After all these delicious repasts, I think it might be time to move to the drawing room for a little might conversation (otherwise, I'll need to break character and find a hammock for a nap). Do tell me the latest news. What have you borrowed from the circulating library? Who hasn't been invited to the ball? Did you hear about the scene at Lady B-----'s concert?
In a more modern context, I will take any book recommendations for the summer. I've just picked up Charlotte Wood's The Luminous Solution, but more books are always good. And in terms of conversation, how might we keep self-talk light, and gentle? Australian musician Clare Bowditch talks about naming that nagging voice of her inner critic 'Frank" and talking back to it as a way to bolster her mental health.
Daisy
1) Start every day with research task first, no service before that is done!
2) More original text for new local paper
3) More modelling work for new local paper
4) Paper revisions for Baby Albatross because
5) Meeting follow-up with many people
6) Run a few times in nice Fall sunshine
Dame Eleanor Hull
Health: get ready for bed at 10, yoga x6, weights x3, stay off twisted ankle.
Research: finish notes on very significant article, read one book, keep up with dead-language group.
Teaching: grade grad papers, respond to 2 grad students' submissions.
Admin: do one of the two online trainings.
Life Stuff: consult with Himself about house stuff; find new doctor.
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
Medical appointments: go to two; make appointments for three more.
10 entries a day on the French drama guide.
Finish the class handout; print out the handout.
1 square foot of desk clearing x three.
Read one article to get back into a long-neglected project.
heu midi
1) Submit grant application!!!!
2) Reread contingently accepted article; locate books that I need to read for revisions
3) Process at least 1 WH essay
4) Catch up on the journal
5) Brew beer
6) Self-care and all that
humming32
1 work daily on upcoming conference presentation
2 make progress on grading (would like to get caught up but it’s unlikely)
3 submit most recent last book review
4 do daily creative writing prompts, every day
5 as DEH reminds me, complete overdue training
JaneB
1) self-care: do 3 songs worth of exercise each day, do some meal prep on my work from home day(s), clean out the flipping "basket swap", clear off the reading chair in my work area, do something on new D&D project
2) teaching: get week 3 materials prepared and week 4 mostly prepared, fix the second half of the "list items" for my VLE sites (6 sites)
3) admin: get caught up on last stupid CPD thing, organise autumn meeting for local chatty group
4) research: read over what we said we'd do for the grant that got funded, and make some initial notes. see if we can get Small But Necessary application done (might be too late...), do edits on PaperThatHasGoneOnForever, SoIForgotItsAcronym now reviewers comments are back after nearly TWO YEARS.
Karen (held over)
Teaching - remain positive, even if with gritted teeth.
Research - fulfill supervisory duties
self & Home - op shop drop, home office 2 x pomodoros, if weather permits plant out summer vege, 3 x yoga, enjoy school holidays
Susan
1. Two sessions on famous author. Might finish this chapter!!!
2. Get draft of program review FINISHED. It will have highlighted sections that say "GET DATA" or "IS THIS TRUE" but it will be done. (And I think this is pretty much possible).
3. Try to read some of ms for blurbing
4. Grade, and catch up with class modules which I'm behind on
5. Do something fun
6. Call painter now that floor is done
7. Keep up with exercise, good sleep, etc.
8. Be kind to myself somehow
And for reflection, at this midway point, session goals are:
Daisy
Session:
Research: I have five papers that need to be finished. That’s it, that’s all… Two are brand new, and two are close to done and have been through some review already, one is new and written and needs to be reviewed by co-authors and I need to be the organizer and compiler of everything. So I really need to focus and find a way to move them all forward and not let the harder ones languish forever…
Students: I want to get new grad student started off well, get current grad students through the rigours of writing a thesis.
Life: In the Fall gardening category I want to remember to plant bulbs (I never do), and move hostas to make new flower beds. In other life things I want to continue my excellent exercise regimen from last session and give time and attention to something creative for my sabbatical
Dame Eleanor Hull
Research: draft and/or expand two book chapters. [Same for the fictional version of Dame Eleanor.]
Teaching: deliver effective courses, grade promptly, do a little prep of spring courses. [Prepare for tutoring sessions, seek out new students for when this lot go up to university.]
House/Life: unpack at least half the boxes in the garage. Put the garden to bed. Do at least ten things on my list of Stuff That Will Stay Done. [Go through at least half of the trunks in the attic, put the garden to bed, do at least ten things . . . ]
Time Management: take Sundays and at least half of Saturdays off from work, and work more efficiently on weekdays to make this possible. [Observe the Sabbath, and take Saturday to prepare to do so.] This will depend on
Health: manage food and exercise so as to sleep adequately on a regular basis. [A lady does not speak of such pedestrian needs, which we all share, though dear Lady Fortescue insists that this attitude enables considerable suffering, especially among the genteel poor; NB, reflect further upon this point, as Lady F v. insightful.]
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
Mantra: Breathe
Organization:
Bring order to the work office by slashing and burning (only figuratively) the mass of paper inhabiting the space
Go through bookshelf: scan important articles, return any books read/discarded as not useful
File what is left
Planning:
Reverse outline partially written articles
Plan next steps on each, or, alternatively, abandon
Health:
Continue to make doctors’ appointments, scans, and other fun things
Writing:
Write when it is fun or rewarding; read when writing is drudgery (within reason)
heu mihi
Session goals:
1. Take time to stop doing things.
This means: sit, go into the forest, do yoga, rest, knit, enjoy my family.
2. Write steadily and calmly.
This means: Finish WH and SUBMIT IT, work up a rough draft of paper due in February (which will also inform chapter 1 of big new project), submit grant proposal and sabbatical application, submit Kzoo abstract on time.
3. Take an Italian class!
4. Do good things for others
This means: Write letters/postcards for political activism group, eat more vegan meals (twice a week?), respond reasonably promptly to emails, stay on top of big committee
humming42
Teaching
Do the usual
Draft proposal for new program
Research
Draft DQ book proposal
Write quality presentations for three online conferences
Submit to favorite spring conference
Creative
Organize existing drafts of poems and flash nonfiction
Create a submission plan
Commit to and enjoy online classes
Domestic
Finish cleaning office
Build and fill bookcases
Clear all recycling from house and garage
JaneB
Goals for the session:
Sad but realistic goal for the session: SURVIVAL (i.e. all my classes were covered to a minimum level, I am alive without long covid, my grad students haven't sacked me, and I have not told the university to stuff its job where the sun don't shine. Also I didn't actually make the state of the house WORSE and the cat is thriving as far as an anxious, dumb, cautious cat who apparently was put on this earth to shed fluff can thrive). Setting goals is depressing because they keep being wrecked by circumstances...
Goals for the coming week:
1) self-care: do 3 songs worth of exercise each day, bring the downstairs basket up and the upstairs basket down and PUT AWAY the items in each (hereafter "basket swap"), improve one small area of the house somehow.
2) make a list of the essential VLE work I need to do before students return, and a schedule for doing it over the next 2-3 weeks
3) get caught up on stupid CPD videos and things
4) read over what we said we'd do for the grant that got funded, and make some initial notes.
Karen
Teaching: finish up this semester without getting behind, set up external connections and partnerships for sem 1 2022 unit.
Research: pilot SOTL project and present paper on it, see three PhD/Masters students to submission.
Self and Home: maintain planting schedule, get out (in some way shape or form) each week, get home office fully functional given there's at least one more year of hotdesk hell to come.
Susan
Goals:
1. Research: get rough drafts of last two chapters of Famous Author, a short book I'm writing about someone you have heard of. Usually do at least two writing sessions a week
2. Teaching: keep up with classes, don't get overwhelmed
3. Admin: I'm drafting the self-study for the graduate program review. It's due at the end of September but mid-October is probably reasonable
4. Other service: I'm finishing (this week) work on both a book prize & article prize; I've got a tenure review; a jacket blurb; and a ms to read for a colleague. I'm also president of a scholarly organization, so stuff will come up about it.
5. House: 3 house tasks (clean ducts, refinish floor in guest room & paint guest room)
6. Keep up with exercise, multiple kinds. (biking, strength, maybe more yoga)
7. See friends, see my mother
8. Read for fun
