Wine and Shine

In all our years together, we'd never been to a winery. I just thought we weren't those folks, you know?

We're more into cocktails, and that--between Big A's work and my no low tolerance--tends to be infrequent. But our visit to Mari was lovely, as were the views and our sense of doing something we hadn't done before together.

Traverse-Greece

The sheltering arms of the land around the bay, and the rippled water reminded me of Greece. The light didn't quite get to that blazing point, but it was still an uplift.

We left the balcony drapes off all day, so the view was our witness too.








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Unnecessary

Everything about this was gratuitous. We were going to be gone for just two nights, and we were literally two hours away--but heading to Traverse City with just Big A felt like a huge deal. His work has been particularly understaffed and consequently he's been overworked--perhaps that's why?

Particularly de trop was my jumble of vacation clothes, and reads, and the jaunty straw hat I left out in my closet all week... and the the little somersault of pure joy my spirits did every time I saw this reminder of our imminent mini-vacation.


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Panic to Pride

It was a verrrrry leisurely morning and after putting away the breakfast dishes, I was going to put away the cash I got from Big A (I never withdraw cash, dunno why, and Big A had a bunch to give to the kids as they finish summer jobs around the house).

So I was going to put away the cash in my wallet... except I couldn't find my wallet in my purse or any of the other plausible places I looked for it. At first no one believed me because I'm super careful... until my rising panicky squeaks convinced them. I realized the last time I had used my card was at Aldi... on Wednesday.

Then I alternated between mild self-congratulation at not having spent money for over 48 hours, and panic at having to replace all the cards and ID stuff. I called Aldi to see if I had left it there, but the call went to some central Aldi location, because apparently they don't take phone calls at the store. Ok.

By this time, everyone was looking for my wallet and turning up old ones and asking if that was the one, I went and put on pants so someone could take me to the store (I had no DL). And then! Big A found the wallet in the door of the car. Hallelujah. Testify!

After that, I took a relaxing shower and got everyone to Riverfront Park for the Pride parade. My friend MD, who runs a local queer teen group, had asked for help 'protecting' the teens from hecklers--but there weren't any, so I just hung out with all my beautiful babies.

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Some Books

MIL's book (illustrations by her, words by SIL when she was six) is out in print. I love it and we ordered a bunch to give to friends with kids. LMK, if you'd like a copy!











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New Beginnings

Need a fresh start in the middle of April?

Don't fear! Tamil New Year is here!

The little sibs at Hawk Island. #SaturdayHikingClub

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We're Having Lovely Weather

And Saturday Hiking Club is Back!
(Nu's "2018--Let's Do This" tee is hilarious.)

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Plans Are Getting Better

To think that I couldn't wait to start using my 2019 planner, and here I am almost a quarter of the way in, having barely used it. Worse: nearly all of my sabbatical term is over, and I haven't done any of the important stuff I meant to do.

I re-started the planner with all five colors of ink today--I feel so much more intentional and focused when I can confirm at a glance that the various modalities of life are in (chromatic) balance. And I reconfigured the to-do list to make it more realistic given how little time remains between now and getting stuff ready for the spring term.

It may be that it is the prep work that drags the most. And that's where I spent most of my time today--I enjoy being poetry editor--and today was about prepping the selected poems for Dropbox and publication; I love being the advisor to the feminist house--and I spent hours making sure the application materials for next year reached the relevant channels and vetting and worrying about applications; I love teaching in the classroom--and so much of today was re-reading materials and organizing the e-reader (okay this last thing was fun).

Also fun: The Spotify playlist I curated for our class.

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Gifts From Afar

So the flowers we sent my parents  were delivered, and they're just as lovely as they looked in the catalogue...





The cake? We're all still giggling at the writing on this:



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A Picture of Ice and Sun

On our hike today, L pointed out that while the river was finally thawed and flowing, you could still see how high the snow had been from the rings of ice around the tree trunks.

#RedCedar






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Happy Birthday to me!

We went all the way out to Ann Arbor for brunch...  it was delicious, decadent, and worth it.

This was yesterday, actually. I have a difficult work meeting today--more on that tomorrow, and At said he couldn't miss his evening class to do a birthday dinner tonight. L says I should be proud of him for not wanting to miss class (I'm trying!!).




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I've come a long way...

in the last two weeks.

Pics and tidbits tomorrow.









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All of 17 degrees

And we're off to school.









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It's Like That

   
Some good Michigan-weather memes today, and snow days predicted for the rest of the week.

Lots of snacking, cocoa, TV shows, and cuddling. (Very little writing, to-do listing, and accountability.)


         

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Chicago, Redux

Had some paperwork to submit in Chicago, so here I am again for the third time in three weeks.  All by myself this time.

And I talked to SO MANY strangers this time. The first time, I was with the fam for Hamilton and barely spoke to anyone else; the second time was for the MLA, so lots of friends, colleagues, etc., and didn't get a chance to speak to street strangers. But my, my, my... I sure am a chatty Patty when I'm by myself.



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Working Hard (for no money)

#NeilLazarus #DIscussion Group #SALA

#SALA@MLA

Nerd Words

I love being at every panel I can squeeze in, so a lot of my photos today look like this:



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Back in Chicago

For the #MLA, this time without the kids...

A lovely reunion with Ra and then with Ro; made me feel like a grad student at Oxford all over again.

Later, I was explaining the difference between Ra and other advisors I've had to someone at a gathering and termed it being the recipient of "both brilliance and a kind of affection" and happened to look up to catch Ra's eye. Whereupon, she smiled and said, "you can use the l-word, you know."  All the happy feelings.

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Small Merry

The child-pleasing disparity between tree height and assembled presents is unintentional. But I had a lot of fun putting together themed gift bags--a patronus bag (puppies for Nu, sloths for At); a re-construction (ha!) kit (W.E.B. DuBois, Chernow's Grant, a bio of Robert Smalls); a happiness and wellness set (Lin Manuel's Good Morning Good Night, a treat-yourself journal, and some feel-good plaques); stocking stuffers were Imagination Library donations, Salus Center donations, and refugee school donations.

In other news, this wasn't the best Christmas ever (despite Nu's ardent protestations)--like we've not even been able to take a family picture for the holiday card yet.

But we did our best: we ate well; we hung out and cuddled; we went to L&T's party in our PJs, one set of grandparents arrive tomorrow, and we can try again next year.

Onward!