TSS: Last week of summer

This has been a good week.  I was able to focus a little on school preparation, I was able to focus a lot on personal reading and writing, and I was able to go out to dinner with visiting relatives and laugh and talk and close down the restaurant.  It was the right balance of work, play, family time, and personal space.

I learned that enrollment numbers for the upcoming school year are slowly but surely on the rise.  While I will still probably experience a cut in pay, it will not be nearly as drastic as I had originally feared.  This is an answer to prayer.  With this happy news I was inspired to work on some back-to-school projects and managed to update and/or write all 9 syllabi for upcoming classes and post them on the new school communication website.  I have read all material for the first two weeks of class (which brings us to Labor Day weekend) and I have organized all handouts that I plan to use in those classes.  Next week I will focus on my newest course, English Comp, and try to annotate all the pages for first semester.  This will simplify life when school starts, as I will only have to skim the marginalia in order to prepare for class.

Another aspect of preparing for back-to-school is to organize all my library books and decide what I can feasibly read before the end of summer, and what I should postpone for another time.  I discovered that I had about 6-8 books on art and photography that are due next week and so this past Friday I decided that I would focus my attention on that subject matter.  The photo at the left is my August Break submission in which I tried to compose a still life shot that represented the day.  Truth be told, this submission could easily represent all the days of my life - it is just the topics that change.

I love to gather all my books together and surround myself with their knowledge.  I quickly skim the table of contents and based on first impressions, I begin reading one book and place the others close by.  Typically I read straight through a book - marking interesting passages with sticky notes to return to later.  Once I have completed the book I go back to those passages and write down significant quotes or ideas in a notebook.  I have several notebooks (a new fetish that I have acquired this summer) and I have them color coordinated:  pink for my YA novel in progress (and anything having to do with Impressionism); blue for tips and suggestions for writing discipline; red for art appreciation and photography tips.  I believe in the concept that if you write something down you are twice as likely to remember it, and I am keen on remembering - and learning - how to do all these things.

I also have my computer close by because I want to have access to the internet when an idea strikes me.  For example, many times in reading these books, other authors and books are suggested.  I immediately go online and request the book from my local library.  I may not have time to read the book immediately - but at least I now have a record of a future resource.  Or....I my reading may prompt me to look up a definition for an unfamiliar term, or the location of particular landmark, or ....Well, you get the idea.  The more I read, the more I want to learn and discover more --- and the internet is my lifeline to that knowledge.

On this particular day I also had my camera close by because I wanted to see for myself what was being described in the book.  I am visual learner - and my learning is always reinforced if I can see a concrete example of an abstract thought.  That is actually another way that I used the internet on Friday.  A concept was discussed, let's say still life photography, and I wanted to learn more.  I searched the internet for online tutorials of still-life composition (of which there were few, I am sorry to say) and that enabled me to attempt my first set up for this picture.

It is very easy for me to lose track of time when I am in this frame of mind.  I often think I should set an alarm so that I can remember to take a break to eat and visit with family members.  But I suppose that is how I know I am a true introvert - as nothing brings me more pleasure and peace than to be alone in my nook, surrounded by books, my computer, and my personal desire to learn.