The Summer o' Fun has begun!

Even though the kids' last day of school was Monday, we've been in high gear for the last two weeks. It's hard to believe that for 10 years I commuted 80 miles roundtrip for work, which I did year round. Now I'm fortunate enough to teach and not have to work during the summer. So every day, even the tough ones, is a gift. 

Summer is moving a little too quickly for me. 

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I've been thinking a lot about what it means to line up your values with your vision. There's no recipe or trick to doing it. I'm not sure if I even had a model for it. My parents were hard workers but never used language like that, other than say do what makes you happy. And I did. Poetry and family has always been at the center, and knowing what grounds me makes it easier to decide how I spend my time. So having summers off, being with the kids, and still finding time to write? No contest! 

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This month I am writing a poem a day. Wish me luck. Much easier to do PADs in July, November, and January than in April. Why do I even bother with April? 

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Also this month, in theory, I will wrap up the major edits on my next manuscript. And, it's time to take out the Juno poems and decide what to do with them. Not sure what I want for that project but I have some ideas about connecting the past to the present. I think I'm ready. This is a good time to work on new poems because there's so much change happening in places, quite frankly, I didn't think I'd ever see in a lifetime.