September 30, 2007 at 10:08 pm (1)
Tags: alberta, art, comics, daily, lethbridge, life, random, weeds, Writing
I saw a tumbleweed today. Two, actually, but one that was bigger than my classroom globe. Globe. Not, as I originally typed, glove.
You know what a tumbleweed is, right? You see them all the time in lonely scenes in western movies — the tangle of weeds and grass that goes blowing across the desolate wasteland. Well, in this case the wasteland was Highway 3 just inside Lethbridge. It rolled onto the road and I got all excited because a truck ran it over, which was pretty cool. Actually, I was maybe just a little bit too gleeful about it. I hang out with eight-year-olds too much!
Anyway, I’m feeling vindicated that I actually do live in the middle of nowhere — and I have the tumbleweeds to prove it.
In other news, I’ve finally finished and posted another page of Paper Masks (the comic). It’s up now if you’re interested.
Cheers!
Caryn
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September 29, 2007 at 10:17 pm (1)
Tags: comic, daily, education, halos, life, personal, random, teaching, Writing
I just thought I’d make a quick post even though I don’t have much to say today 
Actually I have plenty to say, but I have a whole bunch of stuff preventing me from saying it. Suffice to say I’m extraordinarily busy and rather discouraged. Other teachers will identify with this: sometimes the theme of our lives seems to be “we’re not doing enough.” What else can we do for the kids, the parents; what else can we do that will make us as teachers a little better, a little stronger, a little more faithful? Well, kids, I’ve hit the point where I can’t do anymore. I’ve had it. There’s a limit and I’ve reached it, so I’m going to gather all my courage, sit back and do….
NOTHING!
Nothing, that is, except post the newest installation of Halos. As always, you can view it here or over on Tomorrow’s Trust.
Cheers!
Caryn
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September 28, 2007 at 7:30 pm (1)
Tags: books, cancer, daily, education, life, marathon of hope, personal, random, school, Terry Fox
I think most people have heard of Terry Fox, and if you haven’t, you should! We did the Terry Fox run at school today. For those who don’t know, Terry Fox was a Canadian man who was diagnosed with cancer and had his leg amputated at the age of 18. He decided to run across Canada (the Marthon of Hope) to raise money for cancer research. He made this run on a prosthetic leg in the eighties, so it was a challenge to say the least, and he got as far as Thunder Bay, Ontario before the cancer spread and put a halt to his journey.
Since Terry Fox’s original Marthon of Hope, people in countries across the world have run to raise money for cancer research. I always find it amazing how the kids connect with the images and ideas behind Terry Fox… if you’re a teacher, I can’t reccomend highly enough that you involve the marathon in your class somehow. A couple books my kids liked:
Terry Fox: His Story
Terry
Keep writing!
Caryn
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September 27, 2007 at 5:36 pm (1)
Tags: books, daily, life, movies, random, reviews, Writing
I couldn’t think of much to write about. It’s that kind of day. I wanted to get some more work done on Paper Masks (the comic strip, not the novel), but I actually had to do stuff at rehearsal last night (I’m in a play called Arsenic and Old Lace, which is incredibly fun and funny). So yeah, time’s been limited.
Anyway, I’m posting a review of one of my favorite films, The Boondock Saints, under Reviews and Reccomends. Enjoy!
Keep writing!
Caryn
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September 27, 2007 at 12:28 am (1)
Since I’m constantly going on about books, I’ve decided to start a page for reviews. You can click on the link in the left sidebar (or that pretty blue thing up there) to see my first review on Feng Shui for the Classroom.
Cheers!
Caryn
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September 26, 2007 at 4:20 pm (1)
Tags: critique, daily, nintendo, personal, random, video games, Writing
I was browsing through the Scholastic book orders yesterday and there were a bunch of Nintendo DS games, none of which interested me in the least. The next thing I knew I’d stopped by Wal-Mart on the way home and dropped 150 bucks on a Nintendo DS Lite Brain pack thingamajig. I spentd the rest of the night testing my “brain age” and playing Sudoku. Now I need some new games. Good heavens, what have I done????
In other news, I actually found some time to edit Paper Masks last night — go me! Members of my critique group had suggested that there wasn’t enough information; ie, the story was moving too slowly. It’s hard with Paper Masks because I wrote it in chunks and later spliced them together, meaning that the pacing isn’t always spot-on. I guess that’s why you need an outside point of view, though. If you’re a writer who doesn’t belong to a critique group, I *highly* reccomend it. If you’re sensitive like me, the internet is perfect: you never have to see the person you’re working with Also, you have time to consider their comments before you respond. I find I sometimes get fired up when I read people’s comments, but I quickly realize they’re onto something. I mean, I generally feel free to disregard if I REALLY disagree, but if more than one person points out the same thing, then no matter how I feel it’s probably a problem.
At any rate, my grade threes are extremely proud of me for buying a DS. Go figure, huh?
Keep writing!
Caryn
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September 25, 2007 at 6:41 pm (1)
Tags: daily, education, heroes, life, personal, random, school, teaching, television, Writing
I’m thinking I’m in the wrong business. Would someone PLEASE mail me a couple million cash so I can quit teaching?
I’m kidding, of course — most of the time I love my kids and love my job. But today I’m thinking of that bit in The Devil Wears Prada (movie, not book) where Emily drops her head to her hands and intones (in a seriously congested tone): “I love my job, I love my job, I love my job.”
I’m serious: why don’t kids do homework? It’s not like I assign a lot. Most of the time if they have homework it’s because they were goofing off in class. And yet over half of my class just doesn’t bother doing it. One of them (the actual kids) said it was my fault because I didn’t make him do it! Unbelievable. I asked him if he’d like me to call his house every night to check in and he changed his mind in a hurry!
I have two more pages of Paper Masks to put up, but I elected to sleep instead. I’ll put them up later today.
Heroes premiered last night and was AWESOME. I loved the bit where the surly fellow who’s used to working in a cut – throat environment suddenly finds himself under the boss from hell in a paper supply store. Consider it a life-long dream vicariously fulfilled
Keep writing!
Caryn
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September 24, 2007 at 4:24 pm (1)
Tags: art, comics, daily, heroes, life, personal, publishing, random, rejections, television, Writing
There are a couple more pages of Paper Masks kicking around if anyone’s interested. I’m enjoying working on it, which is good, because I’m not at all sure anyone’s reading it
It’s a Monday; what else is there to say? I’m worn out and not looking forward to the week stretching ahead. Rejections fall like rain and I’m ready to Q-U-I-T. Enough is enough, already.
Of course, I’ll flip-flop on that attitude in a few days — I always do. But for now I’m just wishing I was back in bed.
In other news, Heroes and Corner Gas both premiere tonight, which is exciting to me. Also, Supernatural premieres next week or the week after (can’t remember) which is also brilliant. Ah, Supernatural. You are special to me.
Keep writing!
Caryn
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September 23, 2007 at 8:50 pm (1)
Tags: art, comics, daily, eastern promises, education, life, movies, personal, random, school, Writing
There are a whole schwak of new things up on the site: a new comic under Halos and two more pages of Paper Masks. I’m afraid I’ve gotten a bit snippy with Halos — I just can’t help but reflect on how completely inadequately my B. Ed. prepared me for the real world of teaching small children. The student teaching was incredibly useful but the rest of it — the hours spent in class, paying approximately 100 bucks an hour to be there, being treated like an elementary student (researching lizards, running laps) and subjected to bizarre idealism (NO STUDENT SHOULD EVER BE ON ANY SORT OF MEDICATION! PERIOD! Kid’s diabetic? YOU DEAL WITH IT!). Yikes! Of course, I was always a bit of a cynic, but I wonder how some of my more idealistic friends made out once they had a class of thirty real people dumped on them (YES, they’re people, albeit small ones ).
I went to see Eastern Promises last night and I’m not sure what to say about it. I think it’s intention was to shock, provoke, and make you think, and it certainly filled all three. In the end it’s like most Cronenberg movies: I enjoyed it to a certain degree and would see it again, but not necessarily anytime soon, and I don’t feel any need to run out and buy the DVD. The acting was superb and the story compelling; it was the little things (you know, graphic throat cutting, nude fight scenes) that made me cringe — but on the other hand, is it any better to see a film where the violence isn’t graphic and people just drop dead left, right, and center? Eastern Promises is an incredibly violent movie, but it certainly doesn’t glory in it — although it may take the odd moment to revel.
Anyway, just don’t take your kids!
Keep writing,
Caryn
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September 21, 2007 at 10:33 pm (Writing, art, comics)
I’ve done up a third page of Paper Masks. Yes, I’m enjoying myself, and no, the dishes aren’t done yet. Whoops.
Caryn
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