Happy 4th of July weekend!

I hope everyone enjoys this weekend of celebration!  Fireworks, picnic food, sunshine and remembrances!  It it a great time to think about how truly great this country is.  I KNOW it has it's problems (sometimes so many I want to move to Canada) but in the end, I am an American and proud of it.  I think it is a good time to remember what makes this country so wonderful - freedom, liberty, and justice for all - let's hope we maintain these ideals and live up to what our forefathers set in motion - an ever evolving country.

Eloise today

Today I watched Ellie for what is the start of my summer time with her.  I am so excited to watch her grow these next few weeks and feel very blessed that I have this time and opportunity to see her develop, change and blossom.  She is wonderful!  Such a sweetie - she's smiling, giggling, and gripping fingers now - and I just can't get enough! 

The drive to and from is a bit of a hassle - it's rough - but we are working on ways to make it better.  Wish me luck! 

techurious

This summer our technology dept is having us do our professional development on our own time by exploring lots of different websites and applications that might be helpful in our classrooms.  I think it is such a great idea and I've had fun Techsploring!  Here's the link to my new blog (just for the time being) but it is keeping me busy! 

Techurious

I'm writing about the tech, but also about teaching - check it out if you want!

Here comes SUMMER!

Hooray!  Summer is here!  AHHHHHHHHHH.........

The beginning of June has been busy.  The first weekend, I drove down to Norfolk, VA to see Catherine Hite's christening.  It was a wonderful weekend - especially because I had a chance to meet Catherine for the first time, but also because I got to see my good friend Erika and her family.  It reminds me how much friends can really help rejuvenate your spirit!  We had a wonderful weekend, Catherine is so beautiful and happy, and as soon as I get some pictures, I'll post one.

Graduation was last week and for the first time it was held in the morning, so that we didn't run the risk of afternoon thunderstorms.  There was a cool breeze, bright sunshine, and so much happiness mixed with sadness.  It was a good day for the seniors, and marked the conclusion of the 125th year of our school. 

On Friday, (the first chance I could get!) my mom and I went down to Washington DC to see Eloise and Jennifer.  I hadn't seen her in about 4 weeks and I was missing my Ellie!  She is so sweet and wonderful!  I have a hard time getting enough.  I got to hold her, push her, feed her, help bathe her and love her.  Hooray! 

On our way to lunch at The Diner

BP Oil Spill

What a mess.  The video, which you can actually watch streaming live on CNN (Live stream), just makes me so sad and sick. 

(National Geographic)

Sylvia Earle spoke to Congress about the disaster.

Here she speaks on PBS NewsHour

More pictures from The Washington Post

I've been thinking about what we can do as citizens - if this was a natural disaster that threatened one of our cities, we'd be sending money to the Red Cross.  But it isn't our home directly that is affected - but the home of millions of organisms both in the ocean and along the coast.  This has the potential to be absolutely devastating - it is going to ruin the biological diversity of this area and potentially of the ocean because the Gulf of Mexico is a breeding ground for many organisms - many of them endangered like the Kemps ridley sea turtle below.

I think it is always difficult to "rally the troops" when people are indirectly affected by disaster.  But I think that in this particular case, it is so obvious that the human impact on wildlife and plant life is so devastating that it is our responsibility, obligation, and duty to protect, conserve and restore this vital resource. 

There are so many considerations to think about - the loss of life because of explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig, the environmental impact, the economic impact to those whose livelihood depends on the ocean and the consequences for BP.

I think what we need to do is have a serious discussion about the root causes of this disaster - I see this as our reliance on petroleum - from plastics to jet fuel to the gas we put in our car.  While I understand the economic need for globalization, manufacturing, and transport, I think that we do not think enough about what we actually produce - the stuff we make, the non-renewal resources we use up making this stuff, and pollution that accumulates and chokes the life out of our environment.

Enough of my soapbox, but please do something.  Write a letter to your Congressman, the President, or BP.  We need to let them know that we are all stakeholders in this - and they can't forget that.

When I am Among the Trees

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, teh oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
    but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."

- Mary Oliver, Thirst

Survival Mode

It's May and I'm in complete and utter survival mode. 

Dear God,
Please just let me get through the end of the year.
Much Love,
Heather

Seriously.  I'd rather not run through the list of things I have to do, or how I'm going to get it all done, but needless to say, I'm not sure it is humanly possible. 

I've been thinking a lot lately about teaching.  It is such an incredibly important thing to do.  Yes, I am actually calling it "important" - I'm not trying to boast or toot my own horn, but it is.  But it can also be so selfless that you forget to take time to nurture your self, not just your students.  This is when it gets hard.  Even though I am finishing my 5th year of teaching, I still (and this is unbelievable to me) find it very difficult to manage my time, get everything accomplished and feel successful - and when you are in a state of constant overwhelming, well, I start to think, "what am I doing?" and "why am I doing this?" and then you get to the even scarier question...."is it worth it?". 

And some days, I just don't know.  Don't get me wrong, I really do love my students, and I love my co-workers - that isn't the problem.  Sometimes I just lack the inspiration to do what I need to do everyday with a smile on my face.  And as a teacher, it is hard to have a bad day.  I have 54 students I am responsible to, and a bad, grumpy, irritated day can sabotage the precious time you actually have together.

Summer is coming soon, and it can't come soon enough.  I need the time to rejuvenate my spirit, to reinvigorate my heart, and heal from this year.