And That Concludes Semester 1

Whoa! It's done! One of four semesters. Finished. Sigh.

Our last class, instead of Visiting Artists, was a Reading Party. What a great way to end the semester and then head off to break.

There were tons of yummy cakes and cookies, including some decorate your own cookies. My fireman had dropped off some homemade toffee... on his way to pick up my college kid in New York. (what a guy!)

We loaded up on num-nums, then grabbed stacks of comics (everyone brought all the work they've done this semester, and past work too)...

...and sat around reading and talking and laughing and eating.

Instead of a Secret Santa Exchange, we had an Ugly Sweater Exchange! We were assigned a fellow classmate and had to draw them in an ugly sweater.

Here's my drawing of Ben in an angry reindeer sweater...

And here is the amazing drawing that Kota made for me...

I love this SO much! She added Lilah too - and if you look closely, she even has Minou, the cat, in her own sweater, on my lap. Aaawwww.

I have so many plans for what I ... intend... to do over break. On the drive home I was listing them in my head - sleep. Sleep some more. Scan all the class notes and sketches, etc. and clean them up as an ebook for my Kickstarter folks. Finish the couple of Kickstarter cartoons that I owe people, hang out with my fireman, hang out with my family, find out what happened to my friends while I was away, clean up my studio and house - get all those boxes from the store put away and sell off all the extra art supplies from the store. Oh, and work on the book I was working on this summer. And sleep.

Egads. Too much.

By the time I got home I realized there was so much MORE! Lawyer stuff. More lawyer stuff, even MORE lawyer stuff, meetings, appointments, Lilah's school craft project, empty a room in my house for my mom. Move the Mom. Empty out her apartment. Sell, get rid of two houses' worth of extra stuff. Oh, yes, and then there is Christmas and the necessary gifts.

Uh-oh.
Best option?
Sleep.

Seriously, school/boot camp is looking like a piece of cake compared to the next four weeks!

All crazy aside, I hope you find some time to step back and enjoy some moments of wonder and joy in whatever Holiday it is you choose to celebrate.

Cheers!!