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I've been away, experiencing and not doing too much documentation about those experiences. Returned from Louisiana last night after a week in the humid south. Amazing time - Baton Rouge and New Orleans are amazing cities, for very different reasons. 

And now? Preparing for classes to begin in a week and a half. True to form, there are a multitude of last minute changes. More after I get caught up... 

Links, Hot Friday Edition

It has been deathly hot this week - then again, it's been deathly hot everywhere this week. I'm a bit stressed by the idea of July being so close to done. I've fallen short on my dissertation goals for the month, haven't canned a single thing, and those twenty pounds I lost? Oh, they are back. With a vengeance. So this week has been a week of prep: clearing out the items on my To Do list that are impeding on working on my dissertation, making lists of what is in season for the farmer's market this weekend, and locating a gym in my new town. 

And? Links. Things that have been in my browser that I've found completely fascinating. 

...or just kind of sad. Having lived in the Ann Arbor area while teaching, I'll miss Borders. 

Just when I thought I couldn't love Al Franken any more, he does this. 

This seems like a good plan, in conjunction with the exercise. 

Facebook's got nothing on Ravelry. 

Anne Lamott's reminding me to find time. 

And just so I don't misplace it: The Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota has an awesome portfolio collection re: The Giver. 

And now? Off too Bloomington for the day. 

I still knit. I swear. Just not as much as I would like to. This baby sweater has been on the needles for the last few weeks and reminded me why I extremely dislike fair isle knit flat. (Oh! the pain!) 

These are in process photos - the sweater is now blocking. More photos once buttons have been procured.

Recidivism

Noun. "A tendency to lapse into a previous condition or pattern of behavior; especially, a falling back or relapse into prior criminal habits." 

And that, my friends, is the word of the day. 

More Silverware

I bought more starburst silverware while thrifting over the holiday weekend. I couldn't resist, really. It was six pieces for a dollar and there were tons of forks and soup spoons and, well, I thought I didn't have enough of them. 

One look at my silverware drawer (and the look on Manfriend's face when he found me at the checkout, silverware in hand) reminded me that I was wrong. 

But! (There's always a but when thrifting, isn't there?) But! There were patterns that I didn't have: 

I'm particularly loving the closest pattern, with the nebulous stars. I wasn't able to track down much information about any of the patterns, save for the one farthest away. It's a pattern from Hull called Enchanted Star. I only know that much from the stamp on the back. 

So: I have too much silverware. 

But: I will be prepared for the next large gathering. That's it. Eco-party planning. That's what I will call it. 

In the Meantime...

The past week and a half has been something of a blur: I moved into the new place, met an academic writing deadline, and started teaching my summer class. I've had an apartment with no Internet, a new class of students to get to know, and really no time to be here. Huge surprise, right? 

The Manfriend and I left for Michigan the weekend to visit my aunt and just returned this afternoon. Five days, a limited amount of work that could be done in the Internet-less country. There were many games of cards played, three (THREE!) whole (WHOLE!) books (BOOKS!) read, and lots of laughter. It was just what was needed. 

Hope the Fourth was good for you and yours! 

Linky Love

The mornings have been like this all week: overcast and chilly. By the noon, though, the sun comes out and it's lovely. 

A few sites that have been hanging around on my browser; time to put them here: 

I will be the first to admit to my obsession with Detroit and this tour of the River Rouge (the river, not the factory) is fascinating. 

I am constantly struggling with the putting together of colors. Kuler will pull colors form an image to create a set of colors that would work together. 

Kathryn Clark's quilts based on foreclosure patterns in cities are beautifully sad. 

There was so much about this NYT article that was fascinating: My Ex-Gay Friend. 

Back to packing. I dislike packing. 

Procrastination

I should be packing. I should be working on some of the writing deadlines coming up. I should be, I should be, I should be. 

And for the most part, I am. 

I've been waking up every morning and scooting off to the coffee shop to write before I can think any better of it, alternating between my writing for other people and writing for myself. I've been writing the stories I think will make up my dissertation and I think I might actually have something to write about. Something solid, something that might actually be useful. 

Insane. 

But. 

I've also found some time for fun. Not much, but just enough. Exhibit A: Bingo. Tuesday night bingo at the local American Legion - and I won! So did four other people, making our winnings equal to the cost of our pack of cards and an ice cream for the Manfriend and I afterward. 

Too much fun and pretty much like high school: who has what markers? The caller? Totally like the prom queen. It was totally nostalgic, too - my Gram was involved in the VFW for years and I remember sitting in the hall during bingo, too young to play, drawing in one of those notepads she always had on her. 

And tonight: celebrating the newly-minted Dr. Lee with fancy adult beverages! 

And after: more packing! 

Exciting life, no? 

Moving in

Tired of Hipstamatic yet?

Me neither.

I started the process of moving today. Keys have been obtained and some kitchen things have been dropped off. I, thankfully, have some time between now and when my lease ends here, so I can move in slowly.

But dang, that light. I love that light. I'm also trying to think of a color to paint a wall in the living room... perhaps a light, light yellow?

Work Horse

I bought a new computer. This seems to be my modus operandi: every two years, I end up buying a new system for one reason or another. I bought a new MBP to go to grad school with; it croaked and I bought the lovely laptop you see above. I collected massive amounts of dissertation data and my poor laptop started wheezing. Literally. There was no way my machine was going to handle my collection of video data and still allow me to work, so I decided to bite the bullet and buy the desktop. 

I've had the machine, which I've named John Holmes, since Wednesday and it's really changed my work patterns. Due to the size of the screen, I can have multiple documents open at one time and it's made all the difference in the world. I think I'm in love, although I keep stressing out that I now have to actually write a dissertation. It's a little terrifying, but it will be done. 

Now to finish a draft of an article... So much to do. 

Song of the Summer

I'm pretty sure I found my song of Summer 2011. I'm also sure that I'm over my head with the move and deadlines and teaching. 

I can make it to August. I can make it to August. 

(Isn't this the opposite of what I used to think as a child?) 

Thrifty Finds: Martz Lamp

I don't need another lamp - hence why I almost passed this beauty up a week ago. I had glanced it on the shelf at the Goodwill and immediately loved the shape of it and the gray stripe. I love gray more than one should. I left it on the shelf, thought better of myself later that night, and kept my fingers crossed that it would still be there the next day. 

Luckily - there it was, in all of its mid-century modern goodness. To boot, it was signed Martz near the electric cord - a name I had remembered seeing before but really had attached no meaning to. I snatched up the lamp, wandered home, and proceeded to Google where I found the page for Martz Lamps  on the Jet Set Shop. Apparently, they're rather sought after - insanity. I need to find a different shade - I found a similar lamp with an original shade on eBay, but will have to find an alternative that won't cost me $250. 

To make myself feel better, I bought this lamp and gave another away - thus, the number of lamps I own stays static. 

Revelation

Music, for my friend Kelly, is her life. She lives within songs, they encapsulate her experiences. It really is an amazing thing to watch when at a concert - her literal embodiment of the song. 

I, however, have more of a soundtrack - music I live beside. It's on in the background, perpendicular to me going about my life. 

On Friday, I was at the Iron and Wine concert in Indy and I completely enjoyed myself. I was slightly exhausted - my film festival (and the end of data collection) had happened that afternoon - but found myself thinking through the hours upon hours of video sitting on an external hard drive. To the sounds of Iron and Wine, I began constructing coding structures, thinking about applicable theory, and doing all kinds of insane general research think. 

Crap. I'm a researcher. 

For all of my talk of loving teaching (and I do!) and rethinking my decision to come to graduate school, I'm a researcher. I didn't see that one coming. 

Quote Possibly

This could, quite possibly, be my new living space. 

Things I love about it: 

• Convenient location to work. 
• It's super spacious! 
• Those windows! The light!
• It's in an old school building - uber-cool factor!
• I can paint. Not that I would. But I have the option. 
• Close to a park and nestled in a really cute neighborhood. 
• Relatively inexpensive. 

Things I'm not-so-in-love with: 

• The kitchen still retains its 1992 charm, complete with mauve countertops. 
• The carpet. While it's not bad, I was hoping for hardwood floors. 
• No laundry in unit. (These are such first-world problems.) 

I'll find out early next week whether it's mine or not. I'm honestly so in love with the light that comes into this space that I'm fortunate there are only three not-so-in-love withs. I would deal with a few more to get that sunlight. 

Thinning Out

I love the primary set of Pyrex bowls. After coveting them for years, I came across them at the Flat Rock Flea market several years ago and snatched them up. The unfortunate thing? I found them too shallow to use and found myself returning to the set of MSE green glass bowls and a set of melamine bowls from Williams-Sonoma for my mixing and other bowl-related needs. So they've sat in my cupboard, looking pretty and all Pyrexy. I've moved them from the Mitten to Margi's through three houses in Bloomington. That's about seven years. And I haven't used them once. 

I'm preparing to move again - let's hope tomorrow's apartment showing is a winner - and have come to the conclusion that I need to sell some of those things I've collected that I just don't use. The stack of Bauer saucers and luncheon plates? Oh, so lovely, but hardly ever used. (And heavy! I forget about heavy!) Random coffee mugs? Yes, you must go as well. It's unfortunate, but true. 

I have a ton of work to do for a project I'm working on today, but between transcriptions, I'll be listing things on eBay in hopes that these beautiful things will find homes where they will be used and loved. They are things to be enjoyed and I sometimes forget that having isn't necessarily enjoying them.

I still play with yarn. I swear.

I finished Lane and Mike's granny square afghan last night, weaving the last of the loose ends (and there were a lot of loose ends!) into the blanket. It was about four months in the making and I'm thrilled to ship it out to the newlyweds. I think it will be an excellent - and colorful - afghan to cuddle beneath during the grey Wisconsin winter. 

I've also had a few moment to finish the thumb (why is it always - ALWAYS! - the thumb?) on this pair of squirrel mittens. They are, unfortunately, the last of my holiday 2010 knits. Yes, that's right - 2010. I am a horrible dissertating graduate student. That's my story and I'm planning on sticking to it.

The Evening's Spoils

The strawberry-rhubarb jam is tangy! Almost like a Sweetart, which should be good on crusty toast. I did have a chance to try out the Weck jars I picked up in Ann Arbor a while back and golly, they are pretty. 

I did end up having something of an inner dialogue with myself after realizing I as preserving jam made from strawberries grown twenty miles away in jars that were manufactured 6000 miles away. Granted, I bought them in a small hardware in Ann Arbor, but I felt a bit frustrated with myself for buying them when I could easily purchase Ball jars - made in the USA, as the sticker on their packages now indicate - for less money. I also know that the environmental cost of these jars and their trans-Atlantic journey will be offset by the many years I will use them and the reuseable-ness of the lids... but still. 

My understanding for advocating for Weck jars is not only that they are beautiful - and they are, hence why I bought them in the first place - but also the glass lids, which are free of BPA traces. I still have to do some reading about the topic, but Tattler has BPA-free (and reusable!) lids for canning that I might give a go. They're more expensive, but if I don't have to buy new lids every season, that might be an okay thing. 

I know I sometimes get caught up in the aesthetics, whether it's my knitting or canning or the things I surround myself with. I get that all these decisions come with certain costs and I need to remind myself to be more aware of them as I'm not sure about the 5,980 mile difference between where my strawberries were picked and where my jars were manufactured.  

In a Jam

In a jam. Horribly pun-tastic, I know, but I couldn't resist. 

The Man Friend and I went to the Farmer's Market this morning and they had strawberries! I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for strawberries to make their appearance and feared that they may not. The weather in this part of the country (as in many others) has been ridiculously wet this spring. In the past week, we've had some pretty forceful windstorms and the ground was so wet that trees were simply lifted out of the ground. 

Regardless, there they were: small, red blobs of promised summer. I snatched up two pints - one for eating, one for jamming - and come tonight, once I've made headway on the pile of work that still isn't done after a crazy week, I'll be making the season's first batch of rhubarb-strawberry jam. 

But first, the list of to-do. It never seems to end... 

The Problem Continues

Yep. More mugs. I'm almost ashamed, but when I saw them in the thrift store, mugs I had been regretting not adding to my collection since Christmas 2008, I knew they would be coming home with me. 

Yet another installment in a seemingly endless list of "I have a problem..."

First, it was silverware. Then came the mugs. I love it when the majority of people leave any given college town. It floods the local thrift stores with things they didn't want to move with and that I might like. Case in point: the Orla Kiely mug above. I love these mugs; they are hefty and hold a copious amount of coffee. I got three of them for my birthday a few years ago and have been lamenting not picking more up ever since. 

I've found five of the mugs at Goodwill over the course of the last two weeks: four of the gray and brown pears above and the green abacus mug above. I've listed two on eBay and am keeping the other three. I just need to think about what to do with all those other mugs I own... 

I also couldn't pass up this little beauty, a Jadeite coffee mug I picked up last weekend when in Michigan. 

So yeah. Another mug. Crap. 

I think I have a problem. 

Treading

I'm trying to keep my head above water, just enough to get to the end of the weekend. Having traveled back to Michigan for a good friend's wedding (amazingly beautiful bride - lovely setting - ferocious weather), I've been hit with a week of conference preparation (we're hosting - lots of printing, emailing, last-minute planning) and dissertation data collection (round two started this week - two weeks shorter than I was originally told - I'm too busy to panic about it). Add in a research project with a faculty member and the need to find a place to live in July and there hasn't been a lot of time for much else. 

But soon. (I hope!) 

A Toast

Amidst the craziness of graduation weekend, several of my undergrads, now graduates, asked me to give a toast at their celebratory gathering. I was both flattered and excited to honor them thusly:

I have a difficult time reading the newspaper yet find myself sipping coffee every morning, pouring over the headlines in the New York Times. More often than not, there is some inflammatory headline about the decline of America’s schools, the sloth of the teachers who fill them, and the ludicrous idea that just anyone can teach. My blood boils for a moment until I think about the people in this room. You, the TAL class of 2011, remind me that there are good, hardworking educators with fresh ideas, seemingly unlimited energy, and a deep-seated desire to help children live lives of their own choosing and I find myself suddenly calm. Over the course of the last two years, I have been fortunate enough to teach you, learn with you, and watch you grow into formidable educators. I am in awe of your resolve, of your diligence, and believe, whole-heartedly, of your potential. You will do brilliant things, just as you have done brilliant things over the course of your undergraduate career. When you do brilliant things, you enable the students in your classroom to do brilliant things. We say that children are the future; I propose that you, my friends, are the future and I can’t wait until the New York Times gets wind of the good you will do. So let’s raise a glass and toast to the TAL class of 2011 – to the hard work you have done and the harder work you will do. There is no one more equipped, more ready to handle it than you.

We're going to avoid the fact that I actually forgot to toast anyone, but I like to think my words were somewhat pretty.

Grandma's Embroidery Bag

This is a well-loved pillowcase. It somehow fell into my possession when I was seven and was a mainstay on my bed from that moment on, well into the college years. While it has been semi-retired for the last few years (at least until I can figure out a way to clean it more thoroughly), it's one of those things I can't bear to part with. My Grandma Donna, my mother's mom, made this for me; it's one of the few things I have from her, so it will move with me whenever, wherever. 

I've been thinking for a while about reproducing the pillowcase for my nephews, so that they might have something from their Great Grandmother - even if it wasn't made by her hand, it would be made in her spirit. I had been scouring vintage iron on patterns whenever I encountered them in the vintage and thrift stores but no luck. 

While beginning to prepare for this next move, I've been going through things. As in selling them on eBay or donating them to Goodwill. I came across an old paper bag that my mom gave me after my grandfather died while I was still in undergrad. It was one of those things that I held onto without ever really taking stock of what was inside. Lo and behold - my grandmother's embroidery supplies! Hoops and thread and transfers and needles. There's a threaded needle, just waiting for her to return to work. Strange: things and time. 

Perhaps most exciting of all: ducks. There may be pillowcases in my nephew's futures after all... 

Mom's Day

The last conversation I had with my mother went something along the lines of me telling her that I pushed her to do new things because I loved her, I was scared that she was becoming lethargic, more of a passive observer than a productive participant. It was possibly the most adult conversation we had ever had. My last words to my mother were "I love you," which has brought me no small amount of comfort. After her passing, going through the evidence of her life, I found print outs of emails, postcards sent form my travels, notes I had sent her when I went away for college. My favorite artifact: a postcard sent from the Vatican upon which I scribed, I was here and did not burst into flames. I doubt she ever became comfortable with my atheism. I sorted through these things this morning, remembering her and remembering how delightfully flawed and impossibly loving she was. Oh, I loved her, and continue to love her, in delightfully flawed and impossible ways. 

Leaving the Semester

The semester isn't quite over yet, but it's ridiculously close. I've spent the whole of the last two days meeting with my undergrads, engaging them in exit interviews before they leave campus for the summer. I've come to really enjoy the interview structure, allowing me a more personalized way to end the class. 

As I think about the interviews and my own teaching this semester, a few things pop out at me: 

* I like writing with my class. For the collaborative paper assignment this semester, students worked in groups using Google docs to write a paper around a hot topic in literacy education. I would go through each and every paper weekly and edit with them, leaving notes and suggestions in the margins. It's a time-consuming but valuable tool as I've struggled for years with attempting to think about how to help my students be better writers; feedback on the final paper always arrives too late. 

* I need to continue focusing on developing habits of mind with my students rather than simply a culmination of grades. I've been struck by my students and their focus on grades rather than learning content and by delaying grades until the end (rather cruel), I think I facilitated more development of content rather than simply checking things off of a list. 

* I need to think of more ways to include (a) children's literature and (b) phonics into my assessment class. I was struck by the lack of knowledge my students had about children's literature, despite thinking that they would connect students to literature and that would make the students interested in reading. How can teachers connect students to books if they don't read books themselves? Additionally, I was shocked to find the lack of phonics information held by my students. Normally, I teach the fall section of this class and we spend a large amount of time on phonics. That the students didn't have this makes me nervous - I need to think of ways to incorporate more phonics in everything I do. 

* I need to have these interviews earlier in the semester. I love getting to know them and can accelerate our relationships by moving this to earlier in the semester. 

Two interviews to go. The rest of the week will be spent finding an apartment, working on arrangements for a conference later in the semester, and thinking about extending my dissertation data collection. 

And there must be some knitting. Soon.