This was written 5 years ago.  I love it.

A conversation between Tyler (age 10) and his mother: We were at the Point Pleasant Boardwalk, and came upon a huge sand sculpture on the beach, dedicated to the restoration of the Jersey Shore. Only the top of the sculpture was visible, as it was walled off, with an entrance farther down the walkway. Tyler wanted to go inside the display, and was clamoring for his mother to allow him to do so. Tyler: Mom, I'm going in there to see it. Kristin: No, Tyler, you're not. Tyler: Yeah, I want to. Kristin: No, Tyler. T: But Mom, I want to. K: Tyler, I said, "no". T: Why not? I want to. K: Tyler, no. I have no idea how you get in, no idea how you get out, and no idea who else is in there. T: But I want to! K: TYLER, NO! I SAID NO, AND IF YOU DON'T STOP, WE CAN JUST LEAVE! T: Aww, Mom, you don't care anything about me! Lynn and I looked at each other and laughed, remembering the many, many similar conversations we had with Kristin and her sisters.

I am Back (I Think)

Hello Folks,

I think I may be back to the blogging world.  Now that my grandchildren are old enough to have blogs, it seems like it might be time to resurrect my writings.  I had to spend some time on housekeeping - figuring out how to log in again, changing my password of course, changing my profile picture, and editing the personal information.

I am preparing to go back to work, for my 26th, 27th, or 28th year, depending on whose record keeping to believe.  I am just as excited about it as I was 26 or 27 or 28 years ago, which is, I imagine, a good thing.  I have perused my class list, sent out a welcome letter, written plans for the first couple of weeks, searched computer files for documents relating to each subject, and put some thought into rearranging the classroom.  At some point, I will go into the school and put the thoughts into practice.

It has been a good/stressful/fun/busy/productive summer, the appropriate adjective changing on a moment by moment basis, depending on circumstances.  While I am not anxious to see the season end, I am willing to accept the inevitable and embrace the coming year.

There have been many changes in our lives over the past year or so since my last post, and while none have been earth shattering, all play a role in the shaping of our lives.  I wallow in the the things over which I have no control - such as the world and country situations - and try to address the things over which I do have control - such as health concerns and organizational strategies.  Baby steps.

Here's to the last few weeks of summer.  Cheers!