Summertime, Summertime, Summertime

Summer is here at last! As a teacher I get to enjoy the summer months with my children. Our summer is stretched before us like an open road filled with many exciting stops. My first stop was my own backyard.

I've always dreamed of having a "Southern Living" yard. I was blessed to have 2 wonderful grandmothers who happened to have very green thumbs. My desire to have a "southern living" yard is rooted in my childhood. I grew up surrounded by azaleas, gardenias, hydrangeas, camellias, and other southern plants. As a child I thought my grandmothers' yards must have been the closest thing to the Garden of Eden as one could find. I have fond memories of gathering tons of what I pretended were princess or bride bouquets, working along side my grandmothers and listening to them share about the plants they were growing in their yards. So, I long to recreate a yard that holds the same beauty, magic and memories. My mother and aunt have created similar sanctuaries, Yes, I admit I'm envious of their yards and plants. :) At last, it's my turn.

We have been in our current home for a few years and I decided this is the year to start making my dream come true. I spent my first free day of summer making a contribution to my yard. I put in a bed of inpatients around my bird feeder, some hostas under the oak trees and daisies, zinnias, pentas, and coreopsis in the planters around the deck. At the end of the day it was very satisfying to step back and enjoy my success. Of course, now the real challenge is before me...keeping all these plants alive. My dream yard is now a work in progress.

On to the next summer stop-- Vacation Bible School!

Taking My First Steps Out of Information Overload...

Last week I attended an educator's technology conference where I learned an enormous amount of information regarding integrating blogs, wikis, power points, and other forms of tech into my classroom. I find myself intrigued with all the possibilities available, but also in a state of information overload. So, tonight I took my first step out of overload mode and created a blog.
I remain uncertain regarding the purpose of this blog. Perhaps, I will use this to share thoughts and ideas related to my life -- OR-- develop this into a professional blog to share with parents, students and other teachers. However this blog develops in the days to come... I am excited about this new step!