YES there is life after grading and it smells like fennel.
Not that I am done grading. I've been working my way through a pile of final researched essays from my film students, long papers requiring attention to many disparate elements: clarity of thesis, awareness of scholarly conversation, coherence of argument, punctuation of quotations, format of citations...they're really good papers for the most part, but that much focused attention makes my brain hurt.
So after I finished half of the papers, I rewarded myself by getting my hands dirty in the herb garden. Every spring that plot presents new surprises--why hello, happy little potatoes! Who planted you? And where did all this lovely lemon mint come from? Smells good but we'll have to keep it confined or it'll take over the universe.
Last year's fennel re-seeded itself and I had to thin out the indestructible oregano and thyme to make room for more plants. At the Farmers' Market this morning I picked up rosemary and parsley plants and four kinds of basil--thai, sweet, lemon, and purple basil--and this evening I put them into the ground and gave them water. Now it's time to wait.
But while we wait, we can run our fingers through the feathery fennel fronds to release the tangy-sweet aroma, a promise that good things are waiting when grading is over.
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