The Oye Range Report
Vol. 1, No. 2, Spring/Summer 2025
Hi readers,
Back in February, I said I’d send out this newsletter three times a year—in February, June, and October. And here I am, right on (give-or-take) schedule. June delivery: accomplished. (Self high-five.)
This Newsletter Is Out Later Than Expected
My aim was to get this out by June 1. I even thought I’d get a head start before the school year ended. Instead, life intervened. My mother-in-law passed away. So did my grandfather. Then my college daughter landed an out-of-state internship—good news, but it meant I had to help her move and get settled.
After dropping off my daughter in Florida, I shifted into summer mode, or tried to. I spent time thinking through priorities and budgets and loose summer plans. And then, when I finally really slowed down, everything caught up with me—all of the unprocessed happenings from the semester and the past few weeks.
Thanks to some intentional rest, some time in prayer and in my journal, and some good friends who have been present at the right moments, I’ve spent this past week regaining focus. I’m not all the way through the fog yet, but I’m grounded enough now to share some updates.
Life Since February
From February through May, our home life was steady in its usual whirlwind. The kids mostly managed their school responsibilities on their own, with weekly academic check-ins from Dad. I handled after-school oversight and evening listening duties (my gig as a large, walking ear continues).
There were extracurriculars too: band concerts, afterschool rides, and Beta Club volunteer hours. I even joined my daughter for a few of her hours—it took extra energy, which I seemed to have, and it was lovely.
On the teaching front, the semester was… a lot. It always is. Working with multilingual learners brings challenges, but also clarity: if my students are safe, treated with dignity, and see consistent patience, I’ve done my job. If they can also read and write a little more confidently than before, I’ve done it well. There’s more I’d like to do, of course—but human limitations are real. That said, some positive shifts may be coming next year that I think will enable me to do more and better, and I’m holding on to that hope.
The Writing I Wanted to Do, and the Writing I Actually Did
Back in February, I had notes written for 4 out of 35 sonnets. Now I have 15. It’s not where I hoped I’d be by now, but it’s meaningful progress. I’d originally planned to self-publish by June—clearly that didn’t happen—but I’m aiming to return to it over the next few weeks and see how far I can get by July.
Meanwhile, I’ve been writing new poems in different forms. I’m currently practicing writing ten poems in one form before moving on to the next. I completed a set of ten rondelets this spring and recently started experimenting with a form that has no name (I might coin one), but one poem is done, and more are on the way.
I’ve also started work on a song series based on the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer has become a centering point for me in recent years, and I’ve long wanted to write songs around its structure—something to anchor my own prayer practice. One song is finished, and another is underway.
Looking Ahead
The rest of June will be for writing—finishing sonnet notes, continuing poem work, and maybe getting deeper into the songwriting project. It will also be for more processing and rest, and spending time in Indiana. Then, once July rolls around, I plan to turn toward lesson planning for next school year.
And Finally…
Thank you, truly, for reading. It means a lot that you’re here. Writing this in itself is a pleasure to me, and I hope it offers something of value to you too—whether it’s encouragement, connection, or simply a peek into a parallel life. Knowing there are readers on the other side—especially those I have never met—makes this work feel even more meaningful.
If you’re someone I don’t know personally, I’d really love to know more about you. Who are you? What do you do in your everyday life? What keeps you coming back here? If you feel comfortable, I’d be so glad to hear from you—just reply to this email or reach out at author@saraoyela.com.
Looking forward to the next check-in in October (Lord willing).
With love and gratitude,
Don’t want to subscribe but would like to show appreciation in a monetary way? You can leave some change in my —————→ guitar case.
I enjoyed reading through. It's thought provoking. Kudos to you: Sarah.
Hi, I see you’re busy. Enjoyed reading this and hope you keep working on your poem to self publish. I’m still working on my book as well. Hopefully finish it in July as well.