Tag Archives: hard work

Sunday morning, again

adventure, Family, jobs, Life in General, pets, Reading, Writing, , , , , , , , , , ,

It is Sunday morning and somehow, Saturday passed me by. Saturday morning, I got up late, about quarter to eight. The rest of the house slept and it was quiet, peaceful, it was wonderful. Everyone needed rest, I included, but I was awake, so I got up. Friday night we had been out at a – you guessed it – high school football game Friday night and had been the last off the field as William and Olivia helped the grounds crew pick up the yard markers, end zone cones, and put them away for another week and perhaps the season. The Tigers had made the state playoffs but have had a difficult season dropping three games this year. They won Friday night, but next week play the number one seed in the bracket – in their stadium, so it will be interesting.

This morning, the phone rang and woke Beth and me up. She went back to sleep, or tried to and I came downstairs, let Ivy out and made coffee. We let the kids sleep; Continue reading Sunday morning, again →

Saturday, update – Falling ahead

adventure, Family, Life in General, pets, Reading, sports, teaching, Writing, , , , , , , , , ,
The kids and the Pink lady apples - a bright, sunny, and beautiful afternoon

It has been a while, too long a while. But, I’m back. Over the past two weeks, I’ve had so many ideas to write, but so little time. I know that almost sounds like a whine, and it is. I really enjoy the time to sit, think, and create. When I started writing MtDC in May 2010, I had no idea where it would take me or what it would teach me; all I knew was that I wanted to be a better teacher and that if I was going to teach writing, I had better get good at it. I really wanted to write about Making the Days Count and I think I have, though at times it is more diary than other blogs and chronicles how the days count to me and the people and things I care most about.   Continue reading Saturday, update – Falling ahead →

Saturday morning

country, Family, jobs, Life in General, pets, Reading, Scouting, teaching, Writing, , , , , , , , ,

It seems the last two posts have been Sundays, so I decided to start a new day with the blog. But, to tell you the truth it has been very busy since school resumed in late August and I have been struggling to keep all of the plates spinning, or balls in the air, or even my nose above the water. You get the idea.  It’s not just for me but the entire family, including Ivy. Well, maybe not Ivy, but the rest of us.

Last week, as all of us were painfully aware, was the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. I can remember precisely where I was and what I was doing that morning. I know all of us who remember that awful day have those memories seared into the fabric of our being, the makeup of who we are and how we look at life. Last Saturday morning, I watched Olivia play softball and was incredibly distracted by the air traffic overhead. Continue reading Saturday morning →

Sunday morning – part two

adventure, Family, Life in General, Reading, Writing, , , , , , , , ,
Olivia pilots, William directs, and the trailer waits!

It’s yet another Sunday morning. This one finds me in Michigan, for perhaps the last time for a while. It’s the end of summer. Summer has been ending for us for the last few weeks. The end began with school re-starting; first with me, then the kids. I’ve been back at school for over two weeks and had kids in my classroom for ten full days. William and Olivia have been back in school for nine days and we find ourselves at the official end of summer – Labor Day weekend. Continue reading Sunday morning – part two →

First days of school

Family, history, Life in General, Reading, teaching, Teaching and Learning, Writing, , , , , , , , ,
Lakeview Elementary - courtesy of Fort Bend ISD

Today is the first day of school – WITH KIDS! I am excited. I have spent the summer resting, relaxing, and re-setting for this day. The best part of teaching is every year you get to start all over and begin again. Today is the day. I remember my mom telling me, “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.” I am ready. Continue reading First days of school →

First Day New Month

adventure, Family, Life in General, pets, racing, sports, Writing, , , , , , , , ,
the last sunset in July, for this year

August the first sounds bad, it really does. It sounds like the end of summer vacation and the return to serious things like school, work, and responsibility. I read the quote in my Franklin Planner this morning and it read,

“There shall be Eternal summer in the grateful heart.” Celia Thaxter.

I had never heard of her so, I let my fingers do the walking and discovered she was an American poet and author in the nineteenth century. Her father was a lighthouse keeper and ran an inn and she lived her entire life in New England. In addition, she is known for running her father’s summer inn, which attracted America’s literary elite in the late 1800s, and hence she lived a summer-like existence, year-round. I suppose summer does live on in our hearts and minds. It is the motivation when the mornings are dreary, the workload enormous, or the chores unpleasant. Whatever is coming in a few weeks when school resumes will not be as much fun as summer has been.   Continue reading First Day New Month →

Tuesday and chili

adventure, Family, jobs, Reading, Scouting, teaching, , , , , , , , ,
the view from inside my tent

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 →

Monday – Battle of the Bands

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Smiley the Tent watches over the trading post

Light comes early at Tesomas, about quarter past five and I stirred but didn’t get up. It had been a late night Sunday and I was enjoying snuggling inside my sleeping bag. I am certain I wasn’t the only one. My alarm sounded at six and I reluctantly crawled out of bed and joined the group of scouts at the picnic table. They were excited about the coming day and possibilities it held. Continue reading Monday – Battle of the Bands →

We’re here

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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 →

Ben and Jerry

Family, jobs, Life in General, model airplanes, model railroads, pets, Writing, , , , ,

There are so many excellent parts of summer, it is difficult to select, just one. So, in fairness to my taste buds, I am going to pick ice cream as one of my favorite parts of summer. I have had an ongoing love affair with ice cream since my youth. I can remember grabbing the carton and sitting down again against the bookcase and spooning it directly out of the carton. Whether it was Blue Bell (from Texas), Häagen-Dazs, Ben and Jerry’s or any other ice cream it comes right out of the carton and into my mouth. Continue reading Ben and Jerry →