Shopping...

is fun again. It has been raining here since Friday morning, and Saturday afternoon I needed to get out of the house. I wanted to walk, and we needed to replace some kitchen equipment, so we went to the mall. I had recently gotten the Land's End catalogue, and there were some cute winter things I wanted to look for; we headed into Sears. Discovery: I don't fit in the "plus" sized clothes anymore!!!!! I bought some "misses" shirts from Land's End, and a pair of jeans, the first in about three years, and some cute "palazzo style" pants at J.Jill--and I didn't have to get size XL! I'm not melting or anything, but it sure is nice to know that I'm gradually shrinking down to a healthier size. Hopefully this realization will get me through the "It's Fall and I need to eat and pack on fat for winter" phase I go through every year at this time...

Teaching is kicking my tail...

Whew. It's been an intense four weeks. I have five classes with three preps this year, which is a first for me. It's fine, but I REALLY have to be organized. The good news is, I feel like I'm "on my game" this year, and I love my kids. And I'm still in love with our new 8th grade administrator.

I've been cooking up a storm to relax, recharge and focus. Lots of putting by for winter: roasted peppers, more tomato sauces, baked goods, and defrostable meals are packed into the freezers. I'm hoping they'll help save me on those winter days that all I want to do is crawl into bed as soon as I get home from work. I highly recommend finding a recipe for peach-pecan scones. I found it online and it is just amazing.

Sadly, as summer turns to autumn, my body is kicking into,"EAT, EAT, EAT," mode. It's like some ancient DNA is telling me to pack on the fat for the winter months. I never noticed this when I lived in Florida (though I suppose if it really is some kind of instinctive thing, it wouldn't kick in in the sub-tropics). I find myself fighting the urge...and frequently losing. If I ate any more carbs today I'd turn into a noodle.

Marge Piercy has a great poem on the topic in her book Mars and Her Children (can't remember the title--read the whole thing, it's great!). She really is one of my favorite poets ever.