Whoever Thought...

...It could ever feel cool in South Texas? Well, it sure does. Especially when compared with upper end triple digits in the desert!
And while the atmosphere outide felt relatively cool, the reception inside the house was anything but. Herbie the Dog actually remembered who I was. Electra, not to be outdone, lavished gifts upon me, and our garden even sprouted into a mini tropical forest!
I am quite proud of Electra's sergeant like capabilities of keeping order, not only here at home, but also at school...She is a good Marine!

It was morning and evening...

the First Week. I survived the first 6 days of summer ESL school. I went beyond survival to super girl. I found out I could mop a floor at 5:30 am, bathe the dog at 6 and be ready to leave the house by 7:15. I can go all day teaching 4 hours of reading to highschoolers with shaky language skills, staff meetings, wash a load of clothes upon arriving home while fixing an early dinner for 5 couples, host a Bible study, finish with a clean kitchen while spending quality time with friend and walk the dog 2 miles before bed. All in one day.

The skill of multipacking a day's agenda is old hat to old moms and the genius skill of young professionals. But I am neither professional nor a mom. I've learned some new ways of living and wonder about it.

If you've read Falling (Colin Thubron), do you find yourself thinking like Clara--"as if thought, like everything else, must be applied with a serene and exclusive concentration....I imagined...,Clara the Swallow could not perform her act this week, due to thought. It is hoped, however, by next week..."

swimming lessons

Herbie swam the Frio River last weekend. He found that jumping off inner tubes causes one to fall underwater, like Sam Gamgee on the movie, when you see his face go under, eyes open, unable to stop his descent into the miry deeps. Meanwhile, Kermit and I threw the frisbee until our toes turned to white prunes and long enough for giggly, screamy high-school girls to join in and leave again. And in the morning, humming birds attacked each other at the red feeder as I watched from the porch swing. We basked in the dry air of the hill country for two days before leaving for the steamy bayside of Rockport where we completed our 4th of July tour with a brisket dinner at Uncle Elmer and Aunt Janine's ranch house. Sadly, I saw no fireworks that night.

All in Pink

Pink nail polish. It makes one feel like street-kid Eliza Doolittle become Flower shop girl. Everything one touches becomes a matter of vast importance and yet hilarity-bound at the same time. They say that pink rooms calm even the worst crazy criminals.

Did you know there is a witches' school in Illinois, inspired by Hogwarts? It's one of not a few. http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2136578&page=1