One of the perks of teaching is the number of days off. I work hard when I work, but next week, I’ll be resting and relaxing. Our district has a 1 week fall break, which blessedly starts tomorrow. I need the week this time. It’s been a tough couple of months at the Marks’ household, and a few days of R&R will be appreciated to charge the batteries. I’ll be sleeping in a couple of days and kicking back on the sofa for a bit.

Of course, being me, I won’t be sleeping in and watching TV for very long. I’m hard at work on my next biography proposal, and I want to have that done by the end of my break. That’s doable. Plus of course, little Ellery goes to the vet, I get the furnace checked out, go to the doctor, and all those other things that I can’t manage to do during the regular school year. My days off are typically filled with errands that conflict with my school hours.

Following break, I’m off the next Friday for Cape Fear, and then the next week is Books by the Bank and a 4 day weekend for me. I love having the time to write as well as teach; it seems like the perfect combination of two lives. I hope to see some of you on my upcoming travels. You’ll get to see my new reprint of The Scent of Murder. I know you’ll like it.