I started this illustration last winter, then deadlines and life got in the way. Then this sat, leaving me cross every time I walked by. It’s been a whirlwind of a year and I haven’t had as much time for personal work as I’d like. But I’ve made a deal with myself that if I get my to do list cleared off by end of day, I get a few minutes working on this. I haven’t done one of these pencil drawings in ages, mostly because they’re so labor intensive. But drawing fiddly, domestic things seems to take the edge off of whatever the stressor du jour is, so it’s back to the drafting table with this one.

Other things:

* Wodehouse in Exile is charming and quiet, with some food for thought, too.

* I finished Blood of the Isles over the long weekend. Some of the more science-y parts were a slog for me, but the book’s look at the genetic makeup of the British Isles and its intersection with myth and history was fascinating.

* I’m knitting this cardigan right now. I’m still in sandals and short sleeves because I refuse to accept fall starting before September 22, but even I have to admit autumn is right around the corner in these parts.

* This recipe for Piernik (Polish gingerbread cake) is pretty tasty.