Poor Neglected Child

The week is gone.  Poof.  I was late posting my weekend in review and now it is time to start writing the next one.  My poor blog has been sorely neglected but my creative drive has been focused elsewhere, so I can't be too sad.  The mail has poured in this week--some expected, some unexpected, most of it welcome, some not so much. One cool thing that came today is a book called The Rubber Stamper's Bible.  It was a gift from a swapper I rated and mine was her 1000th heart!  That's a lot of swappin'!  The mail has brought in several new rubber stamps and rolls of Washi tape.  Ornery and Elizabeth just shake their heads or roll their eyes, respectively.

The very nature of swapping with strangers has been different than what I experienced with my friends at cookie and ornament exchanges.  Those were never "graded" unless you were trying to win a prize, but everyone always complimented you on your work, no matter how crappy it was.  This anxiety of waiting for a swap to arrive and get a rating is a new thing. While I love the affirmation a 5 and a heart gives me, I don't know if it is worth all the hoops I set up for myself to jump through to get them. 

Yesterday I sent out a couple of private messages (PM) to people from whom I was waiting a rating.  One had told me she received and liked my swap, and would rate in a few days--that was over a week ago.  The other is one I thought would have rated right away, so I wrote and asked if he had received my swap yet.  He said he thought he was caught up on rating, but he would check that evening but I never heard back.

My mind was rolling with not very pleasant thoughts about this guy and then I had to eat dirt. :P  Ornery called from work this morning and said, "I found a piece of mail in the bottom of my backpack this morning that I think was supposed to go out earlier in the week."  Yeah, last week!  Ugh.  I wrote him back and apologized...groveled, etc.  Fortunately, the swap isn't late until after the 29th, but that was a pretty close call!

Elizabeth brought over my little lantern this morning and we plugged it in to see all the little fireflies light up.  I know a photo can't possibly do it justice, but it is very cute.

There are five tiny LED lights scattered amongst the leaves and other flora inside, and they are set at random to flash on and off for a few seconds at a time.

Other than making art this week, I have read two books, done a few household chores, and fallen way behind in my letter writing despite sending several out.  I am ready for a weekend!