Finally the "Holiday Season" is almost over and I'll be able to get back to somewhat of a routine. I'll be able to work regular hours and not have to telecommute or try to fit work around the MLS-west office being closed.
I'll be able to attend the senior exercise class and not have to cancel because the Senior Center needs the time and room to set up for the annual holiday party. I'll be able to go to the supermarket and buy ordinary things like toilet paper or eggs and not have to circle the parking lot looking for a parking space. The traffic is horrible and everyone's nerves are on edge.
I won't be subjected to all that schmaltzy Christmas music. UGH!
The one thing I really like about this time of year are all of the lights. The houses are lit up (sometimes a bit overdone, but ...), the trees have lights and I even have a few strings of mini-lights around windows and doors which I plug in every evening. That's so cheerful.
As for gift-giving, I give gifts when I see something I think someone else would like. Remember "Peace on Earth, good will toward men"? I try to be kind, considerate and thoughtful all year long. Unfortunately, the "Holiday Season" sometimes brings out the worst in me. I'm so glad it's almost over.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Who Are You Reading?
I've always been a reader.
Maybe it's because I'm a librarian. Maybe it's why I became a librarian.
Regardless, I read every night before going to sleep. It's the best way I know to separate the work and worries of the day from the relaxing and refreshing aspects of sleeping.
I'm a pretty eclectic reader, though I do love mysteries (in all their forms: hard boiled detective, police procedurals, cozies, legal thrillers, etc.) and I lean toward female authors. I also like biographies. I've read all four volumes of Robert Caro's The Years of Lyndon Johnson. I recently finished Lyle Leverich's biography of Tennessee Williams which ends with The Glass Menagerie becoming a hit on Broadway. I plan to read John Lahr's biography of Tennessee Williams, but I wanted to read them in order (being the OCD-ish person I am).
I've read a lot of Rita Mae Brown's book. I'm not that fond of the Mrs. Murphy mysteries (written with the assistance of her cat Squeaky Pie; they're pretty light), but I do like the foxhunting mysteries. Even better, are her non-mystery fiction works such as Alma Mater and Bingo. The latter book is a sequel to Six of One. Not knowing that, I read them out of order. I've know of her first book Rubyfruit Jungle for about as long as I can remember, though I never knew exactly what is was about. I was reminded of that book when I saw the play (and also the movie) Educating Rita. Rita (whose real name is Susan) is a hair dresser from a working class family who wants to become educated by taking classes at the local college after reading Rubyfruit Jungle. The book has made such an impact on her, she even changes her name.
Well, it's a little dated (a lot has changed in 40 years) and I'm not going to change my name, but I loved the book.
Now on to the stack of tomes sitting on the night table next to my bed. What will be next?
Maybe it's because I'm a librarian. Maybe it's why I became a librarian.
Regardless, I read every night before going to sleep. It's the best way I know to separate the work and worries of the day from the relaxing and refreshing aspects of sleeping.
I'm a pretty eclectic reader, though I do love mysteries (in all their forms: hard boiled detective, police procedurals, cozies, legal thrillers, etc.) and I lean toward female authors. I also like biographies. I've read all four volumes of Robert Caro's The Years of Lyndon Johnson. I recently finished Lyle Leverich's biography of Tennessee Williams which ends with The Glass Menagerie becoming a hit on Broadway. I plan to read John Lahr's biography of Tennessee Williams, but I wanted to read them in order (being the OCD-ish person I am).
I've read a lot of Rita Mae Brown's book. I'm not that fond of the Mrs. Murphy mysteries (written with the assistance of her cat Squeaky Pie; they're pretty light), but I do like the foxhunting mysteries. Even better, are her non-mystery fiction works such as Alma Mater and Bingo. The latter book is a sequel to Six of One. Not knowing that, I read them out of order. I've know of her first book Rubyfruit Jungle for about as long as I can remember, though I never knew exactly what is was about. I was reminded of that book when I saw the play (and also the movie) Educating Rita. Rita (whose real name is Susan) is a hair dresser from a working class family who wants to become educated by taking classes at the local college after reading Rubyfruit Jungle. The book has made such an impact on her, she even changes her name.
Well, it's a little dated (a lot has changed in 40 years) and I'm not going to change my name, but I loved the book.
Now on to the stack of tomes sitting on the night table next to my bed. What will be next?
Saturday, November 8, 2014
If Everything is on the Internet ...
... why is my desk at MassCat stacked with books, etc. that need cataloging? Sorry, I didn't take a picture.
I've been inundated with requests for bibliographic records for books, DVDs, even a local serial publication. Self-publishing is the main reason for me to create original records. Someone in town publishes a book and donates it to the public library which now needs information in its online catalog so that patrons can find the book and it can be circulated. This is in no way intended to imply they're not worthy of publication, but because these tomes are not going through the commercial publishers, they lack bibliographic records in the traditional sources.
It's not just new items that lack records; some old publications never received them. Some of the MassCat libraries are special libraries with historical collections such as the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in Wellesley, or the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History.
As staff go through the process of retrospective conversion, making sure that all items are accounted for in the catalog, it is not unusual to find some for which no cataloging record exists. These are the things you won't find on Amazon.com. And you may not find them in Google books. The only record of some of these historically significant items will be in MassCat.
I've been inundated with requests for bibliographic records for books, DVDs, even a local serial publication. Self-publishing is the main reason for me to create original records. Someone in town publishes a book and donates it to the public library which now needs information in its online catalog so that patrons can find the book and it can be circulated. This is in no way intended to imply they're not worthy of publication, but because these tomes are not going through the commercial publishers, they lack bibliographic records in the traditional sources.
It's not just new items that lack records; some old publications never received them. Some of the MassCat libraries are special libraries with historical collections such as the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in Wellesley, or the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History.
As staff go through the process of retrospective conversion, making sure that all items are accounted for in the catalog, it is not unusual to find some for which no cataloging record exists. These are the things you won't find on Amazon.com. And you may not find them in Google books. The only record of some of these historically significant items will be in MassCat.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Working at Home
Today I am telecommuting for my job at MassCat. I could actually telecommute almost every day because just about everything I do is on the computer and I can log in from anywhere. Since the office isn't far from where I live and I'm out already at the senior exercise class, I choose to go into the office.
Both scenarios have their advantages.
At the office there is free coffee and sometimes snacks. I'm not distracted by dirty laundry, dirty dishes, floors that need vacuuming, plants that need watering, etc., etc., etc.
At home, however, I can work a whole different way that is actually more productive. Since I'm doing a lot of detailed computer work, I work intently for about an hour. Then I do something else (laundry?) for a while. Then I work intently for another hour and then do something else (dishes this time?).
Since it's hard to concentrate on the sort of work I do for much more than an hour, I find that at the end of a day of working at home, my stats are much higher than the same number of working hours in the office where I need to take frequent, though short, breaks. The big difference is that at home I begin early in the morning (sometimes even as early at 6 a.m.) and I'm still working into the evening.
At home, I often work my first shift while still in my nightgown and that first "do something else" involves getting dressed. That's definitely different from working in an office.
Both scenarios have their advantages.
At the office there is free coffee and sometimes snacks. I'm not distracted by dirty laundry, dirty dishes, floors that need vacuuming, plants that need watering, etc., etc., etc.
At home, however, I can work a whole different way that is actually more productive. Since I'm doing a lot of detailed computer work, I work intently for about an hour. Then I do something else (laundry?) for a while. Then I work intently for another hour and then do something else (dishes this time?).
Since it's hard to concentrate on the sort of work I do for much more than an hour, I find that at the end of a day of working at home, my stats are much higher than the same number of working hours in the office where I need to take frequent, though short, breaks. The big difference is that at home I begin early in the morning (sometimes even as early at 6 a.m.) and I'm still working into the evening.
At home, I often work my first shift while still in my nightgown and that first "do something else" involves getting dressed. That's definitely different from working in an office.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Back to the Real World
I spent 4 days in Provincetown and caught the last day of the Tennessee Williams Theater Festival. Saw 2 plays on Sunday plus a talk by John Lahr who has just written a biography of Tennessee Williams.Then we spend a couple of beautiful days walking around, taking advantage of "end of season" sales and sampling clam chowder (though the second day was cloudy and sometimes drizzling). The day we left was raining, which made packing the car a challenge - especially with all our packages of sale stuff.
Now it's back to work and I'm having a hard time facing regular day-to-day stuff after my biggest worry was having to move the car in the early a.m. to a non-street-cleaning portion of Commercial Street.
Today, I'm leading the Senior Exercise Class. I'm hoping lifting weights will be a conduit to my regular life - which isn't so bad.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
The Downside of Senior Exercise Class
I've thought about writing this post for a while.
I thought about it when M., a woman I've known and admired for several years stopped coming to exercise class. She and I had served together on a town committee. She was smart, physically active, and had a fun sense of humor. She also had dementia. She was clearly having trouble in class following directions and would do her own variation of the exercise. I didn't worry too much as long as she wasn't doing anything dangerous. However, her family felt she couldn't be left alone during the day and the last I heard she's attending senior day care where she has more supervision than I could give her.
Something similar happened with J. I didn't know her well, but she had recently moved out of her own house and in with her daughter. She was sometimes confused and not always sure she was in the right place. A few months later I was told that she was now in senior day care.
D. started with exercise class at his doctor's suggestion. He was only there a few weeks and then entered the Soldier's Home. A few weeks later, I saw his obituary.
And most recently, there was R. A friend of hers told her about the exercise class. R. was sassy and funny and talked a lot during class, complaining about how hard the exercises were. She made everyone laugh. I was so surprise to get a phone call one weekend telling me that R. had had a massive stroke and died 2 days later. The class on Monday morning was just not the same and I had a hard time concentrating on it.
I've lost a lot of friends from that class during the last couple of years. I only knew them in that context, but each of them added something special. It's very sad.
But there is an upside - a very big upside - and that is all of the people who share with me their successes. "I tripped and was able to regain my balance. I didn't fall!" "I picked up the bag of groceries and carried it inside the house." "I stood up from the sofa without a problem." And many, many more.
I thought about it when M., a woman I've known and admired for several years stopped coming to exercise class. She and I had served together on a town committee. She was smart, physically active, and had a fun sense of humor. She also had dementia. She was clearly having trouble in class following directions and would do her own variation of the exercise. I didn't worry too much as long as she wasn't doing anything dangerous. However, her family felt she couldn't be left alone during the day and the last I heard she's attending senior day care where she has more supervision than I could give her.
Something similar happened with J. I didn't know her well, but she had recently moved out of her own house and in with her daughter. She was sometimes confused and not always sure she was in the right place. A few months later I was told that she was now in senior day care.
D. started with exercise class at his doctor's suggestion. He was only there a few weeks and then entered the Soldier's Home. A few weeks later, I saw his obituary.
And most recently, there was R. A friend of hers told her about the exercise class. R. was sassy and funny and talked a lot during class, complaining about how hard the exercises were. She made everyone laugh. I was so surprise to get a phone call one weekend telling me that R. had had a massive stroke and died 2 days later. The class on Monday morning was just not the same and I had a hard time concentrating on it.
I've lost a lot of friends from that class during the last couple of years. I only knew them in that context, but each of them added something special. It's very sad.
But there is an upside - a very big upside - and that is all of the people who share with me their successes. "I tripped and was able to regain my balance. I didn't fall!" "I picked up the bag of groceries and carried it inside the house." "I stood up from the sofa without a problem." And many, many more.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
July 1
It's been 4 years since I was laid off from CMRLS and began this blog. Am I still a Cataloger in Transition? Yes.
There's a new transition every few weeks or months. Today, I'm beginning a project for DGI that will last the rest of the summer. I'm sure the project will last longer, but in September I'll have another transition - teaching at Simmons GSLIS-west again. I've already agreed to teach LIS415 for the 2014-2015 academic year.
I liked my job at CMRLS. I very much liked the salary and benefits. I liked less the commute (an hour and twenty minutes each way). However, I like the way my work life has evolved since leaving CMRLS.
I like the variety and the flexibility. The main benefit is that I have a lot of control over what I do and when I do it. I can't ask for much more than that.
There's a new transition every few weeks or months. Today, I'm beginning a project for DGI that will last the rest of the summer. I'm sure the project will last longer, but in September I'll have another transition - teaching at Simmons GSLIS-west again. I've already agreed to teach LIS415 for the 2014-2015 academic year.
I liked my job at CMRLS. I very much liked the salary and benefits. I liked less the commute (an hour and twenty minutes each way). However, I like the way my work life has evolved since leaving CMRLS.
I like the variety and the flexibility. The main benefit is that I have a lot of control over what I do and when I do it. I can't ask for much more than that.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
The Letter D
For the last couple of years, I've been working at MassCat cleaning up the catalog. When I started, I was given a printout of probable duplicate records in alphabetical order by title. I look up each title and, if they are in fact duplicates, I merge them. After working 10 hours each week for the first year and 15 since then, today I reached the letter D. There are a lot of duplicates.
It's really not as bad as it seems. I have other duties in addition to merging duplicates. When a member library needs to add their holdings to a bib record but can't find one, they send the relevant information to me. I find a record and import it into the catalog. If I can't find a record, I create one. In the course of searching for records, I often find a duplicate (or two or three) and merge them on the spot. So there are lots of records beyond the letter D that have already been merged.
There are many reasons for all the duplicates. The entire catalog was run through a program that automatically merged duplicates, but the software (Koha) is extremely sensitive and only merged records that it was absolutely, positively, unquestionably sure were duplicates. Some records don't have ISBNs. Some have different ISBNs (which is often okay), and some just don't have enough information to work with.
Many MassCat members are school libraries. They are usually small and previously had a very simple automated catalog. These libraries never envisioned being part of a network. If they owned a title, all they cared about was that they owned the title. It didn't matter if the book was hardbound or a mass market paperback or who published it or when - they owned the title. That's fine for a single, standalone library. But once you're part of a network and loaning your items to other libraries, those things matter. Some people want only large print books; some (including me) don't like mass market paperbacks; sometimes it's important to have the latest edition or the title that's part of a specific series. Each of those must have it's own bibliographic record and the record needs to be detailed enough for the patron to determine what they'll be getting.
With the MassCat catalog, I think I have a job for life. I merge records when I determine they are exactly the same; I enhance records that have minimal information; I correct mistakes (sometimes accent marks do not import correctly and look more like swears than words). There are typos, too. There's lots of work to do, but I keep reminding myself that someday this will be the cleanest catalog anyone has ever seen.
It's really not as bad as it seems. I have other duties in addition to merging duplicates. When a member library needs to add their holdings to a bib record but can't find one, they send the relevant information to me. I find a record and import it into the catalog. If I can't find a record, I create one. In the course of searching for records, I often find a duplicate (or two or three) and merge them on the spot. So there are lots of records beyond the letter D that have already been merged.
There are many reasons for all the duplicates. The entire catalog was run through a program that automatically merged duplicates, but the software (Koha) is extremely sensitive and only merged records that it was absolutely, positively, unquestionably sure were duplicates. Some records don't have ISBNs. Some have different ISBNs (which is often okay), and some just don't have enough information to work with.
Many MassCat members are school libraries. They are usually small and previously had a very simple automated catalog. These libraries never envisioned being part of a network. If they owned a title, all they cared about was that they owned the title. It didn't matter if the book was hardbound or a mass market paperback or who published it or when - they owned the title. That's fine for a single, standalone library. But once you're part of a network and loaning your items to other libraries, those things matter. Some people want only large print books; some (including me) don't like mass market paperbacks; sometimes it's important to have the latest edition or the title that's part of a specific series. Each of those must have it's own bibliographic record and the record needs to be detailed enough for the patron to determine what they'll be getting.
With the MassCat catalog, I think I have a job for life. I merge records when I determine they are exactly the same; I enhance records that have minimal information; I correct mistakes (sometimes accent marks do not import correctly and look more like swears than words). There are typos, too. There's lots of work to do, but I keep reminding myself that someday this will be the cleanest catalog anyone has ever seen.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Anniversaries
Today - June 17 - marks 3 anniversaries for MC and me.
Twenty-five years ago today, we first met at a little Italian restaurant in No. Amherst. We liked each other well enough that, after dinner, we went to a swing dance. He had been planning to go anyway, but I had the option of bowing out if I wanted to. I didn't.
Two years later we decided to move in together. Actually, the story is a little more complicated, but that's the condensed version. In order to keep things simple and not have to remember too many different dates, we made it official on June 17.
Every year on June 17, we go out to dinner and renew our living together arrangement for one more year. One year at a time seems to take away most of the pressure.
Over the years as June 17 approached, we discussed getting married. Of course, we'd have to do it on June 17. Never mind that we had bought property together and built a house together, that our lives were inextricably intertwined, we still renewed the arrangement annually.
And then three years ago, on our 20th living-together anniversary, we did get married. To us, however, marriage was a formality, legalizing something we had been living for a very long time. After the brief but sweet ceremony, we went out to dinner and agreed to live together for one more year.
Tonight, we will go to dinner and renew for yet another year.
What can I say? It works.
Twenty-five years ago today, we first met at a little Italian restaurant in No. Amherst. We liked each other well enough that, after dinner, we went to a swing dance. He had been planning to go anyway, but I had the option of bowing out if I wanted to. I didn't.
Two years later we decided to move in together. Actually, the story is a little more complicated, but that's the condensed version. In order to keep things simple and not have to remember too many different dates, we made it official on June 17.
Every year on June 17, we go out to dinner and renew our living together arrangement for one more year. One year at a time seems to take away most of the pressure.
Over the years as June 17 approached, we discussed getting married. Of course, we'd have to do it on June 17. Never mind that we had bought property together and built a house together, that our lives were inextricably intertwined, we still renewed the arrangement annually.
And then three years ago, on our 20th living-together anniversary, we did get married. To us, however, marriage was a formality, legalizing something we had been living for a very long time. After the brief but sweet ceremony, we went out to dinner and agreed to live together for one more year.
Tonight, we will go to dinner and renew for yet another year.
What can I say? It works.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Gardening
In my younger and more energetic days, I went through a long period of trying to live off of the land as much as possible. I knitted all of my own sweaters, socks and mittens. I made a lot of my own clothes. And every spring I would have a large patch of the back yard rototilled and I planted a vegetable garden.
While I was a student, the vegetable garden was a literal life saver as most of the food I ate came from there. Lettuce sandwiches anyone?
Post-student years, I continued the garden out of habit, but soon realized that I was spending most of my summers weeding, trimming, and fussing trying to have the most perfect garden and then I ending up with more vegetables than I could consume, freeze or otherwise preserve. I longed to take weekend jaunts to the Berkshires and visit museums and listen to concerts on the lawn.
As luck would have it, I moved into a condominium and discovered container gardening. Quick! Easy! Minimal time and effort! As for fresh vegetables, I live in an are where there's a farm stand about every 10 feet. Why should I sweat and hurt my back when, for a few dollars I can buy exactly what I need for the next day or two and then head for the nearest tag sale or flea market? After all, I'm not a poor graduate student any more but a gainfully employed professional (semi-retired). And why not contribute to those who have vegetable gardens and excess vegetables?
So now, after some purchases and a few weeks of dividing, repotting and rooting, I have lovely, colorful begonias, petunias, impatiens, and geraniums on the decks, patios and along the walkways. I no longer live in a condominium, but I much prefer container gardening. On the screened-in porch off of the kitchen, I have ceramic pots of basil, parsley and rosemary.
What do I look for at those tag sales and flea markets? Why more pots, of course!
While I was a student, the vegetable garden was a literal life saver as most of the food I ate came from there. Lettuce sandwiches anyone?
Post-student years, I continued the garden out of habit, but soon realized that I was spending most of my summers weeding, trimming, and fussing trying to have the most perfect garden and then I ending up with more vegetables than I could consume, freeze or otherwise preserve. I longed to take weekend jaunts to the Berkshires and visit museums and listen to concerts on the lawn.
As luck would have it, I moved into a condominium and discovered container gardening. Quick! Easy! Minimal time and effort! As for fresh vegetables, I live in an are where there's a farm stand about every 10 feet. Why should I sweat and hurt my back when, for a few dollars I can buy exactly what I need for the next day or two and then head for the nearest tag sale or flea market? After all, I'm not a poor graduate student any more but a gainfully employed professional (semi-retired). And why not contribute to those who have vegetable gardens and excess vegetables?
So now, after some purchases and a few weeks of dividing, repotting and rooting, I have lovely, colorful begonias, petunias, impatiens, and geraniums on the decks, patios and along the walkways. I no longer live in a condominium, but I much prefer container gardening. On the screened-in porch off of the kitchen, I have ceramic pots of basil, parsley and rosemary.
What do I look for at those tag sales and flea markets? Why more pots, of course!
Monday, June 2, 2014
Mission Accomplished
I spent the month of May (non-MassCat days) at the Springfield City Library cataloging materials for the ECRC (Early Childhood Resource Collection). What fun!
The highest priority were the Storywalks. There are only 6 of them at the moment. They consist of short (30 pages or so) children's books with illustrations that take up most of the page and one or two sentences of text. Each book comes in a tote bag. Also in the tote bag is a laminated sheet of each page with velcro on the back. The intent is to post each page on a stick along a pathway and tell the story as the group walks.
Then came the books and DVDs about early childhood education, child development, and parenting. They took the longest time since there were so many of them and they had to be re-packaged into locking cases.
And then came the toys, games, puzzles and puppets. My favorite was the Sensory Ball Set. I loved the colors, the variety of sizes and the textures. I probably spent more time than absolutely necessary cataloging them because I wanted to look at them and handle them.
I want a set for myself.
The highest priority were the Storywalks. There are only 6 of them at the moment. They consist of short (30 pages or so) children's books with illustrations that take up most of the page and one or two sentences of text. Each book comes in a tote bag. Also in the tote bag is a laminated sheet of each page with velcro on the back. The intent is to post each page on a stick along a pathway and tell the story as the group walks.
Then came the books and DVDs about early childhood education, child development, and parenting. They took the longest time since there were so many of them and they had to be re-packaged into locking cases.
And then came the toys, games, puzzles and puppets. My favorite was the Sensory Ball Set. I loved the colors, the variety of sizes and the textures. I probably spent more time than absolutely necessary cataloging them because I wanted to look at them and handle them.
I want a set for myself.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
What Are You Reading?
This morning, I finished volume 4 of The Years of Lyndon Johnson by
Robert Caro. I'm not sure exactly when I began volume 1, but it was sometime in
2012 when volume 4 was published. I heard a review of the newest volume on NPR,
but didn't want to begin anywhere except at the beginning. There will be a 5th
(final?) volume, but probably not for many years.
Each volume is about 1,000 pages of small print. They're all incredibly interesting, but still slow reading. My strategy has been to borrow the book from the library. The loan period is 3 weeks plus one renewal. I usually can't get through the entire volume in 6 weeks, so I return it as I need a break. This is when I read a few mystery novels. Then I borrow the Johnson book again and finish it.
The Kennedy/Johnson campaign in 1960 is the first presidential election I really followed. I was in high school when Kennedy was assassinated and Johnson became president. This 4th volume that covers 1960-1964 includes incidents I remember.
The entire series has been nothing short of fascinating which is why I've persisted through 4 massive books. Robert Caro writes in amazing detail, but his writing is never boring. It is vivid and engrossing. Reading any part of the Johnson story, I can practically feel myself in the situation: what life was like in the Texas hill country during the Depression; why the U.S. Senate works the way it does (it was designed to be "thoughtful" i.e.slow and plodding). I've learned so many things.
I strongly recommend these books to everyone, even those not interested in American history or government, though reading them is definitely a commitment.
Each volume is about 1,000 pages of small print. They're all incredibly interesting, but still slow reading. My strategy has been to borrow the book from the library. The loan period is 3 weeks plus one renewal. I usually can't get through the entire volume in 6 weeks, so I return it as I need a break. This is when I read a few mystery novels. Then I borrow the Johnson book again and finish it.
The Kennedy/Johnson campaign in 1960 is the first presidential election I really followed. I was in high school when Kennedy was assassinated and Johnson became president. This 4th volume that covers 1960-1964 includes incidents I remember.
The entire series has been nothing short of fascinating which is why I've persisted through 4 massive books. Robert Caro writes in amazing detail, but his writing is never boring. It is vivid and engrossing. Reading any part of the Johnson story, I can practically feel myself in the situation: what life was like in the Texas hill country during the Depression; why the U.S. Senate works the way it does (it was designed to be "thoughtful" i.e.slow and plodding). I've learned so many things.
I strongly recommend these books to everyone, even those not interested in American history or government, though reading them is definitely a commitment.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
I'm Done!
Saturday was the last day of classes for the western campus of Simmons GSLIS. I handed back the last homework assignment, the students finished giving their oral presentations, and they also completed posting to the discussion board.
Today, I reviewed my notes on the oral presentations and calculated the final grades, which I submitted. Several students asked for feedback on their oral presentations, so I wrote a brief review for each one and sent it to them via email along with their final grade.
Now what am I going to do on Saturdays (and Thursdays, my prep day) for the next 4 months? I'm sure I can think of something.
Today, I reviewed my notes on the oral presentations and calculated the final grades, which I submitted. Several students asked for feedback on their oral presentations, so I wrote a brief review for each one and sent it to them via email along with their final grade.
Now what am I going to do on Saturdays (and Thursdays, my prep day) for the next 4 months? I'm sure I can think of something.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
The Changing of the Hats
According to the calendar, it's been spring for over a month. Last Sunday was Easter and now one can officially wear straw hats and white shoes. The temperature has warmed up (well, maybe not today, but in general) so today I put away all of my winter hats and brought out the summer ones.
I wear a hat whenever I'm outside; I have a lot of them. They're actually part of the décor in my front foyer.
Then I went even further and pulled all of my warm weather clothes out of the off-season closet. Cold weather clothes went to one of several places: the off-season closet, the laundry bin, or the dry-cleaning pile. It'll take a few days to get them all settled, but they're on their way.
Some of the warm weather clothes needed ironing, but not any more. I pulled out the ironing board, iron, spray bottle of water and went to work. This is a semi-annual ritual which I perform every spring and fall. Fortunately I have enough clothes that don't need ironing to get me through the season.
Now I'm all ready for spring except for one thing: There are flannel sheets on the bed and there will be flannel sheets there for at least another few weeks.
I wear a hat whenever I'm outside; I have a lot of them. They're actually part of the décor in my front foyer.
Then I went even further and pulled all of my warm weather clothes out of the off-season closet. Cold weather clothes went to one of several places: the off-season closet, the laundry bin, or the dry-cleaning pile. It'll take a few days to get them all settled, but they're on their way.
Some of the warm weather clothes needed ironing, but not any more. I pulled out the ironing board, iron, spray bottle of water and went to work. This is a semi-annual ritual which I perform every spring and fall. Fortunately I have enough clothes that don't need ironing to get me through the season.
Now I'm all ready for spring except for one thing: There are flannel sheets on the bed and there will be flannel sheets there for at least another few weeks.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Where I am now
Well, obviously, it's not posting to this blog on a regular basis.
It's not that I don't think about posting, or that I don't have (what I think) are interesting posts, it's just that I haven't been motivated.
Let's face it, it was a rough winter. It was cold. There were lots of days when things were canceled due to snow. And did I mention it was cold? I wasn't motivated to do much of anything. Everything was an effort. And then I came down with a cold that lasted for nearly 3 weeks.
Fortunately, I have a somewhat regular schedule (when it's not disrupted by a snow cancelation) and even with my cold I worked on cleaning up the MassCat database, taught LIS415, and lead the senior exercise class. I also managed to do the laundry, cook dinner and vacuum the house, though not as often or as thoroughly as I would like.
There was also a mini-vacation in mid-January to New York City. We saw L'Elisir d'Amore at the Met Opera and took in a show at a fairly new supper club called 54 Below. Both were great fun.
I enjoy listening to the opera on Saturday afternoons, but during the academic year I am otherwise occupied (see LIS415 above). So for Christmas 2012, my thoughtful husband gave me a gift card to the Met Opera. Since the opera season is pretty much the same as the academic year, there's only a brief window of time to take advantage of a gift card and that happened in January 2014 just before the semester started.
Now it's April, the weather has warmed up, the days are getting longer and the semester is drawing to a close. I have great plans for the summer. Let's hope I can stay motivated.
It's not that I don't think about posting, or that I don't have (what I think) are interesting posts, it's just that I haven't been motivated.
Let's face it, it was a rough winter. It was cold. There were lots of days when things were canceled due to snow. And did I mention it was cold? I wasn't motivated to do much of anything. Everything was an effort. And then I came down with a cold that lasted for nearly 3 weeks.
Fortunately, I have a somewhat regular schedule (when it's not disrupted by a snow cancelation) and even with my cold I worked on cleaning up the MassCat database, taught LIS415, and lead the senior exercise class. I also managed to do the laundry, cook dinner and vacuum the house, though not as often or as thoroughly as I would like.
There was also a mini-vacation in mid-January to New York City. We saw L'Elisir d'Amore at the Met Opera and took in a show at a fairly new supper club called 54 Below. Both were great fun.
I enjoy listening to the opera on Saturday afternoons, but during the academic year I am otherwise occupied (see LIS415 above). So for Christmas 2012, my thoughtful husband gave me a gift card to the Met Opera. Since the opera season is pretty much the same as the academic year, there's only a brief window of time to take advantage of a gift card and that happened in January 2014 just before the semester started.
Now it's April, the weather has warmed up, the days are getting longer and the semester is drawing to a close. I have great plans for the summer. Let's hope I can stay motivated.
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