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Thursday, June 3, 2010

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?

4 comments:

  1. I am looking forward to lazy summer days by the pool at home and spending time with my husband when he is off, not much excitement. We have waited for years to buy a condo at the beach and we finally did this year. Sigh...It would figure that when we did the biggest oil spill to ever hit the nation would occur in the Gulf. I had been looking forward to going to the beach a lot, not now. I just came back from the beach yesterday and it was so beautiful. It just makes me sad to think that all that will soon be destroyed. I guess I will be going back to volunteer with the clean-up. Not much to look forward to. I know it sounds depressing but that will probably be my summer. Didn't want to be a downer. Sorry...

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  2. Hey Cherly, you aren't being a downer. Friends share each others disappointments. I am disappointed that you can't invite me to go to the beach with you. Does that make me a downer???

    Lazy summer days by the pool sound pretty good to. Thanks for sharing your summer thoughts with us.

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  3. I'm just looking forward to summer, period. I love floating around in the pool with a good book. I can stay there for hours! LOL But what I'm really looking forward to this summer is my first trip to Nationals! Yay! I am so excited and can't wait. :-D

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  4. Sherry-We can't wait to have you join us for the fun!! So glad you are going, Roomie!

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