The other morning, I glanced into the guest room and saw this one violet just REACHING for the sun, inches above the rest of the plant, and just basking … it looked so pretty, I couldn’t help but grab the camera and then take lots and lots of pictures…. (grin)
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Did you realize it’s De-Lurking Week? And I almost missed it!
So, you know what that means–leave me a comment–especially if you usually don’t or never do.
Now, I don’t have knitting or spinning pictures for you, but please be assured that I am diligently working on both of my sweaters. The endless hood extension on the cabled one is about 11″ out of 18″, so progress is being made. My Tatami is only about 6″ long so far, so clearly there’s a LONG way to go with that one, but still . . .
Also, Stephanie and I realized that our blogs are almost twins. They’re going to be two years old within just a few days of each other, so we decided that we should get them together for a playdate. Doesn’t that sound fun?
So, Stephanie? Wana get the “kids” together to play??? I’ll bring the chips . . . (get it? Computers . . . chips . . . okay, I was reaching . . . not even a byte or a nibble, huh??)
(Really. Sorry about that. I got the bad-pun gene from my Dad and sometimes it just insists on coming out… Still, a blog-date would be fun, huh?)
Have you heard about the nonsense about the Blue Moon Fiber Socks that Rock club? Sheesh…. Behold the power of knitters. How ridiculous of that credit card company . . .
Let’s keep it simple today:
Okay, here’s my list of current books, from the top of the pile down:
Loving, Living, and Party Going by Henry Green.
The Miracle at St Anna by James MacBride.
How to Cheat at Cleaning by Jeff Bredenberg.
Labyrinth by Jorge Luis Borges.
A History of Hand-Knitting by Richard Rutt
This is what the sky looked like on my drive to work this morning.
I thought about saving this photo for Saturday Sky, but it was too darn pretty to keep to myself. That peachy-golden light right on the horizon . . . the deep blue of the sky . . . that undertone of color on the clouds near the top . . . So pretty.
This is beautiful not only because, well, it just is beautiful, but also because not one hour later, we were in the middle of a snow squall.
Not that it lasted all that long, but it DID dust the parking lot at work with some snow. You know, which was completely gone about another hour after that.
I was so excited, though, that I ran outside with my camera to try to take a decent “snow” picture for you. But, well, when you have about 1/16″ of the white stuff, it’s kind of tricky.
And–look at the sky reflected in my car window. It looks pretty dramatic, too, huh? But you can see the actual cloud, surrounded by lots of clear sky. Frankly, the fact that that cloud summoned up any snow at all, I think is pretty impressive.
So, today was Dad’s actual birthday. Unfortunately, it was too cold for him to golf (though he’s going golfing tomorrow), but he says he had a good day anyway. He got a bunch of phone calls, some cards in the mail. He even got flowers. These are from the same pair that gave me balloons for my birthday in November. (I asked, if they gave me balloons, and Dad flowers, whatever will they do for Mom’s birthday next month??)
He even got some popcorn–he came into the kitchen when I was finishing my lunch, and started to open the cake box, with the last piece of his birthday cake, but I told him no, because Mom and I had plans for that after supper. He looked so disappointed, and so untempted by any of the other snacking options, I offered to make him popcorn. This is a rare treat because we don’t do microwave popcorn–we (meaning I) only make “real” popcorn–in a pot on the stove, served with real butter on top. His little face just lit right up! So yes–I spent part of my lunch break shaking the pot on the stove. (So worth it.)
Dad also got to spend lots of time with his buddy, Chappy. Not only did Chappy happily keep him company (especially when he was eating that popcorn) but . . . and this is a cute story. I think I’ve mentioned before that Chappy waits for permission before eating food we’ve put down for him–and he WILL wait, but the longer we make him wait the more clenched, desperate, and pathetic he looks. You know the look a little kid gets when he’s trying really hard to sit still, or wait to dive into a pile of presents with his name on it? Well, that’s the look Chappy gets when he’s got food right in front of him.
Well, Dad was running out on an errand and grabbed a cookie on his way out, dropping a piece on the rug for Chappy. He says he told Chappy “Okay,” but either Chappy didn’t hear him, or didn’t believe him, or something. Because my Mom walked into the kitchen a little later . . . we’re not sure of the time lag, a couple seconds? a minute? . . . and Chappy was STILL sitting there, drooling onto the floor, and he looked back over his shoulder . . . “Grandma? Pleeeeeeaaaaaaasssssssseeee???” Of COURSE she immediately told him “Okay,” but . . . oh, my poor little, well-behaved dog! I really wonder how long he would have sat there before he decided we weren’t coming back immediately and it was safe to grab the cookie . . .
Hey, did you know my 2-year blogging anniversary is coming up in a few days? I technically signed up while at the office, so my first entry is REALLY short. Not surprisingly, it had absolutely no comments, either. My second entry had three comments–one from an e-friend (the one who got me hooked on Dorothy Dunnett) and the other two from women I’ve never heard from since . . . I can’t imagine why. I was so fascinating! (grin) I think Nancy is the only commenter from entry #3 who still reads . . .
Anyway, I thought about maybe having some kind of contest/prize or something related to my blogiversary . . . any suggestions? I could just go for a random drawing on comments that day, or I could ask a question like, “Why do you bother coming to read my blog?” (bigger grin). Or . . . what? Thoughts?
(And yes, I know, in journalism, that’s burying the lead . . . raise your hand if you read this far!)
Neighbor update: They still don’t know what’s wrong, but she’s home again as of about 5:00 tonight. She has doctor’s appointments next week and is forbidden to drive until then (because, you know, passing out while driving is a bad thing). Fingers crossed that they figure out what’s wrong SOON. Thank you for all your good wishes! For my mom’s mouth and my dad’s birthday, too. Really, you guys are the best readers….
See? Tonight, I knitted.
I’m still working on the “hood extension” of my Celtic Icon. This is the eighteen inches of cabling that goes up the back of the hood and over the top of the head.
Eighteen inches. It’s endless.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s still narrower than the actual back of the sweater, just as wide as the cable itself. And therefore, it’s (theoretically) going faster than the rest of the back because, again, it’s narrower.
And yet…. It feels like it’s never going to be finished.
Let’s not forget that I still have the two fronts, the sides, and the sleeves to go . . . I think I’m going to be knitting on this sweater a long, long, time (grin).
Good thing it’s so pretty, and with such a great cable, huh? Again, it’s the Celtic Icon sweater from “Inspired Cable Knits.” It’s beautiful, just . . . well, as I say. Endless. I’ve got about 6″ done, which means . . . 12″ to go. Oy.
I’ve done some spinning tonight, too–merino/silk singles on my Little Gem. The other day, I started plying my singles on my Journey Wheel, but that was the day the family was down and I cooked and socialized and all that, so I didn’t get it all plied. Pretty, though.
Incidentally, am I the only one who doesn’t name her (his) spinning wheels? Carole‘s looking for suggestions for her new Hitchhiker, which made me think about this . . . mine don’t have names, they’re just my beloved wheels. My Lendrum, Little Gem, and Journey Wheel. (Although, for full disclosure, my Dad’s been calling that one “The Clock” because it has something resembling a Grandfather clock’s tick every time the drive band knot goes around. Do nicknames count?)
Anyway, we’re all kind of tired. Mom had gum surgery yesterday and her mouth is still sore–she’s been walking around tonight with an icepack pressed to her cheek. Dad, of course, will be getting older tomorrow, and you know how much entering a new decade can be. Chappy’s exhausted just trying to keep tabs on everyone–and worrying about his sore Grandma, of course. I’m a little tired myself, though at least my neck isn’t as sore as yesterday.
And, our neighbor? Still no real news. Mom went to visit this afternoon and saw not only her friend, but her grown daughters as well. But thet still haven’t determined exactly what’s wrong, or what to do about it–though she said that if she needs heart surgery, she’s already decided to go to Morristown Memorial for that. They have a great reputation for that. I just hope it won’t come to that . . . and I can’t even imagine how bored she must be!
No snazzy posts tonight. I haven’t taken any pictures. I haven’t even knitted. For two days now!
I know, I’m sorry. I should have warned you to sit down.
There’s no particular reason for the non-knitting thing. Well, tonight, I was busy reading–too intriguing a book to put down. Well, of course, I dragged myself away to talk to YOU.
Which, really, you’ll wonder why–because I’ve got almost nothing to say. It’s Monday. It was raining pretty miserably this morning, but cleared up beautifully for the afternoon . . . which would have been better if I hadn’t been at work–’cause where’s the fun in that? Chappy didn’t even get a walk, since I slept badly on my neck last night and have been sore all day–nothing that shouldn’t be cured by tomorrow–and Mom had gum surgery today and wasn’t particularly feeling up to it, either. Poor Chappy. Luckily, he accepted the icky weather as an excuse. He’s really very forgiving that way.
And, really, that’s it. My plan now is to do some spinning–unless it makes my neck ache. Then I’ll read in bed for a while and go to sleep. Exciting, I know. But really . . . what else is there to say? (grin)
Hopefully it’ll be more interesting tomorrow . . . but in a GOOD way. As in, not having any bad news to report. Just, you know, the usual kind of thing. Knitting, perhaps!
Our neighbor, by the way, is still in the hospital. They opted not to do the stress test they’d had scheduled for today, and when her husband called this evening, he said he wasn’t sure what they were planning on doing next. So, we’re all still concerned. Thanks for your good thoughts!
The birthday celebration went well today. I think Dad is feeling loved and appreciated (because he IS), and everyone had a good time. And enjoyed the food, too. We made braciole–little, individual ones for everyone, instead of one, big one–and pasta, with salad. The braciole was fun to make, too–it was the first time I’ve ever made it, and it wasn’t really that hard. And I love dishes where you can do all the hard parts in advance.
Of course, there was cake for dessert. With candles. (Nor were we the only ones celebrating, today–go wish Laurie a happy birthday, huh?)
After we ate, we brought out some of those old pictures that I talked about yesterday, and that was fun, too.
The sad part of the afternoon? We saw a police car go by the house. Then an ambulance . . . pulling in across the street. Now, last month, I told you about our neighbor with the heart problems. A week or so after that event, there were fire trucks at their house, responding to a (luckily) false alarm. (Well, lucky because no-one was hurt, the house didn’t burn, down, but bad because it made all those volunteer fire-people come for nothing.) We thought, at first, that the ambulance was there for him again . . . but no, they pulled into the house on the other side. The house of my Mom’s dearest friend, who woke up the other night with chest pains, and who was scheduled for a stress test tomorrow . . . Apparently, she had chest pains again, and her pulse rate dropped so that she almost lost consciousness . . . I don’t know if it was a heart attack or what, but . . . scary. They’ve been neighbors and good friends of ours for 31 years.
At first, Mom was standing next to me at the window, shaking and worrying. My sister went out to see what was going on, my Dad went over to see if there was anything he could do. (The husband is a good friend and golfing-buddy of his.) But when Mom saw our other neighbors coming to see what was going on, she shot out of the house, She was shaking so hard! And almost cried when then wheeled her friend out to the ambulance, although she (the friend) was joking with the paramedics, and they didn’t exactly RUSH away from the house, so we’re all kind of assuming that everything is going to be okay . . . we certainly hope so! That corner has been FAR too busy with emergency personnel lately. Again, if you care to send any prayers and good wishes our neighbor’s way, it would be appreciated.
Okay, to end on a lighter note? My cousin made a Christmas gift for Chappy–a wreath of Milkbone doggie treats . . . which she made herself, with the assistance of her own dogs. She tied dozens of treats to a coat-hanger-bent-into-a-circle . . . and whenever one would break, her dogs would take care of that for her. (Dogs are helpful that way.) Well, Chappy thinks this is one of the best ideas ever. Not only was he eager to help sample this–and to wag his tail to show her how much he appreciated it. We laid it on the kitchen table while we did all the other dinner/dessert kinds of things, but when we were done doing “active” food things? He just sat and stared at his wreath–through the table, you understand–just trying to will the whole thing closer to the edge. Chappy’s really very cute when he’s being obsessive . . . he’ll sit and patiently stare at things for what feels like hours. He might occasionally jump his paws up to look at his object of desire, or glance longingly at a person in the room (“Would you please give me some of that?”) but for the most part, he waits. And waits. And waits. Often while drooling gently on the floor. It’s pathetically cute, especially since he’s really so well-behaved about it. He doesn’t desperately jump around, trying to reach whatever it is. He doesn’t make a pest of himself running around, trying to get a person’s attention. He just sits and . . . pines. And he does it very, very well. No wonder he’s so exhausted tonight!
Oh, and I DID do some spinning for Distaff Day. My aunt and cousin were intrigued, I think, at my Journey Wheel. I’m not sure. What kind of level of interest does, “What’s that? It looks like some kind of torture instrument!” imply, anyway?)\
This is what the sky looked like this morning when Mom and I went out–still laden with clouds from yesterday’s rain.
Not that we can really complain about the weather. According to my Weather Pixie for tonight, 5:45 pm. 68 degrees Farenheit. That’s 20 degrees Celsius. In January. The middle of Winter.
It’s not that I’m complaining about the weather. It’s really hard to complain about the warm and sunny days we’ve had lately. Any time January is at or around 50 degrees, you enjoy it. It’s like a rule. But . . . I have a closet-full of sweaters that haven’t been worn yet this year. I haven’t needed a scarf more than once or twice all season, much less my down comforter! This is a far cry from last January when our furnace broke during a cold snap.
Of course, the warm weather IS confusing the vegetation around here. I spotted this on our walk . . . lots of buds and already a couple flowers. Our neighbors have daffodils and crocuses already coming up . . . poor things, don’t they know that they’re MONTHS too early? I know virtually nothing about gardening, but isn’t the inevitable cold snap bound to hurt these premature plants?
Still . . . it did turn into a beautiful day. Right up there around 70 degrees, blue sky . . . really, really lovely. My dad golfed, which shouldn’t surprise anyone–but it IS surprising that he walked the course rather than riding a cart like he usually does . . . but then, he was lucky they uncovered the greens at all in January. Mom and I are taking bets on how sore his legs are going to be tomorrow, though.
Speaking of tomorrow, it’s the family-celebration of Dad’s birthday. His actual birthday is Wednesday, but tomorrow, my sister and her family are coming down, and my aunt and cousin are coming up. (Luckily, we can just barely fit nine people around our dining room table.) It’s a big birthday, too, so we want to make sure it’s a good one. (Any guesses on which birthday it will be? No prize, or anything, but I’m curious. There’s a good picture of him on my Christmas Eve post, and in that family picture we took in November.)
Anyway, so today, Mom and I went to the grocery store to buy stuff for dinner, and this afternoon I baked a cake (a double-recipe of our family-famous “Grandma cake,” which can also be seen on that post where we took the family picture). Chappy got a bath, too, so he’ll be all nice and fluffy tomorrow. The table’s set . . . we’re all ready. Or, as much as we can be until tomorrow! I can do some of the food prep in the morning, so that’ll help. It’s a recipe I haven’t tried before, but it sounds good and I’m pretty sure everyone will like it, so . . .
Oh yes, speaking of family photos–look what Mom showed me today. I don’t remember ever seeing this picture before, but I love it. My Dad’s in the center back, and his parents are the two on the right of the picture–I love how my Grandfather is balancing up on the railing. My aunt, uncle, and cousin Don (er, Donnie, according to the notes) are on the left, with my uncle just peeking past my aunt’s head. Her mother is standing in the front center . . . Mom and I are guessing that my aunt’s father was the one taking the picture. We don’t know when this picture was taken, but every one looks like they’re having a marvelous time. My aunt and my grandmother are both wearing corsages, too . . . Mother’s day, maybe? (Although then why isn’t my aunt’s mother not wearing one?)
I mentioned to Mom, though, as we were sorting through some old pictures . . . we really don’t have that many of Dad as a young man, forget about as a child . . . that I’m always fascinated by photos of my Grandfather. He died when I was just 10 months old, so they are the only way I can know him at all. At least I have memories of my other grandparents, but him? He’s like the Mystery Grandparent. Dad rarely talks about him, and he’d been sick (Alzheimer’s, back before they knew what it was) a long time, so my Mom never really got to know him, either, so she doesn’t have any good stories about him. But what Dad does, occasionally mention, I relish. And when I find a photo like this, of him happy and smiling and full of the life I never got to see? It makes me smile, too.
The original Chappaquiddick.
(In case any of you didn’t realize, Chappy’s name is short for Chappaquiddick, the island . . . well, mostly an island, though it’s kind of attached to Martha’s Vineyard.)
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It may be the fourth day of the year already, but I swear, it feels like time is standing still . . .
As evidenced by this picture of my watch, taken about ten minutes ago, at 9:18. Not exactly up to its usual standard of time-keeping, you know?
I have to say, though, that I love this watch. I have a few, sure, and I’ve got alternatives for wearing to work tomorrow, but this is the one I wear every day. My Skagen. I bought it I’m not sure how many years ago, on Martha’s Vineyard. (No surprise there, huh?) I love its clean design, the charcoal-gray against the silver. Even the metallic mesh band which I find comfortable. (This is worth noting because every other metal band I’ve tried to wear in years has caused rashes or an achy wrist.)
The funny part? I actually noticed that my watch wasn’t working properly yesterday. It was running slow, but running . . . kind of. But the funny part is that I automatically put it on this morning anyway. It wasn’t until hours later, at the office, that I glanced at it and had a “D’oh!” moment. Of COURSE it wasn’t keeping correct time!
I just finished this tonight. (Finally, I know, a picture of some knitting!) It’s a little camera sock for my niece, in matching yarn to the leg warmers I made her for Christmas. When she was here over the weekend, at one point, her camera fell out of her pocket and while she checked to be sure it was okay, I said something like, “That’s what cases are for.” (I know, really helpful of me, huh?) She made a comment about it being bulky, so I offered to make her a camera sock, like mine, for just that little bit of extra protection.
I still need to weave in the two ends, but otherwise, it’s done–including the drawstring. Cute, huh? Now it’s just a question of whether it fits her camera or not! Hers is a little larger than mine, so I had to estimate.
And here’s a spinning picture for you. A bobbin full of 2-ply merino/wool. I actually finished it over the weekend, but just haven’t gotten around to skeining it off yet. It’s still sitting on its bobbin, but doesn’t it look pretty?
I’ve almost got my second bobbin full on my Journey Wheel, and look forward to seeing how that comes out. And, of course, other knitting, reading, yadda yadda….
Still no pictures, but . . .
A couple public service announcements:
Go check out Kate’s (Minestrone Soup) effort for making hats for the Children’s Hospital of Boston.
Have you been interested in the ongoing issues about the whole, er, well, the issue of, um, the technical term for getting a group of people together to knit together? Here’s a handy update for you.
Okay . . . I’m going to go watch Friday Night Lights now. One of my favorite shows of the season.
And, oh yes, the Booking Through Thursday question is up for the week . . . a little early, I know, but if I don’t remember to do it on Wednesday night, well . . . it’s not like I can do it from the office.
Today was the first day back to work of the year, and since we had a long weekend, I had to keep reminding myself that it was Tuesday. But since it’s the second day of 2007, that makes it “Twosday,” right?
Sadly, that’s the most clever thing I can think of today. How pathetic is that, huh? I don’t even have pictures to show you, since I haven’t actually taken any pictures yet in 2007. Also, really, quite worrying. I’m usually taking pictures all the time.
Not that I’ve been unproductive. In the last few days, I’ve spun on all three of my wheels. (Well, my “active” wheels. The poor, lonely, homeless Kiwi is still just sitting there.) I spun on my new Journey Wheel–finished one bobbin of singles and started the second. Plied merino/silk on my Lendrum, and started the next bobbin of singles on my Majacraft Little Gem.
I’ve also done at least some knitting on all three of my knitting projects. The hood extension on my plum-colored Celtic Icon is about 4″ out of the necessary 18″. I’m working on my Tatami, although I need to stop and think–the pattern talks about repeating the two-row pattern for 17 rows . . . but since the pattern is in two-row increments, I think I need to pull out the calculator to figure out if they really want 17 rows or 17 repeats. But still, that’s coming along nicely. And I’ve got both heels turned on my Socks That Rock socks, and am now working up the leg.
I’ve also already finished one book for the year, and am currently reading five different books: A History of Handknitting, Death in the Garden, Labyrinths, Reading Like a Writer, and Good Night, Mr Holmes.
And, oh yes, I took Chappy for a walk at lunchtime. It was in the mid- to upper-forties, sunny, a light breeze. Remarkably nice for January.
But, really, it’s very quiet.
Go wish Wendy a happy birthday, though, huh?
And, if you’ve got a few spare dollars, go buy a virtual ornament for a very sick little girl who doesn’t have much time . . . she wants to see her tree “full” before she dies. I know she’s in my prayers! (Interestingly, I DID make a donation in her name, but my name’s not on the list–not that that matters, but just so you know, I did put my money where my mouth is . . . it’s a good cause!)
Here’s my reading list from December:
1. EXILE’S SONG by Marion Zimmer Bradley (493 p.) One of MZB’s Darkover books–here, Margaret Alton returns to Darkover to study the folk music, but comes down with threshold sickness as her unrealized psychic gifts start to flare up . . .
2. SHADOW MATRIX by Marion Zimmer Bradey (556 p.) A bit of time-travel on Darkover, as Margaret and Mikhail Hastur are pulled back to the Ages of Chaos.
3. BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak (550 p.) This book is . . . different. I’ve read so many rave reviews about it, and yet it didn’t click with me. The story is narrated by death (yes, that death) and tells about a foster child in Nazi Germany who steals books, and how he was captivated by her story. Maybe he was, but it didn’t do much for me–maybe it was his narrative style (not that I want to get on his bad side). It wasn’t a bad book, or a complete waste of time, but . . . I came nowhere near loving it as I’d hoped.
4. SUNSHINE by Robin McKinley (389 p.) The very rare vampire book for me, but well, it was written by Robin McKinley, whose books I’ve loved for years. Rae, known as Sunshine, is abducted by vampires, meant for a meal for a captive, but . . . remarkably good for, you know, vampires.
5. HEXWOOD by Diana Wynne Jones (293 p.) A completely quirky kind of book, remarkably complex for a YA book. I won’t even try to explain it to you . . . alternate universes, a role-playing super computer with an apparent sense of humor, imaginary friends . . .
6. MIRACLE by Connie Willis (298 p.) A series of short stories, all about Christmas. I’m not a huge fan of short stories, but I am a fan of Willis’ writing. Some of them I liked better than others, it’s true, but . . . nice.
7. ANGELICA by Sharon Shinn (385 p.) Sharon Shinn’s Samaria–one of my absolute favorite series. This is one of the last written, but chronologically, comes first. Susannah, a nomadic Edori, is chosen by the god to be Angelica–that is, to marry the Archangel, leader of Samaria. She does, but in the meantime, their whole world is under attack by mysterious strangers who can disappear at will and carry devastating, fire-throwing weapons….
8. ARCHANGEL by Sharon Shinn (390 p.) The “first” and still my favorite. This book will always make it to the top of my list . . . whether the top spot or just in the top five, I can’t say, but . . . so, so good. Rachel and Gabriel. Angelica and Archangel, who can never see eye to eye, but who truly love each other . . . if they would only admit it, preferably before Raphael, the out-going Archangel destroys the world.
9. ANGEL-SEEKER by Sharon Shinn (483 p.) The last-written, but taking place shortly after the end of Archangel, this one focuses on Elizabeth, a woman who heads to an angel hold to try to fall in love with an angel and bear his child . . . but also, we have Obadiah–a minor but likable character from Archangel falling in love with a sheltered Jansai woman….
10. JOVAH’S ANGEL by Sharon Shinn (389 p.) About 200 years later, suddenly Jovah is no longer hearing the angels’ voices, and Delilah the Archangel is badly injured, leaving the job to Alleluia–singularly unsuited to such a job, yet willing to try her best, all while Samaria is trudging toward technological advances shunned by the original settlers.
11. ALLELUIA FILES by Sharon Shinn (474 p.) Chronologically last and the end of the original trilogy, Samaria is being torn apart between those who believe in the god and those who are convinced that he is not a god at all, but a spaceship left in orbit by the original settlers. Tamar is one of the rebels, being hounded by the current Archangel and his jansai soldiers, but befriended by the angel Jason. Meanwhile, the angel Lucinda is being courted by the Archangel’s son…. Oh, and this one has my absolute favorite cover of all of them….
12. NY TIMES PRACTICAL GUIDE TO PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING by Amy and Peter Bernstein (812 p.) More a reference book, really, than a book you sit down to read, so I admit I more flipped through this book than actually read it. I have to say, though, its title pretty much says it all!
13. INGENIOUS PURSUITS by Lisa Jardine (386 p.) A history book that looks at some of the scientific advances during the Renaissance, and how the geniouses of the period competed, bounced ideas off one another, hated each other . . . Entertainingly well-written and interesting.
14. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS by H.G. Bissinger (367 p.) The book the movie and the TV show are based on. It looks at the high-school football program of Permian high school in Odessa Texas in 1988–the drive of the players, the coaches, and the unbelievable pressure put on them by the entire town. I’m not remotely interested in football, yet this book was a real page-turner.
15. THE SHEPHERD, THE ANGEL, AND WALTER THE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE DOG by Dave Barry (117 p.) A light, fluffy anecdote, really, about a Christmas in 1960 when . . . well, if I give you a synopsis, it will pretty much tell the entire story. There’s not a lot to this, but it was cute.
16. BAKING by Dorie Greenspan (495 p.) A cookbook on, well, baking . . . and oh, what delicious-sounding baking! I didn’t read through every single recipe, but I stopped and drooled over each and every one. Some really good-sounding recipes in here, beautiful photographs, charming little anecdotes/introductions to the recipes . . . about the only fault I can find is that this is a HEAVY book. It weighs a ton! It kept putting my foot to sleep while I read it….
17. 2001 AMAZING CLEANING SECRETS by Jeff Bredenburg (431 p.) I haven’t been able to put these into practice yet, but . . . like the NYT Guide above, a reference book whose title pretty much says it all. If you’ve got questions on how to clean your silver, copper tea kettle, picture frames, mailbox . . . it’s probably in here.
18. SORCERY AND CECILIA by Patricia C Wrede and Caroline Stevermer (320 p.) An epistolary novel (i.e., one written as a series of letters) written by two authors as part of the “Letter Writing Game”–where the wrote the letters to each other, in character, without giving away plots or planning anything along the way . . . It’s charming. Set in a post-Napoleonic England where magic is real, written between two cousins, one of whom is in London for the Season, and one of whom is still home in the country. Fun–especially knowing how the authors wrote it, AS letters, not just using it as a stylistic device.
19. THE GRAND TOUR by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer (469 p.) The sequel–Cecy and Kate are on their wedding tour, and keeping journals . . . I admit I liked the first one better. I prefer the “conversation” of the letter exchange better than the “Dear Diary” kind of story-telling statement of the journal. (Well, one was a journal, the other a deposition, but really, same difference!)
20. KNITTERS HANDY BOOK OF PATTERNS by Ann Budd (109 p.) Pretty much what it says–basic calculations for knitting more or less anything you’d want to knit–mittens, hats, sweaters . . .
21. THE ROYAL SCHOOL OF NEEDLEWORK EMBROIDERY TECHNIQUES by Sally Saunders (159 p.) Oh, this book has some beautiful embroidery designs–along with techniques so that you can create your own masterpieces. It’s such a treat so see something other than counted cross-stitch. Not that I don’t love counted cross-stitch, I’ve done several pieces in that myself and love the ones I’ve seen my mother and sister and other people do . . . but it’s nice to see OTHER stitches, too! Variety in embroidery is my favorite style.
22. THE MISLAID MAGICIAN by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer (328 p.) Book three, taking place 10 years later, and back to the epistolary-exchange of letters. I won’t bother explaining the plot to you, but this time, one couple is looking for a German magicia who was investigating train lines while the other is trying to keep the family safe, while offering sanctuary to Kate’s sister, who refuses to explain why she’s there. Unlike the other two, this book includes letters between the two husbands, which is a nice touch. And Cecy’s son Arthur sounds like he’s channeling Ramses Emerson (from Elizabeth Peter’s Amelia Peabody books).
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