It’s the last week of summer vacation. It’s the week peppered with regret and excitement. Regret, because I didn’t lose all that weight or win the lotto, but excitement because school is starting next week. I am slowly getting back in the groove. I had a meeting yesterday and met many of the new teachers in our district and I even recognized one of the names from my first years as a teacher. The new teachers are getting younger and I am getting older, yeah, I am getting old. Really, I am not old but experienced and wiser. I keep telling myself, when I start acting my age, I’ll need to worry.
So, I should know better, summer vacation ends, it always does. The Phineas and Ferb theme song says so in the beginning.
There’s 104 days of summer vacation
till school comes along just to end it
so the annual problem for our generation
is finding a good way to spend it.
“Today is Gonna be a Great Day” by Bowling for Soup
So, school has come along to end it. Really, the last week and half has been a slow adjustment with more and more scheduled activity to keep us all moving. Last week I had school meetings for two days and I was up and out of the house before eight. Then, W started football with two a days and practice that started at quarter to eight. It’s kept me moving and getting back in the groove.
This morning, I am meeting with my teaching team and we are planning the first few weeks of school and learning of all of the changes coming our way, and maybe even about some of the kids we’ll be working with this year. It is exciting.
But, right now, morning has broken and I’m sitting on the deck sipping coffee, writing, and watching Ivy. The song, Morning Has Broken, sung by Cat Stevens, came to mind and I flipped it on and listened as the breeze whipped the trees and light slowly crept across the backyard.
Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word.Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God’s recreation of the new day.
Source: Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia
Ivy greeted me at bedside when the alarm went off and pressed her cold wet nose against my hand as I reached over to press snooze; I might have snoozed it longer, had it not been for Ivy. My time is limited this morning – W gets up for football shortly, I need to make breakfast and his lunch, I have a meeting, and thunderstorms are on their way.
As often happens when I write, I begin with a solid idea, or a fuzzy one and I write. Sometimes, my mind wanders and I get off track, like this morning. As the yard awakened this morning and Ivy intently explored the yard, I looked up the lyrics for Morning has Broken. I discovered music in early adolescence and Cat Stevens was part of it. I still have the album (vinyl) downstairs and I have it on my iPhone. What I learned this morning was that the song is a Christian hymn from England in the 1930s, what irony. The hymn and poem, explain there is a need to give thanks for each day.
Truly, I am thankful, even a rainy day, a busy day, a full day can count in so many ways. So, I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Morning has broken, rain is coming, and I’d better get rolling. Today is gonna be a great day. Making the Days Count, truly thankful for the morning and the day that follows.
What do you have to be thankful for today?
I was blessed today (Friday 8-17)when I was talking to you, David walked in and I had two of my boys beside me and the other on the phone.
I love that hymn “Morning is broken” and often hum it.
Mom
it was good talking to you, the last week has been pretty frenetic – lots to do and not enough time to get it done – with all of the other people who want me to do things for them! I enjoyed listening to the song and learning about it, too.
Enjoyed the reading, sorry I’m reading it so late. I am missing the start up of Scullen but thankfully have been so busy with our start up I’ve not had a lot of time to think about. This week has been full of kick-offs, orientations, and showing lost students where to find their classes. I wish you well in the 2012-2013 school year, I will miss your cheerful greetings & smiling face.
Happy New (Academic) Year!
Barb
glad you stopped by, I’ll miss your smiling face on opening day… you were a voice of reason (along with the entire office staff) on the first few days of school and I am sure you do the same where you are now! it’s been busy this past week and I’ll be glad (grudgingly) to have a regular schedule, again, and I think my wife and Ivy are looking forward to it, too!
I so understand the regrets and excitement that come with the end of summer, but today I’d say I’m thankful for an afternoon to write.
Oh and for coffee! Ha.
Happy writing 🙂
Ahhhhh, coffee, and time to write without being interrupted. The storms brought cool air and last night it was cool enough to sleep with all of the windows open and covered up by a blanket! Love nights like that, always sleep the best! Thanks for stopping by – love the Freedom Wall