Summer is Over

We had a productive and creative weekend. Then today was the

first day of second grade for Orion. I took this photo in the car. The morning light performed great tricks for us, for only just moments.

We talked about how we moved forward in the car only a few yards, yet in our little Element, tooling along in space (pretend the planet isn't there) we moved much farther.

How much farther?

I'm geeky enough to wonder about it, but not enough to research it at the moment. In fact, I'm tired enough to mostly sit here and stare at the screen between sentences, while my glass of milk waits patiently. My glass of milk is moving too. I wonder how far, in the last five minutes?

This is how my brain behaves when it is very tired. The non-summer routine will establish itself in a week or so. For now though, well, you know. I've gotta say, I'm happy to be getting back to work. It's horribly hot and even humid even at this hour, but another summer is over and we are alive.

before I go---wanted to let you know that our "Strange Roads" chapbook is nominated for the World Fantasy Convention 'Best Collection' and Peter's Uncle Chaim and Aunt Rifke and the Angel (one of the chapbook stories) is nominated for Best Novella.

In the morning, I hope your alarm performs exactly as you expect it to. (I hope mine does too.)

Happy End of Summer.

Higher Education

Summer is actually ending. The days are getting a bit shorter and the desert nights are cooling.

As it ends, I feel a bit of nostalgia for the summer I didn't have this year. Right. I ignored it on purpose---it's on me. I think it was what I needed to do.

We always appreciate things more at goodbye.

Now we're heading into another school year. I always enjoyed the start of school---it was sort of the new year for me. Even now I feel that the new year begins as the air begins to cool. Autumn has always felt more like a beginning than an ending. It's a revival of spirit. Even more so in the desert, when in summer everything (including my brain) gets burned away.

Besides, I like the smell of pencils and crayons.

Our schools are starting the year with much less than they had last year---with less than they need to succeed. A lot of teachers will be digging deep into their resources, using imagination and creativity to make up for materials they won't have. And, as always, many will spend their own money for things they feel their students can't do without.

I'll volunteer some time to art programming and to the library for readings. I did this last year and truly enjoyed it. This year it seems even more important. I encourage any of you who can to do the same. Also to find out what else you can do for schools in your area. It's reasonable to think that many schools will have want lists available.

All of our lives we're students-- we never stop learning. I tend to believe this is largely our purpose as human beings.

We're also teachers, whether we mean to be or not. Little ones are always watching us. Scary, huh?

And other humans, and Poppets.

A love of learning is contagious. Education is essential and is the responsibility of the community, not just the teachers. Much can be accomplished if we all do a little. A bit of time, donations of money or materials can make a difference. It wouldn't be a bad idea to let teachers know that their efforts are appreciated.

Summer is ending. In many places, soon the leaves will begin to turn. Here in SoCal, fire season will begin. Wherever we are, this is as good a time as any for us to resolve to be better students and teachers.