gradling

[gradling]

July 9th, 2025

On Friday my boss told me that my contract will now be forever and that I can stay at my school. I was so relieved... She came in mid-class to tell me and I started crying in front of my students! That night, instead of celebrating, I got really sick with a stomach bug that is making its round at school. And now, even though it was over quickly, I'm tired all the time. My body hasn't recovered from this night yet and I still feel a bit weak and very tired. I could nap 24/7... I hope this changes soon, I need to get some stuff done before the school year is over.

No workspace photo as I'm mainly grading, so I cannot take photos of that. Enjoy my (wild) vegetable garden instead.

[gradling]

I’m at the stage of conference paper where I’m like “it’s done! But…what if I made it better. I could keep working on this. Forever.”

[gradling]

I feel like my life is liquefying around me. Like I’m all back to the drawing board, and trying to build rituals, habits, and rules of kinship all over again. It's a giddy feeling. This here is among my favourite stabilising rituals at the moment.

[gradling]

used bookstore tucked into an old church in the holler I will always love you

[gradling]

when a hog steals your pants and you have to hunt it down with an ax

book of hours, use of st. omer, c. 1318-25

the british library, ms 36684, f. 31r

[gradling]

To be clear, I was sitting in a room with a bunch of other people who were watching the virtual presenter. The presenter could not hear me, but everyone else could

✨✨Just conference things: virtual presenter started with “good morning everyone” and I reflexively went “good morning!” and no one else did✨✨

[gradling]

Sunday, the 6th of July 2025

After a cold shower, I sat down to read a couple of minutes in the gray light of a rainy morning. Yves Montand was singing in the background when I played with the dog before heading out for my shift at the coffeehouse. When I left afterwards, I was absolutely fuming. A colleague I'd always felt luke-warm towards set my opinion of them in cement today and it's not positive at all. To clear my head and figure out how to handle these emotions, I went rowing before sitting down to study. To be completely honest, I was tired and still upset so my Russian practice didn't feel as directed, focused, and rewarding. Tomorrow is another day.

[gradling]

✨✨Just conference things: virtual presenter started with “good morning everyone” and I reflexively went “good morning!” and no one else did✨✨

[gradling]

From the article:

But, as Brownell explained to new customers, Smart is different from the typical craft store: Everything on its shelves has been donated. The shop is what is known as a creative reuse center. These crafting thrift stores keep leftover and unwanted art supplies out of landfills, and instead get them into the hands of other creators at affordable prices. Smart combines that model with another mission. Many of the employees and volunteers who run the shop are adults with disabilities. Over the last decade, the organization has diverted more than one million pounds of art and craft materials from landfills, while providing over 37,400 hours of job coaching, volunteering and employment for adults with disabilities.

I think this is a really great example of how expansive environmental work can be--and how it can coincide with other forms of community action.

Protests and politics aren't the most effective or sustainable form of action for everyone (though there are more diverse ways to participate in that kind of action too!)--providing a service to your community that increases sustainability and aligns with your passions and interests is also an extremely valid and needed form of environmental action.

[gradling]

Went on Vacation in June 🤭 got loads of new books 📚 also: applied to a conference, read a lot for my PhD especially about social network analysis and read some new sources, which were great!

[gradling]

Monday, June 30, 2025

Remembering when it was warm enough to sit outside all day studying and writing postcards. I ended up not even using the text I read that day but I do think it pushed me in the right direction

[gradling]

Hey, it’s been a while. :)

I’m doing alright, just plugging away at my dissertation. The other day, I took a break to sort things out—cleared my desk, gathered all my notes, and organized them by chapters. It was kinda nice to see how far I’ve come. Made me think of something I heard on a podcast:

“We all start from not knowing and learn through the process”

Feeling quietly motivated to keep moving forward, I’m so grateful.

[gradling]

reading the inferno

[gradling]

02/07/25

still fighting demons when it comes to finalizing all the things to formally close this academic year

today I was just running for one office to another with documents and then I planned the next interviews

can't wait to catch a break

[gradling]

88/100

[gradling]

03.07.25

⏱️: 3h

started working on my Classical Japanese final and made some good progress!

[gradling]

summer travels~