Hello from a very cold, very rainy, and very windy week in my neck of the woods… Tea and toast inside is really the only sensible thing to do.
So, in the spirit of tea and toast, it is tea party time! We’re all meeting at a cabin for a tea party, and the only rule is that whatever you bring must be easy to make. It can be holiday-themed or just a regular one, so seasonal specialties are welcome. What would you bring? Bonus if you include the recipe!
GOALS FROM LAST WEEK
Daisy
Set up review labs for
classes
Last thesis edits
Do introduction and overview of languishing paper
Finish microscope work for new paper
Pick analytical samples and get at least three done
Make friend plans!
Dame Eleanor Hull
- one household task of some sort
- notes on bibliography from book JG, notes on text of book LA
- read, write up notes for grad class
- prep some discussion questions for undergrads
- read remaining chapter drafts for student A, advise on restructure
- show up for two appointments on Wednesday
- yoga x4, swim x2-3, weights x2
- some fun reading
heu mihi
1. Get back to workouts
after last week's cold
2. Start rereading a book for the article due in April--ideally read intro
& chapter 1
3. Plan next Monday's lecture, where I think that I initially said I'd talk
about what gives life meaning.
JaneB
1 SELF-CARE. Remember
I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands things
(ii) read at least three days
(iii) play D&D with nibling or the group.
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15
minutes
2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) stay caught up on dishes
iv) wrap and post advent calendars (a tea one for my Aunt who is ill, because
she's definitely a cup of tea helps with anything sort of person and likes
trying new herbal blends since she had to give up caffeine, a D&D one for
my nibling, and chocolate ones for my parents because they always buy
themselves a pictures-only grownup one then go on wistfully about how other
people get treats...)
3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) prepare everything for teaching next week (a lot)
ii) start marking
4 RESEARCH
i) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy
paper, ugh!
ii) look over files for an outside researcher's project and give them feedback
Julie
1. Teaching prep - keep
minimal, but need to think ahead to final skills session, which is new.
2. Read and shortlist eight proposals for postdoc fellowship & chair
meeting to select nominee to next stage.
3. Carry on marking.
4. House: more decluttering, buy some Christmas presents, agree who is buying
what for nieces & nephews.
5. Self-care: rest, read, exercise gently.
Susan
1. Send chapters of
Famous Author to a few friends for review.
2. Get through first two chapters of revision
3. Start transcribing a second appendix, write intro for first appendix
4. Organize outline for talk
5. Go for walks, look at art
6. Keep up with exercise and healthy eating
7. Keep up with general kindness to self and others.
Hope the last week of November is decent!
Definitely feels like the right time for a tea party. We had a week of bitterly cold weather last week: a light snowfall that then turned to ice. It was gloriously sunny, but the kind of cold that hurts to be outside in for too long. Then yesterday we had about 4 inches of snow first thing, which created some white space by meaning all sporting events were cancelled. It melted very quickly, though, and now we're back to everything being grey. So I will be very glad to drink tea, maybe with some spices, and eat all sorts of treats. I will bring mince pies. I don't have a standard recipe, since I'm not organised/skilled enough to make the mincemeat, so every year it depends which brand I buy. A former colleague gave me a jar of home made mincemeat one year which was amazing: no shop version has been as good since, sadly. But I keep searching....
ReplyDeleteLast week:
1. Teaching prep - keep minimal, but need to think ahead to final skills session, which is new. - YES, NO
2. Read and shortlist eight proposals for postdoc fellowship & chair meeting to select nominee to next stage. - YES
3. Carry on marking. - YES (slowly)
4. House: more decluttering, buy some Christmas presents, agree who is buying what for nieces & nephews. - YES, YES, now bought for nephews.
5. Self-care: rest, read, exercise gently. - YES (switched alarm off on Saturday, first time in ages), YES, YES (Pilates x 1, run x 1)
Also: graded proposals for a conference poster session I'd forgotten about. It was a bit of a week: the car went in for a routine service, which discovered a fault that meant I couldn't drive until it was fixed. I borrowed my mother's car, but we did not get on, especially on icy roads. Luckily, it was only for two days in the end. More or less over the cold, back still niggling, but not like it was.
This week:
1. Finish this batch of marking, start the next if time.
2. Read student's PhD thesis ahead of meeting.
3. Teaching prep - keep minimal, but start on final week session.
4. Research: book a short trip to London library, organise some transcription/data entry for remaining funds.
5. Prep for in-laws visiting at weekend.
6. More Christmas planning.
Why do cars always present problems when the weather is least cooperative? Glad to hear the back is improving, and mincepies are always a win. Homemade mincemeat is pretty good isn't it? And apple-cinnamon tea really comes into its own this time of year. Or of course mulled apple juice or a nice glass of mulled wine...
DeleteMince pies are absolutely required at this party!
DeleteHope the icy roads clear up and the car is back to normal.
Oh! Now I want mince pies! And glad that storm Bert (when did we get into naming storms) was not too bad in your neck of the woods!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYes perfect weather for a teaparty! I'm enough south of Julie that we've had heavy rain and wind and unseasonal mildness for the last couple of days, but before that there was a lot of car scraping and bright days with snow flurries. Some colleagues took undergraduates to a beach on the snowiest day, and they have some great pictures of snow on the beach etc. - and reported that student ability to focus on the task and work quickly was markedly higher than usual!
ReplyDeleteMy contribution to the party will be two things - some quick cheese straws and a festive tiffin. For the cheese straws - get a sheet of ready-made puff pastry, roll it out a little, sprinkle one half with a generous handful of a flavourful cheese (e.g. cheddar) and some smoked or normal paprika, fold over the other half, press down with rolling pin or hands, repeat the layer and fold and roll, repeat the fold and roll, cut into strips half-one inch wide, twist, put on a prepared baking sheet (I line with greaseproof paper or a silicon liner so I don't have to wash up the tray), and bake for 7-10 minutes at about GM6/200 degC/400 degF. If you feel fancy brush with beaten egg and scatter with poppy seeds or sesame seeds (variations with dried herbs, chilli flakes, different cheese mixtures all can be easily made). Rich and delicious especially if served warm. I like to dip them in a yoghurt-y dip like tzatsiki (from the store) or just a bowl of plain full fat yoghurt or sour cream with some paprika stirred in if I'm feeling fancy.
For the festive tiffin - get a packet of crisp ginger or spice biscuits (speculous, British gingernuts - gingersnaps do work but they're a bit thin - or use a plainer biscuit like a Graham cracker and add spices to the chocolate mix), break them up roughly, chop some crystallised ginger and some glace cherries (or whatever you like - the juicy kind of dried apricots are good, or the really big, squishy raisins or sultanas). Melt good dark chocolate with butter (about equal quantities) and if you like seasonal spices or you used plain biscuits add 1-2 tspns of a mix of seasonal spices at this stage. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, etc.... Stir in the crushed biscuits and fruit, mix well, press into a pan (lined with greaseproof paper for easy removal, or greased), chill in the fridge or in a cold place for a couple of hours to overnight. To be fancy pour a thin layer of additional melted chocolate over the top and add Christmas sprinkles or a drizzle of white chocolate/white icing. Very flexible in terms of dietary needs too.
Oh, and a lazy but delicious dessert if you have mincemeat is mincemeat and pear galette. Get a sheet of ready made shortcrust pastry, put it on a lined tray, cut into a roughly circular shape (basically curve off the corners). You're going to heap the filling in the central part of the pastry, leaving about 3-4 inches/7-10cm all around the edge to fold over. Sprinkle a thin layer of ground almonds or semolina over the central area (optional). Add about half a jar of mincemeat, drain a can of pear halves or quarters and arrange the pear pieces on top of the mincemeat. Fold the outer part of the circle inwards - it won't completely cover the filling, it's not supposed to. Pleat the pastry roughly so you don't end up with too many thin bits or six layer bits. Add the scraps from the corners in the middle area (if feeling fancy, cut into seasonal shapes with cookie cutters). brush pastry with water and scatter sugar over the surface. Cook about GM 5 for 30-40 minutes. Goes well with cream/greek yoghurt/ice cream. Also works well with apples...
It was a hard week because of three days on campus and a lot of teaching, and the fourth work day I still had to leave the house for a visit to the GP (medication renewal, but it ended up taking a while as there were students in so I was asked to talk to them too, which, happy to help, but also just another social interaction in an over full week). The cold weather didn't help.
Delete1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands things. Not really.
(ii) read at least three days. three - I paused the good-but-literary book and read two cosy mysteries (anyone who likes cosy dragons might enjoy the Beaufort Scales mysteries, which involve a colony of dragons in the Yorkshire Dales who have made friends with the middle aged ladies of the Women's Institute of a nearby village. It's not great literature, but it is VERY cosy!
(iii) play D&D with nibling or the group. with nibling
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes two
2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list Yes
ii) stay caught up on dishes no, but it's not TOO bad. YET
iv) wrap and post advent calendars yes
3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) prepare everything for teaching next week (a lot) yes
ii) start marking exactly one essay. But that counts as "started". Even if it wasn't very good
4 RESEARCH
i) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, ugh! yes. Sigh
ii) look over files for an outside researcher's project and give them feedback yes - multiple stages of this as I kept having to email and say "where's this file?" "did you include that in the output?" etc. and wait for them to reply
THE COMING WEEK:
Another week of a lot of teaching and three full days on campus. Thursday I get to Chair a grad student's viva... and I have a lot of marking to get done over the next two weeks.
1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands things
(ii) read at least three days
(iii) play D&D with nibling or the group.
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes
2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) stay caught up on dishes
iii) make proper list of remaining Christmas presents to get, wrap/write international cards/gifts
3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) prepare everything for teaching next week (not too much)
ii) marking - do the two smaller assignments completely and at least 5 of the big assignment.
4 RESEARCH
i) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, ugh!
ii) look over files for an outside researcher's project and give them feedback
iii) spend an hour working on notes for Grant Idea ahead of a meeting the following week.
Oooh can't decide what I want to try first, the cozy dragon books or the mince with pear pie! Both sound perfect for this time of year.
DeleteHope the researcher getting feedback is suitably appreciative and that all the teaching prep and planning goes well and pays off.
THe mince with pear pie sounds awesome. And I will shortly share a video on how to make cheese straws, but right now the settings are private, and I have to get my brother to fix it. (Don't worry, it's exactly your recipe...)
DeleteThe second cozy dragon book is about magical christmas ornaments so VERY seasonal!
DeleteI want all of those treats!
DeleteTea party food… love the offers we already have, I’m totally making JaneB’s tiffin for the department potluck next week! It sounds amazing…
ReplyDeleteFor savoury things I’m bringing beer bread – one can of your favourite beer (hoppy ones are particularly good), four (or three if smaller beer can) cups of flour, handful of your favourite spices, handful of grated parmesan if you like that sort of thing, bake till done, it is dead easy and really good. I will also bring mulled hot apple cider. Not sure what they put in it but local market sells little bags of mulling spices and they are amazing.
Last week’s goals
Set up review labs for classes DONE
Last thesis edits DONE
Do introduction and overview of languishing paper NOTHING
Finish microscope work for new paper STARTED
Pick analytical samples and get at least three done STARTED
Make friend plans! DONE
It was a weird week… Also marked a million things, got everything ready for end of term for all my classes, and dealt with a pile of drama that got dropped on my volunteer organization. Ugh… drama is the worst… But people gonna people so only thing to do is deal and hope it doesn’t come back…
This week’s goals
Microscope work
Sample prep work
New thesis figures
Do paper intro and methods
Accounting for all outstanding expenses
Organize new grad student arrival stuff
Practice for upcoming shows
Sounds like you got a lot done, but ugh, drama...
DeleteOh, my. For the tea party, I will bring whiskey cake. The recipe can be found here: https://www.food.com/recipe/old-fashioned-whiskey-cake-96446 // It's dead easy (most complicated bit is chopping nuts) and if you don't want whiskey, I did it with apple juice and cinnamon and it was great. I got the recipe from someone I "knew" in twitter back in the day, and she said she did it when she'd turned in her grades for the term! I like to bake, but have become increasingly lazy! (If I were at home, I'd bring some of my marmalade to put on the toast, but I don't have that here.)
ReplyDeleteIt's got cold (by California standards) here, and while there was rain at my home, none down here.
How I did last week:
1. Send chapters of Famous Author to a few friends for review. TWO OF THREE
2. Get through first two chapters of revision NO
3. Start transcribing a second appendix, write intro for first appendix NO, but a little progress
4. Organize outline for talk YES - started drafting
5. Go for walks, look at art YES
6. Keep up with exercise and healthy eating YES
7. Keep up with general kindness to self and others. I THINK?
I got sidetracked last week by unexpected and unnecessary money related stuff: a kerfuffle over my car insurance (the company cancelled the policy one week after they issued the bill for non-payment) and then I learned that because a university I used to work for was going bankrupt, I had to deal with the retirement account I had from them. A double whammy.
The next few weeks will be stressful because I'm working on two tracks, and that doesn't generally go well for me. But I've been doing useful stuff on Famous Author, just not the chapter revisions. (Added stuff to the "Further Reading" section, which still needs to double in length to hit the word goal.) But then I got asked for a summary of the talk I'm giving in January, which got me thinking, as did a lunch with colleagues. So I've got a few pages of that, knowing that it should not be too long. Anyway, not quite what was needed, but still.
Goals for this week - very modest because it's late Monday, and the only other work day I have this week is tomorrow. After that I'll be ensconced in family for three days, before leaving to catch my breath.
1. Really sit down with the first chapter of Famous Author and see what I can do. (I think this is the real problem chapter.)
2. Purchase stuff needed for medical test next week, and food I can eat for preparation.
3. Keep up with exercise. Healthy eating is a challenge over thanksgiving, and we'll have two pies for 6 people.
4. Continue to love my family, of whom I will have A LOT.
Meanwhile, Ginger George is apparently not well, so I may need to drive up to my home to check on him.
Poor Ginger George! I hope he'll be glad to see you. Best wishes!
DeleteThe whisky cake sounds delightful and so easy! Maybe one to make when the problem chapter is dealt with?
DeleteI always figure the right ration of pie to guest is 1 to 1... Leftover pie is the best post-holiday lunch!
Hope Ginger George is ok...
I hope Ginger George is glad to see you and isn't suffering. And safe travels!
DeleteHope Ginger George is ok.
DeleteThis is really a response to JaneB, but: some years ago, there was a contest at a New Year's Eve party I'd been invited to to make an "artisanal county fair appetizer", and then to create a video. My whole family got involved, as the credits at the end will show. There are several special appearances by the late Sam, in all his glory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGSpLwu56-8
ReplyDeleteNote: this was edited by my SIL, who IRL edits professionally for reality TV. It was written by my brother, who has a genius for comic effect. And it was narrated by my sister, who has lived in France for most of her adult life...
DeleteOh I love that! What a fun family project! Also now I really really want cheese straws...
DeleteI love that video! delightful!
DeleteThe video is amazing! I might try the cheese straws....
DeleteSam was a big hit here! A ringer for the young Basement Cat, before his whiskers turned white.
DeleteI need to reiterate that other than choosing to make cheese straws, providing the recipe, and doing the acting, I bear no responsibility for the awesomeness of the video! But I have a very talented family!
DeleteThere was a cottage-cheese-dill-bread that I used to make, from some old Moosewood cookbook, and all of a sudden I'm craving it! So that's what I would bring! I don't have the recipe on me, though (I'm at work). Maybe I need to make it again--it's been over a decade, at least! But it's certainly easy.
ReplyDeleteThis week is just ridiculous. We only have classes MT, but the situation with the people being people and creating drama has grown vastly worse and stupider, in part BECAUSE I was a GROWN-UP ABOUT IT and TALKED to the people in question, who are now on some rampage among the other grad students trying to figure out who "talked." Um, hey, they cannot forbid their colleagues from coming to me with concerns. That's what they're supposed to do.
Of course, I'm not supposed to know that they're on a rampage, since I only know it through my unidentified source, who is afraid of being found out. IT IS RIDICULOUS, I TELL YOU.
I will recommence dealing with it on Sunday, I think.
Anyway.... Last week!
1. Get back to workouts after last week's cold - YES, although I missed Thursday's run because I had to spend allll day on campus
2. Start rereading a book for the article due in April--ideally read intro & chapter 1 - Intro yes, Ch. 1 no
3. Plan next Monday's lecture, where I think that I initially said I'd talk about what gives life meaning. - Yes.
Well, that was a mercifully short list. I did manage to forget about reading for an independent study, too.
I'm scrambling with lot of work this week, so this list will be longer. We'll see what I manage, what with holiday travel and relaxation.
1. Finish independent study book
2. Grade set of papers and set of extra-credit assignments
3. Read for Monday and prep lecture (I've never taught the book before; I have a colleague's PowerPoint and notes, but I need to make it my own a little bit, I think)
4. Italian: Mini-essay 5, read for Tuesday after Thanksgiving
5. Draft final exam
6. Submit expanded form for edited collection proposal to press
7. Final edits to short essay due 12/1
Next week is going to be a zoo, too, since Advent is starting (super busy for husband), there are various events, AND we're having a last-minute campus visit for a spousal hire. THIS SEMESTER MUST END.
That was a lot of all-caps in my update. Sorry!
OMG why are people people? And grad students are sometimes this weird combination of adults who want to be adults but (for not bad reasons) get super dramatic when they decide something is wrong. (One of our grad students last year decided to explain to a colleague how she should teach!)
DeleteAnyway, I hope you have some down time over the holiday, even though Advent is a crazy time for church people!
People are just exhausting. EXHAUSTING.
DeleteSometimes you just need all caps! Hope things calm down.
DeleteSome years back we had some really poisonous, paranoid people in the grad program who pretty much ruined their own and everyone else's experiences despite faculty efforts to calm them down and re-focus. In the end, we had to wait till the perpetrators and the people they had the most effect on graduated or left, and since then our grad students have played well with each other and the faculty. But that was a horrid time, and I hope your interventions are more successful.
DeleteI could do with a tea party. Green Earl Grey, please, and I'll bring chocolate cake. It's possible to mix this one right in the baking pan, but in some ways it's easier to use a bowl.
ReplyDeleteDry ingredients:
1.5 cups flour (wheat or a gf mix)
1/3 cup cocoa powder (I like Special Dark)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
hefty dash cinnamon if you like chocolate/cinnamon flavor
Stir all these around till well mixed. Some recipes say to sift, but I never bother.
Wet ingredients; mix in separate bowl or large measuring cup:
1 cup cold water or coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Add the wet to the dry and stir thoroughly.
Finally, add 2 tablespoons vinegar (white or cider) to the batter and give a quick stir.
Pour into a greased cake pan (8" square or 9" round) and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. If you want to make a layer cake, double the quantities and use two round pans. You can also turn it into cupcakes. It's fine as-is, or you can glaze it with chocolate, or top with the frosting of your choice.
How I did:
ReplyDelete- one household task of some sort: YES-PLUS, I did a lot here, mostly outside. Put the new car registration sticker on my car, and took it in for oil change etc. Turned over the compost/dug the volunteer potatoes (only 1.5 lbs this year, most of them very small), cut herbs before frost (they are now drying in the garage), finally attempted to apply weedkiller---but (a) I couldn't get the big new squirt bottle to squirt, so reverted to a small one, which didn't provide good coverage on large troublesome areas, so I just squirted some dandelions, and then (b) it rained that night, despite the clear forecast, so probably this effort will do no good at all. And Sir John, responsible for mowing, doesn't mind the Creeping Charlie because it doesn't grow tall as fast as grass does. I think I'm stuck.
- notes on bibliography from book JG, notes on text of book LA: Progress, not yet done, but getting close.
- read, write up notes for grad class: adequate prep for last week, now trying to write up notes (for future iterations of the class) from the last two week's sticky notes.
- prep some discussion questions for undergrads: No, had to wing it.
- read remaining chapter drafts for student A, advise on restructure: Some skimming prior to meeting with A; gave lavish encouragement. I don't think A needs to restructure so much as just keep adding developed writing to the outline.
- show up for two appointments on Wednesday: YES. Good report from the dentist! :-)
- yoga x4, swim x2-3, weights x2: YES, x1, x1.
- some fun reading: YES. ALSO went to the library for more fun reading.
ALSO: some organizing of social life, some shopping for food I don't have to get very often (i.e., huge sack of brown rice, etc), an extra meeting b/c PEOPLE are PEOPLEING.
New goals:
- bake cookies to take to Thanksgiving dinner at my BIL's tomorrow
- get a massage
- yoga x 5, jog/run x 1, swim x1, weights x1, walk/strengthening stuff at home x3 (gym is closed 4 days this week)
- pay bills, change mortgage payment amount
- 1-2 household tasks
- comment on all grad paper drafts
- process grad apps
- finish note-taking on LA, JG, readings for grad class
Just a note that yesterday I drove home and took Ginger George to the vet for the last time. His kidneys were completely shot, and he could hardly move. He was feral (or abandoned) and adopted my mother; he came to me when she had her stroke. He was companionable but not generally cozy, and always wanted to the boss. He really loved the people who fed him. (He ceased paying attention to my mother once he moved in with me!)
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear this. Of course there always will be that last vet visit, and we know that when we take a cat on, but it's hard to deal with it all the same. It sounds like you and your mother did well by Ginger George. May he rest in peace.
DeleteSo sorry to hear this - that last kindness never gets easier, even for a standoffish cupboard love type of cat who still managed to put paw prints on lives. Especially difficult because of the connection with other losses - I hope it doesn't blight your holiday season too much.
DeleteSo sorry to hear that, even when it is expected this part of cat life is so hard. Mister Ginger George had good humans in you and your Mom, you made him happy for a long time...
Delete