It is no secret that fall is my favorite season.  The hustle and craziness that is the canoe livery during the summer comes to a swift end once school starts.  There is nothing quite like it.  It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.  No matter what I am doing, there are always new routines come September.  While I will eventually be returning to the classroom as a substitute teacher (within the next few weeks), I am taking this year to tie up several loose ends, namely my teacher certification in English (secondary).  I have two classes yet to complete – the first of which started on Tuesday.  I admit it:  I LOVE being a student, even if taking classes at the undergrad level makes me feel old. It is sobering to realize that I am old enough to be my classmates’ mother.  Although, as my mom pointed out, I would have been a young mother.  As for my plans, there are also some surprises in store, so stay tuned!

This year, I want to take the time to put things in place for the canoe livery next summer.  I’m in the perfect spot to do so.  I have the knowledge, time, and interest.  I just hope that it all pays off.  Frankly, I am proud of what I have accomplished in the ten years I’ve been back at the canoe livery.  I’ve created Facebook pages for both of our locations, which are thriving; redid our website, and then outsourced it once I realized my limitations; and implemented Canoebook.  We’ve grown, evolved, and faced huge, unforeseen challenges as a family.  I’ve also worked on our supply chain.  I will always look at things from a supply chain perspective (much more on that later).  Hopefully, after some tweaks, Canoebook will be even better.  Yet another project to complete before May.  Let’s face it:  I am the IT department of Russell Canoe Livery (with a little help, of course).  Thankfully, I enjoy it.

As I thought about what I wanted to write today, as I reread some of my previous blogposts, I kept coming back to the same themes:  1.  Writing about the writing process, 2.  My love of new beginnings, and 3.  Carpe Diem (seize the day – cue Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society).  I can’t help myself.  The writing process fascinates me, and I am constantly learning, even when I wasn’t active here.  This point in my life truly is a new beginning – or it at least feels like one.  As for Carpe Diem, well … I lost a dear friend this summer to pancreatic cancer and recently a former classmate and her family lost everything in a house fire (including her husband, another classmate).  I’ve watched over the last couple of years as my dad wrote and then published a book on his life.  Speaking of my dad, he continues to set a great example in terms of going after what one wants out of life, even if we don’t agree on everything.  I just need to follow it.  It is time to get to work.

Thank you for reading, for staying with me.  Welcome back!