Sunday, October 26, 2008

Pumpkin Picking, CFP's, and Upcoming Assignments

So I decided to take yesterday off and go pumpkin picking with my boyfriend. It was awesome. We went to a little farm just outside of Woodstock, ON called Birtch Farms. There were pumpkins everywhere. This doesn't have anything to do with being a grad student. It was just fun. Well I guess that's not entirely true. The hayride was punctuated by a narrative about apples (the farm was also an orchard), and being an English grad student, I couldn't help but be over-analytical. They had wooden tableaus of apple related stories all along the hayride, geared towards the kids. Guess what the first apple story was? Yup, you guessed it. Genesis: Adam and Eve. After this, the next tableau was William Tell, a story I'd never really heard. I was surprised to discover a biblical intertext in that narrative. Very Isaac and Abraham-esque. Except fate seemingly takes the role of intervening force, and not God. Very interesting. Then, we came across another tableau of Snow White. Well, all the kids started going CRAZY and were literally climbing over the adults just to get a peek. Disney wins again. I also think it's interesting that Snow White functions as an analogue to the Genesis story, but I think that this academic pond has already been fished out... Too bad. Here are a couple of pictures from our day:





It was nice to have a break, but I have a lot of things to do, and a lot of assignments coming up! I joke with my friend that, that beacuse I am so busy, all I get to eat is perogies and pizza pockets. She laughs, but there's truth in jest, you know. The same friend also sent me a bunch of CFP's for the ACCUTE conference. I want to go, but I am so bogged down right now, and the abstracts are due on or before November 15th! Plus I have something due every week until the end of term, starting this week. And tons of grading consistently coming in. I guess I get back to reading. I have a busy seven weeks ahead. *GROAN*

4 comments:

smith said...

Karen, I hear ya about workload - hello it's 2:30 am and I have to be in lecture in 8 hours with another edit to do of my PAS paper... loving the distraction from my own work though so pls keep blogging! As for accute - send in an old paper - there's gotta be one from your MA that'll work... Plus there are a fair few of us that are applying; Ottawa in May could be a great deal of fun! hope to talk soon/perhaps a beer?
Lesa

CurvyCdn said...

It would be great to all meet in Ottawa. That would be really cool. Can you send in a paper about anything, or does it have to adhere to what the CFP is looking for? Beer is always good!

NightShade242 said...

Christmas time and we are definitely getting together. It's interesting how we are both swamped and yet doing such different things.

I have a lesson plan to perfect for tomorrow and come Monday I take over 100% for the teacher!

Keep being the amazing, beautiful, brilliant woman you are and I know you will do fine!

xo
Amanda

Unknown said...

I also LOVE Alice in Wonderland...the book! haha It is definately my favourite children's book. I love the "topsy-turvy"ness of it and how everything is turned upsidedown. Normality is boring.
Kristyn