It's Been a While . . .

I haven't posted in quite a while, mostly because I've been so busy. The semester has gotten crazy with lots of papers and tests to be graded. Grading, to me, is the least favorite part of my job. I have a hard time forcing myself to sit down and start reading papers. Once I get started, I then have trouble stopping, even if it's getting late or I need to get moving in order to get somewhere. I'm glad that we have a short week next week. I can't decide if Friday will be a shopping day or a resting day. Guess it will depend on how much turkey I eat on Thursday!

I took the dragon that I stitched for my nephew to the framer this afternoon. My sister went with me, and she helped me pick out a frame that my nephew would like. It's not the one that I would like if I were keeping the dragon; I would put a big, ornate frame on it. My sister reminded me, though, that my nephew is not very ostentatious and doesn't really like things that are loud and gaudy. So, we went for a more sedate frame and a much lower price than the one I had originally gotten. When I get it back, I'll post a picture here.

I've been working on some cross stitched bookmarks for Christmas gifts for people at work. I hope to finish at least 4 of them in the next 3 weeks. My needle better get to smoking, though. I think I'm the world's slowest stitcher, especially when I've got a deadline in front of me. The bookmarks are easy, though. I found the patterns online after someone on the 123Stitch message board posted the ones she had done. They are simple, symmetrical designs, so they do stitch up fairly quickly.

I'm off to bed right now. Even though tomorrow is Saturday, it's another early morning for me. I'm loading up the poodles and taking them to the grooming shop. Rory and Emmy are going to have haircuts, while Ace and Spenser get baths. Two weeks from now, the boys will be getting haircuts. It nearly kills the groomer--and my budget--to groom all four of them on the same day.