Category Archives: Writing

Monday morning

Monday, July 11, 2011, @ 6:57 amFamily, jobs, Life in General, Reading, teaching, Writingchildren, Family, fishing, Grayling, reading, seventh grade, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

bald_eagle — A bald eagle finishes his meal – a fish – in front of the sandbox

We’ve been up at the cottage over a week, though it seems like yesterday that William and I arrived and picked up Olivia from the airport a day later. I have done a few things but for the most part, I have been wrapped up in caring for my kids, taking care of their needs, ensuring they’re safe, separating them when they need to be apart, making sure they’re fed, and getting them to bed at a reasonable time. I have been lax about the eight in the morning bugle call, because I do savor the quiet moments in the morning sipping coffee and looking out on the lake. Continue reading Monday morning →

Queen of the Bluegill

Sunday, July 10, 2011, @ 9:02 amadventure, Family, food, jobs, Reading, Writingchildren, eating, Family, fishing, Grayling, reading, Summer Vacation, teaching, water sports, writingClay

gluten-free cherry cobbler - campfire style!

Short of sounding like a crank, it has been busy! Even being at the lake can be tiring and regular household chores can quickly fall by the wayside piling up until such a point where I have to stop and catch up. Today is that day. It is a perfect day to catch up, or at least make a valiant attempt. It was windy and cloudy this morning as I watched clouds forming in South Bay come across the lake and sprinkle the lawn. Rain is in the forecast off and on all day and it is just the right weather for a day of catching up. Continue reading Queen of the Bluegill →

Summer foods

Thursday, July 7, 2011, @ 10:19 amadventure, Family, food, Reading, teaching, Writingchildren, eating, Family, fishing, reading, Summer Vacation, teaching, water sports, writingClay

bbq_chicken — BBQ chicken on the deck, what could be better?

I am really blessed. Growing up, summer vacation meant staying at home and maybe a trip, but mostly it was time spent at home swimming in the lake, boating with the neighborhood kids, or at the swimming at the country club my parents belonged. Thirty-six years later, I have a place to go for the summer – the cottage in Michigan. It’s not mine, but it belongs to Beth’s family and has been in her family since the fifties. Continue reading Summer foods →

Friday’s slides and video

Tuesday, July 5, 2011, @ 7:56 amadventure, Family, Scouting, teaching, Writingchildren, education, Family, scouting, Summer VacationClay

flags2011 — Troop 35 retires the colors on Friday, July 1st

It was late Friday and Saturday, Sunday, and Monday have come and gone. I wanted to post pictures from Friday’s activities as well as post the link to the “Mountain Dew” song.

William, Olivia, and I are at the cottage and Beth and Ivy are back in Wheaton with grandma. I hope she gets better and is back at the cottage soon, it’s just is not summer without her and grandpa up here! Continue reading Friday’s slides and video →

Two days in one post

Monday, July 4, 2011, @ 4:12 pmadventure, country, Family, Life in General, Reading, Scouting, teaching, Writingchildren, Family, Grayling, reading, scouting, Summer Vacation, weather, writingClay

The last two days have disappeared before I knew it. Saturday we broke camp at Camp Tesomas and departed summer camp; the troop drove south and home to Wheaton; William and I took another direction, east to Grayling, Michigan and Beth’s family cottage. On Sunday, William and I drove to Traverse City to pick up Olivia who flew up from Wheaton to join us and we spent time on errands before coming home. At times, I have been too busy to think about camp and writing, but it is early morning and quiet. The kids are sleeping upstairs and everything is still and calm – the perfect time to write. WARNING: This is a long post, read at your own risk. Continue reading Two days in one post →

Elmo gets it!

Friday, July 1, 2011, @ 11:09 pmFamily, history, Scouting, teaching, Writingchildren, education, exercise, scouting, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

Friday is never an easy day at camp. It means it is the last day and it’s time to pack up and return home to our families. I know I had a few items on my ‘to do’ list for Friday as did the scouts. They had to wrap up their merit badge classes and a few of the younger scouts had to finish requirements for advancement to Tenderfoot, Second Class, or First Class – big moves for a first year scout. All I had to do was finish the Geezer merit badge and swim the mile. Continue reading Elmo gets it! →

We’re here

Sunday, June 26, 2011, @ 11:26 pmcountry, Family, Reading, Scouting, teaching, travel, Writingeducation, hard work, reading, scouting, Summer Vacation, teaching, weatherClay

Six AM is early, even for a geezer like me. Nevertheless, we started early this morning and kept going all day long. Twenty-four of Troop 35’s scouts and six its adults met to leave for summer camp this morning and we all arrived on time, loaded trailers, piled into cars, and left home for a week full of adventure and fun. Parents waved goodbye and wished us well, but they knew we would all have a fun time return changed – ever so slightly. Scout camp is like that. Continue reading We’re here →

There and back

Sunday, June 26, 2011, @ 3:30 amadventure, Family, Life in General, pets, Reading, Scouting, teaching, Writingchildren, Family, pets, reading, teaching, writingClay

It is early Sunday morning and it is still dark out. It is quiet and I am sad, Ivy is not at my feet or curled up on her pad in the kitchen or whimpering because she wants to play and I want to work. She is in Ohio at the kennel where Olivia and momma are staying with grandma and grandpa – I know she is wondering if we left her, again. It has been busy and I have a fuller appreciation of the workings of the house, kids, and a dog. Granted, the week has been complicated by VBS and several doctor appointments, but nonetheless, keeping all of the plates spinning requires quite an effort and even more concentration. Continue reading There and back →

Weather

Friday, June 24, 2011, @ 6:00 amadventure, Family, Life in General, pets, Scouting, sports, Writingchildren, church, Family, pets, scouting, Summer Vacation, teaching, weatherClay

Weather fascinates me. Really, the changes in the weather are amazing, especially in our area – the Midwest. Growing up in Texas, we had two kinds of weather hot and humid or cool. Texans would claim that my cool is cold, and I would have, too until I moved here. Here summer weather can be hot and at times, but for the most part, it is mild. Right now, it is 59 and cloudy with partial clearing forecast for later in the morning and into the afternoon. The forecast high is 70 and it will drop down to 57 overnight. After twenty years of Midwestern summers, I have gotten used to the weather and I enjoy sleeping with the windows open when I can, having to throw on a sweatshirt when I need to, and wearing shorts most of the time because it’s summer. Continue reading Weather →

Influences

Thursday, June 23, 2011, @ 4:56 pmFamily, Life in General, Reading, teaching, Teaching and Learning, Writingchildren, Family, reading, seventh grade, Summer Vacation, teaching, writingClay

“Would you go back and change anything? I mean, would you still become a teacher?”

That was the question, which started the whole discussion. It was from a girl in class, who could ask a provocative question without realizing it and it was in response to why I became a teacher. Sometimes kids ask questions and want a simple answer, a yes or no, a fact, the short answer to the question. And, well there are no simple answers. My classroom rule about questions is – if you ask a question you should expect an answer. Sometimes the answer is a story or an explanation. Continue reading Influences →