Well.... yesterday I tried to finish the last editing of my dissertation, which I did... but I made the mistake of re-reading my instructions that Terry wrote during my pre-defense and I had a panic attack that I had not done everything she wrote.  It took a while for common sense to emerge... and I said to myself well if this isn't good enough I can revise it over the summer.  

They asked me to revise the main introduction and main conclusion, which I did...  and introductions and conclusions to each section... I think (isn't it pathetic that I can no longer sure what I did a couple of weeks ago) I did the conclusions and a couple of the introductions... I just re-read the instructions again and I think I need to review my main introduction when it comes back from line editing from KC...  and maybe cruise through the other introductions to be sure I added why this section is important to my premise.

I think I was so concerned about the new broadening of my scope that I could only deal with altering the bulk to reflect that new direction.  Now I need to examine each part to make sure I did what they asked.  Do I need to say I am very tired.  It goes to my committee Friday...  so one way or another it is done by then it is what it is....   This week I mostly have to focus on my classes, so that leaves my final review on Friday and then off it goes.   

Oh by the way spring is beautiful here in Savannah.  Azaylas blooming on every square and down the boulevards.  Gorgeous! 

Hope your day is grand.  Love and kisses, Marilyn    
 

Hmmm okay... I'll listen for now. 

Well I made it through the first week of classes unscathed... Ha.  I think my undergrad studio will be terrific.  The lighting class will also we great.  It will be a challenge because I have three international students.  Since we learn a lot of new lighting terminology I will have to speak more carefully and make sure that they get the information. It is one of the most challenging classes for English as their first language students..
 
I have a challenging student in my grad studio... that I had in another class during my first term here... so time will tell.  She wants much more guidance than we want to give graduate students and rallies other students to her viewpoint.  Hopefully she had grown in independence and confidence and I gave the students more expectations of the class that I would normally want to... just to placate her.

These days, it is hard to get students to take responsibility for their education. In my opinion some how our education systems in the Uni*ed St*tes these days tell students there are these things they need to know and if they memorize them then they are educated.  The work environment on the other hand need students who can think independently and in a critical manner.  That is what professionalization is all about... My dissertation tells me that if interior design is a profession there is no one answer to any problem and each project needs to be examined independently and that takes the ability to think critically and independently.  This is counter to students who want to be told what to do to get a A... and I need to encouraging them to think critically and assess what needs to be done and do it..  hmmmm maybe I need to talk about my findings about professionalization. See there is a reason for this blog I get good ideas as I talk through my concerns. 

Today I am relaxing, tomorrow I am going to finish the last edit on my conclusion.  Last night I sorted through my paid bills and organized them to prepare to do taxes. It felt good to get organized... I feel as if my life has been floating along... as I have been focused on my dissertation.  I have an organizational  system in place so that things were not totally in disarray, but not as tight a ship (ha Caroles words) as I normally run.  My unpaid bills pile, paid bills drawer, and tax reciept drawer... hmmmm now everything is sorted and filed. 
I even totaled expenses, Food - 2,100, Gas - 1,300 (up a lot), Clothes - 800, Drug Store 120 (mostly vitamines and echinacia) still have more to do... This is not exactly sorted by the year... so I guess if I want to be exactly I need to resort by date... he he

Well off to read a for pleasure book, maybe work in the yard spreading out pine straw mulch and generally relax.  Love and kisses, Marilyn          

Hope your day is fine.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Well I have had a class for each of the three classes I am teaching.  I think it is going to be a good term.  I am teach a grad studio and grad lighting and then undergraduate studio three.  The grad studio and undergrad studio are both office environments and that is what I did in my business so I think it will be great.  At least I am trying to tell myself that... I am really tired from working on my dissertation all break. 

Love and kisses, Marilyn

I hope to get my act together as soon as possible. I worked over break on my dissertation and prepped for class last night and today.  Luckily I ran the syllabus's before I left.  I am such a control freak I hat to not be totally ready at the beginning of the term. Hope your day is great.  It is good to be home.  See photos... for party photos and my new art work Kristin gave me.  Love and kisses, Marilyn  

Had a good trip home... hope everyone had a happy easter.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Kristin and I are hosting Easter dinner today... because tomorrow I will be on the road.  We are having lamb and potatoes, carrots, asparagus, bread, hot cross buns and stuff other people are bringing.  Luke and Ellen, Elizabeth, K and David and Nicole are joining us.  I started on a sinus headache yesterday and it was pretty bad today, but after doctoring I am feeling a lot better.  Ready to get together with friends.  I have to leave tomorrow.  School starts Monday. 

You will be happy to hear that I sent everything, but my conclusion off to the final editing today.  The conclusion needs a few more hours of editing and this phase is done.  I edited for at least 44 hours this week.  No wonder I am tired.  Happy Easter to everyone, Love and kisses, Marilyn 

Marilyn

Tells me to write and share it with others... Ha  It is a great way for me to come out of hiding...?!?  I am hiding because I am writing!!!! ... Ha.  Hope your day is great.  I continue to edit.  Your faithful friends in writing,  Marilyn

I continue to edit... I am working on the conclusion!  L & K, Marilyn

I am sitting at Bolo's talking to Noelle.  I wrote/edited all day Friday... drove here on Saturday.  Wrote Sunday, Monday and this morning... my brain is fried.  I am getting really close to finishing.  I am down to conclusions for the results chapter and my overall conclusion... I melted down this afternoon... could not figure out if I needed to summarize everything before I conclude....hmmmmm need to talk to Terry and ask her that...

Sorry I don't have anything interesting to say since all I do is write.  

The weather here is cloudy.  But I have had a good time visiting Kristin, Elizabeth, K., Ellen and Luke... Hope your day is fine... Love and kisses, Marilyn

Hope your day is grand.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

If I hold my computer up in the air beside one window I can get internet reception in Kristin's apartment... Not the easiest way to blog... I continue to edit. Love and kisses, Happy St. Paddies day!  Marilyn

Update when I can.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

I celebrated the end of term last night with pizza and wine which moved from in front of the TV into my whirlpool... hmmmm for some strange reason I have a headache this morning... even though I drank water a couple of times during the night... and took aspirin.... hmmmmm 

I cannot tell you how relieved I am to have a week off to write... when I am not stressing about the beginning of next term with little break. 

This morning I have been editing my results chapters... and Dr. R's corrections are few and far between... It is nice to know that once I received good editing I actually learned how to write better... ha even in a scholarly manner!!! It is nice to know I can learn from my mistakes, what is it they say about old dogs and new tricks?.... Too bad I wrote 300 pages before I got good corrections... My first adviser did not really help me to progress as a writer and I wasted a lot of time...  Well I am not going to whine about this anymore... well, for a few minutes anyway.  Actually in some ways the wasted time allowed me to process all of this and to come up with new ways to think about my profession... which will make my whole dissertation better and more important... ha can't keep a good girl down for long...

I think I might be able to finish the typos editing today before I leave for Virginia this afternoon... then all I have to do for these three sections is rework the conclusions.  Cindy is working on Chapter 3, so I have not done much on that until I receive her changes... She is reformating the whole thing to fit with my new title... I continue to move forward one small step at a time. 

Hope your day is grand... Love and kisses, Marilyn

There is no truer horoscope than mine today...

Today, you may feel a little more vulnerable than usual, dear Gemini. Perhaps you feel hemmed in by decisions you can't put off, or you're a little overworked and overwhelmed by all your numerous activities. If only your children could be a little more independent! The day ahead will help you make some decisive progress. And no backward glances allowed! Dwelling on the past will not help you at all...

Each sentence reverberates with meaning... my children meaning my students... by the way.  Term ends today... grading to finish... I had a bad sleeping night...

and it seems if my friends are putting additional pressure on me..... and I truely cannot take it... Last Saturday night one said get it done... as if I had not been working my a** off... and this morning another said just defend...  I have been working 12 hours a day for the last ten weeks.... working on my dissertation in the morning and teaching in the afternoon and evening to get it done...  What the he** more do you want!!!! I cannot defend unless I do what my committee told me to do... and I have been working non stop since July..... God I am so tried... GET OFF MY BACK  I have enough pressure to finish from myself!!!  I don't need one more person saying just get it done! 

In addition, I am petrified of starting next term exhausted mentally and physically and yet have no choice.  I have to continue correcting my dissertation over break as directed. 

I continue to take on more step each day... that is all I can handle right now... one more step... one more section. 

Sorry, but this is my place to vent!  No I am not sorry.  Everyone seems to think I am superwoman... and I don't feel like it right now.  Marilyn

Dr. Cry*tal We*ver read my new piece about comparing accreditation and only had a few corrections... now about content.   So I am folding it in today.  Hope your day is grand... tomorrow is the end of classes for this term... a lot of grading to do.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Love and kisses, Marilyn

I wrote all of this and lost it... hmmmm So I need to say that I have a wonderful time with my friends in Virginia and actually got some good work done, too boot... I am off to write. Love you, Marilyn