Good morning, readers and friends, from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico! It is a sunny Saturday here, and we're relaxing in the condo while Julie is frying up some bacon for breakfast. I was reading back over my posts last night and realized that it has been almost a month since I posted! HOLY MOLY!! I must get on the ball, and you, gentle readers, feel free to hold me accountable.
Since my last post, three major events have occurred: I hit my 50 pounds lost goal--a month early!--school ended, and my "bffs" and I made our way to Puerto Rico for 16 glorious days of vacation.
FIFTY POUNDS, BABY!!
That is right. On June 1st, I hit my first major goal of losing 50 pounds, and add to that 59.5 inches. Wow! It feels phenomenal. It is all about getting healthy, and for me getting healthy means to drop a significant amount of weight, toning up, and continuing to feel good. I will share with you all now my final goal because I feel is the right time to do so. My goal is to lose 150 pounds total or to fit comfortably in a size 8. Depending on my frame of mind, it seems so far away. However, when I weighed my suitcase for the trip, and it was 37 pounds, and it was a beast to pick, the thought that I lost 37 plus more hit home. It's all about perspective. And daily, I must work to keep the perspective positive. Some days it's a breeze, and some days it is more work than sticking to the program.
This just in---Scooter has come home!!! Just had to share.
End of year
My first year of teaching drama, known here after as Theatre Arts--and, yes, spelled the French way because I am just that pretentious! :) It was a successful year. A year to test the waters of middle school theatre life. A time to gather interest in rebuilding a dying program. We had two successful mainstage productions, and two showcases that can only improve. There were great performances, but the attendance was poor. Next year we will add publicity and public relations to our list of areas to improve upon. In addition, a group of teachers and I are working on a grant incorporating the arts, positive behavioral support, character traits from our school counselling program, special needs classes, and 7th grade social studies. It is a monster of a grant and will be awesome if--no when--we get it. More reflection on the year at a later date.
VACATION
On June 10, my friends and I embarked on our first trip to Puerto Rico. It's Saturday, June 15, and we've been here almost a week, and I can say honestly that it is one of my most favorite spots of the places I've been. Beautiful beaches, interesting architecture, friendly friendly people, varying landscape. The eclectic culture of the Puerto Rican mixing with what is essentially mainland American is interesting to experience. My lack of knowledge of the Spanish language is a definite barrier, but the people happily indulge my attempts to communicate in Spanish with smiles. Many are bi-lingual, which I am coming to mourn the fact that I am not more and more. Although, I am finding my study of Latin and French are coming in handy. (Those Romance Language cognates do make a difference!) And kudos goes to Lexington School District One. Libby and Sydney Grace are currently in the Spanish immersion program, and Drew has taken Spanish as a class since 4th grade. (He just finished his sophomore year.) It is wonderful to listen to them speak with no trouble. Libby is remarkable; after being in the immersion program for 7 years--Kindergarten through sixth grade--she speaks with incredible, with the beautiful lilting accent. You'd think she was a native speaker!
More, much more, later! Here are some pictures to hold you over to my next post. . . .
(I love water; therefore, most of my pictures will be of water. Thank my mom for that. It's something we have in common!)
