Celebrate This Week: Nine Things!

1. Technology win! I lost/misplaced my phone. Find my iPhone wasn't working. I googled "find my iPhone not working" and when I found my phone, I checked the settings in iCloud to discover that Find my iPhone had been turned off.  I have no idea how that happened (I think there are gremlins at work here), but I turned this very necessary feature back ON. 

2. Another technology win! I was headed to a movie, I was on the bus (trying to meet up with my husband downtown), and my phone battery was low. Ryan has shown me several times how to use the Low Power Mode feature. I opened up settings, felt overwhelmed, but continued to scroll down, found Battery, and then clicked on that Low Power Mode button. Score! And I did it all by myself.

3. Movie share! We saw Champions (Campeones) as part of the Seattle International Film Festival. If feel-good and family friendly are movie adjectives that appeal to you, watch for this Spanish movie when it comes to a theater near you. It's currently Spain's biggest box office hit of 2018. The real champions are the ten disabled people who make up the basketball team. The director attended our showing and hosted a Q&A after the showing.

4. Assigned reading pages! In order to finish the two books I'm reading for my upcoming book clubs next week, I've assigned myself daily reading goals. So far I've met the goal except for yesterday when I got so absorbed by The Leavers that I kept reading past the 26 page assigned reading and failed to fulfill my 20 assigned pages in The Handmaid's Tale. Both books are tough reads, so I'm looking forward to something lighter soon. 

5. Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry! I'm on page 41 of 90 pages. This is my dessert book when I fulfill assigned reading pages. Kathleen shared this book with me the last time I stopped by the middle school library. It's one of her childhood favorites which she recently located after not knowing the title for years. The novel is the basis for John Sayles's classic film The Secret of Roan Inish (a family favorite).  I'm delighted that Kathleen shared this book with me. I need to finish it this weekend since next week is the last week of school. Who knows what evil may befall me if I don't get it returned?

6. About fifty books off my shelves! Our ladies group at church is having a Books and Brunch gathering this morning. Everyone was invited to bring a book or two to share. I find it difficult to purge books, but when I know that they are going to a good home, it's a bit easier. Downsizing is part of our ten year plan, so I will have to continue this effort. Good to know that I can do it in stages.

7. Grandmas and grands at story time!  Jack and I enjoyed a play date with Natalie and Coleen at Island Books on Wednesday. Good friend Coleen, who now lives in Canada, was in town while Natalie's parents are traveling.

8. Friday fun! I love watching these two have fun together on Friday mornings. 

They made a movie for Teddy at the playground and received a movie back from him.

9.  904th post! Last Saturday's Celebrate post was my 900th post, but it slipped by me. So today I'm celebrating 900+ posts and all the good friends I've made on this journey that began when I timidly joined the Slice of Life challenge with my students in 2012.