The Inhale Thread !

[mamselle]

Maybe that's your first Chanukah present--Chanukah starts early this year...

M.

[Puget]

I finished writing all my grad school letters of rec (for 6 students) and submitted all the ones I've gotten auto-email requests for thus far, which should be all the Dec. 1 deadlines.

[AmLitHist]

I took much of Wednesday, Thursday, and yesterday off and did almost nothing (except a lot of NYTimes crosswords and watching the first seasons of 24 and Yellowstone, and a couple of loads of laundry).

Today I got up at 6:30, ready to get back to business closing out this semester and getting materials ready for spring.  Amazing what some downtime can do for the attitude!

[mamselle]

A celebration of courage and consistency:

   https://people.com/human-interest/malala-yousafzai-walks-at-oxford-graduation-18-months-after-covid-postpone/

M.

[mamselle]

Double-post a few days later...

In contrast to my student-vent yesterday, today's two kids (brothers) were great.

They're playing one piece together, and they're each working hard at their own work.

They're there when they're supposed to be, and they've practiced.

They take correction very well and even elaborate on it to let me know they understand.

Thank goodness!!!

;--}

M.

[AmLitHist]

I had ALHS take my car in for a problem I've suspected but ignored all fall, despite him urging me to get it looked at (because, of course, a car will just heal itself if you wait long enough <eyeroll>). When the existing noise turned into a different noise when I was driving home Tuesday, I had him make the appointment.

While the problem was with the brakes, as I suspected, it was far cheaper to fix than I'd feared it would be--and the job got done in only an hour!  DOUBLE inhale.

(Considering that just about everything else this week has gone ass-backward, I'm exceptionally pleased.)

[mamselle]

My theory kidlets did me proud today.

They remember stuff that's not all that simple from weeks back, and apply it.

They're getting really good at the ear-training drills we do, and I've ratcheted them up to chords from intervals.

I just like them. They're cool kids. Even the one with problems politely excused himself for two minutes, took a breather, and came back as directed.

I hope someone here gets one or all of them in a college class someday.

They stand out against all the whiney loafers we are often complaining about; there are good kids coming up through the ranks, too.

M.

[mamselle]

OK, a double two days later.

A friend just sent me the Jacqui Lawson London Advent Calendar.

I'm having insane, simple pleasure listening to carols (which I often avoid--having played many too many of them as a strolling musician in the past!), decorating the virtual tree, and opening all the "London" sights and info-cards (having visited or worked in several of them made it even more fun.)

The best thing--St. Paul's Cathedral chimes the hour, plus every 15 min.

I used to stay in the hostel housed in the old choirboy school in the next block, it took me right back.

Happy.

(Is that allowed, twice, in two days?)

;--}

M.

[mamselle]

Oh, dear, am I the only one having a good week or two?

So--a triple--a former music student, who disappeared off to a semester abroad in Vienna, came back, and didn't pick up his lessons again, so we lost contact--just turned up in a poetry book announcement from his mom, who teaches literature and heads the local poetry society here.

His cover art is stunning, a glass sculpture, which he photographed, and I gather he has other pieces elsewhere in the book, which I'm obviously going to have to buy (and get several for presents, her work is good, too...!)

Turns out he's studying architecture and art at a very reasonable place, and I'm just very pleased, happy, and grateful to know about it.

I always thought he'd come to some good.

M.

[Harlow2]

Some of my grad students are rockin it.

[apl68]

We had a successful Story Walk at our town's Christmas festival on Saturday.  Our improvised stands and locations worked well, and we had participation in the scavenger hunt part of it.  People could get a scavenger hunt sheet with questions that could be answered by reading the story we had posted at 21 locations around the event area (Basically, two blocks up and down Main Street).  Completed sheets got a little prize bag with candy and a bookmark and branded library pen, and also went into a drawing for a grand prize.  The grand prize was a family movie night basket, with popcorn, a craft set, a game, and some other odds and ends, and a DVD of "A Charlie Brown Christmas."  Which was also the story we used for the walk.

We're pleased with the response to our first Story Walk event.  Looking forward to doing more in the future.

[mamselle]

How cool!

I recall you were trying to figure out the logistics, sounds like you did a very good job!!!

Yea!

M.

[apl68]

It takes a lot of work to set out 21 stands with weighted bases, and then round them up afterward.  The staff member who put them all together put in a lot on that and did a good job.  She had to set them out single-handedly that morning, since I was over at our booth and couldn't leave it unattended until another staff member showed up.  Now the bases are all built, so next time it should only be a matter of cutting up and laminating the story pages.  I don't know whether our next Story Walk will be at another community event, or on the library's grounds.  Who needs to wait around for grant information to get money to buy an elaborate set of story page holder stands when you've got a staff member who's crafty enough to figure things out?

[Puget]

Got a decision on a big collaborative manuscript today that we had submitted to a very good journal in our field. I saw the email pop up during lab meeting, but resisted looking at it all through lab meeting and subsequent individual student meetings. During this several hours, I successfully convinced myself it was a rejection and composed the email in my head telling my co-authors this and suggesting a new journal (I'm a big fan of defensive pessimism). BUT, when I finally read it it was not a rejection, it was an R&R! Much better news to share with the team. Haven't read through the reviews yet, but happy for now!

[AmLitHist]

Congrats, Puget!  (I too am of the "prepare for the worst" mindset, so I understand how good the good news feels!)

My small inhale:  I taught my last classes for the semester this morning.  Now I'm just waiting on papers to come in for grading, and so far as I know, there shouldn't be any angry students, since most are aware of their grades (and a few might even pull a grade up with these last submissions).