Sleepy Hollow

Last one, and honestly, this is not the most practical mask fabric, as I pretty much HAVE to make sure a jack-o-lantern appears on each mask, which might mean some wastage (don’t worry, I’ll find another use for it), but I just couldn’t resist. Beautiful design, Legend of Sleepy Hollow reference, autumn is coming — dearest fabric, you had me at hello.

Fabric name: Sleepy Hollow
Designer: Rachel Gilbert-Cornish

I Lurve Them

Okay, are you ready for new fabric? Yes, I have new fabric. Three new patterns arrived, and I lurve them.

See, I realized I had no writer fabric, which was an egregious lack, and I was browsing Spoonflower (as you do), and I saw this, and it was so autumnal, and it’d be great for a English / lit. teacher too, so y’know, I mashed that buy button pretty darn fast.

Pattern name: “I write, you wrote, we all should have written!”
Designer: Nancy Kers

Positively Autumnal

The weather is starting to shift — yesterday was positively autumnal, and though it’s warmed up now, this morning, I was tempted to actually put my shed heater on. So it felt particularly apropos sending out this mask order — cute foxes and lots and lots of books to curl up with. What more could you ask for a cozy fall day?

(Oh, maybe I need some sweater-themed fabric. And teapots. Lots of teapots. Hmm….)

Zoom Guidelines

I’m sort of glopping together various Zoom guides I see, will keep editing this to make something that works for my classes:

During our optional (but likely very helpful) Zoom calls, it’ll help if you stick to the following guidelines:

1. Log on to Zoom at least 5-10 minutes in advance in case of any technical or logistical issues, and also to enable assignment to breakout groups prior to the beginning of class.

2. Add your pronouns next to your name in your Zoom window

3. You’re encouraged to turn your camera on (when possible / comfortable); it makes for better class interaction if most cameras are turned on. Feel free to use virtual backgrounds if you like.

4. Decide how you will take notes while keeping the Zoom screen open; remember to have the chat window open too, and please feel free to converse with your classmates there.
(Note: All Zoom chat with the host is public and recorded in the transcript, even what appears to be private, and private chats are sent to the host.)

5. If you are having technical difficulties, or know you will be late, make sure to send an e-mail to the professor BEFORE class begins.

6. Mute yourself unless you are speaking. (Your host also has the power to mute you.)

7. You hopefully won’t need to purchase any additional equipment. Your phone or computer’s built-in microphone is typically sufficient. A set of headphones with a microphone offers a slight improvement in microphone quality.

8. Try to not to walk/move from room to room. If you must do so, turn off your video while you relocate. Once you’re settled again, you can turn on your video again.

9. If you arrive mid-discussion, try not to interrupt.

10. If you click participants, you can see a list of who’s there, and that also will let you click ‘raise hand’ or ‘lower hand’. I’ll try to keep watch for that, but you can also raise your actual hand, if you have video on.

11. We’re all responsible for maintaining a functioning video call. No one is criticizing you when reminding you of meeting etiquette – mute your mic, wait your turn etc.

12. Any pets or children that interrupt should be introduced. You are encouraged to call them your coworker.

I’m Drowning a Little

Woke at 6 a.m., coffee and samosa, made it to the shed by 7, puttered for a bit online, started writing at 8, and it’s 9:17 now. Not bad work. Two new scenes, 1700 words, and we’re to the end of chapter 12, which is all new. Looking forward to reader comments on it.

13 will be new too, I think — it’s going to be a little tricky, because up until this point, I’ve had a long stretch in very close-in detail, scene by scene, and I think in 13, I’m going to want to cover most of a week in just a chapter. Will take a little care to strike the balance right, but I think it can be done.

Up to 44,720 words revised now; aiming for at least 80,000 complete for the revised draft (up from 60K previously), think we’re going pretty well so far.

Okay, breaking for second breakfast and maybe a little treadmill time (second breakfast must be balanced out somehow), then at 9:45 I’m meeting a friend for coffee to try to talk her into running for library board. I think she’d be great. We’ll see! (If you’re interested in running for local office, I’m happy to be a resource and answer questions.)

After that, e-mails. I owe so many e-mails right now, I’m drowning a little.