This is the boring time of the blog - I'm not starting anything new, not finishing anything, most of my projects are big things that take long to finish (or are self-striping socks, and honestly, you can go to just about any yarnshop webpage to see pictures of how that looks knit up).

I worked a bunch on the green prairie shawl last night, for two reasons: first, I realized that it occupies my lone 10.5 circular needle, the needle I need to make a rather important holiday gift, and my choice is either finish the thing or try to transfer all those stitches to a holder (or maybe a slightly smaller needle). Somehow, I don't want to do that. It seems so symbolic of my life - pulling the needle out of something I'm doing for me so I can do something for someone else. Oh, no, don't get me wrong, I love this person and want to make a gift for her. It's just, I'm in monkeybread mode again, where I feel like everyone is pulling little bits off of me, and when it comes time for my turn, there won't be any of ME left. Second, I was just so d----d tired that I couldn't face working on the Hiawatha shawl as I had originally planned.

I also began the slow process of cleaning for Thanksgiving. My parents are coming in on the 19th and I need for my house to be clean. So I am beginning now. Yesterday I dusted the bookshelves in the living room (yes, that is a big task) and I also sequestered a lot of loose stash in plastic bins. (Bins I had bought to store t-shirts during the winter, but as it looks like we're in perma-summer, I'm not going to store them away just yet). I could have done more but I just ran out of energy.

My mother did comment on the phone, when I talked about needing to start cleaning: "Oh, don't worry, you know what our house is like" (yeah, I get pressed into service to clean when I'm up there and it turns out my brother and sister in law are coming. I love them and all, and I'm generally not bitter about being the unmarried kid, but it does irk me a little that it's ok for the house to be a mess when *I* come, but not when *she* comes...) and "We'll be there during the time you're in class, I could do some of the cleaning." (Um, no. I had her clean my kitchen last year after Thanksgiving and it took me four weeks to find a particular cooking pan. Besides, I just don't want her rearranging drawers and stuff - not that I own anything so very shocking, other than lots and lots of yarn and fabric, but I just don't.)