mimsy and outgrabe

I don't know if anyone was holding their breath for it, but I took last week off from the blog. The college's spring recess was last week, and while I did attend to some grading and house-cleaning I also wanted to treat those few days like the period of rest they were supposed to be, so I gave myself this little reprieve. Mostly, I just wanted to sleep a little longer in the mornings. Because sleep is lovely. What's also lovely? Blocks of time to read. I had an amazing Sunday at the beginning of the break, so amazing it almost felt like a practical joke -- I kept waiting for something horrible to happen and undo all the good & happy of the afternoon. A. and I went to lunch sans children around noon (they were at their aunt's house hanging out with cousins)  and then -- you guys -- I sat on the couch under a blanket and read for three hours . No joke, I haven't done that in YEARS. That is not hyperbole. And it is not exaggeration to say it felt quite mirac...

A photo-essay, of sorts: The paper material I cleaned out of my filing cabinets last week and took home to place in the recycling, since we don't have a recycling program at the school. (Lame, I know.) On the left, recycling that still needs to be brought home (a pregnant lady can only carry so much down three flights of stairs and across a parking lot to her car) along with a stack of papers that remains to be sorted through. Another stack of papers that remains to be sorted through (on top of the filing cabinet) One of those file organizers that I am OBVIOUSLY using correctly and efficiently. The good part of last week. Newly organized file drawer! These are most of my committee-work files. See that big spiral-bound book? That's the Leadership Academy notebook. (It weighs more than a small child. I'm surprised the filing cabinet hasn't tipped over from its bulk.) And another! These are most of my class materials -- I'm only half-way t...