20160416.0816

Continued attention to the paratextual details of my posts to this webspace seems to be helping. I am making adjustments to the ways in which I present materials here, some of which have hopefully been noticeable. The way in which I handle the initial capital seems the most obvious; I have taken to enlarging it, backgrounding it in red, and rendering it in white instead of in the darker, more normal type. It is not as the medievals would do it entirely, to be sure (although if there is an example of such color-swapping, I would love to hear of it), but it has a similar effect. I hope that it is a salubrious one, something that makes what I write here easier and more enjoyable to read. And I hope that my continued adjustments to the paratextual features of what I write in this webspace will serve similarly. (Indeed, having such a workshop as this is useful; trying things out here for use later seems a good idea--and I do have future plans.)

Amid the continuous adjustments, I will be continuing to assess the papers my students have submitted. Not as many did as should have done so, but that is to be expected; it is rarely the case that I see 100% submission of minor assignments, and the papers that came in yesterday are preliminary review versions of major papers. It does make for less work for me to have to do, so I cannot make too much complaint. It has the advantage of freeing up some time to attend to other assignment materials; I have to compile information for the final exams my students voted on taking. Most of that task is done, but the documentation needs a bit more adjustment, and there are a few final points that need to be addressed in it. That I will have a little extra time to work on it, thanks to a lowered assessment burden, is good. (That I have to respond to some institutional pressures at the moment is less so, but I am still going to work with those students who have acted in good faith.) So there is that.

There is also this: My mother-in-law is up from Texas. She is attending a function in the City of Thunder, which is but an hour away from Sherwood Cottage, and so she is staying with her daughter, granddaughter, and son-in-law while at the event. It is a good thing, truly. The Mrs. appreciates getting to see her mother, and Ms. 8 delighted at "Oma!" being at the house. (My mother-in-law is of Texas German descent; small touches help connect her to her heritage, as well as connecting my daughter to hers, and I approve of them in general.) I have stayed with my mother-in-law while attending functions in the past, as well, and I do not begrudge returning favors done me; it helps that my mother-in-law is a reasonably unobtrusive houseguest, and her attendance at her event means that I am not being discourteous when I sit at my computer and write in this webspace or struggle to do the work that seems always to continue.