Well, this is ironic.

Mom came upstairs, after walking on the treadmill tonight, and said, “I found the box for the kettle. I guess we can get rid of it now, huh?”

“Yeah. I’ll have to look inside and see if the warranty is in there–not that it matters, since you threw the kettle away yesterday–but I’m curious.”

So, later, I went into the kitchen and … wait a minute. That box isn’t from Cuisinart! I wonder …

…And here we flashback to 2005, when we had our kitchen cabinets refaced. In preparation for having our stove disconnected for a few days, I had bought an electric kettle. It turned out, though, that even though our kitchen was disfunctional for a few days–without counters or running water–our stove was connected. Even though we had to walk to the bathroom to get the water, we didn’t need the electric kettle, and it was stored downstairs in the basement and more or less forgotten about.

When, in April 2007, our stove broke and I actually needed an electric kettle, I went and looked for this one, but couldn’t find it, so I assumed it had gotten thrown away when we cleaned the basement.

Well, apparently not.

I guess I don’t need the Chef’s Choice Cordless Kettle that I ordered the other day, after all, huh? So, as soon as it gets here tomorrow, I guess I’ll just pack it up and send it back…. At least that’s a few amazon.com dollars I’ll get back.

Which reminds me, thank you to whoever ordered a couple of those knitting books using my links in yesterday’s post. I appreciate it more than you know! I absolutely hate these crushing money worries. We could really use any good money vibes you can send … we truly, badly need them.

Okay, not to get all national-pride-like or anything, but did you see that 4×100 meter relay race last night? Oh WOW. Absolutely mind-blowing. The worst part, though? I turned my television off at about 11:15 so I could get some sleep and I missed watching it live by about 10 minutes! It wasn’t until I turned on the Today Show this morning that I realized, and … what a race! I’m thrilled that our team won, but watching that last stretch? Just … wow. Absolutely amazing. How did Lezak manage to do that? And do you realize that the first five teams to finish ALL beat the prior World Record, that had just been set the day before? Can you imagine that? Beating the existing world record and still coming in fifth? Everything about that race was incredible. Don’t believe me? Read this article.

Dad got a rare day out today. He had actually planned on going golfing with some of his oldest friends and was going to leave at 7:00 this morning to get down to southern NJ in time, but due to the weather forecast, they had decided to cancel. Which was a shame because he’s not getting to golf much at all this summer (see crushing money problems above), and he needs a distraction from worrying, and had been looking forward to it. But, well, he got up at his usual time and headed for the shower … and at 7:08, the phone rang. The golf game was back on, could he make it? Um … he got dressed, hurried downstairs, scarfed down some Entenmann’s for breakfast, glanced at the newspaper and hurried on his way. Which, you know, was good for him.

Tags: General by --Deb
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So, thinking ahead….I really like this sweater in the new IK. Actually, technically, it’s a Veronik Avery sweater in the soon-to-come “Color Style” book by Pam Allen and Ann Budd (I love that cover sweater, too), but its pattern is printed in Interweave Knits as a book excerpt.

Anyway, I like it, and I think it would work with some Jo Sharp DK Wool I have in my stash. They’re completely different colors, of course, but the weight of the yarn is the same, and you know I like to pick my own color combinations, anyway. I would need four pairs of colors. Two for the mosaic pattern that makes up the bulk of the sweater, and then three pairs for the color stripes in the yoke … then back to the original pair again for the shoulders. I paired up the colors here–the pairs on each end are the same (a bluish-gray and a deep purple), with the three possible sets of duos in between… It looks like it would work. I think. Mostly.

This doesn’t mean that I have decided to make this, but it’s a possibility. Of course, I’d need to try to get gauge, and you KNOW the problems I have with that! There are some patterns in the Vogue Knitting I like, too–and this yarn would work for a couple of those, too. And then there are one or two (or three) patterns I saw on Ravelry from the new Classic Elite book. Those, of course, aren’t options because I don’t have that book, but I really liked a couple of those sweaters.

The plus side is that I HAVE the pattern and more-or-less appropriate yarn for this sweater already here, in the house. That’s a wonderful thing, don’t you think? Who knew that stashing yarn was going to end up being so economical of me?

In other words, thank heaven the Fall patterns are finally out. Am I the only one who finds summer knitting to be kind of boring? The bad part? There are a whole slew of really great BOOKS coming out and I want every single one of them.

Not only is there the Color Style that I mentioned earlier, but there’s the new Mason-Dixon book, which just has to be good. Nicki Epstein’s Knitting on Top of the World. The Yarn Harlot’s new book, of course, and Franklin’s book of knitting cartoons (with my very favorite one on the cover.) Wendy Johnson has a new book of toe-up sock patterns coming, which you know is going to be great, because the socks on her blog are always fantastic. Then there’s Classic Elite knits, and their patterns are always gorgeous. Wendy Bernard (Knit and Tonic) has her first book coming out, for designing your own top-down sweaters. (Hey, her Not-so-shrunken cardigan was a good pattern, I’m game!) Melissa Leapman has a new Cable book coming, too, and considering how good her first one was, that seems awfully promising. And, oh, the peek at accessories in Boutique Knits looks so, so good.

(Really, considering how dire our financial situation is, I hesitate to tell you how many of these I’ve pre-ordered. I need to come up with a way to make my book habit pay for itself! I’ve barely bought any yarn in over a year, but I can’t quite completely reign in the book habit. But, um, in the meantime, if you’re feeling inclined to buy any of them and were kind enough to do so using my links so that I get a commission from Amazon, I’d be very grateful.)

Anyway, another pattern in the IK that I liked? Eunny’s bias stole. In fact, I liked it so much, I finally wound my skein of Claudia silk lace yarn into balls, with the intent to make it. The color (on my monitor, at least) is fairly close–it’s called “Just Plum” and is a lovely, plummy, shade of rosy purple. Not too pink, but not too blue, it’s really a smashing color.

It’s been a much quieter day, today–cloudy, for one thing, and we had some rain this afternoon. Chappy got his much-needed haircut and, while concentrating so much on not accidentally cutting him, I cut my own finger with the scissors. Silly! It’s okay, though. I would have felt worse if I’d cut him by mistake. We had roast chicken for supper, which Chappy ADORES, and he sat and obsessed about it from the time it came out of the oven until he got some in his food dish … not to mention the opportunity of cleaning off the carving board. (He’s really very helpful that way.)

Tags: Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Let’s see.

• Slept late, on the bed, with his Mom.
• 2-mile walk in the park on a beautiful day with his Mom and both his grandparents.
• Oohs and aahs from other people in the park (which he ate up, the flirt).
• Lunch (because his breakfast got split into two parts due to his car-sickness tendency.
• A couple hours outside, relaxing on the deck with his Mom and Grandma. (I love when he rests his chin on the lower railing bar.)
• A good nap inside, while Mom finished reading Harry Potter #6.
• Managed to stave off the much-needed haircut for one more day.

Yep. I’d say this was a practically perfect Saturday for my Chappy!

The bad news? The electric kettle broke. It’s only a little more than a year old, cost $70, made by the reputable Cuisinart company, and … it’s dead. Oh no! I love that kettle, and can’t afford another one right now. Back to the old-school, takes-forever, kettle-on-the-stove method of making tea. Darn it.

Tags: Chappy by --Deb
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Well, I got this email today:

Oh my Lord! I may never ever take these socks off. Ever. Even at the beach. Thank you so much Deb. Made my whole day. Hell, made my whole week!

I think it’s safe to say that Susan got her socks and that they fit, huh?

Speaking of Martha’s Vineyard, Chappy’s blogging e-friend Fenway, an 8-month old Border Collie from Maryland, is up for “Dog of the Month” over at MV’s PlumTV.com. Right NOW, he’s got 30 votes, to the leader’s 154 … so, since Chappy isn’t eligible, go give him a vote, huh? In fact, his Mom (whom he calls Ms. Alpha) said in an email:

Here’s a really great coincidence! I was driving home at dusk yesterday from the Stop & Shop in Edgartown, and guess who signaled they wanted to pass me? (I was really going pokey slow). None other than the blue truck with the logo for the Fiber Farm!!! I took this as a really good sign that this will be a great vacation. Thanks for plugging Fenway, too.”

Clearly, she’s a kindred spirit, huh? (For the record, she used to knit and wants to get back into it.) And, I mean, really, I bet Fenway is the only one of those dogs with his own BLOG. Yes, he writes his own, instead of having his people do it. So as bloggers, don’t you think we owe it to him to vote? (I will say the picture of Ozzie in his tub is pretty cute, though.)

Now, about my boy–He was disappointed today. It was a bright, sunny morning and then, just as I came home from lunch, the skies opened and it poured. My windshield wipers were on High the entire drive home–and I can barely remember the last time I used that setting! So–no lunch time walk. That was bad enough, but I filled the time in by trimming his nails. Torture! And of course, just as I was heading back to work … bright blue sky again. Just to rub it in.

Well, we said, maybe we can try at 4:00. … Guess what happened at 3:30? Yep. Just enough rain to make everything wet again and the air all sticky. And then I came home and gave him his Friday night bath. I tell you, this boy is just terribly abused and tortured. But, look at his cool new hair-do. (And yes, he does need a haircut, but then, so do I!)

I can’t believe the Olympics have started already. This 12-hour time difference just seems so bizarre–the Opening Ceremonies started 13 hours ago but I still have 1 hour to wait before they begin here. I’m just really hoping the media controls itself this time around and doesn’t splash spoilers all over the front page of websites about who’s winning which medals. The Olympics are about the only sports I ever watch, and I don’t want to know how they end ahead of time. (And, seriously, I’ll watch almost anything if you put the Olympic Rings on it.)

One Olympics event I’m watching from the sidelines this time around? The Ravelympics. I figure I’ll stick with Stephanie and be a Winter Olympics competitor. (Remember?) I’ll be cheering all of you on, though. Like Sharon, who is not only tackling a huge project, but made a great video for it–go watch it!

And, one other nice, funny video for you: 9 Phrases Women Use. Dad, in particular, got quite a kick out of this, but we all thought it was funny. Anyone who’s watched the sexes trying to communicate over the years is going to appreciate this one.

Tags: Friends, General by --Deb
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I don’t have any garden pictures to show you, but at least I have violets!

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Tags: Eye-Candy Friday by --Deb
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I promised you knitting content today, and so, after work, I brought down my knitting bag to take some pictures in real light for a change, instead of by flash in my yellow bedroom after dark.

And, as I opened my bag to pull out my knitting? Chappy jumped up on the ottoman. Really, I had no choice but to drape it over him!

I’ll be starting skein number three of the white “Sublime” tonight. That might be enough to finish the lining, but … maybe not. I’ve got another 12 skeins in the bag, though, so it’s not really a concern (grin).

And, spinning. How about a nice, spinning picture? One that–on my computer at least–looks pretty accurate for color. Kind of a rosy gray.

I didn’t actually get to do any plying last night–I’ve been eking about five minutes a night–usually at about 11:20–but last night I was just too tired. Maybe I’ll get some more plying done tonight, since Burn Notice is on.

My Fall Interweave Knits came today, but I haven’t looked through it yet, except for a quick glance. (I wanted to finish reading Harry Potter #5 when I got home from work. Remember the other day when I said I was thinking about rereading the series? Well, um, yeah, that idea certainly worked!)

Speaking of the knitting magazines–have you seen the Galleries for IK knits over at Knitting Daily? A chance to see the same sweater on different body types, to give you a “real-life” idea before you commit yourself to the knitting. Something I think is a wonderful idea.

Well, Vogue Knitting may have just trumped that. They have 3D video of the sweaters, on models, with a look at the detail, the shape, the fit … absolutely brilliant. In fact, I’m loving the Greenland sweater a whole lot more now than I was from the photo in the magazine. Ditto the Nordic Tradition sweater. Though those socks? I still do NOT get them at all!

Otherwise? Trying to redesign Dad’s website–a laborious process for a non-programmer such as myself. Trying to write articles to get traffic TO his website. Trying to write an ebook that I could actually sell online and get some money that way. These are the things taking up my time. (And keeping me from the spinning wheel.)

But the hour between 8:00 and 9:00? That’s for knitting and watching television with Mom and Chappy!

Now, I wonder if I have anything in my stash that would remotely get me the gauge for that Greenland sweater? Although, in the glance that I took, I really liked that colorwork sweater at the beginning of IK, too, in the “Book Excerpt” section…. Thank heaven the Fall knitting patterns are finally out. I really miss making sweaters.

Tags: Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Okay, I’ve mentioned Dad’s website, Inhale Now, which sells environmentally-friendly things like air purifiers, water filters, and power “conditioners” to save electricity to you before.

One of the other things he sells, though, are nutritional supplements. Darn good ones, but what I want to tell you about is the newest product, Heartland Select.

They can’t actually say anything like “it cures cancer,” (and I’m not saying that it does) but it can help prevent it. And the anecdotes my Dad is hearing are pretty phenomenal. Like, the brother of a major football player (whose name I can’t remember because I can barely remember Joe Namath) had pancreatic cancer and a month later, it was gone. Like, they sent samples of their drink to the American Cancer Association and the ACA wrote and asked for a lot more to test with because they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

Basically, it’s really just a special blend of Muscadine grape juice, seeds, and skin–2 oz a day, in addition to specific vitamin supplements. It’s not cheap–but if it does anything like what my Dad is hearing it does, well, I wanted to tell you about it. Here’s a quote from the Squidoo page:

You’ve heard that there are health benefits to red wine, but Muscadine grapes, native to the Southeast United States, are bursting with antioxidants. They developed over centuries in harsh conditions, making them tough–and making their phytochemicals for fighting off disease that much stronger. Their extra-tough skin means that they have an high concentration of antioxidant phenolic compounds, such as Resveratrol which can also work as an anti-inflammatory and has anti-cancer potential.

Muscadine Grapes are helpful in the fight against free radicals, and drinking juice from this grape–not to mention the seeds and the skin (known as pomace) can help your body fight inflammatory conditions such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s, allergies, atherosclerosis, colitis, and many other conditions. It benefits your blood vessels by reducing inflammation and atheriosclerotic plaque. It can even inhibit LDL cholesterol and help reduce blood pressure.

The link is http://www.infinity2.com/bjb and then click on “Heartland Select” at the top. It’s supposed to be taken with the “Essentials for Life” vitamin supplement (this is important). They’re being VERY careful about what they’re saying on the site for all sorts of legal reasons, but … my feeling is that anything is worth a try, and since it’s just juice and vitamins … it’s not something that doctors are going to remotely object to.

There’s going to be a capsule version at some point, too, which might be cheaper, but I’ve got to tell you, this juice tastes good! Because, yes, we’ve been taking it for over a month now, and I have to tell you–I’ve definitely noticed an improvement in my allergies/asthma. (It’s a natural anti-inflammatory, remember.) I’ve cut back from taking my Singulair about every 2-3 days to about once every ten days, which makes me a much happier person.

Right now, it’s only available on a monthly-subscription basis that can be cancelled at any time. And a month could be enough to know if it’s helping. There’s a book about the health benefits of the Muscadine Grape, if you’re interested in reading more about it. There are even other, competing brands (though their ‘counts’ aren’t as high as the Heartland Select, so this one is better).

I’m not pushing this or anything, but my Dad is hearing such amazing things and if it does even half of them, well, I couldn’t NOT tell you. This is awkward because this all sounds like I’m throwing you a sales pitch, but … well, you understand, right? I had to tell you, because … what could it hurt?

You can read more here at Squidoo.

---

And, here’s one other thing–you can get it cheaper if you sign up to be a dealer. Which, I know, you’ve heard a million times for everything from Longeberger baskets to Avon to Amway to God knows what else. All those multi-layered, network-marketing programs where you sell products and sign up other people to sell products and the next thing you know, you’ll be rich? Right, I know–it sounds good but never seems to work. So … two things. (1) As a dealer, you DO get the product cheaper, so even if you mostly just want it for yourself, it’s worth looking into, and (2) Here’s a free book you might find interesting that tells you how you really can make those programs work for you.Now, believe me, I know that this entire post sounded like a sales pitch. I know that, and I apologize, BUT even though we’re trying to raise money, you know I wouldn’t be telling you if I didn’t believe it. (You’ve known me for three and a half years now, so you do know that, right?) I’m not going to turn Chappysmom into a marketing blog (God forbid), but I’ve never been shy about sharing links to OTHER people’s ads and products, so why shouldn’t I help out my Dad? Especially when it’s a product that can help you, too. Because, seriously, I really believe that.

Tags: General by --Deb
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Okay, so there’s this stretch of road I drive every day, and every time I come to this one curve, I see this. Honestly, every time, I think it looks like a bird.

Now, I KNOW, of course, that it’s just a branch of dead leaves. Its color contrasts against the green background, and it hangs out over the street, a bit, so it gets silhouetted as you round the curve. I am well aware that it’s not a bird.

But there’s something about the shape … my brain always ‘sees’ a crested head, two wings, and a pair of perching feet. (Go ahead. Click on it to see the bigger version.)

Crazy? Well, maybe, but Mother Nature is darn good at optical illusions, don’t you think?

Tags: General by --Deb
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Appearing now, on your computer screen, something never before seen. My sister found an old camera with some used film, and when she got it developed, she found these:

Baby Chappy photos!

These are from October 2001, when he was three and a half months old, and they’ve just been SITTING there in her camera for the last seven years.

Say it with me now … “Awwww!” Because, wasn’t he just adorable?

(sniffle)

Then there are these lovely socks. Completely done and ready to be mailed back to Martha’s Vineyard whence they came. We just need to cross our fingers and hope they fit Susan, is all… All that’s left is wrapping them up and putting them in the mail.

And, how about some brand-new yarn? I haven’t gotten very far, plying it, but this is from the singles I finished on Saturday. It’s stil got that pretty, “Old Rose” feel and is soft as anything. (50/50 Merino/Silk, you’ll remember.)

Okay, this isn’t new–in fact, it’s from 1962–but how about a tour of the White House, hosted by the First Lady, herself? I’ve seen pieces, but never the whole thing, so it’s new to me.

As was this. I saw an article in the newspaper this morning. Apparently there was a young, indie singer named Katie Reider in Montclair who died recently from a rare disease, and as a tribute, some of her fans are trying to get 500,000 people to visit her website and download her music. You can download 9 of her songs for a $1 donation–which I did (hey, money can’t be that tight, right?), and have to tell you, I’m enjoying them. They also ask that you “link” to one more person to add to their count. (Actually, the only thing I can’t find on their site is what the current count IS.) Anyway, their mission statement is this:

For over 10 years singer/songwriter Katie Reider (pronounced RIDER) has inspired the hearts of thousands with her music and genuine personality. Just as she was reaching the peak of her music career a tumor developed in her upper left jaw that progressed into her sinus, skull base and left eye orbit. Over the course of one year, the rare facial tumor took away her sight in one eye, her voice, and most importantly her ability to perform.
500Kin365.org, was created with the help of Katie Reider’s loyal fanbase to reconnect and introduce 500,000 people to Katie Reider, her music and her story over the next year. Help us continue to spread her music over the next year by downloading “katie’s Voice” (9 original songs written and performed by Katie Reider over the last 10 years) for a $1.00 donation to her cause and linking up ONE other person to www.500Kin365.org

Go take a listen. The comments over at her blog are kind of heart-breaking, too. What a shame. Because, really, I’ve got her music playing right now while I type, and what a nice voice she had…

Ooh, and this is also new to me–”Endless Shoes and Handbags.” Doesn’t the name just sound heavenly?

Tags: Chappy, Finished Knitting, General, Knitting/Spinning, Martha's Vineyard by --Deb
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Well, Chappy had a practically perfect day today.

First, he got to sleep on the bed last night, so this morning started by him doing one of his favorite things–waking up his Mom. Unlike some other dogs I hear about, he’s very patient about this in the morning–he’s not pestering me to get up at 6:45, when we get up on weekdays. No, he even knows that I usually hit the snooze button 2 times before I’m ready to wake up and waits patiently for it to beep the third time at 8:42 before he comes over and gives me a good morning kiss. Then, he stretches out alongside me with his paws on my pillow while we say good morning to each other. This, I love, because he’s normally not a smoochy boy at all, but I suppose he’s grateful for getting to sleep at the foot of the bed all night long.

Anyway, we got up and had breakfast–and Chappy got a little bit of corn muffin, just because. I did some basic cleaning and such, but about 10:30, the four of us all went for a long walk around the neighborhood. As in, we haven’t had a walk that long in months! But it was a beautiful day–about 85 degrees (F), no humidity to speak of, blue skies–the kind of rare NJ summer day that, on the occasions that it shows up at all, is almost always on a weekday when I’m at work. It would even have been a good Park day, if we had felt at all inclined to climb into the car. By the end of the walk, though, Chappy’s tongue was happily hanging out of his mouth–the perfect end to a good walk.

Then, lunch. I had tuna, and Chappy LOVES tuna. (Neither of us gets seafood as often as we’d like, really.) Naturally, I shared, and he very much enjoyed it.

Then, we sat outside on the deck. For a couple of hours. All that fresh air and relaxation. Bliss for Chappy. About the only drawback was that he wasn’t down in the yard in the grass … and, for the record, I would have let him, except then he would have spent the entire time sitting at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me to join him. Neither of us would have been able to relax! And, of course, he never actually naps when he’s outside–too many interesting things to watch, hear, and sniff.

So, about the only negative to his day is that he really hasn’t had a good, serious nap all day.

Yeah, I know. Poor, tortured boy.

Oh, and supper? In addition to his regular, delicious, home-cooked food, he got leftover london broil added to his dish.

Yep. I know. We torture him.

He had to help clean out his grandpa’s ice cream dish, too.

Although, honestly? I haven’t heard him complaining.

Tags: Chappy, General by --Deb
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I’m really tired, so this is going to be short and sweet–more pictures than words. The short explanation of my day? After having an urgent family-finances meeting, baking cranberry-corn muffins, and after consoling Chappy through a massive thunderstorm that rolled overhead, I climbed in my car with my wheel and my knitting and headed to Jessica‘s for an afternoon of fun and friends. Good day, lots of fun. Got home about 5:45, fed Chappy, took him for a walk (to gain back some of the Mommy-points I’d lost by abandoning him in a storm), watched a movie (My Best Friend’s Wedding) with Mom, and now … exhausted!

You’ll have to forgive me for not filling this post with all the relevant, bloggy links, but I did snap some pictures–they’re not great pictures, but at least I tried.

Jessica’s bunny, Stitches, is darn cute, too–and getting so big! I absolutely loved the tufts of fur on the very top of her ears.

And, if you haven’t seen Jessica’s Etsy shop for fiber? You really must go. I was privileged to see the pile of finished fiber that she hasn’t posted yet and it’s really lovely stuff. I was sorely tempted, but considering the scary-finance meeting we had this morning, and the fact that my Visa bill with the needed-but-we-really-couldn’t-afford-it new computer from last month arrived yesterday, buying some really just wasn’t an option. At some point, though? Oh my, yes. It’s really gorgeous.

On the plus side, I finished my second bobbin of that old-rose merino/tussah blend. Considering I only started that bobbin three weeks ago, and the first one took me three months, that’s pretty good! Now all I have to do is ply it and those 8 oz will be done. It’s really quite pretty.

Okay–climbing into bed, now. I’m on Harry Potter #3, and Chappy is privileged to sleep on the bed tonight, so …

Oh–one more thing–this great You Tube video of the “Evolution of Dance.” (The embedding never seems to work on my blog for some reason, but the direct link to the video is right here.) I admit I didn’t recognize all of the dance moves, but more than half, and the man is talented. I saw it over at Liz Strauss’s Successful Blog.

Tags: Friends, General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Here are the books that I read in July:

1. Tomorrow Log by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (342 p.) A stand-alone sci fi book. Gem is a thief being threatened by a crime organization to do a job for them…

2. Sword of Orion by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (276 p.) Another stand-alone sci fi book–at least for now. It was going to be the first of a series, but the publisher went out of business and I don’t know that there are any plans for the next book–which considering the cliff-hanger ending is particularly annoying (grin).

3. Local Custom by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (296 p.) Ah, a love story. Almost a sci-fi regency one, telling how Shan yos’Galan’s parents got together… Lovely.

4. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell (245 p.) Iris gets a phone call telling her that she is responsible for Esme Lennox, her grandmother’s sister, who has been in a mental institution for 60 years … except she never knew her grandmother had a sister….Good.

5. Wrapt in Crystal by Sharon Shinn (324 p.) Another sci-fi book. Drake is an investigator called in to find a serial killer of members of a religious sect.

6. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (221 p.) Catherine Morland goes to Bath to try to find a husband. A classic, gothic-inspired love story.

7. The Mirror of Her Dreams by Stephen Donaldson (627 p.)
8. A Man Rides Through by Stephen Donaldson (661 p.) A fantasy duo, Terisa Morgan travels through a mirror to Mordant, which is under attack by Imagers–men who can bring monsters through mirrors…

9. Rowan by Anne McCaffrey (335 p.)
10. Damia by Anne McCaffrey (336 p.)
11. Damia’s Children by Anne McCaffrey (272 p.)
12. Lyon’s Pride by Anne McCaffrey (272 p.) Sci-fi series of a future where teleporting and telepathy are common. Darn it, *I* want to be able to travel by teleporting!

13. Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon by Sheila Weller (529 p.) Biography of three singers and of their era … good book, but a little too “fan-girl” gushing about how wonderful all three of them were as people and as musicians, while skimming over their bad points. But, still, it was interesting, well researched, and reasonably entertaining.

14. Stoner by John William (278 p.) A calm book about William Stoner, who went off to college to study agriculture and found himself entranced by the required course in English Literature and allowed himself to be sidetracked. He becomes an English professor, marries, has a daughter, but finds himself in a loveless marriage and unappreciated by his boss … and yet, lives a good life. Quiet, wonderfully written, a bit sad. Good book.

15. One Skein by Leigh Radford (121 p.) Pattern book for knitting/crochet patterns that can be made from one skein of yarn.

16. Knit So Fine by Myers, Grutzeck, and Sulcoski (140 p.) Knitting patterns for fine-weight yarn.

17. Wrap Style by Pam Allen and Ann Budd (155 p.) Knitting patterns for shawls, wraps, capelets.

18. Compendium of Finishing Techniques: Crochet, Embroidery, Knitting, Knotting, Weaving by Naomi McEneely (146 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–a book of techniques for doing finishing detail for a variety of crafts.

19. The Safe-Keeper’s Secret by Sharon Shinn (222 p.)
20. The Truth-Teller’s Tale by Sharon Shinn (276 p.)
21. The Dream-Maker’s Magic by Sharon Shinn (261 p.)

22. Another Fine Myth gy Robert Lynn Asprin (160 p.)
23. Myth Conceptions by Robert Lynn Asprin (156 p.)
24. Myth Directions by Robert Lynn Asprin (162 p.)
25. Hit or Myth by Robert Lynn Asprin (121 p.)
26. Myth-ing Persons by Robert Lynn Asprin (127 p.)
27. Little Myth Marker by Robert Lynn Asprin (131 p.)

28. Can’t Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America by Jonathan Gould (606 p.) More than just a biography of the Beatles (though it would have been good as that, too), this book explores their social impact. Actually, it starts with the factors that impacted the Beatles themselves, and then goes on examine their influence, both musically and socially. Not to mention analyzing their music, too. This author did a fabulous job describing the songs–I could actually hear them in my head as he talked about them, and made me notice things I had missed (despite having been a huge Beatles fan since high school). Really, I loved this book. It was well-written, well-researched, interesting, and it explored their story from an angle I hadn’t seen before. I still hate reading about the group falling apart, but … good book. Highly enjoyable.

29. Scout’s Progress by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (295 p.) The story of how Daav yos’Phelium and Aelliana Caylon–parents of main character Val Con yos’Phelium–met. Again, I love the Liaden books by these two authors–science fiction mixed with Regency manners mixed with excitement, adventure, and oh yes, a love story. Wonderful, as always. In this story, we see Daav, who has finally settled on a suitable “contract wife” just at the time that Aelliana wins a ship in a card game and decides to become a pilot so she can get off-world and away from her abusive brother. Sweet story, really, and purely fun.

30. In Sheep’s Clothing: A Handspinner’s Guide to Wool by Nola Fournier and Jane Fournier (218 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–a guide to all the different kinds of wool (who knew there were so many breeds of sheep?), their traits and qualities, and what to do with them. Excellent reference for a hand-spinner, and a book I’ve wanted for about three years now.

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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