Let's sit and have a cup of tea

Hi there! Come one in and let's chat. My blog friend Abi usually sponsors a monthly linky where bloggers invite folks in for a virtual cup of tea and chat. This month, Abi's busy with exams and school, but I'd like to invite you in anyway. I still wish you were here and we could sit down and enjoy a nice cup of coffee (or tea) together.
If you were here, I'd offer you a nice healthy muffin or perhaps some yogurt and fruit, as I'm back on my healthy eating plan, hoping to lose just a few more pounds and to solidify my good eating habits this round. I'd try not to bore you with the details about balancing macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats) and instead steer the conversation to plans for the summer, as that is what has really been occupying my mind lately. 
You see, the reality of being a parent and a professor means that my life is greatly shaped by the academic calendar. Summer starts when school ends, and I try to make plans to have a fun, yet productive summer. And that means planning ahead of time for both the kids and myself.
Clara is thinking of taking an on-line writing class and will have some summer homework for her advanced placement English class. She's also hoping to shadow a dog groomer friend and will go to a residential cross-country running camp.  I'd tell you that her biggest plan, though, is to volunteer at Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) and to continue her volunteer work at the local humane society. GDB is over an hour away, and I'll have to drive her up there a couple of days a week. I might also volunteer one day a week, but I hope to spend the other day at a nearby library getting some of my own work done. 
My work? Well, I'm working on a law review article that is due at the beginning of July and also have to update the textbook I co-author. Those revised chapters are due on August 1. Plus, I'm teaching a class in the fall that I haven't taught in a while and need to spend some time getting that ready. So, yes, I will be quite busy!
But I also plan to have some creative fun this summer. I will be hosting my 2014 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt (launching on Sunday), and I'm so excited about that! I will also be finishing up my Learn Something New Everyday faces art journal, participating in the Summer of Color (making teeny, tiny bird houses) and working my way through the lessons in the Studying Under the Masters class I bought at the beginning of the year. I'd tell you that I've been really productive lately, playing in my art studio but that I'll be losing that space in a few weeks when Henry comes home.
As much as I'll miss my creative space, I'll gladly give it up to have him back under our roof. His plans? Well, they're still in flux. He did not get his dream job working with the San Francisco Giants, but he's got an interview for a internship with a group in Oakland which tries to build a pool of coaches for under served areas. He would be a "research and evaluation" intern and would hopefully get good experience. He might also take a class over the summer, as his course requirements for next year are pretty demanding. 
Before you go, I'd show you some of my recent art journal pages, including the one above titled "I wanna go to the kitten nursery" and this one, which was inspired the attitude of gratitude class I took with Bernice during May:

And I'd ask about your summer plans. And I'd give you a little nudge to join the Photography Scavenger Hunt, if that wasn't already a part of your plan.