I never expected my "year of roses" to be quite so -- interesting. The last few weeks have been hectic as my small residential university prepared to re-open in a traditional face-to-face format in this incredibly challenging time. We've had our first full week of classes and we know we're in for some unique challenges … Continue reading Roses and Balance
Here in the Carolinas, we're in the "dog days" of summer. While the phrase identifying the rising of Orion's dog, Sirius, in the nighttime sky, may have originally been a harbinger of fever and catastrophe, the meaning of the phrase has morphed into a designation of the hottest days of the summer. (Then again, in … Continue reading Roses and Dog Days
We're officially into summer now. Spring was completely and totally weird, due to the pandemic. Think about it - many of us spent big chunks of that entire season inside. We learned how to sew masks (or at least, knew friends who did). We saw scarcity on grocery store shelves. We got used to some … Continue reading Roses and Summer
I realized the other day that my last "traditional day" at work was Friday, March 6. That's the day my midterm grades were due to be submitted and the next week was scheduled to be our spring break. Of course, that's not the way things worked out and I spent spring break in ways that … Continue reading Roses and Time
When I started this "roses" journey at the start of the year, I never anticipated how a virus would wreak havoc upon the world. In all the post-apocalyptic fiction I've read and watched, I cannot remember a single instance in which the human race triumphed by simply staying at home and watching Netflix. Movies, television, … Continue reading Roses and Cooperation
Two months ago, I had flown out West to attend a large popular culture conference in New Mexico and I was having a wonderful time enjoying long-missed friends, having pick-up coffee dates to toss around paper and publishing ideas, grabbing snacks from well-stocked buffet tables, and enjoying the comforts of a top-notch hotel. My, how … Continue reading Roses and Sacred Space
Since I last wrote, more and more states have issued "stay at home" orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Working from home has proven difficult - my day job is to teach law and this semester I had taken on an overload class in addition to my usual responsibilities. Although I've taught online … Continue reading Roses & Staying At Home
Today is the first day of spring - it's a little earlier than usual. In fact, it's the earliest it's been in more than a century! Two weeks ago, I would have thought that I'd write about blooming azaleas and garden plans; maybe a restful meditation on self-care spent in the sunshine at a sidewalk … Continue reading Roses, Spring, and Forced Change
My conference has concluded and I'm in the hotel room packing up for a day of travel. (No, the world renown Balloon Fiesta wasn't going on while I was here; I just really liked the picture!) While part of me wishes I'd done some sightseeing, I'm at peace with that. I'll be back here and … Continue reading Roses and Clearing the Brush
As you know, this is my "year of roses" - a time devoted to me figuring out how to live my values on an everyday, practical level. Life is so much more than a paycheck (quite an important part of this Diva's life, to be sure, but quite far from being the only thing that … Continue reading Roses and the Value of “Packing Heavy”