In the next room of my museum, we have a replica of the scholar's refuge from the scroll painting. On the outside, it looks rough and temporary, a fisherman's shack quickly put together from timbers shaggy with bark and moss. Inside, however, the wooden panels that form the walls are intricately carved with scenes of the mountain in various seasons, and they glow with oil and polishing.
"I have a treasure within me," says Jane Eyre. What outside/inside contrast is important to you, this week?
Respond to the prompt if it pleases you, let it go if it doesn’t speak. Let us know how you did last week, and what your plans are for the coming week. If you have a chance, come back and chat in the comments, but if you're too busy, know that we're thinking of you and wishing you well.
The goals you/we were working on:
Daisy
1) Make and record conference talk
2) Make 3 figures for Albatross (this is a stretch goal!)
3) Figure out why my work area smells like cat pee and fix it
4) My intentional thing for the week: go visit co-authors a day’s drive away and meet new grad student and talk about fun research project and graduate seminar
Dame Eleanor Hull
*Health: daily cardio and stretching, weights x 3, try to eat carefully and sleep enough.
*Teaching: Catch up with grading and planning.
*Research: make plan for addressing revisions; some time on both dead and live languages; maybe some other reading.
*Service: prep for next week's meeting; work on exam-related document for dept.
*Fun stuff: read more mid-century women's fiction, see friends in person/distanced, coloring.
*House/life: sign & mail tax return (you have ONE job!).
*Track time, at least roughly.
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
Interview fourth prof, and write up the notes.
Prepare for the archive trip.
Write class presentation.
Read and annotate two articles in the digital humanities bibliography.
Walk 2x7; meditate 1x7; write 2 hours x 5; put something positive in the planner 1x7.
heu mihi
1) Teaching: Finish 1 or maybe even 2 batches of papers; record that lingering lecture; record 2 more lectures; next batch of PowerPoints. (Being ambitious might work here?)
2) Personal virtue, sans asterisk: Yoga x 2; walk a bunch; language x 3, sit x 2
3) Research: 3 chapters/day of NunG vol. 4; notes on NunG vol. 3
4) Graduate students: Write the next letter of recommendation
5) Fun: Make a book once the paper arrives
6) Parenting: French x 3, fun thing with kid over the weekend
Humming42
(held over)
1 write a tiny project piece
2 work on creative piece
3 write weekly blog post
4 read 10 essays for award judging
5 work on internal grant application
6 try to be patient and not over-zoomed by excessive meetings this week
JaneB
(held over)
1) set goals for TLQ
2) work on restoring BuJo habit
3) set up new noticeboard for Preptober
4) be kind. be kind. be kind. (but don't be a doormat, that's not kind either to JaneB or to the other person when the doormat reaches the limit and snaps at their ankles or just stalks off and they get all surprised).
5) try to stop obsessing about buying more supplies that I don't have storage space for - Br3xit notwithstanding.
6) referee an article
7) prepare as much of week 3 as possible
oceangirl101
(held over)
1. Work on Ch 1 and Ch 8 at least 3 days
2. Erosion data to colleagues
3. DGS stuff
4. Exercise x 3 at a minimum
5. Try to make healthy food choices
6. One night of non-TV watching
7. start reading student diss
Susan
1. One more module for each class
2. Send out notice on speakers
3. 3x1 hour on Famous Author
4. Do something nice at weekend
5. Keep walking/working out
6. Read for fun
7. Get good sleep
I'm not sure I have any good response to the prompt; I just like the image of the different wood surfaces. It's calming to think about this little hut with the amazing inside.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to go ahead and post results, though the week isn't qui-i-ite over yet. Monday is always too busy, and by Tuesday I feel like I'm behind already!
HOW I DID:
*Health: daily cardio and stretching, weights x 3, try to eat carefully and sleep enough. YES.
*Teaching: Catch up with grading and planning. ALMOST.
*Research: make plan for addressing revisions; some time on both dead and live languages; maybe some other reading. SORTA, YES, YES.
*Service: prep for next week's meeting; work on exam-related document for dept. YES, NO.
*Fun stuff: read more mid-century women's fiction, see friends in person/distanced, coloring. YES, scheduled for this afternoon, NO.
*House/life: sign & mail tax return (you have ONE job!). YES!!!
*Track time, at least roughly. NOT so much; but at least my lists of what to do/what I have done are accurate.
(A few details:
*Sleep is much better because now I go to bed with a book and read until I'm very sleepy. This eliminates the anxiety about whether I'm really ready for bed and whether I'll sleep, and avoids the problem of waking up as I get ready for bed. The right book is a big help: a novel in Spanish that I've read before; I enjoy it but it's just enough effort to make sense of it that I'm happy to put it down as I get sleepier. So much for the idea that bed is strictly for sleep and you should get up if you're not sleeping. The night I had trouble, I turned the light back on & continued reading, and eventually went to sleep okay. Yay!
*Research: I re-read and made a simple outline of the essay-to-be-revised. I see what they mean . . . how did I get to be a full prof and still have so much trouble organizing an argument??
*Teaching: I stayed up late last night prepping the week to come, after taking the morning for research and meeting-prep (TRQ). Staying up late Saturday to prep sucks, but means I can have all of Sunday off work!!! Still hoping to keep pushing the prep back so I can have a little more weekend, like including Saturday night.)
New goals:
*Health: daily cardio and stretching, weights x 3, try to eat carefully and sleep enough.
*Teaching: Grade 2 sets of discussion board posts, 1 set of papers, a batch of varied stuff from independent studies.
*Research: make plan for addressing revisions; some time on both dead and live languages; some other reading.
*Service: work on exam-related document for dept.
*Admin: do two online trainings and get them over with.
*Fun stuff: read more mid-century women's fiction, gardening, create birthday card for great-nibling.
*House/life: pay bills, deposit check.
*Track time, at least roughly.
Always thought that whole "no reading in bed" was a recommendation written by a completely out of touch book hater with no sense of fun... Reading in bed at whatever hour one happens to be awake is one of the great joys in life! Enjoy!
DeleteI think most of the advice on sleeping is out to lunch, actually. That "no naps" thing just teaches you not to sleep when you're sleepy!
DeleteToo much of the "reading in bed" advice is based on reading on older devices without the ability to turn down/off the blue light. Print books have no blue light, and most phones have that ability, too. I read until I fall asleep every night. Provided I don't doomscroll, I do the same in the middle of the night.
DeleteAnd I agree completely with Dame Eleanor's comment about naps!
DeleteNor do I have a good answer to the prompt. It's nearly 11pm on a Sunday and I just finished the TEACHING part of last week's TRQ list - there is a lot else still that I am well overdue to do and I am so burnt out and fed up.
ReplyDeleteTwo weeks ago there was one case of COVID (among our student body) - probably brought with them from wherever they came from. On Wednesday we were told that there were now three separated cases. This afternoon I got an email from a student in our own subject area who is ill and has tested positive - they couldn't work out how to tell the university as the "Covid page" is all about the hygiene measures being taken and not about what to do when you get sick. I am NOT GOING NEAR CAMPUS for at least the next week - still haven't heard about any individual risk assessment and still officially needed on campus, but I have the usual damp weather allergy cough I get in Autumn and I just can't handle the thought of the "some in the room with me and some on the tech" model of teaching delivery we're encouraged to use for in person classes, so I've told all my classes we're online for the first three weeks and then we'll reassess (we just completed week 1 of teaching). I don't care if I get in trouble - I probably won't because I doubt anyone will actually check as life is hectic all round...
1) set goals for TLQ not beyond survival!
2) work on restoring BuJo habit doing a bit better
3) set up new noticeboard for Preptober yes but it might have been a mistake...
4) be kind. be kind. be kind. (but don't be a doormat, that's not kind either to JaneB or to the other person when the doormat reaches the limit and snaps at their ankles or just stalks off and they get all surprised). rededicating myself to this multiple times a day
5) try to stop obsessing about buying more supplies that I don't have storage space for - Br3xit notwithstanding. this week I found holes in not one but TWO pairs of my "work acceptable but yoga pant comfortable" trousers, so clearly had to buy more of those. plus something is wrong with a gutter and my ceiling has a damp patch over my desk :-( so that will take money this month. Which is not doing anything to stop me wanting to buy All The Cans Of Soup And Beans.
6) referee an article no.
7) prepare as much of week 3 as possible yes, I JUST finished that, at 11pm on the Sunday of the following week...
This week:
1) set goals for TLQ
2) use BuJo
3) do some Preptober things
4) be kind. be kind. be kind. (but don't be a doormat).
5) organise supplies I have and try to make rational decision about what to buy.
6) referee an article
7) prepare as much of week 4 as possible
8) draft my text for grant application, comment on two manuscripts one very urgently, and other things I doubtless forgot. SIGH
The image of the snapping doormat made my afternoon!
DeleteI hope you get permission to teach online only soon, in the meantime just go for the ask forgiveness not permission approach - you're the one with your health on the line, you should get to make that call. Good luck!
If your favorite trousers are still available, you definitely need more. One of my go-to retailers has stopped making things I thought they'd make forever, and I have been resorting to e-bay to get second-hand versions.
DeleteI second both Daisy's and Dame Eleanor's comments. I'll add your saying "be kind to yourself."
DeleteThe difference between outside and inside has several echoes for me. The dilapidated shed I described last week is slowly transforming into a serene place, with clean windows and new paint. My antique mappa mundi hangs between the windows and a picture of the High Peaks Adirondacks in autumn hangs above the desk.
ReplyDeleteThe other echo for me is when I'm very lucky, I can walk through a maelstrom to that dilapidated door. Once I mentally shut the door behind me, and wipe the whiteboard clean, I can redraw the chaos into a calm serene landscape.
Last week’s goals:
Interview fourth prof, and write up the notes. Yes and yes. A very nice experience, indeed.
Prepare for the archive trip. Yes. I've pulled all the things to check, sharpened pencils, compiled papers, and packed.
Write class presentation. Yes. I need to jazz up my PowerPoint, but the writing is done.
Read and annotate two articles in the digital humanities bibliography. Nope. Several priority tasks came up at the day job, so my reading time vanished.
Walk 2x7; meditate 1x7; write 2 hours x 5; put something positive in the planner 1x7. Yes, yes, yes, and yes.
My outlook has improved immensely. I very much appreciated Dame Eleanor's and Susan's remarks about the positive aspects of being a square peg. The fourth prof was adamant that my viewpoint was important to the department. Thanks to all of you, I'm working on being proud of my square-pegness.
Next week's goals:
Schedule the rest of October, planning backwards.
Write up class interviews.
Read and annotate three articles in the digital humanities bibliography.
Walk 2x7; meditate 1x7; write 2 hours x 5; something positive 1x7.
I'm nervous about traveling, but I'm not crossing any state lines or planning to visit any crowded places. Once I'm in the reading room, I know all that will drop away. Have a lovely week, everyone. Float like mist.
Enjoy the archive trip!! The change of scene and immersion in research will all be wonderful I'm sure! I hope all goes perfectly!
DeleteI'm delighted to hear more about your shed! I hope your research trip goes well, that you find what you need and maybe something new and cool (but not requiring a complete re-think of a project that's underway).
DeleteJust to say, envious of the archive trip. And so glad Prof #4 thinks you bring something important to the department!
DeleteI love the prompt! My first thought was about the personal level: the contrast between how I’ve been feeling inside (complete wreck, emotional mess) and the outside perception (capable, confident, totally on top of things)… So my challenge is to make the inside match the outside a little more closely.
ReplyDeleteOn second reading I thought of how the outside perception on a professional level does not match the more internal reality: externally (from job disaster and some grant reviews) I keep hearing about how inadequate I am (small university, no big lab, work on “local” problems, inconsequential) but by my internal circle of coworkers and colleagues I am valuable and actually have “treasures inside” (excellent science and papers, good training for students, great to work with, valuable research contributions). So the challenge is to concentrate on listening to the supportive people who know best…
Last week’s goals:
1) Make and record conference talk MOSTLY
2) Make 3 figures for Albatross (this is a stretch goal!) NOPE
3) Figure out why my work area smells like cat pee and fix it NOPE, A MYSTERY…
4) My intentional thing for the week: go visit co-authors a day’s drive away and meet new grad student and talk about fun research project and graduate seminar YES!!!!!!! GLORIOUS!!!
I feel very lucky that I was able to get away for a bit, our whole region has almost no cases right now so going to see my coauthors and students for a safe visit was perfectly possible. Getting away for a few days was an amazing help! I feel a whole lot more human now, and being around supportive people who value my work was a wonderfully restorative activity. I really needed that change of scene, and an excellent part of that was having some time to focus only on a few things and not be pulled in a million different directions like I am at home/work. So, onwards and upwards! If things continue to be ok here I will schedule another trip for early November. 12 hours is a long time to drive for motivation and validation, but I’ll take it!
This week’s goals:
1) Finish and record conference talk
2) Make 3 figures for Albatross
3) Outline steps needed for local paper
4) Take one day in the week for doing only research-related things
5) Address difficult professional society issue
6) My intentional thing for the week: outdoor lunch with sweet colleague I have not seen in ages
I'm glad the prompt worked for you! If I could rely on getting motivation and validation out of a 12-hour drive, I'd be up for it. ATM I'm making do with the deck; pine trees and blue sky today are wonderful.
DeleteIt's wonderful that you got the validation from your collegues -- you said the perfect word, restorative! I hop that feeling stays with you.
DeleteAs Dame Eleanor noted, I fall into that habit of getting busy and not getting around to posting here. Last week, it was late Wednesday when I realized I had failed to show up. Trying to be more prompt this week.
ReplyDeleteThoughts on inside/outside go in a couple of different directions that end up possibly converging. First, there’s all the stuff that goes on in my head but doesn’t manifest. Part of it is the curse of the introvert, thinking through what I might say (constructive) and what I might have said (not constructive) in navigating various conversations. I also think about what I might write, typically while washing dishes or doing some other task, and then I sit down and let myself get distracted by things that don’t matter very much at all.
When I bring this inside/outside to my cozy motel, I think of the extraordinary writer Anne Carson (who I’m hoping will win the Nobel soon) who works on several projects at once. To facilitate this, she has a different desk in her house for each project. So I think it would be useful to have different motel rooms for different projects. This is particularly appealing because all of the rooms are intentionally almost exactly the same in design and decor. In my real writing life, where most of what I do is digital, I wonder if I should not find some way to visually distinguish one project from the next. Long long ago I tried to use Evernote for this purpose but I didn’t like the program. I’ve recently started using Notion for the currently-on-hiatus tiny project and blogging, so maybe I can create my project motel rooms there.
On to goals.
Last two weeks:
1 write a tiny project piece: still no
2 work on creative piece: yes
3 write weekly blog post: yes
4 read 10 essays for award judging: no, now urgent
5 work on internal grant application: yes but then decided not to do it
6 try to be patient and not over-zoomed by excessive meetings this week: pretty much
This week:
1 work on creative piece
2 write weekly blog post
3 read 10 essays for award judging
4 write/submit conference proposal
5 grade every day
I'm glad to see your motel come back! I've always thought it would be nice to have a different desk for each project. Thinking about what you might write while you're doing dishes could be an excellent thing so long as you sit down and write it as soon as you can. I never seem to get ideas while I'm doing something else. In fact, I can go out with the intention of thinking about an assignment or a writing problem, and forget all about it while I look at birds and at what's in other people's gardens. Hey, squirrel!
DeleteI love your motel, too! I grew up with my father having only long weekends for vacations, and we would always end up in a motel like you describe. They warm my memory.
DeleteIt is increasingly hard to distinguish digital projects. I'll have to look at Notion, but I change the color of the font on the Word document. Illuminated is purple, the edition is green, and so on. I am a visual/kinetic learner, so your milage may vary.
I love the prompt and will think on it, but I'm two days late for my check-in already!
ReplyDeleteTeaching my big lecture/lecture/discussion class online is going well, I think, but it's soooo much work. I figure I'm spending close to 20 hours on that course--and I've even given up on rereading the books (something I've NEVER failed to do in 13 years of teaching!). Plus, I have to think in multiple weeks at once. This is week 7 of the semester, so I'm grading, meeting with my TA, and prepping for discussion for week 7. At the same time, I'm editing transcripts for week 9, recording lectures for week 10, and redoing the PowerPoint for week 11. This will all pay off when I get to week 11 and my lecturing for the semester is over, but it's confusing and very labor-intensive right now.
So research is only happening in the very smallest of margins right now.
Last week:
1) Teaching: Finish 1 or maybe even 2 batches of papers; record that lingering lecture; record 2 more lectures; next batch of PowerPoints. (Being ambitious might work here?) - Yessssss, all of this, ugh
2) Personal virtue, sans asterisk: Yoga x 2; walk a bunch; language x 3, sit x 2 - Yes, except I only did language x2
3) Research: 3 chapters/day of NunG vol. 4; notes on NunG vol. 3 - Fell behind because I took the weekend OFF. Also didn't take notes.
4) Graduate students: Write the next letter of recommendation - Yes, one
5) Fun: Make a book once the paper arrives - Started it! I'm enjoying the process and willing to let it stretch out into this week.
6) Parenting: French x 3, fun thing with kid over the weekend - Yes! Lots of weekend fun. Hence the almost-no-work on the weekend.
This week:
1) Teaching: Record 2 lectures, edit 4 transcripts (2 per lecture; lectures are broken into segments, if you care), prep PowerPoint
2) Recommendation letter for former student
3) Personal virtue: All the exercise (run x 5, yoga x 2), language x 3, sit x 3
4) Research: 4ish chapters of NunG per day (to catch up), notes on NunG vol. 3
5) Parenting, fun, life: Something fun with kid, French x 2, finish making my book, read for pleasure (any amount)
Hooray for having a weekend OFF! It sounds like a good choice. And you still have a lot of work "yes." As to re-reading all the books, that's way too much work this year, and you hereby have my formal written permission to forego it as long as you're teaching online. There's just too much other prep to do.
DeleteYour description of teaching prep is exhausting. You totally deserved the weekend fun!
DeleteWell, if Heu Mihi thought she was late... I meant to post yesterday and I'm not sure why it didn't happen. But that's life now.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what to do with the prompt -- my first thought was more or less like Daisy's, and then I started thinking about the work I'm slowly doing in my house, and the fact that the outside is a mess... What I learned when I had different desks for different tasks is that I had more space to stack paper on!
Last week's goals:
1. One more module for each class - yes
2. Send out notice on speakers - yes
3. 3x1 hour on Famous Author - 1 (I was plugging ahead and said, Oh, I'll restructure it this way, and then figured outthat wouldn't work, and flailed)
4. Do something nice at weekend - meh. Not much
5. Keep walking/working out - 3 x? bad air again.
6. Read for fun not really -- need to get back into the book.
7. Get good sleep - some, but not enough.
I think the combination of the world right now and the amount of zoom and time in my office makes things very hard. On Friday, I suddenly had a brainstorm about an alternate final project, so I designed that and posted it, including a short video. I got rid of a loveseat that was clutter in my living room, and so am slowly making progress there. Exercise was undermined by the bad air for much of last week, but that's now cleared, and it's cooling down so easier to walk during the day (instead of early AM). But I'm tired a lot of the time, and often wanting a nap. And too much doomscrolling.
Goals for the week ahead which is almost done (but Friday-Sunday is my most flexible time)
1. Famous author: 2 hours
2. Write LOR for grad student
3. Do article review for journal
4. One more week's modules for undergrad course
5. Read for fun
6. Go for a walk x4
7. Make next batch of pepper jelly
8. Stop using iPad before bed
9 Get decent sleep
Jane's "Be kind to yourself" is a good mantra these days. We have left normal so far behind, I'm not sure it is a reasonable yardstick. So, try to concentrate on how much you accomplished, and continue to accomplish, in such an abnormal world.
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