Nothing says lovin' like your 9 yr. old daughter crying at your bedside at 2 in the morning, telling you her stomach hurts, and then showing you why.  My daughter did that early Monday morning, and after cleaning up and spending some time in my bathroom with her hugging the porcelain throne, I thought to myself how the unexpected just thrusts itself upon you at the most inconvenient times.  

Don't misunderstand me...I love my baby girl, and being there for her is my job as a parent.  But into the morning, I thought about how I did not expect to be home and not at work, on Monday.  There were some pleasant aspects to this, like a slow cup of coffee on the deck while waiting for the pediatric nurse to call me back about an appointment time.  I did not expect to have all the paperwork I left out on my desk at work on Friday to have to be packed up and put in my office so as to allow others to watch the Media Center in my absence (thanks peeps!!), leaving me in a bit of disarray when I returned on Tuesday.  Then, I thought about bigger unexpected turns my life has taken.  

Like, how if you had asked me 20 years ago, I would never have imagined I'd be living in Raleigh, OR, that I would be a librarian!  Life just takes you on a journey that you were not expecting, and so, I am thinking that even when life gives you lemons (or a pukey daughter @ 2a.m.), there truly is lemonade to enjoy after awhile.  

What unexpected things have happened to you?

As an information junkie, I like to listen to what is being said around me.  Call me a audio voyeur...what people are saying and talking about is interesting to me.  It's especially important to be a good listener when someone is asking me for something.  Students come into the Media Center, and they ask for help with a variety of things.   It's really important to me to truly hear what they are saying so that I can actually help them get what it is they are looking for, be it materials or information.  

I try to use active listening when I am having trouble understanding what is being asked of me.  Active listening is simply the act of telling the other person what you thought you heard them say.  Often times, this can help bring clarity to a conversation.  That's because sometimes what you thought you heard is NOT what was being said!  Then, you can take the conversation to the place where it was supposed to be.  

So, my question for you, today, is...how do you listen?  

...there was the first post.  

I have to tell you that I have never blogged, before.  This is a new adventure for me!  I thought that it would be interesting to put information out there so that more information could come in, and my guilty pleasure of assimilating new information could begin in grander style!  So, what kind of information am I going to share, today?  

I have to admit that I love how this year has been going.  I was a bit apprehensive about getting freshmen, and having new sophomores, and especially how that might work out in this smaller space.  But you know what?  I LOVE it!!  These kids have been great!  They are inquisitive, and excited!  Their optimism is infectious!  Best of all, you come in to the Media Center, and you check out books!  You ask questions!  You ask really great questions!  

So, in the beginning, a new set of students and a new year began.  Ms. Ray blogged for the first time!  Tell me about something new that you have done this year, and how that was?