Emailing and Blogging During the Day and Other Pleasures

People have been asking me what I've been up to now that I've been off for summer. Other than our trip up north, there hasn't been too much to report. And that's actually been the fun part about being off. Everyday, the world's my oyster. I can sleep in, blog, watch TV, read, cook dinner, email, sit in the backyard, clean, etc., etc. Or I could do none of that and take a nap. I know most of you are groaning at the luxury of it all, but believe me, I know what a luxury it is, and I'm thankful and loving it. I love that there's no agenda, no one to report to, and no time schedule to follow. I love that I don't have to think about 20 kids and their individual needs. This alone has given me some very restful nights, believe me.

I have one more week of this life of luxury and then summer school starts. For those of you who don't know, I am going to be teaching this summer at the same school I was at during the year. I will have about 8 kids in my group, most of whom were in my class as a student teacher. We will be concentrating mainly on reading and math. It's 4 hours a day, 4 days a week, for six weeks. I think it's a great opportunity for me, and something that will look good on the 'ol resume. Plus, the pay is good, so that's always a nice bonus!

One thing that I have started since we got back from up north is working out. I was finding that my "big" pants and shorts were no longer big. And I was finding that I was missing the feeling of being in shape. I could never find the time nor energy to work out while I was teaching. Most nights I could barely stay up past 9:00 pm. The couch and I became one almost immediately when I walked through the door. (Bless Stein for all the dinners he cooked and laundry he did. I am trying to repay this good deed now while I have more time on my hands.) So, my sister-n-law Anne and I have been running about twice a week (at 6:00 am - whew!), and I have even stepped through the doors of the Y a couple times this week. No sirens or bells went off when I did, so I took that as a good sign.

I am thankful for this time off and the reflecting I've been doing on the year behind me. My friend Regina told me that I won't fully understand just how much I've learned and have grown from the previous year for a while. I find in the most unusual places and times that I am struck by a nugget of wisdom that I acquired. It's a nice feeling when that happens, especially when I am relaxing and taking in my favorite season.