Parties!

My mom turned 60 this year.  We had a party.  She said the thought of being sixty, was much worse than actually being sixty.  Good for you, Mom. 

Then we partied because

Theresa will be gone all summer.  Well, not because she will be gone.  We needed her to know we would miss her.  So we threw a party.  Sarah bought a grill; and we had great food, awesome entertainment by none other than Liz Jones, and some bug bites. 

p.s.  Click on the pics to see the rest of the album in flickr.

Books #1 & #2

  The Old Man and the Sea by Earnest Hemingway started off my summer reading.  When I told several friends that I was reading this novella, I was warned about the agonizing hours I would spend finishing the book.   They were agonizing – but in a good way.  My first observation about the book was that there were no chapter breaks.  At first that annoyed me.  Then I realized Hemingway’s ingenuity in giving the reader no break, because this poor old man has no break from the sea.  I liked the book for its pathos.  Hemingway creates a pitiable, representative character whom I could root for through the book.  If you are looking for a quick read this summer, pick this one up. 

  Natalie Babbitt’s Tuck Everlasting has a gripping story.  This children’s novel tinkers with the idea of eternal life in our own bodies.  I think we will have this for a literature title this year in my class.  What great discussions are to be spawned from this spring of everlasting life!  Babbitt takes this intriguing idea and weaves beautiful descriptions of a sultry August with the imagery of wheels and time turning–or standing still throughout the whole novel.  This is another quick read, but definitely more delightful than the Old Man. 

Please don’t shy away from it, just because it’s children’s literature.  Wasn’t it Mark Twain who said if a children’s book is worth reading while we are young, it is worth reading again when we are older.  I think he said something like that.  Anyway, check it out. 

Summer Resolutions

One of the many things I love about being a teacher is the plentiful opportunities to evaluate and set new goals throughout the year.  I have many goals for a productive summer.  I thought I’d share them in order to keep accountable.  Here they are in no particular order:

• Fix the rhetoric cirriculum for next year.
• Read 30 books.  (My list is continually morphing; so if you have any strong recommendations, keep ‘em coming!)
• Run with the 6 @ 6 club.  (six miles @ 6 a.m. – but only two days a week)
• Choose a play for next year.
• Paint the outside of the house.
• Write two articles for the Auxillium.
• Visit 8 states with Sarah.
• Landscape the yard.

As you can see, I’ll be quite busy.  I’ll keep you updated as I check things off my list!