Semester’s End

I’ve still got grading in front of me — and, yes (argh) Christmas shopping too — but the semester is, for the most part, done, and so I’m tallying student weblog entries while seated in the stereo’s sweet spot, listening to Solti conduct Beethoven’s 9th with the volume too loud, and feeling a bit holidayish. For the very first year, there’s a Christmas tree in my living room, adorned with the ornaments I inherited from my mom, and when I go to bed, I turn off all the lights except for the ones on the tree, and stand and look at the multicolored pine needle shadows across the living room ceiling, and feel like a kid again. The girls were at first terrified by the huge green thing in the corner, but as soon as I hung the first non-fragile ornament from the lower branches, it was on, baby.

As always, I’m gonna miss my students; as always, there are a couple who — in their various combinations of generosity, intelligence, caprice, perseverance, talent, and sheer stubbornness — I really hope might stay in touch.