tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271Sat, 27 Mar 2021 13:08:31 +0000happinessLiteratureCultureproductivityphilosophypsychologyrandomfoodgardeningdeathwritingenvironmentClassics ClubcoronavirusCOVID-19teachingpandemicdisability theorycraftsfitnessknittingfeminismfriendshippoliticscontaining all the things I like to think about, and then some...https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (the thinker)Blogger754125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-377093705120381481Tue, 23 Mar 2021 14:51:00 +00002021-03-24T07:13:47.344-04:00friendshiphappinesspsychologyrandomI confess, for a long time I never really understood the idea of "trauma-bonded," because I assumed that it didn't apply to me.I didn't think I'd experienced "trauma," so I didn't think it was a factor in my relationship patterns with others.This video explains trauma-bonded patterns so well that I highly recommend giving it a listen, if you have difficult relationships in your life--whether at https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2021/03/something-helpful.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-5168974655976542414Mon, 22 Mar 2021 17:48:00 +00002021-03-22T13:48:38.759-04:00happinesspsychologyrandomI woke up super-early this morning--too early to get up, and started thinking about what I would put in this (overdue, I know) blog post. I thought about the fact that March is a very mixed month in my mind. On the one hand, March 10th always marks the anniversary of my mom's death, in all its ambivalence.For me, that experience really wasn't one of grief, but of relief. I know that to many, thathttps://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2021/03/something-good.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-5566893773693453822Thu, 18 Mar 2021 12:59:00 +00002021-03-18T08:59:05.962-04:00coronavirusCOVID-19foodhappinessknittingpandemicproductivityrandomWell, I can't speak for anyone else, obviously, but I for one have been oversleeping every single morning this week. Presumably, my brain keeps thinking that the time is not really the time, because I actually completely forgot to "Spring Ahead" for daylight savings last Saturday night, and awoke on Sunday morning wondering why my Fitbit was buzzing at me at the wrong time. Turns out, my time washttps://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2021/03/thats-way-it-is.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-5809486321139557191Sun, 14 Mar 2021 12:17:00 +00002021-03-15T10:17:23.649-04:00feminismhappinessproductivityrandomWe're two weeks into March and every day this month I've thought, "Okay, today tomorrow I'll blog..."In short, I've got some catching up to do here. First, it's been a month of good stuff that will be bringing major changes to my life--things I honestly never thought would happen have happened, because I decided I wanted them to. So that's been very gratifying, but of course a little https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2021/03/fit-trim.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-3608050356505142495Thu, 25 Feb 2021 13:21:00 +00002021-02-26T07:26:30.693-05:00friendshiphappinessknittingrandomI recently stumbled upon an old episode of "Intervention" that hit home for me for several reasons. First, because as the intro. rolled and I heard the thick Boston accent of a working class family--with those open back rounded vowels that make it so wonderful and distinctive-- I knew it was going to be a tough episode for me, because that accent and environment always tells me, "I'm home."I grewhttps://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2021/02/better-late-than-never.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-4292118175857787419Mon, 22 Feb 2021 12:16:00 +00002021-02-22T07:16:04.861-05:00happinessproductivitypsychologyrandomOn Friday--or Saturday--mornings, I have a habit of looking over my weekend to-do list, while keeping my eye on the calendar above my desk, where all the events or activities or due-dates for the upcoming week are listed. Since classes started three weeks ago, this habit has been regularly accompanied by murmurings of... "fudge!" and "shoot!" (why, why did I decide to try to give up cursing?)As Ihttps://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2021/02/to-do-list-tipping-point.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-8879550717022773440Fri, 19 Feb 2021 17:50:00 +00002021-02-19T12:50:58.085-05:00productivityrandomWe're getting yet another East Coast snowstorm today, so I'm finding myself once again chained to the computer, getting my "homework" done for school next week, and feeling glad that I took the opportunity to take several long walks this week and enjoy the warmer and lighter weather that's slowly but steadily heading our way. February may be the shortest month, but it always feels like the https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2021/02/winters-light.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-325515583072710845Wed, 10 Feb 2021 11:54:00 +00002021-02-10T19:21:51.281-05:00happinesspandemicproductivityrandomteachingSo, yes, we're already 10 days into February--which is a month with fewer days than any other--and I'm only just now getting around to blogging.Truth be told, there hasn't been a lot to write about: the renovations are complete (thank heavens!) and I'm enjoying using my newly refurbished room (aka The CraftZone) for my Zoom sessions.Because yes, classes started up again 10 days ago, and it's beenhttps://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2021/02/in-thick-of-things.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-4870213980149053936Sun, 31 Jan 2021 15:46:00 +00002021-01-31T10:46:18.362-05:00coronavirusCOVID-19pandemicproductivityteachingIt's the last day of January, and we've spent much of this week "enjoying" (enduring?) what I refer to as Pasta & Potatoes Weather. Because maybe it's just me (although I don't think it is), but when the weather is warm, my attitude is, "Oh, I could have a salad! And maybe some fruit for dessert..."But when it's as cold outside as it's been this week, my general reaction to meals is, "I want https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2021/01/potatoes-with-pasta.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-311122554185727360Mon, 25 Jan 2021 14:23:00 +00002021-01-25T18:44:09.562-05:00foodphilosophyrandomThis weekend was a busy one because I had a bit of road-tripping to do, in addition to getting things in shape so that I can focus all week on getting my classes set up. I use road-trips as an opportunity to listen to (catch up on) podcasts, and this time around, I listened to Season 1 of CounterClock, about the still-unsolved case of Denise Johnson's murder. Johnson began dating a neighbor in https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2021/01/miscellaneous-weekend.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-6749179889469376297Fri, 22 Jan 2021 16:44:00 +00002021-01-22T12:58:45.936-05:00COVID-19craftshappinessproductivityrandomGentle reader, I have a confession. All my life, I've wanted two things: an herb garden, and a space devoted to crafting. I acquired--planted, actually-- the former nearly 10 years ago now, when I dug up a circular chunk of the front lawn, much to the surprise of my neighbors, and installed sage and oregano and chives and thyme and mint and never looked back.Regarding the latter, my desire for a https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2021/01/pipe-dream.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-5058219776294516177Wed, 20 Jan 2021 11:14:00 +00002021-01-20T06:14:23.213-05:00coronavirushappinesspoliticsrandom Bravo to James Corden for summing up how over 81 million Americans have felt for the last 24 hours. This one also sums up my mood this morning. Enjoy the day, fellow Americans!   ♪ No more room for trouble and fussNeed a change, a positive changeLook, it's me writing on the wall... ♬ https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-final-hours-musical-tribute.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-8693770232421436756Sat, 16 Jan 2021 13:12:00 +00002021-01-16T08:12:41.501-05:00fitnesshappinessproductivitypsychologyrandomWe're officially more than two weeks into the new year now, and I've started building on some trends from 2020 and developing some new habits. I'm also noticing that I've had some success in upholding them! As I mentioned in my last post of 2020, I'm trying to stop cut back on the cussing.It's a challenge, but no longer having to see Trump Tweets has helped enormously. (Thank you, Jack Dorsey!!)https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2021/01/actually.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-1190659901034648891Tue, 12 Jan 2021 14:15:00 +00002021-01-12T15:21:25.950-05:00COVID-19knittingpandemicphilosophypsychologyrandomWell, we're a little less than two weeks into 2021 and for those of us in the Good Ole U.S. of A, it's already been a pretty long year.  The title of this post is meant to resonate on (at least) two levels: on the one hand, it sums up what the first weeks of 2021 have been like for me: busy.I attended a virtual conference last week and I've been reading and writing up a storm. (Helped by the facthttps://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2021/01/after-all-ive-done.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-6305457075339703919Thu, 31 Dec 2020 14:07:00 +00002020-12-31T09:07:39.166-05:00happinessproductivityrandomSince it's New Year's Eve, I'm going to highlight a few of my resolutions for 2021 before we bid farewell to 2020:To age gracefully, with books and laughter, not botox and lipstick, a la Lauren Hutton ("beauty really is about health, and those masks [of makeup] don’t look healthy to me, so little by little I took makeup off instead of putting it on.")To keep blogging. I'm proud of the fact thathttps://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2020/12/resolved.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-6094006803722853461Sun, 27 Dec 2020 15:16:00 +00002020-12-27T11:36:00.179-05:00coronavirusfeminismfriendshiphappinesspsychologyrandom I recently returned to the Dr. Ramani video posted below because, as Dr. Ramani also points out (here), "tis the season." It's the time of year when the people who have not always (or even often) treated you kindly may try to tap into the "seasons greetings" dynamic, with its mantra of "peace on earth," "Forgiveness" (with a capital "F"), "love," and "gift"-giving, attempting to ride a heady https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-year-of-projects-december.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-5876223437329824967Sat, 26 Dec 2020 22:22:00 +00002020-12-26T17:22:55.064-05:00feminismfriendshiphappinesspsychologyrandomMerry (belated) Christmas, to my readers who celebrate! I've been MIA from the blog for a bit because 'tis the season and it's been a busy one. But one filled with pleasant surprises, as the photo on the left suggests.Talk about "tidings of comfort and joy"--how about dark chocolate lava cake truffles? That's what's fueling this blog post, actually.   I know that, this year, a lot of people out https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2020/12/tidings-of-comfort.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-7607405647501030387Mon, 14 Dec 2020 13:36:00 +00002020-12-14T12:57:56.635-05:00happinesspandemicproductivitypsychologyrandomEven though we had a soaker of a Saturday, followed by a spring-like Sunday, I took a break from the home improvement projects to finally get the yard in shape. Many loads of wet leaves later, I'm happy to report that it looks much better. I was particularly motivated because I know that, in a couple of weeks, I'll have to mulch up this year's Christmas tree for the benefit of my strawberry patchhttps://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-scramble_14.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-8718119042037915687Mon, 07 Dec 2020 17:11:00 +00002020-12-08T06:11:11.949-05:00craftsfeminismhappinessproductivityrandomThis morning, I told my BF to take one last look at The Flooring Stupidity, a sample of which is pictured below.For some reason, instead of reinstalling the backing for the baseboard heat and using the clamps that hold the pipes up off the floor to, you know, hold the heating pipes up off the floor, The Flooring Guy put little stacks of wood under the pipes. And then (obviously) did not remove https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2020/12/mise-en-place.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-7482319861509863533Sun, 06 Dec 2020 19:05:00 +00002020-12-06T14:05:12.998-05:00coronavirusCOVID-19foodhappinesspandemicpsychologyrandomWe had a wild-weather weekend here in my little section of the East Coast and I'm not sure what other people did, but my focus was on getting the guest room that once looked like this... to look like this!It's nowhere near finished, of course, but it's coming along. Installing the ceiling trim yesterday drove me to distraction. I had a feeling it might, when I discovered that in its first https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2020/12/progress.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-571397574687076103Mon, 30 Nov 2020 12:00:00 +00002020-11-30T07:24:38.755-05:00craftspandemicproductivitypsychologyrandomAt long last, before the month of November winds to a close, I'm finally at a point where I can post the pics of the ongoing wallpaper-removal, re-painting, and fixing-of-the-flooring project!Once I finished the scraping (never again, omg, never again--I now have what looks like a permanently painted pinky-nail thanks to a subungual hemotoma acquired during that phase of the project), it was on https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2020/11/mudded-taped.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-8342596717445331410Wed, 25 Nov 2020 20:32:00 +00002020-11-25T15:48:41.358-05:00happinessproductivityrandomI know I promised pictures in my last post, but my renovation project took a slight--but necessary--detour.In my last post, I neglected to mention that, on the morning that I angrily dismissed the Rogue Renovator Who Nearly Ruined My Floor, as I was making my bed, I noticed a small bug scurrying toward my pillow.I dealt with it (literally) just as I would later deal--figuratively, of course-- https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2020/11/thankfully.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-5924467054701616325Sat, 21 Nov 2020 22:40:00 +00002020-11-21T17:40:37.033-05:00productivityrandomTo say that I'm tired tonight would be an understatement.Actually, I'm very tired of one thing in particular: wallpaper and the glue that holds it to surfaces. I decided today that when Thoreau made the observation about men who "live lives of quiet desperation," he may very well have just come off of a job removing wallpaper. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm revamping a room that recently hadhttps://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2020/11/better-yet.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-4554690746442975509Wed, 18 Nov 2020 20:08:00 +00002020-11-18T19:09:40.691-05:00productivityAs I mentioned in my last post, I had to give (yet another) home improvement hire the heave-ho, which in turn has meant that I've been busy fixing what he did, in addition to doing what I had already planned to do.So that's the current project on deck--in addition to the reading, the grading, the writing and the knitting, of course.If you're questioning whether it was really necessary to fire himhttps://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2020/11/build-back-better.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443783239719828271.post-8615000404977779691Mon, 16 Nov 2020 23:08:00 +00002020-11-16T18:08:52.705-05:00craftsfeminismhappinessproductivityrandomThis past week--and the weekend in particular-- have been one for the record-books. I'd hoped to be writing by now about how wonderful it was to wrap up a year of home renovations, but unfortunately, I ran into problems with the guy I hired for the very last project. To such an extent that I had to fire him, and now he's created a bit of work for me, in terms of having to go fix what he did. https://thinkingprof.blogspot.com/2020/11/a-sorry-situation.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (the thinker)0