Building Things by Christine DePetrillo

Every summer, The Husband and I are involved in some project. We’ve built a barn, vinyl sided a house and barn, installed wood flooring, built a tavern room (named Black Wolf Tavern for the bar in my Maple Leaf Series and for my werewolf of a black German Shepherd), landscaped properties, and constructed a wood shed to name a few of our endeavors. This year’s summer adventure was making a 500 square foot patio complete with a fire pit.

I’m always amazed at the thought that goes into these projects. The steps are many and the order important. One doesn’t just slap a patio down. In our case, a huge retaining wall had to be built of granite boulders. The wall had to be backfilled and leveled then filled with gravel for drainage.

The fire pit came next so it would look as if it were built into the patio itself. Pavers and bricks came together in a circle to contain many future blazes. S’mores are on the horizon. The only way I’ll eat marshmallows.

A layer of stone dust topped that and finally the irregular flagstone finished it off. Let me just say that irregular flagstone and OCD don’t mix. Yikes. One has to release the idea of perfection and accept that if you want a wild, woodsy look, you need to give up being particular about tight joints, patterns, and precision leveling. That was hard for us, but we muddled through.

And the result is exactly what we pictured.

I love these projects. It’s how The Husband and I define fun. We’d rather being doing things like this than sunbathing on some tropical beach somewhere. Plus, it’s awesome exercise. We both feel great physically. All those muscles ache just mean we’re alive and it’s good to be alive.

I’m eager to enjoy that patio and fire pit, especially in autumn, surrounded by the reds, oranges, and yellows of the trees and our mountain views. I also think the space will be conducive to writing with plenty of stimulating landscape to spark my imagination. Nothing gets my Muse revved like spending time in nature. Sometimes I think Mother Nature IS my Muse.

And I’m cool with that.

Summer is over now and school has started back up. I wonder what we’ll build next year.

Have you been involved in any major projects? If so, what? If not, what would you like to try your hand at?

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

Social Interaction by Christine DePetrillo

So it’s August already. Sigh. Summer is slipping away so swiftly.

I’ve re-watched the Twilight Saga, binged on new Netflix shows, read my way deep into J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood world, and fallen into the go-to-bed-at-1:00 AM-and-get-up-at-9:00 AM schedule that appears to be what my body will do naturally if given the chance. This is all characteristic of my typical summer leisure experience, but one thing I’m trying to change up is the social interaction.

An introvert since birth, I tend to prefer staying at home instead of going out into the world. When my parents would say, “Go to your room,” I’d skip down the hallway, happy to hide away in my safe haven. I loved being in my room and never saw it as a punishment. If my parents had told me to go talk to people instead, I would have felt far more inconvenienced.

Let’s face it – it’s scary “out there.” Social events also require getting ready. Doing one’s hair. Putting on makeup. Wearing clothes. Ugh. So much work. Chilling in the backyard requires none of these things.

Well, except wearing clothes. Probably.

I’m trying this summer, however, to push myself to interact with more people. I recently saw something online that said social interaction was the number one thing that led people to live longer. Even more than diet and exercise! Needless to say, when I saw that, I panicked. According to that study, I’m going to kick the bucket like… tomorrow!

I also listened to a show on the radio where it was stated that talking to people for as little as ten minutes a day boosted memory. The DNA in my family suggests that boosting one’s memory is definitely something I want to be doing. I felt compelled to call someone up and chat on the spot. (Of course calling people on the phone is an entirely different phobia I’m not ready to deal with at the moment.)

So, yeah… social interaction. I’m trying. It’s kind of exhausting though. The orchestrating schedules. The planning what to do/where to go. The gathering of stimulating conversation topics.

The relinquishing of time with my fictional characters to see real people…

I have to remember, however, that each social interaction has its benefits. Living longer. Boosted memory. And my favorite, story ideas. The more people I spend time with, the more tidbits I pick up and add to my writing notebook. Setting, plot, and character ideas have come to me as I surround myself with different people. I’m amassing quite a collection of words, one-liners, and character traits just by hanging out with my fellow humans.

Hopefully, by the time the summer is over, I’ll have filled my notebook and have reaped the benefits of getting social. If not, I’ll just go back to having full conversations with my dog at home. That has to have benefits too, right?

What tips do you have for me about social interaction?

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

The Garden by Christine DePetrillo

Nothing pleases me more than playing in the dirt on a summer's day. My backyard is a NWF-Certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat. I have plants that attract butterflies, dragonflies, and birds of all kinds. The Northern Flicker woodpecker is among my favorites.

In the garden I have the following edibles:

• tomatoes
• green peppers
• basil
• mint
• parsley
• lemon thyme
• oregano
• lavender
• strawberries
• peaches
• blueberries

We also have:

• catmint
• roses
• impatiens
• grapevines (the grapes are never edible)
• azaleas
• rhododenrons
• weigela
• lilacs
• spirea

And:

• butterfly bush
• barberry
• coltsfoot
• dogwood
• arborvitae
• fern
• hosta

Now I'd love to have a ton more stuff growing (especially stuff I can eat), but my yard is pretty small and we've made the best use of the space we have. The Werewolf also runs and accidentally ruins things sometimes so I have to be careful where I put stuff. 

I love tending to all these plants during the summer months. Love to drink in their beauty, smell their fragrances, and taste their deliciousness. Coexisting with them when they are so green and alive invigorates me like nothing else can. 

That's why I love being in The Outdoor Writing Office. I can't help but be inspired to write when surrounded by nature. 

Everything is better outside. It just is. 

Do you garden? If so, what are you growing? 

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com 

One More Day! by Christine DePetrillo

Tomorrow is the last day of school! Only one more day until I shed my teacher skin and become a full-time writer. I will spend long summer days in these two places, making my characters fall in love.

I will have this trusted associate keeping away potential distractions.

I will have this associate judging my work. Sternly. 

I will be refreshed with these frozen margaritas as often as possible.

I will walk here when writer's block rears its ugly head.

And hopefully, by the end of the summer, I'll be adding one more Warrior Wolves book, Wolf Angel, to this picture.

I can't wait! One more day! I'll do my best not to "whohoo" my way around my classroom in Daffy Duck style, but I can't make any promises. 

Toodles,
Chris
www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

End of Summer by Diane Burton

First, my heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in Texas ravaged by Harvey and it's aftermath. I can't fathom what you're going through.

Summer

OMG where did it go? Our electric bill shows we had summer. Hot, sticky, muggy Michigan weather with nary a break. This was the summer of family events. A wedding shower for my niece kicked off the season, followed by a baby shower for another niece, and after that was the wedding--outdoors, 90° with 90% humidity. Right now, we're eagerly awaiting word on the niece who's pregnant. That baby is coming any day. My sister's first grandchild. I'm almost as excited for her as I am for our son's twins coming in November. Or October. Or . . .

Although the Great American Total Solar Eclipse passed south of us, we got our special glasses and watched from our deck. I don't remember ever seeing even a partial eclipse before. Considering their cost, I'm saving those glasses for the next eclipse in seven years.

my first selfie

I can’t believe it’s been two months since the no-longer-Arizona family moved in with us. Yesterday they officially moved into their new home. Son and Hubs spent several days building stuff for the new house. Daughter and Daughter-in-law cleaned and painted. The movers brought everything from storage. Tonight, they’ll sleep in their own beds.

While I’m happy they (and we) will have their own space again, I’m a tiny bit sad. Toddler Girl and I have bonded this summer. Snuggles and kisses and storytime with her curled up on my lap. We’ve watched too many episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. I can sing the theme songs. So can she. 

With Labor Day around the corner, kids are getting ready for school. (In Michigan, most schools don’t start until the day after Labor Day.) My other grandchildren (going into 2^nd & 5^th grades) are excited, now that they know who their teachers are. When they weren’t at camp this summer, they hung out here a lot. Sometimes overnight, sometimes for a couple of hours. They’ve had fun playing with their little cousin. 

I love having them all here. Sure, it’s tiring. I feel my age more when they’re around. But I’m building memories for them. Good memories, I hope, that will stay with them long after I’m gone. Now that all the grandkiddies are close, I’m taking advantage of any time I can get with them.

Between Scouts, flag football, dance, karate, more dance, I think the older kids are booked almost every night—and Saturdays. It tires me out just thinking about their parents running them to all their activities. When my two were young, we wanted them to have a variety of experiences. So I understand why their parents are offering the kids different opportunities. What it also means is we don’t see them too often. Maybe a Friday overnight so the parents can have “date night.” In school, a couple of years ago, our granddaughter had to write a persuasive paragraph. So she wrote one encouraging her parents to have date night more often so they could have an overnight at Nana and Papa’s. Boy, did that ever make my day.

Toddler Girl isn’t ready for all those activities. Yet. With both parents working, we agreed to help out by taking care of her one day a week. Looks like I’ll still get those snuggles and kisses. 😊 Just not as often.

We haven’t seen the end of summer. We’ll have hot days and those that hit a high of 60°. Beach days will be few, and most of the tourists will leave—except for weekends. I always feel a bit sad when summer comes to an end. As much as I love Fall, I know what’s right behind it. Winter.

Maybe I should just enjoy each day as it comes. Captain Sundae's is still open. We'll get to enjoy a few more visits before they close for the winter.

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction, and romance into writing romantic fiction. Besides the science fiction romance Switched and Outer Rim series, she is the author of One Red Shoe, a romantic suspense, and the Alex O’Hara PI mysteries. She blogs here on the 30th of each month, on Paranormal Romantics on the 13th, and on her own blog on Mondays.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Mackenzie Crowne

Twenty years ago, when Dad was diagnosed with leukemia, my siblings and I had long since left the nest and had scattered all over the country. With an eye on time, we didn’t want to waste any of the precious moments we had left with him, so we booked a couple houses on the Outer Banks in North Carolina and experienced our first family reunion. The beach in Destin followed two summers later and we converged on the gulf shores of Alabama a few years after that.

Since then, we’ve kept up the tradition, gathering every other summer in various locations across the country like the mountains in New Hampshire or Utah’s Lake Powel. Sadly, we lost Dad several years ago and Mom has since followed. Our beloved brother, Tim, joined them in heaven three springs ago. 

But my parents’ legacy to us all is the abiding love they left behind. My sibs and I still get together as often as possible. Every time we do, the time apart drops away beneath the laughter and fellowship of people with diverse lives who genuinely like each other.

This summer was no different, although we were missing a few faces as we gathered this past week in Branson, MO. We spent the days racing across the lake on tubes, eating too much and sipping adult beverages as the next generation got to know their cousins a little better. As usual, our time together passed too quickly. This morning, we said our teary-eyed goodbyes and went on our separate ways. I’m literally on the road travelling home at the moment, rejuvenated by the time spent with my sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews and all the grands that have sprouted throughout the family, and already looking forward to the next time we’ll be together — which will include a wedding. Congratulate me. I’m getting a new daughter-in-law!

More on that later, but for now, what about you? Have you and your families discovered the joy of reunions and what locations do you like to visit when you gather?

When Mac isn’t spending time with her beloved family, she stays busy weaving HEAs for her characters, like the latest in her Players series, Wyatt and Piper from TO WIN HER SMILE, now available via KensingtonBooks

Two Days... by Christine DePetrillo

In two days, school is over. Done. The End. 

I'm beside myself with excitement. My insides are literally buzzing. It's time for  a list - Ten Things I Plan To Do This Summer! Are you ready? Here they are in no particular order.

1. Write, write, write, write, write, and write. I've got a book I'm currently revising. I have to re-read another book before sending to my editor and preparing it to be published. I also plan to start my new series revolving around random acts of kindness. I can't wait to dive into this new project!

2. Read, read, read. Summer is my time to truly eat books. I basically devour them all year, but when the sun is high in the sky (or the moon) and I don't have the pressures of work weighing me down, I can consume books at an alarming rate. Like, don't get in my way. Just back up slowly and let me finish my book meal.

3. Go to a conference in Disney! The Romance Writers of America 2017 Conference is in Disney World this July and I've already registered, booked flights and hotel, and secured a Park Hopper. I'm all in for some writing fun, hanging with other romance authors, and spending some time with Mickey! This will be the first time I've ever gone away by myself. Only took 40-something years! 

4. Commune with maple trees. I'm looking forward to hugging lots of Vermont trees this summer. This is my favorite season up there in the Northeast Kingdom. Everything is green and alive. I have a theory that if I had Dorothy's ruby slippers and knocked the heels together as I recited, "There's no place like home," Vermont is where those slippers would send me.  

5. Beach it. Every year I tell myself I will spend more time at the beach, but then I get lazy and settle for writing in the Outdoor Writing Office in my backyard instead of packing up my stuff and driving to the coast. All of a sudden it's August and I've only visited the beach once if that. Not this year. I'm determined to get salt air in my lungs and sand in my... well, I don't actually want sand anywhere it's not supposed to be. 

6. Hear some tunes. I'm trying to win Iron Maiden tickets. I've seen them before and they hold the number one position on my Top Concerts List, but I'd love to see them again. Great, great show with amazing music and wonderful stage performances. I also want to catch the Philharmonic. Last year they played at the beach, but I missed it. This year, I'm there.

7. Bike. Last year, we bought new bikes that I love. I want to explore new trails and cycle all around this summer. There is something about viewing the world from a bike that settles my soul.

8. Have girls' nights. Because... yeah... I've got to. Essential for sanity.

9. Do some school planning. A necessary evil. A school year of 180 days can seem like an eternity if I haven't done some organizing/reflection over the summer. 

10. Be a good doggie and kitty mommy. Summer allows me the freedom to spoil my pets with attention. My dog is always thrilled to have me home (Shut up. He told me so.) He follows me around every day. Or maybe I follow him. Perhaps a bit of both? Anyway, we're finishing each other's barks by the end of the summer because we've spent so much time together and I wouldn't have it any other way.

What are your summer plans? Even if you don't have the summer off, you must have some fun things to do on your agenda. Share 'em.

Toodles,
Chris
www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com 
The Maple Leaf Series, available now
The Shielded Series, available now
The Warrior Werewolves Series, coming soon!

The Joys of Summer by Diane Burton

As July comes to an end, summer is at its zenith. Heat and humidity, daylight until 10 pm, violent thunderstorms, ducklings swimming in the pond. The County Fair with corn dogs and funnel cakes, 4-H’ers showing off their skills, midway carnival rides, carneys enticing kids (and parents) to part with their money, baby animals looking for handouts.

While I’m not fond of heat, I do love the tastes of summer, beginning with strawberry season. Backbreaking work for adults. A fun time for kids.

Now blueberries are their peak. Big and luscious. Easier to pick than strawberries.

 Soon, we’ll have cucumbers, green beans, and corn. Already Hubs’ tomatoes are ready to eat. Growing up in a family of nine, a garden definitely reduced the grocery bill. Although I would have been satisfied with just eating the veggies, Mom always made hamburgers or chicken so we’d have some protein. A roadside stand helped my sister and I earn money, even though zucchini were so plentiful, we couldn’t give them away.

The best part of summer these days is the annual visit from our Arizona family. What is becoming a tradition started in 2014 with Son getting married on a Lake Michigan beach. Daughter-in-law suggested spending their anniversary in Michigan. Needless to say, I was thrilled. 

Work gets set aside, email goes unread, My WIP can wait when family is here.  

During this visit, Baby Girl walked on her own for the first time. Tentatively at first then gaining confidence. Since we all clapped and grinned, she showed off more, especially in her R2D2 costume.

Toys from our neighborhood garage sales and those our kids played with appealed to her curiosity. New (for her) books, too. She kept bringing Baby Bugs by Tom Arma to us to read to her. Then she sat on the floor and “read” to us. Sure wish I knew what she was saying.

Watching my grandchildren play together fills me with so much joy. Nothing beats having my whole family together. And a great neighbor with a camera capturing the moment.

 Diane Burton writes romantic suspense, mysteries, and science fiction romance. She blogs here on the 30th of the month, on Paranormal Romantics on the 13th, and on her own blog on Mondays. Her newest sci-fi romance novella, Mission to New Earth, will be released next month.

The Good and the Bad of Summer by Jannine Gallant

There's a lot to love about summer. Our oldest is home from college, and it's nice to have her around again. The youngest is no longer counting the days until school gets out... But both girls in short doses is better for everyone concerned, so it's good they have summer jobs.

Walks in the woods with Ginger are amazing. Flowers are blooming like crazy, and the creek is flowing after a decent winter. All good, very good.

Fire danger is extreme. Bad, very bad. There's a forest fire burning down near Auburn, which is 100 miles away from Tahoe, but I can still smell the smoke. Ugh. Crossing my fingers we survive the summer...

Then there's the road construction. Yep, the bane of summer. I'm on a first name basis with the flag woman at the bottom of my street. There are two long stretches of construction, complete with guide cars, on the West Shore in the three miles between our house and town. They work mostly at night, which would be great if I didn't have to be at work at 5am. Whine. Whine Whine. Road work gets a big, fat BAD.

On the writing front, the good news is I finished my final round of edits on Book 3 in the Born To Be Wilde series. Yipee! The bad news is, my editor sent me the galley to proof TWO HOURS later. Not even a single day off. Sigh. Does anyone else completely despise reading their own book for the millionth time? Surely I'm not alone on this one.

So, let's hear it. What do you love and hate about summer?

Oh, more good news. Every Move She Makes is still 99 cents. The bad news is, tomorrow is the final day of the sale. So, it's now or never to get this one at a rockin' deal, peeps! Buy it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Or, check out my website for info on all my books.

Happy reading!

HISTORY WITH A SIDE OF ICE CREAM

                                 Ice Cream with a history lesson topping.   

The summer sun is pounding down. Heat is shimmering off asphalt that's so soft the tar sticks to the bottom of your shoes. Add four hot, sweaty, and cranky kids to the mix. 

What are the parents to do but toss them in the car and head to Dairy Queen. The other three kids in the back of the station wagon, and me in the front between Mom and Dad. I got the best spot, this coveted spot, away from the pointy elbows of my siblings because I got car sick. Wink. Wink. 

This is where we learned the fine art of dealing with brain freeze as we gobbling down ice cream before it melted into a sticky mess.

To keep the air circulating in the non-air conditioned car, Dad would drive us around town. There were two places we always wanted to see. One was 'The Castle' overlooking Shoal Creek

 and the other was Bonnie & Clyde's hideout. 

Though my parents were quite young (7 & 9) when the Barrow gang came to town, they certainly remembered hearing all about the ruckus. These ice cream and history afternoons began my fascination with Bonnie & Clyde

(I compiled the following from the Joplin Historical Pages and Wikipedia. Note: It is because of this bust that the famous picture of Bonnie smoking a cigar and wielding a rifle became public.) 
      

                  Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow Hideout in
                                               Joplin MO
 
In April of 1933 the infamous outlaw lovers, along with other gang members: Clyde's brother, Buck, his wife Blanche, and William Daniel Jones, rented an apartment over a garage in Joplin, MO. Their plan was to use the place as a hideout after a series of robberies in the area. 

It wasn't too long until their furtive behavior aroused suspicions in the neighborhood and the local police were called. The cops,  suspecting bootleggers had taken over the apartment, were surprised to find the Barrow gang. A shootout ensued with the Barrow gang narrowly escaping. They left Police Detective Harry McGinnis dead and Newton Country Constable Wes Harryman fatally wounded.

Because the gang fled in such a hurry, they left behind many personal items. Though a large arsenal of weapons was confiscated, a camera may have been the most important and significant find. After the film was developed and released, the public got their first, intimate look at the couple.

These pictures thrust the outlaws into  national focus and fame.

Bonnie reputedly hated the picture of her smoking a cigar and was offended when newspapers dubbed her a 'Cigar Smoking Gun Moll.' It is said she regretted the gag picture so much, she once requested a hostage inform the press she didn't smoke cigars. 

The apartment survived the massive tornado that destroyed much of Joplin in 2011. Though it has been well preserved it is not open to the public.

REMullins



Amazon:
IT'S A WONDERFUL UNDEAD LIFE


It's been a rough couple of years for Cailey Kantor. Facing her first Christmas alone and bad financial news, she prays for an angel to fix her problems. Instead, a sadistic, sociopathic vampire, with the goal of starting a vampire war, attacks her and forces her to drink blood stolen from the Nosferatu Gabriel Blautsauger.
Gabe must complete Cailey's turning or she will die. In doing so he risks losing his yet unfound soulmate. But something about the lovely mortal speaks to his heart. Once her transformation is complete, he and Cailey find themselves embroiled in a battle that could cost them all they hold dear.
Faced with lies, abduction, and betrayal Cailey wonders if the vampire she is falling fangs over heart for is in it for love or if she's just a means to stop a war.

VAMPIRE IN THE SCRYING GLASS   

Rafe Blautsauger, vampire and enforcer, must put his feelings for the mortal
Morgan Maquire aside. The Nosferatu council who employs Rafe strictly forbids
their love. But he can't stay away from the beautiful woman who causes his blood
to beat with new life.Yet, she hides a secret, one he must expose in order to
protect her.
                            
Morgan keeps her unique gift of magic under wraps due to a spell gone horribly
wrong when she was young.  She is haunted by a nightmare where two malevolent
glowing red eyes stalk her. Can she trust the arrogant but oh-so-handsome Rafe
with her secret as well as her heart? Can he help her regain her power in
time to save the world of the living and the undead?
A VAMPIRE TO BE RECKONED WITH

Vampire Metta Blautsauger is known as the family airhead and she works hard to keep up the façade. It’s the perfect cover as she goes from dispensing her own brand of justice as a vigilante to an agent for Orcus, the Nosferatu shadow agency.

Captured, tortured, and left for dead, she is forced to leave both the agency and Lucas O’Cuinn, the mentor she’s grown to love.

For the last century she’s struggled with regret and boredom. Then her life is given new meaning when four mortal ministers ask her help in stopping a human trafficking ring. If Orcus discovers her unsanctioned involvement, they will brand her as a rogue. The penalty is death. It’s only a matter of time before Lucas arrives—stake in hand.

Lucas O’Cuinn has waited ninety-eight years for Metta’s return and he’s run out of patience. It’s time she remembers she belongs to him.

Also may be purchased at The Wild Rose Press:
The Blautsaugers of Amber Heights Series 
IT'S A WONDERFUL UNDEAD LIFE
VAMPIRE IN THE SCRYING GLASS
A VAMPIRE TO BE RECKONED WITH

Kobo


Barnes & Noble

Two More Days, by Christine DePetrillo

It’s finally HERE! That magical time of the year for teachers! The final countdown!

In just two short days, I will be officially in full-time writer mode for the rest of June, all of July, and most of August. I will not only pretend to be an author. I will eat, sleep, breathe writing. Every day. All day.

In tank tops and shorts and bare feet.

The Outdoor Writing Office will be in full swing, my favorite Adirondack chair getting used on a regular basis and carrying me from page to page in my latest manuscript. Birds will cheer me on, butterflies will applaud my ideas, and squirrels… well, they might try to steal my ideas, but The Werewolf won’t let them. He's always on the lookout.

I. Can’t. Wait.

Like, I’m seriously giddy. No more sitting down to my laptop at 7:00 p.m. after a day of teaching and trying to squeeze in at least four pages before bed time. No more chewing up writing time with schoolwork that has to get done. No more falling asleep while staring at the blinking cursor as it mocks my tired brain. No more having to pass on reading great books because I’ve only got so much time to write my own.

Just two more days…

In three days, I’ll bound out of bed at a time of my choosing, most likely 8:30-9:00 a.m. I’ll slip into comfortable summer attire. I’ll throw my unruly hair into a ponytail and forgo the makeup regimen. Maybe I won’t even put on deodorant or brush my teeth. Who knows how crazy I’ll get?

All I do know is that the number one item on my agenda for the first day of Summer Vacation (yes, both of those words deserve capital letters) is to write. Anything else I accomplish is frosting on the cake, peeps. Frosting on the cake.

I’ll of course have other Summer Vacation plans, such as traveling, hanging out with my pals, landscaping/gardening, bicycling (just bought new bikes and a bike dog leash that The Werewolf LOVES), going to concerts (got tickets to Lindsey Stirling in July which I’m psyched about), household chores, reading book after book from my favorite authors, and a boatload of preparing-for-the-next-school-year work especially because I’ll be teaching reading and science, which I haven’t taught in years.

But writing is top priority—my summer job. One I absolutely love.

What are your Summer plans?

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

The Maple Leaf Series, Books One through Six, available now! Book One, More Than Pancakes, is always FREE in ebook! 

Plans for Change by Christine DePetrillo

It’s May 14^th and in approximately one month, THE SCHOOL YEAR WILL BE OVER!

It’ll be my 17^th year completed teaching the same grade (five) at the same school in the same room.

So, yeah. I need some change.

But not too much because I don’t really like change.

Here’s the plan. Stay in the same grade at the same school in the same room, but change up the schedule, the subjects taught, and the room configuration. For all of the 17 years I’ve been teaching, the two fifth grades in my school have always switched classes to get students ready for switching classes at the middle school and to play upon our own teaching strengths. I’ve taught Math and Writing for most of my time at this school with a side order of Social Studies.

Next year, I’ll teach ALL the subjects and keep my own homeroom all day. This has many advantages. I can have longer periods for each of the subjects because transition time doesn’t have to be factored in. If I want to extend a period to do a more in-depth study of a topic, I can because I’ll always have the same set of students. If I want to teach a topic across disciplines, I can. If I want to take a thematic approach, no problem. Project-based learning? You betcha. Time to address the emotional-social needs of students (which seem to grow in frequency and magnitude each year) will now be available because I will have a better understanding of my core students instead of trying (often unsuccessfully) to get to know twice as many students.

I’m hoping for a better connection to my class. I want to really immerse them in learning. The kind of learning where they don’t even realize that the end of the day has arrived. I feel as if this year’s students did a great deal of “clock-watching.”

Honestly? So did I.

Whether that was my fault or theirs, I'm not sure, but I don’t want that to happen next year. I’m looking for the type of teaching and learning that brings things into the 21^st century and really ignites a passion for knowledge and discovery. I’m also hoping to arrange my classroom in a more comfortable, casual learning space. Something that promotes collaboration and innovation. I already plan to swap out my individual desks for larger tables in hopes to create a more laboratory, this-is-where-we-figure-stuff-out-cooperatively setting.  

And I’m obviously psyched to be teaching Reading again. The opportunity to talk about books with students as both readers AND writers excites me! I’ll also get to dive into Science, which will be great because I’m head of our school’s Roots & Shoots Team and really would love to get more outdoor learning into the mix. And the Science Fair? Ugh. It needs a facelift in the worst way. We've already made it digital, but the students really need opportunities to think more about real-world problems they can solve or inventions they can make. Something more than which flavor of gum lasts the longest. Bleck. 

With all the plans I have for next year, one hundred eighty days probably won’t be enough time to do it all, but I’ll channel the energy into making those days the best my new fifth graders ever had. I have all summer to strategize (while I’m not writing), and we’ll see how things go.

When does the school end where you live?  

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

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End of Summer by Diane Burton

The end of August reminds me that summer is ending. Kids will go back (or start) school in another week. Here in Michigan, it’s the law—I’m not kidding—that schools cannot start until after Labor Day. Tourism might suffer. My granddaughter is anxiously looking forward to starting third grade, while my grandson is just anxious. After five years of daycare and preschool, he starts kindergarten. My daughter is singing “Halleluia” that both kids are now in the same school.

I remember when my life revolved around the school year. First as a student, then as a teacher, and finally as a parent. What a relief when both kids were on their own so Hubs and I could take vacations whenever we wanted. I love traveling in the fall. The colors are phenomenal and well worth trips Up North.

When we moved to our new house almost two years ago, it was to be close to our grandkids. This summer, we've seen more of them than ever. Daylong visits and overnights, together and sometimes separately. Hubs let grandson help build an HO model train car. Bo-ring, according to g'son. This from the kid who assembled a Lego Death Star that had a 92-page instruction manual. Building a birdhouse to take home was more fun. I'm teaching g'daughter to sew clothes for her American Girl doll. At least it isn't a Barbie. I don't know how my mom had the patience to sew Barbie clothes for my sister. 

Besides all the visits from the kiddies (planned and impromptu), it's been a busy summer. Busy but enjoyable. I’m glad August is almost over. We started the month preparing for a visit from the Arizona contingency (son, his wife, & their precious new daughter). My daughter and I (mostly her) made sure they had everything they needed for an infant but didn’t have to bring on an airplane. Their visit was great. First time all the grandkids were together. I loved it! 

After a week, we all decided the visit was too short. Too bad they needed to get back to their jobs.

On the writing front, I had two week-long blog tours set up by Novel Book Tours for The Protector and The Case of the Bygone Brother. I learned the hard way never to do back-to-back tours. Especially when trying to get another book ready for my editor. As soon as it goes off (supposed to have it to her tomorrow), I have to work on my short story for this year’s Roses of Prose Holiday Stories. This will be my third year. I’ve really enjoyed writing short, which is difficult for someone whose books normally run over 100k words. Challenging but fun.

I think I need a break. LOL A trip to Traverse City sounds great.

How about you? Has your summer been laid back or crazy busy?