Saturday, December 31, 2011

Ave Moose


Mathilde and I are sitting here in the early morning darkness contemplating the lit Christmas Tree. We are listening to Ave Maria and contentedly gnawing on Mortimer Moose (well, one of us is). It is amazing to think that in January 2011 we nearly lost this baby, and here we are today with a chubby, raspberry-blowing, joy-bundle. What a blessing this creature beside me is.


2011 was full of exciting events: the great anticipation of progeny, nearly nicked by a dynamic cervix and rescued by bedrest and weekly HP17 shots. We moved. We visited my family; my family visited us; D's family from Russia came and lived with us for a while. I taught 5 courses, revised and submitted one article, and delivered two conference papers. I finally read David Copperfield. Beer was brewed. Cakes were baked.

I am up way too early to write a long gratitude post, so let me just claim quiet contentment for now. My kid is getting restless.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Done

Done Grading!
Exhausted.
But celebrating.
Wine.
Packing.
Trip!
Airport.
Early.
Very early in morning.
With baby.
With 7-month-old baby who recently learned to scream as if starring in a horror movie.
...
Wine.
Xmas break.
Cookies!
Anxiety.
MLA looming.
Suit.
SALA paper looming.
Research over holiday break.
ENG 200 prep looming.
Reading for fun is dead.
Wine.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Red-wrapped Things I Currently Love

I've been so busy this term teaching my two writing classes, revising an article, showing up (online) for a faculty development writers' bootcamp, and caring for the mothersucker that I've not had any time to update this blog. SO: here I show you two things near and dear to my hear that both happen to be wrapped in red. It's a cheap occasion for a blog, I admit, but I'm stretched pretty thin right now. (Ha ha. Insert joke about pregnancy weight here; I'm too tired to make one up).

Seriously, you can expect bigger things over the holiday break. (After all, I know my loyal supporters are wondering if I'll be on the MLA Air Diet this year or not ["Is she back on the market? Is she pregnant? Is it a magical double whammy again??"])

First things first. Those crazy Bridgeport brewers in Oregon made a holiday ale and named it after a Charles Dickens character, God bless them. And it's a REALLY GOOD ALE. The blurb on the box reads:
"There are many things from which good may be derived, yet sorry few from which greatness will appear. So it is in hope, and homage to the wonders of a changed spirit, that we offer our seasonal brew. An appropriately rich and complex Winter Warmer, Ebenezer Ale is a true celebration of the season--rich, malty, and formidable enough to alter the crankiest spirit and temper the nastiest winter chill. Cheers!"
Do you think someone in Marketing actually read A Christmas Carol in order to compose that? Yeah, me neither.

Here is a close-up of the label. Check out Scrooge's grimace. Someone needs a little hair-of-the-dog post-Ghost whisper of a sweet hangover solution.

On to sunnier matters: here's a shot of baby reading a book. We think she's so precocious. Anyone with that large a forehead is clearly already studying differential equations.

After reading, she progresses to eating the book. Because that is what 6-month-olds do. The librarians assure me that it is a book-friendly behavior.


And then shooting me the friendliest "Gotcha!" grin ever. Baby wants a Scrooge Beer.