12-4-10

We left yesterday afternoon and arrived here late. Had dinner at the Lodge of the Natural Bridge State Park. It snowed all night and we woke up to a most beautiful forest. Here is the front of the house, seen after ascending 170 steps up a steep path crossing a creek.

 

And here is the back of the house, as seen from a rock wall that rises from two sides. Serenity Falls exists here in spring.

 

The inside of the house is cozy- a small kitchen, a small living room with a wood stove, and a small bedroom surrounded by windows on three sides. Upstairs is a loft with room for two double beds. A good size for a family. Perfect for two!

 

This is the view we woke up to out the bedroom window. A winter wonderland.

 

12-3-10

I felt better today and went to school for a meeting. Came home, ate lunch, and started packing for our little weekend getaway.

The tow truck came to get Aza's car. It's gone now. No more crunched up car in the driveway to remind us of her close call.

 

 

 

Now to get on the road... to a cabin in the woods... with a wood stove and hot tub surrounded by wilderness in the Red River Gorge. No grading, no writing, just relaxing with my husband of 25 years.

12-2-10

 

I canceled my class this evening.
Started feeling poorly around 10am during my first class, then came home and slept all afternoon.
It snowed again today- very pretty. I'm feeling a little better this evening but something isn't quite right. My vision is blurry and I can't type well. Spacey.
In 1.5 years of college teaching this is my first time canceling class. I'm sure my students don't mind a little break.

12-1-10

 

Today.
First day of December.
It snowed.
Mailed off three birthday cards.
Got vaccinated for our trip to Costa Rica.
Drove to school with Aza, who had an all-day meeting.
Graded lesson plans.
Set up a cool lesson on electromagnetic induction.
Had a meeting with four people in the Science Library about distance learning.
Learned that my DL course in the spring was not set up properly by someone.
Came home with Aza.
Made tomato and cheese sandwiches for dinner.
Graded more lesson plans.
Gave up on grading lesson plans.
Uploaded this picture.
Went to bed.

11-30-10

 

The day started off very normally except for the rain. I didn't want to walk to the bus stop in the rain, so I drove to school. Pretty wimpy of me, but I'm glad I drove, considering. Today is Dan's and my 25th wedding anniversary so I was feeling sunny in spite of the dreary rain.

I was formally observed teaching this morning, which turned out to be fine because I taught a really wonderful lesson and the students were highly engaged. Many of them stayed after class to tell the observer nice things about me (I can only assume...)

However, during a faculty meeting a text came through from Aza. She had been in a car wreck. She was fine. The car was not. Stunned and shocked, I managed to get through the rest of the faculty meeting then rushed home to hold my baby girl.

 

This is the airbag that saved her precious head from the windshield, which was shattered.

 

We spent the evening together. Dan picked up some BBQ for dinner and we huddled together in the rainy night, thankful for 25 years of blessings. I was thankful to have our daughter safe and sound at home with us.

11-27-10 continued

 

And.... so I get a desk to work on in my new basement studio! Now for some electricity so I can plug in my lamp!

11-27-10

 

 

 

 

Today we bought a new desk for my home office. It took a half a day to find it, bring it home, take apart my old "desk", assemble the new one, set it up and organize all my computer equipment, etc. Good results.

11-26-10

 

 

We spent Thanksgiving with my sister in Indiana and arrive home tonight. We missed the first little snow of the season while we were gone. My alma mater won the Iron Bowl today and that was really cool to see on TV. First fire of the season in the wood stove.

11-23-10

 

So, I recovered from my 36 hour incident and made it to school Monday afternoon, then taught today, Tuesday. It was a good class- but my students are so chatty. Now that they've had a taste of teaching in the classroom they're not happy to be back at the university as students. Today Dan had the old stove pipe for our wood stove in the studio replaced. It was full of dangerous creosote. Cool picture of the old pipe lying in the driveway.

11-21-10

 

Last night Dan and I went out to dinner at a new place nearby- The Crossroads- which was really a loud brightly lit sports bar. I had catfish, greens, and black eyed peas. In the middle of the night, I re-experienced the meal in a not-so-pleasant way. Food poisoning, I think. Regardless of what caused it, it was horrible and I spent the day in bed with chills, a fever, nausea, and weakness. ug. Dan's iPad kept me entertained.

11-20-10

 

 

This week I had my students back after a month off- well, not really, but I didn't have to teach them. I taught 50 middle school boys instead. Anyway, my students came back from their practicum and I had class again. It was nice. By the weekend I was ready to organize my life a bit and decided to start with my office at home. Dan gave up two drawers in the filing cabinet and I moved my stuff in after organizing. What a difference. Now I need a desk that is more comfortable to type at than an old kitchen table.

11-14-10

 

OK, if this is the best I can do when the trees are beautiful outside and there are busy things to remember happening all over the house, I'm a pathetic example of a daily photo blogger. I was lying on the couch feeling overwhelmed with everything I have to do, when I took this picture of the doorway in the living room because it just looked beautiful as I was lying there. Today I made a two-page to-do list and went over it with Dan, who gave me some time management advice that was very helpful. I love having an engineer for a husband. Every problem has a practical solution if you just think through it. xxxooo 25 years this month married to a handsome, brilliant, funny, patient, loving, strong, efficient, thoughtful, beautiful man.

11-12-10

 

 

Just some random things I noticed today. A tree ablaze, and my feet on the sidewalk waiting for the bus. I went to a workshop today on distance learning and got some insight into a few fun things like Jing and Prezio. Friday! Weekend!

11-9-10

 

 

One really cool thing about having our own small department is that we can all fit around one table at Mellow Mushroom for our faculty meeting! So after our meeting today we were walking back to our offices and encountered yet another fun fire alarm. No fire, just an alarm.

11-7-10 part 2

 

 

 

 

So here we are at the Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary. First we went to a bird blind, a little shack with a big picture window (tinted so the birds can't see you) looking out onto bird feeder heaven. We saw so many birds coming up really close to the window. It was so special- makes me want to get some bird feeders for our house.

Next we hiked all the trails: red, white, yellow and blue. Saw a nice pond and geodes and fossils and lots of beauty. I wish I'd had a clear view of the river, but it was not on the direct path.

Sunday evening I developed a migraine. Not looking forward to my week ahead. Sometimes I wish I lived out in the woods on a mountain and didn't have the pressure of my job. Maybe I can retire early and have a different life for a while.

11-7-10 part 1

 

 

 

 

Today for our Sunday drive and hike, we chose to first have lunch at Wallace Station, a little place out in the country. It was really good and I definitely want to go back. So then we headed for the Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary. Folks, this is what Kentucky looks like. It's beautiful. If you aren't from around here and you have some notion that Kentucky is some godawful place with hillbillies and chicken and backwards politics, you are misinformed. OK. Maybe you're right. But it's really a special place and I love it here.

11-5-10

 

I took Aza with me to the Kentucky Science Teachers Association meeting today. We went to a workshop on genetics and my graduate student P was in the room so we worked as a team. That's P on the left. No, not the duck-looking model. The other funny looking guy! (jk)

Aza has decided to transfer to the University of Kentucky to finish up her master's degree in science and math education. She starts in January. I'm pretty sure she will continue to live at home, keep her job at Olive Garden part time, and accept a research assistant job at the university. It will be really nice to have her here for another year or more, but she is so busy I rarely see her. It was fun to spend the day with her at KSTA.

11-4-10

 

It's Thursday, the last Thursday of our farm share. We brought home a bounty today but I need a good cabbage recipe. Generally I do not like cabbage unless it is a cole slaw. Any suggestions?

So today it is rainy and dreary and I feel depressed. I look forward to watching Gray's Anatomy tonight and think it's sad that TV is the most exciting thing I have to look forward to in the near future. Either I'm menopausal, low on Vitamin D again, or just plain melancholy. Feeling really overwhelmed and NOT looking forward to working this Saturday again.

10-31-10

 

 

 

Happy Halloween! Today Dan and I went for our Sunday hike to the Palisades along the Kentucky River. It was beautiful as these photos tell. The 2.6 mile hike was a gradual decline for the first half down to the river bottom, but then a steep mile hike straight up 200 feet in elevation coming back. The views were beautiful, both from the bottom of the river and the top of the bluff. We even found a cave entrance covered over with a lattice of logs to keep people out. Now I need to spend the rest of the day:
1) making pumpkin pie and chicken stew for dinner
2) cleaning up all the stuff from yesterday's Middle School Mania
3) getting prepared for a neighborhood full of trick-or-treaters

This month has been an enjoyable break from teaching BUT I have worked every Saturday on the research project I'm doing with those very active and talkative boys, every week preparing for said Saturday, and countless hours recording data and charging cameras and worrying about managing 30 mentor volunteers and 50 adolescent boys. The results do not look good at this point. It does not appear that all this work has resulted in any learning or attitude changes. I will have to analyze the video next, and then consider conducting individual interviews, but I'm feeling very deflated right now about how this project went. Where did my month go? On a positive note, my article in the November issue of Science Scope is now in print, and I received the publisher's proof for my article that is going to be published in the International Journal of Science Eduction. Academia is a strange beast. Grant writing, IRBs, writing up research, conducting research, reviewing for journals and conferences, attending conferences and giving papers, attending meetings, serving on committees and boards, oh, and teaching. Can't forget teaching. And on all this hard work I get evaluated each January.

Sometimes I wonder where my life went.

10-29-10

 

I was up at school today getting ready for MORE fun with middle school boys when I found out our new department headquarters has furniture! CJ and I went to check it out- beautiful furniture, beautiful walls, just missing some artwork and people and their stuff. It will be SO nice to have the rest of my colleagues around the corner instead of in another building. And will I start getting my mail here? That would be so nice. I hope it all works out. Mags is going to have a hard time fitting all her stuff in her new office! And what will Miss March do with her fluffy carpet and white chairs? Ah, decisions I will not have to make. But I would like to contribute a painting. Something science and mathish.

10-28-10

 

It has been a nice week so far. No classes, just a few meetings, no observations out in schools, and a day at home today to write and prepare for Saturday's 50-middle-school-boys extravaganza. So I even had time to go to the grocery store with Dan. All was well until we got to the frozen food section and guess what was on sale??? So, he picked out TWO! Either he wants me to gain back the 10 pounds I've lost or he wants to torture me. Or he's addicted too. Hmmm....
Plus, look at all that candy and chips. What is the man thinking?

10-26-10

The most addictive food I have ever had. I polished it off today to stop it from calling my name from the freezer.

10-24-10

 

 

 

 

Dan and I went for a 4 mile hike today at Raven's Run. The views of the Kentucky River were really wonderful. After the hike we came home, showered, and went to a pumpkin carving party next door. After that we went out to dinner at Olive Garden to get waited on by Aza. Here's a photo of her waiting on a table!

10-23-10

 

Second Saturday working with 50 middle school boys on Save the Penguins. It went much better today and I could tell by my level of exhaustion afterwards. Here are the houses they designed this week.

10-18-10

 

My shoulder has been hurting for over a month now. Last week I had an MRI on it but still no results. Here is one of the many images they took. It interferes with my work, puts me in a bad mood, and just cramps my day. I'm so tired of it hurting. I wish the doctor would call me with the results.

10-17-10

 

 

 

After working for two days straight without a break, Dan lured me off into the woods for a strenuous 3 mile hike. We went to the top of Pilot Knob the round-about way. Man, am I ever out of shape. The view was stunning and I want to hike it again each season to see the changes in the scenery. The forest life was really interesting, as were the rocks and outcroppings.