Teaching Anxiety and Gratitude

I have been feeling anxious this morning, which is strange for a woman who will have a fall break this week.  Of course, midterm grades are due tomorrow, which is probably why I'm feeling a bit anxious.  But I have most of the grading done--so why anxiety?

I also have last week's travel done--again, I would have thought my anxiety would be dying down, not flaring up.

It may have to do with today's lesson plans.  I have a plan, so why anxiety?  But it might rain, which means going out to observe our trees again may not be the best plan.  I changed my approach in Creative Writing so that I have time to find more poems for next week--it should work fine, but who knows (it will be a variation on the process I described in this blog post, poem writing when we don't feel inspired).

Let me focus on some gratitudes--and then I'll shower and head on down the mountain:

--My travel was fairly easy yesterday, despite a day of rain.  The rain was mostly light, and it wasn't the tropical hurricane type rain that might have happened, if the hurricane had moved differently.

--My teaching review was fine; I got the evaluation back and read it this morning.  That also happened last week, and while I thought it was fine, I always like confirmation.

--I slept for part of the night with the sound of gentle rain.

--I have fall break this week; I feel like I really need it.

--The retreat went well, and before that, the reunion with grad school friends went well.