The World According to Leslie

  I am an NFL fan. I grew up pulling for the Washington Redskins, and I still do. Except, they are now the Washington Football Team .  However, when I was a high school senior, the Carolina Panthers arrived in town. They were an expansion team and played about an hour from my home.  I am now a fan of both, but I pull more for Washington than Carolina! #httr #httwft A couple of weeks ago, Carolina invited Cam Newton back as quarterback. He's a great athlete and an intelligent player. However, if the plays given to him do not work, why do we blame him?  The play callers are sitting in boxes above the field (or on the sidelines) and telling him what to do. Is it his fault if a play doesn't go like it is supposed to?  It got me to thinking.  Teaching and Football are very similar.     I have been in the education field for more than a decade. I am not currently teaching, but I haven't been out so long that I have forgotten what it's like.  ...

  If I have said it once, I've said it a million times, I love writing. I want to be able to make a living at it. I would love to build this blog so that it will make money. How do I do that?  There are several ways, but getting consistent with writing, planning out my posts, and getting consistent views are some of the ways.  Obviously, if I am consistent with my writing, the views will come. In order to be consistent in writing, I have to get my posts planned. I have a notebook with a list and several planned out posts. Do I actually sit and type them? NO! Should I? YES!  Here are some thoughts about planning: Needs: --Post Ideas                     Don't get me wrong; I have ideas. I just don't always write them down, and then I lose them.  --Education                    I need to learn about affiliates, web hosting, and pictures/images/videos (w...

Yesterday, November 1st, began NaNoWriMo. If you want to know more about it, check out the site here .  NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. As we all know, my dream is to write a book!  I have several floating around in my head with notes on paper for some of them.  So, I have set a goal to write 50,000 words this month.  Yesterday, I wrote 1500. Today, I wrote 1403.  If get to a point where I am convinced I should being sharing parts of the book, I will do so.  I will share here, on Instagram, and on Pinterest. I think that is all I have that I can share on right now.  I may have to add a few more "authory" things to be able to share out the book, but for now,  I will do updates here.  Of all the things I could write about, what do you think this first project is? I may even give clues as to what it is about, but you'll have to comment below for me to see the guesses. 

 In August 2019, I started a 2nd Master's degree. I went into the M.A. Professional Writing program at Liberty University.  After the first semester of classes, I decided to change my major, but I did not do it until last week. I officially changed my major to the M.F.A. in Creative Writing. When I grow up, I want to be a writer!  I am a writer, but I want to be a professional writer. I have ideas in my head for a book, and they have been there for years. I do not know how to get them out of my head an onto a page. I think I just need to sit down and do it.  That comes back to my will power and time management skills. I really do not have either of those. I desperately NEED both of those. For now, I will continue to write here. I want to begin formatting this blog a little differently than it is. I want to monetize. I want to vlog, but I haven't figured out editing yet. I want to do a podcast, but again....editing. I can edit my writing, but I'm not very good with te...

The other day, I wrote a post. It was pretty long, and had several pictures to it.  It never posted.  I will rewrite it.... just not right this second. I hate when I work on something so long and it gets erased.  It's like back in college when I didn't save the information before the computer shut down. Now...with the programs, like Google Docs, that automatically save, I don't face that as often!  I guess this was just one of those crazy times. I think I'm going to start writing in Google Docs first.... and then putting it here.  That way if I doesn't save, I still have it! I'm also thinking of moving my blog to a different platform.  I haven't decided yet, but if I do, I'll have a link here to get to it....so you can come along. What's the worst thing you have ever lost or had erased?

April 1st, 2018!! It's April Fool's Day, but I haven't played any jokes on anyone, yet.  I haven't had time. The Easter Bunny did show up at my house. This morning, we had to be at church early to practice one last time for the Easter choir. Then I taught Sunday School.  Then we had service (choir included). Then we pied the Pastor! (I'll post the Facebook video of that as soon as I can!) Then lunch.  Now how to do some stuff before we head to hang out with the family for Easter! We did a family pic at church with everyone who was there today... missing one! Now... I'm writing! Tony is making mashed potatoes (yummy homemade ones) for the family dinner later. Chasity is doing her laundry and coloring/drawing.  Typical Sunday now! Through Paparazzi, Chasity and I have been challenged to do a few things.  Since we did not meet our March Challenge, we are given the same one again, but they are adding a new on also! First, March Challenge ...

I can't believe that it's March 1st already!  I say this all the time, but HOW does time go by so quickly? Way back in January, I wrote out my goals for the year.  You can read them here . At the end of January, I wrote how I was progressing on those goals.  You can read that here . Now that February has ended already, (again, HOW?!), I can update how my goals are going now. 1. Go ice skating       I am hoping to do this in Ober Gatlinburg in March.  :) If not, I'll have to find somewhere to do it.  There is an open-air one at Concord Mills Mall at Christmas time. 2. Enter a bowling tournament       The tournament that Tony and I were supposed to enter...well... we didn't get entered.  That's a good thing. We would have been out the money.  I was very sick that weekend and couldn't have bowled anyways.  There WILL be another tournament, and I will find a way to enter. 3. Go Horse...

Happy Valentine's Day!  OR as the Princess informed me this morning.... "Happy Singles Awareness Day!!" Either way, I hope your day is happy!! Today is my last day to be 38 years old. At 2:45am tomorrow morning, I will be 39! I will be starting my final year of my 30s!  OH MY!  Where did the time go? This year has been interesting!  At home, I have been able to do more. I've cooked more (and everyone survived!)!! I've gotten outside more--and consequently sneezed more! I even coached the Princess's rec league softball team last Spring!  I've been happier, mostly! At church, I've been more active. I'm working in Children's church. I'm singing on the Praise Team (in rotation). :) I'm heading up VBS this year. (That will technically be when I'm 39,  but I've started plans already.) I'm helping head up the 500 stockings for families this year. (That will also be when I'm 39.... but still!) At work, I'...

Today is Day #6 of the Writing Challenge. I have noticed that there are quite a few people reading, but only one person has joined in!  It's fun to write together. Join in!!  Leave the link to your writing in the comments! Links to all the previous days are in yesterday's post. Check out Days #1-5 by going to Day #5 . Today's Challenge--"Do you have any strange phobias?" I don't think that my phobias are strange. Other people, who aren't afraid of the same things, may think they are. I am TERRIFIED of dogs. I got bit ONCE! That was all it took. Yes, I did have a dog, once, but he didn't bite me. A family friend's dog bit me when I was looking at her puppies.... not even touching (or trying to touch)... just looking at them in the box! I was 8! I have been terrified of all dogs since then! I am scared of heights! If something is up higher than I am tall, then I have a hard time getting to it. I can't do ladders. I love lighthouses (a...

Today is Day #4 of the Writing Challenge. Check out Day #1 , Day #2 , and Day #3 . Then, join in!  It's fun writing about things!  Just be sure to leave a link to your post in the comments so I can come check it out! Today's Challenge: "What do you think about most?" To me, that's a loaded question. It depends on my mood. It depends on my plans. It just depends. Most of the time, I think about how I need a full time job. I want to get back into teaching. I apply for jobs, but I haven't gotten any of them. I think about my daughter's future. I think about all the things she can become, and the things that scare me about that!  I think about going back to school. I just don't know what I'd study. I've looked at the audition requirements for going back to school as a music major, but they TERRIFY me! It's been 20 years since I played on a regular basis.. I think about writing. I'm doing it more now. I love writing. I think...

Today's challenge: "Put your iTunes on shuffle. Write down the first 6 songs that pop up." The only problem I have with today's challenge is that I do not have iTunes.  :)  I have Spotify. I love it. So, I put it on one of my playlists and hit shuffle. Here is what happened: Say Amen by Finding Favor Call It Grace by Unspoken Just Be Held by Casting Crowns Completely by Among the Thirsty Keep Making Me by Sidewalk Prophets Just Say Jesus by 7eventh Time Down I have these in a playlist called "Inspirational for Me".  I love all of these songs. They are so inspirational. They help me when I'm down. They remind me Who I should be looking toward at all times. So, what are the first 6 songs on your playlist?

There has been a lot of negativity going around the internet lately. There have been so many people who are "unfriending" people they have known for years because of differences of opinions. What!??!  That's crazy! I have found it hard to write about anything because I did not want to have my ideas misconstrued. I did not want people to think I was for something or against it just because I discussed it. I have kept my political thoughts out of Social Media. I haven't posted anything (other than my The Wait is Over post the other day) about either side. I have a right to say what I want, but I have found that I want to keep the peace. In the spirit of having a challenging time writing, I found a "writing challenge" with a list of 60 things to write about. It's supposed to go in a personal journal, but I think I'm going to put mine on here.  I'll start with a new post and keep it moving.  Feel free to the challenge with me. I'll post ...

I know I have mentioned several times that I want to write a book. I have an idea. Now, I just need to do the research and make it happen.  I hope that it works out. Also, I think I have an idea for a blog, but I haven't completely decided on it yet.  I may combine the two ideas, and that could be very interesting. Before I can start a blog for money, I need to get all (or most) of my ideas together. Then I need to figure out how to make it work.... hosting.... naming.... drawing traffic.... making money...... all the important stuff. But.... I may do that at the beginning of the year.  I will probably start the book now.  I need to get it out of my head!  Those are my random thoughts of the day. Today is a GOOD day!

Although I haven’t written anything in about 2 months here, I did not fall off the face of the earth. I have, however, sat at the computer wanting to write. Some days it just doesn’t happen.    I have a writing job for the summer—$8/article and I can write at least 2 an hour.   That’s more than I make teaching!  No!  I’m not kidding!  lol  (It’s sad!)   I get to go back to work in just a couple of weeks.  Actually…..  two weeks from today!  WOW!  Same school! More kids.  This year, I’m teaching regular Freshman English and Mythology.  I’ll have about 35 kids in each class!  (I know, right?!)   We went to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge on Vacation last month.  We took Mom and Dad with us!  We love going there. We went to a few shows.  Maybe… just maybe…. I’ll do a post about that!    I am now a CRIMINAL MINDS fanatic!  I love this show!  I had never watched an entir...

February has ended.  Here in NC, it ended with nice weather. March has started.  On Sunday, it was 70 degrees.  Yesterday started at 55, but by noon it was freezing.  Today is starting in the teens and will hopefully defrost during the day.   We had sleet and freezing rain last night.  I really thought we might get a delay this morning.  I guess not.   I was hoping.  I could have slept another 4-5 hours.   I picked up a writing job…30 articles.  I need to get those completed ASAP.    We are in the MIDDLE of cookies.  The Princess isn’t close to her 2500 box goal yet.   We are hoping she will still get 1000.  This year, for 1000 boxes, you get a free iPad mini.  She really wants it, but we shall see.  She’s still trying to sell cookies.    The countdown is still on for everything around here.   Countdown updates: 11 days until the Art Gala and Auction at the Pri...

If I want to write over the summer, I need to find clients now.  Why is it that I am having such a hard time bringing myself to apply for these positions?    I see jobs that I can do.  I know that I can do it. I put the jobs on my “watch list”.  Then I watch them until they have been taken by other people. I just need to work up the courage to apply for the jobs I know I can do.  I may see if I can work for the people I wrote for last summer.  If so, I could totally make some serious money this summer.   I found out yesterday that my oldest nephew made the JV baseball team at his school.  I also found out that he plays his first game today against the school where I work.    So….what’s any good aunt to do?  I’m going to go back to watch him play after I pick up the Princess at school and drop off the other girls from carpool.  Then, at 5:30, I’m going to work the ticket gate.  It only makes sense to get pa...

So, technically, I’m self-published.    My article is now live on degreestory.com. Here is the link, if you want to check it out.   http://www.degreestory.com/browse/bachelor/education-teaching/special-education/looking-for-a-sign   Have a great day!

I have a writing assignment due today. It’s about my career. When it is posted online, I will let you know.     Today is “Favorite NFL Team” day at the Princess’s school.  I had to get her a shirt. It matches one that Tony got for Christmas. Now, they have two shirts that are exactly the same. They dress alike without even knowing it!  lol    I finished reading another book yesterday. If you get a chance, read The Invention of Hugo Cabret . It’s an easy read because much of the story is told in pictures, but it is a great story.    I’m so tired. I feel like I never get any sleep.   Last night we had 11 girls at Girl Scouts again. That STILL wasn’t everyone!   I’m supposed to go scrapbook tonight, but I’m sure I won’t make it. Tony has been getting home late all week. Then I’d have to leave early to get home to sleep so that I can have a 6am alarm tomorrow morning. (These double headers are killing me!)  BUT….no g...

This is my 600th post. I have been waiting for the right thing to write, and I think this is it!   Today, the Princess starts at a brand new school. She has her backpack and supplies all ready. Her uniforms are laid out and waiting. She is always excited about school, but this year it seems even more so.   She’s going into the 5th grade. Like I said, it’s a BRAND NEW school. They just finished building it in July. The teachers are still working to make the rooms perfect….even yesterday!    I am heading into a new school year. I am excited for the things that await me this year. In reality, I only have plans for today finished. I worked really hard on everything else this past week, and I attended a million and one meetings (or so it seems)! So, today during my planning period, I will be PLANNING!  I’m glad to be at a school that will allow me to do that. Other schools have things for the teachers to do every day during their planning periods. ...

I haven’t written in a few days again. I really hope that when I get back to work next week, I will get back to writing here every day.   Yes! I go back to work next week. I’m excited and scared. It’s the same thing I did last year at the same school. I’m not scared, just anxious. New kids. New co-workers. New boss.     I have open house at for my kids on Thursday evening. The Princess has Open House at her new school next Thursday also. We are going to have to work that one out.     Monday and Tuesday of this week, I did not feel well. I was so dizzy on Monday that I had to have the Princess to take care of me. I slept for almost 2 hours and felt better. Tuesday I felt much better….just a little residual dizziness. It happens sometimes. I’m afraid to tell my doc because the meds they are suggesting will take me away from driving for 6 months. That means that I won’t be able to get to work.   That’s not good.    I have gotten into ...