Welcome 2012

Somehow 8 weeks have managed to fly by since my last post. I went back to Michigan for my birthday and the Thanksgiving break. While I was there I was lucky to attend a wedding between two of the tutors I worked with at U of M Flint, which was held at the Flint Planetarium - it was quite an experience. When I left I told my youngest son that what I really wanted from him for Christmas was for he and his dad to put Christmas up so I wouldn't have to do it at the last minute when I came back for the Holidays. Then it was back to Lawrence for the last weeks of the semester. That is always a busy time at any writing center with loads of panicked students who have waited too long. I love working in that kind of environment -it is so very alive.

I went to Michigan for two and a half weeks. Larry had promised me that we could see a lot of Christmas lights while I was home. Little did I know they would be on my own house!

Nick had gotten up on the roof of the house - in the middle of the night one night - and strung lights all over the front of my house. But that was only the beginning. He had put up three trees in the house, decorated the mantle, hung the stockings, put the Christmas village up on top of my piano, put the musical bears on top of the refrigerator, hung the advent calendar that I made when Danny was a baby, hung the mistletoe in the entry - every room on the first floor, everywhere I looked - it was Christmas. He even put lights up on the pergola. It was just about the best gift anyone has ever given me.

My break at home was everything I had hoped for. Lots of time with friends and family, very little stress, tons of good food, a little shopping, a few movies and naps on my sofa almost every day. I felt a bit like a bum, but I decided that was probably okay. As usual our anniversary went by in the usual post New Years fog, so we will celebrate later. We still haven't figured out what we are going to do for the big one next year.

Now I am back in Kansas, settled in and stocked up for the coming week. I will mark my one year anniversary at KU this week. I have been thinking about my resolution for this year... the one word resolution. I am having a hard time coming up with it. I know I want to be more efficient at work, I want to work more regularly on my personal writing, exercize regularly, eat healthier, etc. But I am having a hard time coming up with the word. Any ideas?