Somber mood... and Brilliant (?) Ideas

I don't enjoy this somber mood that I've been in today and recently, but I can't help it.

The relative job security of the three year contract helps, but just last week I was thinking that now that I will have more time I should pursue my dream of creating a website and putting the results of my really really extensive dissertation research online, while continuing and updating the research.

But how can I do that at an university that is in no way encouraging me to do scholarship?

Sigh...

In lighter, perhaps happier note, I just had a sudden idea/inspiration this evening, while playing a hymn for my family to sing.

Why don't I contact my friends in the Brazilian college where we were supposed to go back to teach (long story that precedes the existence of this blog by a few years) and try to arrange for me to go there every year to teach six-seven week long courses in their English translation-interpretation program as a visiting professor? (from mid-May to June)

That way I could go to Brazil every year, I could get money at least to pay for my airfare and maybe the boys', and I could spend between two to three months caring for my parents (my dad will turn 80 next year and I'm beginning to freak out about their aging) and enjoying being in Brazil too -- as it is, I feel it's AWFUL that I can only afford to go back every two years or more.

I would miss being home in the best season and miss my husband (and kids if they don't come), but it might be something that would be stimulating for me academically as well as really good for my parents.

And if the kids came along and attended school even if for ONE short month (June), that would help their Portuguese incredibly and maybe Kelvin wouldn't need to go spend a whole semester or year there (which was our original plan, but could be complicated for him academically).

I will write to my friend ASAP and ask what she thinks of that.

One (not extremely great) obstacle is that I never validated my doctorate in Brazil and it's an annoying, bureaucratic process (my husband did). The easiest thing would be to validate it in my "alma mater" (that's what hubby did). I will have to investigate that and maybe get the process started this July when I'm there.

Wow, it's incredible how energizing it is to have new ideas and plans!! They may come to nothing, but it doesn't hurt to dream, right? I won't say a thing to my parents until I hear back from my friend.