Working Weekend

I am ensconced here at Grant Creek for a working weekend. I had to start cleaning the minute I arrived because I've been infiltrated with mice. Again. "Mouse House" may sound charming and Beatrix Potter-ish, but in reality it just makes you crazy and forces you to clean----everything. I have cleaned darn near everything. I just remade my bed and will have to do a little ironing before my head can hit the clean pillow. Gak---mouse infestations are not what you want when you are (supposedly) off to the cabin for a working weekend.

I have to get the EAF database into shape and prepare my mailing label list for the spring mailing of the volunteer letters and the volunteer meeting postcards. I have the letters printed, the postcards are printed, the stamps are ordered and have been shipped by the USPS, all I need are the printed labels....and that means I have to wade into the dreaded database and sort it out. Somehow it has corrupted telephone numbers. I am fixing that. It's painstaking and slow and BOOOOOORRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNGGGGG. But, hey, I'm doing it and I made a good start today before I said, "Enough!"

Tomorrow I'll finish up with the database and get to the mailing list, I hope. Then tomorrow night I can work on my ATCs for ArtFest. I am running out of time. The few ATCs I have finished look nice and I'm happy with them. They are not quite so complicated as some in the past, but the theme this year is "A Walk in the Woods" and I think the carvings I have done of ferns capture a walk in our local woods at this time of year quite well. I am content. Or, I will be content when i get them done. I decided on an edition of 70 this year. Besides the ATCs I will have my new Moo cards to swap with like-minded individuals. Not my best year for trades but it's been a crazy year so far and this will have to do. I can live with it.

I haven't been up here alone for a long while. Now, don't get me wrong, I like my weekends with my sister-in-law, but it's rather nice to have some quiet time to myself. (Nonie is taking an art as business course this weekend. I'm sure it will teach her lots of things. She just found out she will be the featured artist for Third Thursday at Arista Wines! Nonie is on a roll and I'm so very proud of her!) I hope I find an hour or two this weekend when I can go for a stroll with my new camera and take some photos. I noticed on the drive in that the skunk cabbages are in full bloom......and the baby alpacas down the road are looking cute and fluffy and very photogenic.

Beautiful moonrise this evening. It was moody and eerie and very lovely.