Yesterday, I took the Christmas tree to the dump.

Yes, it is the end of April, but it's not QUITE as bad as it sounds. We took the tree out of the house very shortly after Christmas. (Like, the DAY after, I think. Jake protested that it was too soon.)

But it didn't get far - I shoved it into a snowbank, where it happily lived, looking very much like it had grown there.

Until the snowbank melted, a few weeks ago, and it's since been lying on its side next to the driveway looking like tree carrion and collecting spiders.

So yesterday, I finally took it to the dump, we had a playdate at the park, and there was shopping that I ended up having to drag the child out of, and I got some laundry done, and my days are a haze of tickling and giggling and hugging and trying to type and make Kickstarter updates with a child hanging on my arm saying, "Mommy, mommy, I have a question! It's about I love you!"

(She doesn't really grasp the concept of 'question' yet.)

I got about 1000 words written in 45 minutes of nose-to-the-grindstone at the teashop this morning, and I'm down to two missing scenes, and still thinking its possible I might finish this thing by the end of the month. YES.

Thanks to wyld_dandelyon, I also submitted my portfolio for an illustration assignment that sounds wonderful. It forced me to add a new category to my page, for children, and that made me realize that there were several relevant pictures missing, and so added the following pieces:

Fala the Leader is an illustration from Torn World: http://ellenmillion.com/artpageview.php?id=302
Glynda and Kavita is a piece I did as an art trade at Kadanzer. http://ellenmillion.com/artpageview.php?id=301
And Resla Gives Varla a Swing is another Kadanzer piece I did. Resla remains one of my dearest characters. http://ellenmillion.com/artpageview.php?id=300


Alright, the upstairs is silent for a few moments. I'm either going to finish my novella, or take a nap. I haven't decided.