Habit, Purposeful

I posted official grades yesterday. (<< insert hallelujah hands emoji here)

In celebration, I risked life and limb to take a walk through the neighborhood. The slipping and sliding wasn't worth it, so I hustled to the post office to send off some last minute cards and then tottered my way back home where I hibernated and read the rest of the day. And I mean, literally the rest of the day. I started this book back during the semester and then real life took over so I just got around to (ravenously) finishing it this morning.

Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing by Jennifer Weiner

If you like her books, or if you find yourself reading what you (or others) consider to be "Chick Lit", then I highly recommend this book of essays. I'm not on much social media, but I know that she is outspoken and snarky and sometimes political, which is not my style. However, she is articulate and complicated and family-oriented and thoughtful and, importantly (to me, anyways) brave enough to continue to be herself amid backlash from Hollywood, (some) male writers, and a dysfunctional family of origin. Not to point too fine a point on it, but I can relate to some of her struggles and I admire her "authenticity" for lack of a better word. Plus she writes about books and feminism and pets, so, you know, I'm in.

Over the last 24 hours I've reverted to my high-school-over-Christmas-break behavior of reading pretty much non-stop. Laying down, standing up, sitting in the glider, sitting in front of the Christmas tree, pausing to talk to G when he gets home, then resuming until late at night. Like, not my usual standard of "late" (read: 9:00 p.m.) but actual "late" (read: midnight or after).

Waking up in the morning and making coffee while reading. Leaving utensils in the library for half the day reading. Finishing one book and immediately starting another one reading.

It's glorious, mostly because it's short-lived. With much more free time, it would become a slovenly (and, let's be honest, a stinky) act. But G is about to be off for the Christmas holiday, so there will be wintery walks and movies and chatting and baking and making fun of him and the rabbit. Then there will be - Lord, help us all - lesson planning for next semester and griping about student grade inquiries from what is now last semester - and visiting some peeps and hiking and more reading and then adjusting to a new supervisory role at the writing consultant job.

Today, though, I'm going to pour myself a mimosa and eat home-made Chex Mix (a gift!). And lay around and read another book.

Don't forget these two holiday suggestions, btw:

Merry Almost-Christmas!