New Year

Today I walked in the beautiful park near my house and it made me remember walking in the mountains in Spain over the summer.

I felt emotional all day because it was Yom Kippur and I was remembering other Yom Kippurs, other seasons, and people that are gone now. And, as I always do on these Jewish holidays, I felt a little bit at a loss, not quite sure how to observe, how to feel it.

Walking in the park was lovely, though, joyous in fact, the weather just perfect, warm and sunny, utterly calming. I have these new prescription sunglasses (designer, I might add!) that are not only for distance but have the progressive lenses so I could read if I needed to--such a luxury. Anyway, when I walk with them on my eyes feel protected and safe, I see better than I do with my normal glasses because the prescription is newer, and everything has this warm, golden hue to it. So all of that was very comforting, as I tramped around the park, 3.5 miles, letting my thoughts range where they would, trying in my own way to prepare for the new year.

Who Needs Sleep, Anyway?

Posting just to remind myself (and you all) that I have a blog! These weeks have been very busy, and starting tomorrow things will get even busier.

For the rest of the semester, I will be teaching two classes in the evening at the college where I teach part-time. That's two sections, which each meet for two nights, but not the same two nights. So, until mid-December, I am teaching every night except Friday, on top of my other, full-time job, which is nine to five. I am doing this because there was an emergency opening and I was asked to fill in. It's a little crazy but somehow it felt right to say yes. The two classes are very different--one is a junior-level literature class, mostly majors, and the other, the one I'm picking up, is the intro to lit class that is the prerequisite for taking all other English classes. Both should be fun. And, hey, there's something restful (paradoxically) about knowing one's evenings are all planned for the next two and a half months....

Wish me luck.