The first week back on campus is exciting but exhausting, filled with all kinds of extra tasks, all while my body is getting used to getting back to the routine of classes and office hours and meetings. So it's nice that the week is followed by a long weekend. Already, I feel like I deserve a break.
We always spend Labor Day weekend up at camp. The river water will be warm from weeks of absorbing summer sunshine. But the nights will be cold, and we'll bring extra blankets to keep us warm inside the tent. We'll swim in the daytime, paddle the canoes through the marsh, and sit by a campfire at night. Shaggy Hair Boy and Blonde Niece will be frantically doing the summer homework that was assigned last June: school begins again for them on Wednesday. They've had all summer to do the homework, but naturally, they didn't start it until this week. My father is rebuilding his wooden sailboat, hurrying to get it done before winter. My husband and I will take long walks on the country roads and talk about our plans for the school year. On the bay, the geese will be gathering in big clumps, chattering and squawking, and acorns will begin to fall from the oak trees. Our Labor Day camping trip signals the end of summer.
13 comments:
Big clumps of geese. This is inspiring a poem.
Thanks.
FA
It went by fast didn't it?
When I was a kid, the Jerry Lewis telethon always signaled the end of the summer for me.
You are lucky you get Labor Day off. I remember my first (short) week of college where I thought we would get LD off. The upperclassmen in the dorm laughed hollowly and told me to take another look at my schedule. Apparently it messed up the lab schedules if there weren't exactly the same number of Mondays as Tuesdays, etc. in the semester. We also had Saturday morning classes, mostly in freshman and sophomore level classes.
I had to chuckle when I read that Shaggy Hair Boy and Blonde Niece will be doing summer homework. I thought mine were the only kids who put off summer work until the week before school starts back, but I have discovered that is the normal routine, not the exception. Amazingly, it all seems to get finished before the opening bell of the first days sounds. Then we can all breathe a sigh of relief.
Younger Daughter went back to school three weeks ago. On the first day, the English teacher asked for a show of hands from those who had done the summer reading. YD was the ONLY child whose hand went up.
Summer homework...yeah. The Kid scrambled to get his done at the last minute, too.
Your weekend sounds lovely. And beautiful picture...
Summer homework? As in, other than just reading assignments? That is cruel. I'd gladly read extra during the summer (when boredom quickly outpaces relaxation), but real homework would be torturous.
Wait, did studying for that resit exam count as real homework? Than I amend the above statement to say: Real homework *is* torturous. I barely made it through.
Already? The years go fast, don't they?
Enjoy yourself, jo(e).
Have a wonderful weekend!
Pardon me...but where can I sign up to live your life?
Oh how I love your life. If I steal it will you miss it?
The more I read your blog, the more seriously I consider a career teaching in a college. I love the idea of summers off as well as the intellectual and emotional stimulation of all your students.
It just sounds like you have managed a wonderful work/life balance.
Ah, you lucky dogs. We had class today. And our fall break is only a four-day weekend!
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