9/30: the effects and benefits of humor

...beyond funniness in Riordan's modifications of ancient sources in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.  This was our opening topic in class today, and the board was filled with the students' thoughts.

9/29: leaves suspended

...from (spider or inchworm) filaments along my morning walk.

9/28: calmly

...doing things today.  I took a walk for the first time in 2 weeks; I made my favorite fried-rice lunch and drank a gin & tonic with it; I worked on a pamphlet.  Even my evening schoolwork felt relaxing.  Such a difference from the past week.

9/27: a hug and a card

...from someone at work today when a new round of technological trouble became the last straw.

9/26: a good workshop

...with students and Chris, using a basic origami fold, some colored paper, and words clipped from ancient epics.  It went more smoothly than some other workshops I've run (I guess I'm learning how to avoid glitches), and more people than ever attended.

9/25: Phineas is diagnosed

...with pneumonia.  The illness isn't a good thing, but having a diagnosis--and medicine from the vet--is.  I am so grateful to Chris for taking him to the vet, and it was heartening to see how much just one dose of medicine perked Phin up.  Hopefully after a week of doses our sweet orange cat will be back to his self again.

9/24: Phineas is eating

...a little more food today than yesterday.  Chris will drop him off at the vet tomorrow for a look-over, which will be good.  This evening it was encouraging to see him come for the night round of dry food:  even though he didn't eat much of it, his internal clock and habits kicked in.

9/23: some reassurance

...from an email.  I had been sick at heart about a mistake I made on Saturday, and a note about it today made me feel a bit better.

9/22: a full dose

...of medicine this evening.  When I got a 90-day supply 90 days ago, the prescription had been filed incorrectly, and I only got half the amount I would normally take.  (Trying to get that sorted out--mostly unsuccessfully--was unfun at various intervals over the past weeks.)  But I got a new, corrected prescription sent over once it was time for a refill, and--thankfully--I now have the right amount.  I'll know to always make sure the prescription is correct before I pay for it and insurance gets notified.

9/21: 16

 ...years of posting here.

9/20: a quick meeting

...that could have been a lot more tricky.  I was grateful for the clarity and smoothness at the end of a long week.

9/19: seeing

...how well a friend is recovering from a surgery.

9/18: seeing

...some of my new-student advisees as they signed up for individual meetings with me in the coming days.

9/17: talking

...about a few pages of a graphic novel with one of my classes.

9/16: finally doing

...a few home-finance tasks that had been lingering (cancelling subscriptions, moving money to different accounts, etc.). 

9/15: lots of red

...among the fallen leaves today.  And when the red leaves are flipped over, they are pink, which I especially love.

9/14: lots of yellow

...leaves, both in the trees and on the ground.

9/13: at school, at home

At school a student ended Latin class by saying that it was her birthday and asking if I'd sing Happy Birthday in Latin.  I declined ; ) But I did write a happy birthday greeting in Latin on the board, and all of us said it aloud to her.

At home an unexpected letter from a childhood/neighborhood friend was waiting in my mailbox.

9/12: having ideas

...for workshops I could run on campus.

9/11: a good conversation

...in my Myth & Percy Jackson course today:  the interplay of fate and agency; the different understanding of "hero;" un-othering; and the consequences (or fittingness) of Percy's being Poseidon's child.

9/10: reading for pleasure

...late at night.

9/9: having my day made

...before sunrise, by receiving a very nice note about my pamphlet mailings.

9/8: writing a thank-you

...to my 9th-grade art teacher.  She included art history in her classes, and that has turned out to be so important in my life, so I wanted her to know.  (Fingers crossed that the address I scrounged up is accurate and the note reaches her.)

9/7: finding

...more poems by Beddoes, and coming across these adverbs in one of them:  ghostily, witchingly, moonily.

9/6: on my desk

...at school:  an anthology open to poems by Thomas Lovell Beddoes.

9/5: working

...at home this morning because I had to wait for the Terminix person to come.  I stayed steadily at it and got more done more smoothly than I would have in the office.

9/4: taking the time

...to get a nice dinner ready, even though I was feeling rushed when I walked in the door after work.

9/3: pink and cool

This morning at sunrise.

9/2: a new story

...from The Sandwich Princess Substack, delivered to my inbox.  A sweet evening surprise.

9/1: reaching

...one of my summer goals:  finishing all the Heron Tree PDFs for volume 11.  I just sent out the last one for the poet's review.  There may be tinkerings as the poets get back to me, but it's nice to have them basically done before the school year gets very busy.  And given that I didn't meet many of my summer goals, I'm grateful for this one.