Sparring Partners

22 January 2026: One of my former students reached out to me and a bunch of her professors to say kind things about her time in our program and to invite us to her book launch, this time a genuine Harlequin publication. Super fun! (No genre shaming here; I know better that to judge people's reading!)

I should have known nothing would stop her from getting what she wants. When she was in her last class with me, she had a baby right before the final exam. She wouldn't take an incomplete, but instead came to class with a pillow to sit on and nailed that exam. 

University jargon

21 January 2026: Creating a new tag word for posts today (and went back and added the tag to a December post): university jargon. Mostly, I am just noting stuff I hear or say in meetings that make me laugh because they are so weird.

Here's today's, something I said to Tim: "I am just so excited that we can remove the competency!"

Please know that every bit of that sentiment was genuine.  

Home again...

20 January 2026: Just got home after spending most of the day with Vogel, saying goodbye to Brandon. Beautiful services--very moving and meaningful. Now on to the next stages--new kinds of hard. 

Reinforcements arriving...

19 January 2026: Rita and Mike (Mikeeee) arrived here in PA last night. It's been a balm to have them here, not just because it's the first time we've all been together in forever. 

It's always so strangely beautiful to me how much laughter and tears ride side-by-side in times like this. 

Snowy Sunday

18 January 2026:

[Catch-up post...]

Snowed quite a bit up here yesterday, which was pretty until it got scary. The weather these past few months is really going out of its way to mirror folks' inner emotions.

Clueless is on in the background...

17 January 2026: Sitting in a hotel room thinking about everything, everything, everything. 

Doing my best to be here for Vogel. 

It's hard and meaningful work. 

And it's a privilege to do it. 

Dinner with Jeannie...

16 January 2026: Last week, my friend Jeannie and I made plans to get dinner this evening. That was before Brandon died and before I knew I'd be heading up to Philadelphia for a few days to be there for Vogel and for his funeral. 

I almost asked her to reschedule. I have so much to do and I am so emotionally exhausted. 

But I am glad I didn't. We went to Maria's and sat and talked for nearly two hours. When we were done, I told her as much--adding that I would spent those two hours anxious and stressed. 

At home since then, I've been getting stuff done and still feel a bit overwhelmed, I can see it--that I can do this. 

Saying no...

15 January 2026: I found myself saying "no" to work-related questions this week. 

On Tuesday, it was a "will you do this?" question. I realized that it would be too much of a pain and I just didn't want to. So I said, "Yeah, I think I'm saying 'no.'" And the person who asked me--Tim--responded, "Good for you." 

Felt pretty good!

The second was a "can you meet this deadline?" question. And if the end of last semester hadn't been so hard and if I had been able to do more during break, I would have been able to. And if I broke my neck, I might be able to make it still. We'll see. But I told the person who asked me, "No, I don't think I can." "That's okay," she said. "We'll make it work."

I feel more conflicted about this one, but mostly okay. 

Just need a new normal to settle in, but until then, things are just strange and rough.

It'll be okay, though. Day by day.

Tired and grateful...

14 January 2026: Very long and busy day; left the house at 7:00 a.m. and got home just before 9:00 p.m. Struck once again by what a difference kindness makes as you push through those long days. Thinking about specific interactions with students--current and former--that moved me more than I can say.

Grateful, grateful, grateful. 

Brandon...

13 January 2026: The world lost a very good, much loved, and much needed person last night. That's all I can say right now. 

First day sunrise...

12 January 2026: It's not the best picture, but believe me: when I looked out the kitchen window this morning and saw this color in the sky, I said, "Heavens!" out loud (like a 19th-c. woman!).

It was a good first day of classes--hectic and busy, but good. I was, perhaps inevitably, still in my office when the sky turned another brilliant shade as the sun went down. But still, a good day.

Krista's first Shakespeare...

11 January 2026: For part of her Christmas gift, I got tickets for us to see Macbeth in Frederick (along with an annotated copy of the play). She was completely prepared and enrapt. I think she might be too smart? 

After we met up with Erin, Eric, and Isla for dinner. (Erin took the picture.)

Another pretty good day!

Anaconda

10 January 2025: I am glad I heard the Pop Culture Happy Hour episode about Anaconda, where the panelists were pretty enthuastic about it being silly, dumb fun. They were absolutely right. It was a fun way to spend 90-something minutes and I laughed a lot. 

A moment of delight...

9 January 2026: It hit me this morning on my walk, right by the Shepherdstown Train Station: the Pop Culture Happy Hour "core four" were talking about their 2025 resolutions and it was just so silly and fun. I felt myself smiling and giggling. And there it was: pure delight and happiness. A lightness and even joy. 

This isn't to say I haven't feel delight and happiness in the couple of months, but this particular strain? This particular combination of circumstances (a sunny day, a good walk, podcasters who feel like old friends, and silly laugh)? Just lovely to feel and recognize it. 

Lovely way to say (almost) hello to the new semester. 

Just about ready...

8 January 2026: Will never not love the look of a completed checklist.