too much…
If I am completely honest with my self, I'd say that I usually enjoy my studies. The readings assigned by professors and the class discussions nearly always stimulate thoughts and ideas that may never have come to mind through any other method. However, the portion of school that I really detest is the time frame; I never seem able to get all that I want to accomplish done in the time alloted, instead only accomplishing what is absolutely required. Right now, I have more school work to do than I should have left for my only day off, but even after a good, hard 7 hours of study today, I am still a little short -- short of my goal, short of enery, and long of desire to be doing other things. One of which is to write a proper post about the Thanksgiving weekend spent in Door County with my parents (which, incidently, was wonderful, though too brief). But that will have to wait, because there is still too much to do... I only allowed myself this brief respite as a reward for having put as much effort into this day as I did, and in the hope that my mind will rest easy now that I have managed to post something before two weeks pass since last writing. Well, back to the books....
fog
I wish I had a digital camera at hand to show the dense fog that still covers the St. Kates grounds. I'm looking out my window and all I can see are the trees, the duck pond, a few meandering ducks, and the fog. If I didn't know better, it would seem as though this school is located in the country rather than in the midst of a major city. That is one of the reasons I love fog-covered mornings; a new perspective on the world is presented through, and because of, that blanket of mist. A perspective that forces us to slow down, as if the density of the air requires greater physical exertion to maintain our normal, rat-race pace. Even though I wish I was sitting in front of a nice fire with a cup of Highlander Grogg coffee and a good book, it is okay to be sitting here at work with a cup of Folgers coffee, George Winston's "Autumn" cd playing from my computer speakers, and a large window to look out and enjoy the fog.
“Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”
With these words, Garrison Keillor concludes each broadcast of "The Writer's Almanac." Every time I hear or read them, I think of how nice it would be if one were able to conclude each meeting with people by speaking these words -- and truly mean it. The phrasing is so simple, yet it carries a deep sense of care and well-being. Possibly my feelings stem from my "Minnesota Nice" upbringing and the fact that the writer is also of Minnesota-Scandinavian descent; and, yet, I wish to believe that every person, regardless of their origins, would desire the connectedness that this phrase suggests. So, with that wish for universal kindness (while noting the irony that this phrase is trademarked), until next time,
"Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."
close enough…
I had the foolish notion that I would be able to get all the formatting issues for my blog worked out before I made any substantial contributions to the content. Yeah... that's not going to happen. I figure that it is "good enough" as it is and I can make tiny changes as I learn more about css. Also, as a side note, this blog looks much better in Firefox than in IE. It even looks better in Safari than in IE.
a good day
On nights like tonight, I love sitting on the couch, with my feet up, and a mug of hot coffee close at hand, knowing how much good work was accomplished throughout the day. I spent the majority of the daylight hours on this beautiful Saturday doing yard work, preparing for the inevitable snow. I raked leaves, pulled weeds, and even edged the sidewalks. It is kind of ironic that our front yard has never looked better and soon it will be covered with a blanket of snow. Once the sun went down -- which is much earlier than I am used to (darned daylight savings time) -- I came inside and did a nice cleaning over the majority of the house. Now I am just sitting and waiting for some good friends to show up and enjoy an evening of fellowship. It is comforting to realize how the everyday things -- a clean, organized home, tired muscles, friendship -- can make life so good.