sabbatical.
This weekend I became aware of my need to go on sabbatical.
Yesterday I spent 8+ hours doing exactly what I wanted to do and I still got so little done. How horrible (because I want to make headway! progress!) and how wonderful (because it means that my little project is so much bigger than I expected). I determined that if I worked on my project for somewhere between seven and fourteen days straight, working 8+ hours per day, I could complete it.
Other things I would like to do on my sabbatical: go to the library in the mornings and spend afternoons and evenings reading books on photography, business, and crafting. I would drink toasted marshmellow-hot chocoloate (which I sampled today at Barnes and Noble). I would finish my little side projects: half-knitted scarves, Jim-Bobs needing limbs sewn on, birds needing wings, photos needing scrap-booked. I would work on my stories about Spanky the Elephant and Jesus’ Favorite Little Squirrel.
I also would like to clean our apartment. It is relatively clean, but doesn’t everyone have those drawers and closets filled with random stuff that you don’t know where else to put? I need to do something about that.
I feel extremely overwhlemed and stressed today. A lot can be attributed, sadly, to the Christmas season. In my head I am thinking about all the things I need to buy and how much money they will cost. I wanted to design our Christmas cards this year, but I don’t know when or how.
Of course, all these things are true of most adults. Everyone needs a sabbatical. Everyone has their little project that needs completed. Everyone is too busy and spread too thing and stressed out about money and things. I guess we all should have been college professors.
((the stray kitty on thanksgiving.))
November 25th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Tell me about this project. Or are you being deliberately secretive/ambiguous? Is it going to be a present for someone, and on the chance that he/she reads your blog, you’re keeping it secret? The fact that you could spend over eight hours on it is pretty intriguing.
My project this month is writing my senior honors thesis/senior writing project! What did you do for your writing project, Jen? Weren’t you creative writing concentration, like me? I don’t think I’ve asked what your project was when you were a senior.
I’m also making something for my mom using coquina seashells. It sounds tacky but it should be nice.
And ah! the knitted scarves! I’m in the middle of two. Are scarves all you know how to knit? They’re all I can do…unless you count potholders, which are just miniature scarves.
November 25th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
That hot chocolate sound so yummy! I wish I knew how to knit. I want a Harry Potter Ravenclaw scarf so bad!
November 26th, 2007 at 9:04 am
Dear Jen,
1. Yes, we all feel over whelmed.
2. Awww…I’m really so excited about you writing your books, staring your own photography business and finishing all your unique crafts.
3. We all think you’re awesome!
(I’m going to go write you an e-mail right now…I have something special to tell you…)
Love, always ~ Deb (M)
November 26th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Oops -
P.S. Your picture of kitty is cool! (Except that he looks like he has the potential to be mean, and he really is sweet.) DOES ANYONE WANT THIS BLACK KITTY? SOMEONE JUST DROPPED HIM OFF AT OUR HOUSE AND I CAN’T BEAR TO SEE HIM NOT GO TO A GOOD HOME!!! (Sorry for using your site Jen for this announcement, but I know you have alot of fans. : )
November 26th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
I can definitely sympathize with your need for a sabbatical!! I spent alot of time at work Saturday trying to find crafty, meaningful, and inexpensive gift ideas, and I found some good ones, but still don’t know how everything’s going to work out financially with the holidays. I wish I knew how to knit… one of the gift ideas involves a handmade scarf!
November 30th, 2007 at 7:41 am
Jamie doesn’t know how to knit? This can’t be the same Jamie. Not mine at least.
December 5th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
It’s a different Jamie!