No more Debbie Downer for today

Other things are going on besides death and cancer this summer, so I figured I should include a post on those, as well. 

• I am actively working on my thesis.  I met with my advisor this week when I was on campus to do library business.  I struggled a bit this week with carving out my daily schedule to be efficient and regular.  I don't think I'll have as many problems with that next week, though;  I think I know now what I need.  If it doesn't work well on Monday, then I'll leave the house and work out in public somewhere.  (Damned distractions.  Damned internet.  Damned wi-fi.  Damned procrastinator and rationalizer that I am! :-)
• The weather here in SoCal has been gorgeous -- cool and "June-gloomy" in the mornings with full sun and breeze in the afternoons.  Fabulous!
• I've gotten to see some good movies recently:  Toy Story 3 (cried like a little girl for the last twenty minutes of it), Eclipse (liked it, want to see it again, and now that "Jacob" is 18, I can drool openly over his chiseled torso -- heh), Before Sunrise and Before Sunset (yeah, I'm a little behind in my cult favorites -- loved these movies, the second even better than the first), The Closer, Season 5 (which finally came out on DVD -- sheesh!).  Looking forward to seeing Despicable Me, Salt, and Inception when they come out.  I'm hoping to go see Winter's Bone this afternoon.
• My reading has been oddly varied of late.  Naturally I've been reading a lot of sci-fi criticism and theory for my thesis.  I did read Winter's Bone, because I knew I was going to want to see the movie;  I really liked the book, though I'm having trouble explaining why.  I think the main character is likable despite the world she's trapped in.  I also just finished Barbara Walters' memoir, Audition, which I've had for, like, ever but finally just decided to pick up.  It was a good balance of juicy and judicious, which I appreciated.  I've just begun The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, by Aimee Bender.  I've only read the first chapter, but so far I like it and am looking forward to reading the rest of it.  I'm also reading Switch, which is about the psychology of change (both institutional and individual);  I am learning a lot. 
• Bought and love Sarah McLachlan's new CD.  Will be going to Lilith Fair next week, which I hope will be fun.  Court Yard Hounds are good, too.  Bought but haven't yet absorbed the Eclipse soundtrack;  same with the Sex and the City 2 soundtrack. 
• Planning a road trip to the PacNW with nieces at the end of July, which should be fun.  We don't have any other major vacations planned this summer.  The thesis MUST be done this summer.  Next summer we may celebrate with a trip to England -- yeah-uh! 
• The theme for this summer:  total enjoyment and self-discipline.  I know, I know, those two things sound like oxymorons, but I think they're just a paradox -- they seem to be contradictory but they can coexist quite well.  It's like a sonnet -- strictures of format but complete freedom within those boundaries to write about absolutely anything.  My life this summer needs to become a sonnet. 

News

We are indeed looking through the misty window for rays of light. The bad news today is that POM's sister, SurvivorMommy, received results from a PET scan today and learned that her cancer-free status no longer applies. One lesion on her lung and several on her liver are again active and growing.

Background: She had been diagnosed with stage IV metastatic colon cancer a year and eight months ago, had a colon resection, over a year of chemo, over a year and a half of self-assigned alkaline diet plus other dietary measures, and a year and eight months of international prayers and faith and a positive outlook. She is just a couple of months off liver surgery and a clean bill of health.

We are petitioning God for a complete cure and healing. We know this is possible because it's already happened once. We may be selfish, but we tend to think her five kids need her. If you're of the praying persuasion, we covet your prayers. If not, we'll take your positive intentions. Thank you. Updates as they are available.

Egad, Brain!

Narf! I have been away too long. It was the sort of week during which I came home from school and fell asleep on the couch, getting up only to go to bed. It was a spectacularly unproductive week, and again, I am happy to have put it behind me.

Because I have spent much of week being overwhelmed by the negative, I shall undertake to list here all of the positive things, the blessings, the gifts of the week:

Went to dinner last night with a couple who have the potential to be very good friends. They are involved with a church that we no longer attend, but we still see them in the line of things church-y, occasionally. Conversation lasted until well after dinner.

It rained and thundered and lightninged! I was giddy; it felt like back east again. [This is a qualified blessing, because many SoCal residents endured hardships as a result of this freak storm -- mudslides in burn areas, evacuations, snow, hail, twin tornadoes, overturned big rigs and freight cars.]

Netflix.

The 4400 series DVDs.

Dynamic skies; patchy sun, dark nimbus clouds, billowing white cumulus clouds, wind, green.

Brownies. Twice.

LittleKitty cuddled with me under the covers this morning as I lay in bed reading. She hasn't made a habit of that in quite a while.

Madeleine L'Engle's newly published novel, written in the 1940's. It was very sweetly her. It felt like coming back to a comfortable place of good memories.

Our campus held a Memorial Day ceremony yesterday, and the kids were better than I've ever seen them -- quiet, respectful, cooperative, and in some cases, truly moved.

A former student who is in the Navy returned to campus for a visit this week. He was one of those students who earned a low C or D in my sophomore English class, but who could have had an A given his outstanding intelligence and insight. He's one of the students we all know has incredible potential but...we all knew it might take time to be realized. After three years in the Navy, working on jet engines, being patient, watching the demise of his youthful marriage, he is entering Annapolis in a few short months. He's a special kid, and it was good to be visited by him and thanked by him.

A number of current students have stopped by my classroom this week after school, God bless 'em, utterly preventing me from getting any grading or other necessary jobs done...but who obviously needed to talk and who seemed to feel better after they left my room.

My AP students actually had some decent discussions this week of Ellison's Invisible Man. They are learning and growing after all. I've had my doubts this year.

Sunday's graduation party of a friend was tons of fun.

We have dinner planned tomorrow with another friend.

We have Monday off school.

That'll do for now. I'll add to the list as I recall more of the week's blessings.

Purple carpet
Nature's litter
Click to make big and see what I mean by "purple incandescence." I only wish my camera could fully capture what my eye sees.
Ditto on this one.

The rain is beginning.
Windshield rivulets
A recently vacated parking spot
This is what happens in SoCal when it rains.
Today, with patchy clouds, sun, blue, breeze.
Dynamic skies