Finished Lindamood-Bell Orientation And...

... it was lots of fun! I earned my star pin today and a thumbs up to start teaching. These two weeks have been challenging to absorb all the new information and help Cameron through his last two weeks of 8th grade at the same time. 

One especially fun thing was to watch these robins feeding their young ones throughout the day (just outside our classroom windows)!

Lots of rabbits visited too!

Before I left this morning for the last day of orientation, the sun was lovely on the porch.

Overall, I feel ready! There will still be lots of refining to do, but I think working here is going to be fun and after this three day weekend... I won't be homeschooling at the same time!

Sea Ranch Loveliness

I'm just back from Sea Ranch and still feeling the soul-nurturing wonder of this place. I've written about it before as the "best memory of my life". 

The place is called Sea Ranch.  It's on the Northern California coast and it is here where my love for the ocean began.  I still find standing on a cliff by the ocean deeply self-nurturing.  It's such a complete sensory experience and so joyful to me that I feel like I literally soak it in.  I love the sounds of giant waves pounding the rocks while the sea gulls give their eery calls above.  I love the feel of the cool spray, the trembling earth, the wind, the sun.  I love the sights of the deep, deep blue Pacific, the bent cypress trees, the colorful tide pools, and the sunsets that streak the waters with rippling gold.  I love the salty smells and the wood smoke and the musty pine when traveling through a thicket.  I can put myself so completely in this place that I yearn for it when I've been away for a long time. There is nothing like this kind of ocean setting to sooth my soul; it gives me such inner happiness just to experience this particular aspect of nature. 

These are just some of the pictures of this recent trip. It's a truly glorious spot for soul-smiles.