Already this morning

* Have acquired sweet potatoes, extra butter, ground up pecans, two different kinds of jelly. Because I have to make two batches of jam bars for a reception tomorrow and a sweet potato casserole for Monday.

* Got the label sewn on the quilt, folded the quilt up and finds it fits well in my suitcase leaving enough room for a couple day's worth of clothing. Also added in the other couple of gifts I am transporting up there.

* Practiced my "it's okay to say no, really, sometimes" way of doing things: got a call from the head of the elders. She cannot go out with the interim minister as planned to visit the people who are ill, could I do it? And I decided: no. I have the jam bars to bake, and some research here I must get to, and I need to pack, and I wanted to put up my little Christmas tree (I KNOW, but I'm gone over Thanksgiving)....so I said no. And it really was OK. And I had a little revelation: I think I hate saying no to requests for my time so much because back when I was doing more volunteer work (more town-beautification stuff and when I was more involved with the youth group), lots and lots of the people I asked said "no" or in some cases said "yes" and then never showed up. And I know how hard it is to get volunteers....so I hate to say no. But sometimes I have to. (Again, I also think it's "ask" vs. "guess" culture: in "guess" culture you kind of assume that if someone is asking you, they expect you to say yes, or they're asking you because you're really the only one who can do it, or something.)

* After this morning's MLP, I stand more by the idea that the Terrible Affliction Pinkie Pie might get would be ADHD. Then again, she proved herself able to survive grad school (she could sit and watch paint dry and not be distracted by a bird, or not inflate her hoof like it was a surgical glove, or try to bounce off the ceiling, or something).

Heh. Pinkie Pie in grad school.

So, off to stare at soil through a microscope, which is just slightly more interesting than watching paint dry.