(Thanks, Emily, for the title to this post!)
I am blograstinating right now, in the midst of finals week, with 100 some junior essays and freshmen lit. papers to have graded and entered by Monday, and reminded of my trek to the Andes via stifled bus and long hike at lung-clenching altitudes with my girl Avery. We chanted mantras to ourselves to get us through the physical discomfort of both that long day and some of the difficult, yet exhilarating hikes on the days that followed. Our mantras went something like this: vistas! saunas! brownies! Not really mantras at all, they were little wish lists: items or aspects of the trip that we were really looking forward to relaxing into and enjoying.
Here are some of the little things that I'm putting on my mantra-list right now:
happy hour
Last Thursday art opening
yoga class
a run
starting seeds
sewing more gifts for lovely people
playing with the camera I got for my birthday
a Valentines' making tea party at Danielle's
christening the snowshoes I got for my birthday
sitting around and reading
On a professional note, put on the list being done with grading and planning some exciting new lessons and units. I'm thinking of doing a black studies unit called--working title--"From Blues to Hip-Hop: Black Resistance through Art, Literature, and Music." If anyone has any suggestions that would be 11th grade appropriate, please let me know! Here's the short list so far:
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansbury
Poetry and essays from the Harlem Renaissance, including, of course, Langston Hughes
Billie Holiday
Miles Davis
"President" by Wyclef
"Buffalo Soldier" by Marley
"The Revolution will not be Televised" by Nikki Giovanni
Richard Wright
Rita Dove
Maya Angelou
What's stressing you out right now, and what's your mantra? How are you getting through?
I am blograstinating right now, in the midst of finals week, with 100 some junior essays and freshmen lit. papers to have graded and entered by Monday, and reminded of my trek to the Andes via stifled bus and long hike at lung-clenching altitudes with my girl Avery. We chanted mantras to ourselves to get us through the physical discomfort of both that long day and some of the difficult, yet exhilarating hikes on the days that followed. Our mantras went something like this: vistas! saunas! brownies! Not really mantras at all, they were little wish lists: items or aspects of the trip that we were really looking forward to relaxing into and enjoying.
Here are some of the little things that I'm putting on my mantra-list right now:
happy hour
Last Thursday art opening
yoga class
a run
starting seeds
sewing more gifts for lovely people
playing with the camera I got for my birthday
a Valentines' making tea party at Danielle's
christening the snowshoes I got for my birthday
sitting around and reading
On a professional note, put on the list being done with grading and planning some exciting new lessons and units. I'm thinking of doing a black studies unit called--working title--"From Blues to Hip-Hop: Black Resistance through Art, Literature, and Music." If anyone has any suggestions that would be 11th grade appropriate, please let me know! Here's the short list so far:
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansbury
Poetry and essays from the Harlem Renaissance, including, of course, Langston Hughes
Billie Holiday
Miles Davis
"President" by Wyclef
"Buffalo Soldier" by Marley
"The Revolution will not be Televised" by Nikki Giovanni
Richard Wright
Rita Dove
Maya Angelou
What's stressing you out right now, and what's your mantra? How are you getting through?
i'm impressed that you can stay (semi) on task when you have a new camera and snowshoes to play with! what kind of camera did you get?
ReplyDeletethe main thing stressing me out at the moment is a potential job. last week i interviewed for a job with the local food bank, and it would be an amazing place to work but it's full-time, which scares me. it's taking them longer than they thought to make a decision so i've been waiting to hear all week and they're supposed to call tomorrow. the problem is all the pros and cons--i both REALLY WANT and REALLY DON'T WANT this job with about equal amounts of passion. i guess my mantra is "whatever happens, happens"...not exactly a wish list type mantra because i don't know what outcome i want! and i'm getting through by knitting like a madwoman. the prospect of a full-time job has made me even more obsessive than usual about using every spare moment to make stuff.
Well, I wish you the best of luck and hope that whatever is meant to happen will. I know what you mean about not wanting the job. Hobbyists such as ourselves will never grow bored, I don't think. Yes, I love my job, but oh--I so love my free time!!!
ReplyDeleteI got a Nikon from a friend. She never uses it anymore because she upgraded. Not sure of the model, but it's got a removable lens, so I can upgrade gradually to a better lens, then better body as I need. She also gave me Photoshop and a book on lighting! Whee!