9/30: me on the water, autumn in the air

As I was kayaking this evening I could smell the fall leaves for the first time this year.

A photo from my outing:

9/29: moomins, not movie

At dinner Chris and I looked up what was playing at the local movie theatre, but nothing caught our eye.  So our after-dinner entertainment was taking turns reading Tove Jansson's Moomins and the Great Flood out loud to one another.  It feels good to be back in the Moomin groove again.  We already have a copy of Finn Family Moomintroll to start next.

9/28: new doors

We have 3 sets of inside/outside double-doors plus our front door, and over the past 2 days they've all gotten replaced.  The old doors were pretty nasty when we moved in (10 years ago), but because they were still functional it seemed extravagant to replace them; over the years, though, they'd become less reliable and sound, so it was finally time to switch them out.

9/27: a gasp (and more)

I stopped at the lake on the way to school, and the clouds spread out on the water made me gasp.  Literally, and before I realized what I was doing.  I'm afraid that a picture gives just a slice of the whole--it can't show the expanse of the shimmering reflections, but here's a glimpse nevertheless:

While I was at the lake I thought of a student who, two years ago, walked by me on campus one morning as I was photographing clouds.  I was (of course) self-conscious; I don't like it much when people see me taking photos.  But the student and I chatted, and I said a few words about what I was doing and why.  And then early today he wrote me an email that recalled that conversation and mentioned how great the clouds were this morning.  I'm so happy that he remembered and that we saw the same sky near the same time.

Overall, today was a much better day than yesterday:  I was thrown for a loop less and felt more secure in myself, my perspective, and what I have to offer.

9/26: okay

It was a day of ups and downs.  I was thrown for a loop by some things at work and was uncomfortable standing up for myself; plus I'm feeling a little pressed (understatement!) by the pile-up of "to do" items this week.  But on the upside, I'm ending the day on a positive note:  I've regained some equilibrium, I've gotten enough done (even if it isn't all I'd wish), I'm grateful that my students were "on" in both of my classes and that Chris made dinner when it was clear I was going to be late, and I've touched electronic base with some lovely folks whom I wanted to thank for their kindnesses.

9/25: new to me

In my classical myth & children's literature course tomorrow we'll be discussing Spires & Gerstein's I Am Arachne.  I'm trying to rotate some new-for-me texts into the course (as well as keep some of my favorites), and this will be the first go for this book.  It's a problematic work in a number of ways--I'm not sure the 1st person perspective on the myths is developed very well (it feels breezy), and in a number of places it's disturbing in its treatment of gender (why are modern retellings of myth often  less critical of gendered violence and power imbalance than the ancient texts themselves?!).  But it was interesting to trace thematic links from story to story, seeing how Spires knits them together.

And (added later) here's another good thing before I head to bed:  I just saw a golden clipping of crescent moon through our kitchen window!

9/24: puzzled

...by the end of The Watch and what it means for my understanding of the novel's beginning.  But puzzled in an interesting way that had me sit quietly and still for many minutes once I finished the book this morning.

9/23: crocheting

I remember learning some crochet basics when I was younger, but I hadn't done any crochet in decades.  Chris has been crocheting since May, and this evening he talked me through making a granny square.  It seemed implausible that it would actually be a square at the end, but it was.

9/22: contemplating contemplative practices

Two colleagues and I had dinner together to discuss a book we had read about integrating contemplative practices into college-level courses.  Though the book ended up being disappointing, the conversation we had was rich and full.

9/21: bloggiversary

9 years of good things, and now starting year 10!

(And I like "bloggiversary" with 2 Gs so that it looks more like "anniversary.")

9/20: pindar's word order

This morning I was looking at the word order in the opening of Pindar's 1st Olympian ode.  What's usually translated as a straightforward simile is not so straightforward:  if you go word by word it's a metaphor or equation first, then the simile word appears.  That's much more interesting.

9/19: morning, afternoon, evening

As I was getting ready to leave my house in the morning, I was thinking about my childhood best friend.  Just as I was about to send her a text, a text from her arrived on my end!

After lunch I was looking over the reading notes some of my students turned in, and one student used the adjective "thoughtsy" (on analogy with "cutesy").  It made me smile.

In the evening I opened my mail and found a print of Mary Ellen Solt's "Forsythia," which I love.  (Thank you, Carol!)

9/18: moth-writing

I was eating my breakfast on the porch this morning while it was still dark, and little moths were whirring around the light on the deck.  They caught the light and, against the dark background, their crazy-quick movements seemed like writing in the air.  If it happens again I'll try to take a picture, but this morning I just wanted to sit and watch.

9/17: kinds of quiet

Grocery shopping in the afternoon was hectic but surrrounded on both sides by more calming things:  reading on the porch, watching two deer graze at the edge of the woods, and going to compline.

9/16: before and after lunch

Before lunch:  experimenting with an idea for a pamphlet. 

After lunch:  writing a proposal for work.

In both cases I'd been thinking about these things off on on for months, and it feels good to put them in motion.

9/15: on its way

For over a decade I've been sending honey (from our bees) to a friend for Rosh Hashanah, but a few times I've cut the mailing close, and last year I didn't send it in time at all.  This year's honey, however, started its journey this morning and should arrive on Monday, well before the holiday begins.  A small victory, but I'll take it.

9/14: clytie & colors

When I was little we had a record that told a number of stories, and the story of Clytie was my favorite one on it.  Years later I read about Clytie in Ovid's Metamorphoses--a grimmer telling for sure!  Today I searched online and found a digital copy of the record from my youth and I had to listen to the Clytie story right away.  Amazing to be transported by the words and sounds back to an earlier me.  And interesting how the story merges the ancient myth with aspects of Hans Christian Andersen's "Little Mermaid."  (If you're curious, the recording is here and the Clytie story starts almost 5 minutes into the whole:  http://www.mousevinyl.com/content/best-loved-fairy-tales-disneyland-records.)

On my way to school this morning I stopped at the lake.  They recently moved an old bridge from elsewhere in Arkansas and installed it near the pier where I sometimes take pictures.  Today I tried some photos from the bridge, and this is one, with fall colors looking more like flowers than leaves:

 

9/13: an upturn

A difficult morning turned into a better afternoon because two dear people took time to communicate carefully and caringly with me.

9/12: beginning to read

...students' essays on Hawthorne's Wonder-Book.

9/11: taking a portrait

...of a new figurine on a new dollhouse rug:

9/10: morning kakaying

I was on the lake in the morning rather than the evening for a change, since I hope to go to compline this evening.

 

9/9: first chapter

I started The Watch by Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya, and what an amazing first chapter.

9/8: writing about reading

At Quiet Writing today I wrote for a bit about the experience of reading Franck Andre Jamme's New Exercises.  I'm trying to understand why reading it felt so amazing and liberating, and I think I made some progress.

9/7: syllables

I was working with a student on Greek pronunciation today, and I realized that instead of dealing with whole words we needed to focus on syllables.  It was fun, and I even made a voice recording on my phone that I could send to him so he could practice on his own.  And then I realized that the whole class should do some similar practicing, so I made a more comprehensive syllable sheet this evening and a voice recording to go with it.  (In general I really dislike having my voice recorded, so I must be keen on this project to throw that dislike to the wind or at least temporarily bracket it.)

9/6: phone calls

...with my mother and my sister.

9/5: a nook

There's a little area nestled into the winding staircase in my office building, and over the years I've thought that it would be a sweet place to read.  Today as I was heading upstairs after my last class a young woman was there!  I stopped to tell her it was the first time in 17 years I had seen anyone do that, even though I've thought about it a lot.  She was clearly happy with the nook, and I was happy at her happiness.

9/4: a new thought

...about Hawthorne's "Three Golden Apples" in A Wonder-Book.  It has a different feel than the other stories in the book--and I think I'm beginning to understand why it makes sense for it to be different.

9/3: creek time

I spent an hour in the creek at Woolly Hollow in the afternoon.  Neither cascade was running, but the creek itself was rushing in places and its sound filled my ears.  I got some very-close-ups of light on the rippled water, like this one:

9/2: friends

A day when the only interactions are with friends:  via email and telephone as well as in person.

9/1: discoveries

Finding an interestingly bound book at school in a Spanish professor's "give-away" pile.  It's so much nicer to have the glossary as a separate, parallel "book" instead of having to flip to the back to look up words--my Latin and Greek students would appreciate this format!

Opening the refrigerator door and seeing a HUGE jar of mild pepper rings that Chris bought for me.  (I love them and keep them around all the time, but an 80 ounce jar for a human family of two feels hilarious.)

Reading Carol Beth's comment about Thither we went.!