The Week

An amazing moment yesterday. Background: I offered the off-campus students two options--pass/fail on their homework; a regular grade. 

Most asked to be graded. One asked for pass/fail. Last week I told him he did excellent, really top-notch work (he's been improving a lot in his willingness to critique Aristotle over the course of the semester). This week has asked me, just out of curiosity, what would me grade on this have been. I said an A. His face lit up with delight. Ten minutes later, during group work, he called me over, Can you write that on my paper, so I can show the other guys. (I think they talk about and compete over their grades outside of class.) So I did. 

The Week

Off-campus teaching was good--although the class was ended twenty-five minutes early unexpectedly. It really kills me to not be in charge of the timing for my class! Working on acceptance and a realization that I'm not in control and things won't be perfect. 

A student asked if I'd be doing this next semester (I won't) and was hoping I'd do the class again soon. That is so hard! I don't know--perhaps I'll be able to do this class again; perhaps I won't. Again, not fully in my control. 

We listen to podcasts as we travel. I think the students are a little sick of the podcasts (I like them!) and so one student held nonstop conversation with me on the way home, so I never got to put it on. I enjoy talking more, anyway. 

And this whole travel thing means that there is lots of time to chat with students. I'm learning way too much about how little they read and am contemplating how to encourage them!

In the evening, I had dinner with colleagues, students, and a very nice guest. It was at a new "restaurant" that is only open for scheduled events. I have notes (though I am grateful for this new place): The lighting was too bright for an evening dinner. The water/wine glasses, which are both identical, are far too small--about 4 oz. Just guess how many times I refilled my water. And the wine is not free flowing, you really have to work to obtain it. 

Otherwise, a lovely evening. 

 

The Week

My absolute favorite peachy-colored daffodils came out! (Perhaps there's an all-peach one that I love even more.)

The Week

At the end of this week is my book manuscript workshop. I'm getting nervous--not because I think anything will go wrong, but because this is an intense amount of attention to my stuff! (And also, I know it's essential, but who really likes criticism?) The attendees are already starting to send me their comments, and I'm way too nervous to read them. Until I read them I can have a silly fantasy in my head that no changes will be necessary. Once we have the workshop, I'll feel snowed under with responses for a bit until I can sort what revision I need to do and set myself up with a to do list. Sigh. Impending chaos; impending work. 

This week, also: advising. 

The Weekend

Saturday: We walked to a nearby garden to see the beginnings of spring, then coffee shop with the family, a little bit of the baseball game, an arcade we found in the basement of the library, a little bit of the volleyball game (purchased with chips and popcorn--the boys ran around the field house). Francisco took Q out for Mexican and then we all watched some Harry Potter. 

At one point, Q asked, when I mentioned that I'm workshopping my book next week: "Do you think next year we'll get into the thinking-about-publishers part of your book?" I love the "we." He suggested Penguin Random House and offered to research others. 

When we were eating our lenten Friday fried fish at the Sunoco the other week, we noticed an advertisement for a "Festival of Miracles" posted on the soda machine. As I walked home Friday after the Stations of the Cross, I passed a blue church on the side of the road with people lined up outside. A young girl in a hat held a sign alerting those who drive by to the festival. Men in yellow vests directed traffic as people parked up a field. The young girl's fedora blew into the road and without looking at the oncoming traffic, she went after it. My parental panic button, over-pressed, constricted my chest. The truck slowed and stopped. My initial feeling was sadness for the people so desperate, so miracle-chasing. But then I thought about Flannery, who I've been thinking about a lot since it's her hundredth birthday. I think she would have attended the Festival. And I thought about the Stations that I was coming from--the greatest miracle, the miracle that secured the possibility of heaven for us, the miracle that becomes present to us over and over--comes not from an escape from suffering (though Jesus asked that this cup pass from Him), but through the suffering, in the process redeeming all our suffering. So with Christ I often ask that this cup of anxiety, of fatigue, be taken from us. And then I am trying to figure out how to pick up the cross and follow Him. My faith is not that the way will be easy, but that the way to heaven has been opened.

The Weekend

The magnolia trees are ridiculous right now.

After work, I stopped by our library's quilt exhibit for a moment, which was a delight.

Then Francisco dealt with the kids while I went to stations. They switched this week from the traditional prayers to a 1970s version where the prayers don't sound anything like prayers. Below: Some fascinating depictions of women. You know I cannot turn off my (God-given!) critical faculties when exposed to new materials!

The evening weather was just too good to be true, but the kids were beat, so we left them at home with an audiobook and a cellphone (this is a whole new world and one I am really here for!) and drove over to our favorite nature walk. Sublime and I found a crinoid. The Virginia bluebells will take another week or so, though. 

Sorry for all the breakfast pictures, but I cooked the eggs perfectly and it was so good with the asparagus. 

Overall: Spring is good. As always, I'm trying to do too much at work. I love teaching. I love people. I hate emails. 

Oh--and I really loved this about Lazarus and art. The piece claimed that the painting of Lazarus was "the last in a sequence of images showing scenes from the Passion before Christ's entry into Jerusalem." I guess we can't take theological stuff from the Washington Post, because I don't think? the Passion starts before Christ's entry into Jerusalem (I think it's after the last supper?), but since we're in lent, it's fitting to think about Lazarus. 

The Week

 

Yesterday I hosted an open house for our majors--totally fun--I do love the social stuff, though it also makes me want to fall asleep. 

One student said he chose this major because of my class, which is so sweet. And I saw an alum who took many classes with me years ago and we got to catch up. 

In the afternoon, I took Q for more than an hour to meet with our archivist for his history project. We learned so much about what an archivist does and about the history of this place. 

The Week

Yesterday I talked with a doctor about trying some new medicines. It is so very vulnerable to have to admit to myself just how bad my anxiety is--and scary to think about trying something new (and talk about it all with someone I'm meeting for the first time.)

The boys did a woodworking project at their spring camp and a veteran talked to their group about his experiences. Q said during the Q and A one of the students asked what his favorite war is. Oh my.

In the evening, Q and I went to a talk about conspiracy theories. He was so intrigued--plus they gave him pizza and gatorade. He really loved the whole thing. 

Yesterday I noticed in myself a problem with impulse control that is worrying: I told the receptionist at the doctor's office that the name of the place is a problem. The name is totally a problem, but why was I giving unasked for criticism to a receptionist? Poor lady. After I decided that I should be hired by them as a consultant, I started to offer more unasked for criticism and then caught myself and apologized. Horrifying. Have I become an 80-year-old woman with no filter? 

At the talk, which was, thankfully informal--Q and I were sitting on a couch in a lounge--I--I kid you not--answered one of the questions that a student asked the speaker during the Q and A. I decided that I should be the person who answered the questions at not my talk! I hope you get a very good laugh out of this, because what are we except entertainment for our neighbors. I'm so concerned about this development in my personality. 

Below: One of my dear old friends said, ever so wisely, if you have to say it, it isn't true. 

 

Wet Daffodils and Christmas in March

My morning walk to work brings me so much joy. 

Last night we watched a little Wallace and Gromit with the kids and laughed and laughed. And then Francisco bought a month of netflix and we watched some of the new comedy where Ted Danson is an undercover PI in a retirement community. I like Ted Danson, and I love detective comedies. 

I find my off-campus class so moving each week. One student shared that our of our class he has come up with an acronym: OAR, observe, analyze, reflect. An on-campus student asked whether friendships of virtue start that way or whether they evolve, a remarkable question, in my view. 

Two students said that after they read about Aristotle's tripartite definition of friendship, they called up their girlfriends to ask what sort of friendship theirs was. 

Another student, so used to Bible study always refers to the sections in Aristotle as verses. 

 I love this experience so much. 

The Week

I saw this daffodil sticking its head out of the fence while chatting with Nana on my walk home. 

My work friend, who needs a blog nickname, brought me back a present from her conference!

It's funny to have lent so late (I think). There are plentiful daffodils and I revel in the variety--like the "plentiful redemption / in the blood that has been shed." Even in lent, in sacrifice, in suffering, God brings abundance. 

I've been thinking about, too, how the Lord "throughout these forty days for us did fast and pray"--how humbling. You can see that my lenten playlist is short and involves a lot of repetition.  

The boys seem happy with their spring break camp. Such a ridiculously happy provision. Somehow, too, it was cheap--it must be grant funded. Today they are all going to the movies--with popcorn and soda. The boys are delighted. Yesterday, the lunch menu was changed and the boys had to eat turkey sandwiches. They were not happy with this situation, as they let Francisco know in no uncertain terms when he picked them up (as if this were somehow his fault). These children. 

They are listening to an audiobook together right now in all their free time. Such a delight when they find something so nice to do together. They are really such close friends. 

The Week

I'm prepping for off-campus class tomorrow. One of the students ever so nicely in his homework asked if I could teach them about Aristotle and syllogisms. I'm just constantly so moved with this class--I've never had my students ask for a specific lesson before. They might ask a question that I respond to later, but this one specifically asked for a handout. 

The Week

Just a quick moment to celebrate: This is the first time since I've been here that there is an option in this town to buy childcare for the kids' week-long spring break. I'm so ridiculously happy. In the past, I'm not sure--we've gotten a couple hours here and there from college students, Francisco and I have managed it ourselves, perhaps Nana and Papa have come? We'll see how they like it, but what's open this year seems well set up for a good time. 

Blaze asked to bike to church yesterday. Here's hoping he figures out how to go straight! (Need to raise his bike a few inches, too.) We all slept in a bit this morning since it's spring break. 

Last night Francisco and I watched Bardejov. I was curious since I've visited this very small town in Eastern Slovakia. It was low budget, but a pretty good film. 

The Weekend

It turns out if you sleep in and never wake up amazingly delicious stuff magically appears on your plate. (Didn't know Francisco was a gourmet breakfast chef.)

Yesterday I took the kids to a playground with a colleague and their kids. The kids had a blast running and playing in the sunshine and didn't want to leave. We biked there, which was harder than I thought--Blaze is still at the beginning of his biking skills, so biking a mile took as long as walking there. 

In the evening we left the kids at home with screens for two hours (!!!) and walked to a supper club where the best cook in town was hosting a five-course Thai dinner. It was delicious and we serendipitously got to sit by a local pastor I'd just met (and asked to accompany me to a conference in St. Louis in May). She's delightful and we met her husband. On the other side was a colleague's wife who is an artist and a friend of hers. So it was fun all around. Would definitely do it again.  

Before bed we watched Wildcat, which is about Flannery O'Connor, and which I've been wanted to watch for ages and which was great. So fun to see snippets of her short stories staged. 

The Weekend

The whole family went to Stations of the Cross! (Blaze was not having it--he refused to come and when we told him he can't stay home alone, he said, "I'm not praying at all though!" He mostly stuck with that.)

Afterward we recreated life in London (in a way) with some gas station fish and chips. Q was *so* happy to be eating fried fish again. Blaze, on the other hand, doesn't go for fish and chips, and, surrounded by gas station delicacies, cried that we've given up sweets for lent. 

Above: I randomly received a daffodil! 

Below: Bacon-smoke beam of sunshine.

Francisco made me a wonderful breakfast. 

 

The Week

Yesterday was big; today I'm smashed. Can barely keep my eyes open; napped on the couch after getting the boys on the bus. 

After giving a fun, personal, bit emotional talk at work, I took students on a small field trip. Below: a light that was made when electricity was just about to get going--they wired up the house, but also had the light set up for gas for when the electricity went out!

And, you know, lots of other, less noteworthy, things. 

In the evening, I took the boys kicking and screaming (literally, but not literally literally) to Spanish language tables at my work. Oh my goodness. For me to get them to learn a bit of Spanish, it turns out I have to deeply embarrass myself with my decades-old Spanish (non-)skills. So I participated--and Blaze was too shy to talk and needed me to answer for him! But the boys liked it--especially the sweet treats available at the beginning and the paper mache pinata making at the end--we joined together with the English language tables for that--brilliant! I think the boys want to return next week.