I’ve done a recap for the last two years, so I had to this year, also, right?

In 2007, I….

• Celebrated Dad’s 70th birthday.
• Admired, then almost killed one of my African Violets. (Which made a complete recovery)
• Tested various Teas and then Had dinner for what turned out to be the last time at Dad’s favorite German restaurant. The Triangle Hofrbrau had been around since 1936 and just closed last month. I wish we had known so we could have gotten there one last time. There really just aren’t that many German restaurants in northern NJ any more.
• Dad and Chappy finished last year’s batch of Stollen
• I showed off my teapot collection and then made quite a list of great places to buy TEA.
• Got ready for a guest, and made one of my very favorite pots of soup
• Entertained and was-entertained by Liz.
• Celebrated Mom’s (mumble) birthday.  With the family, too.
• Baked cookies.
• Spent the day with Risa.
• Finished entering eleven years’ worth of reading titles into the computer.
• Actually got my Dad to the park with Mom, Chappy, and me (a rarity).
• Admired my own WIP fortitude.
• Finally, in March, got a snowstorm for Chappy to play in.
• Took Chappy visiting down to Max and Liz in Maryland. (All fun except the car-sickness)
• Finally found a new home for my Ashford Kiwi AND made a new friend
• Admired my spindles
• Another fun day with Risa and the twins.
• Spinning!
• Consoled myself while everyone else was at MDSW
• Went to Martha’s Vineyard: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and home again.
• Got to spin with Kim.
• More family birthdays.
• Plus Graduations.
• Got my Ravelry Invite. (My Ravelry name is, of course, Chappysmom)
• Irises. Lots and lots of irises!
• Knitted with Risa and Kim and learned a new way to ply
• Made myself a Candybar doll
• Spent the day with Jessica AND finally finished my Celtic Icon sweater.
• Moo
• Jersey Spinners 1.0
• Chappy’s 6th birthday
• Tatami sweater!
• Graduation/Family party
• Hit the 1000th-post. One thousand. Wow.
• Spent the day with my niece and actually went to the movies–definitely a big day!
• Harry!
• Ah, lace from my own handspun yarn….
• Another fun day with Risa and the twins
• This still makes my mouth water
• Another family party
• The dawning of Autumn Rose
• A medical procedure for Dad
• A really beautiful September day, and sent my book mss back out again
• New Proclaimer’s album, thanks to Caroline. (Still love that song, too)
• Went visiting again and made a cute, fuzzy new friend
• My niece got her first car
• Organized Dad’s office (it really needed it!)
• Got a great picture of me and Chappy
• Mom was captured by aliens
• Baked pie with actual, homemade crust
• Started a new blog about writing
• Mom started her very own blog, about Martha’s Vineyard
• Rhinebeck, of course
• Compared spindles
• Finished my Ribby
• Opened my own CafePress store.
• Had another calendar contest
• (gulp) Turned 41
• Got Shingles for my birthday
• Explored my birthday party jinx
• Threw a combined spinning/birthday party with Kim, with a surprise guest!
• Spent most of November feeling lousy
• Really early snow….
• More snow, and repairs to the obstinate Autumn Rose
• Explored the virtues of darning needles
• Ah, Chappy video
• The annual Stollen Ordeal
• Ice, Snow, more Ice
• Posted a Survey and got lots of Responses (thanks again!)
• Gloating
• Christmas. And more Christmas
• My new yarn-skeiner arrived.
• Saw my best friend and gave away my Peacock (worth it)

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:The Yearly Recap // 1 Comment »

Okay, here are my favorites from 2007. For the purposes of this list, my rule is that I have to have read the book for the first time this year, regardless of whether the book was actually new this year. So, something like War and Peace would count because I’ve never read it, but of course, it doesn’t qualify because I still actually haven’t. Clear as mud? Great. Let’s get on with it:

And, oh yes, books appear in the order of their appearance in my reading log–they’re not alphabetical or in sequence of most-to-least favorite, or anything like that. It’s just the order they showed up in my life.

Fiction:

• DEATH IN THE GARDEN by Elizabeth Ironside (274 p.)
• I AM THE MESSENGER by Markus Zusak (357 p.)
• PASSAGE by Connie Willis (780 p.)
• HOUSEKEEPING by Marilynne Robinson (213 p.)
• LOST AND FOUND by Jacqueline Sheehan (278 p.)
• POCKETFUL OF NAMES by Joe Coomer (413 p.)
• LOVE WALKED IN by Marisa de los Santos (307 p.)
• AUSTENLAND by Shannon Hale (194 p.) (fluffy, but cute)
• HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS by JK Rowling (759 p.)
• FIRST AMONG SEQUELS by Jasper Fforde (362 p.)
• WESTING GAME by Ellen Raskin (182 p.)
• DRAGONHAVEN by Robin McKinley (342 p.)
• THE WHISTLING SEASON by Ivan Doig (345 p.)
• MIRABILE by Janet Kagan (278 p.)
• GENERAL WINSTON’S DAUGHTER by Sharon Shinn (342 p.)
• RUN by Ann Patchett (295 p.)

Non-Fiction:

• READING LIKE A WRITER by Francine Prose (268 p.)
• TEAM OF RIVALS by Doris Kearns Goodwin. (754 p.)
• PERFECT RED by Amy Butler Greenfield (261 p.)
• EPITAPH FOR A PEACH by David Mas Masumoto (233 p.)
• BLINK by Malcolm Gladwell (276 p.)
• ARAN SWEATER DESIGN by Janet Szabo (171 p.)
• EINSTEIN by Walter Isaacson (551 p.)
• STILL LIFE WITH CHICKENS by Catherine Goldhammer (176 p.)
• DINNER WITH DAD by Cameron Stracker (242 p.)
• JUDGEMENT OF PARIS by George Taber (304 p.)
• TALK TO THE HAND by Lynne Truss (202 p.)

I read 288 books in 2007. The most in one month was 31, in May, the least was June, with only 18. Of the 288 books, 119 of them were new (to me), the other 169 were re-reads. The authors read the most? Mercedes Lackey (18 books); Anne McCaffrey (13 books); Sharon Shinn (12 books); David Eddings (12 books);  Diana Wynne Jones (12 books); Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (11 books). (Um, you can certainly tell which genre is my “comfort reading,” huh?)

And, a recap of each month’s lists for you….

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Favorite Books of 2007 // 5 Comments »

Well, here’s my final two projects of the year.

Autumn Rose is washed and blocking as we speak. How she’s going to fit, and if she’s ever going to get worn is, of course, entirely up in the air. But she IS done.

And, see the socks there in the corner? It’s a relief to get them off the needles, too. I still need to weave in their ends, but the knitting is done. (Hey, I wanted to get them done by the end of the year, and look, hours to spare!)

They certainly are colorful, too!

You may (or may not) remember that I started these socks in August, out of the Shetland wool I spun from Spunky Eclectic’s monthly club.

I still have quite a bit of yarn left, too, but I don’t know what I’m going to do with that. I’m still a bit in shock at the way those socks turned out. Such VIVID color (grin).

But, really, isn’t that what socks are for? I’m not a bright-color person, really, but if I’m going to wear it, it’s usually going to be socks. They’re so handily mostly-hidden so that you catch glimpses over the shoe, under the pant leg, yet YOU know that it’s there. Isn’t that part of the fun?

The good news is that they fit wonderfully. It’s almost like they were made for me, you know?

I don’t know what I’m going to do for purse-knitting next. I really do want to take a bit of a break from traditional socks, so . . . mittens, maybe? Although I got a copy of Cat Bordhi’s New Pathways for Knitters for Christmas. That might help the sock-ennui, but then, since the new designs require thought, well, that’s not necessarily purse-knitting, either.

Hey, I put up a recap post over at my Punctuality Rules! blog, if you want to go take a look. I’m actually surprised at how much “ground” I’ve covered in the last two months.

Anyway, it’s been a quiet day here at Chappy’s house, and it will be a quiet New Year’s Eve, too. Although somebody, apparently, has been practising his toasting….

ADDED: Would you believe that I’m rapidly approaching the 10,000th Comment??? Gosh, that almost seems like something worth celebrating, doesn’t it??

• Tags: Finished Knitting, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Last FO of the Year // 7 Comments »

Okay, first, the good news–I found the yarn in the dyelot I needed! Flying Fingers yarn shop in Tarrytown. The only unfortunate part is I didn’t see my e-mail until after 11:00 last night and they’re closed, now, until January 4th. But, who cares?  Of course, I’d already given up and placed an order at Infinite Yarns because Anne had been so helpful. I sent her an e-mail at around 11:30 last night asking if it was possible to cancel it, because I really don’t need 8 skeins of the stuff, but no complaints if I can’t. It’s my own fault for (1) giving up too soon and (2) being a little too eager to support a helpful shop owner. I’d rather not have spent the extra $35 just now, if I can’t cancel it, but, well . . . it is beautiful yarn, right?

Now, I was away from the computer all day yesterday for a perfectly good reason. My best friend is home visiting from California, and we always make a point of getting together . . . and it usually turns into an all-day thing, and whoever could complain about that? She got down to my house a little before 1:00, and we chatted and opened Christmas presents for a while.

Her present? Well, I gave her a combo Christmas/birthday gift, since her 40th birthday is just a few weeks away. It was a bit of a wrench to part with, I admit, but so worth while. Not only was she very touched, but it looks fabulous on her. (You’ll remember that, on me, it looked huge and out of proportion, even after I tried reblocking it to be smaller.) Obviously, it was meant for her.

And, I know she’ll take good care of it, too. I did love that yarn, though–but at least I still have its first-cousin Peacock Stole to keep me company.

After we opened presents, we decided that we were hungry but that we wanted to go to the movie. So, we headed into the kitchen to look at movie times in the newspaper, and tried to find one we wanted to see that would give us enough time to grab lunch first.

She was really hungry, though, and said that, “I could really just go for a big tub of popcorn.”

Well! I’m always happy to oblige! I turned around, picked this up and plopped it down on the newspaper. “Here you go.”

Because, yes, it’s a huge tub of Popcorn Factory popcorn, courtesy of my aunt. It arrived on Friday . . . great timing, huh?

We ended up eating chicken salad that I very quickly threw together, and then went to see Charlie Wilson’s War, which we both enjoyed. Because, well, how can you not like Tom Hanks? And his chemistry with Phillip Seymour Hoffman was fabulous–their scenes were just great. Really, the whole thing was good. Funny, yet thought-provoking. It’s just a pity that “we blew the end-game” quote at the end was so very true.

Anyway, after the movie, we decided we weren’t really hungry enough for supper, so we came back to the house for some pumpkin pie and to give Chappy his supper. Except, we’d barely gotten our coats hung up when the phone rang. It was Mom–she, Dad, my sister, and my niece were on their way home from New York (they had Christmas-present tickets to see Curtains)–and would we like to meet them at Wendy’s for supper? Well, um, okay. I fed Chappy and we all kind of stood around for a few minutes, and then, back in the car. (You know, considering how much I dislike Wendy’s I sure have eaten there a lot lately! That’s at least three times in the last few months, whereas before this summer, it had been years.)

Here’s a look at my pretty, new yarn.

Yes, it’s a little over-plied. But since I had planned on this being sock yarn, I’m okay with that–it would just wear really well.

Although, I’ve been thinking that maybe it would like to be something other than socks. Like lace.

To recap, this is the Socks that Rock superwash merino roving I bought at Rhinebeck in 2006 from the Fold. 9.25 ounces, in the Carbon colorway.

It took me a full week to ply it all. And it’s got three plies. I didn’t check the w.p.i before I skeined it, but going by little Spinner’s Rule, it’s between 24-28 w.p.i. and it’s a fairly consistent size.

Really, I’m quite proud of it.

(Oh, and it’s not quite as blue as it’s photographing . . . It’s got more yellow and purple and really not much blue at all . . . go figure.)

I hope you’re all enjoying the end of your year . . . only a day and a half left of 2007!

• Tags: Finished Spinning, Friends, General • Permalink:Popcorn, Anyone? // 10 Comments »

Well, you learn something new every day.

Like, today I discovered that I can read and count at the same time.

Because, yes, as you can see, my Will Taylor skeiner came today and I think I’m in love. I don’t even care that there was no packing slip of any kind so that I’m not entirely sure what I was actually charged for it, or that I never did hear from the shop, or that I don’t even know if it’s one of the types of wood I requested. Because it works just beautifully.

To recap, my Majacraft wheel skeiner and I have had issues because the pegs refuse to stay straight when there’s any tension on the yarn at all, but I really liked the vertical turning. My Knitting Notions swift and I have had issues solely because I do all my fiber stuff in my bedroom, which means it’s got to sit on the floor. And while that’s fine when you’re winding yarn OFF, the kneeling plus bending over the swift to rotate it to wind yarn ON is fatiguing. If I were only using it as a swift, or if I had a convenient table, we’d get on famously. It rotates nicely, is beautiful, and even stores easily . . . I just wish it were vertical rather than horizontal.

So far, on our brief acquaintance, the Will Taylor skeiner is perfect. Vertical rotation. Silky-smooth, too, once I put a little oil where the bars cross. Nice, sturdy arms to gather the yarn. A nice, chunky, rounded, easy-on-the-hand knob to turn with. Even a nice height for sitting on the floor and winding (although maybe next time I’ll pull over a pillow for a little extra height). Really, I should have just gotten this one in the first place! I think we’re going to be very happy together.

Yes, I know. I said this about the other two when they first arrived also. But that monster bobbin of yarn there took 369 rotations to wind off, and except for my shoulders complaining a bit, it was just as easy to do the last 10 as it was the first 10. That NEVER happened with any of the other skein-winding tools I’ve tried, except maybe the niddy-noddy. If this could get through that huge bobbin of yarn this easily, I feel reasonably confident in saying that we’re going to be good friends.

The only problem … (I hear you shouting, “I knew it!”) … was that after the first 20 or so rotations, I was getting bored and needed a distraction from my arms and shoulders, who were complaining about all this work. So, since I only needed one arm at a time, I held a book in my other hand. (Does this surprise anyone at all?) But I did want to count rotations, even though I haven’t even measured them yet to see what the yardage equivalent is. For a moment, there was concern that this wasn’t going to work, but then . . . it did. I can read and count evenly-spaced turns of a wheel at the same time. Oh, and the book? Non-fiction, since I’m still experiencing a find-appealing-fiction drought. Lynne Truss’s Talk to the Hand, which is informative and entertaining.

It’s wonderful to finally see the yarn off its bobbin, too. I think I’m going to be very happy with it, even though it’s possible it’s over-plied. It’s soaking in a hot sink of water at the moment, so I won’t know until after I’ve lovingly abused it a bit how balanced it will be, but right now? Balanced is NOT the word I’d use to describe it.

Curly and bouncy work, though.

I know it will relax after it’s had its hot bath, so we’ll see later on how balanced it is or is not . . . for now, though, I’m admiring the colors and how even the spinning is. At some point I’ll pull out a dime or something so you have a scale comparison, but for three-ply yarn? I’m really very pleased.

And, having curly hair myself, how can I really complain about an exuberance of energy?

Now, regarding my yarn quest of the other day. I decided that it was unlikely that I was going to find the dyelot of that yarn, and also decided that I’d rather have enough yarn here rather than wait until someone may or may not pipe up that they have it and don’t want it any more. So I ordered four skeins from the yarn shop that was most helpful. I sent e-mail pleas to a number of them the other day, and while I heard back from several who were nice enough to check for me, Anne at Infinite Yarns was the only one who went the extra step and offered to let me send her a sample of my yarn so she could check to see how close her dyelot was to mine. I decided that I was going to work on the principle that the dyelots are likely fairly consistent and plan on merging in the new one at strategically-placed locations on the sleeves when I get there, just in case there IS a difference. But in the meantime, I’ll have all the yarn I need HERE where I can lay my hands on it.

And, you know, I DID say that I planned on selling on my Knitting Notions swift if I liked the Will Taylor one. So . . . anyone want it? Blog-readers get first dibs!

• Tags: Finished Spinning, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Something New // 2 Comments »

Because, well, my boy is just so darn handsome….

Brought to you by:

• Tags: Chappy, Eye-Candy Friday • Permalink:Portrait // 13 Comments »

Not even a week yet, and I’ve almost got the back done on this sweater. Another couple of inches is all it needs, then it’s on to the cardigan fronts . . .

. . . Not too long after that, though, this is going to come to a screeching halt. Because while by yardage I really should have enough yarn … I did the math, and everything … um, there’s no way. I’m just about done with my third skein and will be into the fourth before I finish the back. That’ll leave me 7 skeins for the entire rest of the sweater–the fronts, the sleeves, the button bands, and the collar.

Yeah, that’s not going to happen. I posted an SOS on Ravelry and on Knitter’s Review and sent an email to various online shops that sell the yarn, in case anyone has more in the same dyelot. I mean, I at least know that I can get more of the same color, which is definitely something, but I want the dyelot, too, you know?

So, let me ask you, too.

I need Karabella Aurora 8 in color #139, in dyelot #774. Possibly two skeins would be enough, but I’d feel happier with four.

Anyone? Ask your friends, too!

(And, Chappy wants to know, doesn’t everyone open their presents that way?)

• Tags: Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Cry for Yarn Help // 10 Comments »

So, we had two happy boys this morning.

And one of them was even happier once he got permission to open his present. (I love this ear-flying action shot as he tore at the wrapping paper….)

Because, you see, Chappy was VERY patient this morning. He went right in to see the Christmas tree when we got up and he kind of gave a quick sniff to see what was there, and then . . . he sat. And waited. Very. Patiently. Waited. You know, with that extra edge to it that you only get when someone is Being Very Good and you can almost see them quiver with the effort of being patient?

Well, okay, he DID try taking one of his presents off the pile while Mom and I were in the kitchen doing breakfast things, but when I told him he had to wait, he DID leave it alone. And then waited while Dad got to open his present first. And then while I made waffles. And then while we ate. And then while he got to eat his own breakfast (which he said helped pass the time). But then also while Mom went upstairs to get dressed and I brushed my teeth and meanwhile that present was just sitting there looking so tempting.

Really, we’re very proud of him. That much patience on Christmas morning is HARD! (And I can imagine how upset he’d be to learn that, when I was his age, we did presents before breakfast, although the wait for my Grandparents to get up and upstairs so we could open presents was pretty endless. In fact, in some alternate universe, I think I’m still swinging my legs on our old couch in our old house, still waiting, because it took that long.)

Anyway, it’s been a nice day. The morning was nice and sunny, and warm for December, so the four of us even went out for a walk together. Turkey dinner. Pumpkin pie. I finally got through my magazine pile that’s been waiting for me.

There was some sort of health scare across the street from us–we’re not sure what, exactly, but there was an ambulance and police cars, and a worried carry of a little girl down to the ambulance, but it eventually left without her, so whatever the crisis was, was obviously taken care of. Which is really good because that is NOT the way to end a Christmas party! I know the little girl was a guest, not one of our neighbors (they just have boys), and after the first rush of activity, the adults looked more concerned than actively, achingly worried. Maybe some kind of breathing problem? An allergic reaction? No idea, but I’m sure we’ll get the details from the neighborhood grapevine eventually, and since the little girl went back into the house, I’m sure she’s fine. Phew!

Now, for your entertainment, a minute-long video of Chappy finally getting to open that present of his! I swear, he was more interested in this squeak toy than in the bag of gourmet biscuits Santa brought him. Would you believe, though, that the squeak of this toy literally only lasted for about another minute and a half after I stopped filming this video? Luckily, he likes the toy anyway….

Merry Christmas, everyone–whether you celebrate or not! Oh, and speaking of video, this one is great.

• Tags: Chappy, Family • Permalink:Merry // 6 Comments »

Of course, it was Gloating Day today, so Mom and I headed for the Mall this morning with Gloating in our hearts for our annual celebration. Admittedly, it felt a little odd this year because we’re struggling so much with that pesky money thing. (Did I mention that my car gets to live in the garage for a while because, for the time being, my Dad is carless for the first time in my life?) That makes “Gloating” a little less fun than usual, but still, it’s still Christmas, right? We got some Peppermint Mochas from Starbucks (courtesy of the gift-card my sister gave Mom yesterday) and prepared to Gloat.

The trick was finding someplace to sit. You can’t, of course, Gloat properly if you’re standing up. The whole point is to sit, relax, lounge, recline in front of all the harried shoppers. If you’re standing, too, it’s just not the same. But for whatever reason, this year the Mall decided to hide all the benches. Stashed into corners, or collected behind kiosks or cars-on-display, so that there was no view for proper Gloating. But, we did eventually find a spot–a good one, too–and sat to drink our coffee. I pulled out my knitting, too. At this point, I’m determined to get these socks done this year, and really, all they need is the ribbing for the top, so it SHOULD be possible. If only I weren’t suffering from such Sock Ennui.

I didn’t show you these lovely gloves I got from my sister yesteday. I saw them in Macy’s on my birthday and then immediately regretted not having bought them. Especially since I had a $35 gift card from a return in June burning a hole in my wallet. They’re really two pairs of gloves in one–a fine-gauge, burgundy/purple glove with a slightly-green, tweedy kind of stranded-work gauntlet over the top. They can be worn together or apart, and even though I suppose I could technically have made something like them for myself, I can’t knit at that tight a gauge. (Twelve or so stitches per inch? For heaven’s sake, my SOCKS only have 44 stitches for the foot on size 0 needles–I can’t imagine what I’d need to use to get a gauge like this (grin).) I love these colors, too–they’re hard to photograph but look fabulous together. I’m so happy to have them!

Now, I’ve told you about my discontent with my current skein-winding tools, and right around the time I finished my STR yarn–in fact, mostly because of the amount of yardage on that bobbin–I decided that my yarn-handling tools were insufficient, and that what I really wanted was one of those free-standing, Will Taylor skein winders (despite the fact that I don’t know where I’ll put it). I justified it for myself by promising that, when I had it, I would sell one or both of the other skein winders I have. Because, really, the Knitting Notions swift is beautiful, works great as a swift, and would probably work fine as a skein winder if I didn’t have to kneel in front of it on the floor to use it–it’s a fine tool, it just doesn’t meet my needs. And, well, that Majacraft winder–we get along okay if I can wind yarn on with no tension, but otherwise… not so much. So, I promised myself that I would allow myself to buy the Will Taylor winder if I sold one or both of the others.

The problem is that . . . it’s still not here. The website for Carolina Homespun says to call to place the order. I did, but they didn’t have any of the free-standing ones in stock. The woman on the phone said she would call Will Taylor and find out if he had any he could send and would get back to me–but in the meantime, would I like to leave my name, credit card number, and wood preference? Sure, and I did. And then I waited . . . no word. I sent an e-mail. No response. So a couple weeks ago I called again. I was told that she’d called Mr. Taylor and he hoped to have a couple he could send her by Christmas, and that she would call again to find out for sure, and let me know.

Well, it’s December 24th, and . . . it’s not here. Now, this was more a Christmas gift for myself than one I was going to give to someone else, and we’re talking about a hand-made article here whose manufacturer can only create so many in a given amount of time. I do understand that things aren’t always possible. I even understand that for ALL the mail-order business, December is a crazy time of year, and following up with a customer might not be top of the list of priorities. And I really am a patient person. But . . . I’m still disappointed. I’ve heard bad things about this company’s customer service in the past, but figured I’d give it a try anyway, because I’d also heard that the woman who runs the store is a good person who tries her best, and I like to give people the chance. (Not to mention that hers was the only site I could find that sold these, specific skein winders.) But, I’m disappointed. Not so much that, presumably, Will Taylor didn’t get any skein winders to her in time to ship to me for Christmas, but that she couldn’t find the time to tell me so. Because unless UPS makes another trip through our neighborhood tonight, that skein-winder’s just not going to happen in time for Christmas. Sigh.

Maybe I should have sprung for that Cormo Yarn Share from Martha’s Vineyard after all.

I did get something pleasant and unexpected in today’s mail, though.

Back in March, I sent a donation to the Michael Keenan fund to help pay the medical expenses of a young man who ran into a burning building to save a friend’s dog and was badly burned. Sadly, he passed away several months ago. What I did not
expect, though, was this–a refund of the portion of my donation that  was not used, with a note saying, “After much consideration, it was decided that Michael would have preferred to return as much as possible  to those who gave in hopes that they would not hesitate to give again. Please accept the enclosed funds with thanks and do not hesitate to help another person in need.”

Is it just me? Or is that a truly gracious thing to have done? I mean, I’m sure there are legal ramifications about keeping donated money when the original cause no longer requires them, but I would have been more than satisfied if they had turned around and donated the money to some other worthy cause. But the fact that they made the effort to return the money to the original donors seems particularly praise-worthy. (And, doesn’t saying that make me feel all kinds of jaded and sad for a world  where this kind of thing is unusual.) But, anyway, I’ll do as requested and turn around and make a $5 donation to some other worthy
cause. That’s what the money was for, right?

Hey, did you hear that Kinnear made the NY Times list of buzzwords for 2007? How cool is that? Our Stephanie created her very own verb!

Okay, this is a particularly lengthy blog post for Christmas Eve. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas or not, I hope your Christmas is wonderful, everyone!

• Tags: Family, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Moderate Gloating // 5 Comments »

We had our family Christmas celebration today. Mom, Dad, Chappy and I headed over the river and through the woods, through rain and fog and dark of night, to spend the day at my sister’s house in Pennsylvania.

Well, okay, it wasn’t “dark of night” until the drive home, but it was indeed very rainy and foggy. (And, Chappy? Thanks again for not needing bathroom breaks out in the rain while we were up there.)

Normally, we spend December 24th at my sister’s house, not the 23rd, but this year, my niece has to work tomorrow, so we moved “our” day up. It just means that Gloating Day will be celebrated on the 24th this year–its traditional observance day. You know how much Mom and I enjoy a good Gloat this time of year!

It was a lovely day with just two drawbacks–the weather (but, what can one do about the weather?), and the fact that my niece wasn’t feeling well. She had a fever last night and dozed for a good part of our visit today. She didn’t seem like she felt miserable, just tired, which is something, of course, but still, we missed her usual cheerfulness.

My nephew seemed in a good mood, though, and definitely enjoyed tossing scraps of wrapping paper for Chappy to play with. I even captured a small little video which I think is pretty cute. He had been tossing paper around for Chappy to pounce on, but he also made a ball out of some tissue paper and definitely kept Chappy’s attention with it . . . Anyway, it’s cute. And short! And I’m just about ready for bed, so….

• Tags: Family • Permalink:Christmas, Part 1 // 4 Comments »

Well, I can confidently tell you that the “faux” seams on my Autumn Rose are no longer the least bit false. Not only are they firmly stitched in (by hand, with a backstitch with more of the Shetland yarn), but the excess seam allowance has been cut out of the sweater.

I know, scary, huh? I didn’t give myself time to think or fret over it after I stitched the seams. I just cut them. Bam. Done.

The next step is to block the sweater, but that’s going to have to wait until after Christmas, because I need the guest room bed and it’s, um, kind of occupied with things covered in wrapping paper at the moment.

It’s just a shame I can’t think of something to do that would solve the low-armhole problem. Because, really, it’s uncomfortably low under the arms. Yet another oddity I didn’t expect. Claudia and Cate both mentioned it, though, so it’s not just me . . . although I still blame my personal gauge issues. And, really, this brand-new, not-yet-worn sweater has had enough alterations, don’t you think?

Not only did I finally get around to doing the sewing on my Autumn Rose, but I actually tackled my mending pile, starting with that skirt that was determined to strew buttons everywhere I went. It and two pair of pants that had somehow lost the entire hem around an entire leg (each) have been sitting on my bedroom chair for weeks now, waiting to be fixed. Now, hemming and sewing/tightening buttons isn’t really that difficult, but . . . I don’t like mending, and so I let them sit. (Of course, this reluctance to sew them turned them into clutter which is even worse than mending in my opinion, but what can you do?) The point is, though, that they’re done now. Phew!

I also finished my Tudora today. Well, mostly. I actually ran out of yarn last night and had to cast-off several rows early so it doesn’t have as much shaping as it should, and to get a button-band on there, I had to dig out some purple Cashmerino Aran I had in the closet, because at least purple and green look good together, right? Now, I just need to sew on ITS button and it will be ready to wear. This, of course, doesn’t count as mending because it’s brand-new. It’s part of the creation process.

I also, today, wrapped my last couple of Christmas presents, took Chappy out for the first walk he’s had in a week, did some stuff on the computer, and baked a cake which I kind of made up as I went along (grin). It’s still warm, so I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but it’s sort of kind of a fruit cake–as in, it’s got dried blueberries, cranberries and other dried fruits and an assortment of walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts in it, but NO candied peel or candied cherries or any of the other atrocities that go into traditional fruitcake. (No, no liquor, either.)

Really, it’s been nice to get things done today. Tonight, Mom, Chappy and I are going to watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and then tomorrow, we’re all heading up to my sister’s for our family Christmas celebration. Normally we do this on the 24th, but this year, my niece has to work, so –since Christmas is conveniently on a Tuesday–we’re doing the family thing on Sunday instead. (What we’ll do next year with Christmas on a Thursday, I don’t know.) The weather is supposed to be WET, though. Rain, not snow, but still . . . possibly lots of rain, especially in the afternoon. Which means that whenever Chappy needs to go to the bathroom, we’ll have to go stand in the rain, which is something he really hates to do (and then often won’t go), and the drive home is likely to be kind of miserable. But the day itself? Should be fun. You know, as long as nobody gets sick in the car….

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Faux No More // 4 Comments »

Well, here it is. Time for the Winter Solstice and the darkest day of the year. (Which is especially dark when it’s as cloudy, gray, and overcast as it is here, today.)

So, here I am, trying to spread some light, because we could use some brightening around here, anyway. So, yes, Christian though I am, I lit a solstice candle to help bring back the sun.

It comes naturally to me, of course. After all, I’ve been spreading light and cheer in our house for 41 years, because it was exactly 41 years ago today that I came home from the hospital, a teeny little premature baby in a whole lot of wrappings. (Mom and Dad love to tell the story about bringing home a “normal” size baby and then starting to unwrap the blanket . . . and another one . . . and another one. Layer after layer until they were left with teeny-tiny little me.) So, you know, happy anniversary to me (grin).

Anyway, I had taken today off from work, and I had a 30% off coupon from Borders, so Mom and I went to the bookstore this morning. I don’t think I’ve been in a bookstore since about October, which is practically unheard of for me. (We won’t even discuss how long since I’ve been in a yarn shop. May, I think? Or earlier?)

The truly bizarre part, though, is that I’m having the hardest time finding fiction that I want to read. It’s not that I’m really that picky, either–I’ll read almost anything that’s recommended highly enough–although, while that’s true, I suppose, that I really am kind of picky. Nothing too trashy. Nothing scary that will keep me up at night. Nothing with too much overt sex or bad language, because, really, why waste my time? But something interesting, with good characters and a well-thought-out plot? How hard can that be, really?

Apparently it’s more challenging than I thought, because I couldn’t find anything. I picked up a paperback for Dad and bought Mom one that she was looking at, because I’m happy to buy books even when they’re not for me. I bought two non-fiction books for me (The Tipping Point and Permission Marketing). They both look good and interesting, and mind you, I like non-fiction, but . . . It’s fiction that I need for that internal satisfaction thing. Something that tells a story instead of communicating information. Something that has fascinating characters instead of facts and theories. A good plot with (hopefully) an emotionally-satisfying ending. All of which you can find with good non-fiction, I am well aware. I have any number of non-fiction books on the shelves that are every bit as involving and gripping as the best fiction, but . . . it’s not the same. (grin)

Good thing I’m happy to reread books I already have, huh?

Oh, and I saw this here:

• Tags: General, Reading • Permalink:Brighten // 8 Comments »

Our frozen andromeda bush, from the ice storm last week.

Brought to you by:

• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday • Permalink:Andromeda Strain // 1 Comment »

W00t! My Phildar magazine arrived today, courtesy of Silvia, and I’ve already got about 2″ of the back of the sweater done.

Exciting, huh?

Well, okay, so it’s not that much to look at yet, but still … I think it looks fabulous.

It’s not at all surprising that the Karabella Aurora 8 is knitting up wonderfully. It’s such a gorgeous, springy yarn. I even liked it in the bulky version that I used for my Olympics Sweater, even though I usually don’t like bulky yarns at all.

As to the gauge? Well, I haven’t measured the actual sweater yet, but the gauge swatch was at least in the ballpark. And, you know, between my personal wonky gauge issues and the fact that gauge swatches regularly lie, I’m just going to see how this goes. I’ll probably measure this tomorrow to see about where I am, but really, while this is a fairly fitted cardigan, it’s knit primarily in ribbing and only has one button . . . which means that it’s going to be pretty flexible about fit, so I’m not agonizing over the gauge on this one. (At least, I don’t PLAN to.)

So, let’s see. I’m taking a vacation day tomorrow which means I don’t have to go back to work again until Wednesday–a welcome break (especially considering how crazy the last couple days were).

We had our office Christmas party today–basically just lunch in the conference room–but it was nice, if short. And crowded. We’ve down-sized in the last couple years and what is currently the conference room was once actually my father’s office. Crowding tables and chairs for 30 or so people in there was … interesting.

I baked some Surprise Peppermint Brownie Bites for dessert. (The lunch was catered from a local Italian place, but employees were asked to bring in dessert.) It was a little disappointing . . . they were so popular, there weren’t any left to bring home! It was an easy, tasty brownie recipe, with York peppermint patties layered in the middle. Mmm. Chocolate and mint has always been a favorite combination of mine.

Did you see that Kim has a wonderful new toy? Gotta love that “cathedral window” look of those wheels….

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Cardi-On // 5 Comments »

No, that’s not me being distracted by a new project. That’s just what it looks like around here.

Here’s the recipe:

First, you have a messy, sleety storm to put down a sheet of ice on anything that wasn’t cleared, salted, or sanded. Allow to rest for two days. Then, have another storm to add an inch or so of snow. Blend rain with sleet and pour over the top. Add massive amounts of wind to polish, and then drop the temperature dramatically to freeze everything solid.

The result is that, while our roads are clear, everything else is completely locked in this slick, smooth, shiny coat of ice. (I drove past a car dealership earlier that looks like it’s not going to be able to move any new models for months . . . literally.) It’s not a deep layer, mind you, but it’s strong and can support a person’s weight without a crack.

It’s really very, very pretty. How often do you get to walk through a world that looks like it’s made from blown glass?

But cold. Did I mention that it’s cold?

There are a couple of new projects in the works, though, but not of the “ooh, shiny!” distraction variety.  The only active knitting project I’ve got going right now (other than the ongoing socks in my purse) is my lace shawl, which is nearing the end. Then, I’m halfway through making a Tudora, which is a nice, quick little knit, and I’m gearing up for my next sweater.

Yes, yes, I know, my Autumn Rose isn’t entirely done since I haven’t finished off her seams, but she’s definitely off the needles, the ends are woven in and that makes her an Alteration project, not a Knitting project any more, so I need a sweater on the needles. And I’ve got the perfect one.

Remember a couple of weeks ago when Silvia posted pictures from the new Phildar book? Well, I fell in love with that cardigan, and Silvia, while an enabler, is a helpful enabler. She bought two copies of the book–thus saving a fair amount of money on the postage from Canada–and is forwarding on my copy. Not only that, but she scanned the pattern and e-mailed it to me so I could get a head start. Can’t complain about that, now, can I?

I’ve got the perfect yarn in my stash, too. At least I hope I do. Eleven skeins of Karabella Aurora 8 in a lovely, dark denim blue. I fully expect my gauge to be different (when is it NOT), but it should be in the ballpark and certainly close enough to be reasonable to tweak the numbers if necessary.

The only question is whether I have enough yardage. Let’s see…Phildar Partner comes 72 yds to a skein, Karabella Aurora 8 comes with 98. The pattern calls for 13 skeins of Parter which is (tap tap tap) 936 yards and I’ve got (tap tap) 1078 yards of Aurora . . . even allowing for (cough) differences of gauge, I think I’m okay, there!

Though . . . drat . . . I just realized that (thanks to Silvia’s scan that I should have looked at more carefully before I picked up the needles) I should have done my gauge swatch with 1×1 rib, not stockinette stitch. Oops!

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Weather • Permalink:Ooh, Shiny! // 10 Comments »

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.

The online knitting community just can’t be beat. I posted my survey yesterday, and as of 3 seconds ago, had 506 people fill it in, of whom 458 left their e-mail addresses to be eligible for the raffle. Five. Hundred. People. All in 24 hours! You people are the best!

And, yes, the idea is to build an online course site to teach knitting via text, audio, and video formats. (And, if that works, to branch out into spinning, crocheting, quilting, whatever.) The idea started as a way to get some much-needed money, and then blossomed to a huge, “What if” project. Because while there arevfree text and video sources online, the quality’s not always up to par and they’re usually short and minimalistic. And if people are willing to pay $20 and more for instruction books, DVDs, or lessons at a LYS, why not an online e-learning site that offers all of those in one place? So that whether you prefer to learn by reading, by seeing, or by doing, you get guidance and clear instructions? Obviously, the community aspect that you get here can’t be beat and I wouldn’t dream of trying–I love Ravelry!–but while Ravelry has great forums where you can ask questions (and I have), it’s not so much about teaching as it is about interacting (grin), so … why not a teaching site?

The knitting side of it I know I can do, and I’m good at explaining things, it’s the website/technical end that’s messy at this point. The furthest I’ve gotten on that side of the project? Registering the domain name (grin). There just aren’t enough hours in the day (hence the dusty spinning wheel). The trickiest part is that the online knitting community–you know this as well as I do–is fabulously supportive but we’re not big on doing advertising, and we like our “socializing” to be free. I mean, look at Ravelry! But we also buy tons of books and DVDs, go to knitting classes in droves, and to fiber festivals with more classes en masse. A site that offers good lessons seems like it could find its place in the world. At least, so I hope! (And, I hope you’ll all be as helpful when it’s ready to launch, too (grin).)

I got my first Cafe Press check today, too. Not quite $30, but it’s pure profit from my little shop and I immediately made it over to my parents. The whole point in starting the shop in the first place was to earn some extra cash for Mom and Dad, so that’s the point, right? Any money from the shop goes to the Help Mom and Dad fund. Period.

I just really need more fiber-y items Do you think it would be worth it to upgrade to a “premium” shop? Then I could have more than one of each particular item–more cards, more shirts, more mugs–a lot more scope for tempting merchandise for just $7 a month . . . but since the point is to be making money for pesky things like groceries, I’d want to be sure that it would be worth it (grin).

Really, you know, Chappy’s grateful for the help.

• Tags: General • Permalink:Wow // 6 Comments »

Hi, everyone, it’s Chappy. I don’t know if you know, but Mom and Grandma and Grandpa have all been worrying about this money thing a lot lately, so I came up with this great idea. (Well, okay, it’s really Mom’s idea, but it made my tail wag, so it must be good!)

Her idea is to make an e-learning website to teach knitting with a blend of written, audio, and video formats (because, we’ve all noticed that knitting is really popular with the humans these days, and Mom’s pretty smart about knitting and good at explaining things). She says that she knows there are sites out there with free video clips, and that there are fabulous social-networking
sites (whatever that is) and blogs that she couldn’t begin to compete with (something called Ravely?), still . . . a membership site that offers complete, multi-media lessons in one place sounds good, right? Classes you could take from your own home, with your dogs (and cats, if you must) instead of having to leave them alone? I think it’s a tail-wagging idea, especially if it brings my family some money so Grandpa can get have a car again instead of having to share with Grandma.

Anyway, I’ve single-pawdedly put together a survey and it would help so much if you (1) took it yourself, but also (2) spread the word to all your human friends–anyone who knits or might be even remotely interested in learning how. The more responses Mommy and I can get–from both knitters and non-knitters–the better!

And, because it’s only fair, I talked Mom into offering a prize raffle for everyone who takes the survey. If you complete the survey, your name will be automatically entered in the raffle. And, believe me, it’s not easy to talk Mom into giving away either books or yarn, so this is definitely something you should take advantage of.

Click Here to take survey

Thanks, everyone! And extra thanks for helping spread the word! Mom and I are truly grateful. (I mean, really, I’m giving you my really cute, pathetic face that’s supposed to be irresistable…)

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Help! // 16 Comments »

It’s been a while since I showed you any sky on Saturday and, in fact, this sky is technically from yesterday. Isn’t it a beautifully cold looking sunrise? I mean, very brr, and with very cold sunrise-y colors, yet . . . pretty just the same.

Like other Decembers, Mom and I went to the local craft show this morning. We even bumped into a co-worker of mine, buying her Secret Santa gift. It’s (cough)possible that I also picked up a Christmas present there, and I did get a pair of earrings for myself.
I feel a little guilty about that since money is so tight, but they were pretty and the designer was such a nice, pleasant woman to talk to, and I did miss the shows I usually go to in September (I was at Liz’s) and October (Rhinebeck weekend, for heaven’s sake), so ultimately, I spent a lot less on craft-show items this autumn than I usually do.

I got bunches of compliments on my Tannenbaum hat, too, which of course I just hated. There was one woman who plaintively asked, “Please tell me you sell these.” One woman who ran a booth of knitted-and-fulled bags called me over from the booth across the aisle with a “Did you make that hat?” and then complimented me on my handknit sweater, too. (I wore Celtic Dreams in lieu of a coat, with my summery-colored shawl for a little extra warmth around my neck while outside..)

Otherwise? It’s been a cold day–it hasn’t gotten above freezing, even with a certain amount of sunshine. It’s going to be messy again tomorrow. The forecast?

Tonight…Snow with sleet developing this evening and continuing overnight…with a chance of freezing rain after midnight. Snow and
sleet accumulation of 1 to 3 inches. Lows in the upper 20s. East winds increasing to 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent. Sunday…Windy with snow showers…accumulating around an inch. Highs in the mid 30s. East winds 20 to 30 mph…with gusts up to 45 mph especially late. Chance of snow near 100 percent.

Doesn’t that sound just wonderful? Of course, they’re not entirely sure what’s going to happen tomorrow. There are two, big weather systems heading our way and it all depends on when and where they meet, and at what temperature. It’s looking like we’ll be getting more rain than snow, but further north in New England? The forecast is looking pretty nasty.

Still, it would be a good day to knit. Or, even better, spin! I haven’t touched my spinning wheel (except to move it around the room) in a couple of weeks now.

• Tags: General, Weather • Permalink:Chilly Saturday // 3 Comments »

It still was icy when I got up this morning, but mostly, it was restricted to trees, bushes and our driveway, while the roads themselves were clear. Which was great, once I got my car ice-free enough to get out there and drive on them.

Of course, I also took a couple minutes to take some pictures because I knew that the ice would be gone by lunchtime (it was). It’s just a pity the sun wasn’t up just a little farther to have made them brighter.

I even had bonus-photo time because I got stopped at the local train crossing for not one, but two trains, and so amused myself by rolling down the car window and zooming in on ice-covered evergreens along the road . . . although the vibration of the car made focusing on them kind of challenging.

And, speaking of photos, you’ve all got Chappy blushing over here from all those compliments in yesterday’s post!

Our new dishwasher was installed today, and the half that we can use seems just lovely. The run-time is shorter than the Fridgidaire’s and I think that it won’t have the same vibration-through-the-floor that the other one caused. The only problem? Um, it’s missing one of the wheels the top rack rolls on. So until at least Monday when hopefully the part will come, we can’t use the top rack. Off to a good start, huh? (grin)

I’ve got a couple of links for you.

(1) This post about a fabulous customer service letter from Amazon. (I love a company that can respond this way.)

And (2) Some of the reviews of this Bic ballpoint are downright hilarious.

Then, (3) Mom just sent me the link for this YouTube video of a really funny, really talented a cappella group doing their, um, unique take on holiday music. Really fabulous.

Go watch!

• Tags: General, Weather • Permalink:Finally Friday // 6 Comments »

I took these last week on a morning, just before work, when there was the merest, fluffiest dusting of snow over the autumn leaves still on our driveway. Something about the way the snow outlined each leaf, with the strong, black line of driveway under the edges . . . it just struck me as so pretty.

And then, I Photoshopped the images to make them easier for you to see, which I like, but since I also kind of liked the dim, blue cast to the original images, I gave you two of those, too. Just because.

Brought to you by:

• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday • Permalink:Shadow Leaves // 8 Comments »

What miserable weather today! It started with sleet, turned to snow for about two inches’ worth, then back to sleet and then freezing rain. All afternoon. Just awful.

I took this picture through the living room window of one of our shrubs, just before the light disappeared altogether. Because, naturally, the trees and all were just getting prettily ice-cased as the sun went down.

I believe that most of the precipitation is over for the night, though, which means that that ice layer shouldn’t be much thicker than this, when all is said and done, and so therefore not as threatening to life and (tree) limb as the massive ice storm that swept through the Midwest states this week.

The plus side, though, is that my office closed early today. So at 12:00, I headed carefully home to spend the rest of the afteroon with my favorite little boy.

Luckily, that was before the worst of the ice came along, and the roads were already pretty well sanded by then. The only place I skidded was on a curve on my own street, but since there weren’t any other cars nearby at that moment, and I didn’t come near any trees or mailboxes, that was okay. In fact, I think it’s good to get a chance to practice that whole “steer into a skid” thing once in a while, if you can do so without risking damage. The timing was especially good since, thanks to Dad’s shuttling my car around this morning, it not only had its bi-annual inspection but also its annual oil change this morning. It really would have been a shame to crunch a fender after that, you know?

Still, it was nice to be home for the afternoon. Hopefully the roads will be clear in the morning and we’ll see what kind of storm the potential one for this weekend turns into. At any rate, Chappy was good company this afternoon (even if he was disappointed that this wasn’t “romping” weather), and it WAS nice curling up with the new Spin-Off. (Which, incidentally, explained in the Letters to the Editor section why they had to change from the perfect-bound spine to the stapled one which is harder to see on a shelf. Basically, a cost issue–it was that, or increase the subscription price.)

Otherwise? My tooth still hurts–a nice little throbbing above one of the new crowns I paid dearly for this summer. I tried calling my dentist though . . . he’s on vacation until December 20th. Sigh. But it felt better this afternoon, though it’s sore again now . . . There IS a back-up dentist but if he’s the same one my dentist used last time I had an emergency and he wasn’t there, I don’t think he’d be able to help anyway. So . . . fingers crossed.

Frankly, I’m starting to run out of fingers these days….

• Tags: General, Uncategorized, Weather • Permalink:Yuck // 11 Comments »

So, I haven’t shown a picture of my shawl in a while, but I’ve been making progress.

Of course, I’m well aware that the picture is a pretty lousy one. We’re at that awkward stage where it’s too bulky to spread the stitches out along the length of the needle . . . or, you know, even half the stitches.

I left out two of the pattern repeats because I didn’t want the shawl to be too huge to wear and at this point, I have 26 rows to go, which assuming I were to work on this every night without being distracted (or tired), means there’s about two weeks to go. I’m only getting through two rows a night–one pattern row and the purl-back row.

It’s looking pretty, though. Even if it is Zephyr. Because still, no, not really loving working with Zephyr.

In other news? Our “new” dishwasher that we got in January and that Mom and I have always hated? Well, the little “wand” on the top broke off last week. Fridgidare sent a repair person who popped it back on, went on his way and . . . two days later . . . yep. Off again. Another repair person came on Monday said he’d have to order a part, but that the problems we were having closing the door was because of the installation. So, Mom called PC Richards and their repair person came today and very helpfully told Mom that he couldn’t help her. When she started to get upset, “What am I going to do?” he kind of leaned in and quietly said, “I’m trying to help you get a new dishwasher.” Oh, she blinked. ‘Well, then, whatever shall I do?” He said to call PC Richards, ask for H. and tell them that F. said he couldn’t fix it. She did and when she told H, he asked, “Which Frank?” So Mom described him and said that the man’s voice immediately changed–”Oh, that’s the good Frank. How can I help you?”

So . . . we went to PC Richards tonight and picked out a new G.E. dishwasher which will be installed on Friday. It was only an extra $21, too, so . . . our fingers are crossed. It can’t be worse than the one we’ve hated for the last 11 months, right? Although, to be fair, it has done a decent job washing . . . it’s just all the other stuff that’s been annoying (grin).

Chappy just wants all the chaos in his house to settle down . . . all these dishwasher people, then there was the Cablevision guy yesterday, and the leaf-cleaners . . . he’s just exhausted.

Can I just say how much I dislike the haircut I got a couple weeks ago? If I had mostly-straight hair, it would be a perfectly adequate cut. I mean, the girl wasn’t completely incompetent. However, I had specifically asked for a stylist with curly-hair skills and when I got there, she told me, “I had a class on curly hair once.” Which inspired great confidence, as you can imagine. She gave me what’s basically a bob with almost no shaping at all–which means the curl is pulled straight down, flat on the top, and slightly pyramidal at the bottom. It’s not, to be fair, an awful haircut, but it’s only been, what, two weeks? And it’s already looking over-grown. It’s not so bad that I’m hiding under hats and feeling mortified to be seen in public–as I said, if my hair were straighter, it would be a fine cut, but since my hair is NOT, it’s completely not suited to my hair which, you know, I believe was her job?

I so miss my old stylist! And the one I tried in August who gave me what was a much better cut than this one was still $15 more than the stylist I was going to, and that’s just such a huge jump, especially when we’re having such money troubles these days. But this cut, which cost me $45 is lousy for my hair. Would it have been worth the extra $15 to go back to the salon I tried in August? I don’t know. All I DO know, though, is that this haircut is not going to last past January without looking awful, so instead of 4 months between haircuts, it’ll only be two. Which isn’t exactly economical, either. Stupid, stupid girl–I TOLD her I like my haircuts to last as long as possible. Sigh.

Oh, and I have a toothache which I’m hoping will go away overnight.

Nope. 41 really hasn’t been fun so far…. I keep telling myself that things are going to turn around so spectacularly that, in years to come, I’m going to look back at 41 as one of the best years of my life. Thinking positive is a good thing, right?

• Tags: General, Hair, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Lace Update // 13 Comments »

Okay, so just for kicks, and because I haven’t done one in a while, a couple fun little memes. One is holiday-related and the other is not, so they’re suitable for all. Feel free to play along!

First, seen at Thinking About, “Please share 12 of your favorite
Christmas things: they can be memories, traditions, songs, presents,
beliefs, whatever it is about this season that you love.”

1. Our Christmas tree. Not just any tree, mind you, but ours. We have an artificial tree, but I’m okay with that–although we had used the same one my entire life up until just a couple Christmases ago, so I’m still adjusting. But the point is that I love the decorations, the garland, the look, the twinkle, and that warm, cozy feeling from having our tree sitting in the living room. I admire other people’s trees, but I love ours.
2. The wooden Santa that my grandfather made back in the 1950s. I can still remember when he was taller than I was and it’s just not Christmas around here without it. Besides, we all think he kind of looks like Grandpa, so in a way, it’s like having him here for the holidays.
3. The ceramic Santa being climbed over by kittens and puppies that my sister made for me in 1999. I can’t tell you how much I love it, but … so much that I used a picture of it for my Christmas cards last year. This picture, in fact.
4. Gloating Day. How can you not love Gloating Day? A day devoted to a polite celebration of “I’m done and you’re not?”
5. Presents. Not so much the getting them (though, I like that too, as who doesn’t?), but the fun of picking out JUST the right gift for my family. I agree that Christmas has gotten too commercial, yes, yes, but I think the people who decide not to exchange gifts at all are going too far in the opposite direction. It’s not about surrounding the tree with 3-foot piles, 4-layers deep of the latest electronic gadgets. Definitely not, but giving one or two (or three) gifts that are thoughtfully selected and that your loved ones wouldn’t buy for themselves? Priceless….
6. Especially when they’re kids. Children plus Christmas just simply equals Magic. That Christmas Morning miracle, the cookies for Santa, the joy, the wonder . . .  just can’t be beat.
7. Carols. I mean, sure, it’s ridiculous that the radio stations start playing them practically the day after Halloween, but from the middle of December on, I have to admit, I love the Christmas music. I have a bad habit of buying new Christmas CDs every year, too, and at the moment, have 347 Christmas songs on my MP3 player. Interestingly, I’ve got it on Shuffle, but I’m hearing Bing Crosby, the Chipmunks, the Carpenters, and the Charlie Brown soundtrack about every other song, with only a rare appearance from Harry Connick Jr, Dean Martin, or any of others. Very strange!
8. Chappy. Because let’s not forget that the four-legged kids can get just as enthusiastic as the two-legged kids. And, of course, he’s darn cute when he’s opening presents.
9. That Christmas Magic. It’s indefinable, really, and when you’re swamped with cookie baking and gift-wrapping and shopping and work and family plans and all the other crazy things, it’s easy to lose track of it, but still . . . if you find a few minutes to sit by a Christmas tree, or listen to carols, drink some cocoa . . . it’s there. It’s the only time of year where you can feel that special kind of buzz that surrounds Christmas. The commercialization of the holiday might make it a little trickier to find, but . . . it’s there. And I think that part of the trick is that you have to let yourself relax a little to find it.
10. Getting my shopping done early. Well, this year, I’m a little late, but usually, I have all my shopping done by Thanksgiving so that I can enjoy the month of December without feeling stressed. Because Christmas time should be magical, not stressful!
11. A chance to wear my Tannenbaum hat. I love that hat, but it IS kind of restricted to just one month out of the year, you know?
12. Last on the list? In the oddest kind of love/hate kind of way . . . stollen. As much as I hate the marathon of baking this difficult, obstinate bread, I do love that tradition thing. Carrying on the tradition from my Grandmother, and making my Dad so very happy. I complain about it every year, and really don’t enjoy making it, and yet . . . I dread the first year that I don’t NEED to make it, so . . . really, I’m happy to be making Stollen. You know, when I’m not dreading and/or hating making Stollen. Like I said, it’s a love/hate relationship.

Now, I’m not going to tag anybody–I hate forcing people to play along–but I hope that you do! And, my feeling is that, if you don’t celebrate Christmas, you could talk about your Winter Holiday of Choice instead. Because don’t most of us celebrate something this time of year?

And second, from BoogaJ, the monthly meme–where, if you have a blog, you quote the first line from the first post of each month of the last year. Now, since my first post is always my monthly reading list, I’m going to be quoting from my second post, but, you know, that’s just me! And, anyway, this one was fun.

• January: 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
• February: I got this little handmade box in the mail today….
• March: Yes, I know. I’m making myself hungry, too.
• April: Okay, move over computer!
• May: I’m really nowhere near ready to sew the zipper into my Celtic Icon, but you know me. I like to plan ahead.
• June: Just some pictures from Donaroma’s Nursery and Landscaping Services in Edgartown, Massachusetts.
• July: Yep. Those two bobbins you saw yesterday?
• August: Technically, yes. During high school . . . you know, back in the early
  1980s . . . my best friend and I wrote letters to just about every
  author we loved.
• September: Well, here it is. September. And what a beautiful start to the month!
• October:
  Ah, my favorite month of the year. (Well, if you discount the seasonal allergies.)
• November: Remember last year? When I threw myself a virtual party and asked all of you to show me your November calendar pictures?
• December: I had such good intentions for today.

Come on and play along!

• Tags: General • Permalink:Me Me Me, It’s All About Me // 4 Comments »

So, today’s Cute Chappy anecdote?

You’ve read all about the Stollen and how much Dad loves it, and of course, it’s a Christmas present. (Frankly, I think it’s the only one from me he really, truly wants.) But this means that he doesn’t get to eat it until Christmas morning. All the loaves get stashed in the freezer to keep them fresh and every year on Christmas Eve, I take one out, put it in a box, wrap it, and put it under the Christmas tree (to the annual delight of our dogs on Christmas morning who get very excited sniffing around the tree).

Well, in yesterday’s mountain of Stollen, there were two mini-loaves. One gets stashed in the freezer until Father’s Day, but the other? Well, I’m not heartless. With the house smelling of Stollen and the counter piled high with loaves, well, the poor guy deserves at least a taste, so . . . he’s officially allowed to eat one of those mini-loaves now, while the rest waits for the 25th.

The other thing to know, though, is that Dad is very, very jealous of his Stollen. He doesn’t like to share. Even when his brother was alive and I’d send 2 loaves down to the farm for him and his family (all of whom love it), Dad would complain that I was giving too much away. (Okay, he was joking about it . . . mostly.) And he never even shares with his grandchildren. We were trying to remember last night if he’d ever given a taste to my niece or nephew, and . . . nope. Don’t think so. And Dad really does love his grandchildren, so . . . that says a lot.

A couple years ago, though, I pointed out that he lives in the same house as the Stollen Baker AND the Stollen Baker’s loving dog, his granddog, who adores baked goods. And that it might behoove him to stay on the Baker’s good side by sharing a few crumbs with her dog. He grumbled, but gave in, so that when he eats his Stollen for breakfast, he’ll leave some crumbs on his dish for Chappy.

Turns out, Chappy is just as crazy about this stuff as Dad is. I mean, really, really crazy about it. He’ll position himself right behind Dad’s chair and drool. Now, you have to realize, we don’t feed Chappy from the kitchen table. There may be the “vacation rule” and the “dining room rule” where he gets some food from the table, but we never, ever give food on a regular basis from the table. If he’s going to get scraps–and he does–he gets them in his own dish after the meal is over. He respects that, and almost never begs at the table. He might position himself nearby if there are small children around or something particularly delectable being eaten, you know, just in case, but he doesn’t beg. But, with Stollen? Chappy–still not begging, and still being patient–will quietly drool on the floor as he stares up through the table at Dad’s dish.

So . . . this morning. Chappy somehow knew that Dad was eating Stollen. I was sleeping late (I earned it!), but somehow through his doggy-psychic powers, as soon as Mom took the Stollen out of its bag and put a knife to it . . . Chappy jumped down off my bed. Now, again, he’s patient about getting up in the morning, too. He’s not the kind of dog who pesters to go out to the bathroom or for breakfast–no, no, once he hears activity from my parents’ end of the hallway, he might move around the room, but he won’t come over to wake me up before 8:30. But this morning, he was a little more fidgety than usual, and when I got up at 8:45 and opened the door . . . well, normally, he runs down the hallway to my parents’ room first thing. Saying “Good Morning!” is top priority, even before going to the bathroom. And he doesn’t get his breakfast until after I’ve had mine.

But, this morning? I barely had the bedroom door open and he was gone like a flash, down the stairs, skidding around the corners to end up right at the kitchen table, where Dad had his stollen crumbs. It was just adorable. No time wasted saying good morning. No thoughts about going to the bathroom. It was like he was saying, “I’ve been really patient and good and, and, and, I helped Mommy make that yesterday, and . . . . I looooove you, Grandpa . . . ”

Really. All that cuteness? All of us were chuckling at him this morning. SO cute. He doesn’t get as excited about anything as he does about Stollen (not even peanuts, which he truly adores). How he knew Dad was allowed to eat it this morning, though, I don’t know, but lord, he was adorable.

I guess the Stollen is a Boykin-boy thing….

And, if you made it this far through the story–congratulations!

• Tags: Baking, Chappy • Permalink:Stollen Lovers // 8 Comments »

Phew! Well, I’m glad that’s done for another year….

So, let’s see….

One hour last night for mixing the two batches of dough. . . . my KitchenAid mixer should forgive me eventually. One of these days, I’m going to find a scale that can give me an accurate weight for these batches, but, figure . . . 5 eggs, half a pound of butter, 2 cups of milk, 3 tubs of candied fruit, plus raisins, nuts, and then something like 10 or 12 cups of flour . . . in each batch . . . that 5 qt mixing bowl on my mixer is FULL!

A half-hour this morning for pounding it into loaves. (Seriously, my forearms are still tired. This is heavy stuff. Hence the fact that I didn’t knit at all today, or spin in the kitchen like I’d planned.)

And then, the baking? Started at 12:00, ended at 6:30. Four batches of two loaves each, which took between 1:15 and 1:30, plus the final batch of two mini-loaves, which took about half an hour.

Yep! I sure do love my Dad. (grin)

And, one other thing that’s at least mostly done. The neckband is done, the last ends woven in, the underarm seams grafted . . . I just need to try it on and decide what to do with the no-longer-faux seams (or, more importantly, the seam allowances). And no, I haven’t tried it on yet . . . too tired! And, of course, it will be blocked, too . . . at some point (grin).

• Tags: Baking, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Phew! // 8 Comments »

T’was the night before Stollen Day and all through the house
not a creature (dared) stir, not even a Pup.

The potholders were laid by the stove with care
in hopes that the baker soon would be there.

The dough was resting all snug in its bowls
while visions of Baking Day danced in its head.

….Okay, so Clement Moore, it’s not, but still….

The dough is mixed and my Kitchen Aid is beyond thrilled that its job is done. So am I, for that matter. Getting the dough mixed and kneaded is physically the hardest part.

So, it will rest on the counter for the night and I’ll shape it into loaves in the morning.

The baking part . . . the scary, dangerous, nerve-wracking baking part . . . starts around noon.

And, yes, my parents are leaving the house for the afternoon. They’re going into New York for the afternoon with friends and then heading back to their house in the evening for supper.

Chappy?

His plan is to close his eyes tightly and wait until it’s over.

So, I had the day off today. I went into Chester and picked up some fancy Christmas biscuits for a furry boy I know and love, and while I was there, the woman behind the counter asked me what kind of dog I had. I said Boykin Spaniel and she told me about a woman who worked in a leather shop right around the corner who had two–a one-year old and a new puppy. Well, wow! Naturally, I went over to the store and introduced myself, and then we showed each other pictures of our beautiful dogs and told stories, and it was very touching. How exciting to find another person in driving distance who has personal experience about what a great breed this is (grin).

Oh, and a bonus today? I got this hilarious card from my best friend, just because:

• Tags: Baking • Permalink:Visit from St. Stollen // 5 Comments »

Just a little video of Chappy romping in the leaves (and snow). . .

• Tags: Chappy • Permalink:Romping // 5 Comments »

It was so windy the other day that the wind blew all our leaves up against our backyard fence, where the leaves pressed themselves up to the chain-link, anxious to escape into the neighbor’s yard. It looked so very, very cool, though, the way you could see the vertical lines of the leaf “walls,” as if the fence were just a suggestion, that I had to go brave the cold and wind myself to take the pictures.

You’d never know that, two days before, we’d had about 4″ of snow to romp in, huh?

Brought to you by:

• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday • Permalink:Box of Leaves // 3 Comments »

Well, I’m nothing if not obliging, so per Ina’s request . . .

Here’s a picture of all of my darning needles. Two Chibis, a couple freebies, some generic straight ones, a fancy, hand-twisted one from Crown Mountain Farms, and yes . . . my magic, favorite, cheap, pink, plastic, Susan Bates darning needle.

I honestly don’t know why it’s my favorite. Certainly I don’t usually develop “favorites” for things like needles. Even when doing embroidery projects, I would start each picture with a fresh needle, use it for the entire thing, and then move on. I do think I like the little bit of flexibility built into the plastic needle, which just seems to “fit” the springiness of the yarn when I’m weaving in ends or sewing seams. And I do not like the bent-tip needles, which I do credit to all the years of using straight needles for quilts and embroidery and all those other hand-sewing things. I’ll use them in a pinch, but they’re not my first choice.

No, really, it’s the pink one I like the best. But not because I love it in particular. I’d really be happier having a collection of a dozen of them in case of loss or accident. But just because its size, shape, and “bendiness” just seem to feel best in my hand.

I know. Weird, huh?

Now, the good news is that I have tomorrow off from work. The bad news is that that’s because it’s Stollen Weekend.

You remember–my least favorite weekend of the year? The one I only put myself through because I love my father so much? Yeah. It’s that time of year again.

By rights, I should shut myself in a quiet, darkened room tomorrow to mentally prepare myself for the rigors of the weekend to come, but that seems a little melodramatic. Taking the day off from work, though? Perfectly reasonable! Then, tomorrow night, the dough gets mixed. (Yes, my KitchenAid hates this as much as I do.) The dough gets shaped into loaves on Saturday morning, and then, around noon on Saturday . . . it gets dangerous. That’s when I start putting them into the oven, which means that’s also the time that all able-bodied family members scatter.

Very wise of them, really.

• Tags: General • Permalink:Needling You // 10 Comments »

It was a good day for handknits at my office today. Not only did it not go above 30-degrees, but there were snow showers/flurries more or less from 11:00 onward. And, did I mention that there was no heat? One of the building’s heating units more or less fell apart yesterday afternoon, so we had no choice but to turn it off altogether. Which means that, this morning, when we came in and it was 23 degrees outside, it was only 58 degrees inside.

Luckily, those of us who sit up front knew about this ahead of time. We’re in the broken unit’s domain–not to mention near the front door which lets in an awful lot of cold air as everybody gets to work in the morning–and so, it was cold. But we were prepared. I wore my handknit socks with leather boots, my Ribby sweater over a t-shirt, a shawl layered on top and I brought my Fetching fingerless gloves, too, to help keep my hands warm. I mean, sure, the colors didn’t exactly go with the blue/brown of the rest of the outfit, but they’re the only ones I’ve got (so far). My other cold co-worker didn’t have handknits, poor thing, but she layered stockings and socks under her boots, wore a fleece hoodie, and brought a blanket to protect her legs from drafts as the front door opened. (I just sat cross-legged in my chair.)

• Tags: General, Uncategorized, Weather • Permalink:I’ve Got My Handknits to Keep Me Warm // 6 Comments »

Isn’t this a cute little rhyme? Mom saw it in the Martha’s Vineyard Magazine and thought of me. And, naturally, I thought of you.

And then, have you seen this nifty site? Color Blender. There are three sliders, Red, Green, and Blue–you pick the first, main color, and the system automatically gives you four, coordinating colors. Useful not only for designing blog colors but also . . . knitting! (You know, if you can find yarn in the right colors.) So very cool, and fun to play with.

Otherwise? Well, it’s Monday. Yesterday’s snow is pretty much gone and it is windy, windy, windy out there right now.

And, of course, since it IS Monday, Chappy’s just exhausted….

• Tags: General • Permalink:Minor Monday // 4 Comments »

So, once again, the problem has been that odd, poofy bulge at the neckline, where the faux-raglan seam was.

Turning it into a real seam, to take up some of the excess fabric helped, but not enough. It left the back looking fine, but the front still . . . odd.

Which left me with the problem of having to redo the neckband for a third time.

Well, I’ve managed to salvage the neckband. I even had two plans in mind to let me do so.

First, was just to try tightening that seam with my fingers crossed, hoping that it wouldn’t change the way the neckband lay.

(The second, backup plan was going to be to snip the yarn at the cast-on row for the neckband and then unravel just enough–an inch or three–of the row where I picked up the neckband. The plan then would have been to weave in the two, unraveled ends so that they were secure, and to put the now-live stitches on markers to hold them safe while I fixed the actual seam of the body, at which point I would have re-attached those couple of inches of neckband evenly to now-adjusted fabric of the body.)

Luckily, Plan #1 worked.

I measured out a straight-line from neck outward toward shoulder and did another running-stitch seam, and now the neck of the sweater lays flat.

Well, mostly.

Because, here is the current problem . . . now, at the front neckband, I have not just the two layers of fabric that I should have (the sweater and the cut steek), but four layers, because of the seam allowance.

Which means, of course, that the sweater still doesn’t actually lie flat. Just that it now wants to.

Still . . . I saved the neckband, which is a relief.

The current plan is now to (1) finish the neckband. Mine is going to be at least twice as wide as the one in the original pattern, for two reasons. One, because I want to fill in more of the neck of the sweater (which I know Cate can relate to) and two, because I need some extra distance between the edge of the sweater and the visible bulk of the steek/seam.

But, after I finish the neckband and (2) graft together the underarms, I will (3) address the bulky-seam problem. I’m pretty sure that I’m going to be reinforcing those now-real seams with more permanent stitching and then trimming the seam allowance.

The potential problem with this is that all those loose ends may become rather . . . itchy to wear. Especially on my now-sensitive shoulder skin. Because Shetland wool isn’t exactly the softest wool out there to begin with. Of course, I realize that there are already loose ends in there from all the color work, but part of it is a location factor–because, well, again, my right shoulder is still kind of sensitive.

One step at a time, though, right?

Let’s see, we had snow today. About 3″ of very dry, very fluffy snow. Chappy was so excited, he and I went outside to play in it. (Yes, I’m aware that romping in 23-degree … that’s -4 in C … cold may not have been the wisest thing to do with my sensitive state of health, lately, but, well, YOU try telling Chappy that.) Anyway, I brought out his flying squirrel toy (bright orange toys are GOOD in the snow) and we had a good time. I came back in when I was getting tired and popped him in the bathtub just long enough to melt the ice between his paw pads.

In other news? My niece hit a deer with her car yesterday, and while (luckily) she and her car are more or less intact, the deer died and she keeps seeing the poor thing’s face and feeling absolutely terrible about it. And then, this morning, just before I came down to start the waffles, our neighbors across the street called to ask if Dad could take Mr. H. to the hospital–he had a hernia operation last week and woke up this morning with a swollen ankle and was concerned about blood clots (to which he is prone). Luckily so, in fact, because they just called a little while ago, and the hospital found clots in both calves and one in his lungs, so he’s going to be in the hospital for a few days.

Oh, and I did at least get one other thing off my weekend to-do list. I got my Christmas cards written out, addressed, stamped (with the best holiday stamps ever), and ready to go out the door tomorrow morning.

(And, seriously, would it be crazy to buy a bunch more of those stamps? I mean, winter holidays or not, they’re KNITTED, for heaven’s sake.)

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Uncategorized, Weather • Permalink:Salvage Job // 11 Comments »

I had such good intentions for today. Such a list of things I was going to get done. Christmas cards. Fixing my Autumn Rose. Catching up on my magazine reading. Doing some work for Dad. Filing away several weeks’ worth of receipts and paperwork.

Um. Right.

Well, I took Autumn Rose out of her knitting bag, anyway. And I did get through my magazine pile. But otherwise? Er. I kind of napped. Well, naplets, any way.

Still, I did find some entertaining links for you.

• A Magic Gopher who can apparently read your mind.
• A blog (which I saw mentioned here) which has some of the most beautiful travel photos.
• Online coloring book, anyone? (Surprisingly addictive.)

• Tags: General • Permalink:Best Intentions // 3 Comments »

Here’s my list of books from November:

1. RACE OF SCORPIONS by Dorothy Dunnett (534 p.) House of Niccolo volume 3–Nicholas is kidnapped to Cyprus to help King James (Zacco) claim his kingdom, torn in a civil war.

2. SCALES OF GOLD by Dorothy Dunnett (519 p.) House of Niccolo, volume 4–In an attempt to save his bank, Nicholas travels into the depths of Africa searching for gold.

3. READER & RAELYNX by Sharon Shinn (420 p.) Twelfth House series, book 4–finale of the series and, I think, the weakest of the four, mainly because it had so many loose ends to tie up. Still, it’s Sharon Shinn … how bad could it be?

4. UNICORN HUNT by Dorothy Dunnett (656 p.) House of Niccolo, volume 5–Nicholas travels to Scotland to compete with the St. Pol family and also tries to find his son.

5. ELEMENTAL MAGIC by Sharon Shinn et al (378 p.) Four short novellas, all fantasy/romance and far, far too “romance” for my tastes. Didn’t like it at all.

6. TO LIE WITH LIONS by Dorothy Dunnett (626 p.) House of Niccolo, volume 6–Nicholas tries to put his family back together, but first, he has to end his competition with his wife.

7. EXILE’S HONOR by Mercedes Lackey (433 p.)

8. EXILE’S VALOR by Mercedes Lackey (402 p.)
9. TAKE A THIEF by Mercedes Lackey (351 p.)
10. ARROWS FOR THE QUEEN by Mercedes Lackey (320 p.)
11. ARROWS FLIGHT by Mercedes Lackey (318 p.)
12. ARROWS FALL by Mercedes Lackey (293 p.)
13. OATHBOUND by Mercedes Lackey (302 p.)
14. OATHBREAKERS by Mercedes Lackey (279 p.)
15. BY THE SWORD by Mercedes Lackey (492 p.)–All these are “Valdemar” fantasy books . . . I just blew through vast chunks of the series….

16. KNIT KNIT by Sabrina Gschwandner (170 p.) A very “arty” knitting book, with a focus on some vfery cutting-edge designers.

17. LIADEN UNIVERSE COMPANION #2 by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (293 p.) A collection of short stories in the sci-fi “Liaden” world. Always good.

18. SCIENCE OF GOOD AND EVIL by Michael Shermer (263 p.) Non-fiction examining, well, good and evil. I enjoyed the beginning of this, but either the book fizzled or I did–I’m not entirely sure which, but the more I read, the more bored I got, even though the writing was solid and the information was interesting.

19. BEEKEEPER’S APPRENTICE by Laurie R. King (405 p.) First in the “Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes” mystery series–just as WWI is beginning, 16-year old Mary Russell stumbles across Sherlock Holmes and they begin a friendship. I still think this is the best in the series.

20. MONSTROUS REGIMENT OF WOMEN by Laurie R. King (330 p.) Book two, Mary is now 21 and has come into her inheritance, just as she meets a charismatic religious speaker around whom accidents seem to occur.

21. LETTER OF MARY by Laurie R. King (315 p.) Third, A voice from their past leaves a Biblical mystery on Mary and Holmes’s doorstep….

22. JUSTICE HALL by Laurie R. King (425 p.) In England, Mary and Holmes come to the aid of their Arab cohorts from Jerusalem–who turn out not to be Arab at all, but the bluest of blue bloods. Definitely one of the better books in the series.

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Books from November // 3 Comments »