MEA

When you're a student, MEA is usually associated with studying for Midterms, parent-teacher conferences, and a chance to spend the two days off working furiously on projects and homework and catching up (or getting ahead) on studying and reading.
Now, on the other side of the spectrum, I'm finally enjoying my first MEA break as a teacher.  While my students have the time off to work on a paper due next week, I'm going to truly enjoy at least one of my days off of classes with some relaxation, climbing, coffee, and me-time.

I spent yesterday in my office, getting ahead in lesson planning and copying all the handouts I'll need for all of next week.  My desk is clean, my papers are (finally) in order, and I'm ready for a exceedingly busy week next week.
For today, though, I'm going to make some pumpkin-chai cookies, go for a long relaxing run outside, bike down to VE and climb hard for a few hours, then hang out with guests staying at our little apartment this weekend.  It's my first full day not worrying about choreographing, grading, or whether I finished lesson planning for Monday and Tuesday.
For this teacher, MEA really is a break.  :)

I'm hoping to finish the pair of mittens for a friend today.  All it needs is the top to be closed, a thumb, and a little blocking love to ease the fair isle into place.  My Christmas knitting list is still pretty big (including Kim's Wedding Shawl, which I'll hopefully start the backgrounds for the snowflakes this weekend) but these mittens will be my third of 6 total Christmas presents- well on my way.  It helps to start in August, I suppose...

I also am working steadily on the Kleio shawl for another Christmas present.  I made the recipient the Eleanor cowl last year, and I know that she liked the lace stuff, so I figured a warm shawl with pretty lace details would be perfect.  It'll be great project knitting for riding in the car down to the cities next weekend, and I'll hopefully be to the Latvian braid and lace section for my awesome girl's weekend with H and S the first weekend in November.  That project is my travel-only project, since I need my home time to work on the Snowflake Shawl.
My coffee mug is empty, so I'm off to fill up and start getting some stuff DONE around this apartment.  I LOVE MEA!! :)