Category Archives: teaching

Day 46: Meetings

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Tuesday morning I was at home waking up in my own bed and making coffee in my kitchen – for the first time in two weeks. It felt awkward because Ivy was not with me, but it was early, still, and quiet. After we unloaded the car Monday night, I told William to sleep until he woke up and he came downstairs at eight complaining he was tired. I told him to go back to bed, so he did. He was up within the hour working on his chores – cleaning the tent and putting away our camping gear.

We came home for one day and two nights for one reason or rather two meetings. I had a meeting with the grade level language arts teachers at my school and William had a scout meeting to attend. My meeting was important because I am new to teaching a full load of language arts and William’s was important because there are only a few meetings each summer and he is working on developing his leadership skills. It looked to be a busy day with meetings, errands, and hopefully, a chiropractor visit. Continue reading Day 46: Meetings →

Day 45: Traverse City and the Great Circle is complete

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My trip around Lake Michigan June/July 2010

 Monday looked to be a busy day. On Saturday, after breakfast, we had stopped in The Bicycle Shop to look at bikes and the two bikes William was looking at – were gone. The staff said it could be at least a couple of weeks before they expected to receive more bikes from Trek. Therefore, Sunday afternoon Beth looked at bikes online and found a dealer that had two bikes in stock – one for William and the other for Olivia. However, the store was in Traverse City and it was over an hour away, so we made plans to drive over Monday morning. In addition, William and I were diving home to Wheaton Monday afternoon so I could attend a planning meeting at school and William could attend the Tuesday scout meeting. We would be coming home after sixteen days away and we would complete our trip around Lake Michigan. I would be in the car quite a bit on Monday. Continue reading Day 45: Traverse City and the Great Circle is complete →

Day 44: One fish, two fish, Olivia catches, blue gill

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Sunday at the cottage is usually a lazy day. Even for a place where days are nameless and time is measured by meals, Sunday is always the day when we all sleep later and the pace is usually slower. July is warm, sunny, and the days are longer at the cottage with the sun setting near nine and darkness coming closer to ten. The month of July usually brings the best sporting events and this year is no different. July is the month of countless auto races, the Tour de France, and this year, and every four years, the World Cup. The month of July ends with a local sporting event – the Ausable River Canoe Marathon. The canoe marathon takes place on the Ausable River starting in Grayling and finishing at Oscoda where the Ausable drains into Lake Huron – 120 miles away. Continue reading Day 44: One fish, two fish, Olivia catches, blue gill →

Day 42: Dr. Covey pays a visit…

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A panoramic view of lake Margrethe as the sun sets on Friday, 7/9

Friday marked six full weeks since summer began. It also marked the first day of the second half of the summer, at least for me. Yet, summer vacation for a teacher is more than just days; it is time to do, to experience, and to sit back reflect and rejuvenate for the coming year. It is the time to do what was leftover or incomplete from the school year and to work on those summer projects. It is also a time for New Year’s resolutions. Continue reading Day 42: Dr. Covey pays a visit… →

Day 41: Halfway day – is the glass half full or half empty?

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I remembered the big idea or thought for the day from our last full day at Camp Tesomas. It fits for Thursday: I have had forty-one days of summer vacation and I have forty-one days remaining.  When I look at my accomplishments and reflect, I have done well. My blog is up and running, I have been to Paris and have closure to my father’s passing, summer camp with William was fun, and I am now at the cottage. I still have a few goals to attain before summer closes and that should be my focus for the remaining days.

One of the biggest struggles I have with summer is the lack of structure. The blog gives me a purpose, a focus, and a deadline. I need to write each day. I am not sure who is reading but it does not matter. It is making a difference for me and it is helping me to focus on making the days count. Continue reading Day 41: Halfway day – is the glass half full or half empty? →

Day 37: Independence Day

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Ivy plays catch with me

Independence Day, July the Fourth means is an important day for Americans. Since moving to the Midwest in ’91 Beth and I have spent many Fourth of July’s at the cottage on Lake Margrethe.  I have missed only a few.

The Fourth in Grayling is much like anywhere else in America. They have a parade at eleven and fireworks when it gets dark, usually around ten. This year the parade and fireworks were on July 3, a Saturday, probably because the Fourth fell on a Sunday. I do not know why and it is not important. I do know that Grayling was not alone as William and I travelled from camp to Michigan we saw at least two parades and detoured around them.

Sunday, the fourth was like any other day at the cottage, quiet and peaceful with coffee to share with Grandma Weaver as we looked out across the lake. There is no view better. I have seen that view many times summer, fall, winter, and spring. Each is different. Sometimes it is foggy and the hills are barely visible, sometimes it is clear and that water is like glass, regardless of the time, there is no view that is the same. Sometimes the coffee is strong but the conversation is always good no matter how strong or weak the coffee. Morning is a special time at the cottage sometimes William will come down the stairs and sit with Grandma, though he is getting too big to share the chair with her. Continue reading Day 37: Independence Day →

Day 35: The Mile

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Routines are what make camp so much fun and yesterday’s post started with the flag ceremony; even though I did not explain the evening flag ceremony. Routines are everywhere, such as the dining hall, I was on the phone with Beth telling her about the day and she could hear yelling and shouting in the background and asked what it was and I told her – we were being greeted to come and dine. Continue reading Day 35: The Mile →

Day 32: Dinner at camp

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Tall tales abound in the north woods of Wisconsin and camp lore.

Scouts and adults alike were greeted to a new day by the crisp clear air of a late June morning in the north woods of Wisconsin. Our day started and as usual, brushing our teeth and getting prepared for breakfast and the rest of the day. I ran into one of our adult leaders who told me he had lost his sunglasses Monday and realized he had probably left them at shooting sports – all the way across camp. He explained that when he woke up, he ran over to the area to find them. He was looking for them when he spotted a deer, a five pointer, wearing them. He told me, he asked the deer for his glasses back. The deer replied, no, they were his. So, the adult leader shot the deer and got his glasses back. He had me going there for a minute. After all, this is the land of tall tales and Paul Bunyan-like stories and the camp has a weather vane in front of the dining hall to prove it. We are all having fun at Tesomas. It truly is a great place.

I knew Monday was going to be a great day and the possibility that Tuesday would be a million and six times better as Bowling for Soup said in the chorus of their song, “Today is Gonna be a Great Day”:

This could possibility be the best day ever!
(This could possibility be the best day ever,)
And the forecast says that tomorrow will likely be a million and six times better.
So make every minute count, jump up, jump in, and seize the day,
And let’s make sure that in every single possible way,
Today is gonna be a great day!

We are making every minute count. As it turned out, Tuesday was even better than Monday! Continue reading Day 32: Dinner at camp →

Day 25: Patience

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Patience is a virtue. Sometimes, I just need to be patient. The past couple of days have been days when I need to exercise patience with myself, my family, our puppy, but especially myself. Twenty-five days of summer vacation with fifty-seven remaining, they require patience.

There’s a hundred and four 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
Like maybe…
Bowling for Soup “Today is Gonna be a Great Day

The opening of the song says it all…really there are varying days in my family. For me, I will go back to school on Thursday, August 19 that gives me fifty-seven more days. My kids on the other hand start school on Tuesday, August 24, and so do my students, which gives them sixty-two more days of summer vacation so we have a problem how best to spend it….. Continue reading Day 25: Patience →

Day 20: My last day in Paris

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Chateau de Versailles, France

The last day the Watkins brothers would be together in Paris.  It was also the twentieth of summer vacation and I to make it count – it was going to possibly be the best day ever. Warren, Julie, and I leave to go home tomorrow morning; Julie and I will be flying together and Warren by himself. David and Trisha are staying an extra day. It was going to be a great day.

We got up early and met for breakfast and coffee in the basement dining room. Bruno was meeting Julie and taking her home for lunch with his wife and afterwards Julie would be spending time with Ritva. I am glad she was able to connect with friends of dad and her while she was here. I know it has not been an easy trip for her from getting around do being in a place that had been special for her and dad. The three brothers and Trish planned to go Versailles and have dinner – somewhere; but that was it. We headed out. Navigating the Metro was a lesson I wanted Trish to learn today as she and David are on their own Friday. I shared with her my secrets: look for connections, figure out where you want to go and backtrack, look at the endpoint – it is the direction you are headed, and lastly – do not be afraid to ask directions. We said to good-bye to Julie, walked to the Metro at Republique, and got rolling toward Invalides where we would interchange to RER C and get out to Versailles Rive Gauche and the Chateau de Versailles. Continue reading Day 20: My last day in Paris →