The things that make me smile

I'm sitting at my dining room table, planning our Thanksgiving Extravaganza, and giggling
at The Boys across the table from me. Hubby and Li'l Brother are sitting side-by-side playing WoW WOTLK on their laptops, giving each other tips for different areas and drinking apple cider in perfect bliss. I love family.

*****

Things have been rough for me for the past month or so - there's just too much going on between work, class, dissertation, and everyday life. Hubby has been a life-saver, taking over most of the household chores and drawing me hot baths on the worst of my days. I have no idea why I'm not dealing with it all as I usually do, with some modicum of grace and skill, but I'm not, and I know it frustrates those around me as much as if does me personally. I'm counting the days until the end of the semester, just to have enough free time to do all the stupid things that I have neglected for so long: dusting and getting a haircut and painting the trim in the new kitchen and cleaning the gutters and reading a novel without guilt.

In the meantime, I do have some good things going on: the aforementioned family entertainment, the happy anticipation of making two Thanksgiving dinners (one on Thursday for my side of the family, and one on Friday for Hubby's side; this is a good thing, since I miss cooking), the success of our recent exercise plan (in the past 3 months, I have lost 18 pounds and Hubby has lost 36), inspiration garnered from the recent AMS conference in Nashville, satisfaction in my job, the rewards of TA-ing a class for Professor Chang, and my deep appreciation for autumn in New England. Except the short-days part; that part stinks.