One Hundred & Eighty Days

Every teacher knows the meaning of 180 days.  Give or take a few,  this is the number of days in a traditional school year.  In August this seems like an unattainable number.  In January it's still a long way off.  But come April the end is near.  I always try to start off the school year with a positive approach, hoping to keep my enthusiasm high.  Yet I tend to fall into a sad state around day 30 knowing I've got a long way to go.  So this year I'm going to take a different tack.  I'm going to celebrate each school day as I check it off by reflecting on the good things I experience.  And I'm going to record my journey in a little journal I'm calling "One Hundred & Eighty Days."  I admit, I borrowed the title from my friend Julie. She can have it back when she writes her book.  I don't think she'll mind.

This week I'll be demonstrating the process for creating your own planner.  So gather some supplies and get ready to create. I found this little day planner in the dollar bin at Target.  It's an academic calendar so it goes from August to August.  But you could use any inexpensive day planner.
 
Suggested Supplies:
- small day planner
- acrylic or craft paint - just a couple of your favorite colors
- brushes
- glue
- washi or small duck tape rolls in one color or a variety
- stamps and a stamp pad if you have any
- markers
- magazines

The beach is my porch

Coffee in my bunny mug, a fresh baked scone from
the farmers' market on a sunny morning.

This has been a summer filled with tasks. The days have been filled with moving trucks, clearing out storage spaces, a yard sale, donating furnishings, household repairs, and lots of gardening.  When I woke up yesterday I was a little sad when realized it was August 1st.  Not just because my summer was quickly coming to an end, but because I haven't had the chance to stick even one toe in the ocean.  So instead of breezes by the shore I'm going to enjoy taking mini breaks in and around my home.

I love my house in Fredericksburg.  It's long over due for a good painting, needs the foundation fixed, requires some rewiring and new plumbing, but it's one of my favorite places to be. No matter how long I leave it alone it welcomes me home.  Sometimes it's not so welcoming with a flooded basement or broken pipes, but I'm always calmer when I'm here. Kind of the way I feel when my toes are in the ocean.

Last night my good friend Cheryl came over for a quiet evening of journalling on my porch. She'd asked me to teach her my method so I pulled out supplies, plugged in the party lights and we began to create.  I didn't stop to take any pictures because we were too absorbed in our art and a superb conversation.  By the time she went home I felt the wonderful calm which comes over me whenever I create art. Especially when it happens on my porch.

My quiet space indoors

So, while I miss not having a beach vacation this year, I do feel rejuvenated and ready to tackle the fall.  It will be our last year in Texas and my husband  is counting down the days until his retirement.  We're both looking forward to being back in our sweet, although a bit rundown, house.  And then we'll take a long overdue trip to the beach.

a little garden cleanup

journal page 8/1/14