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It has been a good week. 

I did a Vampyre Tarot reading last night that helped me re-focus on my own life and activities at a time when I was becoming obsessive-compulsive. The third card, in the Future position, was Eight of Skulls. This card spoke to the work I am doing for comps and gave me focus today as I worked through both the annotated bibliography and more readings. 

The description of the card in Phantasmagoria really spoke to me in how it mentioned not over-focusing on the bigger picture, but instead taking time with the details. I feel that's where I need to focus my energy with the readings for comps. Understanding the individual works. 

My mind still skips ahead to the future quite a bit, while I'm doing the readings. I wonder if I should include this short story or that when I teach the literature course in the Spring. I start to imagine how I would teach it. Then, I wonder if I'll have more opportunities to teach literature courses, or any courses at all, in future. If I'll be able to find a job once I graduate.

Yesterday, I began the fourth book in my Cristalle series, Rose Briar. I can't stick to a commitment other than to be present to some kind of writing every morning before I begin my work. I feel really lucky that I am in a place this Spring and Summer where I can begin the day focusing on my creative work before transitioning to teaching and graduate work. It won't be that way in the Fall, not as a daily practice.

I enjoyed using my spice grinder this week and making za'atar and Jamaican curry spice. The beans turned out okay. Next time, I will use coconut milk as the liquid, rather than the liquid from the beans, in order to give a richer flavor, and I will cut the Jamaican curry spice to two tablespoons rather than three. 

It's been interesting going back and reading through my old entries. I'm able to recall a lot through those entries and photos that I had forgotten. It's like being there again. It definitely curbs my craving to return to a time in the past. I think I yearn to return to those times, because the challenges I experienced then wouldn't be challenges to me now. I've worked through those problems and gotten stronger. Of course, I experience different struggles now, which I haven't figured out yet. 
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