virginia is for wisconsinites

The high today was 58. It is sunny and lovely; Rhonda, her nephew, and brother-in-law are playing football in the backyard as I sit in a sunny spot by a window. I write this for my future (returned-to-wisconsin) self. May I remember this feeling when we hit that inevitable week in January when the temperature does not reach zero.

holidays

Today was Christmas number four (or was it five?) with Rhonda's family in Virginia. Emily and Jason are incredible kids, and the family as a whole have been very kind and welcoming. This morning as we opened presents, Jason (who is four) was very concerned and asked "do we have presents to give to Amy too?" Right now we are playing "Littlest Pet Shop" and getting ready for a big meal.

Vay-kay

We are headed to the East Coast for several weeks. Going to see family and friends from Virginia to New York and many places in between. I will try to post when access allows.

Tired

It has been a long week. Last Tuesday I had my last (in a series) of incidents with a mentally unwell student whose favorite pastime is ranting against the establishment and, in the last instance, ranting against me and how I am a really really shitty teacher because I didn't teach her how to do proper citation technique for sociology papers.

I can't say too much about the situation or the student, but it was a definite low point in a semester that went -- in all other ways -- very well. But somehow I am letting this last bit of drama really get me down. It is the combination of endless hours of grading, pms, long to-do lists, and getting ready to leave town for several weeks. I feel tired and miserable. And now, I feel like a bad teacher.

And before anyone comments "oh, you are not a bad teacher Amy..." I should say that -- at the deep logical core of my self -- I know that I am not. But I know that it is a very emotionally difficult thing to have a student lambaste you in front of your entire class, and even more trying to process the consequences when simultaneously trying to grade four classes and complete your first-year retention portfolio. My mind is reeling, and I am one irritable chiquita. (poor, poor rhonda.)

All I really want is to curl up with a cup of tea, a good book, and spend a day not playing teacher/social worker/den mamma to the world!

santa bling

don't wanna

i have papers to grade and classes to plan. it's the last week of the semester and i'm tired. pooped.
xausted (sounds like ZAW-sted).
Rhonda expresses it perfectly when she says:
dontwanna dontwanna dontwanna!

0º

Z-E-R-O.

This was the temperature when I went to school this morning at 7:30am.

I drove instead of walking.

Does this make me a bad person? (It is only 1/2 mile.)

More snow predicted for tonight.

They are saying this is abnormally cold even for Northern Wisconsin.

10 minutes ago...

...& 20 minutes ago...

beauty

This morning we visited a neighborhood woman who keeps chickens. When she found out we are interested in having some chickens, she generously invited us over to see her operation (she has about thirty chickens of different varieties and six guinea fowl). we got to see how she built their coop, and witness the very cool free-range bird haven she's got going. The best part was being generously gifted with a dozen eggs. I know from experience that fresh eggs taste different than store bought. But these eggs--in their variety and color--are the most beautiful eggs I have ever come across. I spent a while photographing them this afternoon:

It is snowing, snowing, snowing right now (and has been for several hours). Finally, the first snow storm of the winter. The snow is dry and powdery and has blanketed everything.