there is snow and there is light
(and I have to allow myself extra time to get to work)
but how beautiful...
I don't remember if this made me catch my breath or if I let my breath go...
but I smiled so big.
Later, we packed up the grandparents with snacks, cider, and one of the flower arrangements from yesterday's table, and waved our goodbyes as they headed back to Ohio.
Then a long soak with Big A, a great heart-to-heart with Nu, + snacks + old sitcoms + naps.
It was the perfect chaser to yesterday.
I'm thankful this isn't last year.
But as a colleague's tweet reminds me, some of that is just my/our ennui and exhaustion with the pandemic and things aren't really going so well.
Our state leads the nation in new cases and the lede photo for this NYT article, about the morphing re-formations of the pandemic, is from our local hospital system.
The Tuesday before Thanksgiving... all the students who were going to come to class came; some no shows--but many of them sent me an email beforehand. I find these last weeks so fulfilling as students work the lessons and discussions of term into building their own research projects.
There was no one in the English Bay after I was done with classes, and I got noisy moving furniture around in my conference corner, cleaning, tidying, decluttering and making sure my plants would have enough to drink over the break.
Strange to think we'll be off for almost a whole week.
And then suddenly term will be over.
Just like that.
Online, I teased him about child labor laws where he works...
But actually...
It reminded me of how much I miss him and his beautiful, big eyes...
Those avocados were getting made into a guacamole for dinner...
So I asked him if he wanted to come (At loves guac!) and he did.
He got hugged... and group-hugged a whole lot.
(Scout can't jump up onto the sofa as he once could, but Big A picks him up and places him on my feet.)
I'd been panicking on what to do about dinner since I would get home after five, but Big A stepped up and made his amazing Brazilian seafood soup and his famous tapioca pao and then Kate brought homemade chocolate macarons (with cardamom! because I'm Indian!) and we feasted.
I know some very good people. And they make delicious things.
I caught a picture of this close to full moon through our skylights just before bed--darkness, shadows, dead leaves, and all... it was nevertheless a kind reminder that in an another part of the world, huge numbers of my family are gathering to celebrate the Karthika full moon soon.
Not like I'll forget any time soon, but I set up my camera to take a pic as I crossed the Maple this morning for the memories.
I know I keep on yammering about taking a deep breath of beauty, but here we are.
His tummy is full; my heart is full.
I got 15 pears. Kinda excessive, but I'd talked about wanting Smitten Kitchen's Pear, Cranberry, and Gingersnap Crumble (which I found on a Modern Mrs. Darcy link)--so perhaps it was prompted by that?
No, I realized when I unearthed these 14 avocados.
I guess I need to be more specific.
The screenshot is a colleague gently teasing me for being pushy about the "ethical action" bit in our General Ed reform saga in an online meeting this afternoon.
This morning at a breakfast meeting with the President (of my college), I got on a soapbox about how our facilities staff who were recently subcontracted should also benefit from free tuition for themselves and their family members (as those of us employed by the college do). I went on for a while and when I stopped Prez A shared that they had made arrangements to offer free tuition to subcontracted staff earlier this year. That's terrific, but I was a bit mortified because I can get kind of preachy when I get all worked up about stuff.
I made everyone at the meeting chuckle when I asked why he hadn't stopped me while I was going off? And he said--very kindly--well, it's an important subject and I didn't want to interrupt.
I guess I'm at least supplying opportunities for some laughs here and there?
The class was standing around, feeling a little out of depth, and Mr. Roy reminded us that the people were Anishnaabe and the language Anishnaabemowin and showed us how everything was titled in Anishnaabemowin and also in English. And then... he taught us to pronounce a word, making us repeat after him: "eh ggzhi bit... now say it all together." And everyone dutifully pronounced it: "exhibit." Ha. It wasn't possible to be stiff after that.
I noted how people fell silent around the boarding schools exhibit and were startled by the clay people... and then we had some great conversations on our way back to the college. And we got our basketballer to their game on time too.
* When my students don't have parents/good relationships with parents/are going through a particularly hard time, it takes everything not to jump in and be their parent. Big A mentioned that I have gotten so much better at maintaining a professional boundary. Yes... and I know how much of an effort I have to put into it.
* Celebrated SH's impending parenthood and I'm so excited to hold her newborn and generally be a new mom helper soon.
* I accepted a new CASA case--a child who has been subjected to parental incest-abuse for years. They are surrounded with support and services right now, and I hope I can be another useful tool in their journey.
*My time with the one human kid and two puppy kids living at home is the highlight of every day. But I don't get very much time with them on weekdays (especially on teaching days) and need to find ways to make them meaningful. Usually it's: a cuddle and then breakfast--we start at 5:45 am! At the end of the day it's: dinner together > a show/game > me conking out with the puppies. It's pleasant and cozy but fairly humdrum.
Pic: My NuNu sneaking a treat from the tray I made for SH's visit.
With my beautiful, brilliant babies. (Huck is in that first picture too... somewhere!)
We had dinner after pooja, lingering at the table forever, and then we took a starlight walk to help Nu put the chickies to bed.
I made a payasam (with oats, raisins, coconut, and almonds) that was delicious... but also the laziest sweet one can make (it took ten minutes from start to finish). It has, after all, been a long week. 😇
(Did Diwali go mainstream this year somehow? We received a record number of Diwali greetings from non-Indian friends this year...)
Lots of pictures with students and their families for my imminent Goodbye Mr. Chips years, and lots of ziplock bags so students could take the extra hors d'oeuvres with them.
But it leaves me with less than ten hours to commute home and get back to campus for my 8 am meeting in the morning... zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
in the days when the kids were smaller and my parents younger and they lived here six months of the year ...