I'm Still Here

I haven't posted on my blog in many, many months. Why? I don't know. Writer's block? Maybe. Nothing to say? Not likely. Uneventful life? Possibly. I think sometimes of a subject that I might blog about; then I think of the people out there reading it, and I realize that what I have to say might not need to be written every time. I'm going to New Orleans tomorrow through Friday with Christina Spurgin, a former student who is now a colleague and a workout buddy. We are going to the High Schools that Work Summer Conference, so we will hit the floor running tomorrow morning about 4:30 and continue to run until about 10:15 Friday night when we fly in to OKC. I plan to eat some really good NOLA food. I want to meet for dinner with another former student, now friend, Annie Lombardi. I don't think we'll have time for much sight-seeing or shopping, so let's just say the food and fellowship will be the focus of our three day whirlwind trip. I have been to NOLA once before, so I plan to visit Cafe Du Monde for beignets more than once. I want to eat a muffaletta and some really good shrimp. I'd like to hear some live jazz. The chances that I'll do all of these things when I only have two evenings might be slim, but the food is a certainty. I made jam yesterday and thought of Jason. He loved homemade jelly and jam and would always consider a jar from my mom to be a wonderful gift. He pressured me to learn to make it, but I only made it a few times for him. Now, when I make jelly or jam I wish I could call him and tell him to come for a visit to pick up a few jars. I'll bet he's eaten some wonderful jam made by his Granny from flawless fruit. I'll bet her kitchen in heaven is state of the art. She doesn't have to have that great big fan blowing on her while she cooks. I had such a huge mess to clean up last night. Somehow I can't quite imagine a mess in heaven. This summer is flying by. I'm enjoying having a productive, restful, summer, but looming ahead of me is the reality that it will end soon. I usually don't start getting ready for school to start back until Aug. That's when I start seeing school supplies and get that little thrill. My mind starts rethinking my previous lessons and deciding what I keep and what I disregard. However, while it's still July, I'm going to enjoy my freedom. Freedom to go to the Y at 7:00 AM, freedom to stay up late if I want, freedom to take off to meet a friend for lunch, freedom to read for pleasure.