Spring Break!

Spring break was here and gone before I knew it.  I can’t believe how fast it has flown by.  My Spring Break was March 12 through March 20.  Now I’m back to the grindstone, crunching numbers and writing papers (and blogs).  My break was a busy one, but I was supposed to have one of leisure.  There were so many facets to that single short week, it’s hard to believe I fit it all in.  I was supposed to be free from assignments, and for the most part that was true.  However, when the next week starts up, there’s a lot I need to have accomplished.  I think instructors feel comfortable issuing assignments and tests right after a break, because they know there’s no class.  However, if all your instructors think like this, then your break is no different from any other week.  All I have are two short workshops to present, and study for my tests.  I did have one of my favorite cousins coming from Ohio for a visit – no problem, plenty of time…

My cousin came in on Sunday,  and we were able to spend a day recuperating around town.  We visited Manatee Springs State Park, which was beautiful, if not devoid of manatees, but the vultures gave us quite a display.  A trip to an antique store and dinner in a nearby town rounded it all off well.  We decided to accompany her to Southern Florida for part of her vacation.  The trip itself took over 5 hours, it was a bit tiring, but it gave me a chance to work on this neat sock pattern I’ve started, but have little time to work on.  We visited a park and Fisherman’s Village in Punta Gorda.  We got a couple of pictures, souvenirs, and a great lunch.  Seafood is always a destination of its own when you’re on vacation in Florida.

I was comforted by the fact that the workshops I obligated myself to present would fall during Spring Break.  I should have plenty of time to get my stuff together, and take a day off from studying (so I told myself).  There was a lot to get done for those workshops, and I didn’t want to wait until the end.  You never know when or where you’ll catch a snag.  I needed to:  revise my handouts, re-work one of the patterns, 10 warps to prepare, 10 wefts to prepare, have my handouts printed, warp my demonstration model, gather my supplies, make a warping rack, the list goes on.  Normally it’s only a matter of making a list with generous deadlines, then working down the list.  But I was kept so busy with school work, that I had to cram it in where I could.  Thankfully, I had it all in one area,  and only had to gather it together and load it in the car.

We got home late the day before my workshops, so time was limited to gather my stuff, double-check everything, grab a bite to eat, shower, relax, and get to bed at a decent time.  I had to get up a lot earlier than I realized to be on time for my workshops, but I was able to catch a solid 3 hours of sleep.  I felt like I was only giving half of myself to everything: my cousin, workshops, and studies.  I had two important tests on Tuesday, it looks like it will be Thursday before I learn anything about them.  I would have liked to spend more time with my cousin, but her time was limited.  I think I was likely preoccupied during her visit, it would have been nice to give her all my attention since we seldom see each other.  I’ll have to wait for feedback on my workshops, I know I was over-tired during them, I had a hard time keeping my eyes open for the trip home.  I’d like to refine my presentation of these techniques if I continue, that’s on my plate for the future.   Time will tell, but for now, I think I’ll take it easy, and take a break from my break.

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