Summer

Summer is almost over.  I counted the days.  I have exactly two and a half full weeks of summer vacation left.  I mean make my own schedule, do whatever I feel like doing weeks.  School doesn’t start for another seven weeks, but I have to go to workshops, pack up my things and move to a new classroom, set up the new classroom, and spend a week in orientation.  

There are a million things I want to do with my two and a half precious weeks.  Naturally, I’ve been binge-watching Sherlock Holmes and going to pool parties instead.  I consider the pool party I’m going to today to be a legitimate networking event.  I was moved from third to fourth grade math and science and I will be getting to know my new team over snacks and adult beverages before we dive (pun intended) into the new school year together.

Of course, I have been doing writer stuff as well.  I finally found a quiet corner in a library where I can sit in front of my laptop and focus on letting my imagination roam.  I have adapted Brooklyn into a play to be performed by a group of kids in a after school program.  I will be taking a class on finding your character’s voice taught by The Truth About Alice author Jennifer Mathieu and another class on how to polish a picture book manuscript  taught by picture book author Kathy Duval. 

It is a great thing to be able to plan your own day. When I win the lottery, literally or figuratively, I will do it full time.  For now, I have the following goals for my last few weeks of summer:

     1.     Write a rough draft for 2-3 new stories

     2.     Finish all five seasons of Sherlock Holmes

     3.     Float in the pool