Mountains' Majesty

I am back from a week in the Blue Ridge Mountains with my husband, which included a visit with my family. We saw this deer on one Virginia trail and were able to walk by without scaring her. The house is my grandfather's family home, which sits on family property and includes a family cemetery. I love the pic of the other path because it looks like an enchanted forest. The word "verdant" really applies here! The sunset was in the North Carolina mountains. The blue ridges really did seem to go on forever.

Summer's "To Do" List...

I expected to see God walking out to address the world from behind this cloud...

• We have decided to go into the mountains for a week, while our teenager remains at home; will we have a house to return to?




• While making this decision to travel, I noticed a curious dripping, moldy spot outside our kitchen window, which seems to indicate a leak that will need to be fixed soon. Hope hubby doesn't change his mind on trip....




• I have painted one room and one foyer area in the house and I am absolutely sick of house painting! So much for the bathrooms getting painted and the kitchen...




• I have been getting inundated with teaching offers for next year --NOT! Resigned to another year of subbing...




• On the positive side, I had a lovely lunch this week with teacher friends (several who have left the school I was at and, like me, prefer sanity to money.




• I walked at the beach two evenings and saw gorgeous sunsets - no two are ever alike! I saw an unusual sky last night, one hour before sunset, with pinks and blues peeking from behind the clouds. My pics really don't do it justice.

Lazy, hazy days of summer....

I'm in the midst of the summer "pull" - with urges to take morning or late evening walks (only times I can stand the heat), to drop by local fruit and veggie stands, to whittle away the afternoon in air-conditioned comfort reading, and to watch the beach sunsets. We had "marvelous" Fourth of July weather, with day temps only in the 80s, so my husband and I were a couple of walking fools. I took this pic of one lighthouse during a morning walk in the early July weather change (you can see the rougher tide), and one after sunset.

Yes, I have crossed a few things off my "to do" list - going through storage boxes and files, and some inside painting of one room, plus the usual closet and garage cleanups. I have recycled endlessly at Goodwill...dropping off old clothes and electronics, then going inside to browse for bargains. Even my son is hooked on Goodwill. Which is great because we certainly live on a Goodwill budget....I'm grateful for these unscheduled days, when I can get up and decide what I want to do...teaching days will come soon enough. Love that southern coastal life (with a glass of chilled wine, beer or a margarita!)

Looking toward the future...

I took this pic last night, sitting at the channel. My husband and I watched dozens and dozens of dolphins jumping and swimming near shrimp boats that came in and anchored for the night in the channel. If you look closely you can see one mother dolphin with a young one surfacing.
I watched Avatar two evenings ago, after we received it from Netflix. Great film obviously for the special effects, but also for the story. Humans have done so much to ruin this beautiful world of ours, through ignorance and greed, but I like to believe that we can salvage it.
I've been thinking about the recent high school graduates, since my son has a number of friends who graduated this year. As a teacher and parent, my wish for young people is that they connect in a very real way with the natural world and people around them. That which you have heard, seen and experienced first hand becomes important to you, and worth fighting for.
When I heard the comment made by the BP CEO about "wanting his life back," I understood that for him, the Gulf of Mexico and the people who live there don't really matter; probably, like many people, the natural world doesn't really matter to him in any concrete way. If you have stood at the ocean's edge, watching dolphins leap and pelicans dive, or wandered mossy, verdant paths through mountain forests, watching deer graze and chipmunks scamper, then those living things really, truly matter. I'm treasuring these days at home near the ocean, looking foward to a summer trip to the mountains, and hoping for a better future for our natural world.

Summer beach fun...hope it lasts

I am "out" of school, in a sense. I finished one long term sub teacher job a week ago, and though the public schools have this week left, I am not shopping around for last minute, last week jobs! I'll stay poor but sane. I'd be a "dead sub walking," for sure! Waiting to get any nibbles on job applications, and I did have one interview last week, but didn't get it. My husband finally got his old teaching job back, but it will be funded by federal money. Hmm....hope the money is still there come August!

Instead of doing dozens of jobs around the outside and inside of the house, I took myself to the beach this morning to walk, swim and read a trashy paperback. I left close to middle of the day, as temps heated up. I did restore some order in the universe by getting some groceries and dropping off a bunch of books at Goodwill. My son wanted to make a "teenager" living room out of the other small bedroom next to his, so we spent the weekend cleaning it out and finding a new place for the things in that room. He is excited to be doing dual enrollment for his senior year of high school. We still have a few details to work out over the summer.

This morning was a low tide, and I love being in the ocean water when it is calm. As I paddled around, I couldn't help wondering how long it will be before the great oil spill makes it to the Atlantic coast. I've lived here most of my life, and yes, I have taken it for granted at times. To have that possibly taken away...not to mention the tremendous loss to people and wildlife....here's hoping and praying that our summer fun can last!

Sunset, then sunrise....

I haven't posted very much lately, but for a good reason! I've been working in a long term substitute teaching position at a school I worked at eight years ago. It's a private school geared to students with learning differences. They probably won't have a full-time job next year, but a part-time looks likely! My husband did receive a teaching contract from the public schools, but hasn't been placed in a job yet. His school's staff was "fired" under the No Child Left Behind criteria. The whole "fire the staff" thing is off base really. And I know you can't "fire" the students, though goodness knows they are not there by choice! Perhaps it is better to revamp leadership and the overall approach instead. One thing is for certain - our public schools have a very challenging population. I'd like to see more alternative schools. A high school student was raped in the hallway during classes this week. Of course details on the case are not available to the public, but whether the charge is legitimate or not, obviously students were engaging in activities not related to academics. I know there have also been You Tube videos of what goes on inside some classrooms. Actually, I think students with cell phones is a good idea. It brings public attention to problems in a way just talking about it doesn't. A picture IS worth a thousand words! Speaking of pics, I took this sunset pic this month. Our weekend evening beach walks help with teacher stress! Sunset....sunrise.....

What washes ashore, washes back out

I had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend - just enjoying going out to eat (and drink a couple of well-deserved margaritas), and watching the sun set on the beach. My husband and I also went downtown to the market and bought fresh strawberries and tomatoes. I have a long term substitute teacher position for May, filling in for a teacher who is ill. Though I'd rather secure work under happier circumstances, I guess that is the role of a sub anyway. The job is no "walk in the park," as it is for middle schoolers with learning disabilities and/or behavioral challenges. Began to get very tired last week, so will slow things down this week. My husband teaches at a school where the entire staff was basically "fired," per the requirements of the No Child Left Behind legisation. He doesn't know, after 25 years in the system, if he has a job. I haven't had any offers either, and with teachers being laid off right and left, I'm not hopeful. Who would have thought so many teachers would be out of work? I say, what washes ashore, will wash back out eventually.