Free at Last, Free at Last

Since most of you know I am from Alabama, you may be having mental images of Martin Luther King, Jr. or even George C. Wallace in a school house door, but what is really on my mind today is summer vacation.

I know that many parents dread seeing summer break coming. My momma always responded by having a big list of “Summer Chores” for my sister and me to complete while we were home. Some of my friends who are dads respond by signing their offspring up for every program they can find to fill the summer up with busyness. For families, summer often means lots of extra expense: classes, programs, camps, vacations, oh my!

Since I am single with no children or pets, I have a totally different perspective on summer vacation. I was talking with my momma this weekend, and she pointed out that this is the first summer I have had off since I was sixteen years old. I always had a summer job; then I went right to work as soon as I graduated. Since becoming a teacher, I have always taught some sort of summer program. I see this as the time when I have the freedom to do all the things that I wish I could do during the school year, or that I do but don’t have the time to savor. Don’t get me wrong. My summer calendar is almost filled already, but the beautiful joy of summer vacation is that I have time during the week to do the other things that I usually have to squeeze in after a full day at work with 19 fourth graders all calling my name.

My local chapter of Romance Writers, Heart of Dixie has a lot going on this summer.
We are having wonderful programs at both our June and July meetings so I am extra excited about them. Plus, I am providing the door prize for the July meeting so I have to get some shopping done. We are doing some workshops in conjunction with the Huntsville Public Library that sound great! I am really looking forward to getting to go to at least one of them. Lynn Raye Harris’ workshop on pacing and plotting sounds fantastic. You can check them out with this link: http://hmcpl.org/booklovers

Of course, I am also preparing for the Annual Romance Writers of America Conference in Orlando, Florida. Pantster and I will be working hard all summer to polish our pitches and manuscripts so that we are ready, ready, ready.

If you think that sounds like there's great deal going on, you are right. But during the week I will have time to go to Pantster’s house on her birthday to celebrate with her. I have the chance to go antiquing with my momma and visit my sister’s house to see her garden. I will get to go to Pantster’s book club and visit with all those fun gals who went with her to the beach. I have time to spend in the kitchen baking for my friends and maybe even visiting distant friends. And last but certainly not least, I have time to hang out with Mr. Dreamy. All in all, it is shaping up to be both a fun and productive summer.

How do you feel about summer vacation? Do you have any special plans or things that you are really looking forward to this summer?