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Spring means Hope | Weekly Snapshot

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Hello you guys! I seem to have forgotten how to blog with everything going on around here. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Hope you all are coping okay?

Last week Things finally got to some semblance of a routine this week and I've been finally feeling better and in charge of my emotional faculties. I've taken over one of the upstairs bedrooms and set it up as my office-cum-homeschool room. In other words, the room is a big mess, but both my daughter and I are able to navigate the room fine as everything in the room has a meaning in our own brains. We're both very organized that way. I've been using a sit-stand desk for my work laptop and I'm a little glad that I got to try this system finally. When I'm not working, I'm helping the girl with her letters, numbers, or fun activities. Trust me, this is difficult but we worked through the system this week, and think we have it under control. My father-in-law watches my son during the day as the little ma…
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The Sunday Salon (Middle East Reading Challenge) -- July 4, 2010

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The Sunday Salon.com

So it's smack in the middle of this long weekend, and I've been catching up on my sleep a lot! Plus being my birthday weekend, there's an added lightness to the days. After a really busy yet productive week, I'm quite relieved for this three-day break. Well, there is typically nothing called a holiday for graduate students, but I've lived by that rule for a long time, that I don't particularly care to break it off now.

The best  news for me this week was that I finally managed to get most of my thesis done. I now have a lot of fine-tuning to do, but since I've written quite a lot, I don't need to exercise my grey cells more than needed. I'm beginning to catch the butterflies in my stomach, since there's only a month now for me to graduate. I'll be deciding the dates this week with my advisor.

I wanted to spotlight a particular challenge that my blogging friend Helen @ Helen's Book Blog has created. The Middle East Reading Challenge is for those of you interested in literature set in the Middle East. We all know of many such books, and some of us have loved books like Arabian Nights, Persepolis, I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced, Day After Night, and City of Veils, or plan to read them. So here's my challenge entry. Helen has a great list of recommendations at her blog for this challenge, and since most of them are in my TBR, I'm going to jump into this challenge. (Moreover, I've decided that henceforth, I'll mainly sign up for challenges that expand my reading matter-wise.) The best part of this challenge is that you can choose any number of books you want to read. It runs August 1, 2010 through July 31, 2010. I'll decide my books over the next few weeks, but I'll recommend that you join in too!

Happy 4th of July to my US readers! Happy Sunday to the rest of the world!

And if you haven't yet entered my Birthday giveaway, what are you waiting for?

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Comments

bermudaonion said…
I'm sure it's a relief to you to have most of your thesis done - that's got to feel great! Enjoy your holiday! Good luck with the challenge!
July 4, 2010 at 12:44 PM
Roseann's Musings said…
Boy, a birthday and thesis completion during a holiday weekend? You go girl!! I don't look forward to my thesis, glad to hear you got it done. Have a great 4th.
July 4, 2010 at 3:54 PM
Ash said…
This sounds like a great challenge. I have realized this year that short challenges work best for me, so I'm trying to refrain from joining any longer ones. Glad to hear your thesis is going well!
July 4, 2010 at 3:58 PM
Helen's Book Blog said…
Thank you for joining the challenge and for posting about it! I think it's going to be fun! I know that having joined a challenge pushes me to read books I might not normally read and that is such a great feeling!
July 4, 2010 at 4:47 PM
Linna said…
Happy (probably late?) Birthday! Hope it was an awesome one :D Although I don't live in the US, I can still wish you a happy fourth and a great sunday!

It's awesome that you finished your thesis. Hope you're enjoying your break :)
July 4, 2010 at 4:57 PM
Emidy @ Une Parole said…
Ah, breaks are good, aren't they? I hope you're enjoying it. That challenge sounds like a good one!
July 4, 2010 at 10:47 PM
Athira said…
Kathy, it sure feels great. Like a huge pressure is off my chest!

Roseann, thanks! I'm glad this weekend was a real breather!

Ash, I've learned the same lesson too! Took me some trial and error to learn that.

Helen, that's precisely what I am looking to gain from challenges. I've noticed that I've joined a few easy challenges - time to prioritize.

Linna, thank you so much! I sure had a wonderful birthday! :)

Emidy, that challenge sure sounds good to me too! I can't wait to get cracking!
July 4, 2010 at 11:34 PM
Lisa said…
I'll bet you do feel good getting so much done on the thesis! You'll be done before you know it!
July 5, 2010 at 8:31 PM
Michelle said…
If you are feeling comfortable with your thesis at this point in time, the rest of the month will be a breeze for you! How exciting to be almost done!!
July 5, 2010 at 9:35 PM
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