Last night, I was still revved up from my teaching when I crawled into bed a little after midnight. It was another great afternoon and evening of working with some hard-working talent. However, sleep was not easily kept as I woke often throughout the night and worked eagerly to regain my former state. This morning, I begrudgingly pulled myself from beneath the covers, weighted with three dogs, and saw the snow covering the ground and deck.

I saw this meme which really sparked wonderful memories of my fourth-grade teacher at Washington Elementary School in Elwood, Indiana. I was blessed with the best of the best teachers at Washington, with the exceedingly strong exception of my first-grade teacher, but Diana Lane was the teacher who loved reading to the class. I can still see her expressions, hear her vocal intonations of the characters, and remember my unbounded joy when it was time for her to read.

Three books stand out, “Old Yeller,” by Fred Gipson, “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler,” by E. L. Konigsburg, and Marguerite Henry’s, “Misty of Chincoteague.” I still have the paperback copy of “Old Yeller” that I purchased during fourth-grade.

There were others, but these three ignited a tremendous fascination with various places, a sustained love for dogs, and an intensified passion for reading. Mother began my reading by the age of four and in first grade, I was permitted to read with Mrs. Hennegan’s third-grade class to keep me challenged. Mother founded the structure and process of reading, but Mrs. Lane added the color, the heightened love, and the ability to tell the story with significance.

Over the years, it was Mrs. Lane’s reading that led me to visit The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and Chincoteague and Assateague islands on the northern Virginia coast. And of course, I’ve not far to visit when it comes to seeing dogs!

We celebrated the Academy Awards two nights ago and while I love the magic of the movies, I am much freer to mentally explore and create with the collaboration of a great author.

Thank you, Mother and Mrs. Lane!