Live, Laugh, Love: Launching the Notebook

With the start of ERL 590, I've been meaning to start my own writer's notebook. I want to be a writing teacher. I want to show the students I work with that, I too, am a writer. I have been thinking about writing my way through Lucy Calkins Units of Study grades 3-5, so when I go into classrooms to work with teachers and students, I have a few entries in my notebook that are similar to what the students have been writing about. I still want to do this. I have a little secret, I have a really bad habit. I have all these great ideas, and then I lose my follow through. It's tragic. How am I supposed to make a difference, if I can't follow through?!

Another great example of my effort to be a writer is me scouring through my professional library. I brought every book home that would help me be a writer. I named all ten to fifteen books in an earlier post. I thumbed through them, but I hadn't really started any. Until yesterday. Thank you, God, for giving us a snow day. :) Thank you, Aimee Buckner for writing Notebook Know-How. I picked up Aimee's book and read what Ralph Fletcher had to say. I was hooked. After reading the first two chapters I grabbed my writer's notebook and got started.

In Chapter 2 Amy shares some of her strategies for beginning notebook writing. The first strategy she gives is History of a Name. The mentor text she lists for this is Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes (1996).

So, yesterday, in my notebook I tried writing about my name. I even called my mom to ask about my name!

Here goes...

Brittany Ann

My mom's first choice for my name was Duffy-Ann. When she decided to keep her maiden name, Duffy, she knew my name could not be Duffy-Ann Duffy-Stanley! My mom is a devout Catholic, and one of her favorite saints is St. Ann. So, when Duffy-Ann was off the table, my parents went searching for my first name to match with Ann. They chose Brittany.

Brittany was chosen after Brittany, France. France, you ask? Why Brittany, France? Well, interestingly enough, St. Ann is the patron saint of Brittany, France. Another interesting tid-bit about me is, I was due to arrive into this beautiful world on July 26, 1979. July 26th just happens to be the Feast Day of St. Ann. Did you know tradition refers to St. Ann as being the mother of the Virgin Mary? I'm named after the grandmother of Jesus!! How awesome is that?!

I have learned St. Ann was married to a man named Joachim. After twenty years of marriage, they still were not able to have children. It is said that Joachim went to the desert to pray and fast. An angel appeared and assured him that he and Ann would have a child. They were to name her Mary and give her to God. It is said that Ann did not know where Joachim had gone, in despair of being barren she called out to God and asked him why she was born. An angel also appeared to Ann and revealed to her that she would soon have a child she would name Mary. St. Ann is the patron saint of mothers and grandmothers.

I liked being Brittany Ann Duffy-Stanley for thirty years. I'm pretty sure I was the only Brittany Ann Duffy-Stanley on the planet, a hyphenated name helps with that. :) I do have someone named after me, although I don't know her. An acquaintance of my father liked my name so much, he named his daughter Brittany Ann. I loved my initials spelled BADS.

On July 10, 2010 I married my true love, Elijah Arbo. I am now Brittany Ann Arbo. My initials for the rest of my life are now BAA. Would you believe my favorite animal is a sheep?

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This little exercise has made me more conscious of names. I will hopefully be a mom in the next few years. I want to be sure that I choose a name for my child with meaning, just as my wonderful parents did. I am excited to report that the girl's name we have in mind has a strong history in Christianity as well.

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My Namesake