What are your plans for the summer?

Today is the first day of summer for me. Sort of.

Our graduation ceremonies were yesterday. I will not face students again until August 31.

Ah.

But, I will be in school next week. Principal duties. Packing some text books that will not be used next year. Ordering new books and science supplies. Making sure all the student documents, including end-of-year report cards, are put in student files. Filing reports with the central office (in our case, in Detroit). Meeting with the CEO over some budget issues. Cleaning my classroom and the office.

A few days worth of work. But nothing bad.

Then summer vacation.

Every year I get asked the same basic question (usually with an edge of jealousy or even resentment): What are you going to do with all that vacation time?

Well, besides taking part in hiring interviews for school staff, finalizing individual student schedules for next year, flying to Detroit for a principals' conference, reading the text book and writing lesson plans for a new course I'll be teaching ...

I plan -

to attend a summer institute for church musicians

to lose the weight I put back on

to edit the Christmas book I hope to have ready for Christmas this year

to add 10,000 words to my novel.

to fix part of our driveway that's collapsing

to stain the stockade fences

to begin reading the Bible daily

Oh, and in between to do some traveling with the Good-Looking-One, get to daily Mass, read a few good books, make a couple of mini pilgrimages, ride my bicycle, write a few poems, relax.

Maybe I'll even sleep in a few days instead of writing blog posts at 6 a.m.!