Home Sweet Home

I got back to the city on Monday. I shared my train ride home with several folks headed to the Bears game. Not the group of people I expected to see but I was grateful it was on the way to the game, not people leaving.

My week with the parents went well. Very little conflict. I endeavored to be helpful and do less sighing. I tried to be less critical. Those of you who know me know that this was difficult. I baked cookies. I made salad and guacamole and creamed corn for Christmas dinner. I went all Martha and froze cranberries in cranberry juice in little rings to keep the punch cool.

I did miss my brother. And I think he missed being with us on Christmas. It's not a big deal with his wife's family. She didn't want him to put up his Christmas tree but appreciated it once it got up. It's a very different way of doing things.

Anywho, I'm happy to be home. Happy to be not at work for the next few days. Happy to have kitties to snuggle. Happy to be with friends tonight to ring in the new year.

I pray that this new year brings you much peace, joy, and love.

Prairie Dogs Plotting and more...

I got a new camera lens for Christmas.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Everyone kept saying "At least it'll be warmer" and they might be right. It might be warmer than in Chicago. But noone mentioned that I should have brought my snowboots or that my parents would have more snow than we've had yet this winter in Chicago. I helped my dad clean off his truck and shovel the sidewalk. We've pushed cars out of stuck-ness. I've baked dozens of cookies and wrapped several gifts. Oh, and I saw an elk and took his picture. Actually, I took a few hundred when I went to the mountains with my mom. Longhorns and prairie dogs are fun to photgraph.

It's going better. That is very good. I hesitate to write that worried that I may jinx myself.

Tomorrow brings more cooking and guests to entertain. Oh, and Christmas.

Happy Christmas to you all.

May peace, joy, and love be yours this Christmas and in the New Year.

Trying is very... trying

I think that I have officially seen my family too much this year. I love them. I do. It's just that it's so much time with other people and I've grown very accustomed to my rather solitary life. I don't, in fact, need my brother and father hovering over me as I try to set up a printer. They certainly aren't going to be helpful. There is a lot of compromise and waiting and it takes so much effort to be patient and not holler at people. And I'm not a hollering type of person. I'm a pretty nice person I think. I make an effort to be at least. I thought I had made a pretty good effort over Thanksgiving until the last night I was there and I got in a fight with the Mom. I Don't get into fights with my parents. It just doesn't happen. And folks, I just don't know if I can do this again in a week for a whole week. Right now I wish that my father hadn't already bought me a ticket and I could plead poverty because the thought of all that emotional effort and restraint just makes me want to weep. I'll miss the Brother entirely as they aren't coming in until the end of December and I'll be gone by then. I can't come back the day before I go back to work and expect for that to go well. I'll be too stressed and it would be miserable to go from one stress to the next as we will be in full-swing with the new semester starting the next week.

I also just spent about half an hour on the phone with a very angry woman who was yelling at me regarding the program to which she applied. It's very difficult to explain the idea of a liberal arts education who just seems to be angry. And I just listened to her be angry for a really long time. I think I need to figure out how to say "Maybe this isn't the program for you" instead of trying to explain and appease.

On a happier note, I think I have my major Christmas shopping done. I still need to send off some packages to friends. The Christmas crafting is not finished but pretty close. I have all the supplies at least.

A new to me Christmas hymn

Enjoy!

A wiggly stomach is no fun

Today I had a hard conversation with a dean. Not my dean, but a dean. And I resigned from a position for which there was no financial compensation and very little acknowledgment. It was not so much fun. But I'm hopeful that in the end, the students will benefit from the shake-up. See, student organizations are for... the students. They are run by the students. Things get planned and carried out by the students. At least that's my understanding. But that hasn't been the way of things lately with my Latino student group. I struggle each May as I consider what things will look like in the student leadership area. I contemplate quitting it over and over and over again. But this fall has not been good. The organization barely exists and nothing happens. But commitments are made and I can't be the one who shows up to make sure those commitments are fulfilled. That, again, would be the job of the students. In the organization.

So, for now, I'm done.

Back from the beyond

I got home yesterday from visiting the family for Thanksgiving and the reception for the Brother and Sister-in-Law. I am glad to have my kitties back around me.

I either got sick or was allergic to something down there so I spent a great deal of the time sniffling and sneezing and rather miserable.

But it was great to see so much family. They came from far and wide and that was very kind of them.