This week I volunteered as a mentor to a rising 4th grader at quilt camp sponsored by the Southeast Quilt & Textile Museum in Carrollton, Georgia. It was very worthwhile and exactly what I myself envisioned doing in retirement. My little mentee was so excited about the thought of returning next year to make an even bigger quilt!

I will gladly do it again, although next time, I’ll opt for the a.m. session. Traffic was a beast this week going late mornings. One day, I actually spent more time commuting than I spent with my mentee. Yes, the cost of gas was a consideration given the 90 mile roundtrip each day. However, it was totally worth it to me. Besides, the $65.00 I spent on fuel to volunteer will benefit others more than spending that $$ in a quilt shop on stuff I don’t need.

My mother did suggest I think about turning the week into a mini-vacation for myself – stay somewhere local Tuesday & Wednesday nights and commute the rest of the week. She has a point. I would love to spend a couple of afternoons exploring the downtown area and nearby lakes.

To me, summer runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. For educators in these parts, summer’s over in mid-July. It finally sunk in today that I’m actually retired. Guess what? I get to enjoy the ENTIRE summer!

Several of my administrator friends had to report for work yesterday. If I were returning for another school year, next week (July 18-22) would be my last week of freedom. Teachers report for preplanning week on July 25. School starts August 1 – less than three weeks away. Can you believe it?

I’ll still be following a school schedule to some degree. 🙂 Later this fall, Sadie and I will begin serving as a school based R.E.A.D. dog team at a nearby elementary school. It’s very different from a public library based program and requires a higher level of commitment. Exactly the type of volunteer activity I’m seeking – one that utilizes my skill set on a regular basis.

Quilting is also humming along – technical editing, pondering ideas for a potential book, quilt camp this week, memory quilt/pillows for a friend, hubby’s retirement quilt, Granny’s Garden Squared QAL and finding my way back into cross-stitch. Once I purged about 1/3 the stuff out of my studio, my creative muse reappeared.

Yes, I will thoroughly enjoy a full summer for a change!

Keep on quilting!

This week I’m volunteering as a mentor at the annual quilt camp sponsored by the Southeast Quilt & Textile Museum. An entirely new experience for me – being a worker bee in a kid’s class instead of the one in charge. This also marks the first time since I retired that I actually have to be somewhere at a specific time 5 days in a row!

I look forward to meeting my middle school mentee. She’s a returning camper, so it’ll be interesting to see how much sewing she’s actually done since last summer. The biggest thing I miss about working in a school is the relationships I develop with the kids. I feel very fortunate to have volunteer opportunities where I can continue to work with children and young adults in a fun setting.

Update: So, mentees were reassigned yesterday. My new stitchy friend is a 4th grader who is a first time camper. Apparently, the person who was supposed to be her mentor had a first year camper in the a.m. session and did not want another first year camper in the p.m. session. Totally understand – newbies require a lot more hands on. We had fun getting to know the ins and outs of the sewing machine, made a tissue holder and started on our quilt blocks. By Friday, my little friend will have a completely finished quilted wall hanging!