You see what happens when I have to prepare for class? A mess. My desk is this round table…just the table. No drawers, no storage. I do have a small bookcase that the Prop Department found for me. Thank goodness for that. I sit at my laptop in the morning, surrounded by notes and reminders (the note that says “Ulster” is reminding me to prepare a Northern/Ulster Irish dialect sheet for my students – which I have yet to do.) Extra papers are shoved on top of the printer, other papers that I need to file are on the floor. I’ll clean it up before I leave for the day, I promise! I suppose its not all that different from any prep work I do at home. At least when I’m here I don’t have to worry about the dogs walking on my paperwork.
A small comfort.
Construction is going on around here – endless construction…and each day I am treated to the sounds of trucks backing up, one after another, all day long. Usually I can tune it out, but sometimes it makes me a bit crazy. I’m not quite sure what is actually being constructed, but I see a series of “Detour” signs on the side streets. Something to do with roads?
Let us pause a minute and mourn the loss of Country Home. This is the last issue – I bought it the other day at the bookstore. I even put off looking through it in an effort to delay the inevitable. There is a letter from the Editor saying goodbye, so I guess it is for real. This is one of my favorite magazines, ever. And yes, some months were better than others, but I always found something beautiful or useful or interesting in the pages of Country Home. What are we going to do without our inspiring, beautiful magazines? Blogs are wonderful (my bookmark list gets longer and longer), but nothing beats holding a magazine in my hands, feeling the paper, drinking a cup of coffee and losing myself for a while in the pages. Just like eBooks are nice, but they are no substitute for an actual book. Just like online newspapers are fine, but no substitute for holding the paper in your hands, hearing the rustle of the paper, folding it up and carrying it with you on the train. Progress is wonderful, but some things should stay the same. And for those of us who need a break from all the bad news we are inundated with every day, a magazine filled with beautiful, inspiring photos and articles is a welcome respite.
More later.
