Some woo woo...

This really resonated with me this morning. My additions are in ().


If a (wo)man thinks that his (her) happiness is due to external causes and his (her) possessions, it is reasonable to conclude that his (her) happiness must increase with the increase of possessions and diminish in proportion to their diminution. Therefore, if (s/)he is devoid of possessions, his (her) happiness should be nil. What is the real experience of (wo)man? Does it conform to this view? No. -- Sri Ramana Maharshi

reception at the presidents house

Yesterday, the AAUP (American Assoc of Univ Professors) was invited to a reception at the president's house. The AAUP is sort of a policing organization to support university professors and make sure they are treated fairly and allowed academic freedom by their administrations. The house is an old plantation home, absolutely gorgeous. Just goes to show you that he (Fred, the pres) knows where his "bread is buttered" so to speak. Last year, he won the highest award given by the AAUP. This is such a weird and wonderful place, one where the administration respects the faculty.

I have also been asked to sing at the annual Pee Dee Fiction and Poetry Festival: http://alpha1.fmarion.edu/~pdfiction I am singing and doing a presentation about Appalachian folk music. Jacob is going to play fiddle with me. I am playing after Sharon McCrumb's keynote (mystery writer who sets many of her novels in Appalachia). Cool huh? I'll remember you little people....

RAIN RAIN YiPPEEEEE

Finally some rain! It is humid as all of hell, but who cares. My little grass seedlings are up and about 3 1/2 inches high. I hope by tomorrow I'm knee deep in new grass! I am so tired of/opposed to watering. Not enough rain forcast to fill up the rivers. I may be finished paddling before I even got started here in SC. Spring will come...

I made friends with some boys at an antique store. Have a cool new wool rug from India and a really funky shelf at much reduced prices. You know me and certain types of boys... It's why I'm single probably... See picture of the rug and den.

As I was out working in my sandbox...

I mean yard, guess what I found under my neighbors' air condition unit? (Now that I'm a city gal, it is right next to my car). Three kittens! After a week and my asking my classes, I'm down to two. The shelter isn't taking any cats right now. The mother came with my house, I just didn't know she was pregnant. The previous owner left her for me as a present, evidently. The mother is feral. I have got to catch her and get her spayed. I won't even launch into what I think of people that dump animals. Because schmucks like me find them and have to help them... And of course, Jacob wants to keep one...

Lord God will it ever rain?

Today is reseed the backyard day. Yesterday Jacob mowed (with my $25 lawn mower - what a deal) the 3 blades of grass that are alive, I raked where the dog (previous owner's) had dug out a hole under the gate, and spent $220 at Lowe's buying a shovel (it is a great shovel)...along with a weed eater, hose, plants, grass seed, etc. So in a few weeks, we hope we'll see lovely little grass shoots. Note the before pictures.

School is still great. People are lovely, just a little wilted.

The conclusion I've come to...

I hate to teach Speech Com. No offense to my beloved ex-colleagues. I think it's my personal weakness. I am so non linear and it seems all speech comm depts. want some kind of linear measurement of how well they are doing. Maybe I should say, adminstrators want some sort of linear measurement device for a non linear art. I can't even follow the instructions for this particular request to evaluate my students beyond how I evaluate them already?

Theatre is my bag. I'm enjoying it here.

First day of school!

The bus was 25 minutes late to get him and he didn't get home until 4:45 (yes, I panicked and called the school). But his first comment was, "It was fun and I met some cool people." Thank God. He had one homework assignment and decided that he was going to "relax" tonight because "I need it." sigh. I guess he does after all that last minute reading he had to do because he put it off.

My day: new syllabi and a faculty cookout. Tomorrow: a faculty breakfast, dept meeting, faculty luncheon and finishing my first lecture in Theatre History. They feed us well.

It's 95 degrees out there right now and it's 9:30pm. Hope some of you are getting rain and a break.

Oooweeee...

it's hot! And I have been working my buns off (I hope literally). See the new pictures of the front porch. Maybe when it cools to the 90s, we can go out and enjoy it!

Jacob's school starts tomorrow. He's going to ride the bus and everything. My school started (orientation, etc) this past Friday. Everyone is SO happy. I think I am so happy.

Short post. I have to go to Lowe's (I should own a wing of that building by now).

Tuesday tunes...

I just returned from "Tuesday Tunes;" a group of faculty gets together and plays music. Wowee, what a deal. And what's more, we are encouraged to get together and fraternize. And everyone seems to be smiling. Don't let "the devil, Dubyah" read my blog, but couldn't he take some lessons? Remember when the other "Dubyah" won his second term and there was that website where people from the US could apologize? And then this other website from Canada sprang up that told us it's OK, we could come visit? Well, I'm your Canadian website. When it gets too crazy, come visit!

A lovely day on the Little Pee Dee River

We paddled SC for the first time. The rivers are certainly different here. Sandy, black bottoms and lots of fauna. See the pics. The cypress was really beautiful in its own way and the turtle actually "posed" for us. CM from Augusta, Jacob and I had a fine time. The weather even gave us a break. It rained the night before so it was overcast and the humidity was down a little. I don't know, I kind of miss rocks and running water. I'm not going to judge after only one trip though.