I've moved.

Much has changed in the past few months. You can now find me here.

Gratitude Post - 9 of 12

Baby Jude was born on October 15, 2009 at 11:46 pm. Healthy baby boy. 8 pounds and 20.5 inches long. So much to be grateful for this month.

Gratitude Post - 8 of 12

Hmmm. It's October 8th. Why do I feel like something is missing? Oh yeah, my due date was YESTERDAY and still no baby. The truth is, 80% of first time moms deliver after their due date - or so my doctor told me at yesterday's visit. He said we usually deliver within 5 days after, but all of my Bradley Method materials say 8 days, so who knows which is correct but either way, I am not abnormal....just big and tired and ready to meet my baby. (Why do I feel abnormal then? If one more person calls or texts in disbelief that I am still pregnant, I will SCREAM.)

So in all of the anxiety of the past few days, it's been hard to see what I can be grateful for. So for gratitude entry number 8, I am grateful for a healthy pregnancy.

Being pregnant is hard enough for sure. Your every action affects not only yourself but the vulnerable little one growing inside of you. You feel tired, sick, more anxious and emotional than usual, and you are so big at the end that the most generic daily activities are literally impossible sometimes. Time to feed the dogs? Oh wait, I can't do so without help because I can't bend over to get their water bowls. Slide in that booth at your favorite restaurant? Nope. Won't fit. And trust me, when you are beginning week 41 of this "condition," your patience is wearing off.

That said, I've had it so easy compared to many women, and I definitely recognize that. I was a little sick in the beginning and of course tired, but the baby has appeared healthy throughout my pregnancy. As the months progressed, I've been fortunate enough to remain active and exercising. I can't imagine how slowly the time would be passing if I had been on bed rest or worried about the health of the baby or his showing up too soon. So if I have to go an extra week or so to test my patience and make up for my lucky 9 months, so be it. I am grateful to have experienced this as easily as I have, and I hope labor and delivery follows the same pattern. With that in mind, pray that little one comes soon on his own time before I have to be induced. We're hoping for the best in the days ahead!

Gratitude Post, 7 of 12

For my seventh gratitude entry of the year, I am sincerely grateful for all of our support from friends and family as we prepare for the arrival of Baby Jude. Preparing for a new baby is such an exciting task but also a very overwhelming one. There are products to research and things to buy, and the weight of it all can seem heavy to say the least. I'm thankful that I have friends and family who not only remind me that Jude will be happy if he simply has lots of love but also happily share in the joy (and some of the burden) of what is to come. As I glance at the calendar and see my due date looming about 4 weeks away, I can say that at least our home is ready thanks to our generous family and friends.

The best thing about baby showers is that you can celebrate with so many people you maybe don't get to see as often as you'd like. While yes the gifts are appreciated, the company is even better! I was lucky enough to celebrate Jude's arrival 4 times in the past few months.

family shower with my in-laws

family shower at my sister's house

a fabulous childrens' book shower with some lovely English teacher hostesses....Jude's bookshelves are stocked!

a lovely tea with my favorites - Brenau ladies welcoming baby Jude!

His drawers are full of clothes - many of which were donated or gifted from friends and family, and the nursery is stocked and ready to go..... crib sheets, wipes, diaper cream, childrens' books, toys, bottles, and over 300 newborn diapers. I can't say thank you enough for all of the support we've received. Jude is so lucky to come in to world that is so excited to welcome him!

Gratitude Post, 6 of 12

After last summer's big trip, Scott and I wanted to head somewhere low-key this year for summer vacation. Knowing this would be our last trip pre-baby, we also wanted somewhere different where we'd have the feeling of exploring a new place.

For my 6th gratitide post this year, I am grateful for our July trip to Cape Cod. The weather was perfect, our hosts were gracious, the scenery was beautiful, and the food was fabulous. All in all, it was one of the best vacations we've had together, and I can't wait to take Jude back one day!

I was unsure about how it would be traveling when I was 27 weeks pregnant, but everything was perfect. The weather was about 20 degrees cooler than it was here in Atlanta, so that helped my energy level considerably, and our decision to spend the Fourth of July in Hyannis made for such a memorable experience. I am grateful for the opportunity to see some New England coast and enjoy time together before our little family gets a lot bigger!

A view of Nantucket from the top of the Whaling Museum

Scott and me in Nantucket

The Fourth of July Parade on Main Street in Hyannis

Me - 27 weeks pregnant and in front of the Grist Mill in Sandwich, MA

Boats on the coast of Provincetown

The boardwalk at Yarmouthport

Scott and me at the Hyannis Harbor, stuffed with yummy seafood

Gratitude Post - 5 of 12

Gratitude Post 5 of 12

Teaching is hard. That’s no secret. It’s no coincidence that statistics show us most beginning teachers quit their jobs and run screaming in the other direction within the first three years. I certainly spend my fair share of time whining and complaining about how difficult my life is from August to May.

But summertime, oh summertime.

I can’t think of many other careers where one can have a full 9 weeks of glorious vacation. And for all of those out there who complain about those spoiled teachers with weeks of vacation, I’d love to meet someone who could develop the level of energy and motivation necessary to teach and actually sustain that level of energy for 12 months a year. There is no way I could possibly be a teacher, or a halfway decent one, without this 2 months hiatus.

So what do I spend my summer doing? It’s been almost 5 weeks so far, and I can say I’ve had a nice combination of laziness and productivity. I’ve read a great book or two that have no use in the classroom, and I love that summer gives me the time to do that. I’ve spent a week at the beach, shared lunch dates with friends, spent many a day at the pool, enjoyed some quality local theatre, and savored my coffee in pajamas at 9 or 10 in the morning as I watch my morning news shows. I make no apologies for my laziness, especially this summer as I enjoy my last summer of selfishness and childlessness.

I haven’t been all lazy, though. So many mundane but important things get pushed aside as the hectic school year progresses. From scheduling carpet cleaning to revamping household budgets to cleaning out closets, summer allows me the time to do all of those things I really should be doing 12 months a year. I’m grateful to be in a profession that allows me the time to be leisurely and to play catch-up from life’s craziness and chaos. Am I ready to go back each August? Of course not. But I feel more ahead, more rested, more myself (if only a little) than I did in May and that’s worth a mention of gratitude for sure.

Gratitude Post - 4 of 12

I’m admittedly a little late on April’s gratitude entry, but it’s been a busy month. One of the recurring April events that I am always excited about is Alumnae Reunion / May Day Weekend at my alma mater.

This brings me to my fourth gratitude entry. I’m grateful to be a women’s college educated woman.

When people ask me what college I attended and I explain my answer, I am often met with the same reply. “A women’s college? Like all girls? Why?” I chose a women’s college for both my undergraduate and graduate degrees, and I am a strong supporter of single-sex education. It’s often hard to explain the benefits to someone unfamiliar with this system, but a quick glance at research can give you a variety of reasons to support single-sex education (adapted from the Women’s College Coalition and the National Survey of Student Engagement).

Only 2.5 percent of the women attending college attend women's colleges, yet their graduates account for 24 percent of our U.S. Congress members and 1/3 of the female board members of Fortune 1000 companies.

They have measurably higher levels of self-esteem than other achieving women in coeducational institutions—9 out of 10 women's college graduates give their colleges high marks for fostering and developing self-confidence.

They are more likely to graduate, and more than twice as likely as graduates of coeducational colleges to earn doctoral degrees and to enter medical school.

They earn more after graduation because they often choose traditionally male disciplines, like the sciences, as their academic major, in greater numbers. Women's colleges continue to graduate women in math and the sciences at 1.5 times the rate of coed institutions.

Both seniors and first-year students at women’s colleges scored higher on active and collaborative learning and student-faculty interaction than their counterparts at coeducational institutions.

Facts like these, however, don’t even begin to explain what I got from a single-sex education. I think the most important thing I learned in my years on women’s college campuses is the importance of female friendship. Perceiving the world through female eyes is simply different than understanding life as our male counterparts do. We are persistently challenged with stereotypical assumptions, and we have to make choices about career and family that male peers don’t even have to consider.

Companionship is a need for all humans, but having a reliable circle of female friends who have grown with you is an invaluable asset. I loved my years at Brenau and my time at Agnes Scott, and there’s nothing more fulfilling than coming of age with a group of women whom you respect and admire. If I have a daughter, I can only hope that she finds fulfillment in female friendships as I have. Somehow “friendship” does not do it justice; I think a new word needs to be coined for women’s college friendships.

“You have been prepared for leadership, prepared to meet the intellectual and social challenges of this time. […] My sisters, we know women are agents for change in every society and country of the world. … Stand up for social justice and fairness, speak up for human rights, act up for America’s promise. Lead America into a new generation, a time of universal peace, justice and human rights. You are the leaders of this time. Seize this time and do good deeds." – Shirley Franklin 2008 Agnes Scott College Graduation (http://www.womenscolleges.org/thoughts/index)

Gratitude Post - 3 of 12

Knowing 2009 would be a big year, I committed to this monthly exercise to record my experiences and to take a look at all the things I am grateful for as the seasons change and the year progresses. March’s gratitude entry is a BIG one.

There are no words which can describe what it feels like to see a tiny flicker on an ultrasound screen, even when you’ve known what’s going on inside you for a month at that point, you’ve witnessed countless friends and family have the same experience or you’ve read about what is happening inside your body. No words. How can something the size of a blueberry have a heart? How can something that wasn’t even present 9 weeks prior be living inside of me? So weird. So exciting. So happy.

So for March’s gratitude entry, I am grateful for possibilities. Grateful for life, for growth, for change, for new beginnings. Grateful for a husband who is just as excited as I am. Grateful for the time we had together before this. Time to be selfish, travel, be leisurely, but also time to be challenged and reminded that yes we do want to do this and we are excited about where the year will take us.


Number of times I have puked: only 1.

Number of hours I slept for the past few months: way more than I thought humanly possible.

Amount of guacamole I’ve eaten: You don’t want to know.

Number of my pants my waist has already outgrown: all of them

Number of pregnancy and childbirth books I now own: 4

Number of children’s books I’ve purchased already: 8

Number of times I have looked at this picture: countless.



We are elated. Due date October 1st.

Gratitude Post - 2 of 12

My goal in these monthly posts is to reflect specifically on what I am grateful for from the previous month, not just generalities, and as I look at my January and what it gave to me, I see a definite theme, and I realize that I am becoming grateful for something that I would rather not have had just a few short months ago. As February begins, I am grateful for the stage I am arriving at in my life, one of age and a little experience, one of being settled into a certain steady routine, one of reliable comfort.

Just last week, we celebrated Scott’s 30th birthday with some friends and family, and I’m forced to think about what 30 actually means, or what it used to represent to me and what it means now. I am only 2 short years behind him, but I often still think of myself as 22. College certainly doesn’t feel like 6 years ago, and I resemble, in no way, what I once expected 30 to feel like. Truth be known, I’ve sort of been fighting this growing-older thing, and resenting what I thought it meant: limited chances, hard choices, too many bills, the same scenery forever. Only recently have I realized that age and experience has more than monotony to offer, and I am opening up to the idea that life doesn’t end when you settle in one place, but perhaps you give yourself permission to start a few things.

While we haven’t talked about it a lot, there was a chance, a very good one, that Scott’s company would have us moving somewhere new, actually somewhere far far away and new and exciting and all of the things you crave when you are nearing 30 and don’t want to be. Only this month did we find out that the adventure on the horizon won’t be happening any time soon. (Thank you, global recession.) That weekend consisted of far too many tears and glasses of cabernet, and then I realized that there are many things to be grateful for, even if I stay in this place the rest of my life.

We are lucky enough to have a house that we love, and it feels more like home with every passing month as we settle in and make improvements here and there. In the last month, I am grateful for welcoming the baby of a close college friend, celebrating Scott’s 30th, enjoying a family dinner or two with my sister and her growing family, and finally furnishing the ever-empty dining room we’d been staring at for the past 4 years. All of these moments come from the age, experience, and reliability that I am only coming to know in recent years. So perhaps the looming 3-0 around the bend isn’t so much a funeral for the years that have passed but a christening for what is to come.

on repeat

I'm in love. His name is Andrew Bird.




I know I might be a little late getting on this train, and a lot of you might listen to him already. But seriously. Can't. Stop. Listening.

Gratitude Post – 1 of 12

So here goes. Month #1. Post 1 of 12.

As 2008 drew to a close, I found myself grateful for the many memories and experiences the passing year brought me.

When I think back to college or graduate school, I can remember so many specifics about my daily life and weekend adventures – where I went, whom I went there with, what we talked about. Since then, however, I’ve often been feeling like the days, weeks, months, and even years just fly by and half the time I can’t remember what I do from one day to the next. I am so grateful that 2008 has been an exception to this, and as I look back on the year, I think, Wow. I really did something.

As my January gratitude post, I am grateful for the year we just closed.

________________________________

While there are many more than 14, I've written a list of specific experiences I am grateful for in 2008 (sometimes with a picture since that was, after all, last year’s resolution):

1. A fun birthday celebration at Eclipse di’Luna to begin my 27th year with some of my favorite people

2. An especially bright and unforgettable group of students whom I felt proud to have taught as they walked across the stage on graduation day – I am continually inspired in my profession by emails, notes, and visits from these kids, and I’m grateful to have mentored them.

3. An adorable niece born in March who could not be a more perfect addition to our family.

4. Two fabulous concerts in the month of May – Tea Leaf Green and Swell Season which, by the way, pleasantly surprised me as one of the most amazing concerts I have ever been to.

5. A reunion with some college friends last June in Seaside, Florida – These girls never cease to entertain me or remind me of who I really am.

6. Our trip to Europe this summer which was absolutely the highlight of my year - There were so many simple moments on that trip – staring out the window of a train, overlooking a canal, enjoying a sidewalk café, or strolling city streets – when I had to pinch myself as a reminder that that it was real and it was perfect.

7. The Decatur Books Festival in August – Seeing Billy Collins read for the second time (and getting his autograph!) and meeting Lee Smith, one of my favorite novelists, was such a joy.

8. The Black Keys concert in October – yet another great night of music

9. A presidential election that made me proud to be a voter and an American and excited about the future direction of this country – one of hope and tolerance

10. The wedding of a dear friend where we watched her revel in her own happiness and we danced and danced and danced

11. A fabulous girls-only slumber party in November where we drank, laughed, gossiped, and watched True Blood until we fell asleep

12. A family photo shoot I’ve already mentioned in a previous post that reminds me how lucky I am to have the family that I do

13. A November reunion dinner party with a cozy outdoor fireplace and the greatest company ever

14. Closing 2008 with some of the best holiday fun and relaxation I can remember in recent years


So when I look back at the year in review, I realize it was, indeed, quite a year and I look forward to the many things 2009 has to offer. My hope is that this little monthly exercise will make me take a look at these experiences as I'm having them, not just after they pass. The challenge is, as Jane Austen says, to “feel the importance of every day, of every hour, as it passes.”

Happy 2009, everyone! I wish you the best of luck with your resolutions, whatever they may be.

New Year's Resolution

So New Year’s resolutions come and go, but as I mentioned on my last post, I had a great idea for 2009’s resolution that involves this blog. Last year, my resolution was to take more photographs, and I really felt like I followed through with that one, giving me hope that I can stick it out if I put my mind to it. So this year’s goal? To complete a gratitude journal. This is certainly not an original idea, and if you peruse the self-help section or the journal selection at any Barnes & Noble, you can see the plethora of gratitude-focused books and journals, but I pledge to do this once a month and post it here. While a few others read this, the idea honestly is that it's primarily for my benefit. It will allow me the time and space to reflect on the many things in my life that are worthy of gratitude and shift my focus away from the things I complain about far too much.

My goal is to post an entry the first week of every month and to be as specific as possible in reference to what has passed that month…. Not simply “family” or “friends” but what about those people or situations is worthy of my recognition as a blessed individual. I'm sure that some months will yield shorter entries than others and some months it might seem hard to think of anything at all, but the truth is that I'm one lucky girl, and I want to use 2009 to focus on that.

Holiday Giving .... and Getting

Posting 2 days in a row? Impossible. See what happens when I have some time off school?

Christmas came and went in the usual whirlwind, but I feel like we enjoyed it more this year than ever before because Scott and I simplified a lot of the usual holiday craziness.

As gifts for each other, we decided to go in together and buy one great camera. It came in about a month ago, and we've already got some great stuff. I am excited to see what it gives us this year as I learn more about how to use it. So far Scott is way better at it than I am, but I'm learning!

As gifts for my mom and my grandparents, my sister and I decided to do a family photo session with photographer Kyle Hale. I discovered him through a college friend of mine when she posted some gorgeous family photos a few months ago. Kyle was reasonably priced, easy to work with, and he came up to our home to do the pictures which I loved. The final results really feel like home - which is probably because it is my home - but you know what I mean. I think our comfort really conveys itself in the photos because we are in familiar surroundings, and he came up with so many cool ideas and angles in and around our house. (If you are in Atlanta and need someone for a wedding or general family photography, check him out at http://www.kylehale.net/.) When we got the pictures back, Melissa and I decided that they were incredible enough to be our gifts to one another as well. I know it's partly because it's my own family and I love them, but these photos took my breath away the first time I saw them. This is just a sampling, and we received 114 photos that are ALL frame worthy.

All of us on the porch - Mom loved this one!

We somehow persuaded my camera-shy grandparents to stop by for a while.

my favorite one of Scott and me

with the kids

my sister and her beautiful family

I think this one is my favorite!

And lastly, Melissa with little Emmie

At first, we just wanted a unique Christmas gift idea, but now I am so happy we decided to do this, and I will definitely cherish them for quite some time. In addition to these fabulous pictures, I received some much needed photo albums for all our Europe pics, a camera bag for the new Nikon, a couple of new books, and ..... a Wii! My arms are sore as we speak because I couldn't stop playing for the past two days.

My sweet yearbook students all pitched in together to give me an American Express card that purchased two lovely Target bookshelves, and believe it or not, the majority of my books have now found their way out of the basement and in to a (somewhat) organized place on the shelves that now grace our dining room.

So all in all, a fabulous Christmas vacation thus far, and I am happy to say I have 6 days left. I have an interesting idea brewing for a New Year's resolution that pertains to this blog, but I'll be thinking on that before I unveil it. I hope everyone's holiday is going beautifully and we are all ready to be out with the old and in with the new. Happy holidays!

Ron Rash's Serena

Back in August, I was fortunate enough to sit in on a panel at the Decatur Books Festival. The discussion, entitled “Down from the Mountain,” featured two authors from the Appalachian region. I was certainly already familiar with Lee Smith as an author I adore, but Ron Rash was new to me. During the panel, he read from his newest work Serena, which had not been published at that time, and I was anxious to read it after his reading and explanation. The novel did not disappoint.

In short, it’s an Appalachian retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It does not follow the story precisely; Rash is far more creative than that. It does, however, hinge on the theme of blind ambition, and the story centers around a female character you love and hate at the same time, one who steers the ship for her husband as they encounter obstacles on the way to their success. It is this character, Serena Pemberton, who keeps you turning the pages and makes the novel worthy of its hype.

Originally from the mountains of Colorado, Serena meets her husband in Boston before the two of them establish a lumber empire in the North Carolina mountains. Life in the lumber business is hard, and the workers in the lumber camp often lose limbs and lives in their day-to-day work. It’s clearly no place for a woman, but Serena has no difficulty holding her own here, and furthermore, she manages to present herself as a superior when the workers quickly understand that she, even more so than her husband, is the one to answer to and the one to fear.

With a white horse and a trained eagle on her side, Serena’s character is unmistakably mythic in her capabilities and in Ron Rash’s description of her. Rash describes her training the eagle; “Each dawn the following weeks, Serena walked into the stable’s back stall and freed the eagle from the block perch. She and the bird spent the morning alone in tree-shorn plain below Half Acre Ridge…..By the fifth day the bird perched in Serena’s right forearm, its head black-hooded like an executioner, the five-foot leash tied to Serena’s right elbow and the leather bracelets around the raptor’s feet” (102). The image of Serena dashing across the mountain on her white horse with the eagle perched alongside her is one that makes quite an impression on the lumber workers and on the reader.

A story of a vast lumber empire is not what drives the plot of the novel, however. Soon after setting foot off the train from Boston, Serena learns firsthand that her husband’s previous relationship has produced a son in these mountains, and like Lady Macbeth, that seems to be the one thing she cannot give her groom. Many twists and turns ensue from there, and the ending of this novel is one of the most memorable conclusions I have ever read.

All in all, Ron Rash reveals a story of violence and misery but also one of love and devotion, and Serena Pemberton is a character who will stay with you long after the novel is finished. It's certainly one of my best reads of the year.

Slow Going

Current Read? It's a sloooooow go. Not that long ago, I heard of a little book that was getting a lot of attention, and I decided to pick it up and try it for myself.

So I am reading - or attempting to read - Verlyn Klinkenborg's Notes of an Abject Reptile, and I am simply not that into it. This surprises me since it sounded like it would be just my style. As a quick summation, it is musings on English countryside told through the eyes of a tortoise who resides on the garden of an accomplished naturalist. Usually beautiful style and philisophical meanderings can keep my attention, but as my students say, "I'm just not feelin' it" with this one. I'm no quitter, so I am determined to plow right through. Hopefully I can report back with a change of heart and "feel it" soon. We shall see.

Anyone read this one before and can offer an ounce of insight?

The Great Divide

I clearly haven’t blogged in ages, and I’m sad to say that I don’t even really have a book post to finally write. I have been so restless lately, in every possible way. Jumping from book to book without really finishing anything is not very effective, nor is it really characteristic of my usual habits, but that’s what I have been doing lately. When I actually finish something, I’ll be astounded. What a terrible approach and an unfamiliar habit. Who am I?

There’s one thing I know I am and that’s addicted to politics this season. I’ll be the first to say that watching debates, listening to pundits, discussing / arguing about relevant issues has definitely cut in to my reading time (not to mention my sanity) these days. I don’t want to watch anymore, but I can’t stop listening and watching.

The truth is I am scared. I am astounded at how divided this nation has become, and I sincerely hope that whomever is elected can heal this divide. Months ago, my first thought was “Wow. How great! Everyone is really interested in politics this year, and apathy is out of style. How refreshing.” Now, however, I’m seeing that the intense fervor with which the nation is discussing politics is indicative of a much greater issue here. Each side thinks the other is so wrong that this country will go down an unfixable path if that opponent is elected. I cannot remember an election in my lifetime where each side is so earnestly scared of the other party gaining power. And that, my friends, is the scary part.

Take, for instance, this video. It’s only a couple of minutes long, but worth watching.



Now let me say that obviously a Democrat produced this video, and someone could most likely find some anti-McCain supporters at a rally somewhere who look just as crazy. But look at those people. They have lost every sense of sanity, of dignity. They have no regard for the facts or what is right and wrong. They simply want their side to win, and they are honestly frightened of the other alternative.

I had a 45 minute political conversation with my mother this week. Never a good idea. I think my ears were bleeding afterwards. But what I realize after speaking with her is that she is just as honestly passionate about her views as I am mine. I don’t think poor people choose to be poor. I don’t think public schools are a waste of tax payer money, and I don’t think vouchers are a way to fix its problems. I don’t think progressive taxes are unfair; to whom much is given, much is required. (I believe Jesus said that, by the way.) I don’t think it’s ridiculous to say that every child in America must have adequate healthcare.

By the same token, however, my mother (and many others like her) passionately believes that most poor people choose to waste government money, vouchers are the solution to America’s public schools, there should be a straight percentage across the board for everyone’s taxes, and mandatory healthcare for children is one enormous step to a socialized nation. She is just as frightened of Barack Obama as I am of John McCain. Both of us genuinely see America descending on a permanent path to doom if the opposite party is elected.

My students are in the same boat. Everyday, specifically after debates, I have to tell students to stop yelling at each other about politics. I’ve never seen anything like this. I know most of them are regurgitating what their parents say, but it’s still reflective of this alarming trend.

So where does this lead us? I honestly don’t know. I am ready for the election to be here and to have a new, hopefully capable, leader for a change. But I am also nervous about the reaction of everyday Americans after this is all over. The truth is, when you look at popular vote, it is split reasonably evenly. This means that almost half of America will be appalled either way. There is no doubt that America is more polarized now than it was 8 years ago. It was Abraham Lincoln himself who said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” How did we get this way, and how do we fix it?

Good to be home?

We have been back from Europe for 5 days but it feels like years. So much going on and too long to explain. Let's just say I wanted to feel peaceful and cozy when I returned home but it has been anything but that. Why does everything seem to happen at once?

I start back to school in 10 days, and I can't believe I am saying this but I almost want to start back just to get my mind off the super-stressful business that has been occupying my time and energy these days. I am trying various approaches to bring peace of mind to myself, and so far early morning grocery shopping is the only thing that works. I can't even read these days.

Oh well. Let's not dwell on unhappy things. I will instead focus on that 16-day-long oasis from craziness. From now on, I will try to imagine myself back to .......

T.S. Eliot's footsteps in the reading room in the British Museum.....

the beautiful stained glass in King's College Chapel....

Cambridge, England - my favorite place on Earth.....

The Trinity College courtyard on a cloudy Sunday afternoon.....

a punt along the River Cam.....

the beautiful Roman Baths....

Where else can you be this happy in the pouring rain?

or maybe the quays of the River Seine....

or the lending library of Shakespeare & Company Books....

a stomach full of French food and an evening stroll in front of the Eiffel Tower....

the quaint canalside lanes of Bruges, Belgium....

Belgian countryside.....

the busy energy of Dam Square ...

the canals of Amsterdam....

Our trip was lovely, and I have so much to reflect on. Reflection will come, but for now, I don't have the energy or the time. I begin school in 10 days and I have a 700-page summer reading book to complete and a sudden lack of concentration ability - such a bad combination. As I've mentioned already, my mental and physical energy is being pulled a million directions at the moment. ....A death in my family, small issues that are unnecessarily being made bigger... and I am saddened by the news that a college friend of mine has been widowed far too early. Her pain is beyond my comprehension.

I'm thinking of her and everything else that is going wrong at that moment, but I am trying to focus on the positive. 10 more precious days of summer.