12 Days of Christmas

The 10-year old playing in our recent 28" snow fall

The thing about being an academic is we survive crazy, intensive four month long blocks, and then follow that up with several weeks break. In this sense, being an academic is a lot like being a logger--you work hard at your job cutting and moving trees for the dry, warm months. Then you gotta stop for a while cause of ice. In reality though, that several week break is when we're supposed to shift from either teaching, or writing our coursework, to doing some other kind of research (our dissertation, perhaps; or a professional article), but doing that in a really intensive fashion too, since we only have the several weeks to devote to it solely. So, really being an academic is a lot like being a logger that works in a mine during the off-season. Except, minus the black lung, and the physical activity. Academics are notorious butt sitters, after all. Though, many of us smoke cigarettes to deal with the stress, so maybe black lung is a live option.

Anyway, I've got grading to do still. But otherwise, I've survived my ultra intensive fall term. And post-grading, I have to shift to focus on writing that other research before my spring term starts. Really though, what I need to do is focus on rejuvenating myself so that I can make sure I've got enough juice to get that other research done. Kate asked me, "what do you need?" I take that to be a way of getting at the question of what is going to rejuvenate me and juice me up. So, I'll take some time to focus on thinking about and answering that question now via the 12 things I'd want idea. (Isn't it weird that it's December?)

The 12 Days of Christmas
by Belaine Bristine Brown

1. To make various obscure cookies and pastries that require most of a day to make.
2. To sit on my butt (that academic habit) next to someone I enjoy spending time with and talk and talk and laugh.
3. To wear clothes that make me feel luscious, amazing, fun, relaxed, and excellent.
4. To plan events that are low stress for me, and make my baby girl (the 10-year old) laugh and laugh.
5. To squeezey hug my niece.
6. To eat oreos dipped in coconut milk.
7. To feel rested and enthused enough to go sledding with the kids.
8. To go classical skiing.
9. To write poems.
10. To wear a dress that goes swish-swish when I move and to have an occasion to wear it to.
11. To wear a bunch of necklaces like I'm running away from a mummy in a pirate's treasure cave and trying to get as much as I can out with me.
12. To walk around taking pictures outside.

I'm still tired enough, my list is simple. Simple is good.