Summer's over: How did I do?

Even though it's only August 15 - Happy Feast of the Assumption, Mary! - my summer vacation is pretty much over.

On Monday I have to drive to Detroit for a two-day principal's conference, then I have to return to set up the teacher prep days for the following week, make sure all the books have come in, create individual schedules for students, and do some lesson plans.

At our school, the kids are back August 31.

Yep. Summer's over. Back to work.

At the beginning of summer, I set some goals:

"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."

Let's see -

I did go to the musicians institute ( I realized that if I'm going to be a singer I have a lot of work to do)

I lost some weight, but not nearly enough

the Christmas book is partly edited, but there's a lot more to do

I did not add 10,000 words to my novel. Given the darkness of it - it's a horror novel - and my current spiritual directions, I've had reservations about it and had a hard time working up enthusiasm.

The driveway was not touched

ditto the fence - too many rainy days. Maybe this fall?

I am ready the Bible daily

I did some traveling with the Good-Looking-One and got in some mini-pilgrimages (Steubenville, Piffard, Our Lady of Fatima Shrine), but her mother's stroke ate up a lot of time, and forced us to stay close to home

I did read a few good books (but not nearly enough)

The bike still has a flat tire, so ...

I did write a few poems (mostly bad haiku).

I did relax a little.

Not on the list - I hired a contractor to work on our bedroom, I partly cleaned out the storage area that used to be known as the upstairs (boxes of stuff from when we had to sell my parents' house, and when Nana died), I finally scheduled a physical - it's been five years -and found a doctor instead of relying on a health center, I went to Steubenville for the plenary indulgence, I did a lot of soul searching and worked (with God's help) on some character flaws, I visited and decorated the graves of my mother and Nana, I wrote a lot for this blog (too much, probably).

A mixed record. A grade of C?

Oh well, there's always next summer!