Sarah Jane Humke

I’ve been reading the ladies over at the Mason-Dixon and their lightning blog posts for the past few weeks and I’m thinking that this might be what is needed to get me back into writing here.  So, thanks Kay and Ann! (or not possibly:-))

My life here in Ames got busy in a hurry thus my abrupt departure from the blog.  School started taking up a lot more of my time what with projects and papers becoming due.  I also started getting to know my fellow grad students in my department and having this weird thing called “a life”.  Not a hugely glamorous one with red carpets and VIP lounges, but a life never the less.  Often we can be found at each other’s places eating, drinking, or just hanging-out watching Big Bang Theory.
Immediately after Thanksgiving Meara became ill.  She was diagnosed with an unusual type of anemia.  The second week of December she died.  This really took the wind out of my sails and the cheer out of my Christmas.  You should be glad that you didn’t hear from me during December as I was about as cheerful as a lump of, well, poop.

I’m hoping that this semester pulls itself out of the ditch that it’s in currently.  I have been ill, which never makes anyone cheerful.  It has the potential to be an enormously kick-ass semester.  I am taking a class called “Foods of Animal Origins” which, is basically what it sounds like.  For the lab on Wednesday, I spent about an hour in a meat locker and processing facility.  I think I will be spending a lot more time in there!  I’m also taking a class on how to do research as well as technology use in the classroom.  I’m not sure I could’ve gotten a more diverse class selection if I had tried:-)

I am also T.A.’ing an advanced agricultural communications course where I actually “teach” a section (sort of like a lab).  My first “real” teaching and so far I am enjoying it.

This weekend will be my second time at Sticks and String.  I won’t be able to spend as much time there as I have in the past as I need to get some assignments finished, but I am looking forward to it immensely.  It’s always good to be around other fiber folks!