October sneaked up on me

when I wasn't looking. I've had my head in the fabrics and my feet in the sewing machine for a couple of weeks and will come up for air tomorrow. I had to make a piece for the C&T booth at Market and discovered that I had made one that was too big. It might have helped if I had read the instructions they sent me. Fortunately, I had a smaller one partly completed and I spent the last couple of days finishing it. Tomorrow, it needs to go off in the mail. Today I was out and it was a pretty pleasant day. My mother took me to lunch at Panera. (well, I took her but she insisted on paying - which meant I put it on her credit card). I took the receipt, but you know how they put a slip on your tray listing what you ordered? Well, my mother looked at her slip and exclaimed,"what a bargain!" Of course: no prices. Then we went to look at a different assisted living place because she has been packed and ready to leave where she is --although she has nowhere to go but to another assisted living. The other place is beautiful and elegant and big and we had a nice tour. But I had the distinct feeling when I dropped her off where she lives that she might have been relieved to be in a smaller place where she knows what's what. LOL - we'll see. But I think it was a good strategy to take her elsewhere. Will she unpack? I wouldn't bet on it. Here she is with Josh last Monday night. He will be 11 (!!!) in March and is just about as tall as my mother (which isn't saying a great deal, since she is not exactly a giant.) Nevertheless, my own kids, growing up, always measured themselves against Nana. I remember how excited Jessica was when she finally surpassed her.I've had two crit group meetings in the last couple of days: on Thursday - Studio Six (the usual suspects - Rachel Cochran, Judy Langille, Hollie Heller, Kerr Grabowski, et al) and last night at my house, my art crit group. There are 8 in the Studio Montclair group but 4 people couldn't come. It was lovely - we all showed work, ate, went through a bottle of wine, and talked about art and artists. Very stimulating. I showed them this piece, which, thanks to Eva, I have named "Letter from Genghis". Thanks, Eva! On that note, I shall say good night, although technically, it is morning.