Snakes on a Trampoline

 Greetings, fellow swimmers, and welcome back to the Stress Pool! You may be wondering about the title of this latest segment, and I'm happy to say there is no better sound in the world than "Nana, watch! Watch!"

It has been a fast, yet full, summer. June was a little rainy and cool, so there wasn't much actual time in the pool - but we did find that July dawned hot, and humid, and rainy! However, there has been a lot going on here, so let me catch you up to speed. 

Little Man spent an afternoon here one day - I wish it could have been more, but they had a busy summer, too. Suffice it to say, he is a VERY BUSY 4 YEAR OLD! Recently, we were over at their house, and Little Man was slinging his stuffed (very long) snakes over the top of the trampoline, each time yelling, "Nana, watch!" It's just lovely sitting back and 'just watching'! Someday, I will retire, and will do a lot of 'watching'.

Speaking of just watching...Morticia and the Doctor gave birth to their first child- what a little peanut! She is, of course, just as adorable as anything. I had the pleasure (I'm sure this is where some of you will go 'ew' over your shoulder - I did not feel that way!) of being present for the birth. I've never seen it from this side of the world (I didn't wear my glasses during any of the deliveries of our five!), and what an experience! She arrived just on the other side of midnight in mid-July, and what a change there has been in just a month.

DiDi and the kids were visiting her family out of state, and what a change in Mouse! Seven months old, and she has quite the personality. Of course, I could go on gushing about the grandchildren for days...as, I'm sure, can many of you!

DH and I got away for a night to Lancaster - we went to the Sight and Sound Theater to see 'Moses'. It was good - we enjoyed 'David' more, but still had an enjoyable time. The weather was wonderful, and are hoping to go back next year to see 'Daniel'. We also found out some info on the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, and considered for a brief moment about going this year, but will wait until next fall. It looks like a really nice venue, and who doesn't like hobnobbing with knights and royalty?

There was a little more artwork, and a little swimming, and some weeding of the front garden - which also brought with it a nice case of either poison ivy, or poison oak. Whichever it is, it's been since August  4th when I saw the first two dots (I thought they were bug bites!) It became full-blown, and I mean full-blown, to where I am finishing a prescription for prednisone and look like I have some horrible skin disease! Standing in the cool pool water actually feels pretty good! Sadly, pool days are beginning to dwindle...while it warmed up considerably yesterday and today, we also started in-service today. So, yeah.

Now, for the Summer Reading Round-up! 14 books this summer - a record! They are, as follows:

1. Firefly Lane - Kristin Hannah

2. Fly Away - Kristin Hannah.  These two go together, and were a fine read. I started watching the Netflix show, and got through about five minutes before I said, "Nope." I truly dislike when directors and producers completely change a story! Save that for the really awful books that might have a semblance of a good idea, but aren't well written!

3. Nineteen Minutes - Jodi Picoult; looking from both sides of a school shooting, and makes you really think about bullying and how it affects the everyone involved. I just love her writing - the research Ms. Picoult does for each book is phenomenal.

4. My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult; would you be able to have a child in order to keep another child alive? Hmm...

5. Heartburn - Nora Ephron.  Funny book - we had just finished watching "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", and I imagined Miriam Maisel's voice as I read the book, which was helpful. I hear the movie is funny, as well, and hope to watch that sometime soon.

6. No Exit - Taylor Adams. Suspenseful thriller - read it. Don't watch the movie - it sucked.

7. Stillhouse Lake - Rachel Cline, and 8. Killman Creek, also by Rachel Cline. They are the first two books in a series of six books, but DH and I both agreed the actual story wraps up nicely after book two. However, if you look into these, and you move on to book 3, let me know what you think.

9. The Clutter Corpse - Simon Brett: a fun, quirky read that is very UK. The writer has won numerous awards, and easy to see why.

10. Dead Sexy - Cameo MacPherson. Another fun read - very light hearted with a lot of witty comments, with zombies and nymphs galore.

11. The Summer Girls - Mary Alice Monroe. A paperback I've had sitting around for a long time, and decided it was time to read it. It would have made a great beach book. If you want it for next year, let me know.

12. There's No Coming Back From This - Ann Garvin. Her latest, it just came out on August 1st. An interesting look at what goes on behind the scenes of making movies, and the people who make it all happen, and how a little positive attitude can help.

13. The Killer in the Choir - Simon Brett. Love books set in the UK, and with this one being a murder involving a choir - well, it just sang to me! 

14. The Maidens - Alex Michaelides. He's the author of "The Silent Patient"- The Maidens is his second book. Wow. Loved it - read it in a day and a half. I hadn't intended to do that, but there you have it.

One I didn't mention was "Hello, Beautiful", which was one of our book club reads for the summer, but it was my suggestion, and I had read it before summer actually started, so didn't count it. There are a few on my list of hoping to reads this winter, like Wolf Hall, and The Water Dancer, and My Dear Mrs. Hamilton. A book, an afghan, and a low fire in the living room, maybe a steaming cup of coffee...Without the pumpkin spice though, okay?!

So until those days, I hope you find a moment to stop by the Pool and tell me about your latest reads, trips, and family escapades. And, if the weather doesn't cooperate, doesn't a sit on the screened-in porch sound delightful? Maybe roast some marshmallows in the fire pit...you're always welcome here at the Stress Pool.

The Lazy, Not-so Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

 Summer...at last!

It's hard for me to believe I've been home from school for three weeks - and, it has been truly wonderful! Sleeping in...taking naps...sipping iced-tea in the afternoons...reading...what more could a girl want?

I mean, really?

And yes, there has been studio time. I took some time to research a little (I use a site called Unsplash, which has photos of just about anything you might be looking for, which don't have a copyright. You should just give a shout-out to the photographer if you use it)

As a treat, I pulled out the charcoal and chalk pastels. What fun that's been! And no, I don't know what I'm going to do with these sketches yet - it's just been enough spending time making them. 

The last picture was based on one I had taken at Cecil Park - BFFB and I had taken a ride over Spring break, and I snapped a few pictures. I liked the reflection of the building on the creek. So, fun days for me! Truly, there is nothing more fun than getting my hands filthy with charcoal and pastels, and didn't remember how much I really, really love it. 

As for the clan, Morticia and the Doctor are expecting a bundle of joy any day. Baby has gotten herself turned head-down, but so far is not engaged. If she's anything like her mother, she'll take her good old sweet time in making her entrance! 

Big Brother and DiDi have their hands full these days with Little Man and Little Sister. Little Man spent the afternoon one day last week - we painted, read books, and played with the old Playmobil Fort (it belonged to Eggbert, so it's at least 30 years old!), but he's more interested in the animals than all the cowboys and Native Amercan figures it came with.

"Look Nana, the horses and donkeys are going outside of the fort. They have to poop. Do you see the poop?"

Four-year-olds. Gotta love them and their sweet imaginations! 

Did I mention the vultures? There are three vultures - only one has both legs. They occasionally go home with him. Then, when we go to visit, I scoop them up and bring them back. It's a back-and-forth thing. We used to do this with horses from the Playskool farm. "Nana. I'm taking your horses. They want to go home with me." Seriously, someone needs to buy this kid a pony!

The days have been a little cold for swimming, but we've made it in a few times. I'm sure July will hit good and hot at some point. For certain it will be really steamy on August 21st - first day of inservice! Look out - I'll be rushing home to jump in as soon as I get home!

Reading...it's finally happened. First time I ever put down a book and said, "Nope. Not finishing it." It isn't that it wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. This author has scads of books, and this was the first in the series. A Victorian-era mystery, "Murder at the Mayfair Hotel". I like a period novel, but it just wasn't keeping my interest. So, what else have I been reading?

I just finished "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah, the first of two books. The other is "Fly Away", which I've already read, but didn't realize the other was first, so I finished that yesterday, and am now re-reading "Fly Away". Our book club read "Lessons in Chemistry" - wow, what a fantastic read! We're also reading "Hello Beautiful", a Napolitano novel, and it was enjoyable. I also recently finished "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult. It's also an older book, but it's been sitting on my bookshelf and decided it was time to read some of these books that are more than decoration for my family room. Wow. A very powerful book about bullying and school shootings.

There you have it - nothing earth-shattering going on at the Stress Pool -waiting for baby to come, reading, and sketching. Oh, and Zumba. I need to move around more, and signed up for a class. So far I haven't tripped over my feet or fallen flat on my face! So if you're in the neighborhood, stop by and shoot the breeze, dip your foot in the pool (float around if you're brave enough!), do a few Salsa moves, and spend some time with us at the Stress Pool! We're always happy to have some company.

If a Tree Falls in a Forest

 Goodness, how time flies! I didn't realize it has been almost six months since the last post. Suffice it to say, things around the Stress Pool have been pretty busy. Just to catch everyone up to date - Big Brother and DiDi had another baby! Little Sister was born in the middle of January, and is now smiling, laughing, and talking up a storm. Of course, none of us is fluent in baby babble, but if you make the appropriate facial expressions, she's happy to continue her story. At some point she's going to realize we don't have a clue as to what she's saying, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. 

Morticia and the Doctor are expecting their first baby this summer - he's hoping for 4th of July; I'm hoping she's at least on time, and not the one to two weeks late she and her siblings were. Those children knew they had it good, and for the most part, had to be coaxed out. Ms. Business was the only one who came on her own, ready to start running from day one!

Of course, the house - which we still love - has kept us busy. New roof in the fall; new microwave, new dishwasher, new stove to come (they just can't find parts in order to fix these things!) Plus, all the things that need to be done around the house. There is a LIST - Kellys always make a list, but this is THE LIST of what needs to be done, some of which we are in agreement, and some where there is a little disagreement in the priority order. Last night, the air conditioner was leaking - through the ceiling fan in our bedroom - onto the bed! Priority list....

Back to the title of the post. I arrived home from our High School Art Show - wow, what a powerful show! - and sat on the back porch to tell Darling Hubby about what I saw. Several of the students had openly shared their struggles with depression and anxiety through their artwork, and isn't that what the arts really are about? We communicate ideas, feelings, emotions, whether it's through the visual arts, music, dance, creative writing, or theater. Struggles and conflict, as well as beauty are things we share through our art. What courage it takes, though, to put it out there for people to see. Baring your soul is hard, but that's what separates the artist from the dabbler.

So, as we sat on the porch talking, one of the large trees growing in a neighbor's yard suddenly crashed to the ground. It had been leaning. It was covered in ivy, and while it was absolutely full of new leaves, it seemed to just give up. Other than the leaning, one would never have suspected it was going to fall. It made me think about the students whose artwork I had viewed, the struggles they've faced, and how they've learned to cope and express their feelings through their artwork. 

If we look at all the children we as teachers supervise and instruct, we need to actively remember they are dealing with so much more than what we see. Some of them are tall with full foliage; some have full foliage but lean a little. Our job, besides teaching them to read, write, and add numbers, is to make sure they don't fall. To be there; to show them healthy ways to cope. To let them see that when the tree falls in the forest, it does make a sound, whether or not someone is there to hear it. To let them know that we do hear them, we see them leaning, and want to do what we can to keep them from falling. This is where the arts come in. I'm grateful to work in a school district that is supportive of all the arts, that recognizes the importance the arts play in taking a child into adulthood through a well-rounded education.

As we come to the close of another school year, for those of you who grumble about teachers getting off for the summer, know that this is a time of healing for us. Our days are physically and emotionally draining, as there is no possible way to live your day with groups of students and stay emotionally removed. No, we do this because this is what we chose to do. Most of us still love it, and we pour our hearts and souls into it. 

In the meantime, we'll finish out our days, pack away the books and supplies, and take home the things we'll work on for next year, putting hopes and dreams into new lesson plans. I'll be doing that in the afternoon, pool-side, or while I'm sitting by the firepit, watching sparks fly to the stars. Healing time for me will also be in the studio, or playing with my grandchildren, or sharing a quiet moment or two with DH. Maybe, just maybe, I'll find a little time to write in the blog. Plus, I'll have to make my summer reading list - a book a week, maybe even a couple more this year! Who knows?

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, we have towels and lemonade a plenty, or bring a beverage of your own choice! We'll talk about the times we were leaning, and who helped us to not fall, or who gave us a hand to stand again. We're happy to see you here at the Stress Pool!