Today is the first day of summer. It crept up on me as I didn't realize it until I saw some posts on Facebook announcing this fact.
I remember when summer days consisted of swimming in the pool of a childhood best friend's grandma. And of hot sticky walks when delivering newspapers that were made better when a customer surprised me with a few dollar bills so I could get a treat from Tom's Store on the corner down the street or made doubly better when Mom would drive me as I hung out the door of the Astro van tossing the papers onto the porches. Or of riding the Phoenix or antique cars to get a cool breeze after trying to get as many brass rings from the carousel as possible at Knoebel's. Summer days were also opportunities to spend hours on the swings at Memorial Park and to check out armloads of books from the Frackville Library that I could hardly wait to run home the four blocks just so I could get started on that day's adventures that lay waiting for me on the pages. Summer meant Vacation Bible School with friends from the public school, camping trips at the beach with my family, spending time with Grandma and my Aunts in Pittsburgh and Boston on "week" trips away from home, catching lightning bugs, and endless ball games at the top of town at the Little League Field as my brothers played and my Dad coached.
Since Summer 2008, summers for me have been spent babysitting my niece and nephews every other week. From one baby to two, to three, to four as I'm experiencing this year, the weeks have kept me on my toes from trying to help out with chores around the house to attempting to keep the kids quiet (something that is
definitely more of a challenge this year) so Daddy can sleep to keeping the peace. When I first started being the summer babysitter down here, I did so as a teacher who worked my summer job of tutoring and homebound instruction during my off weeks when not in NC. Then, a few years into being the traveling babysitter, I made the transition from independent teacher in PA to dependent PhD student in NC as my family took me into their home. Summers switched from being a change of scenery from PA and spending time with my family to still loving spending time with my (growing) family while also trying to also meet my other responsibilities. Many have said it couldn't be done, have expressed doubt, and advised otherwise, but....I'm not one to back down from a challenge and I do love my family and want to help in any way I can. Who knows, maybe after my time in NC, I'll be able to help my twin and his wife with their son..ha!
Talk about multi-tasking...
Summer 2011 found me supervising student teachers when not babysitting.
Summer 2012 saw me work on a program evaluation and attempt to get a huge portion of my portfolio done by August.
Thus far in Summer 2013, I've been able to collect data for my dissertation study, and in the last several days alone, when not babysitting, I've been able to help resubmit two separate manuscripts, do three rounds of coding on a history project, start coding my dissertation study, collaborate on another manuscript, start the history manuscript, and squeeze in a few Zumba classes over in Burlington.
Each day, I find that I need to set small goals to try to move forward with all the research projects that are up in the air but some days, I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. However, all I can do is keep trying and start over again the next morning. Don't get me wrong, it can get quite intimidating...just today's goals alone are to finish coding the history project database through the 1990s and to prepare for a meeting on campus tomorrow. As much as I would love to plan out a Nashville trip this fall, an Asheville overnight trip next week, the Women's Retreat Weekend next month, the Theology on Tap series for 2014, my post-graduation gathering, and well, the list could go on and on and on...., I simply can't think beyond the next 24 hours which means, babies, baths, bedtime, 1990s coding, possibly read an itinerant article, review and collaborate on three separate manuscripts/respond to emails that were sent today, get my special education certification forms in order for tomorrow morning, and oh yeah polish up Ch. 1 and 2 revisions by 9am tomorrow. Oh, and code a dissertation interview for the 2nd time before bedtime tonight!
Yes, I miss the carefree days of summer. I wish I could lay in my parents' pool in PA and stare up at the clouds floating across the sky. I wish I could take my pup for a walk and not have to be anywhere by a certain time. I wanna go to a Kenny Chesney concert with my best friends (it just isn't summer without a concert!!). I would love to just hop in my car and get some ice cream from Heisler's or take in a Revs baseball game at dusk. Sitting out on a patio deck by the Susquehanna at Duke's or walking around City Island were favorite summer activities of mine. This past Saturday was an awesome day because, in many ways, it reminded me of my old life. I gathered with friends at a winery for Music in the Vineyards from noon-3pm, grabbed a coffee with other friends at Starbucks before heading to mass and dinner w/ them as we concluded the fun day. Sure, I fell behind in schoolwork but it was worth every minute. Those kind of memories are from summers of years gone by but I look forward to working hard this summer, as I have year round, so that hopefully by this time next summer, I can make new memories elsewhere!!
I just wonder where I will be!!?? Wherever I will call home, I hope there are some fun wineries near by that I can enjoy with new friends!
