My nieces got some good press here for a recent duo piano performance with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. If you're interested, you can see and hear their October 9 performance here after purchasing a BSO NOW pass here. The 10-day version of the pass is only $10.

Also, one of my daughters had her first poem published, here. She will now retire from her dazzling poetic career, with a 100% acceptance/submission rate. Eat your heart out, Sphereans.

That's all great news, Julie :)

My younger brother put in an offer on a house yesterday and it's been accepted, yay. The property includes a garden with a shed. I do like a shed!

Best wishes,
Fliss

Only the one shed?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA8xTGP_M8g

Nice one, Joe!

My husband and I successfully installed two new bedroom windows at the weekend, with three more to go, when it's not raining, and before the winter kicks in! We've done it before, some years ago, and the windows aren't too big, fortunately - but I still think I'm too old for stuff like this.

The Good News - for me at least - was that I helped from the inside - while Pete worked from a scaffold tower outside :eek:

In case you're wondering... Pete hates to pay out lots of money for jobs he we can do himself ourselves. Pete hates to pay out lots of money for anything, come to think of it! :D

Jayne

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Joe, Funny, funny clip!
I was just now reading The poem on met board by Julie entitled, "Great" having to do with names. So this clip intersects with it in my mind.


Joe: "Only the one shed?"


My hunch is Fliss would be happy with two sheds : ) I would, too.


Julie, I'm headed to the BSO tomorrow for their "rehearsal" concert that the public is invited to see. Music on the cheap.
Your nieces are awesome. I remember another great clip of them you posted awhile back.
Your daughter's poem does not mince words (I noticed it was written when she was ten. We see things differently at that age : )

And kudos to you Jayne for that feat of accomplishment. I fixed the derailed track on my dishwasher the other day. Good news, but nothing to brag about. (It took me 3-4 go-rounds over a two-week period before I could figure it out).

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Well, Jim, two sheds are better than one! (I know, groan...)

Thanks, Joe! I like that too :)

Yes, kudos to Jayne. I'd definitely prefer the inside job, I think, especially in chilly weather, brrr...

I landed a new client today: Wilderness Safaris. My cousin's company Yellow Zebra merged with Wilderness earlier this year and I feel very fortunate that they'd like me to join their team 🥳 (party time)

Best wishes,
Fliss

I'm thankful for rising above the aches and pains and memory loss of "second childhood" and have finished the first draft of a novel. Living long is terrific!

Way to go, Ralph!!

You could be the next Jim Downing

Jayne

Today my mother and I met John Isbell and his charming wife Rita. They're staying with friends in Oxford at the moment and caught a bus to Cheltenham. We started with a swan safari around Pittville Park, before heading up to the new-ish café adjacent to the Pump Room for lunch. After that, we popped back to my flat for tea and biscuits. Very happy to have met them 😊

This is a very minor thing overall, but I'm happy to start teaching an Intro to Poetry course at Ohio State next month, and just as happy to be able to include one of my fellow 'Spherians in the syllabus -- Mary Meriam. The course will be grounded in Renaissance poetry for the first half of the semester, but will ultimately culminate in the 21st century...and I'll be using Mary's "Hot Spell" and "Gender" as prime examples of 21st century sonnets.

Mary's work has always been an inspiration to me, so I'm glad I'll be able to pay it forward by introducing it to a number of eager undergraduates.

That's Good News indeed, Shaun - for you and for Mary.

Here's mine: We just spent the weekend here at the incredible historic Hinwick House for a wonderful surprise ("significant" birthday) party for my son, all cleverly but surreptitiously organised by my daughter-in-law. There was a hog roast, buffet, disco, fireworks...the lot.

One of the guests said Hinwick House is posher than the Queen's place at Balmoral! :D (Have you looked at the photos in the link? The bedroom Pete and I had is featured; I think the house has seventeen in all.)
And I did a specially written poem in front of all the friends and family there.

Jayne

I now have two beautiful granddaughters and my son has graduated from BUDS and is now training to be a Navy SEAL medic.

I have two wonderful children.

All good, John.
F.

I've managed to make enough money from occasionally published vispo, illustration, and workshops/articles/other to cut down my hours in regular paid work in 2022.

This means that I have ALL DAY Monday and Friday to work on the PhD and creative practice unfettered.

It also means that today I had time to have a proper (like proper, in a salon and everything) haircut.

Sarah-Jane

That's all GOOD, Sarah-Jane. And I think I know why you've changed your avatar now: to reflect your new haircut? :)

My first book is on its way, I found out earlier today. In 2016, I worked with Yellow Zebra Safaris' then co-owner Rory and an artist named Andre to put together a children's section for the website; now they want to turn it into a book, hooray. It'll include all the blogs, fun facts, puzzles, pictures, and a few other things (details to follow). My first task is to come up with wording for 'About the Author' (max. 120) and a photo :)

The current occupiers of the house Brother Adrian purchased in November have found a bungalow to buy, at last. He should be able to move in during late February or early March. He's looking forward to owning a shed :)

Bad news first: Despite being triple-jabbed I've had a very nasty bout of Covid, even having to go to A & E (ER) to have everything checked, particularly my lungs; I finally tested negative today but still have a relentless cough and can't manage a phone conversation yet because of it.

The good news: The hospital doctor who looked after me thought I was twenty years younger than I am. I've often been told I look ten years younger... but TWENTY??? Now, that's what I call Good News! :D

Jayne

You make me smile, Jayne.

Be well.

I successfully defended my dissertation titled Intention and the Mid-seventeenth Century Poetry Edition yesterday -- the final step in the Ph.D.

I'm probably one of the only people who can actually claim to have enjoyed writing a dissertation, but that's truly the case.

Oh, well done Shaun.

That’s a very good feeling. Well done, Shaun!

Cheers,
John

Sorry everyone, but I've been largely out of action recently. A few of you may have seen my Facebook page, but I had a freak accident and broke my elbow bone right off. (Yes, I know! :eek:)

Not Good News... but, even so, after surgery it's been wired back together and is healing well, which is good news, added to which is the fact that the plaster cast came off yesterday when I thought I'd still have to put up with it for maybe two or three more weeks.

I apologise that it's a bit gross to look at, but here's a photo my husband took today, before I had a new dressing on it. (Suggest you shrink the picture down before you look at it; it's not a pretty sight at the moment but will improve with time!)

My arm wrestling days are over, it seems ;) and I can't even write my own name yet... but physical therapy (or physiotherapy as we call it in the UK) starts very soon so it'll be OK eventually.

Jayne

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Woah Jayne!
At the risk of being "too soon", is it safe to say you caught a lucky break?!

Here's to healing thoughts and mending ways.


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Looks really good to me, Jayne--hardly any bruising!

My (vicarious) good news is that my nieces have had a duo piano concerto commissioned for them.

Obviously, it's been a really lean couple of years for people used to making a living via concert tours, so I'm thrilled to see them get this opportunity.

Jayne - It looks terrifying to me, and I hope it continues to heal well (don't overdo it).

Julie - wow@your nieces - I've listened to them and they are extraordinary! I can say lots of glib things, like 'how cool' and 'how proud you must be', and 'what an amazing room they are playing in on their website' but I am stuck on 'wow - they're amazing'.

And yes, it's been awful for all practitioners who work through live performances. I am so glad that your nieces are touring again now, and I hope one day they come to the UK so that I can book tickets to see them.

Sarah-Jane

I've had a lot of good news this year, and one more important item from today: I received a full-time academic appointment at Ohio State University. It's not a tenure-track gig, but I'm more than happy to be a Senior Lecturer for a year or two as needed until (fingers crossed) the right TT position comes up.

Congratulations! That is excellent news. I'm not sure about how the US system works, but I know in the UK there's a clear step from Senior Lecturer into a more research-driven, secure position, and it's that important first jump from the precariat.

Sarah-Jane
(I work in a tiny arts college so luckily I don't have to participate in the particular politics of this world, btw)

Many congratulations, Shaun!

They may make you say The Ohio State University when you're there. :-)

Cheers,
John

Fantastic, Shaun!

Congratulations, Shaun. Those fixed-term positions at least carry benefits, and they give you some stability while you are searching for another position. I had two one-year appointments at my university before they finally committed to a tenure-track position, and they did a whole national search for that. But by then they at least wanted to keep me. The smaller or less prestigious the university, in my experience, the more likely they are to keep you on after the fixed-term position. There is no hope at all for those at the Ivy Leagues in such positions, but sometimes they can use the prestige of that location to get a better job elsewhere.

Susan

Ten days ago one of my sons-in-law was granted tenure at his University of Maryland Baltimore Campus. His field is advanced environmental science. It helps to save the world. Love thy trees and glaciers and thy neighbors' trees, etc! Nice guy, too.

Thank you, Mike (below). He moves fast, but he's subtle. Suddenly you realize where things have changed.

Great news—my daughter's permanent residency status in Canada finally came through, almost two years after she married someone with dual US-Canadian citizenship (who is now a PhD student in robotics at the U of Toronto). Yay!!! Now the health insurance arrangements will be much simpler.

Also, her heart is still doing great eight years after transplantation, so she's now on minimal doses of anti-rejection drugs. Meaning if she gets COVID, they think her immune system is likely to be able to fight that off without attacking her heart in the process.

I won't contemplate my son-in-law's employment prospects in academia just yet.

Great, Julie. I’m glad your daughter escaped to a place less barbaric when it comes to the health of its citizens.

Double congratulations on your daughter's health and homeland good news. And I'm guessing that a PhD in robotics might be good for more abundant job opportunities than, say, a literature or history degree.

That is good news, Julie - congratulations!

Cheers,
John

Good news, Julie!! I was going to comment on how much simpler - and easier - and cheaper - your daughter's health care is going to be - and then noted that John Riley beat me to it. So I'll compliment her, instead, on Canada's enlightened approach to gun control.

Maybe we should just subcontract the administration of our government to our wise neighbors to the north.

That's delightfully Good News, Julie.

Here in the UK, the Queen's Platinum Jubilee has been a remarkable event. It's been heartening to see so many people celebrating alongside their neighbours, whilst showing respect to Her Majesty. Who else has done the same job for 70 years - and is still doing it, aged 96? What an amazing achievement.

This afternoon my son and daughter-in-law hosted a party at their house for everyone in their village, who all contributed to a fabulous spread of food and drink; it was like being at a wedding, and a good time was had by all!

My husband took the attached photo but the resolution is too high for it to transfer well here, sorry. If you can make it out, I'm to the left of the girl in pink - with sunglasses on, and the only one with a glass in my hand!

Jayne

Thanks, John! While I do use the "the" in official documentation, pretty much everyone I've come across in my five years at OSU thinks it's incredibly silly (as does everyone outside of OSU as well). The university tried to trademark the "the" a few years back, and it was basically dismissed out of hand. And rightly so.


Thanks for this, Susan. What you outline is exactly my plan, and is also exactly why I'm so relieved and grateful for the position. I was grimly preparing for a year of adjunct work for low pay and no benefits, despite having several interviews for strong positions (some TT). Having the stability of a teaching-based position at an R1 that I'm very familiar with is a great intermediate step.

Incidentally, I have no interest in working at an Ivy. My research is strong, and I'm glad to continue with that, but my real love is teaching. I'll apply broadly to TT positions again in the next cycle, and will happily take any shoe that fits, but in my heart of hearts I'd love to end up at a SLAC.

Edited to add: there were a lot of tangential posts talking about higher ed more generally, so I've split them off to a new one here.

For the sake of completeness, I report that Bro. A. moved into his new house last month and is very much enjoying life in Pittville, just 10 minutes' stroll from his silly sister. Delays occurred because the previous owners had a bit of bad luck with their property search, but all is well now. He's currently engaged in several construction projects, including a ramp into the garden from his garage and an extension to his shed :D

Best wishes,
Fliss

Good news Fliss! That is always a welcome moment.

Cheers,
John