The Stress

I am now back in Trout Lake after an extended vacation. The time in Ottawa was great, even though it was bittersweet. It was good to see family - my cousin before she gets married, my other cousin who I haven't seen in like 15 years, my other cousins who are growing up to be beautiful young men and women of God, my aunts and uncles, my grandmother etc. The only person missing was my grandfather, who we honoured with a beautiful ceremony. It was good to sit and hear stories about him and to hear his life celebrated.

But now I am back in Trout Lake and the stress is returning with a vegeance - another week of school lost , because I know that some students did nothing while I was away. The end of the year looming with so much to be done and to be accomplished. A school review right around the corner and all of the teachers stressed out about it. I refuse to change anything and make anything prettier than it was before. So I am trying hard not to get caught up in the stress of it all.

There is still snow on the ground. I think that Ottawa and Trout are now tied for the amount of snow on the ground. The difference is that Ottawa started out with a whole lot more and still have piles of snow in the places that the snow was shovelled to. But there are signs of spring - sunny days and pussy willows.