Category Archives: travel

Winter Break

Thursday, December 27, 2012, @ 7:56 amadventure, Family, Life in General, pets, teaching, travel, Weather, Writingchurch, Family, making the days count, pets, seventh grade, weather, winter, writingClay

Like most, no all, teachers, I eagerly waited for Winter Break. I knew how many days there were between Thanksgiving and break. I worked at making the learning count, while still counting the days until I could breathe. I dreamed. I made plans. Then, I got sick and ruined it all.

Since I have been married, I have spent Christmas in Ohio with my in-laws. I could not have chosen better in-laws, truly. There have been only a couple of times when I woke in my own bed on Christmas morning, and those were times when one of us was sick – me, B, or the kids, and travelling was just not a good idea. And, then we eventually made it to Ohio a day late. This year it was me. This year I had made it all the way to the last Friday Continue reading Winter Break →

Veterans Day – Semper Fi

Sunday, November 11, 2012, @ 9:11 amadventure, country, Family, history, Life in General, Reading, teaching, Writingeducation, Family, great days, hard work, making the days count, patriotism, reading, teaching, World War I, writing, WWIIClay

Today is Veterans Day. It is celebrated on the eleventh day of the eleventh month; the day also marks the remembrance of end of the First World War. There is no coincidence.

dad_usmc — Private Robert N. Watkins, USMC, my dad

Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

As a young child, there were two topics, which I constantly read – World War II and football. I could not read enough or learn enough about the war. I was fascinated, and I still am intrigued by history. My dad helped foster this learning and I remember watching Patton at the Palms Theater in third grade. At the time, I thought it was a great movie. I have watched it many times since and have the soundtrack in my music library. I am listening to it as I write this morning. I still think it is a great movie about a great man, who like many was flawed, but did what was needed when it was needed most. Continue reading Veterans Day – Semper Fi →

5:04 PM, October 17, 1989 – 23 years later

Wednesday, October 17, 2012, @ 11:00 pmadventure, Family, jobs, Life in General, sports, teaching, Weather, Writing1989 World Series, baseball, earthquakes, eating, education, Family, great days, Lomo Prieta quake, making the days count, seventh grade, Vie de France, writingClay

250px-1989_World_Series — image courtesy of Wikipedia

23 years ago, I had tickets to Game 3 of the World Series. It was the San Francisco Giants vs. The Oakland A’s. There are a few things in life that you’ll never forget, and going to a World Series game is probably one of them. Yet, that is not what I remember the date for, it was 23 years ago today that I was in a major earthquake.

I moved to the Bay Area in 1987 and B moved out there a couple of years later in ’89. She worked for Macy’s in the electronics buying office for the west coast. I loved baseball and I enjoyed watching games on TV. It was BK, before kids, Continue reading 5:04 PM, October 17, 1989 – 23 years later →

The quiet room

Sunday, October 14, 2012, @ 11:37 amadventure, Family, jobs, Life in General, teaching, Weather, Writingchildren, fall in the Midwest, fall leaves, great days, hard work, high school football, making the days count, pets, reading, softball, sports, teaching, weather, writingClay

The sign says it all, ‘The quiet room.’ My kids tried to avoid it at all costs; I guess I would have, too, at their age. But, I’d sure like to go there for the next couple of days. Continue reading The quiet room →

Conflicted Monday

Monday, October 8, 2012, @ 9:54 amadventure, Family, Life in General, Reading, teaching, Weather, Writingchildren, fall in the Midwest, Family, hard work, high school football, history, making the days count, reading, seventh grade, teaching, weather, writingClay

I am conflicted. It’s Monday morning and everyone is up. I got up early this morning, well early for a day off and instead of working, I read. It was good to read, but the opportunity cost is that I’m writing and it’s time to work to get things done, move, shake, rattle, and roll. But, I want to write. I also, need to grade and plan for the coming week. Before I know it, the day will be gone.

Instead of working, I read. I have been reading Continue reading Conflicted Monday →

Fall is here

Saturday, September 22, 2012, @ 11:19 amadventure, Family, Life in General, Reading, Scouting, teaching, Teaching and Learning, Weather, Writingchildren, education, Family, Guys Read, hard work, high school football, making the days count, reading, seventh grade, softball, writingClay

iphone5 — a picture of me – on an iPhone5 screen!

Fall is here, like it or not. I’ve known it was coming. I could tell, every morning the light seemed to come later and later, and last Wednesday I returned to O’s softball practice in a panic that she was waiting for me because practice had been called for darkness. They were still practicing, but I can no longer rely on time of day as a way gauge light or dark. Today is the Autumnal Equinox when we’ll get an equal amount of daylight and darkness and then it will go downhill from there. Continue reading Fall is here →

1969, an earthquake, and Amuay

Thursday, August 30, 2012, @ 5:18 amadventure, Family, history, jobs, pets, Reading, teaching, Teaching and Learning, Writing1969, Amuay, children, education, Family, great days, history, making the days count, reading, seventh grade, teaching, Venezuela, writingClay

1969_clay_pedro1 — Pedro and I – 1969 Venezuela

It has been two weeks since my last post am I feeling guilty that I haven’t written, but I have been busy with my school starting, the kid’s school starting, and the activities that come along with active kids and a family– sports practices, clubs, church, and family. I actually began writing a post earlier this week and stopped because I didn’t have time to finish and get to school, on time. At the same time, I have been trying to get the sleep and rest I need to lead a healthy and productive life. It has been a challenge keeping all of the roles in balance.

Continue reading 1969, an earthquake, and Amuay →

Getting it together

Thursday, August 16, 2012, @ 6:09 amadventure, Family, Life in General, Music, pets, Reading, sports, teaching, Weather, Writingchildren, education, great days, hard work, high school football, making the days count, music, pets, reading, seventh grade, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

morning has broken — my backyard, as I sipped coffee and watched Ivy

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. Continue reading Getting it together →

T minus eight

Sunday, August 12, 2012, @ 9:44 amadventure, Family, Life in General, pets, Reading, sports, teaching, Writingbaseball, children, Cubs, Family, great days, Guys Read, high school football, making the days count, reading, scouting, seventh grade, softball, Summer Vacation, teaching, writingClay

It’s been a while, too long between my last post and today. Don’t worry, the days have counted and they are counting. Last week it was fifteen today it is eight, and counting.

W and I came home a week ago and we hit the ground running – school, errands, scouts, football, Continue reading T minus eight →

Sunday morning, fifteen days left

Sunday, August 5, 2012, @ 8:39 amadventure, Family, Life in General, Reading, teaching, travel, Weather, Writingchildren, education, Family, Grayling, great days, hard work, making the days count, pets, reading, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

It’s Sunday morning, it’s bright, sunny, windy, and lake is blue, as blue as the early morning light colors the water. Wind rustles through the trees and blows in through the open screen door and through the cottage. Last night, a front blew through the area and brought much cooler and drier weather. It is the same front, which blasted though the Chicago area and later northern Ohio with high winds, lightning, and rain. We were supposed to get storms with rain and high winds, but nothing happened; the storm broke up before it arrived. We got pleasant weather instead. I’ll take the trade-off, anytime. Continue reading Sunday morning, fifteen days left →