Christa Allan

As of Wednesday afternoon, this is the five-day forecast for Hurricane Gustav. Perhaps, by the time you read this on Thursday, the forecast line will have shifted. Or not.
If you look at the state of Louisiana, you’ll see a tiny circle of water near the toe. I live directly above that circle.
Am I dealing with [...]

Forays
Find the clued answers. Each answer contains four A’s.
__________ 1. U.S. State
__________ 2. peace of mind
__________ 3. close fitting head cover
__________ 4. triangular stringed instrument
__________ [...]

I’m featured at BLOG NOSH today! Click on the BUTTON to your right. If you’ve not discovered this site, plan to spend some time there. It’s a nosher’s dream!

more about “:: THAT’S MY KING! :: Igniter Media G…“, posted with vodpod

NOPD PHOTO
The New Orleans Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in the identification of an unknown male, wanted in connection with vandalizing one of city’s crime cameras.
The bare-chested man climbed the ladder with a can of spray paint in his hand, and looked straight up into the crime camera lens. Police say he [...]

As a writer, I sometimes live disconnected from the world my body actually inhabits.  I watch people,  notice their gestures, analyze how they sit or perch on a chair, assess how they dress, listen to their conversations.  I’ve learned to dig into the belly of my purse for my notebook and write these observations because, [...]

Along with the predictable issues involved in acclimating to a new school year–waking up early, talking for six hours a day, standing for six hours a day, retraining my bladder to the bell schedule, remembering the fine art of standing for a thirty minute duty outside while eating a hot meal and drinking a lukewarm [...]

In order to make sense of the letters below, you need to add a letter at the start of the expression, divide the string of letters, and [...]

Miracle Workers
by Taylor Mali (www.taylormali.com)
Sunday nights I lie awake—
as all teachers do—
and wait for sleep to come
like the last student in my class to arrive.
My grading is done, my lesson plans are in order,
and still sleep wanders the hallways like Lower School music.
I’m a teacher. This is what I do.
Like a painter paints, or a [...]

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Galations 2:20
Die to myself?
No, not me. My “self” is on life support, and I continue to stubbornly refuse to pull the plug. During a crucifixion moment, I need to be DNR. I need to choose to ignore the cures [...]

WINNER OF THE 2008 BULWER-LYTTON FICTION CONTEST.……
Theirs was a New York love, a checkered taxi ride burning rubber, and like the city their passion was open 24/7, steam rising from their bodies like slick streets exhaling warm, moist, white breath through manhole covers stamped “Forged by DeLaney Bros., Piscataway, N.J.”
Garrison Spik
Washington, D.C.
From their [...]

NOTE FROM CHRISTA: Word Game Wednesday bumped to Thursday. Son’s birthday yesterday trumped!
A Stampede of Carniverbs
Provide the animal-verb which best matches the definition of each of the following. Some animals/verbs are used twice. Good luck! Don’t louse up! Thanks to Rex Stocklin for helping to corral some of the beasts…The number refers to the number [...]

My baby is on the right planting a kiss on my granddaughter Hannah.
John is 23 today. My mother, not long after we announced I was pregnant, informed me I’d have a boy who’d look like Erin (his sister). I did, and he does. He’s named after my father, and I only wish that my dad [...]

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As a teacher, parent, and writer, I’m incredibly annoyed with myself for not having this idea myself.
When his 10th grade son, Jesse, threatened to quit high school, his father David took action. He gave his permission to drop out, but only on the condition that his son agree to watch three movies a week.
Duh.
Of course, [...]

During our recent trip to Vegas, I watched the intense focus, the sagging milky-faced desperation, and the frenzied pushes of the slot machine buttons by the motley crew littered through billion dollar casinos. Towers of chips trembled their way from player to dealer. Were these people completely oblivious to their surroundings? How did they think [...]

“Questions About Angels”
by Billy Collins
Of all the questions you might want to ask
about angels, the only one you ever hear
is how many can dance on the head of a pin.
No curiosity about how they pass the eternal time
besides circling the Throne chanting in Latin
or delivering a crust of bread to a hermit on earth
or guiding [...]

I’m a visual learner; this learning style inventory verified it. In fact, if you’ve not ever taken one of these, click on the link and find your learning style. I actually have my own microwave version: When you need directions (let’s pretend you don’t have a navigation system in your car), do you want them [...]