Summing Up Summer

School has been in session for over two months. I didn’t catch up on things like I wanted to when I was off this past summer. (I have finally come to the realization that I never will.) But I’m grateful that I had a lot of weekend trips, did some redecorating (we switched around the kids' furniture and I got a new bedroom set - my room now has fresh paint and new accessories as well!), and took some incredible photos.

Trips: First I took two of my boys to northern Michigan for the week. We stayed with family, fished, and enjoyed playing on the huge sand dunes. Riding at the Badlands in Attica was a new and exciting experience, as was the houseboat trip on Potoka Lake in southern Indiana. I was also fortunate to be able to go to Bears Training Camp one morning on my last day of summer vacation.

  

Exhibits: I had two photo jobs and had photographs displayed in two exhibits. One was the Naturally Yours Exhibit at the Indianapolis International Airport (my photo was even used to promote the event) and the other was Images of Whiting up near the lake. Studio 659 is small but in the historical district of Whiting. It was neat to be a part of the city’s anniversary events. I entered a photo of beach glass (that we found), one of the steel mill with ice bergs, and one of just some weeds that grew along the sand dunes.

Whihala Beach Glass

Sports: Football games and practices with three of my boys wore me out but I did enjoy all those Saturdays at the fields. I just framed some photos of them and also some of the Bears and hung them in the basement.

Poetry: Finally, I sent in a poem for a the Indiana Bicentennial Poetry book to be published in 2016. All counties in Indiana were invited to submit and one poem from each county will be included. My poem will be sent to Indianapolis for final judging so I have a 50% chance of getting in. My name was announced on the radio last week (local station) and my name was in The Shopper a few days ago. Pretty awesome!

My next plan is to submit a few poems while on fall break next weekend. I just attended a conference for children’s writers and illustrators and feel inspired again.