Annette Talbert's Blog
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Aug.23.2011
The more I know, the less I understand, all the things I thought I knew, I'm learning again, I've been tryin' to get down to the heart of the matter, but my will gets weak, and my thoughts seem to scatter, but I think it's about forgiveness~ Don Henley, The Heart of the Matter
Writing...
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Aug.22.2011
The night before the first day of school. We are poised on the brink of the unknown.
On the eve of my eleventh year as a classroom teacher I want to share a brief note that was sent to me this evening.
First a little background. Twenty-six years ago I was beginning my first year as an elementary...
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Aug.21.2011
The Transformation – You conquer the fears that tried to kill your spirit in the Abyss. You have revelations about who you are and what you want out of life. You make peace with who you were when you were younger and less enlightened. You shed your old skin and emerge from your tests as a stronger...
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Aug.19.2011
The Challenges – You stumble on your new path. You get lost as you try to rewrite your life or adjust to your new circumstances. Your challenges often reflect your greatest weakness. They cause you to thinking about scurrying back to the old you.~ from The Hero's Journey
Well I stumbled and I...
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Aug.17.2011
The Threshold (guardians, helpers, mentor) – You reach the jumping-off point, but you come across guardians, who seek to block your path. You must overcome these threshold guardians. You will often find helpers and a mentor to help you do this. These new friends are kindred spirits for your journey...
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Aug.16.2011
The Call – you feel that your current life is not enough. You feel restless, dissatisfied. A crisis or series of crises may crop up, forcing you to reexamine your priorities and life path.
~ from "The Hero's JourneyThe call came when I was in my late thirties. I was a stay-at-home mom for a...
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Aug.15.2011
We go through many, many adolescences in our lives. But if you continue to mature as you age, you will go through minor “adolescences of the spirit” at least every decade. ~Laurie Halse Anderson
No truer words have been written. I've survived two adolescent phases since my teens and I'm in the...
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Aug.13.2011
What a difference a day makes.
I woke up this morning early, thankful that yesterday was past. I pulled out my yoga mat and sat quietly facing the sun. I wanted to be still and reflect on the whirlwind of the last 24 hours.
As I sat meditating, feeling the sun warm my face, I became aware of an...
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Aug.12.2011
I believe in miracles, because I received one today.
I went to work this morning and had a very productive day. My colleague and I were finally able to get into our shared workspace and unpack all of our gear. There is nothing a teacher loves more than feathering her nest!
I had a lovely lunch with...
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Aug.11.2011
It was my first day back to school and as I looked around the room I was feeling pretty confident.
What a sharp contrast from last year. Seventeen of us survived the first year. We are the minority in a sea of new faces. We are recognized as the warriors; survivors of Year One.
During the our...
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Aug.10.2011
How I spent my summer vacation...
Do you remember having to write that essay on the first day of school?
I spent my vacation rediscovering the joy of writing. Writing makes me so happy. For as long as I can remember ideas and thoughts have bounced around in my brain like the old Pong game. They...
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Aug.09.2011
The waning days of summer....
The kids were up and moving early this morning. Both of them headed to school to get their class schedules, their locker assignments and new ID's. We are all getting closer to the beginning of another school year.
My summer ends on Wednesday when I return for my...
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Aug.08.2011
I am finally on vacation, a mere three days before I head back to my teaching job.
I didn't have a lot of time (or cash) to travel, so I headed to the beach. I am staying on one of the most unspoiled beaches I have ever seen, Jekyll Island.
Jekyll Island was a remote, island where some of the...
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Aug.07.2011
Just for today,I'm going to shut out the chaos, and side step the drama.
Just for today,I'm going to quiet the negative voices that echo through my brain.
Just for today,I'm going to power down, and sit with the silence.
Just for today,I'm going to look in the mirror and see the beauty of my face....
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Aug.05.2011
Ok, I am going to make an admission- I dye my hair.It's pure vanity, I know, but the gray is spreading faster than crab grass across my scalp. I didn't inherit the good hair genes, I got the early graying ones.
I went blonde in high school. My hair had been a reddish- blonde, but I had moved to...
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I'm digesting the changes in my life, and sometimes it gives me heartburn.”
About Annette
I grew up with five siblings in a working class neighborhood outside Washington, D.C. I have been writing or telling stories in some form or another for many years. As my old life was dismantled, I found journal writing and later blogging to be the release I...
Connections
Causes Annette Talbert Supports
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, RIF (Reading is Fundamental),
Hands On Foundation, Dignity U Wear, Girls, Inc.
Annette’s Favorite Books
To Kill a Mockingbird, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Jane Eyre, The Story of Seabiscuit, The Diaries of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Among Schoolchildren, Narnia Series...