Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Facts about Moi

This week's TTT theme over at Broke and Bookish is Ten Facts about Moi.

1. School librarianship is my second career. I was originally an ER nurse. I took a job in my kids' school as the library aide. My boss, who was looking toward retirement appreciated my avid interest in children's literature and gave me free rein to order books.

2. I have the world's most amazing husband. When my boss retired, the principal hired me with an emergency certificate. This meant I taught full time and pursued both my alternate-route teaching certificate and my MLS at the same time! It meant coming home with the kids, setting up dinner and dashing out to some class four evenings and every other Saturday for one full year.

3. I have four sons and they're pretty amazing too. I read to them religiously well past when they could read themselves. Interestingly, only one is what I'd call an avid reader. Two enjoy reading and one dislikes it. Ironically, he is the one who scored a perfect 800 on his verbal SAT.

4. I've been blogging since December 10, 2008. I started at LiveJournal but switched over to Blogger in January of 2013. 
A spate of technical difficulties were what drove me to switch. I do believe I get more traffic here at Blogger.

5. I used to review every book I read but writing reviews takes so me much time. I decided that I'd rather use that time to read than write. I don't review as much as I'd like though.

6. I am a HUGE fan of audiobooks going way back and have two bins of books on cassette to prove it. Some of our family faves are E. B. White narrating his own Charlotte's Web and Trumpet of the Swan. My non-reader loved being read to and also loved reading with his ears. Sometimes I think he has/ had an undiagnosed learning disability. He did most of his required reading with his ears all the way through high school.

7. I left a tenured position (and 98 sick days) in 2008. I spent 10 years in a K - 8 school and left to start over at a 5 - 8th grade middle school. While I miss the younger students and their unbridled affection; I do not miss nine preps a week and really love my flexible schedule. Luckily for me, I love every age group! I did my internship at a high school and also worked extensively with pre-schoolers. I have to say though, it takes a certain type of person to appreciate middle schoolers in all their messy glory. 

8. I also review MG fiction for School Library Journal and have to say it still thrills me to see my name at the end of my reviews. It also still thrills when my review is blurbed.

9. I embrace change and try to constantly challenge myself. Last year, I agreed to "teach" my school's first robotics class. It was a challenge. It was amazing. I'm glad I did it. I'm glad I'm done. Next year, I am looking forward to yet another new course, Digital Media Literacy with sixth graders. This is more my bailiwick. 

10. I am fast approaching the third anniversary of my breast cancer diagnosis. I am appreciative of the fact that despite my disgusting good health, as well as lack of risk factors, I committed to yearly mammograms at age 40. A month or two prior to my appointment (in 2013), I noted a puckering in my breast. I felt a lump on self-examination and after reassuring myself that my yearly mammo was already scheduled, promptly forgot about it. Long story short, I was told that my mammo looked clear and was sent to the PA for a breast exam. She felt the lump and sent me for more views and a fine needle biopsy. Hours and hours later, I left the Breast Center with a diagnosis of breast cancer. One week later, I had the lump removed. I needed a wide excision and was told that I had Stage 2B breast cancer. Luckily, I was able to schedule my chemotherapy advantageously and was able to work through it as well as radiation treatments.  

Ladies, and gentlemen who love ladies, please, please, please perform monthly breast exams and obtain yearly mammograms.  

Et voila! Ten facts about moi.

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