This Old House

We still have no working kitchen, so have been eating out often or microwaving frozen casseroles. I can't wait to eat "real home cooking" again. My husband has been very busy, and things are coming along well, just slowly. A few pictures to show our "progress" :

While he has been busy on the kitchen, I have been busy organizing my craft closet and knitting. My stash of yarn is so large, I had to promise myself not to buy anymore until I have finished a few of my works in progress (WIP) and started some more. Here is my supply of yarn:

And here is my most recent finished object (FO)--a blanket for my daughter's dog, Ladybug:

I'm going to work on finishing an afghan for my son next. Knitting is good therapy. It keeps me from worrying about finishing the house and then trying to sell it.

Puttering around the house

Who knew doing daily chores could be so rewarding? Since my husband's retirement I have done very little on a daily basis to care for our home environment. I haven't even done very much of the cooking, and I actually enjoy cooking and baking. I was so wrapped up in getting my master's degree and then adjusting to a new job as an ESL teacher that I didn't have the time or energy to devote to housewifely routines.

Today, however, I just puttered around the house doing chores like watering the plants, sweeping the front porch, and washing clothes. I felt satisfaction and contentment in performing these mundane tasks. Keeping my hands occupied in repetitive actions was very freeing--almost like meditation.

A perfect day in June

AND what is so rare as a day in June?
Then, if ever, come perfect days. . .
---James Russell Lowell

The first day of summer and the first day of my retirement. Coincidence? Serendipity? Whatever it is, today has been wonderful. I woke early and went out to breakfast. Then I came home and worked in the garden for a while before it became too hot and humid.

After that I went to a friend's house for lunch and had a delightful time just chatting with her, and her husband, and young daughter. She is coming back next year to the school I just left, and I wanted to pass some teaching materials on to her. I have let some friendships languish because of the press of work and hope to renew old acquaintances and make new ones in the future.

This evening my husband and I went out to dinner (yes, another meal out) as a celebration of my new status as a retired person. It was absolutely delicious--Italian--and I am so full I don't feel, right now, that I will be able to eat tomorrow, but I know I will.

So far retirement is suiting me just fine.

Yahoo! The day has arrived

I was very worried about my impending retirement just a few days ago and spent many hours agonizing over whether it would make me sad, but today was my last day of work and I'm quietly happy. (Elation will most likely set in come September.) I would normally have 10 weeks off at this time of year, but with the certain prospect of a new year beginning again in September looming in the background it never felt completely refreshing and relaxing. Also, anybody who thinks teachers just sit around all summer sipping tea and reading novels has never known a teacher up close and personal. Every summer is spent going to school for recertification, or teaching summer school, or preparing lessons for the coming year.

School has been over for students for 2 days, but I had a student visit me today and I was very happy to see her. I didn't cry like I thought I might earlier, but undoubtedly I will miss her and my other students very much. So many of them have worked very hard this
year to begin an ESOL Club. The main purpose of the club was for the students to contribute something to the school and the community --very nicely realized through the tree planting activity, the knitting and crocheting circle, and the after school tutoring program. Many of them also developed leadership skills that will benefit them both in school and in the future.

A last look at my classroom, ready for summer cleaning. It looks a bit forlorn now, but I've enjoyed teaching in this room. Good memories were formed here and will continue to be formed here long after my departure.

One of the reasons I am retiring

Can you believe it? Two hours to get home this next to the last day I will be working! One of my teaching colleagues once said that it would not be the job that would cause him to retire. It would be the traffic on Interstate 95.There was a truck (of course) wreck which closed two lanes of traffic and tied everything up for miles. I managed to slide off the interstate, finally, and take the back way home. Commuter nightmares like that are one thing I will definitely not miss in retirement. Even listening to a book on tape to relieve the stress of driving doesn't work in occurrences like today. Thank goodness we traded in the manual for an automatic. Before, with the manual, I would get home after a traffic tie-up like today with my legs shaking. Stay tuned for news of my last day at work tomorrow.

More ESOL Club activities

In addition to knitting and crocheting and beautification projects, the club also sponsored weekly after school tutoring sessions:

Will post some more pictures tomorrow. I think this is as much as one post can handle.

A Break from the Countdown

As promised in my last post, more pictures of all those people I will miss so much when I retire. More student photos below from our various activities in the ESOL Club this year. I have promised to come back to school in September to see everyone and to help in getting the club activities started up again for the new school year. We really accomplished a lot in a short time this year.

Knitting and crocheting for charity:

Beautifying the school:

More to follow on a later post. Having some difficulty in uploading some of the pictures.