A Lilac a Day, Day Ten

The lilacs have mostly passed, except for a few of the later varieties. Luckily my garden has been doing quite well this year and I have lots of other flowers think about...

A Lilac a Day, Day Nine

I know many people were a little concerned when they learned the Grand Hotel had been sold. While I haven't spent a great deal of time there this summer, I can assure you the gardens are a lovely as always.

A Lilac a Day, Day Eight

I love the smell of lilacs, but I've never been a fan of lilac scented soaps or air fresheners. Maybe it's because I've been spoiled by the real thing.

A Lilac a Day, Day Seven

I had hoped to plant lilacs when we built the house, but sadly our yard just doesn't get enough sun. Luckily, my parents have several varieties growing at their house.

A Lilac a Day, Day Six

The lilacs in Marquette Park looked amazing this year. There were so many blossoms, you could see them from the ferry.

A Lilac a Day, Day Five

I hope you've enjoyed A Lilac a Day this week. It's not a good substitute for actually being on Mackinac and enjoying them in person, but it's better than nothing.

Hopefully, in 2021, we'll all be vaccinated against Covid-19 and we'll be able to smell the lilacs together as we sit and watch the Lilac Festival parade...

A Lilac a Day, Day Four

I always want to cut lilacs and have a vase overflowing with them on my dining room table. I've tried twice, and each time they were wilted with in just a few hours. Now I just enjoy them on the tree.

A Lilac a Day, Day Three

The smell of lilacs always puts a smile on my face. Maybe because they always signal the start of summer...

A Lilac a Day, Day Two

I love walking down my street this time of year. The lilac scent is almost overwhelming...

A Lilac a Day, Day One

June on Mackinac can be wonderful. I'm not sure if the lilacs have peaked yet, but they certainly are lovely.  For those of you who are missing Mackinac, this week I will be sharing a few lilac pictures each day. Just so you can get your daily dose of the Island...

Questions

I stopped by school the other day to water my plants.

My poor Christmas cactus is a bit confused. It flowered right after Christmas and now it is flowering again. I don't think it's ever done that before. But it does fit in with the craziness that is 2020.

I was sad walking around my silent room, but I held it together until I noticed the bulletin board in the front of my classroom.

March. Here it is June and the calendars up on the bulletin board were from March. I broke into tears - not over the calendar per se, but over the two and a half months lost. My logical brain completely understands why school was closed, and that those months at home flattened the curve and saved lives, but it's been hard on my heart. 

So I sat at my desk and cried.

At home I've kept my mind busy, but in that moment I just needed to admit to myself just how much I've missed being at school with my students. People may think sheltering in place has been easy on teachers because we haven't had to go into work every day; we've gotten to be at home with our families, but it's been hard. I worry about my kids and their parents. Some of them aren't working, while others still have to work while the kids are home. We threw them into online learning thing almost overnight. This experience has been stressful for them - traumatic even. I've tried to support them through this crazy time and I've got to tell you, my sixth grade families have been amazing. I am so proud of them. And as I sat contemplating just how hard they've worked and how much I miss them, I noticed the Magic Eight Ball sitting on my desk...

So I asked it, "Will we be coming back to school in the fall?"

A good sign. But the worrier in me felt the need to ask again. "Will we go back to normal school in September?"

Another good sign. But just to be sure, because, you know, it's me, I asked one last time - "Is everything going to be OK?"

So there you have it - The Super Eight Ball certainly believes the future looks good. And as ridiculous as it sounds, my heart felt a little lighter as I walked out of my classroom and headed for home...

Helping

As adorable as Minnie is, she is not the least bit helpful when I'm trying to make mittens.

I think she loves the fact that we are all here during the day. No more waiting until we get home to get snuggles.