Happier times ahead

I hope.

I was up here until 5:30 yesterday afternoon (after arriving on campus at 7) grading lab books and papers but at least they are now graded (pending the two late lab books). Today all I have to do is listen to student presentations and grade them. Tomorrow I give two exams but at least I don't have to *talk.* And Friday is just a meeting with my special-studies student and piano lesson. So I'm effectively done with teaching until August.

(Next week is finals, but the secret is....that's actually an easier week for me than a typical class week. My finals are already written and I make them heavily multiple choice to make grading simple)

But yeah. I have half a plan Saturday to go to Twin Oaks Nursery and maybe also do some "big" grocery shopping. I want more herb plants; most of mine died in the past couple years when the brambles took over and I just couldn't be bothered to get rid of them. I want more lavender plants and if they have pineapple sage, I want that. (And ooh, maybe I get a few of those for the other side of my front garden, which I still need to finish clearing. I don't eat pineapple sage - I guess you can? - but it's a lovely plant and it has nice red flowers that can attract hummingbirds).

Another option would be to save that for an exam-week trip, provided the weather is good: get ALL the clearing done so I have a better idea of how much space I have,  and then just buy a ton of plants (and more topsoil; I need to at least top-dress some of the areas) and then spend an evening* planting stuff.

(*Evening is best for transplanting, or so I was taught, because the plant has overnight to "heel in" before it gets hit with the hot sun the next day)

I am also contemplating taking Friday of finals week (provided no meetings get scheduled) and maybe going to Whitesboro. No, I don't need more yarn or fabric, but I just....I need a day of self-care. I seem to need these more often now.

I also have to still decide just how much I want that Mary Quant dress and if I can find a place that does large-format printing, or if I just print it on my home printer and tape the sheets together and maybe trace it onto pattern cloth up at my parents' (I think my mom still has some). And also think about getting fabric for it *here* - with Sewing Studio gone, I sadly have better fabric choices (large JoAnn's) than my parents do. I'm still thinking a drapier/looser weave fabric than standard quilting cotton would be best, even if quilting cottons have the most interesting prints.

Other option: just take an afternoon each day of the week (most of my exams are in the morning) and go home and sew on quilt tops or knit and not allow myself to get side-tracked.(I think I want to do the garments up at my parents' where I have my mom's expertise if I need help. ESPECIALLY for fitting the Mary Quant dress)

I do think I am happier when I am working on something for myself; I've had to do an awful lot for other people (or an awful lot of stuff that I personally do not value) in recent months and that wears me out.

I also think I've just not taken enough time to create (and yes, gardening is a form of creating, I think - maybe you're not making a piece of clothing or even something very permanent, but you are trying to make beauty or at least order) and that makes me sad. I know I miss making stuff when I don't have time and I never know if my grumpy mood caused by that is (a) because I have no time to myself, (b) because I am not knitting/quilting/whatever, or some combination of the two.

I did pick the shawl back up (the one with the horrible, tangled yarn I had to untangle) and worked more on it last night. I *think* I got past the worst part of the yarn, where it had gotten really rough and blobby because of my untangling and pulling on it, and at any rate, it's all reattached and ready to go for invigilating tomorrow.

But yeah. I am kind of worn out. This afternoon after I walk out of class I do have a couple tasks: go to the Lowe's and find out what the heck is up with the installers never calling me yet (I will stop off at home to check, but will also grab the whole packet of paperwork to "prove" I bought the dishwasher just in case the person on duty is clueless*)

(*And yes, it's sad I'm such a suspicious wench but I've been borderline screwed-over enough times in my life that I know to always bring the receipts, to always be ready to stand my ground, etc. It makes me tired)

I also have to plan something better for dinner; I have been eating catch-as-catch-can meals and that's not good for me. Even though the difficulty level is: still no dishwasher. (Carry out food is not a good choice here; too much salt and too hard to get the necessary vegetables). I may stop at Pruett's on the way home and see what they have.

I also want to try to figure out some kind of meet-up with my friend Laura, maybe for the week after Exam week (before I go to my parents'). I have suffered from a dearth of fun this semester and I feel like it's really showing on me.