DPP 07: Wake and See a Shining (Book) Light

Today was my last day of classes at College A. It was bittersweet. I left the classrooms before my students, asking them to fill out teacher evaluations and then depart at their leisure. I don't like this--not because I inherently fear evaluations, but because I want the last day of class to be a day of celebrating my students' accomplishments, and to leave them alone in a classroom with scantron forms feels strangely anticlimactic.

The morning, however, was beautiful (as 'twas on Tuesday). Here's a view of the library, taken from almost the same spot as that from which my Tuesday photo was taken, though (obviously) facing another direction.

Non-traditional Christmas song of the day:
Kurt Elling, "Cool Yule"

DPP 06: On the Lakefront

Yesterday you got to see part of my campus commute at College A. Today, this is a shot of the lake from College B, albeit a shot with irregular framing. I have determined, from my extensive knowledge of the three community colleges at which I have now taught, that somewhere, on some accreditation document, in the tiniest of tiny letters, must be a phrase that asks, "Do the grounds of the intended community college include a potential or actual large body of water, preferably one that does or shall contain a fountain?" Two is not a trend, but three is suggestive. (Also, at my former now-abandoned job as an essay tutor, I read dozens of freshman composition essays in which students were asked to describe their campus lakes and/or fountains).

At any rate, this is my second physical college of this semester. While I interviewed here first, I turned down the first class I was offered, but was asked to step in for a teacher who needed to step down for the semester due to health concerns. I had a lot of concerns. Stepping in for another teacher mid-semester is probably the biggest challenge I have ever faced in my teaching career, but I have really enjoyed the classes, and they took the complete overhaul of the syllabus, class, and teacher in good stride. (If truth be told, they had had two weeks of cancelled classes and random substitutes before I was cleared to teach, so I think they may have just been grateful to have any permanent person in the room once I started!)

Friday is my last actual class at this campus, and Monday is their exam. It has been a fun, if slightly crazy, semester.

NOn-traditional Christmas song fo the day:
Sue Keller, "My Reindeer Don't Like to Fly"

DPP 05: Morning Has (Almost) Broken

I'm pretty sure that I landed one of my current jobs almost exclusively because, at the end of the interview, when the adjunct dean said, "How do you feel about morning classes?" I replied, "Oh! I love mornings."

. . . and that is how I ended up teaching freshman composition at 7:00 a.m.

I actually love teaching early in the morning. The sunrise is just beginning (most days), but the lights are still on along the college pathways. I am fresh and alert and have not been bogged down by the stresses of life. My coffee is fresh. My day is just beginning.

I have always loved morning classes, much (I think) to my students' general dismay. Add to the mix that when we moved to Northern Virginia I stepped out in faith, hoping to adjunct for any local school, and that this was the first class I was offered by any of the local colleges, and you will end up with the fact that Tuesday mornings are almost incontrovertibly beautiful to me. Today was one such morning, though I do not think that the photograph does it justice.


Non-traditional Christmas song of the day:
The Hit Crew, "We Wanna See Santa do the Mambo."

[Belated] DPP 04: Candles in the Night

Last night, I did not photo blog; rather, I went to bed.
Last night, I did not grade past 9 p.m.; instead, I went to bed.

Something I am practising in this season of my life is rest. I know that most of the people who participate in the DPP are moms who don't have the luxury of going to bed at 9 p.m. For years, I stayed up to do one more project, or to grade one more stack of papers.

This semester, even with dreadful, ominous deadlines looming, I have been intentionally making a practice of going on walks (yes, even when there is grading to be done!) and going to bed (again, even when there is grading to be done!). Sometimes it is hard to sleep, because I lie awake contemplating the work that does need to be done, but I am practising prioritizing health and rest and family and time with the people I love. It is a practice I should have adopted long, long ago.


Non-traditional Christmas song of the day:
Norah Jones, "Peace."
(*not originally a Christmas song, but it has appeared on at least one Christmas album).

[Belated] DPP 03: Ice, Ice Skating

Back in 2006, my best friend flew across the country to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I drove around the DC beltway to pick him up, and (because you never know with DC traffic) arrived at Dulles airport more than two hours ahead of his flight. Having figured out the airport to my satisfaction, I drove back down the road and got off at a random exit, whereupon I situated myself in a cozy little Panera a block or two away from the main road. From the window of the Panera, I could watch ice skaters glide merrily around a pedestrian-based town center. I graded papers and wrote a (really awful) parody of "The Night Before Christmas" that described travelling during the holidays. I enjoyed a leisurely afternoon of beauty and restful anticipation. My friend eventually landed (bearing two loaves of fresh-baked herb break in his knapsack), and I retrieved him from the airport. 

As far as I know, that was my first encounter with Reston, although I did not yet know it was Reston.

Eleven years later, I live with the same best friend just about a mile away from that same town center. For all of December, Reston Town Centre is transformed with beautiful white lights, and the square itself is full of ice skaters (on real ice!) until well into the night. Yesterday my parents visited (also the reason that this post is a day late), so I took them for tea and then we strolled around the town centre as dusk fell.

It is beautiful here.


Non-traditional Christmas song of the day:
Ariana Grande, "Winter Things."

DPP 02: Bread for All, and to All a Good Night!

I spent most of today proctoring a rather substantial exam in a very heavily regulated environment, so I wasn't able to photograph my daytime activities. Then I joined some new friends and extended family members for a wonderful meal and time of catching up. I now have two cousins within a half-hour drive, and I am very much appreciating having family members in closer quarters.

Breaking bread with people--figuratively but also literally--is something that has been special to me for a long time (and I did take bread to dinner, but 'twas not the loaf pictured above). Long before I. and I were even dating, I tasted slices of his herb bread and told him that it was obviously worth marrying for! After we were married, the bread-baking dwindled for a while as he became busier, but it has picked up again since our latest move--I think I. makes a fresh loaf every week or two, and they are generally full of herbs and flavor. The loaf pictured above was a triumphant, delicious success, and the slices I cut (and subsequently ate) were a wonderful finale to a rich and happy evening.

Non-traditional Christmas song of the day:
Emmylou Harris, "Light of the Stable."

DPP 01: Walking with Sunshine

I'm back for the December Photo Project again! This year, I'll be focusing (literally) on some of the things I love the most about our new adventure in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolis. 

One thing I love about our new home is that it is so easy to go for walks. There is a path from our complex that leads into literally miles of beautiful walking paths that wind around the entire neighborhood. I. and I have probably explored ten miles of these, in total. I am pretty sure that we have more than ten times that many miles remaining.

This is from the walk to our nearest grocery store, and the beginning (or end, depending on one's direction) of a five-mile loop that I love to walk when I have the two hours to spare:

Today was a beautiful, sunny, brisk fall day, and the sunlight on the trees and paths and leaves was just stunning. I am so grateful to have this near me, and to have the time (and the willpower) to take walks again.

Non-traditional Christmas song of the day:
Bon Jovi, "I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas."