2026 Summer session: Week 9

2026 Summer session: Week 9

Hello everyone!

Here we are in the second half of our session, major progress is happening for many goals, others are simmering quietly (like the excellent strawberry jam I made this week), some are just hanging out in the background, and a few newcomers have arrived bringing excitement and trepidation in equal amounts.

My garden is struggling a bit with heat, but the first flowers for the annuals are starting to show up. The nasturtiums are trying hard, so in the spirit of celebrating small wins, here are the first two flowers that did not get eaten by presumably the same critters doing a number on the sweet pepper plants…The volunteer raspberry plants are doing great, nothing eats them!

 

Two prompt options – if you have added goals to your summer, what needs to be moved or changed to make room for the new goals? And if you’re in the mood for small celebrations, what has been your favourite thing about this summer so far?

Goals from last week:

DEH

- finish off and send W-essay
- try to finish editing, or at least enough to dump it on co-editor
- 2 hours M-work
- trip prep, packing, etc
- write letters or e-mail various people

JaneB

SELF-CARE:
* 3x20 intentional movement, 2 x making, 2 x small things with people, reading every day
* resting during the day in hot weather with my feet up
* do a couple of things from the "tasting menu"
HOME AND ENVIRONMENT:
* 75% of chores
* spend half an hour or so researching the living room project
TEACHING AND ADMIN:
* go through a week of email & finish things off - also check unread emails from June
* plan out July, aiming to get through all the T1 teaching block items, and actually block out time to do it. Do one block
* an hour on tedious task
* find something valuable or relevant during the workshop I have to attend that I can use next year.
RESEARCH:
* finish the first tranche of modelling for the project I've been working on; make some test figures; draft a new section of text if time
* do some prep work for a meeting in a couple of weeks' time.
* check over my projects list.

Julie

1. Sort out photos and notes from this trip.
2. Work on Big Article
3. Prep for teaching meeting on Friday.
4. Submit review of proposal.
5. Submit final version of article.
6. Catch up on email.
7. Claim expenses for trip.
8. House/life admin: get son a haircut, find us both things to wear for cousin's wedding in two weeks, SIL's birthday, catch up on laundry, bills etc.
9. Self-care/fun: get back to running, journal, read, watch the Tour de France (although I now have to watch on a pay-to-view channel where the coverage and the commentary just aren't the same), dinner party with friends on Friday.

heu mihi

1. Stick with the 4000-words-per-week goal.
2. Enjoy a fun beach day, even though it involves lots of driving!
3. DO NOT STRESS over getting to the airport on time next Tuesday.
4. Catch up on journal work (process a revision, find a second reviewer).
5. Review an article.

Susan (held over for travels!)

1. Unpack more books
2. Do some of the dining room boxes to create space there
3. Pack for summer/ early fall in research country
4. Set up TV
5. Help my successor in my admin role if necessary, but try not to be too involved
6. Send another draft bylaw revision from the easy committee that will not die to the people who need to look at it.
7. Get on plane!

Daisy (held over because I forgot to set my own goals…)

Finish student chapters
Plan/book field work accommodations
Get data processing done
Finish several lingering administrative projects

Have a great week!