God Loves You When You Are Dancing

"God loves you when you are dancing."  That is a line I heard on TV yesterday.  The name of an album by a young man from Australia.  That line has teased me all day.  As I opened my computer another blog popped up on my reading list, "Following the Whispers".  I think there is a theme with these lines.

I am reminded of a friends quote "Don't postpone your joy." Glenis Redmond.  Finding joy in each day is my goal.  There are days when that is easy other days when I want to pull the covers over my eyes.

God Loves You When You Are Dancing

God loves you when you are dancing
Reminds me of the admonition to always
Praise and thank God for all my turmoils.
Praising and giving thanks reminds me
That I have many blessings.
"DON'T POSTPONE YOUR JOY."

I remember the time
I followed the WHISPERS and watched
One winter night the rabbits dance,
I am reminded that all gods creatures play
The river otters slide on snow
Prairie Dogs romp and play

I hear the whisper in my mind
"God loves you when you are dancing".

Greycliff Prairie Dog Town

Greycliff, MT Post Office

The sentry was on duty.  As I came closer he stood and barked - warning of intruders.  Then quickly scampered to his burrow.  Scanning the village, I watch as other heads pop - up like people peeking over their cubicles.

One of my favorite state parks is "Greycliff Prairie Dog Town".   It is located between Big Timber and Columbus.

Prairie Dogs at Greycliff

Black tailed Prairie Dog at Ulm

This barking squirrel makes me laugh as I watch their antics.  When I read the Lewis and Clark Journals one of my favorite passages was about taking all their men and spending several days trying to catch prairie dogs to send back to President Jefferson.  In my mind I see these 40 men crawling on their knees trying to capture the prairie dogs with their bare hands.  I can only wish there had been a video recording it would have won America's funniest videos.

One of the journals talked about taking buckets and kettles and pouring water down the holes to try and get them to come out.  They did send one live prairie dog back to the President and he made it there alive.

The World In Black and White

"Mrs Ferris, long ago was all the world black and white?"

I looked at my student and finally grasped he was literally asking me if color was something new.  I had been working with 4th and 5th graders with primary sources.  I had been using black and white photographs.

My youngster had been examining pictures that dated back to the 1880's. (Really old time.) Previously my students had asked me if there were cars back in the 1990's.    I swear there are days when I would guess that some of my students believe I grew up playing with dinosaurs in my back yard.  Yes the concept of time is a bit shaky.

On one level that question is funny.  On another level it shows critical thinking.  Evidence-all pictures from long ago are black and white.  Today all pictures have color.  I would guess most of my kids have never owned a black and white TV.  Probably never seen a traditional camera.  Film is a totally unknown concept.

I could see that the idea of no color had troubled him.  He could not imagine a world in black and white.

Potholes

The pothole could have eaten my car.  I drive a small Prius so it is not real big, but it doesn't like holes.  It doesn't like snow and ruts either.  My husband drove it in the alley when the snow was kinda melty.  The ruts had gotten soupy.  As he drove through the alley I could hear crusty snow grating on the metal undercarriage as he drove over it.  The tires were digging into the ruts.   Oh yes, the pothole.

Potholes are a sign of spring in Montana.  Most are average sized, easily seen and avoided. But the other day I was surprised.  I had turned down the street to go to Walmart.  As I was coming to the stop sign I saw it.  Just feet away.  It was about 6-8 inches deep.  Probably 4-5 feet across.  See I told you it could have eaten my car.

It was straight ahead.  I patted myself on the back for seeing it in time.  Thankfully there was no oncoming traffic as I swerved to avoid it.  As I drove around it, my imagination painted a  picture of the tires snapping off as the pothole ate my car.  Scary huh.

Some people judge spring by the arrival of the Robins (I haven't seen any.)  Some people by when the daffodils start popping up.  (No not me.)  For me it is officially spring when I start seeing potholes.  

Now I will begin mentally mapping the potholes and take bets with myself of if and when they will be filled.  Spring is officially here - I have seen the granddaddy pothole.

Yesterday

Yesterday I read a post from Inspiring a Love of Reading about writing from  a word http://inspiringaloveofreading.blogspot.com/.   I thought I would use this inspiration to do todays slice.

Yesterday

I am planning to read "I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906
by Lauren Tarshis
When I think of Lauren Tarshis I think of hearing her speak
in Billings, MT this year
She talked about her series
and the magazine she used to edit
Then I think of all the books in her series what a great format
I will use them to scaffold teaching about primary sources
I want them to have some background knowledge
Then we will look at Chronicling America and other primary sources
When I think of Chronicling America, I think of time travel
Being able to read historic newspapers
Reminds me of sharing "I survived the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.

A Bucket of Daffodils

In the spring when I see the first daffodils; my memory returns to the day I saw a carpet of yellow daffodils surrounding an old log cabin skirting the edge of newly turned field along a windy backroad in Idaho.  Memories return of picking the flowers - their fragrance.  But mostly the stark beauty.

I was in high school and we were on a windy backroad in Idaho.  As we topped a hill, an old homestead was on the right side of the road.   The old log cabin still stood at the edge of a newly turned field.  The soil was dark loam.  Across the road were tall trees, probably pines. But my eye was drawn to the bright yellow color surrounding the cabin.

Images spring to mind- the battered metal bucket, old log cabin, freshly turned field, tall trees, daffodils and a windy road.  Not single daffodils in a small patch, but a  carpet of yellow daffodils surrounding the cabin.  There wasn't even a path to the door but a solid lawn of yellow daffodils.

We stopped and picked a bucket of daffodils.  I was surprised to find that there were two kinds - double daffodils and regular daffodils grew together. I remember transporting that bucket of daffodils, the sloshing of water as it occasionally escaped when we hit a bump as the motorhome went down the road.

Panic Day?

According to our morning news program today is National Panic Day. I didn't know I needed a special day to panic.  I thought that was just what happens.  It made me laugh that there is an official day for panic-ing.

The newsmen suggested choosing one thing to panic over today.  I usually panic when I can't find:

• car keys
• cell phone
• purse
• notebooks

So what makes you panic?