Incidentally, what I remember from Sunday school is that shepherds at that time and place, were generally the dregs of society - therefore about as well-received as pirates. So an eye-patch might not be out of place.

ETA: I had a need to COMM the Pirate-Shepherd gospel.

I was thinking something more calming, but I'll see what I can do.

Catnip, calming? Your cats must be different than mine.

Catnip is calming for people. (Honest. It's used in a lot of sleepytime tea blends.)

Oh yeah, now that you mention it I can remember once having catnip tea (filed that one under "fun with herbalists"). It was rather mellowing.

YaY Jilli!

Jilli, WHEE!!!! Now we really have something to celebrate on our vacation! Besides vacation itself, of course, which is so very celebration-worthy.

I am drowning in grading hell.

Poor you, Kristin. I am out of the grading zone until Friday. When I will once again get caught in the swirling vortex of HELL.

Catnip is calming for people.

Oh hee. You guys really mean catnip. I thought this was a euphemism for something...else.

A driver could be calming. Um, how will I know unless I try? *waves hands around*

Poor you, Kristin. I am out of the grading zone until Friday. When I will once again get caught in the swirling vortex of HELL.

I'm giving feedback on 58 ninth grade literary analysis first drafts at the moment. Joy. I have to get them all done by Friday in order to give the students a week to revise, so I've been slogging through these suckers all day, every day. I'll have a bit of a break this weekend (time to write the final exam, whee), and then the final drafts roll in. Those should go faster since I will have read them already, but I am really not looking forward to being swamped with panicking freshmen between now and then.

And then, final exams. And skill evaluations. And lots of headdesk.

But then vacation! I am so very ready.