Happy Friday, RISERS! I hope this week has been good to you. After today, every student can breathe a sigh of relief now that TCAPs are complete. Remember, you are more than a score on a paper. Depending on the weather this weekend where you are, relax and get ready to coast through the last few weeks of school. If you blink too fast, they will be gone before you know it.
Happy Birthday to all of you who turned a year older this past week. And Happy Anniversary to you and your loved one for reaching another milestone year together.
Quote of the Week: “Never do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time.” Charles Dickens
Joke of the Week: I came across this by Dennis Leask, but I can so relate to it… “I’m in awe of all you procrastinators. I’m just a crastinator, I’ll go pro someday.”
Classical Music Pick of the Week: Franz Shubert began composing a piece of music in 1822 that went on to be known as “The Unfinished Symphony.” He wrote two parts to it, pieces that drew intense feelings from listeners, the feelings often dark and a tad bit haunting. Though we don’t know exactly why Shubert never completed this symphony, it had been “forgotten” until it was discovered and performed by Johann von Herbeck in 1865. I have been a fan of classical music since watching “The Barber of Seville” and “Ride of the Valkyries” on Bugs Bunny and my record of “Peter and the Wolf,” which exposed me to the bassoon, an instrument I would learn to play in the eighth grade. I hope you like “The Unfinished Symphony.”
Nugget of Wisdom of the Week: I am sure by now you have picked up on today’s theme–procrastination. It’s possible that I have talked about this before, but I get blog ideas from what happens in my life during the week. So, let’s jump in, shall we?
Besides the “Frankly, my dear” quote from Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind, the other most famous quote is by Scarlett O’Hara-“I won’t think about that now. I’ll think about it tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day.” While that may be true about things like doing laundry or vacuuming, putting things off is not always a good idea.
What exactly is procrastination? It is simply putting off doing something until a later time. Deciding to wait until April 16th to do your taxes or neglecting to go to the dentist when you have a toothache are not good times to procrastinate. I know what you’re thinking…how do I know when it’s procrastination versus providential intervention? Good question. I told you that I use what happens in my week to be the topic of the week. Well, more often than not, I end up scrambling on Thursday afternoons to get the blog to Angela, so she has time to review it and then post it on Fridays. I know that Friday is coming, and the blog needs to be done, so why the delay? Honestly, I really don’t know. I guess there is a fear that I am not providing the kind of insight deserving of you.
What’s amusing about this is that sometimes my delay brings about what I need to hear myself. So then, what does a delay by providential intervention look like? Have you ever had a task you kept meaning to do but never got to it? Then it turned out better that you didn’t get it done. That’s what I mean by providential intervention. This looks different for everyone. I guess the main thing I want to convey is that it is better to take Charlie’s advice on getting things accomplished rather than the Scarlett approach.
RECIPE of the Week: This week, I came across Baked Spaghetti Bowls.
What you’ll need:
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
Cooked spaghetti noodles
Freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
4 bread bowls with a scooped-out center
Cook your meat, then drain. Add the spaghetti sauce. While you are browning the meat, boil the noodles until it is at the desired consistency. Once done, combine the sauce and noodles until thoroughly mixed. Next, take the scooped-out bread bowls and fill them with the spaghetti. Sprinkle with a generous helping of mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about ten minutes or until the cheese is melted to your taste. Then, enjoy the bowls with a salad of your choice.
Shout Out of the Week: This week, I want to give a shout-out to all the students, teachers, and school administrators for a job WELL DONE on
TCAPS these last two weeks. Now, it’s over and you can just relax.
Have a great weekend. Remember, you are most awesome, and YOU ROCK!
Marion Rhines is a foster-turned-adoptive parent. She lives in Knoxville, Tenn., with her husband and five children. She has written and published two children’s books as well as two foster-care-themed novels. She has a Facebook blog, Tips from the FLIP Side, and enjoys working with children of all ages.