Blog Therapy

I'm working on an article today.  It feels surprisingly good to be writing.  I'm not all that pleased with the draft in front of me, but it's there.  That counts for something in this summer where I've managed to achieve far less on the dissertation than I planned.  It's just really a big project, you know.  And getting started has been somewhat daunting.

Admitting that I've been a slacker is the first step.  Right?

I Should Have Been Grading Papers Anyway

Dave and I had no plans whatsoever yesterday and this was an exciting prospect.  We considered several options.  Garlic festival in Hutchinson, MN.  Irish Festival in St. Paul.  Lunch on the town.  An overdue visit to Dave's uncle's new house.  A movie.  Shopping for baby furniture. 

We discussed each of these as we enjoyed a beautiful morning and a cup of coffee on the deck.

Shortly thereafter, Dave discovered a leaky pipe under the sink.  And a puddle in the basement.  All of which explained the smell we couldn't identify two days earlier.  

So, the day took on a mind of it's own.  I soaked up water in the basement.  Dave tackled the pipe.  We did make it out for lunch around 3:00 and squeezed in some online shopping in the evening while watching the Twins game.  So all was not lost.

I'm looking at the calendar now, and it looks like we might have another lazy Saturday sometime in October.  

Friday the 13th

One whopper of a headache has had me on the couch all day.  Two naps couldn't even shake it.  I think some tight muscles in my right shoulder are to blame.  I need a massage.  That's all there is to it.

P.S.  This is my sad attempt to get back into blogging.  It's a start, people.

Otis

We were in charge of this guy over the weekend.  He ate two snails and a frog and fell off the dock into the lake.

I think we'll be great parents.

Z

ZUCCHINI BREAD

The small group leading class the other day asked that we each bring in a cultural artifact.  I brought in the St. Luke's Lutheran Cookbook from Wishek, ND.  My mom grew up there, and I didn't realize how much I missed that small town until I flipped through the pages of this book.  The hotdish recipes remind me of my childhood, and the German foods, like kuchen and knoephla, make me want to sit and talk with my grandmothers for a long while.

My favorite recipe in the book is for zucchini bread.  It's been a while since I've made it, but the oil stain on the page tells the story of how often I used to try.  I've never made it as well as my mom.  And I'm sure I never will.

Mom, if you are reading this, could you maybe bake a loaf?  I'll look forward to eating it with you next week.

Y

YAWP

Did anyone else want to become an English teacher because of that scene in Dead Poets Society where Robin Williams gets Ethan Hawke to sound his barbaric YAWP in the front of the classroom?

X

X, THE

I recently reread one of my favorite short pieces to use with students:  "My Name" by Sandra Cisneros from House on Mango Street.  I especially love this part about Esperanza changing her name:

I would like to baptize myself under a new name, a name more like the real me, the one nobody sees.  Esperanza as Lisandra or Maritza or Zeze the X.  Yes.  Something like Zeze the X will do.

We've been playing around with names for the baby.  Any child with "the X" as a middle name is sure to have an interesting life.  William the X.  Sophia the X.  Yes.  I think something with the X will do.

W

WAITING AND WALKING

My running has been restricted lately.  This is due in part to a) pregnancy* and b) ill-fitting sports bras.  (Incidentally, b is because of a).  I've been waiting and waiting for a new, more spacious bra to arrive in the mail, but some sort of back order has the whole thing on delay.  In the meantime, I've been doing more walking than running.  And I miss running.  A lot.

* That's right.  I'm knocked up and am finally revealing it to the internets.