Where did summer go?

It is time for the U.S. Open for tennis and I am used to watching players struggle with the heat but not the wind and cool weather. Since Monday, it is has not been summer. It is as if the weather just changed and instead of a nice Labour Day weekend, we had the kind of weather that we might expect but do not want Thanksgiving weekend. It has not warmed up since and has been windy. Saturday, I accidentally did not check the weather report and wore shorts and a top-what a mistake! Since then, I have been careful to dress warmly, sweat shirts, pants and warm socks. I am still hoping that the weather changes and that we get some warm weather. I am not ready for fall just yet.
Here's hoping that we get some more summer.

First day of School

My memory must very bad but I do not remember parents busy taking pictures of their children on their first day of school. Maybe because we did not have digital cameras and had to pay for every print that was developed. This morning, these are not just kindergartens who I might understand but also older children whose pictures were being taken.
I foolishly ventured out near school this morning in my eternal quest for everbearing strawberries. On my way, I passed children heading off to school. Many parents were walking their children to school which was a good sign. Now, will they continue walking their children to school or will the cars come out at the first sign of cold weather?
However, back to the photos, how many of you were busy taking pictures of your children on the first day of school. Love to know.
Time to get ready to play tennis.

Happy New Year 2010

It is that time of year again. School starts which does not mean a great deal for most of us except that the traffic patterns will be different, more buses and we need to watch when driving. Groups start to meet again. I know of choirs, orchestras and bands all starting within the next week, night school starts as well.
The weather is changing and if this weekend is any indication, after a hot summer it is cooling off quickly.
Interesting how things change and it is the end of summer. Hope that everyone enjoyed their summer and is ready for the changes ahead.
At work, if you are not a teacher, summer hours end and most people are off their vacations. That is not to say that no one will be off but it will be those without children.
Happy New Year and enjoy the coming year.

Burning up the course

"Fire" was the cry of the day for a golfer whose off-target swing sparked a 12-acre blaze in Southern California." Associated Press reports. "The golfer of the Shady Canyon golf course in Irvine landed a shot in the rough on Saturday. On his next swing, his club snagged a rock, causing a spark that lit the rough ablaze and eventually attracted 150 firefighters to the scene. Fire officials say the fire burned through the rough, into vegetation next to the course and over two dry, brushy hillsides.
My goodness, think I would give up golf after an event like that.

Ralph Billinger

Just received sad news. The bassoonist who I played beside for nearly 10 years just passed away two days ago. He had told me that he had cancer in the winter but I assumed that he was going to beat it and that we would be back sitting beside each other at rehearsal in a week. My goodness, what a difference the summer makes. So many changes and not all of them good.
I will be going to the funeral which is the least that I can do. Hard to believe that this has happened.
Hope that Ralph did not suffer too much at the end.

Volunteering

I have always said that you need a reason to get up in the morning. It seems that "If you're getting up in years, and the basic activities of daily living have become something of a struggle, doing volunteer work is probably the last thing on your mind," Tom Jacobs writes for Miller-McCune magazine. "But new research suggests there's an excellent reason to make the effort. You may actually live longer. That's the conclusion of a study just published in the journal Social Science and Medicine, which examined death rates of a representative sample of American seniors. It found difficulties with basic daily activities, including those caused by decreased mobility or upper-arm strength, 'are associated with an increased risk of dying only among participants who almost never or never volunteered.' The study adds to the mounting evidence linking volunteering with health, well-being and longevity, and suggests this association may be particularly significant toward the end of life."
What this suggests is that you must find something(s) to care about and become involved in. Very important.

Teachers and the Sky Dome!

This is one day that I am glad that I no longer teach. Not sure how I would deal with a trip to the Sky dome along with all the rest of the teaching staff for the whole Toronto school board. The new Director of Education, he has been in the position for a year now arranged this event at the end of last school year. Originally, it was going to last all day- can you imagine! They are supposed to hand out material to all the teachers. It could not be decided if it would be on CD's or in print form, either way it is very costly and for what reason?
This event is not free to a school board that is struggling with costs. How can he justify this feel good event that is going to cost a great deal and will really not reach most of the staff. The teachers are going to arrive feeling very angry at having to come to this event that does not have enough parking for most of them. Teacher come from many locations and some of them are going to have a challenging time returning to school and getting home.
I am going to check the media to see how they view this event. Will get back to you soon.