School Days: Class Party!

Heroes Behind Bars, 1980

"I'm sick of school. I hate it. It's like I'm trapped. We just do the same things over and over. It's total busy work. Why can't I drop out? It's not teaching me anything, anyway. Everybody sleeps or sluffs. I can't believe I signed up for these stupid classes for a whole stupid semester. Do you know how boring it is to talk about the same thing for twelve weeks? And what's the big deal about graduating? It's just a stupid piece of paper. I am so done."

Family Council, 1985

"Mom, get a grip. You can't quit school. You're the teacher."

"Oh. Yeah."

I haven't been in school for . . . what's it been? Forty one years? But I recognize this feeling. Senioritis. I began the term with enthusiasm. A new notebook, sharpened pencils, a clean desk, a clean slate. Now I'm dragging, counting weeks, gazing out the window imagining myself with nothing to do. Maybe that's why I ended up with C's when I started out with A's. I'm a poor closer.

Well, that was then. I signed up for this gig and I'm going to finish it, and you are, too. But we need something to jump-start the last three weeks—we need a party.

Stop! Right where you are.

You're invited to a
Come-As-You-Are Halloween Parade

• Get out your phone, your camera, (or your crayons) right this second and take your picture. Absolutely no primping allowed.

• Email it to me: martyhalverson at comcast.net Hook the words together with @ (instead of the word at) like all email addresses.

• Write Goulie Parade in the subject line. Include your first name, and/or blog address. That's it!
  

Send your photos by 10:00 tonight, and you'll be in the Ghoulie Parade tomorrow.

Even if you don't send a picture, come to the party!
(That's your homework.)

All the ghouls will be there.

School Days: Ghoulies Parade

The ghouls are all here. Are you ready, my pretty?

Tiffany at The Would-be Writer's Guild

"She just goes a little mad sometimes.
We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?"

—Norman Bates

Yiota at Shells & Bells & Flowers & Showers

"With shaking hands, Johnny fumbled for the knot
and untied the yellow ribbon around his wife's neck.
And Jane's head fell off."

Alana at jnac chronicles

"An' jist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,
They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side."

Diane at Joyful Reader

"At first cock-crow the ghosts must go
Back to their quiet graves below."

Audrey at Joseph and Audrey

"Why didn't the skeleton cross the road?
He didn't have the guts."

Polly at Polly's Follies

"She screamed.
Her boyfriend leapt out of the car and caught her in his arms.
'What is it? What's wrong?' he shouted.
Then he saw it.
A bloody hook hung from the handle of the car door."


Crissy at Mama Boss

"Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you."

Misty (and AJ) at The Rindy Family

"Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees, 'Tonight is Halloween!'"

Christie at My Favorite Things

"I'll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween."

Kristie at The Resolution

"What do witches put on their hair?
Scarespray."

Marta (and Benji) at mwrites

"Backward, turn backward,
O Time, in your flight
make me a child again
just for to-night!"

Diane at Little Bits of Nothing

"The greenish-white light grew larger,
taking on the shape of his dead wife.
'Give me back my golden hand . . .'
The next morning he was found dead,
with a golden hand clutched around his throat."

Corrie at Mrs. Organic

"What kind of mistakes do spooks make?
Boo boos."


Beck at My Meanderings


Jenny at Formerly Phread

"We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun,
A-list'nin' to the witch tales 'at Annie tells about,


Miranda at 1,2,3 Things

"An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you
Ef you don't watch out!"

(Worse than goblins, you might run into some scary ghouls
from a Come-As-You-Are party.)

Marty at TravelinOma

I hope you've met everyone at the party. Now, it's time to eat, drink and be scary. You'll need a few things for the games:

A roll of TP and a buddy;


Yarn, a broom handle and a Krispy Kreme;


and a bucket of apples.

And, of course, a costume.
I'm praying you have a
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

*Next week we'll have Class Presentations every day. Maybe you'll be called on!


School Days has open enrollment so join anytime. No make-up work required! If you're new, click here for an orientation.

Book Shelf Seminar: Mother Goose

Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose

Ten reasons why Mother Goose is my Hero.

1. She's old but still productive.
2. She compiles historic events, political cartoons and accounts of daily life into easy-to-remember rhymes.
3. She understands women who have so many children they don't know what to do.
4. She says, "Leave them alone, and they will come home..."
5. She's loved by children and trusted by adults.
6. She encourages Merry Old Souls.
   
7. She has a healthy fear of spiders.
8. She has an antidote for stress: "Bake me a cake as fast as you can!"
9. She gives wise marriage counseling. (Refer to Jack Sprat)
   
10. She might be made up, and she might be real, but she's worthwhile either way.

Last Halloween.

Extra touches:

"Diddle Diddle Dumpling....went to bed with his stockings on, one shoe off and one shoe on..."

"Ladybug, Ladybug, fly away home..."

"Lucy Locket lost her pocket..."

OK. She's not Winston Churchill, Sheri Dew or Eleanor Roosevelt. But I bet you quote Old Mother Goose occasionally. How else would you remember how many days April has?

Do you have a favorite version of Mother Goose?





The Real Mother Goose







Mother Goose



Take this quiz to see if you need a refresher course.

1. Who went up the hill?

Mother Goose
Little Boy Blue
Jack and Jill
Simple Simon

2. Who lost her sheep?

Little Bo Peep
Mistress Mary
Mary
Little Miss Muffet

3. Who could eat no lean?

Jack Sprat
Jack Sprat's wife
Mother Goose
Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater

4. Who ran away when the boys came out to play?

Humpty Dumpty
Georgie Porgie
Little Jack Horner
Little Bo Peep

5. Who sat on a wall?

All the King's Horses
Jack Sprat
Mistress Mary
Humpty Dumpty

6. Who was under the haystack fast asleep?

Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe
Humpty Dumpty
Little Boy Blue
Little Jack Horner

7. Whose cupboard was bare?

Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe
Jack Sprat
Old Mother Hubbard
Georgie Porgie

8. Who had a wife and couldn't keep her?

Little Jack Horner
Old King Cole
Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater
Jack Sprat

9. Who called for his pipe, bowl and fiddlers?

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater
Simple Simon
Humpty Dumpty
Old King Cole

10. Who lived in a shoe?

Little Old Woman
Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater
Old King Cole
Jack Sprat

My Very First Mother Goose

Homework: Do any or all or be inspired.

~If you dressed up as one of your heroes, who would it be? List 10 reasons why.

~See how many nursery rhymes you can recite to a baby you know.

~Who are three of your favorite children's book illustrators?


*If you do any part of this assignment on your blog, please link it back to TravelinOma and provide proper attribution. Leave a comment here (with a link to your homework if you want to share it) and/or a link to your blog (so we can get to know you.) School Days has open enrollment so join anytime. No make-up work required! If you're new, click here for an orientation.

Travel Studies Seminar: Sidewalks of New York

This is a tour with all the trimmings.

Button up,

Because we're not taking a cab;

We'd miss too much.



Architecture,



Art,


Revolving doors to pricey jewels,

And open doors to pricey junk.



New York's finest guard the sidewalks,

But you might see some weird tourists!

Homework: Do any or all or be inspired:

~Make a list of things you'd like to do on a rainy day. Ideas: Learn to play chess, teach the kids to make paper airplanes, clean out the fridge, watch Singin' in the Rain and dance around with a yellow umbrella. Now, prepare a rainy-day-kit with the stuff you need. Wait for it to rain.

~Walk around your neighborhood and take pictures of the little things. Now, create a Bingo card with the photos (or just write your discoveries on a list.) Get a few flashlights and go on a scavenger hunt for your Halloween Party. When you get home, shape Pillsbury refrigerator biscuits into donuts, fry them and drizzle with icing. Serve with the hot spiced cider that's making your house smell so good.

~Carve up some pumpkins to trim your own sidewalk. (These were made by scraping the pumpkin thin in spots, without cutting all the way through.) Take a million photos and post them on your blog. Now, wash the pumpkin seeds, spread them on a cookie sheet, toast them in the oven for a few minutes, and sprinkle with salt.

~Skip Halloween altogether and go to New York City!

*If you do any part of this assignment on your blog, please link it back to TravelinOma and provide proper attribution. Leave a comment here (with a link to your homework if you want to share it) and/or a link to your blog (so we can get to know you.) School Days has open enrollment so join anytime. No make-up work required! If you're new, click here for an orientation.