Blog Archives

School Is Out ~ What Will You Do?

6/24/2017

Do you have any plans for the summer? We have some general and relaxed visions this year.

I usually have two lists written before Friday of the last week of school - one with the things I plan to accomplish this weekend and another listing my summer goals (WIGS - Wildly Important GoalS).

Before I can even think about creating a list, I need to buy some more chart paper, I used my last one over Spring Break. Yes, I write a to-do-list on chart paper and have it on display for each of my breaks. This is the only way I get anything done. What can I say, it's genetic. My Mom was a list maker too. Any other list addicts out there?

Oops, I got off track, sorry. I don't have my lists written yet but my motivation and ability to do some of the items is limited at the time so I'm puttering on the things I didn't get done for the last week of school.

Instead of beating myself up for not getting certain things done, I plan to prioritize and accomplish these items before making my summer list. "Slow and steady wins the race", right?!

Will you be my accountability partners this week? Leave a comment of what you hope to accomplish by next Monday and we can hold each other accountable. Sound like a plan?

This week's WIGs:

Finish the "Prayer" painting
Finish a gift for a friend that recently lost her sister
Finish my end-of-the-year gift for my students

What are your WIGs for the week?
Share in a comment below so we can be each other's accountability partners.

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T.O.P.'s Tuesday: The Main Thing

6/20/2017

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As I searched for a graphic to include with today's blog, this quote with the binoculars caught my attention. It wasn't until it was large enough for me to see it with more clarity that I realized it is a Stephen Covey quote.

For those not familiar with Stephen Covey, he is responsible for the "Leader In Me" mission in schools across the country. But this is not what I want to share, just a useless tidbit for your next Trivial Pursuit game. (Does anyone still play this game? hmm...I'm very distracted today. lol) Anyway, all the elementary schools in our district are a "Leader In Me" school and the benefits are numerous and too many to include in a single blog posting. To learn more about the Leader In Me, click here.

Anyway, Stephen Covey founded the Leader In Me and he has some powerful quotes that are good for families, corporations, and elementary schools. These are general principles, simple at their core yet profound when you slow down and contemplate them.

Today's quote is "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." Simple, right? Yeah right, how come when we are zoning in on the main thing it is so easy to get distracted and use a wide-angle lens instead of zooming in on our goal, friend, family, task, or whatever?

I don't have the answer but as you think about this, will you share what helps you keep the main thing the main thing? Your advice might save someone hours of looking in the wrong areas.

What helps you keep the
main thing the main thing?

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Happy Father's Day 2017

6/18/2017

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how did you spend your Father's Day today?

I spent some time with my dad working on a project, checking out the squash already starting, and then enjoyed a walk out back to see my mom's Father's Day gift to Dad.

Mom's three rose bushes haven't blossomed or produced much the past two years. The first year because Mom was sick and last year, we just couldn't get to everything. BUT this year, almost over night...not one, but all three of the rose bushes produced too many roses to count. It is a breath of heaven on the Father's Day. I went down with my camera and we just admired them...

Hope it was a memorable day...
make and cherish the memories!!

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Have You Used the Word Closure?

6/13/2017

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"The reality is that we don't forget, move on,
and have closure, but rather we honor,
we remember, and incorporate our deceased
children and siblings into our lives in a new way.
In fact, keeping memories of your loved one
alive in your mind and heart is an
important part of your healing journey."
~ Harriet Schiff, author of The Bereaved Parent

I recently had the opportunity to do an interview with Tamron Hall, host of the "Deadline: Crime with Tamron Hall" show. Sometime in the near future, Tamron will air an hour episode on my sister, Heidi M Allen's kidnapping case. I don' t know everyone or anyone else that was interviewed, the title of the episode, or the air date BUT one thing I do know...Tamron Hall interviewed with integrity, grit, and grace.

Prior to the interview I was nervous because you never know what they will ask, how they will ask the questions, or their goal or hidden agendas. It was comforting to sit with Tamron Hall and relax and share Heidi, the person, my fun-loving, and determined sister. I'm sure the show will cover all aspects of Heidi's kidnapping, the original trials, and current hearings, as they should. Yet I don't have the empty pit in my stomach of their intentions. Their questions focused on the victim, the missing girl, twenty-three years later...still missing.

One of the questions asked was about "closure". Before I could even answer, Tamron shook her head and we had a conversation about this word and the misconception it holds to those who haven't experienced a tragedy. As I thought about this today, I wanted to take a moment to thank Tamron and her crew for being who they said they were and I look forward to seeing their show on Heidi and her kidnapping case. May it be as fair and honest as the interview I participated in.

Closure is a word, not an ending. Heidi is missing...and lives of many are forever changed because of her kidnapping.

What does "closure" mean to you?

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God is Our Defender

6/11/2017

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"How I love you, Lord! You are my defender.
The Lord is my protector; he is my strong fortress.
My God is my protection, and with him I am safe.
He protects me like a shield;
he defends me and keeps me safe.
I call to the Lord, and he saves me from my enemies.
Praise the Lord!"
Psalm 18:1-3 GNT

There are times in life when you can't overthink things and you, we, just need to remember....God has our back and loves each one of us. God loves you! He loves me! God loves everyone!

Think about how much you will defend your own child or a family member, or friend. God defends with even more love, passion, and velocity. Don't let worry get in your way, give it to God.

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Thankful Thursday...For Good Weather

6/1/2017

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It seems like the warmer weather, sunshine, and SPRING has finally arrived. We spent this past weekend raking, weeding, planting, mulching, visiting, walking, and just doing! It was GREAT!

If you live in, or ever have lived in a snowy area then you understand the excitement to be able to get out and "be" and "do"...to VERB!

I'm thankful for time with family and friends over this past holiday weekend and the amount of things we accomplished while making memories and laughing in the process.

Some of the best things in life truly are the little things.

What are you thankful for today?

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One Sister's Journey...
Keeping it Real

School Is Out ~ What Will You Do?

What are your WIGs for the week?
Share in a comment below so we can be each other's accountability partners.

T.O.P.'s Tuesday: The Main Thing

What helps you keep the
main thing the main thing?

Happy Father's Day 2017

Hope it was a memorable day...
make and cherish the memories!!

Have You Used the Word Closure?

What does "closure" mean to you?

God is Our Defender

Thankful Thursday...For Good Weather

What are you thankful for today?

Categories

Archives

No Photographs, for any reason, from this site may be used without written permission from Lisa M Buske. Thank you for respecting this.

One Sister's Journey...Keeping it Real

School Is Out ~ What Will You Do?

What are your WIGs for the week?Share in a comment below so we can be each other's accountability partners.

T.O.P.'s Tuesday: The Main Thing

What helps you keep the ​main thing the main thing?

Happy Father's Day 2017

Hope it was a memorable day...make and cherish the memories!!

Have You Used the Word Closure?

What does "closure" mean to you?

God is Our Defender

Thankful Thursday...For Good Weather

What are you thankful for today?

Categories

Archives

No Photographs, for any reason, from this site may be used without written permission from Lisa M Buske. Thank you for respecting this.

One Sister's Journey...
Keeping it Real

What are your WIGs for the week?
Share in a comment below so we can be each other's accountability partners.

What helps you keep the
main thing the main thing?

Hope it was a memorable day...
make and cherish the memories!!