40 Winks - SOL

We came to know Tom, over the last few years, when he helped us with odd jobs.  The dogs quickly adopted him.  They would go nuts every time they would see him.  This last fall he started renting part of our basement.  The dogs were in 7th heaven.  He spoils them as bad as we do.

Max is our Boxer cross, and weighs in at about 75 pounds.  A small lap dog, not so much.  Dan paid $25.00 for him at a truck stop in Texas about nine years ago.  He was so small and he wiggled so much.

I couldn't resist taking the picture of Tom and Max.  It is a precious moment in time.

Who Influences You?

I recently received a blogger award for my Libeary Corner blog, I was thrilled.  Part of the procedure was to nominate 15 other bloggers that I thought were versatile.  Wow, one of the people I wanted to nominate is a friend who has really encouraged and supported my efforts at blogging.  We played phone tag.  I couldn't find her blogs that I had bookmarked and usually read.  FRUSTRATION!

This morning through happenstance I reconnected with both her blogs. To Craft A Fine Line and First One and Then the Other.  Melissa has a strong voice and a great sense of the absurd.  The first time we met was in an education book store that she was managing.  Imagine me in a book store.  I know you are LOL!  From their we developed a friendship.  One I treasure very much.

She has the rare knack for listening when you are feeling most confused, celebrating your victories and sneakily suggesting the next step that I have been running from or maybe its to. As a teacher I have tried to analyze this practice because I would like to duplicate this quiet influence with my students.  I believe the best learning is inquiry driven. Questions the individual wants answered.

This morning I was reading Two Writing Teachers -  I was moved by the post "Ruth's Slice of Life - Listening to Photograph by Nickelback . I was also influenced to listen to this piece of music.  Then I thought about using music and photos in my own class.  How will those things combine to influence my writing?

What is it I want to know? I want to know how to make my writing better.  From a conventions stand points my commas and dangling participles along with fragments are the boon of my literary existence.  But now as I try my hand in the free lance writing ring I realize I am probably going to have to learn to master them.  For nearly half a century they weren't even on my radar.  Now they seem to be in my headlights.  As I ponder my own personal learning net work I have two questions for you?  What do you want to know?  And who influences you?