Thoughts About "Stuff"

So it's Saturday morning, which is maybe my favorite part of the week.  It feels so indulgent to be able to sit around in my jammies, sipping tea, reading, writing in my journal.  And one of my goals for this weekend is to sit down and think about reprioritizing some things in my life.  This is something I try to do ever two or three months.  I like to look over my journal(s) and my lists of goals and simply think about what's working in my life and what isn't.  That seems healthy, right?  Well, healthy as long as I don't obsess about it, something I have a tendency to do.  And I guess that I'm posting this commitment to reprioritizing here, publically because I know that if I say it to others, I'm more likely to follow through.  Also, I'm feeling kinda anxious at the moment, and it seems that blogging, journaling, all that tends to help me settle down a bit and refocus. 

On a happy, happy note, I'm scheduled to teach an entire course devoted to Dante next semester!  And I'm so very excited.  I've been looking at different translations and reading reviews and analyses.  And all this reminds me exactly what I love about my job.  And when I say that, I don't just mean that I love that I am an English literature.  I mean, more specifically, I feel so grateful to have the particular position that I have at the specific liberal arts college at which I work.  There are so many, many wonderful things about my position and my department.  Not the least of these is that my colleagues are wonderful, and some of them have become close friends whom I really, really trust.  When I'm frustrated or discouraged about work, I know that I can walk down the hall to T.'s office, and he'll graciously listen and give me really helpful advice.  I so value having these kinds of relationships.  But the other wonderful thing about my job that I honestly wouldn't have at most other institutions is that I get to teach this interesting variety of time periods and genres and pieces of literature, and I get the opportunity to teach special topics kinds of courses in things that I simply just have an interest in.  And I've learned since coming here that the opportunity to just sort of teach what I want to teach is invaluable.  Sometimes I consider looking for ladder positions elsewhere, and I never do because, although VT is difficult, the actual job is this tremendous blessing.  I cannot imagine being happier in some other department. 

One final note:  I've been reading a collection of short stories by Ruth Rendell.  They are super.  And how have I missed Rendell all this time?