Running in Place

It's been a monstrously busy week - at least that's the way it feels since I've had what feels like seven or eight minutes of sleep, trying to get everything (and by that I mean "teaching beading related activities") done.

The thing is this: The Visit Of The Mother, now hours into its second day, as anticipated cuts into those hours I generally use to get stuff done.

My plan for the three weeks (four weekends) of the visit was to (a) make sure I didn't schedule any classes in that time, which means that my normal classes are squashed into Summer minus three weeks (four weekends), which naturally means less time to make class samples and write instructions. The reason for this was the expected chatter, which makes it difficult to concentrate well enough to explain things in such a way as to be useful to the people expecting to learn something from their handouts.

The (b) part of the plan involved getting completely ready for Bead Fest for which I leave two and a half weeks after she leaves, but that's been thrown for a loop by the next set of class proposals due a full SIX WEEKS (yes I'm shouting) before classes start whereas the classes for next February through May are due only mid-January (I'll give you a moment), two weeks before the start.

Yes, I'm whining.

Yes, I'm stressed.

Yes, I'm sleep-deprived because I've been working on ideas for classes.

Some of them have come to fruition.

Actually, I'm quite pleased with this one as I see interesting possibilities. One could play with colour gradations along the length (I have a fondness for same) and I think this might be an interesting support for lampwork beads. You know you have some. You know you were weak once or twice or seventeen or a few dozen times - at least I was.

This looks like an actual necklace doesn't it? Yeah, it's not, it's just a few links, but it gives the general idea well enough.

I'm really taken with these flowers, but will have to consider how best - how at all, actually - to use them. I've had some vague ideas which have not worked out in the slightest. There are always earrings, I suppose, but what'll they do for the remaining hour and a half?

I might just have to recycle some previous classes if I can't come up with enough new ideas that actually work when I follow the directions in my notes.

I might not have time to report on my progress much.

On the plus side, knitting is a useful fiddle while someone is speaking at you. I expect to complete at least two projects over the next three weeks (four weekends).