Summer Reading

June 9, 2016 (161/366) 

Summer's almost here and for me that means a slower pace, long walks, evenings on the deck, photo safaris, sailing....and books!  I love that our school sponsors a new summer reading challenge each year. Five years ago, we began with one school, one book, The Hunger Games. Over the the next few years, the ideas have evolved, and I'm really excited for this summer's challenge.  Unlike previous years, this summer's book offerings were chosen by the PHS faculty. Each of us has promoted our book, hoping that students will read our selections and join us for a book discussion in September. If you're looking for a good book this summer, join us! (Click on the image below to see all 32 offering.)

[Shameless self-promotion: Pick mine!  You can read it in English or French!]

Discoveries

June 8, 2016 (160/366) « Le véritable voyage de découverte ne consiste pas à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de nouveaux yeux. » - Marcel Proust. Proust said, "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." As we continue to plan and landscape our new yard, every day I see something new.

Waiting for a train...

June 7, 2016 (159/366)

"Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting." ~ Joyce Meyer

I had finally left work behind me and was looking forward to being home when I heard the train whistle in the distance. Just as the the car in front of me crossed the tracks, I saw the flashing red lights and the barrier come down. "Oh great!" I thought, "Can this day get any longer?" Yet, rather than counting boxcars (Doesn't everyone do that?), today, I took a good look around. The gray skies and steely water of Pewaukee Lake seemed more like fall than the last week of school before summer vacation, but in three days, I will have completed my twenty-second year as an educator in the Pewaukee School District. I remember coming to this lake even as a little girl to visit my cousins on Walk's Island. We had so much fun swimming, sailing, and waterskiing. I never dreamed that years later, I would dedicate my career to the families of this community. Then, in the distance, I saw the signature hue of an aquatic weed harvester. Eric designed several iterations of these utility boats when he worked at Aquarius for over a decade. That job brought him to Lake County and ultimately to me. It seemed like just a moment as I reveled in this simple scene that evoked so many memories and, before I knew it, the train had passed. (C'est ma vie!: Waiting for a train...http://www.melindalarson.com/2016/06/waiting-for-train.html)

Consider a tree...

June 6, 2016 (158/366)

"Consider a tree for a moment. As beautiful as trees are to look at, we don't see what goes on underground - as they grow roots. Trees must develop deep roots in order to grow strong and produce their beauty. But we don't see the roots. We just see and enjoy the beauty. In much the same way, what goes on inside of us is like the roots of a tree." - Joyce Meyer