I know that the date is only August 11 and officially there are many days left in the summer - BUT - in a school district, summers end when the teachers return. Teachers report tomorrow for the first day of Professional Development and kids start next Thursday. I had great plans for this summer. I just knew that - this year - everything from the previous year would be properly filed and new files would be ready for the coming year. Nothing would be left undone. I would be rested and ready for the new year. Well - NOT - on all of it.
So - to reflect on the summer. John retired in June and moved to Sherwood so we could actually be husband and wife in the same house. Great idea and we are loving it. We attended a great conference in Denver the last week in June and then followed it with a wonderful vacation in northern New Mexico the first week in July. We got in lots of good bicycle riding, saw incredible mountains, art, fireworks, plus much more and had a wonderful time. I was off for 2 consecutive weeks for the first time since around 1992. Betty and I moved offices and I threw away a LOT of stuff (so I have less that is not filed.) Much work has been done on our home in Hope. Our children are going through hard times to varying degrees, but we have gotten to see more of them than usual and that is very good. My niece, Teresa, had major cancer surgery and my sister-in-law had foot surgery. My niece, Amy, got her first teaching job. I finally got to visit Pawhuska, OK, which is the original home of my mother's family. John and I visited Jenn in Pawhuska while she was doing a 2 week internship with a local vet. Work is far crazier than I can ever remember and I am exhausted and that is all I will say on that subject.
It has been a mostly great summer and I've made it through the rest of the stuff - or at least I'm getting there. Ready or not - the new year starts TOMORROW!
