I recently received a chain email titled “Enough!” My initial reaction was that my friend was frustrated with something. Then I read the email below:

ENOUGH: 
Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, ‘I love you, and I pray you enough.’ 

The daughter replied, ‘Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I pray you enough, too, Mom.’ 

They kissed, and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, ‘Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?’ 

Yes, I have,’ I replied. ‘Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?’ 

‘Well…I’m not as young as I once was, she lives so far away & has her own busy life. I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral,’ she said. 

‘When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, ‘I pray you enough.’ May I ask what that means?’ 

She began to smile. ‘That’s a prayer that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.’ She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. ‘When we said, ‘I pray you enough,’ we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.’ 

Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory. 

I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear. 

I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more. 

I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting. 

I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger. 

I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. 

I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. 

I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye. 

Then, she began to cry, and walked away. 

They say, it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire life to forget them. 

I see the poetic language and word choice in the email above, and I wonder… what is “just enough” for you?

Click on the comment link below and write your own “Enough” poem for 5-10 extra credit points.

In class, we have been writing poetry, studying common poetry forms and analyzing the language used when writing poetry, but the best way to learn about poetry is to learn from the poets we love most. For 5 extra credit points, please share some of the poems you like most. For an additional 5 extra credit points, share your thoughts about the poem. Why is the poem an inspiration to you as a writer? Do you notice any thing special about the poet’s word choice or the poem’s structure. For yet another 5 points, try to “mirror” the poets style and voice with a poem of your own. That’s 15 extra credit points total! I can’t wait to see which poems influence you most!

Here’s my try. Remember the poem I read in class? It was called “Why Do I Love You” by Roy Croft

Here’s another look at the poem:

WHY DO I LOVE YOU? by Roy Croft

I love you… Not only for what you are,
But for what I am when I am with you.

I love you… Not only for what you have made of yourself,
But for what you are making of me.

I love you… For ignoring the possibilities of the fool in me
And for laying firm hold of the possibilities for good.

Why do I love you?

I love you… For closing your eyes to the discords
And for adding to the music in me by worshipful listening.

I love you…
Because you are helping me to make of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern, but a temple;
And out of the words of my every day, not a reproach, but a song.

I love you…
Because you have done more than any creed to make me happy.

You have done it, without a word, without a touch, without a sign.
You have done it just by being yourself.
After all, perhaps that is what love means.

My try:

Why Do I Love You, Kylie Grace?

I love you… not only for being born,

But for inspiring a rebirth in me.

I love you…not only because of your silly laugh,

But for the laughter you have brought into my life.

I love you…for bringing out the best in me,

And for doing this even at 3am in the morning.

Why do I love you?

I love you… for forgiving when I leave you,

And for the joyful squeals when we’re back together.

I love you…

Because you are helping me to see the world as

Not a war torn planet, but a playground;

And out of the actions of my every day, not a chore, but a gift.

I love you…

Because the world is a better place with you in it.

You have done this, with your gentle hugs, your daddy’s eyes, your endless wonder.

You have done it just by being my daughter.

After all, perhaps that is what love means.

Now you try!

In a recent series of mini-lessons, we’ve learned about Word Choice — the ability to pick the perfect words to fit your message. We’ve talked about dead verbs, sensory details, figurative language, using a thesaurus, and avoiding overused words like good, fun, said, and got. The thing is… writers who celebrate word choice do so using voice and what I like to call “soul” in their writing.

As we wrap up Black History Month, I can’t think of a better way to honor the achievements of African Americans than to listen and discuss the works of two very talented African American writers — Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes. Both of these writers write with passion and soul, and they show that the perfect word choice comes naturally when you write from the heart.

Listen and watch these two videos, the first a video interpretation of Langston Hughes “Dreams” poem, and the second a narrative video using Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise.” As you listen, think about what makes each of these pieces stand out.

For up to 10 extra credit points:

A. Answer one or more of the following questions using the comment button below this blog entry.

~What makes these pieces stand out?

~What words or devices do the authors use to convey their feelings and thoughts in writing?

~Now that we’ve studied word choice, do you notice anything about the words these authors have chosen to use?

~Share your thoughts about these poems. What did you think?

~Did these authors give you ideas or techniques you would like to use in your writing?

OR

B. Write a poem of your own inspired by the poems below. Include an explanation of how the poems inspired you (structure, pattern, word choice, topic, ideas, etc.)

Langston Hughes “Dreams”

Dreams
By Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

Maya Angelou “Still I Rise”

Still I Rise

by Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s miraculously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

Click on the link below the picture  to see a special Christmas message from the Farnums.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9593381644

As most of you know, our daughter, Kylie Grace, has changed our lives in so many ways. This weekend my husband and I found ourselves searching youtube.com for “kiddie-friendly” videos. We were especially interested in videos with Elmo as Kylie Grace loves anything Elmo. We were thrilled when we came across the following video clip of Elmo singing “Time to Say Goodnight” with Andrea Bocelli.

 This song is a take off of Bocelli’s duet with Sarah Brightman in the song “Time to Say Goodbye”

andrea_bocelli___sarah_brightman_-_time_to_say_goodbye.mp3 (song)

or you can view a video of Bocelli and Brightman

 It ends up that Elmo is quite popular with musicians — so popular, in fact, that many artists are completely rewriting their lyrics for Elmo.

Here's another example... Elmo with the GooGoo Dolls

And Norah Jones…

Suddenly, the thought crossed my mind…this is a great lesson in writing for different audiences (children) and from different perspectives (point of view).

Do YOU think YOU can take a popular song and rewrite its lyrics using Elmo’s point of view and children as your audience? Give it a try under the comments link below.

In my opinion, we all have secrets and things about us others don’t know. It may be that we have a hidden talent or don’t share our worries with others. It may be that we have hopes and dreams we don’t dare share with others, or we’re just hoping that someone special will come along and notice us “leaking”. No matter what, all of us have parts of us we share and parts of us we hide.

Does this quote make you think of someone you know? Yourself?

For 10 Extra Credit points in English or Writing Workshop, write about a person (this can be you) whom this quote makes you think of. Don’t forget to explain why. Simply click on the comments button below to add your entry to our blog and earn extra credit.

 In Education World’s “Pass the Buck” Internet/email project, students track the journey of one-dollar bills as they are passed from person to person, community to community, and state to state. Fifty classrooms will act as “Buck Passers”; each Buck Passer classroom will place into circulation a specially marked one-dollar bill. In the months that follow, people who receive one of the Pass the Buck dollar bills will report its location to Education World — and we will share that information with students everywhere by updating our “Track the Bucks” pages.

Our school has been selected to represent the state of California for this project. I have the buck, now I just need a student to do the honors of passing it into the community. There is a catch… or a hook… or a lead… or a grabber… in order to determine who gets to pass the buck, I am challenging you to a lead writing contest.

 In sixth grade, we just finished a unit on how to write effective leads, hooks and grabbers. Use your knowledge of different types of leads, what you’ve learned about your own strengths as a lead writer (through our lead writing activity), and your imagination to come up with the first few sentences of a story. The only requirement is that your lead must help us begin a story based on our “traveling Bill.”

 Questions? Email Mrs. Farnum. Interested in submitting an entry? Write your lead idea on our blog to enter by clicking on the comments below and leaving a reply. Good luck…let’s pass that buck!

Mrs. L’Amour sent me the following adorable video –actually a Sprite commericial. Take a look…

http://artofwriting.edublogs.org/files/2007/02/sprite-love_cute_commercial_1.mpg

Now, I had two different thoughts when I viewed this video. As a mom-to-be and wife of a “tough-guy” Marine, I can easily see my husband throwing image and caution to the wind and being swept away by our little girl. Afterall, he is a big softy. I think this video shows just one image of what loves looks like.

 My other thought was of what it’s like to be a middle schooler. In the moment when the dad opens the door for his friends, I recognized immediately that feeling of being awkward, realizing that others might not understand the very thing that makes us happy. Sometimes that’s what it’s like as a middle schooler. There are things about you that make you different –things you enjoy or love that might not fit with the stereotypes that bind us –and at this age, it can be hard to hold our heads up high and be proud of those things. Sometimes it’s hard to be proud of who we are.

 I think one of the best parts of this video is the father’s slight smile at the end. He realizes what they must think, and he’s able to smile about it and enjoy the awkwardness of the situation.

 Does this remind you of moments at school or being a middle schooler? What can we do to make it so ALL middle school students can smile, enjoy their individuality and celebrate the awkward moments? Why is it important to be proud of who we are? Any thoughts? Add a comment below for extra credit.

 Creative writing idea: try to describe what love looks like for you. Add your description through the comments below for extra credit.

Mrs. Farnum

As we celebrate Black History Month, we also learn about the life and legacy of one of the United States’ greatest peace keepers - Martin Luther, King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a famous speech titled, “I Have a Dream” in which he detailed his hopes for the future of America and the world.

Click here to read his speech.

 Click here to hear/see his speech.

Based on books you’ve read, your personal experience, and the news in the world today, what is your dream for America’s future? Add your own “I Have a Dream” blog and earn up to 20 extra credit points in Language Arts.

Mrs. Scalleat just emailed me the cutest email titled “What Love Means to 4-8 Year Olds.” As I read over the list of descriptions written by young children, I couldn’t help but think about their word choice, voice and ability to cut through complicated thoughts and get straight to the point. Below is the content of the email. As sixth and eighth graders the concept of love is complicated. Do you think you can cut through the complicated vocabulary and thoughts and give such simple explanations of love? If so, write a comment and give it a try!

 Email: Slow down for three minutes to read this. It is so worth it. Touching words from the mouths of babes.

What does Love mean?
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, “What does love mean?”

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.” Rebecca- age 8

“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.” Billy - age 4

“Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.” Karl - age 5

“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.” Chrissy - age 6

“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.” Terri - age 4

“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.” Danny - age 7 

“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,” Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikkas on this planet)

“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.” Noelle - age 7

“Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.” Tommy - age 6 

 “During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.” Cindy - age 8

“My mommy loves me more than anybody You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.” Clare - age 6

“Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.” Chris - age 7 

“Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day” Mary Ann - age 4

“I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.” Lauren - age 4

“When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.” (what an image) Karen - age 7

“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.” Jessica - age 8

And the final one — Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry” 

When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need.

Welcome to our Art of Writing Blog,

designed to go with our Art of Writing Wiki.

While our Wiki will serve as a reference space,

I found that we also need a space for all of us

to express ourselves as creators of written art.

Please use this blog as a way to share your ideas,

creative writing and develop the craft of writing.