The semester has come to its close again. Three and a half months of utter insanity. And then closure. The kids finish up first grade and pre-k respectively and look forward to the prospects of attending the same school next year, Lakewood Elementary, for the first time ever. Marcela taught her first Eckerd course and survived. She also completed a big project for the Ringling Museum, including rebinding four giant books. She also began substitute teaching in the nearby elementary schools. There is not enough time to do all of the things we plan, but we certainly find a way to stay busy. Last weekend we had a bunch of students and faculty from the school for a barbeque. Tomorrow I go to California for the weekend. In two weeks we leave for Argentina where we will spend four weeks getting caught up with Buenos Aires. Life is moving past at a seemingly rapid rate. Transitions are fleeting and then on to the next thing. We adopted kittens last fall and now they are grown almost into cats. And the house has been rid of all of its small and medium sized anole lizards. We planted a lemon tree and several flowering bushes. We also planted a magnolia. In back our gaillarda and beach sunflowers have each begun to flower. Plants started as seeds last fall. Now coloring the west side. We have put in three ferns on the east side. We'll see how they fare. I screened in the front porch, which has moved many of the kids toys up there and shifted the way they play. And we plan to lay a slab under the carport and put in some temporary walls.

We will be home all July -- hot! And back to school again at the start of August. I must write this summer.