35 Years

I was lucky enough to spend the weekend with these amazing women. It's hard to believe that have been in my life for 35 years now. We all worked at Fort Mackinac in the late 80s and early 90s.

For years we  always got together once or twice a year, but over the last few, we let life get in the way of our get togethers. And then, our number got smaller. Our dear friend, Chandra, passed away unexpectedly last spring. 

So we have renewed our promise to get together as often as we can.

Not every one of us can make it every time we meet, but we've decided to do the best we can since we never know what tomorrow may bring.

Kelaine, Rachel, Michelle, and Shannon - thank you. Thank you for making our friendship a priority; thank you for sharing your joys and frustrations and listening to mine; thank you for a weekend full of love and laugher; but most of all, thank you for 35 wonderful years of friendship! I can't imagine my life without each and every one of you.

First Day

Today was the first day of school on Mackinac Island. I'm starting this year with eight students - two sixth graders, and six fifth graders. I had all of these students last year as fourth and fifth graders, so hopefully we'll hit the ground running and have an amazing year. 

I still can't believe this is my thirty-second first day of school! It just doesn't seem like I started teaching that long ago. This first day certainly was one for the record books because we had no power!

A squirrel knocked out the electricity for over 2,800 people in Mackinac and Chippewa counties, including ALL of Mackinac Island. Luckily, two full walls in my classroom are windows, so my students and I just rolled with it.