Well, the pressure's off. I met with my online students on Wednesday and Thursday, and have had a preliminary look at their portfolios, which are very good - better than I'd anticipated, in fact. What an enormous relief.

So I'm done meeting students; for the next couple of weeks I'm grading, finishing an article, writing a few web forms & databases, and planning longer-term projects (of various kinds) for the summer. And all of this is punctuated by a trip to Inkshed next weekend; I couldn't be happier.

Although I'm not completely finished with work, the instant release from the rush-rush-hurry-hurry-respond-respond-respond mode of the past few weeks has made me feel weightless. (Sort of like stiffening your arms against a doorjamb and then letting up . . . ) I'm puttering around the house, breathing deeply and enjoying myself immensely. I'm sorting through books, and making piles for various of you readers out there . . . got a bunch for Steph and a few for Russ & Anne so far.

Soon I'm going to go to Woven Art, buy this month's Stitch Challenge (for a buck) and see if I can sign up for a loom.

And all of this feels, somehow, qualitatively different than it has in academic years past. I think it's that continuing contract thing; the pressure is really, really off for me. I don't need to worry that I'm not good enough . . . Hence, many of the projects I'm thinking up are designed for the betterment of our program - because I can invest myself here now. They committed to me, and I can now commit to them.

All of which is positively delightful. Emil told me once that what I really wanted to be was Associate Professor of Summers Off, and he was right. By golly, I just might have grown up to be what I wanted . . . :)