return to normal?

I hope not. Or, at least I hope to define "normal" as something other than what I had on this day. Up early, before sunrise, sit down with exams, grade without interruption.

I understand that America is shopping and exchanging gifts, but I haven’t the inclination or need to shop and any gifts that come this way are daughter or daughter-related people gifts. They know not to buy extensively, to limit gifting to things that are delightfully essential or essentially delightful.

So no, it’s not the mall gazing and grazing that I missed today. I missed, instead, being outdoors on what was a beautiful and mild December day. It’s fading rapidly now and I am taking a break, but it’s a sitting down break. Not too far from my stack of papers, because if I get up and move away from them, I may never come back.

As always, I prefer to get it done early, so that I can take a break up and away, with Ed, before the semester starts. That’s the goal. Get it done. This week. Early this week. I want to. I will.

In the meantime, my high points today have been, thus far, this post and a bowl of morning oatmeal. With a foamy espresso. At the kitchen table, which is only a few feet from my work.






Dinner tonight? Oh, why not merely run a photo of last night's supper? It's likely to be the same for us, only reheated. Chili. If I'm lucky -- with a glass of wine.