Although I don’t want to jinx anything, I found myself joyous and optimistic last night…the first time I’ve felt like that in a long time. It was from a combination of finishing up lots of todo’s, both from my Candied Fabrics list (yay! My In Stitches article, step outs, and video is sent!) and the day job too (I gave my 1st set of exams this week, and got the ones I gave on Wednesday graded in time to return them today).
The day job: It’s been a tough year. 11 months ago they announced they were letting go a 20-30 tenure track faculty. It was an extremely stressful time, and that stress has continued. The latest pronouncement “from on high” is that we have to teach more students with the same amount of faculty. I’ve spent the last month wrestling with what that means for me, because I can’t continue to teach the way I have been. I have a spreadsheet filled with 15 variations of what I could do, and all of those variations were either not a big enough increase in students or extremely unappealing to me as a teacher. While giving an exam yesterday, I finally had an idea that seems to be a nice balance – actually a variation of something I’d considered doing a couple of years ago.
Will this solution be the one? I don’t know….but it feels as if I can breathe again. My moment this week: noticing the spring in my step as I came down the stairs last night for dinner, the burdens on my shoulders have lifted a bit!
I found a few moments to photograph my “Last Rose of Winter”…there are actually 2 still beautiful ones in my rose garden. It’s about time to cut them all back, so they can begin growing anew. We all can do with a bit of pruning now and then!
![om [one moment] meet up](https://i748.photobucket.com/albums/xx125/alamodestuff/OM_alamodemeetupbutton.jpg)
alamodestuff Linda has started a weekly meetup based on taking a moment each week to really notice something as you go about your daily grind life. I need to do this. You may want to too – read more about it here:
5 Responses
I hope your plan is the solution you need in a tough situation. Continual stress, even from a job you love, can wear you down in so many ways. So glad your spring is back in your step. Now could you send a little of that spring to the Northeast? 🙂
You’ve had a lot going on! I don’t know how you do it all so well. I’m glad you feel good about a possible solution. I hope that you are able to breathe for a while.
It’s so hard to believe there is a place that isnt covered in snow. Those roses are such a site for sore eyes!
Way to go on getting your to-dos done! Even if your teaching solution doesn’t initially work, at least you’ll have a starting point from which to make more changes. That’s progress! Have a great weekend!
I’m glad you were able to come up with a solution Candy, and I hope it works out for you! Lovely roses.
Congratulations Candy! Wishing you much peace.