We just came back from Maine. We were afraid that it was going to rain all weekend, but instead it was crisp and (mostly) clear New England Fall weather. Perfect.
Yesterday, we celebrated fall with a walk in the woods. It was invigorating, beautiful, and relaxing. Just what we all needed.
What do you do to celebrate fall?
I have lots to do--groceries, cleanup around the house, work--but so far it's been a pretty lazy Saturday morning. I'm trying to let go of ambition and just enjoy it.
What do you like to do on Saturday mornings?
After a full and intense day of teaching, it's nice to come home to "ordinary life," don't you think?
(What, you don't have an alien head biting a princess wallet in your house? Pfft)
What warms your heart at the end of a long day?
How is it possible that I can skim through a draft of a complex scholarly essay, understand the multilayered arguments, and recommend what needs to be kept/let go in order to get it to page limit and focus it...
But I cannot understand really simple knitting patterns until I've read them twelve times and asked someone about them?
How did I end up so hopelessly impractical, coming from a family of DIY and artistic/crafty types?
Last week, while sitting in the rather large waiting room before Sam's endocrine appointment, I looked up and glanced around the room. Suddenly, it occured to me: Every single person except for me was staring at a smart phone. Me? I had a book in my hand. Eventually, I saw one other woman with a book as well.
It was eerie. Even teenagers interacting with each other did so by showing each other stuff on their phones.
Now, I know that I am something of a relic (I downgraded from a smart phone to just a regular cell phone, and I don't tweet)...but, I've got to wonder what's happened to us as a society when all we do is spend our time on tiny little screens.
It scares me, this constant busy-ness and tech connection. For a while, I lost track of reading for pleasure because I was "too busy." I might have mentioned earlier that coming back to it has been like coming back home to my true self. I love the feel and smell of a book. I love "falling" into it, whether it is fiction or nonfiction. Kindle books aren't the same, though I will probably have to put up with them when in Ecuador next year.
I also love conversation, especially in person, but also on the phone, via letters, or even via email with the handful of people in my life (yes, you Kevin) who know how to treat it like real letter writing. I have no great desire to share my thoughts in 140 words or less, or to stare at tiny little screens instead of talking with a real, live, breathing person.
I worry about a society in which few people ever experience the joy of reading a good book, or of engaging in a real, full (and in-person) conversation. I wonder if I am made for this world, at this time.
Are there any modern "conveniences" that scare the heck out of you?
We're back in Maine for the weekend, and there was a beautiful moon last night. Here is a picture I took with my camera:
And here are pictures that I took putting my camera up to Howard's new telescope!
I wish I could have gotten more; it was hard to capture it with the camera...sometimes we could even see craters.
Color me captivated. How are you capturing the moon these days?
If there is any consolation for me about losing access to the claw-foot tub in Maine, it's returning to my rickety, beloved screened in porch in Mass. Oh, and the espresso in the mug from Cuenca doesn't hurt either.
Thank you, Howard, for getting the porch ready for me while I was on campus yesterday!
.JPG)
.JPG)
