There's no such thing as a summer off

I don't remember my undergraduate years being as constant a thought/worry/etc when I wasn't going to class. Even when I was going to class, I didn't feel so much "pressure." Graduate school seems to have completely changed that. School finished over three weeks ago, and it's still something uppermost in my mind. I thought that by not taking classes this summer, I would have some time to relax and "forget" about school. That's true to a point, except I register for classes for the Fall 2011 semester next week which means I have to 1) figure out which classes I want to take since I'm almost done with my required courses, 2) complete my FAFSA to make sure I'll have funding for the fall, and 3) pull together and submit all the paperwork for my employer for tuition reimbursement. I may not be in class this summer, but I will still be taking care of stuff for school.

This brings me to my next piece of advice for anyone looking to go back to school and/or already back in school: get required paperwork/tasks done early! It would be so easy to just put things off, but in the end this would do more harm than good. Waiting to register for classes would mean I likely would not be able to take the classes and sections that I want. Procrastinating on the FAFSA would have serious financial ramifications and my best friend K would certainly have something to say about it with her experience as a financial aid officer (I hear many stories). No, it would be much better all around for me to get everything done as early as possible.

On a more positive note, my summer project--my garden--is coming along quite well. The local weather had me worried, as we were experiencing more rain and cold weather a lot later in the year than is normal. For a vegetable garden, this isn't always a good thing--especially if you are trying to grow plants that thrive in sunshine and warmer weather. Which of course comprises most of the garden. I'm sure the local farmers were also sharing my anxiety. Luckily, the sun has come out and is expected to stay out and the days are warming up. My garden seems to have responded almost overnight to this "change in the air." I've already been able to use the herbs in a fresh pasta sauce I made on Memorial Day weekend, and Scooter has harvested the strawberries that have been coming in. I'm looking forward to the squash and zucchini blossoms that I've finally seen just barely beginning to form. Some of those will be sacrificed for stuffed blossoms--a recipe that I will post when I make them.



The picture above is what the garden looked like a couple of weeks ago. It's quite a difference from what the garden looks like now.



This is what the garden looks like now. Everything is "coming up roses!" :)

 More to be posted later. In the meantime, it's back to "taking care of business."