Friday, February 6, 2009

218


Just peeking out from beneath my pile of reading. Above: The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. I'm going to have to sit on my hands to prevent myself from reading on--In Defense of Food and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle are ones I've held off on reading--and I'll have to hold off more, as I need to read that quagmire called Kristeva and re-read Middlesex for the class I'm TAing. And on. Oh, and write a draft of an eight page piece of literary journalism, due in less than two weeks. (Topics I'm considering: Alzheimer's, Barn Bluff, running an independent bookstore in a small town, etc. I just need to make a decision and immerse myself, but I'm afraid of making the wrong choice.)

A few other things:

- I was called up for jury duty again, but I called and explained that I was caring for my godson, whose parents would be both out of town (Kelly to Madison and Richard is a long haul trucker) from Sunday evening until Tuesday morning, and then on Wednesday night I am heading to Chicago for AWP.
- Ryan was going to accompany me, but he will be in Florida instead--Delray Beach, actually, the city of the Palm Beach Poetry Festival just weeks after I was there. His grandfather passed away last night, and I am thinking of him and his family as they say good-bye.
- Tomorrow morning I am taking a beginning gardening class, which I realize is a bit strange given this summer will be my sixth growing vegetables, but that whole hit-or-miss technique has brought on some strange results. It's good to learn.
- I'm feeling pretty good about this semester. The work load has dramatically increased from last semester, but I like to be challenged, and I think I have finally caught up, more or less, which means I can deal with other items gathering dust (book reviews, cleaning house, critiques on friends' poems, long walks in the woods, that sort of thing). Sometimes I feel as if I am gathering dust, rotating on the sofa or the bed, turning pages and flagging for quotes to use later in essays or lesson plans. Today it got up to forty-something outside, a miracle! And I stood in the melting snow, Pollan in hand, the dogs romping about, sliding through slush and uncovered dog patties. Ah, false spring, the presents you give.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

So sorry to hear about Ryan's grandfather.
You do sound like you are very busy these days.
How exciting for you about AWP.

Maman

Anonymous said...

Haha, the Kristeva quagmire. Yes indeed. I kind of loved that quagmire though. I saw in your twitter-sidebar that yyou're reading Julie&Julia as well, fits in nicely with Kristeva, right? :)

And what a great idea to do a gardening class. I think I should take one too.

Eireann said...

There's no wrong decision! You can always do the other things you've thought of or planned, later. So just enjoy what you are making now. :)

KeLL said...

Christian is excited to spend time with you.
How did your gardening class go? Did you learn anything?

I hope Ryan and his family are doing okay during such a difficult time.