Update

I can't believe how much time has gone by. We've all been very busy here. I've had to conclude that blogging may not happen over the summer much, so don't be surprised if you come to visit and nothing has changed. This is what we have been up to since I blogged last and what we are anticipating the upcoming summer to be like.

Me:

I spent last week subbing full time at the school where I will be teaching in the fall. The teacher whom I am replacing is pregnant and was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and preeclampsia which sent her home for complete bed rest and sent me into the classroom full time, early. It was a good opportunity to get to know the kids before the upcoming school year and to take stock of the supplies. I will need to order supplies, plan for the classes, organize the room, and fire the kiln a few times over the summer. I expect to be in there quite a few times.

Also, while Earle and Julia were in Germany I painted the sitting area in the kitchen which we affectionately call "the cafe" and I painted the hall leading to the bedrooms. The cafe is now a lovely light orchid and the hall a pale sea blue. I also rearranged the great room so that the furniture grouping faces the view instead of the tv. I think there will be more thunderstorm and rainbow viewing than tv watching during the summer months. Since we have been experiencing a rather severe heatwave here, Earle and I put up my Intex pool and we purchased and installed air conditioners for the bedroom windows. This week would have been unbearable without them.

This summer I will be doing British Lit with Shawn and finishing Art History with him. I will continue with my art student and will also be creating and implementing a 1/4 credit art course for a friend's high school aged daughter who wants to graduated early and needs to fullfill a fine arts requirement. Hopefully I will find some time to fit in my own art as well.

Earle:

Earle is back from his two week stint in Germany. He and Julia had a wonderful time and he may eventually find the time to update his blog so you can share his adventure with him. We will be hosting someone from Germany when they visit here for work at the end of June. Earle is off for a few days to Taiwan and Germany in the meantime. His knee swelled a little again when he and Julia were away so he hasn't gotten on his bicycle yet this year, but he will soon. He and Shawn are still playing floor hockey though and we are looking forward to taking the canoe out for its first time this season. It's been too hot this last week to even think about being out on the water.

Julia:

Julia is back working at Kohl's for the summer and spending her free time with Seth. She is hoping to make enough money to pay her share of school in the fall, buy her books, and have some left over for a few riding lessons. Anything horse related is always so expensive and the rising price of gas has put a dent in every one's pocket. She will be picking up a little extra soon as she dog sits for some neighbors.

Shawn:

Shawn is working quite a few hours at Target. They gave him almost 30 this week. He has to fit in some school work this summer so that I feel I've covered everything with him that I wanted to before he heads to the community college. He has a few weeks left of fencing then our prime objective is to get him signed up for his drivers' test. He has been ready to get his license for a while now, but we haven't had the time to do it and haven't really wanted to pay the extra expense of the increased insurance cost. Shawn will also be doing some lawn work this summer for some neighbors, the same ones Julia is dog sitting for. It sure helps the gas fund.

So, as you can see, life is busy and there is no end in sight. We all feel as though we are chained to a treadmill that keeps speeding up regardless of what we do to try to slow it down. And of course the things I mentioned above are really just the tip of the iceberg. It is all those little plates we try to keep spinning in the air that take their toll in time and put us over the edge, things like: pets, and lawn care, and meal prep, and exercise....If I had back all the time I've spent cleaning cat puke off the floor in the last few years I could have painted a masterpiece instead! C'est la Vie.

Happy summer everyone. I'm sure you'll see me around, but it won't be regularly. Enjoy your families.