The Sunday after a long weekend and holiday is always the hardest Sunday to endure.

Even so, I found success with my potato and leek soup. That I can chalk up to success.

The last few days have been a bonanza of shuffling around end-of-the-semester items and figuring out how to successfully stand ground before I head off to a national conference with all the t's crossed and i's dotted with my classes. The books have been read, the Keynotes have been arranged, and the inevitable embrace for grading has been summoned. The next couple of weeks will be a whirlwind of chaos - a good chaos for bringing in the holiday cheer that comes with December.

And what am I proud of? The soup. Why? It warms the stomach and tastes great with a loaf of warm bread and a sprinkle of sharp cheddar cheese. It is unlikely I will have time to cook such a treat in the next 14 days, so I'm cherishing the moments when time allowed for such luxury.

In my next life, I want more cooking classes and the freedom to spend more time in the kitchen. In this one, I will retreat to my 'grading' chair and get back at the litany of writing that awaits me.

Wusah.