Let me just take a moment to collect my thoughts...

Nope. Can't be done.  It's like trying to pick up all the tiny glass beads that got dumped out into Josie's Berber carpet three Christmases ago; no matter how many times we vacuum, the floor is crunchy with beads.  That's my brain.  I can't even imagine my brain on drugs.

I worked a lot this week.  It was all good, I got a huge, three part footstool done.  Four parts, if you count the footstool itself, which I painted.  IT turned out beautiful, if a bit on the fussy side.  I didn't like it as well as the animals footstool I'd done a week earlier.  Someday, when I no longer am responsible for feeding my pack of wolverines Imeankids, I hope to have enough disposable income to be able to do some really gorgeous pieces for my own house.  I have no idea what those pieces would look like, but believe me; spectacular!

When I finished the butterfly footstool (guess what it looks like?  WRONG.) I started in on two large cushions for a bench that had been made for the shop.  We decided on two cushions because to upholster the bench as one long seat would've involved a piece of needlepoint so large it would've been intimidating to your average needler.  Not to mention darn near impossible just to hold.  This is the sort of consideration that must go into designing.  It's great to design things with only the most beautiful option in mind, but the bottom line is whether or not it will sell.  Huge things tend not to sell very quickly and not just because they are insanely expensive.  There aren't that many customers who will plunk down a couple thou on a piece they don't think they can finish in their lifetime. There are exceptions, of course, but those are the people who come in with ideas in mind and custom order things like six dining room chairs, window seats that are three by six feet, rugs that are a dozen 18"x18" squares sewn together, arm chairs to be upholstered in needlepoint or antique benches...that sort of thing.  Fortunately for me there are a lot of those exceptional customers.  One of my favorites has decided to give all the guests at his annual Christmas party handmade ornaments this year.  I have to paint thirty 3" round Santa faces for him to work and finish by his party in December.  He's very fast.  I don't see a problem.

I relaxed all week by running over to MJ's house and painting walls with her.  Her house is shaping up beautifully and she and Kent are totally into it.  I ran over there this weekend to use some of the kitchen paint on a tuffet base (I needed a beautiful terra cotta and remembered that's what we're gonna use) and found both of them cleaning, painting, throwing out crap and planning improvements.  That house is gonna shiiiine, like the top of the Chrysler building!

Sometimes I think I'd like to take up interior painting professionally.  It's so easy.  Buy paint, slap on walls, collect check.  No thinking beyond "eggshell or satin?".  Instant gratification.  But it would involve leaving my house and putting on clothes, so I give up the dream. 

So far, so good, schoolwise.  I haven't fielded any calls from irate teachers, wondering if my kids were raised in a barn.  I kinda wish someone would so I could say "So they were, so what? What have you got against diversity??"   But there I go again, putting my kids academic success behind my own amusement.  Not that it matters, they've all been pretty successful, academically.  Even Zack, who in any given year has earned more Fs and Ds than I and all my siblings entire school careers put together, got his film lit teacher last year to admit that Zack has seen more movies than anyone else he'd ever known.  He gets As in all the classes he likes.  He even aced a college course he took this summer.  Yes, it was weight training and yes, his Dad was the teacher but hey! an A is an A!

When last I spoke to Tyler, he was trying to get certified as a life guard.  He has to tread water for two minutes.  This could be a problem.  He has virtually no body fat and tends to sink like a lead stone with a mercury center.  I doubt if sinking to the bottom and bouncing to the surface for two minutes will impress the swim instructors.

Katie seems to be enjoying law school.  She was here the other day studying her Constitutional law book.

"The more I learn about Constitutional law," she told me "The more convinced I am that politicians just want to screw with us."  She seemed delighted by this bit of knowledge.  Fore warned is fore armed. Or four-armed.  Either way; good in a fight.

Watched Serenity again last night.  I like that movie better each time I see it.  Sarah Connor, Beatrix Kiddo, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Aragorn combined wouldn't last five minutes with River Tam.  Heck, I don't see how they would last even one minute with that crazy little girl.