I heard through the grapevine that a few of my friends and family Up North were wondering what had happened to my blog. Well, what has happened is that I’m having a very busy spring! After 18 months or so of going back and forth to doctors, we finally seem to have my migraines under control and I am feeling much better overall. This means that I am able to take on an increased workload and more commitments in general, which translates to less knitting and less blogging about knitting. I’m not about to give up either pursuit, but I’m not able to spend 20 hours a week on those things any more as I was. Overall, this is a Very Good Thing. I feel healthy and strong for the first time in a long, long time.
So, what have I been so busy doing?
- As I said, I’m teaching lots more. I have some awesome students this year. Three of my middle school students are taking solos to contest that are off of the high school list! It’s hard to believe that I have a 7th grader playing a Mozart rondo, and playing it well, but it’s true.
- One of my great regrets regarding my college education was that I was not able to take any additional math classes. I tested out of the courses required for my major, and was never able to fit a math elective into my schedule. So, last fall I trotted over to the local community college and signed up for a trigonometry class this spring. I would have preferred to take calculus, but after 10 years of not doing any math, I forgot a lot of stuff and was told that I should start with trig. I’m doing great in the class and it’s fun, but I’m doing 10-12 hours of homework each week in addition to attending class, which in addition to work makes for a busy schedule.
- We’re buying a house! Because my husband is working so much overtime these days, I’ve been handling most of the logistics here, which at times has added significantly to both my workload and my stress level. The house is in central Austin, but details are otherwise top secret until we close in early May.
- My husband and I will be visiting our families in early June this year, in time to catch my cousin’s high school graduation in Columbus. When we visit we like to take up small gifts. This year we’ll be bringing lots of
homemade soap. We started making soap over the winter and are pretty pleased with the most recent batch, which my mom helped out with during her recent trip to visit us. I hope that everyone likes soap that smells like lavender and vanilla! As you can see, we have a LOT of soap – this recipe made 10 pounds! - And, last but not least, we are still having great fun with Ned. Have a good spring, everyone!
Well, at least I already knew you were taking math classes through the grapevine!
Good luck on the house and enjoy those students. That has to feel so good, having some very talented ones to work with, though of course each student has their good points!