When You Live By the Bell

as I do for nine and a half months of the year, it takes some time to adjust to life without the bell. Yes, I'm a teacher, and I have my summers off. I love it; don't get me wrong, and I'm lucky, but it's a life I chose many years ago. I love teaching. It is a challenge and a joy. I never regret my decision to be a teacher. But sometimes living without the bell can be a challenge as well as a joy. The words summer vacation bring up memories and challenges. Summer is supposed to be a relaxing time where the days are endless and filled with summer breezes, summer heat, swimming pools; and the nights are long, lanquid, and spent around the porch sipping ice-cold lemonaide or tea. The realities of summer are often equaled to the other holidays where we are supposed to have perfect days just like the memories of our childhood and the images of greeting cards. I have to adjust to my summer life. I have many projects to do and books to read, but somewhere inbetween, I have at the side of my brain those three new classes I am going to teach; the textbook is in the spare bedroom. I can start my lesson plans now. But what about the self-imposed rule of not starting school lessons until after July fourth? But if it's self-imposed, I can break the rule, right? The plain fact is I love teaching and planning, so for me, summer is a time to reorganize for the fall. I still can work on those projects and read and enjoy summer days and summer nights, but maybe next week, I will look at that textbook and start reading and planning. And, yes, I will read Alias, Grace by Margaret Atwood, because I may add that book to my A.P. Class. It's sitting on the shelf and waiting for me. Right beside that book is A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. That is definitely a summer read for me. And, of course, I have my stitching. I always look forward to summer to stitch many projects, but I can't seem to get started. I think it's because I have too many, and I don't have a focus. My mind spins with all the pretty patterns and fibers and fabrics. I need to get back to the days of my stitching childhood, where I embroidered butterflies on my jeans and worked on one lovely project at a time, instead of creating a stash of projects I may never do. That is my goal. And with that in mind, I do have one that I plan to start to stitch tonight. What's old is often new again, and this is the case with my first project. I was going through some of my old projects and found one that I had always "meant" to do. I want something fun and simple without any letters or alphabets. I found Becky and Max by Kindhearted Woman. For me, this pattern is fresh and young and fun. I then want to stitch Finch Song by Shepherd's Bush. I have the fibers separated and labeled, thanks to my dear friend Barb. Perhaps those two projects and two books will take me through June. I always have my gardening. And that's where I'm headed right now. I need to work on my raspberry bushes. Some of them are quite out of control. Well, those are my ramblings for June 2, already.
Becky and Max by Kindhearted Woman is charming. I have decided to stitch this pattern on Silkweaver's 32. ct. Belfast Linen Meadow Mist.
I think this is a carefree and charming pattern to stitch in June.
Here are the lovely fibers that I get to stich with. I still need two more.
Finch Song by Shepherd's Bush is a beautiful sampler.
The fibers are really beautiful.
The button and charms that go on the chart are quite pretty.

Old Books and Memories

I love old books, old movies, and pretty much anything from the 1940's, even though I was not even born in that decade. When I was a little girl, I used to visit my Aunt Margaret, who had the most amazing collection of books--bookshelves were in the living room and in the sitting room. I would spend hours just going through all of her books: novels, volumes of poetry, and biographies. Every night I would curl up in a large chair under a window in the sitting room and read. My favorite book was Betty Grable and the House with the Iron Shutters, written by Kathryn Heisenfelt and published in 1943. As an adult, I always wanted my own copy of that book. I found it in a used book store and subsequently found another Betty Grable book, Betty Grable and the House of Cobwebs, published in 1947. Every time I look at them I remember my Aunt Margaret and her love of books that she shared with me.

Along with my Betty Grable books, I have The Uninvited by Dorothy Macardle, published in 1942, and later made into a great ghost movie with Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey. The other books on top of the stack are Idylls of the King, Irving's Sketch Book, and The Deerslayer, which were my Great-Aunt Virgie's school books. These editions were published in the 1800's. Aunt Virgie became a school teacher.