Tag Archives: teaching

Driving games

Thursday, July 14, 2011, @ 10:33 amadventure, Family, pets, Reading, teaching, Writingchildren, education, Family, Grayling, pets, Summer Vacation, teaching, water sports, weather, writingClay

drive_rearview713 — William's view in the sideview mirror

Wednesday was a travel day back to the cottage and the traffic and weather couldn’t have been better, clear and sunny all the way, all 350 plus miles. It was great going back to the cottage especially knowing Beth and Ivy would be leaving Versailles and travelling north to meet us.

We started later than I wanted because there were a few items I had forgotten when I went to Trader Joe’s, our family’s main grocery supply. While the storm had not affected our home two of the three closest TJ’s were powerless, sadly they were two of the 500,000 who had lost power in Monday’s storm. We have had two big storms blow through our area this summer packing winds of 60-70 mph both times and parts of Wheaton have lost power, but not us. Somehow, I think we are due. Continue reading Driving games →

The Arrow and the Spoon

Tuesday, July 12, 2011, @ 8:52 amadventure, Family, Life in General, Reading, teaching, Writingchildren, education, Family, reading, scouting, Summer Vacation, teaching, writingClay

I am home this morning; I slept in my own bed for the first time in over two weeks. It is good to be home but our visit is short-lived, we’ll be heading back to the cottage tomorrow, leaving early in the morning. It is a long journey for a day but William and I had appointments and a meeting we needed to attend so we made the trip. Today is also the thirty-fifth day of my seventy-day summer break I am half way. I can look at it half-empty or half full, I choose half full as it has been a great summer and there is more to come and accomplish. Today is gonna be a great day. Continue reading The Arrow and the Spoon →

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 →

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! →

Thursday news from camp

Friday, July 1, 2011, @ 7:26 amadventure, country, Life in General, Scouting, teachingchildren, education, Family, patriotism, reading, Summer Vacation, teaching, writingClay

Yesterday seems lost when I look back but it wasn’t, it was filled with the sights, sounds, and memories of scout camp. I busied myself with visiting a couple of program areas and checking off requirements for the Geezer merit badge, I swam a half-mile in the afternoon with William, and I took only six pictures. I have no idea how that happened. However, I did get a good night’s sleep and woke up rested this morning. Continue reading Thursday news from camp →

Wednesday and the Order of the Arrow

Thursday, June 30, 2011, @ 12:30 amcountry, Family, Life in General, Reading, teachingchildren, church, Family, reading, scouting, Summer Vacation, teaching, writingClay

It was cold Wednesday morning, when we woke up. I lay inside my sleeping bag with just my head out and heard a few scouts and adults stirring around camp. I heard someone say, ‘It was 42 this morning.’ The forecast had called for a low in the forties, but 42 – that’s cold for the last part of June, even up here. I was the last adult up and out of his tent and the last to leave camp for the flag ceremony and breakfast. The scouts are well into the camp routine, even the newest scouts. Breakfast, and then off to classes. All of the adults attended the scoutmaster meeting with the daily briefing and then we hiked back to camp taking a shortcut that wasn’t. It was okay, though, we can use it as a Geezer requirement! Continue reading Wednesday and the Order of the Arrow →

Tuesday and chili

Tuesday, June 28, 2011, @ 10:58 pmadventure, Family, jobs, Reading, Scouting, teachingchildren, eating, fishing, hard work, reading, scouting, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

I stayed up late last night and crawled in to bed, much too late. It was cool and in the fifties and windy; I could hear the wind whipping through the trees and the sound soothed me as I tried to get warm snuggling inside my sleeping bag. I attempted to read before I fell asleep, but I couldn’t. I was just too tired. That’s what it is like here. I am just like the scouts – working hard at having fun, but it doesn’t seem like work at all and it is very tiring. Continue reading Tuesday and chili →

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 →