The Art of Coloring

I love to color. Yes, I know this is considered a childish past time, but I love it all the same; and apparently I'm not alone since there seem to be hundreds of coloring books geared toward adults. There is something meditative about the repetitive motion of coloring coupled with the detailed patterns in "grown up" pictures. (Not to mention they make excellent decoration in a classroom, office cubicle, or home.) In addition, when I'm done with a beautiful coloring page, I feel like I've produced a piece of art (even though I didn't do anything but stay inside the lines). There's also a sense of accomplishment that hearkens back to the grade school look-what-I-did days. Whenever I'm down, or bored, or I just need some quiet time to think - a coloring book soothes my soul.

Some of my favorites are those marked as "stained glass" books, which means the artwork (ranging from Tiffany designs and fabulous church windows to fantasy fairies and kaleidoscopic geometrics) is printed on a vellum that becomes transparent when placed against a light source. Thus, once colored these pages can be taped to a window to produce the effect of poor man's stained glass. This works particularly well in classrooms where the windows - if present - are generally too high to see the scenery or in the door to the hallway where passing students can stop and wave at their friends. I imagine office doors or any place with an unpleasant view but lots of light would also be good display areas.

In addition, coloring book designs can easily double as clip art for decoupage projects. (It's best to reduce them on a copier first, though.) Several years back a vehicle coloring book I purchased at Walmart for about three dollars became the decorative theme for my (then) young son's room. I reduced the drawings of cars and trucks, filled them in with colored pencils, and applied them to an old (repainted) chest of drawers with clear glue and sealer. Then, I used the regular sized drawings to cut stencils for painting a border on the wall. Finally, I colored the actual pictures and put them in inexpensive dollar store frames before a hanging them around the room. More sophisticated designs - especially realistic botanicals - could be used in the same way for "grown up" rooms.

Lately, I used a floral alphabet coloring book to create a poster for my office as well as a fancy name decoration for my door at school. (I used a long strip of black butcher paper as background for the letters in MEDLOCK, which I colored and cut out. After gluing the letters on the paper, I had it laminated for durability.) Everyone who walks by my room wants to know where I bought (or for those who know me better - how I made) the name sign. Several other teachers have requested one for their doors, too. (Though, all that coloring can be a bit labor intensive and time consuming.)

In addition to the great artwork available in today's color books, the variety of pens and pencils is almost endless. While colored pencils give projects more of a water color look (especially if used with the "stained glass" designs), Sharpie markers provide deep, saturated colors that create a stunning contrast against a penciled background. (Sharpies are especially conducive to coloring projects because they are relatively inexpensive when compared to art markers, they come in fine tip versions that make it easy to color the details, they come in a wide variety of colors, and they last a long time.) Another excellent coloring choice is the gel pen. These, too, provide an interesting contrast with pencils and Sharpies - especially the glitter variety. Unfortunately, they come in limited colors and don't last very long so it is best to use them on small parts of the project you want to draw attention to. (Remember, too, that you'll be able tell which direction you colored when the project is finished, so it's best to pick one and stick with it.)

There are many places to find these artsy coloring books. Book stores, craft stores, and toy stores generally carry a small selection. While on vacation, I frequently find interesting books at museums and tourist attractions. Of course, Amazon also has a large selection - just type in "art coloring books" as your key words and see what pops up.

Bibliophile's Nightmare

I'm beginning to believe that technology will truly be the downfall of civilization as we know it. Don't get me wrong, I'm generally as techy as the next 46-year-old woman; I own an Ipod, a netbook, a smart phone, and an e-reader. But last week opened my eyes to the pitfalls of too much electronic information. You see, last week my student teacher and I accompanied all five English classes to the library to complete a short research assignment. (Mind you, we completed the long research project first semester; this is just review heading into the end of the year.) Before our scheduled days, Meg (the student teacher), reviewed source cards and note cards with the kiddies. Much to her (and my) dismay, several students in each class enquired, "What's a call number?" when she pointed out the elements of a source card drawn on the board. (Wait - it gets better.) When Meg explained that a call number is the series of letters and numbers on the spine of a book identifying its placement on the library shelves, one kid said - and I quote - "What's the spine of a book?" Ultimately it took showing the kids a library book to explain a call number and its use. "I read everything on line," was the standard response upon questioning this serious gap in knowledge.

Alas, that seems to be true for many of the students, since my consternation only deepened after spending two days in the library with the freshmen (in particular, though the juniors weren't much better). When another teacher and I designed the previous research project we allowed students to use online resources which are plentiful and excellent since our district subscribes to a number of databases and services. At the time, we did not require them to use print sources because many of ours are out of date and students were researching current issues. Thus we decided that this little essay - which is about Elizabethan England - should include print sources only to give the kids some practice citing them using MLA format. Little did we know that the challenge for the cherubs would not be how to cite the sources, but rather how to find and use them.

When our classes arrived in the library (now-a-days referred to as a "media center") our specialist (an extremely nice lady who is paid hourly to mind the media center since all the certified librarians were axed in budget cuts two years ago) had kindly pulled some resources for the kids. She (and I and Meg) explained to them, however, that more books were on the shelf and that the reference section in particular held many treasures dealing with the Elizabethan period. So...immediately the students made mad grabs for the books on the cart (because they either couldn't be bothered or didn't know how to locate other sources) and whined (loudly) when they couldn't find the specific information being sought. One boy, in particular, was adamant that his topic (life at court) wasn't in any of the books.
"Mrs. Medlock," he simpered. "My topic is too hard. There's nothing here."
"Where did you look?" I asked.
"Everywhere!" he pouted, as I picked up a large, glossy book entitled Life in Renaissance England.
"Did you try this one?" I replied.
"Yes!" he nodded vigorously.
"Show me," I said, handing him the book.
"Show you what?"
"Show me where you looked in there." (I suppose I should point out that I already knew some of the information he sought was in this book since I had helped a student in an earlier hour with the same topic.) The boy flipped open the book and began quickly leafing through it trying to scan the page headings as he went. "See!" he ended triumphantly, as if he had outsmarted both me and the book.
"Did you try the index?" I asked.
"The table of contents doesn't have anything listed. It's done in sections by decade," he answered.
"O.K.," I said. "But did you look at the index?"
"What's an index?" he asked seemingly bewildered that there might be some way to find information in a book other than looking at every page. After I had similar exchanges with several students throughout the day, I decided a mini-lesson on the parts of a book was in order. This did seem to help some, but a few kids acted like the whole idea was useless information because they could just Google the topic and come up with hundreds of websites. Unfortunately, trying to explain to them that Joe Blow's take on Queen Elizabeth I may or may not be accurate is like talking to a brick wall. They seem to have this deep-seated idea that everything they read on the internet must be true. (Of course, some local libraries aren't helping our cause at all. For example, the Queen Creek branch of the Maricopa County Library doesn't even have call numbers on the books. They are arranged in sections by general topics or types so people can just browse through them instead of locating a specific book in the catalog. This layout is supposed to be "friendlier" to library patrons.)

By the end of the last week Meg and I were ready to beat our heads against the wall. I'm not sure what she did over the weekend, but it took me a couple of martinis and a good book - one actually printed on paper - to regain some semblance of sanity.

A Room of My Own

In 1929 Virginia Woolf posited that in order for a woman to be a successful writer she needed money and a room of her own - both literally and figuratively. I wonder if she could imagine what women's lives are like today. As I discussed Women's History Month (which began in 1978 as Women's History Week in Sonoma County, CA, and grew to nationally recognized Women's History Month in 1987) with my students, I pondered all the ways in which I have been granted a room of my own.

Unlike Woolf, who was denied a formal education because of her sex (Her dad only believed in educating his sons.), I have had the opportunity to earn two college degrees and then some. While only privileged women from progressive families attended college just 80 some years ago, by 2004 women earned 58% of bachelor's degrees in America (which shows a drastic increase from the 35% figure of 1960). Woolf contended that having an excellent education was a pathway for women to become successful members of society. The years I spent in college provide wonderful memories of fun, but also of thought-provoking discussions and honest constructive criticism. Without a doubt, my life has been enriched and empowered through education which has opened doors to rooms I didn't even know existed when I was young.

Another of Woolf's basic tenets is independence. Although happily married for 17 years (with a kid, a mortgage, and too many pets counting on me), I still feel a sense of independence because I could walk away from any of it. This is not to say I long to be unattached to my responsibilities; it is simply a fact. Today, women have the right and the means to leave whomever or whatever they wish - a thought that might have been foreign to our sisters just a hundred years ago. In one sense, having a good job, being able to make touch decisions, learning to live with the consequences - all the joys and sorrows independence brings - is the best room of my own, since it can never be taken away.

In a literal (and a literary) sense, another important room is my office. (Yes, Jeff and I just combined our spaces, but only to create a craft room completely devoted to my follies and whims, which means I actually have a room-and-a-half -- something I'm sure dear Virginia would envy.) Even in half an office, the space is totally mine complete with note boards and doodle art, an executive chair and laptop, favorite books and colorful stationery. Each of these little things provides a sense of comfort and purpose that allows me to concentrate on filling blank pages before me.

While I recognize that many women still do not receive equal pay for equal work and that a corporate and political glass ceiling exists, I'm thankful for strides taken by women during every decade of the 20th century and those who continue to work for equality. While we - as women and society as a whole - have paid a price for our daring, the benefits far out weigh the cost.

A Week Off

Last week spring break afforded me some time away from school. While I had the best intentions of working on a new book, that project seemed to fall by the wayside as Jeff and I undertook revamping our office spaces before our ambition spilled into the living room.

We started with Jeff's office - which we now share because it frees up my old office for a dedicated craft room, something I've long yearned for. New Brazilian cherry laminate floors went down to match the flooring in the rest of the upstairs. In the beginning, there was some trepidation about whether or not we could install the floors. (Notice I say "we" when I really mean "Jeff.") I said he could do it without too much trouble and  (fool that he sometimes is) he took my word for it. Actually, though the flooring did take the most time of all the projects, he did a great job and didn't even swear (much). Of course, before the flooring went down, we repainted the room an icy blue called "spring spritz." It only took two coats to cover the warm garnet red on the walls and bring a feeling of space and coolness to the room. After the paint and the floors, moving furniture in was the easy part. Of course, giving my desk a new home allowed me to rethink my work space, so I took the opportunity to hang several note boards (where I've already started planning novel chapters) and a colorful piece of artwork while shedding some of the distracting clutter.

Once the office was finished, we followed the same plan of attack in the craft room. This time, while Jeff was putting in the flooring I did some work on an old desk to create a home for my sewing machine. The desk began life as part of French provincial girl's bedroom set (and not even a particularly good one since it is about half wood and half particle board with veneer). When I picked up this diamond in the rough at an auction last fall for $5, the legs were a little wobbly, but some wood glue and a few smacks toward realignment fixed them right up. I spent about $15 on a no-sand primer and high gloss paint (which I still have half of to use on another project). Once completed, this dirty, yellowed, rickety desk became a clean, bright sewing machine cabinet with storage drawers for all kinds of little notions. When the bookcases went back in, I had culled many items for a Goodwill stack along with moving actual texts to the new library area in the living room, so the shelves afford plenty of storage space for future projects. A small, easily movable table provides room for scrap booking or cutting fabric.

As the week drew to a close, I was content to finish the two smaller rooms we had planned for, but (alas) Jeff had grown greedy and wanted to tackle the living room as well. So, Saturday morning found us painting that room and Sunday brought a trip to IKEA for some slip-covered furniture to fill in the newly emptied space.

While the major portion of these rooms is complete, finishing touches are still needed here and there. For example, Jeff has to swap out the red CD boxes for the black and white ones we purchased, and I'm still waiting for the slip covers I ordered for the upholstered chairs in the office and craft room. In addition, there is an empty wall in the living room waiting for Jeff's instrument collection, and we haven't picked up new draperies to go with the plantation blinds, yet. (Penney's is having a sale though!) All in all, though, we feel our break was productive and gave us an excellent start on refurbishing the house. We plan to continue the color throughout the upstairs and add some kitchen upgrades to boot. Wish us luck!



Here's one before and after shot of the living room.
Check out the rest of the photos on Facebook.



The Business of Writing

As far back as I can recall I believed I would one day write the great American novel. In my fantasy world of fame and fortune, publicists booked speaking engagements and signings along with black tie events to celebrate this fabulous achievement while throngs of fans sent cards and letters which my personal assistants (yes, plural) waded through in my stead. I think many people have these kinds of daydreams about being a famous writer. Unfortunately, the reality of trying to make a living with the pen (or the keyboard these days) is starkly different.

I've spent the last couple of weeks immersing myself in books, articles, and online advice in pursuit of my publishing dreams. Much of it is familiar - especially the how-to-write sorts of pieces, since I spend my days telling kids many of the same things about their essays - but the business end of it is completely alien. Yes, basic business sense of keeping books straight, saving receipts, and dealing with taxes hasn't changed alot, but the idea of self-promotion is something I never considered.

Numerous articles about getting a first book in print advise writers to develop a platform and internet presence long before submitting the manuscript. I have to admit that I've failed in this respect since I have neither. I'm trying to enlist the hubby's help with this, but he's as clueless as I am. I've looked at several free web page sites, but dislike the idea of advertising constantly running across the top of the screen if someone logs on to my page. (Insert heavy sigh here.) How much is too much to pay for a beginning site? How much space do I need? Which web hosts are reliable and good business partners? Just the idea of building and maintaining a website could be a full time job on its own, but wait - I already have one of those revolving around 150 kids.

In addition, there is a good deal of exhortation to attend writing conferences where personal contacts are made with publishing reps, editors, and agents. Like the website, this makes good business sense, but also takes money and time. You see the catch-22 of course, it takes time and money to build a successful writing business (just as it does for every business), but when the money comes from a full-time job the time is scarce. I'm not sure what to do, but I know I'm not giving up. (I'm tired of waiting for opportunity to knock, so I'm out looking for him!)

To cap all these ideas swirling round my brain, I received my first rejection letter  (from an agent) this weekend. (Don't be sad; I have a backup plan in place.) My first reaction was, "Of course she rejected it." But that thought was fleeting, because the letter was not a form; it was a personalized note with an encouraging tone. The gist of the letter was that while my manuscript was not what this particular agent was looking for, she believed I would find someone to represent me. From everything I've read about rejections, this is kind of note is the cream of the crop because it not only acknowledged that a human being was on the receiving end, but it did not say the writing was poor. (As far as I can glean there are three kinds of rejection: impersonal form letter; harsh critique; encouraging in some way.) And, really, no one expects to get an agent or publisher on her first try.

That said, I am still hopeful - an attitude I attribute to a book called Making a Literary Life by Carolyn See. While this gem of a volume was published in 2002, it found its way to my hands only a few weeks ago. In it, the author discusses how to build a literary life in today's world wherever you happen to be. Like many good books, I felt Ms. See was speaking directly to me, and I began believing (once again) that I could make my living as a writer. This will probably entail learning how to create a website, attending writer's conferences, hobnobbing with publishing types, shameless self-promotion, and writing a good many articles in addition to the books I hope to produce (though without expectation of the great American novel). In addition to hope, this book gave me the courage to look at writing as a job - something I haven't done since my reporter days at The Mountain Press. So, I've made a schedule for myself outlining a set of tasks to be accomplished each day of the week. My thought is that if I treat this business of writing as a business, it might stop being just a hobby.

Time and Time, Again

This year the talk at school has been about how to "remove time from the equation" meaning how to help kids who get a concept more slowly than others by giving them extra time and support to work through the process without penalizing them. In theory this sounds good, and I can even see how it will work (to some extent) in the classroom. However, as I've discovered over and over again this year, time is a factor in our lives that cannot be ignored. While there are many words of wisdom that proclaim (in one way or another) that time is relative, I'm not buying it. My life revolves around a clock - time is of the essence for me every single day. After all, the bell rings and class starts; the bell rings again and it ends. Five minutes later, another class period starts. Eventually we get to lunch - at a specific and preordained time every day - and we reach the end of the break. The bell rings a few more times and the day is over, sort of. Tutoring time comes next; music lessons come later, along with club meetings, staff meetings, and department meetings. Messages pop up on my phone at 15 to 20 minute intervals with reminders of where I should be and with whom I should be speaking. Whew! Then, by the time we get home, it's time for supper, a load of laundry, checking e-mail, and maybe watching a little television before my head hits the pillow.

All of this talk of time and scheduling does, indeed, have a point: I feel time (read my life) slipping through my fingers. Lists of what I'd like to do are as long as lists of what I have to do. So, I tried some simplification. Perhaps this blog demands too much of my attention since it is added to the nightly routine of family obligations. Thus, about 10 days ago I called it quits. But, here's the rub - I miss it. I'll admit that my evenings have been calmer, more relaxed without penning a few hundred words every night. I've actually cooked dinner several nights in a row (yes, including pot roast and Mexicali pork chops), which makes everyone in the house happy. I've purchased some scrap booking materials to resume one of my favorite hobbies. I've even managed to sit in the spa sipping a martini three times this week. What I haven't done is write. While these thoughts may not be the great American novel, the act of writing something every day does keep me focused on the task and the page. Perhaps, rather than give up this forum completely, I should just schedule it better. I'm thinking a few nights a week for Cobwebs and Clutter and a few others for working on some fiction. After all, I did manage to do some editing over the last few days, and I am ready to send my first novel out into the world (I think). But I'm also ready to start another project or pull something off the back burner because all those stories won't write themselves and time just keeps ticking away never to be regained.

I wish the educational reforms being batted around at school applied to all of life. I wish time really could be removed from the equation, but perhaps there is a reason we all watch those precious seconds go tick-tock. Perhaps it reminds us that our lives are finite, and so we must accomplish as much as we can while we're here. It would be grand if I could put off that next project until I felt like doing it or stop writing something every day, at least until time caught up with me and it was all gone. The sense of satisfaction at having accomplished something, having finished something, having done something would be denied me. So, here I am, trying once again to find something worthwhile to say, where I always return - time after time.