Category Archives: Teaching and Learning

Days 61 and 62: from Normal to the Cottage…

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Windmill farm between Chicago and Normal

Wednesday and Thursday went incredibly quickly, but I suppose that happens when you are driving on the interstate and trying to keep up with traffic. I have to reflect on the contrast of returning from Normal Wednesday and driving to the cottage on Thursday.

The SLA wrapped up with sessions Wednesday morning and early afternoon. I decided to skip the last session because I did not think it would help me in my role as the Communications Liaison and I wanted to get home.  It was hot, humid, and still. The kind of weather that makes me recall my time growing up in Houston. I have grown accustomed to the Midwestern summers with cool mornings and warm afternoons – especially at the cottage. I do not do well when it is hot enough to melt crayons. Continue reading Days 61 and 62: from Normal to the Cottage… →

Day 60: SLA and Cornbelter Baseball

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A very large combine greets fans outside the 'Corncrib' in Normal, IL

It seems odd to write “Day 60,” it does not seem like it has been sixty days, but it has. Yesterday’s post was day number fifty-nine and it was my fiftieth post. After re-reading it today, I realize it was not my best post. The past several days have been tiring and Tuesday would be no different. Continue reading Day 60: SLA and Cornbelter Baseball →

Day 59: Driving to Normal, my 50th post.

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I have reached a milestone in my blog: fifty, five-O, 50 posts, or a half century. However, I look at it – it is a lot of writing. I never imagined I would have written so much. I have looked back at my writing, not all of it, and decided it needs polishing, revisiting, and it helps me remember what I have accomplished this summer. Some of the writing is reflective and some informative. It has been a pleasure to write. Continue reading Day 59: Driving to Normal, my 50th post. →

Day 58: The Finish Line

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The moon rises out of the forest in the east as I drive south on US 131 towards Grand Rapids

I woke early Sunday morning, it was dark out, and Ivy barked. Not the bark I had learned that meant she needed to go, but a different bark. I opened the door and there was Beth coming in from the race – it was 4:36 AM and she and William had just gotten home from following the race. Continue reading Day 58: The Finish Line →

Day 56: Racing and the Emergency Room

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Borcher’s – the sponsor of Casey’s Challenge

Friday began like the past two days, cloudy and overcast with the lake still, but no rain. We had had rain overnight Thursday leaving the ground moist. It is good for the Ausable Canoe Marathon because it raises the water level and allows paddlers to race faster. The forecast called for clearing Friday by midday and rain on Saturday. It will be a wet parade and wet start to the race. But, for Friday, it looked to be dry with time to be outside and enjoying Michigan. We had William’s race at ten and we needed to be ready to go at nine.

Continue reading Day 56: Racing and the Emergency Room →

Day 54: Perspectives….

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The moon crosses the lake early Wednesday evening

It is early Thursday morning and still on the lake and in the house. I am in the front room, Ivy is curled up on her cushion, and everyone else is still asleep. Last night was a beautiful sunset and moonset on the lake. I tried to capture both with the camera. Another beautiful day at the lake, Ivy and I enjoyed a long walk toward M72 along Danish Landing. There was a good breeze coming off the lake and it cooled the shore. The sun was bright high in the sky and walking along the road with the wind blowing through the trees was peaceful.

Today marks four weeks until I go back to school. It has been over seven weeks since school let loose and I began writing Making the Days Count. It has been quite a journey and I have written more than I imagined and about more than I realized I could. I was looking back at my writing from my trip to Paris in June. My stepmother does not have access to the internet and I am not sure she is there, too many things for her to worry about, and I was printing the pages I wrote to send to her. I realized that I make mistakes, not large ones, but small typos that I read recklessly over and miss before I post to the blog. Nonetheless, I reflected on what I have learned about writing and the writing process. Continue reading Day 54: Perspectives…. →

Days 52 and 53: Lazy days of summer…

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Ivy sleeps by the door early in the morning.

Monday and Tuesday were a blur. Wednesday morning began with a light fog clouding the lake, the dog sleeping, the kids and Beth still asleep, and all quiet at the cottage. The lazy days of summer are upon me. It is the time of summer when I fight inertia, a struggle with time.  The week welcomes the town’s river festival week, ending the with the Ausable River Canoe Marathon start on Saturday night. According to the weather forecast, Monday was expected to be the best day of the week, it turned out Tuesday was pretty good, too. Continue reading Days 52 and 53: Lazy days of summer… →

Day 51:Rain, rain, and more rain….

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Deer abound in the Grayling area.

We began today with overcast skies and it slowly started to drizzle and then light rain. It stopped and then started again. The pattern repeated itself many times until midday when the big rains came. By the end of the day, we had over an inch of rain on the ground and excited Ivy who did not get our much today. If she was anything like us, she relished in the light day. It was nice and I did get a few things done.

Our friends, the Harrison’s, returned to Wheaton this morning leaving us to entertain ourselves. We all got up to wish them goodbye and then the rainy morning took over. It left us all sort of lethargic and sleepy. William went back to sleep and took a long nap. Beth crawled back in bed and read a book. Olivia and I had fun in the front room: she watched the CBS Sunday Morning and the Tour de France with me trying to change the channel when I was not paying attention in bed and I wrote and paid minimal attention to the television. Both are classic Sunday morning television shows for July at the cottage. Unfortunately, the CBS Sunday Morning episode was a repeat and I remember watching part of it last fall. The Tour was not a repeat and Lance Armstrong is not leading this year. Continue reading Day 51:Rain, rain, and more rain…. →

Day 49 and 50: Two days on the lake

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The three anglers work the lake Saturday morning near Big Bear Point

It is Sunday morning at the cottage and the past two days have gone quickly. It is overcast and rain is in the forecast. The past two days have been warm, sunny, and breezy. Today the lake is calm almost lake glass with gentle ripples. Our guests departed this morning and everyone except for Olivia woke to wave goodbye. Sunday is the laziest day of the week and everyone, including Ivy, is taking their time getting around. The television is on and I am watching CBS Sunday Morning, then the Tour de France. One of the best parts of the month of July is each year I get a bicycle tour of France courtesy of the race.

With our guests here, we have been busy with boating, fishing, swimming, and enjoying the cottage. It has been a great time well spent: certainly, the days have counted. However, I have fallen behind on writing and other chores. Sunday will be a catch up day with all sorts of tasks and looking ahead to the coming next two weeks. Continue reading Day 49 and 50: Two days on the lake →

Day 48: Rain, rain, go away…

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The moon and the sun set on another wonderful day at the cottage.

 Thursday began with overcast and light rain. It remained that way until midday. However, we found a way to have a great day, anyway. Sometimes your weather is internal. 

Mark’s family, mom, dad, and older sister, had arrived the day before and had played on the water yesterday evening and everyone slept late, including me. We woke hoping to get out on the water in the morning, but we had to wait. It would rain, then, stop. After breakfast, mark’s dad suggested we visit the Michigan CCC museum in Roscommon. The CCC is the Civilian Conservation Corps and was in operation during the Great Depression from 1933-1942. The museum told the story of the CCC in Michigan. The corps’ responsibilities were to reforest Michigan and fight forest fires, which plagued the regions vast forests. The CCC was a program initiated by FDR to combat the rampant unemployment of the Great Depression. The museum buildings were restored from CCC camps in Michigan and had detailed explanations of the jobs performed in the buildings and explained the overall purpose of the CCC. The museum was well done and I walked away with an understanding of the period. It must have been bleak. I wish I could spend more time walking and reading, but it is difficult with children who want to be out on the lake. William, Olivia, and the rest of us returned to the cottage for lunch. Continue reading Day 48: Rain, rain, go away… →