June 3, 2005
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On May 14, some of my friends and I had our second annual all day women’s retreat. It’s a non-religious but quite spiritual day. Last year’s themes were Life Is a Journey and Attitude of Gratitude. This year our topics were The Five Love Languages and My Spring: What Within Me Is Wanting to Grow? In connection with the latter topic, we had to write a poem. Here is mine:
Growth
To really give
To truly receive
To be who I am
And be happy to be.To follow my path
And know it is right
To not be afraid
To be open and free.It was a very pleasant day. We hire a leader who prepares the materials and facilitates the sessions. We meet at someone’s house, have a nice uplifting day with a lunch and snacks, and we all go home refreshed and ready to face life’s challenges. All of the attendees are friends of mine, but they don’t all know each other well. They are a very compatible group, though, and we enjoy being together. It was a day I needed badly in the middle of the rat race that is my life!
I am now trying hard to get everything ready for a sub in my college classes for the last 2 weeks of the quarter. I have 3 new books this quarter, so I have to do a lot of prep and I have had trouble just being ready for each day. By Monday, I have to be 2 weeks ahead. I am wondering if I can make it even if I work 24 hours a day! It’s worth it, though, because next Thursday we leave for 2 weeks in Hawaii. I hope I don’t sleep through the first few days!
Life will get easier for awhile when I get back because school is out for the summer, so I will not be subbing or tutoring the Hispanic kids. I will have a new college quarter beginning. I only have one new book next quarter, though. I also will have my GED class. My ESL class is finished until September after next Tuesday. I will enjoy having a little more freedom!
I was glad I did not sub yesterday. My husband came home yesterday and reported that the cooks at school were apparently emptying the pantry at the end of the year. For lunch, they had pepperoni pizza, apple juice, pudding, and peanut butter sandwiches. I don’t think I could have eaten that!
I will end with a little tidbit my husband picked up. Did you know that catnip is a better mosquito repellant than DEET? So just rub it all over yourself before you go outside this summer. Let me know what happens!
Comments (12)
Enjoy your break you deserve it as you have worked so hard this year
Wish I could attend a womens’ retreat. Have fun in the sun, but don’t forget to use plenty of blocker!
wow. life as a teacher.. i had no idea it was tough for teachers too..
thanks for the comment. it does enlighten me alot. it was just a little troubling being in psych nursing and being taught by the professors to explain to patients that you’re not their friend… it was very helpful putting things in perspective and now i can rest assured that nursing is not about being “cold”..
That is a great poem. I would be out of luck writing one as I don’t ‘do’ rhymes. Other than reading someone else’s that is.
Have a good trip and take lots of pictures to post.
nice poem have a nice day
I (as a reporter!) went to an all day’s man’s retreat once, all it cosisted of is drinking beer and telling disgusting jokes! Hope women’s retreats are more spiritual!
wow sounds really hectic. u teach so many classes! so do u teach English only or Psych as well?
No way? Really? I definitely have the ‘nip’ around the house! Thanks for the tip!
I love your poem and it speaks to me with all I’ve been dealing with lately.
Has your busyness slowed down, now that it’s summer? Sure hope so! How are you? You haven’t posted in weeks!
Nance, his new post is here More_Than_just_Crabs, copy and paste in your browser. Terry is very sick–he has cancer in his stomach, gullet (whatever that is) and liver. He has less than a year to live, but a lot of us are hoping for a miracle! He is still planning on coming to the US in September, so I hope to meet him in Chicago! Love the man dearly. Can’t wait to see Hawaii photos! (Did I tell you already that I have a son who’s in the Navy there?). Wow, leaving for another trip already? North Shore, how nice–haven’t been there in years. Have another great one!
The Five Love Languages was a book by Gary Chapman, I think. Your retreat day sounds wonderful. Imagine going to Rome and rubbing catnip everywhere – the place is full of strays