will somebody please tell me

how it is possible for me to go from two card readers to none in 60 seconds?  Well, ok - one disappeared a while ago.  But the ONE I still had (and used at 4:00 this afternoon to upload pix to this computer) has vanished. Vamoosed. Gonzo'd.

 I looked everywhere that made sense and a few places that didn't.

Under the ottoman.

 On top of the trunk, where it was before I used it.

  The garbage. The kitchen. The powder room. The bookcase.

The plastic bag with all the cords. 

The sewing machine. 

The cutting table. (well, it is -- in theory)

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Gornisht.

Then I spent 2 hours reading USB hub reviews - I need a GOOD one with 7 ports - anybody have a recommendation?

So tomorrow, I will buy another card reader and then find the missing one.  Par for the course.  I have duplicates of many things --  no wonder this place is such a mess.  I told Marty that it looks like we'll be going to a dementia unit together.  You can say "isn't it sad about Rayna? I knew her when she still had all her marbles." (and her card readers).  If I find either my marbles or my card reader, I will let you know.

This afternoon we had our first-ever studio holiday get-together with the artists in the studio across the hall.  Among other things, I brought this homemade (ahem) nut brittle. I made this Wed. night on the spur of the moment, motivated by Harold McGee's article in the NY Times Wednesday Food Section (where else?) on how to make candy in the microwave.

Marty is eating his way through what didn't get eaten today and I have to admit I am doing my part.  It is shamefully easy to make and really good - although next time I would probably use salted nuts, despite the fact that the recipe called for raw ones.  Unprepared as I was for this last-minute candymaking fest, I threw in what I had: walnuts, a few almonds, and a pile of pumpkin seeds I had forgotten I had.

When I was in the studio I looked for my cirlcle-cutting gizmo from Olfa. Of course, I found it at home while I was looking for the other thing.  But I can't find the instructions on how to use it and since I only used it once about 6 months ago, I have no clue. So now I have to go to the Olfa site and see if I can find what I need to know.

I also brought in a quilt that needs cropping, because I have room there to measure and cut it.  AND I took pictures of 3 things hanging on my wall there that are being curated into an exhibit, along with a few other pieces of mine. This is one of them.

Jessica's blog post for Forbes.com was picked up by a website in the Netherlands and translated into Dutch. How cool is that?? So, for all my readers in the Netherlands -- here are some great time-managment tips, for the studio or for the office.

And she made her Cycle for Survival goal, with the help of several of my faithful and generous readers.
THANK YOU!!! On behalf of Jessica and Jennifer Goodman Linn, whose soft-tissue sarcoma is one of the rare cancers that need funding for research.  Jessica will be cycling next Sunday, i think.

Tommy, Emma, and Jessica are in Wisconsin visiting Tommy's family for the holidays.  Tommy's mother and the rest of the family are all in heaven with Emma there; they haven't seen her since the summer. Father-daughter contentment.

 And this is my favorite Mr. Magoo face - makes me laugh, every time!

Just one more thing and then, since it is already Dec. 24 I had better wrap this up and go to bed.  I got this wonderful gift from Gjeneve Hopkinson, who took my class in Grand Junction last time I was there.
I'll be back there teaching in July and can't wait!  This time, at least, I won't get stuck in a snowstorm.

It's a book mark and I  used it yesterday to keep my place while I was reading Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore.  A very good book - beautifully written - about love and loss on a lot of levels.  Thanks Gjeneve!  Merry Christmas, everyone.