Just over a week ago, I awoke to learn that Pope Francis had died. Since then, I have been in mourning, feeling like I lost a grandparent whom I looked up to. There have been six popes in my lifetime, but Pope Francis has made the most significant impact on me. Why? Because he walked the talk. As a cradle Catholic, I love the universality of the Church's rites and rituals.

April 15th is Tax Day. They say the only sure things in life are death and taxes. It is a day that people who owe taxes dread and those who receive refunds enjoy. Paying taxes is not the highlight of anyone's financial life, but have you considered the other "taxing" things in your life? While paying taxes might drain our bank accounts, many other things in life drain our "Well-being" accounts.

There is a full moon happening this Saturday, April 12th. It is the Pink Moon, named for the wild ground phlox flower. I love the moon in all phases (except when I teach on the day of the full moon). It is mysterious and romantic. Beth Kempton's SoulCircle (A writing group I belong to on Substack) provides me with a Journal Note each Monday that focuses on one word.

The warmer weather and the start of a new month have made me feel more optimistic than I have in a long time. This month, I look forward to a baby shower, my nephew's wedding, and a gathering with family on Easter Sunday. Armed with a renewed sense of writing energy, I am trying my hand at writing a poem each day, pushing my limits and growing.

The challenge ends today, but I don't want the consistency in my writing practice to end. These past thirty-one days have shown me that I can set and achieve a goal by consistently prioritizing it. I made room each day to write and post. While I know I won't be posting every day, I want to stay connected with the other writers in the community and post on Tuesdays each week.

This format caught my eye during the Slice of Life Challenge, so I wrote it in my notebook to use later. Unfortunately, I don't know whose blog I saw it on because I forgot to write that information down. Whoever you are, thank you for sharing it. Five Things About MeI married my high school sweetheart. We have been together for over 51 years and will be married for 45 years in August.

My day is busy right from the start Yes, it is full, but so is my heart. Today, I get to see all of my Grands Just need to show up and follow the plan. Honors Band Concert Lunch Time to chill Windows open Cool breeze Bird songs Watch the Phillies game Pizza Dairy Queen Puzzle time Kid talk It is a perfect way to spend a Saturday!

Yesterday, Yesterday, franki22 wrote about little surprises; today, I received one! One of my work friends, Kathy C., surprised me with a gorgeous book of poetry. It was the perfect way to end a week of standardized testing that felt more like two weeks. Kathy and I often give each other book recommendations, and we have talked about starting a book club at school but haven't followed through.

It's my favorite day of the year—MLB's OPENING DAY. Baseball makes me nostalgic for simple summer days when arguments were usually smack talk between a Phillies fan and a Mets fan. I love watching baseball and hearing the crack of the bat and the ball hitting the catcher's mitt. It is music to my ears. I can put the world's worries on a shelf for a few hours and cheer (or yell at) my favorite team.

Getting older is not for the faint of heart. It brings new aches and pains, medical issues, and many hard decisions. All of that can feel overwhelming at times, but getting older also brings new freedom—well, at least it has for me. I subscribe to Beth Kempton on Substack ( and have taken a few of her online workshops.

Barometric Effect Weather changes ethmoidal sinuses Pulsating pressure Facial pain Brain blood vessels dilate maxillary sinuses: Throbbing headache Eye tearing Nasal congestion frontal sinuses Allergy exacerbation Postnasal drip sphenoidal sinuses Sinus pressure is no joke! Even my eyes feel heavy, and I want to sleep. I borrowed lines from various articles on barometric pressure and sinuses to craft my poem.

It's standardized test week here, and I proctor the tests for 19 students in my 7th-grade homeroom. Each day, a different subject is tested. Today, there are two 40-minute reading tests. As I look around the room, I get a chance to really look at each student. Some are deep in thought; others are plodding through, while still others have dashed their way through the test and are sitting waiting patiently or reading a book.

It has been a jam-packed weekend, and I am tired, but in a good way. I am struggling to find inspiration and a slice right now. I have perused other writers' slices, and nothing. I've looked around the room where I'm trying to write, and nothing. Where are all the words hiding? Why can't I come up with an idea?!? Do you know why?

Today, we attended our granddaughter's Spring Showcase. She is eleven and has been dancing for about eight years, but this is her first year participating in a performance group. What a treat! E. danced in a duo, a jazz group, and a lyrical group. The dancers were beautiful, elegant, and dynamic. I was in awe of their fluid bodies and facial expressions as they moved across the stage, interpreting the music. I admire their vulnerability and willingness to share the feelings and movements that surely emanated from their souls. Thank goodness for the arts.

Doodads and doodles reminded me of this format, so I will try to remember to add it to my writing practice each week. ( This slice is a look back at my week. Five Smiles* Completing my MRI in the open MRI machine* An unexpected visit from my son, who was bearing St. Joseph Cakes.*Seeing my first robin of spring…

Bread is my kryptonite! I could eat it at every meal, and I have never met a loaf of bread I didn't like. These are a few of my favorites. Italian: It has to be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. While yummy with butter, nothing is better than dipping it into your favorite pasta sauce and cleaning your plate with it.

On the eve of the vernal equinox, I saw my first Robin Redbreast of the season. I didn't realize how much I needed spring to arrive until that moment. I look forward to seeing flowers bloom all around me, but I am not looking forward to the allergies that come with those flowers. I look forward to the spring rains, which nourish the flowers and bring my grass back to green, but I am not looking forward to the landscaper bills and indoor recesses that come with those rains.

Today was Club Day in the middle school. Once a month, we have a special schedule where all six periods are shortened to allow for an extra period for clubs at the end of the day. Clubs include Scrabble, the 24 Four game, comedy writing, trivia, drama, and my club, creative writing. We received the Club Day schedule back in January, and all of the dates are written on my calendar and highlighted by our principal on the weekly faculty information sheet as they come up.

Music has always been essential to my life, from piano lessons in elementary school to playing upright bass in high school and then majoring in music education in college. Listening to and playing music is like breathing to me. Today, I realized I am a creature of habit regarding my music-listening rituals. I listen to classical music on the way to school in the morning (if I am not listening to an audiobook) and usually NPR on the way home.

Today, I had to search for something to write. As I paged through my notebook for inspiration, I found a prompt from my poetry writing group: When does someone become a friend? This is a draft of a poem I wrote. Untitled Poem (Draft) You became my friend when you listened to me rand and didn't run. When you told me I had spinach in my teeth after lunch…

If you read my post yesterday, you know I wasn't feeling well and canceled my plans for the evening. After dinner (a delicious vegetable sandwich on a seeded Italian roll from our local pizzeria), I went upstairs to change into my pajamas and relax. I decided I would take a little "rest" before returning downstairs. It was 6:00. I set my phone alarm for a two-hour "nap" and rested my head on the pillow.

Tonight was the night. I was to participate in my second poetry open mic night at the local library. There, I would read two poems I had written and listen to the fantastic poems of other poets. Unfortunately, my body has other plans. My sinuses have been wonky all week, and I chalked it up to the daily temperature swings. This morning, however, I woke up with a scratchy throat and a slight headache.

My current book club selection has got me thinking about perspective. I am currently listening to The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. It is the story of an all-female boarding house in Washington, DC, in 1950. Each chapter focuses on one of the women living in Briarwood House. I am only on Chapter Four, but what I find so interesting is the Interstitial, a chapter between chapters told from the house's perspective.

What are your favorite things to do on a lazy day? This question was the writing prompt for my 7th-graders today. As I was writing along with them, a lightbulb went off - why wasn't I using my in-class writing as my slice? So here it is - my favorite things to do on a lazy day. Sleep in until I awake on my own.

This slice grew from "Write With Us Wednesday" with Linda Rief and Penny Kittle. When I was in school, I was never popular or athletic. I was just the nerdy girl who worried about her grades. I wasn't enough. High school was similar - I didn't get into NJH in the first round.BUTIn my senior year, I was named first chair of the string bass section and was a member of the Philadelphia All-City Orchestra.