The Girl in the Blue Dress

That's what I was today, as I officially re-entered the workforce and returned to an elementary school classroom. Which is, of course, the excuse I'm giving for my lack of blogging over the past few days. Lest you think my casual blog title implies that I was not completely familiar with the incoming students, parents, and staff, I must share that my official position is not as a classroom teacher, though I certainly have my own fair share of responsibilities! My youthful appearance obviously contributed to the epithet I heard in reference to me throughout the day. Some day, I'll be glad that I look barely a day over 20, but that day has not come!

In spite of the fact that I'm quite sure I'll sorely miss having the time to sit with a hot cup of coffee, luxuriously completing my reading for class, or being able to hang my clothes on the line to dry in the afternoon sun, or casually perusing the aisles of the grocery store in the quiet morning hours, I know that being home alone wasn't for me. As I've said over and over to all my nearest and dearest during the past year, I've discovered that it's not great for me to be "too much in my own mind." I thrive being around other people, with stimulating tasks and daily objectives at hand. It's going to be hard not having a lot of spare time, but I'll have to learn to manage! It's just like riding a bike, right?

When I wasn't attempting to organize my classroom (I'm not a cutesy person, which makes the decoration and organization of an elementary classroom QUITE challenging), I dove into a riveting book,

scrutinized this pathetic excuse for an official trailer (What's with the Taylor Lautner interjections?!),

inwardly lamented about Hubert Keller's defeat, despite the lovely attitude of Rick Bayless,

and enjoyed every drop of homemade spinach artichoke sauce poured over the cheese tortellini that I made last night.

I'm on my way to a "new normal." Which is a good thing.