Hi Bill, This is my first attempt at posting - so I hope I'm doing it correctly for the "digest format". This is a very timely topic. On July 5th I had the opportunity to attend the NEH Summer weeklong workshop, Emily Dickinson: Person, Poetry, and Place at Amherst College and Emily Dickinson's Home in Amherst, MA. It was a wonderful learning experience to be in that place with so many dynamic teachers from all over the US. I loved it! I later attended a "smartboard" workshop at Ulster BOCES, since I need to start to incorporate this tool more this yr. My husband and I traveled to San Diego, CA on 8/18 for a week to visit our oldest son who has just recently returned to the US from Australia with a lovely young lady who is now his fiancee. They were both studying at Macquarie Univ. in Sydney, and they're both from New Jersey! While in CA, we enjoyed the beaches in Del Mar, La Jolla, and Carlsbad, etc. - my first swim in the Pacific Ocean. I enjoyed "recharging" by reading and/or writing many mornings at home on our deck while listening to the peaceful music of the birds and our fountain. I was able to finish reading four great books,some journal articles which had been "on hold", and wrote a lot in my journal. I'm now speed reading In the Middle (2nd edition) again as some final inspiration. I was able to add more distance swims than I usually can during the school yr. to my USMS fitness log, and I'm now at approx. 163 miles for the year. My childhood friend, Karen,( also a teacher) and I spent our traditional two summer days together having our sumptuous lunch overlooking the Hudson River, visiting historic sites, gabbing, visiting her mom in the assisted living place, and watching movies. Pete and I also rearranged a couple of rooms and did some early "fall cleaning", as well as hiked on the beautiful Appalachian Trail, rafted down the Delaware River, and watched a few movies. As of June 30th, Pete is a retired science teacher after 36 yrs. He's been fly-fishing and surfing a few times this summer. My conference buddy, Mary, and I attended a fantastic puppet show about Henry Hudson's discovery of the River - 400th anniv. It was nice to have the time to catch up with some colleague-friends over relaxed meals. It was so nice to have this time! Hope everyone has enjoyed their recharging season. I wish you all an exciting return-to-school week, and a wonderful year! _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org
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