to take a ride anyway hoping a light breeze might conjure. It didn’t, but it was a nice to get out on the bay with Barbara and John.
That’s it. Hope all is well in your world. Thank you, Eclectic Alli for managing Weekend Coffee Share.
Have a good week, Everyone. Make it great.
Antoinette Truglio Martin is the author of Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer. The memoir is a wimpy patient’s journey through her first year of breast cancer treatment.
Stories Served 
My daughter and I went to a theater production of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, earlier this spring. I’m happy your class enjoyed it.
I choose to not participate in Novembers writing challenge. I felt that I didn’t want that pressure right now. Best of luck with your future writing, and projects around the house.
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It was a great show and the feast was a blessing and…the kiddos were amazing! I’d like to take my writing off the shelf and put a pen in my hand.
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Sounds as though you have had a lot going on. The kindergarten field trip must have been lots of fun. … I have been doing poem-a-day during the writing challenges month, but ran out of energy, these past four days. I hope to get caught up by the end of the weekend, though, and so have saved the prompt emails.
I am looking forward to getting out for the Thanksgiving get-together and the opportunity to visit with people. Helps to shorten the winter.
Best wishes for your week!
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May I ask what your conference was?
You are a Kindergarten teacher? That is so fun. My youngest is in kindergarten this year and absolutely loving it; he has a wonderful kindergarten teacher and I am so thankful that he has her. I think this first experience of school will set the stage for coming grades. Such a wonderful time and such a wonderful age. Thank you for the fabulous work you do!
I find from October to January seems to be full of activities and responsibilities. It is such a busy time.
Great coffee post, thanks for sharing!
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I was the keynote speaker for the Susan G Komen Long Island Metastatic Breast Cancer Conference at Hofstra university . Kindergarten is a magical time.
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Hi Antoinette.
I sympathize with you. Too much stuff on my plate for the past almost 2 weeks. I’m left feeling like I need to stay in bed for a few days. My house too needs a major cleaning but work makes this unlikely. What does one do when they discover they are too old for their life? It was good reading some of your words again after missing last week. Hope you get some time to breath and enjoy some of this very full life you lead.
Blessings.
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I’m happy to have “found@ your blog through NaBloPoMo. Posting daily is indeed a challenge, particularly when your life is so full of other writing and speaking. I almost bowed out, but am going to try to push through because blogging about lighthearted things provides some respite from the madness that life is at the moment. I’m following now and will catch up on your posts. Hugs and best wishes…
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Thank you so much! Keep writing those lighthearted things. There’s too much heavy downers out there so your voice is essential. Good luck with the remainder of NaBloPoMo. Have a great Thanksgiving.
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Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
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I dropped out last year because I went to Iowa for my mom’s 80th birthday party and early Thanksgiving dinner the day after. My mom passed early in September, and I have no regrets at all that I spent my time with her last year and let the blogging go. It’s not like I can be fired, is it?
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Time with your mom is more important than anything.
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