Topic of the week: favorite, or most-used, kitchen tool or gadget? Is it new/fancy, or an old friend that might have seen better days?
And to extend the topic into metaphor, what new or old gadget or routine helps you with writing or getting things done? Is there something you need to pull out of the cupboard and put to use? Something beat-up that you could replace with a newer, shinier version, such as a new ritual writing mug or notebook?
And how did you do last week, or during the last couple of weeks? We hope those missing in action (CC, Daisy) are doing all right, and send our good wishes your way!
Latest weekly goals set:
Dame Eleanor Hull
- make weekly schedule for the rest of summer
- campus day tomorrow, meet with two grads, spend 30 minutes tidying my office
- swim x 3, yoga x5, get up early enough to walk on days gym is closed, or else climb stairs somewhere with a/c
- send e-mails related to last week's conference
- identify and contact reviewers for edited volume (v much past due: what's more TRQ than TRQ??)
- read and note three articles or chapters
- create syllabus for one to-be-proposed course
- fireworks! Dinner with friends! 3 x 20 minutes in the garden!
- organize the guest room closet and shelves
heu mihi (held over)
1. Finish book to review
2. At least 50 pp. of Italian novel
3. Keep my inbox(es) fairly clear
4. Finish green sweater that I don't really like
JaneB
1) building better habits: one creative thing with the hands, keep reading for pleasure, start a new yarn project, take some time to think and journal about what "better habits" really are, get a bit ahead on D&D preparation
2) Environment: get caught up on chores, start decluttering study etc. room
3) blocks: make some lists and set up a July Plan
4) writing: no goals
5) grad students: no goals
Julie
1. Claim expenses
2. Check revisions to a PhD thesis and sign off.
3. Report on chapter for review.
4. Outline one of the chapters I have to write.
5. House stuff: catch up, book a hotel room for a regatta trip in two weeks time, do some research for summer travel.
6. Read, get back to exercise, finish TV series before I see any more spoilers.
Susan (held over)
1. Make sure power point is set up for talk
2. Read paper one more time. Do I dare read off my i Pad?
3. Spend some time with microfilm
4. Read essay for young scholar
5. Enjoy the workshop
6. Get ready for vacation
Hello. Favourite kitchen implement - it varies - I tend to stick to a small set of tools for a while then change everything up. I do love my air fryer in this weather - much less heat loss and energy use than the oven. And have an unreasonable fondness for a not terribly wonderful cheap knife that I think I bought when I was an undergrad (definitely not long after) which is still my go to basic knife in the kitchen. And a good metal baking sheet - for cookies, and for all kinds of "one sheet meals"...
ReplyDeleteWhat habit works? Weekend (often Sunday evening) Meetings With Myself. Writing when I'm stuck, or confused, because it unsticks my thinking. Using pen and paper (especially a good pen) to bounce around ideas and structures and plans and to dump out the contents of my brain before I organise it.
THE WEEK JUST GONE -at least it cooled off...
1) building better habits: one creative thing with the hands, keep reading for pleasure, start a new yarn project, take some time to think and journal about what "better habits" really are, get a bit ahead on D&D preparation did several noodly sort of paintings, read somewhat, did not start a new yarn project (still having some issues as my fingers heal from the stupid heat rash, plus it involves decisions), thought but did not really journal (feeling overwhelmed), got a couple weeks ahead on D&D prep on the current "filler" game
2) Environment: get caught up on chores, start decluttering study etc. room mostly caught up. Decluttering Person session was rescheduled to tomorrow (Monday) because it was hot and humid here... third time lucky?
3) blocks: make some lists and set up a July Plan did make some lists, did not make a July plan, that felt a bit big...
4) writing: no goals managed that!
5) grad students: no goals managed that!
COMING WEEK:
Back to work. And the forecast is for increasing heat again towards the end of the week. Sigh! Still zero motivation...
1) building better habits: one creative thing with the hands, keep reading for pleasure, start a new yarn project, journal
2) Environment: do week's chores, start decluttering study etc. room
3) blocks: one teaching block
4) writing: do some work on the collaborative paper with a deadline
5) grad students: catch up on feedback to PhD students; meet with all students.
I hope that the decluttering session is helpful! Sorry to hear about the heat rash--that sounds very unpleasant.
DeleteSadly the declutterer had to cancel (she isn't well so I'm glad as I don't need anything else on top of what the stress and the weather are doing to me!). Apparently this room is just destined to descend into cosy nest of paper-dom...
DeleteOne thing about paper is that the longer you leave it, the more likely it is that you can just recycle it when you get around to going through it!
DeleteNot sure I have a single favourite gadget. I have a non-stick deep frying pan with a lid my brother bought me, which works well for almost anything. I also like having stuff in glass storage jars rather than packets, but that's purely aesthetics. I do have two vintage round Tupperware boxes that I rescued from our Barcelona flat before it was cleared out. Not sure how old they are, but they were part of the kitchen ware from childhood holidays, so I'm sentimentally attached. They still work well!
ReplyDeleteMetaphorical gadget: a paper diary with space for daily and weekly to-do lists. And writing outlines with paper and pen first.
Last week:
1. Claim expenses - YES
2. Check revisions to a PhD thesis and sign off. - YES
3. Report on chapter for review. - YES
4. Outline one of the chapters I have to write. - STILL NO
5. House stuff: catch up, book a hotel room for a regatta trip in two weeks time, do some research for summer travel. - MOSTLY, YES, YES
6. Read, get back to exercise, finish TV series before I see any more spoilers. - YES, YES, YES (but may rewatch final episode as there was a lot to take in).
Also: had a nice time at graduation watching favourite PhD student get her doctorate, and saying goodbye to some very good undergrads.
This week:
1. Inspired by JaneB, write July plan for three weeks that are left before holiday.
2. Outline the chapter!
3. Read chapter for PhD student.
4. House/life admin: SIL's birthday, update calendar, chase patio furniture, contact shed man, tidy desk, book hairdresser
5. Self-care: exercise, reading, try again on sleep, journal, enjoy hosting dinner for friends.
Sounds like you had a pretty good week--I hope that this week goes well, too, and that that outline proves to be straightforward and easy to write!
Delete110% with you on the paper diary and paper starting points! And if you can write a July list, I can write a July list...
DeleteI seem not to be able to write a July list . . . but will try again! Like you, I enjoy having a few objects from childhood holidays, in my case bits of silverware.
DeleteMy favorite gadget is a very good knife I was given as a 21st birthday present in 1975. It's paring knife size, very sharp, even though the blade is now a bit uneven. It's perfect for most small knife tasks. I keep trying to find something that will equal it, but so far no luck. I use it almost every day when I'm at home.
ReplyDeleteNot sure I have a favorite tool for work...
How I did:
1. Make sure power point is set up for talk DONE
2. Read paper one more time. Do I dare read off my i Pad? YES, NO (it was printed out)
3. Spend some time with microfilm STARTED,
4. Read essay for young scholar YES
5. Enjoy the workshop YES
6. Get ready for vacation YES
Vacation is over, and I'm trying to settle back in, but the workshop was great, and I'm now enjoying no more big deadlines. I'm sitting in the library, which has somehow had difficulty locating my microfilm, and I'm doing this instead of panicking.
Goals for this week:
1. Read microfilm
2. Read essay for journal, expedited emergency read
3. Plan later summer trip to archive
4. Follow up on Famous Author
5. Enjoy various social things
6. Walk to work every day, home at least once.
7. Finish the novel I'm reading.
Those sound like mostly very lovely goals! I'm glad that the workshop went well.
DeleteI love how many of us are choosing old, well loved objects in our kitchens!
DeleteHello! Sorry I missed last week! I was visiting my family, and then I got either a brief and terrible stomach bug OR had a migraine. It looks more like the latter in retrospect, which is worrisome.... The only other migraine I ever had was in 2006, and it was not an experience I cared to repeat. Anyway, let's hope it was a weird one-off.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm going to skip over my week goals from two weeks ago (they were very low-key anyway) and just do my midterm assessment, followed by this week's goals.
Session goals:
1. Research/writing: Complete copy-edits of book, submit revised article, submit abstract for MK, start working (idly) on research for MK, read and review book
—All of these except for the idle work are either well underway or completed. But I need to add “Revise article for collection” (also well underway at this point). My secret goal of finishing all academic projects in June wasn’t quite met, but I’m very close!
2. Creative: Finish green sweater, work on knit dress, make a book or two, other projects!!
—Green sweater just needs loose ends to be woven in and the blocking; I’m working on the knit dress; I haven’t done anything else
3. House: Clear out storage area, fix basement doors that don't close properly, wash windows at some point
—Not yet; started on storage area with kid, but then he ran out of steam so it’s not done
4. Family: Costa Rica album, anniversary book, vol. 2 of uncle's memoirs
—None of this
5. Personal: Read Italian novel vol. 2, get outdoors as much as possible, lots of exercise
—Doing well here
6. Misc. work: Update program website, prep new class
—Started with class prep
This is helpful: I need to reorient myself a little bit, away from work-work and towards home/life stuff.
This week: Kid is a CIT at a kung fu day camp, so I should really focus BUT also enjoy some time to be free away from the house. However, I also have to read a dissertation, alas.
This week’s goals:
1. Complete and send in book review
2. Complete revision of article (that will finish up all of my required academic/research-related work for the summer!)
3. Next 50 pages of Italian novel
4. Read dissertation
5. Update graduate handbook on website; reply to student
6. Make progress on one home/life goal (work on uncle’s memoir or Costa Rica album or wash the windows or something).
I like the prompt but I'm skipping it--partly because I can't think of an answer, and partly because this is long enough already!
I hope you had a stomach bug, not a migraine. And if a migraine, it's not repeated! I hope you can enjoy some fun stuff, not just a dissertation and updating graduate handbook!
DeleteHope you can fit in some fun! Maybe at least some of the dissertation could be read in a coffee shop or under a tree or whatever?
DeleteThere can be one-off migraines; I think I had one once. I also seem to have developed a sensitivity to salmon that produces migraine-like symptoms, so could it be something you ate? Anyway, I hope you had a good visit with your family apart from that!
DeleteMost of my kitchen gear is old and simple. A box grater gets a lot of use, as carrots are one food I can eat in quantity and I like grated carrot salad; it's much easier to wash the grater than the food processor. Last year after a visit to friends who cook in iron almost exclusively, we bought two iron skillets, a 6" and a 10", which we use daily (but due to weight, I'm still not up for a cast-iron pot).
ReplyDeleteI think the metaphorical lesson might be to keep things simple and with limited clean-up . . . but I'm not sure how that applies to writing. For the two conference papers I wrote in June, I first put together the slides, then when I was happy with them cranked the papers out in a day or two, which has led me to experiment with "drafting in PowerPoint" for the essay due in September. We'll see!
Last week was not an energetic week. Too hot. I did a fair bit of gardening, way more than planned, but also wore myself out with it, and even going outside briefly on hot mornings made me feel wiped out for the rest of the day. There were naps. Well, it was a holiday week. Let's start over . . .
- make weekly schedule for the rest of summer: IN PROGRESS
- campus day tomorrow, meet with two grads, spend 30 minutes tidying my office: ONE grad (the other rescheduled), NO
- swim x 3, yoga x5, get up early enough to walk on days gym is closed, or else climb stairs somewhere with a/c: SWAM x2 (gym was closed four days), YES yoga, NO walking
- send e-mails related to last week's conference: YES
- identify and contact reviewers for edited volume (v much past due: what's more TRQ than TRQ??): NOooo MUST DO NOW
- read and note three articles or chapters: NO, well, wait, I read two but didn't take notes, so, PROGRESS
- create syllabus for one to-be-proposed course: NO but had a great idea for an on-campus "field trip" for it, plus maybe another one in campus town (visiting a Gothic revival church, to give students a sense of medieval-inspired spaces)
- fireworks! Dinner with friends! 3 x 20 minutes in the garden! YES! YES! And about THREE HOURS in the garden!
- organize the guest room closet and shelves: NO
The coming week is cluttered with appointments, including two campus days, a physical, and getting back to working out with my trainer. Who knows, maybe that will impose some structure on my days. Or maybe it will be an excuse for more laziness. At least it will be somewhat less hot (am I turning into JaneB? I used to like heat).
New goals:
- make weekly schedule for the rest of summer
- two campus days, meet with two grads, spend 30 minutes tidying my office, visit potential "field trip" sites
- swim x 2, yoga x5, cardio x 4
- identify and contact reviewers for edited volume (v much past due: what's more TRQ than TRQ??)
- take notes on articles read last week
- create syllabus for one to-be-proposed course
- organize the guest room closet and shelves
- get a massage or facial or something self-indulgent
- think about fall courses (they're on my mind anyway, so it would be good to write down a few notes, at least)