And it’s back to work for me after a summer off from teaching. I’ve got two weeks to get my classroom ready, indoors and out. Ready, set…GO!
Tag: life
Wednesday Writing Update
Hello Readers,
I’m keeping myself honest with weekly writing updates.
So this week I’ve been on vacation. Just keeping it real. Even so, I’ve done four critiques on picture books in progress. So that’s something.
And today I spent a little time revising a fiction pb that is loosely based on an actual person of historical significance. I’d say it’s a slice of life from their childhood as I’ve imagined it.
And that’s all folks! Tune in next Wednesday for more updates.
Happy Monday!
Today I’m sharing photos from our spontaneous trip to Parksville.
Enjoy!
Happy Monday!
Welcome to Monday! This is your opportunity to learn a little more about the writer behind the blog.
As you may already have learned, I am an introvert. I get worn out from being around large groups of people. This is why I love teaching preschool and piano. My preschool is small, so we have 15 children at a time. There are no other preschool classrooms on the same site so I only need to get to know the families and children who are directly in my class. And with piano, I get to teach one student at a time. This works very well for my introverted self. The summers off are truly a time to rest and recharge and I really enjoy my alone time now that my children are both graduated from high school. Still, I’m sure I’ll miss them terribly when they eventually move out.
I’m working on relaxing and am hopeful that by the end of August, I’ll be fully rested and recharged and ready to go back to work. I’m feeling very grateful that I’ve been able to enjoy a couple of months off each year. It really helps me to appreciate and enjoy my preschoolers, piano students, and their families when I go back every fall.
What makes you feel grateful?
Happy Monday!
Here’s a chance to learn a little about the writer behind the blog. Thanks for stopping by to read 🙂
So my story for this week continues on the walking theme. As I mentioned, I like to go for walks. And living in Victoria, B.C. is great for that because year round, the weather is fairly mild so walking outdoors in winter might be a little cold, yes, but it is rare we have a day that would stop me from going outdoors. Here’s a photo from my weekend walk.
I love all the hanging baskets in Victoria at this time of year. I also really like the historical charm of this building. It makes our little town feel unique. What could be better after a walk on a hot day than a cold beer or glass of blush wine?
I really like walking in the snow too, when we get snow. But that’s usually only a few times a year. Here’s a photo from a rare walk in the snow I took last winter… you might have to squint to see the snowflakes!
Most of the time, we need to be prepared for wet weather. That doesn’t bother me either. If I get wet, I just dry off later and enjoy a cup of tea or hot chocolate. No umbrella needed!
Do you like to go for walks? What is your neighborhood like? Please share in the comments 🙂
Have a wonderful week!
<p style=” margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;”> <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/BfeysYclGgb/” style=” color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;” target=”_blank”>A rare walk in the snow today #canyouseetheflakes #westcoastwinter</a></p> <p style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;”>A post shared by <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/mackey_cynthia/” style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;” target=”_blank”> Cynthia Mackey SCBWI Member</a> (@mackey_cynthia) on <time style=” font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;” datetime=”2018-02-22T01:49:39+00:00″>Feb 21, 2018 at 5:49pm PST</time></p></div></blockquote> //www.instagram.com/embed.js“>instagram photo
And here’s one of the places I can walk to from my house… I do like a glass of wine every once in a while, how about you?
Happy Monday!
Hello and Welcome to Monday!
This is your opportunity to get to know the writer behind the blog. Mondays are not my favourite day (how about you?) and sharing information about myself is not my favourite thing to do so they seem to sort of go together. I’m told readers like to know something about the person behind the blog, so…
One thing about me you may not know is I like to go for walks. So here is a little surprise I discovered on a recent walk in my neighbourhood. You might want to know the area is sort of an odd mix of farms and suburbs. You might call it semi-rural.
We discovered this farm stand on the trail right in the middle of a large treed park. You can buy cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower and eggs. It is all done on the honour system. Take your food and leave your money in the box. I love it that our community is the type that can actually do this successfully.
So next time I walk, I better bring some twoonies and I might as well pick up some fresh locally grown broccoli! Why not?
What does your neighbourhood walk look like? I’d love to know.
Have a great day!
Kid Lit Love: Spork by Kyo Maclear and Isabelle Arsenault
Hello Readers and Lovers of Picture Books!
Since I have a great appreciation for book reviews, I’m on a mission to post one picture book review each month (weekly over the summer months) of a book I love. All the picture books I review in 2018 from this point forward will be the books of 12×12 members or have a Canadian connection. I hope to help you discover some great new picture books. Thanks for stopping by and reading!
I was excited to read SPORK for a couple of reasons.
1. It is published by KIDS CAN PRESS
2. The title intrigued me right away since I’ve noticed that whenever a child brings a spork to school, he/she is usually very proud of it, recognizing it as unique and different somehow.
Spork gets ignored when it comes time to set the table. He is not a spoon or a fork but something in between. After trying to change himself to become more valued, he finds that he does have a place on the table after all. There are so many mixed race families with parents from two different nationalities; this book helps children understand the feelings that may come from not fitting in. In the end, Spork discovers he has a very important purpose, just like all the utensils in the kitchen. He may be in the minority, but he is still important.
I loved the message and the metaphors. I love the image with the spork staring into the toaster to view his reflection. His cheeks are a little red showing the shame and embarrassment that can come along with being different. I’m not sure if children will like the black and white illustrations but I certainly did. I loved the page full of utensils of no matching kind. Children will be drawn to this as they seem to love tools of any kind. I can see the kid appeal with this book and plan to read it to my class when school gets back in the fall.
What picture books are you reading this summer?
Discover children’s books by Cynthia Mackey
Wednesday Writing Update
Hello Lovely Readers!
Welcome to my Wednesday writing update. This is where I let you know what I’ve been working on this week in my writing life. Summer is a time where I shift my focus to more picture book writing as I do not have to teach for a couple of months.
Below are my latest book dummies. I just fold 8 pages of 8 1/2 by 11 paper in half and staple them together. Then I print off my manuscript and cut and paste based on 12-14 spreads to make a 32 page picture book.
These are the two I worked on this week. My next step is to read them aloud and record them with my phone. Then I play back the stories and listen for any flaws.
This week I’m also working on revising an older manuscript I hadn’t touched in several months. That story will also need to be made into a dummy fairly soon.
I am also reading a lot of comparative picture books as mentor texts.
What writing projects have you been working on this week?
Happy Monday!
Hello and welcome to Monday! Mondays, my blog plan for the summer is to share some bits of information about myself to let you get to know the writer behind the blog. If you’ve read any of my past posts, you know that I’m an introvert and so this isn’t easy for me but I’m trying…
One thing I’ve been challenged with my entire life is allergies. I am allergic to a bunch of things including pollen, furry pets, grass, hay and even water. If you don’t have any allergies, I am super jealous of you! And if you do, I can empathize.
As a child, it showed itself on my skin. I was always scratching. Not realizing I was making it worse for myself, I didn’t hold back and my skin at times became extremely red and blotchy.
Now, I actually take two 24 hour anti-histamines per day (they only last 12 hours for me). On the really bad days, I need eye drops and an additional anti-inflammatory, like Naproxen. If I don’t take care of this, I suffer. For some reason, it seems to me that my allergy season is getting longer. In a bad year, I suffer from February to July. But, I am learning to avoid the things that cause me a problem.
How about you…do you have allergies? How do you cope during allergy season?
Don’t let Mondays and allergies get you down! Have a wonderful day 🙂
