2016 SOLC 1/31: A Glance Back to Remember

Today I join my fellow bloggers in "serving up a slice" 

to the Tuesday Slice of Life (SOL) community.

Thanks to Stacey, Tara, Betsy, Dana, Beth, and Anna

for hosting this meeting place each Tuesday

and for nurturing our writing lives.

My first slice was written on March 1, 2012.

 The previous day, on February 29, my students encouraged me
to take the leap, to go public and to post my slices on my blog.

My first comment came from Ruth Ayres.

I was over the moon excited!

In 2013, I toasted those who encouraged my writing life

and invited a new group of sixth graders to join me for the challenge:

"You'll find words are waiting for you to write."
I encouraged fellow bloggers with a favorite word, meander, in 2014:
"You'll be amazed at the words that will trigger memories and ideas 
as you allow yourself to meander through March."
I've dreaded getting started this year because I'm missing 
Miss Hadley, my  2015 writing buddy.  
 This is the cat that I had to beg, cajole, and coax for years
to join me for lap time and even then, she often refused. 
Last year, as soon as I reached for my laptop,
Miss Hadley was on the bed, curled beside me and ready for writing time.  
And even though it's been a long year since she left us in April,
some of my sweetest memories are of writing slices with her by my side.
And now it's 2016, my fifth year to participate and slice every day of the month.
I'm excited.  I'm scared.  I'm hopeful.  I'm here.
Let the slicing begin!