Here’s my reading list from June:

1. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (335 p.)
2. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder (372 p.)
3. On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder (339 p.)
4. By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder (291 p.)
5. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (335 p.)
6. Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (308 p.)
7. These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder (289 p.) Well, the Little House books are classics. It was fun revisiting them, and they put a smile on my face, all while reminding me how HARD our ancestors worked and how grateful they were for whatever they had. No expectations of handouts, no sense of entitlement. Wonderful books.

8. Checkmate: Sixth in the Legendary Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett (581 p.) The last of the Lymond series, where all the loose-ends get tied together. Just fabulous.

9. The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough (562 p.) Well, it was its 125th birthday, so I figured now was the time to read this book that I’ve been planning to read for years. Obviously, I knew that they were going to be successful building it, but still, what a great story. And, of course, David McCullough is always fabulous.

10. The Secret of Lost Things by Sheridan Hay (349 p.) I didn’t like this one very much, but it could have just been my frame of mind. Telling the story of an orphaned Tasmanian girl named Rosemary who comes to NY and gets a job in a used bookstore and gets involved with a long-lost rare manuscript … or, something like that. Honestly, I stopped reading around page 83 and wasn’t even interested enough to skim through to the end to see how the story ended.

11. The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery (465 p.) Also about an orphaned girl, this time a French-American named Aurelie who ends up in Japan, just as it’s being opened to foreigners in the late 1800s. Interesting, and the culture-shock was intriguing, but I did think the ending was weak–very abrupt–but still, decent.

12. General Winston’s Daughter by Sharon Shinn (342 p.) YA fantasy, telling the story of 18-year old Avery, going to visit her father in Chiarrin, where she immediately embraces as much of its culture as she reasonably can, but all is not well, because there are rebels fighting for their country’s freedom. Averie becomes friends with Jalessa, a young fabric seller. This was very good, with a big twist at the end.

13. The Black Stallion by Walter Farley (187 p)
14. The Black Stallion Returns by Walter Farley (199 p)
15. Son of the Black Stallion by Walter Farley (282 p)
16. Black Stallion and Satan by Walter Farley (178 p)
17. The Black Stallion’s Filly by Walter Farley (242 p)
18. The Black Stallion Revolts by Walter Farley (263 p) Well, you’ve got to visit the old classics once in a while, huh? And still pretty entertaining in that wide-eyed, 1940s boy’s adventure story kind of way–the kind written with lots of action and lots of exclamation points, but which is still just fun. They’re mirrors of their time, but they’re entertaining, and I haven’t read them in years.

19. Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert (263 p.) A look at happiness, and how we as humans do and do not recognize it when we see it, how our brains can’t predict it, and how we misremember it later on. Entertaining AND informative, this was interesting.

20. Beneath the Vaulted Hills by Sean Russell (480 p.)
21. Compass of the Soul by Sean Russell (407 p.) Yet another reread of this duology by one of my favorite authors. In Farrland, a world much like ours at the end of the 18th century, science is gaining strength as men of reason reject the idea of magic and yet, there is still one mage living, the last of his kind, committed to seeing the magical Arts end. But there is a secret group, hidden for centuries, who are just waiting for the last mage to die, so that they can revive the Arts according to their strictures. Now, throw in a pair of inquisitive academics who are convinced there are answers to be found in a series of caves, a man who lived for several years in the mage’s house but has tried ever since to pretend that had never happened, a countess that all men find irresistable, an artist obsessed with her, a church deacon who cannot be trusted … I just love these books. Well written, great story, intriguing, appealing world … just excellent.

22. ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income by Darren Rowse an Chris Garrett (211 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–ways to make blogging make money for you. I read the blog and had to read the book–good, clear, informative, reasonable. I can’t tell you one way or another how well the instructions WORK since I have yet to try “monetizing” any of my blogs, but it certainly sounds interesting–and possible!

23. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley (247 p.) Another reread of a delightful YA book–A sweet variation on Beauty and the Beast with all likable characters, no real villains, and just a good story. Refreshing and charming.

24. House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones (404 p.) A YA/fantasy sequel to Howl’s Moving Castle, Charmain–a fairly selfish girl who just wants to sit and READ (no, no, I couldn’t relate to her at all) has to go look after her great-uncle’s house while he recovers from surgery. But, of course, it’s not that simple. Her great-uncle is a wizard, and the house is a labyrinth of magically-hidden passages. And the kobolds who do much of the maintenance are on strike, and an unexpected apprentice who can’t seem to work any spell at all shows up, and, really, all Charmain wants to do is spend time with the BOOKS. Charming, and it was nice to see Sophie and Howl again, and dog, Waif? Adorable….

25. Magic’s Pawn (The Last Herald-Mage Series, Book 1) by Mercedes Lackey (349 p.)
26. Magic’s Promise (The Last Herald-Mage Series, Book 2) by Mercedes Lackey (320 p.)
27. Magic’s Price (The Last Herald-Mage Series, Book 3) by Mercedes Lackey (336 p.) A fantasy trilogy which tells the rather tragic story of Vanyel, the last Herald-Mage. This is actually the set of books of hers I ever read, and I like to revisit them from time to time. Good story, but the ending always makes me sniffle.

28. The Fight for English: How Language Pundits Ate, Shot, and Left by David Crystal (222 p.) What a fascinating book. It takes the premise that the “take no prisoner” attitude of grammar pundits is detrimental to the language. The first half of the book is a fairly straight-forward look at the history of the various attempts to stablilize English usage over the last few centuries. But the second half is where it soars–so fascinating. It made me think, which is always good, and his reasoning is sound–that rules are helpful, but that it’s more important to understand why they’re there in the first place. That learning the POINT of grammar is more important than blindly following the rules. Great.

29. Balance of Trade (A Liaden Universe Novel) by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (451 p.) A YA sci-fi book that tells the story of Jethri Gobelyn, a young Terran trader who gets apprenticed to a Liaden Master Trader. It’s just a darn good story. But then, you already know how much I enjoy the Liaden stories (grin).

30. Dragonseye by Anne McCaffrey (353 p.) A stand-alone book in her Pern series, telling about Pern’s preparations for the Second Pass of the Red Star. Not one of the best in the series, but by no means the worst, either. Pleasant enough, and Iantine and Debera are appealing.

31. Little House Sampler by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane (243 p.) A collection of writings and reminiscences of these two authors. These days, most people just know about Laura’s writing, but her daughter Rose was actually much more famous until the “Little House” books swept through the school system (grin). Nice collection.

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Books from June // 5 Comments »

I have almost nothing to show you or to talk about today. My knitting is boring. No socks (at least I didn’t join the Summer of Socks this year, because I still can’t do anything). I’m knitting i-cord for the handle for my string bag, and you can imagine how exciting that is. And, otherwise? No inspiration about what to do next.

Sigh. At least the weather is lovely. About 75 degrees and no humidity to speak of.

Now, I haven’t done Booking Through Thursday in a while, which is ridiculous since I run the thing, so here we go:

Think about your favorite authors, your favorite books . . . what is it about them that makes you love them above all the other authors you’ve read? The stories? The characters? The way they appear to relish the taste of words on the tongue? The way they’re unafraid to show the nitty-gritty of life? How they sweep you off to a new, distant place? What is it about those books and authors that makes them resonate with you in ways that other, perfectly good books and authors do not?

I like this question, because it speaks to what makes reading so important to me. I read all sorts of things, and for a variety of reasons–to learn new things, to be inspired, to be entertained, to escape. But the books that keep pulling me back tend to have a few things in common. First, they have good stories. I find I don’t have much patience for stream-of-consciousness, meandering kinds of books. I like a nice, solid plot, the more complicated the better. Second, good characters. Which is to say, interesting characters that I can care about, preferably likeable. Third, good writing, a nice touch for the way words and imagery interact to make the feel of the story as multi-dimensional as possible. A book with a gripping story but mediocre writing usually isn’t going to pull me back. Fantastic writing with a yawn-inducing story? Um, no. And characters who are flat or boring or totally unlikeable? Those are the books I’ll end up closing.

Oh, and as an extra plus? I do love a story that takes me someplace else, but that feels real. I don’t care if it’s historical fiction, China, a fantasy universe … I want to feel like I could really be there, and that the world is real. I’ve read books that take place in the real world, in current times that felt completely unrealistic, and I’ve read books in completely imaginary worlds that felt like I could step through the page. Given a choice? I’ll take a book that FEELS real. In fact, one of the reasons I’ve always liked really good sci-fi and fantasy is because they give the author a chance to put “real” people in unreal situations and see what happens. How can you not be intrigued? (grin)

• Tags: Reading • Permalink:BTT: Flavor // 5 Comments »

So, this morning, after making blueberry pancakes for Dad’s Father’s Day breakfast, I made bread dough.

I used leftover rice from dinner the other night, sesame seeds, wheat germ, and a dash of molasses and vegetable oil, in addition to the usual flour, yeast, salt, and milk.

The finished loaf came out pretty well, if I do say so myself. Isn’t that a wonderful use of leftover rice?

I actually made three loaves, but only baked one of them. The other two are in the refrigerator, waiting to be baked later in the week.

It came out very nicely, and tasted great with a little butter while it was still warm from the oven. I haven’t made this recipe in ages, but there’s something about the rice and sesame seeds that makes it toast into wonderful, crisp toast. (Because, really, what’s the point of toast if it’s not crisp?) In fact, it’s one of the few times I really like peanut butter, because this bread, toasted, with peanut butter melting into it? Yummmmmm.

Oh, and Bonus Points to Carrie for correctly spotting the detour my weekend reading took. Because, yes, since last night I have read The Black Stallion, The Black Stallion Returns, Son of the Black Stallion, Black Stallion and Satan, The Black Stallion’s Filly, and The Black Stallion Revolts. Hey, they’re children’s books, they’re supposed to be fast reads. And still pretty entertaining in that wide-eyed, 1940s boy’s adventure story kind of way–the kind written with lots of action and lots of exclamation points, but which is still just fun. They’re mirrors of their time, but they’re entertaining, and I haven’t read them in years. In fact, the only one that shows up on my reading list is the original Black Stallion book, which I last read on August 4, 1997.

Really, between the Black Stallion jag this weekend and the Little House books two weeks ago, my reading list for the month is looking very healthy!

Hey, Mom pointed out this blog to me–written by a Border Collie named Fenway. Chappy’s a little jealous that he has a blog of his very own, but I think he’s really just as happy to let me do most of the writing. It’s not like he doesn’t guest-post here and on Mom’s blog from time to time, right? And in the meantime, he gets to snooze while I do all the work. (He’s a smart boy!)

• Tags: Baking, General, Reading • Permalink:Bread // 2 Comments »

Here’s what I read in May:

1. The Serpent on the Crown by Elizabeth Peters (350 p.)
2. Tomb of the Golden Bird by Elizabeth Peters (381 p.) The last two “Amelia Peabody” mysteries. I read through most of the series last month. Delectable series, although the earlier books are better, I think.

3. The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby (209 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–a book on photography. Each page is a tip or a method written as simple advice, as if you and the author were out on a shoot together. Lots of useful hints, though many of them require a DSLR to use … but not all of them! Short, simple, helpful.

4. A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns by Lisa Lloyd (156 p.) Tips on preparing and spinning a fleece, and then patterns for using the yarn–including some very nice patterns. Good book, though I wish some of the sweater photos were less “artistic” and more practical in terms of seeing the actual shape of the sweater.

5. Search the Dark by Charles Todd (310 p.) Second Inspector Rutlege book, taking place just after WWI. I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first one, a nice, intelligent mystery with an engaging lead character who’s stricken with a post-traumatic-stress-syndrome ghost of his very own who “comments” on the case as it moves along.

6. Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition) by Bryan Peterson (158 p.) Another photography book, and a really good one. It explains very clearly, with some lovely photos as illustration, what exactly “exposure” is in a photograph and the whys and hows of taking advantage of it. I was really impressed with this one.

7. The Big Over Easy: A Nursery Crime by Jasper Fforde (382 p.)
8. The Fourth Bear: A Nursery Crime by Jasper Fforde (378 p.) Ah, Jasper Fforde, with his wacky and totally unique sense of humor. These are his two “Nursery Crime” books–in the first, Detective Jack Spratt (with his new assistant, Constable Mary Mary) investigates the mysterious death of Humpty Dumpty, and in the second, he looks into the disappearance of an investigative reporter known to her friends as Goldilocks… Silly, funny, totally creative. I admit that I like the Thursday Next books better, but, really, no complaints. These were both highly enjoyable.

9. The Game of Kings (Lymond Chronicles, 1) by Dorothy Dunnett (543 p.)
10. Queens’ Play (Lymond Chronicles, 2) by Dorothy Dunnett (432 p.) The first two of the Lymond Chronicle books–one of the best historical fiction series ever (in my own, personal opinion). These two are almost stand-alones, telling a more-or-less self-contained story in each, but laying a lot of the background needed to appreciate later books in the series. I like the second one a little better–the first one always takes me a while to “get into,” but really, they’re both so good, who cares? Elaborate, multi-layered, you can never be sure what’s going on or who (since the author is ruthless) is going to get killed next, they’re just fabulous books.

11. Mystic and Rider (The Twelve Houses, Book 1) by Sharon Shinn (440 p.)
12. The Thirteenth House (The Twelve Houses, Book 2) by Sharon Shinn (423 p.)
13. Dark Moon Defender (The Twelve Houses, Book 3) by Sharon Shinn (435 p.)
14. Reader and Raelynx (The Twelve Houses, Book 4) by Sharon Shinn (420 p.) The “Twelve Houses” series by Sharon Shinn. Now it’s no secret that I adore Sharon Shinn, though these may not be my favorite of her books–they are much more classic kind of fantasy than some of her others–quest, magic, swordplay–and yet they’re still well worth the read. Each book has a love story at its heart, without being at all a “romance” kind of book. The love stories aren’t the point, they just add extra zing to the story of a world where there are mystics who are gifted with magic by the gods, and those who are fantatically against them and rebelling against the king. Good books, definitely enjoyable.

15. The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism by Megan Marshall (452 p.) A biography of a trio of sisters–Elizabeth, Mary, and Sophie–who were each instrumental in the Transcendetalism movement that swept through New England (and elsewhere) in the mid 1800’s. Fascinating women of whom I’d never heard before. Really good biography. Interesting.

16. The Disorderly Knights by Dorothy Dunnett (503 p.)
17. Pawn in Frankincense by Dorothy Dunnett (486 p.) The next two books in the Lymond Chronicles. These two rather work as a pair because they both center on Francis Crawford trying to outwit and defeat the same villain.

18. Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together by Larissa Brown & Martin John Brown (154 p.) A very nice book about the social aspects of knitting–whether from people sitting and knitting together, knitting for the same cause, or knitting the same pattern via an internet-base knitalong, it examines why there is such appeal for knitting WITH someone else. Interesting and enjoyable, with some patterns, too.

19. Nikon D40/D40x Digital Field Guide by David D Busch (230 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–a full-length guide to using all the features on my new camera.

20. The Ringed Castle by Dorothy Dunnett (521 p.) Fifth Lymond Chronicle book, with him now the head of the Russian army under Ivan the Terrible, and his on-paper-only bride settling in at the English court of Queen Mary and looking into Francis’ “irregular” background.

21. Aunt Maria by Diana Wynne Jones (214 p.) Mig, her brother and mother go to visit her father’s aunt–a sweetly manipulative woman who may actually be evil… and be able to turn people into animals!

22. Dealing with Dragons: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book One by Patricia Wrede (212 p.)
23. Searching for Dragons: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book Two by Patricia Wrede (242 p.) The first two books of this engaging little series (and my favorites). They’re kind of a spoof on a classic fairy tale where the princess gets captured by a dragon and rescued by a prince–because in this case, the princess is actually bored with embroidery lessons and volunteers to become a dragon’s princess, and happily settles down to organize her treasure and library and chase off any knights who come to “rescue” her. Funny and light, they are YA books and simply fun.

24. Little House in the Big Woods Book and Charm (Charming Classics) by Laura Ingalls Wilder (238 p.) Well, it’s a classic–the very first “Little House” book from when the Ingalls family still lived in Wisconsin and Laura was 4-5 years old. Sweet. Wholesome. Classic. And the Garth Williams’ illustrations? Perfection.

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Books from May // 5 Comments »

Does it get simpler (or better) than spinning and reading?

You’ll be relieved to know that my spinning wheel has at least gotten about 20 minutes’ worth of spinning time over the last couple of days. Not a LOT of time, perhaps, but still, better than it was getting!

And, it’s HARD taking a picture of yourself spinning (without using a tripod and self-timer), but I tried. Just as proof.

Oh–it’s Mom’s 100th post over at her MV blog. Go congratulate her on her milestone, huh?

Mostly, though, I’ve been bit by the nostalgia bug today and have been revisiting a few old, favorite books. Like the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It’s been years since I read any of these, and I’ve more or less had a smile on my face all afternoon. From the stories to the Garth Williams illustrations, they’re just a delight.

It’s been in my collection so long, I even have a card-catalog card from back when I actually kept a card-catalog of my very own. (I do keep telling you that I’m a librarian at heart, right?) That goes back to around the time I was 10, I think. I used Mom’s old, manual type-writer but no longer remember what the star I drew at the bottom meant. Maybe it was marking it as a favorite? Nor do I remember the reason for the “7″ written at the top. (Written with a horizontal bar across it, too. Funny, I thought I’d only been doing that since high school, but obviously, it’s been longer than that.) The book, though, cost $1.50, so it’s obviously been in my collection for a while. My copies of the “core” books (Praririe, Plum Creek, Long Winter) are newer editions. When we were little, my sister was the one who owned copies of those. She would let me borrow them, but they were hers. At some point, after she got married and moved away, I bought copies of my own. I mean, you’ve got to keep the library current, right?

I can’t help thinking, too, about what great books they are for children to read. I think it’s important to have a sense about how life has changed, and how people used to live, but also, there are so many references to Laura wanting to burst out laughing, or to ask questions, or to keep that half a cookie for herself instead of sharing with Carrie. It’s so easy to forget, in this age of plentitude, how scarce things used to be, or how different childrens’ lives were than they are now. I think it’s good for children to read about a time when children weren’t the center of everybody’s attention, and when they were expected to have manners and behave, instead of feeling entitled to all the attention they wanted. I certainly spent plenty of time when I was little wanting to be the center of attention, and it was good for me to have that “Children should be seen and not heard” mantra repeated every now and again in these books–because even though it’s not necessarily true now, it’s never a bad thing to realize that it used to be. How can a child feel lucky and blessed by all the modern benefits if they don’t know that it didn’t used to be true. (I can still remember how shocked I was when I realized that, say, the Pilgrims didn’t have running water. No electricity, sure, that I knew, but no WATER? How was that possible?) I think the “seen and not heard” rule is kind of extreme these days, and woul have hated it when I was little, but reading about how Laura had to put up with it and control herself was definitely a good influence on me.

I always rather related to Laura, being the younger sister to a “perfect” older sister … I wonder if Mary was really as good as Laura always thought she was, or if it was just that she was older and had a head-start at manners and self-control. Because I know that, being the younger sister myself, I more or less always felt that she was “better,” as in better-behaved, than I was. It didn’t seem like she got yelled at for being naughty or noisy nearly as often as I did, but I think that two and a half year headstart worked in her favor. I don’t actually think that I was that naughty a child (I hope), or that she was so perfect (I also hope), just that … when you’re four or five it’s just not possible to be as “effortlessly” good as your six or seven year old sister.

Okay, now, speaking of reading, I’ve got to go get my monthly reading list written up. I can’t believe it’s the end of May already….

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Reading • Permalink:Old-Time Entertainment // 6 Comments »

This is where I pretty much spent my entire day today–sitting on my favorite chair with Chappy. I had a vacation day off from work today but it was such a wet, dreary kind of day, I decided that I didn’t want to leave the house at all. So, I didn’t.

Instead, I relaxed with a book for most of the day–Queens’ Play by Dorothy Dunnett–the second book in the Lymond Chronicle series, and my fourth time reading it. Really, an excellent book for such an otherwise blah kind of day. Action, adventure, romance, derring-do, political intrigue … great reading. Appropriate, too, because this is the tail end of “Reading is Fun” week, which I only just heard about yesterday.

I did some knitting with my reading, too. I’ve got both my current socks up to the final stretch of ribbing. I bet you’d forgotten that I was even knitting any socks, huh? Since I’ve barely mentioned them in the month and a half since I started them. The yarn is Claudia Hand-Painted in a green color whose official name I can’t remember, and they have been the only other knitting project I’ve worked on since I started my blue cardigan in April.

I know, weird, huh? But, this reminds me–Susan? I need to know your foot measurements, please!

Really, though, it’s been a nice, quiet day. It’s been a long time since I managed to stay away from my computer for any length of time, and that made for a nice change. And certainly Chappy and I enjoyed our time together, as always. The downside was that, since all four of us were home doing nothing very exciting, we had pretty much nothing to talk about at supper. Oh, well!

Another interesting link for you? How about this man’s performance art? He takes leaning on a wall to a whole, new level.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Reading • Permalink:Lazy but Dry // 5 Comments »

So, those of you going to MDSW this weekend, I hope you have a great time. I’ll be home hanging out with Chappy. The weather this weekend won’t be nearly as nice as it was last year, so I don’t expect I’ll be sitting with my spinning wheel out on the deck tomorrow. I’m looking forward to all the reports as all of you happy fiber people stagger back to your computers.

For sheer spectacle, watching Janine’s Fair Isle project is going to be riveting.

In the meantime, I’ve got a new, fiber-y book to admire this weekend. A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns. I heard so many great things about it, I couldn’t resist.

Hey, even with money tight, you know I can’t resist a good book. In fact, there are a couple others there, too, including two current photography books. (You know, as opposed to that old “Idiot’s Guide” I read last week.) Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson, and The Digital Photography Book, Volume 1 by Scott Kelby (who wrote that Photoshop book I’ve been having such fun with). Not to mention ProBlogger.

Oh, and I tried on my sweater, and it’s coming along nicely. Phew!

Anyway, I hope all of you fiber-festival-goers have a wonderful time. And, really, I suppose I don’t realy have that much room for complaint. After all, I’ve done a sheep-and-wool festival already this season. Granted, it was a lot smaller and there wasn’t nearly as much to buy, but it was perfect anyway.

• Tags: General, Reading • Permalink:Looking On // 7 Comments »

Here are the books I read in April.

1. The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters (313 p.)
2. Lion in the Valley by Elizabeth Peters (310 p.)
3. The Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters (289 p.)
4. The Last Camel Died at Noon by Elizabeth Peters (430 p.)
5. The Snake, the Crocodile & the Dog by Elizabeth Peters (436 p.)
6. The Hippopotamus Pool by Elizabeth Peters (356 p.)
7. Seeing a Large Cat by Elizabeth Peters (386 p.)
8. The Ape Who Guards the Balance by Elizabeth Peters (376 p.)
9. The Falcon at the Portal by Elizabeth Peters (366 p.)
10. He Shall Thunder in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters (400 p.)
11. Lord of the Silent by Elizabeth Peters (404 p.)
12. The Golden One by Elizabeth Peters (429 p.)
13. Children of the Storm by Elizabeth Peters (400 p.)
Yes–I pretty much read my way through the Amelia Peabody series–the intrepid Victorian Egyptologist, her husband Emerson and her precocious son Ramses. I skipped the first two books which are my least favorite, but then just read and read for books and books. And, honestly, Ramses as a child? One of my favorite characters ever. Still, I can’t believe I spent an entire month on one series… (grin)

14. Things I Learned From Knitting (Whether I Wanted To or Not) by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (159 p.) A series of comical life-lessons, courtesy of the Yarn Harlot. Amusing and altogether too true, but I’ll admit, this wasn’t my favorite of her books. But, since it’s Stephanie and filled with her usual wit, I liked it anyway! Just, maybe not quite as much as some of her others.

15. Charlie Wilson’s War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times by George Crile (523 p.) I’d been curious about this ever since I saw the movie last year, and enjoyed the book quite a lot. The hidden story behind the CIA’s part in the Russian/Afghanistan war of the early 1980s. Who knew? Well-written, entertaining, and quite a good story to boot.

16. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (246 p.) Yes, a little band-wagonish of me, but honestly, this collection of life wisdom and stories by a dying professor is wonderful. And, if you didn’t see his Last Lecture, by all means, take the 70 minutes and watch. Very bittersweet, because he’s facing his death with such optimism, and is so wholly focused on his 3 little kids.

17. Complete Idiot’s Guide to Photography by Woodson (253 p.) Just what it sounds, though my copy more or less pre-dates digital photography. Kind of old, but I wanted to revisit it.

18. Mandy by Julie (Andrews) Edwards (279 p.) This was the “trip book” Mom and I read together on Martha’s Vineyard. My sister got her own, hardcover copy when it was published back when we were little and she and I both loved it, but Mom had never read it. So, obviously, that needed to change. This is a sweet little story of an orphan who climbs over the wall behind the orphanage’s orchard and finds a little abandone cottage and decides to adopt it for herself. Very sweet.

19. Photoshop for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby (349 p.) Well, I’ve already raved about this one. What fantastic tips and tricks for making photos better!

20. Teach Yourself Photography by Lee Smith (146 p.) Another photography book pulled out of the back of the library. More useful than the other one since it talks (and shows) more about how to see good pictures and then capture them. But, still, it’s a film-photography book and I haven’t picked up a film camera in years, so it’s not AS useful as it could be (grin)

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Books from April // 5 Comments »

Well, Mom has definitely caught Dad’s cold and has been more or less miserable today. I spent most of my day either in the kitchen (waffles for breakfast, pot roast and baked potatoes for supper), or reading. (A book on photography, that book on Photoshopping pictures, and I’m still working my way through the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters.)

Here’s a really interesting article about how shoes are BAD for our feet. Fascinating, and similar to something I read a few months ago. It’s just a shame that I really hate going barefoot (grin). Stepping on a bee, more than once, in a summer when you’re about 5 can have that affect.

That book I bought yesterday, about Photoshop tricks for digital photos? Oh, my. SO worth the money. Look at some of the touch-ups I’ve done with its tips.

Improved the colors:

Improved over-exposed flash photos:

Brightened too-dark photos:

Click for bigger, as always. Already, this book (here’s the link again) is well worth its money. (These changes–practically effortless–and the tip on renaming batches of photos in Photoshop en masse is like a dream come true. I think I’m in love.)

Oh, and then–speaking of reading–there was this.

Speaking of reading, look what I got in the mail yesterday. A bookplate signed by one of my favorite authors, Anne McCaffrey. I read about the possibility of getting one a while ago and sent an e-mail just gushing, to ask for one.

I … have been hooked ever since. In fact, I just re-read the Pern books last week because, well, that’s what you DO with favorite authors. (The people who don’t understand the concept of “comfort reading” clearly are not real readers.) I have a copy of the Dragonriders game stashed in a closet, too–that old one, with the cardboard markers of each character … You get the idea. I like the knitting references, too, because I’m a diehard knitter and spinner myself. I saw on the blog that Anne doesn’t knit much anymore, but quilts these days, even though she has a stash of needles and patterns in the attic. Well, be still my heart! The very thought makes me drool. And then, of course, there are the other authors that I’ve found because of Anne McCaffrey. I would never have discovered the Liaden series if I hadn’t seen it mentioned, and if she hadn’t written the intro to the multi-volume books that were published a few years ago. She had a blurb on Sharon Shinn’s “Archangel,” too, which has since become one of my favorite books. Really, the number of hours of sheer reading pleasure I’ve gotten either directly from Anne McCaffrey or from virtual recommendations of hers are uncountable. So, while entirely understanding if it’s not possible because of sheer numbers and fatigue, well, I had to at least ask, right?”

But when the envelope came yesterday? Who do I know in Ireland, I wondered. Imagine my delight when I opened it. So cool. Now I just have to decide what to do with it!

And meanwhile, hope that Mom gets better FAST. She’s got someplace she needs to be Tuesday night and has to be better for it! Send her get-well vibes, would you please?

• Tags: Family, General, Reading • Permalink:Sunday Snippets // 12 Comments »

Here are the books I read in March:

1. All the Weyrs of Pern by Anne McCaffrey (404 p.) The last of the “good” Pern books, in my opinion–one of my favorite sci-fi series. Here, the people of Pern finally beat Thread once and for all….

2. Song of the Beast by Carol Berg (467 p.) Her books usually come in series, but this one is a stand-alone. Aidan–cousin to the king and master bard–has spent the last 17 years in prison for reasons he doesn’t understand. Now, he is free but hunted by the dragon handlers who seem to hold a grudge. Carol Berg writes a masterful fantasy book, almost always filled with heartache and suffering, and this one certainly fits … very good.

3. Crystal Soldier by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (321 p.)
4. Crystal Dragon by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (359 p.) These are the two “Pre-Liaden” books, telling the story of Liaden’s far-distant beginnings, how Cantra yos’Phelium and M. Jela meet and ride the luck to help save the galaxy. Excellent sci-fi, though I prefer the “real” Liaden books better, if only because I so like the settled world they created first. I enjoy reading about these beginnings, but love reading the core books more.

5. The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope (266 p.) A YA book that I would have loved when I was 12 but kind of bored me as an adult. Peggy is newly-orphaned and sent to her family’s home in New England where she’s soundly ignored by her uncle but visited by Colonial-era ghosts who tell her their story … So disappointing–if only I’d discovered it 30 years ago.

6. Dark Watcher by Lilith Saintcrow (186 p.) A modern, urban fantasy book. Theodora is a greatly-gifted witch being hunted (unbeknownst to her), and has been assigned a Watcher named Dante to keep her safe. Good enough book though I didn’t love it–but then, urban fantasy isn’t my favorite.

7. Standing Still by Kelly Simmons (262 p.) Claire suffers from panic attacks, but when she finds an intruder about to kidnap her daughter from her bed, she asks that he take her instead–which he does. This is a first novel by a fellow knitter (I heard about it on Ravelry first) and was very good. Not as intense as the premise sounds, it’s really a very … mellow … kind of story, restricted almost entirely to the hotel room where Claire is held captive. It’s not a daring-escape, edge-of-your-seat kind of story, but it was good. (Which, since it got a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly is pretty much what you’d expect, right?)

8. Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb (662 p.) Fantasy, first in a series. Fitz has been living a quiet, isolated life for years, but suddenly is brought back to Court by a threat to the Prince … standard kind of fantasy, well-done, enjoyable enough.
9. The Arm of the Stone by Victoria Strauss (426 p.) Also fantasy. Imagine that the gifts of mind power (telepathy, and so on) used to be part of our world until The Stone was stolen and all the magical towns and people suddenly were in a splintered alternate world? And that that world cracked down on any technological advances as blasphemy? And that one family was destined, in secret, to reclaim the stone that had once belonged to their ancestor? This was really excellent.

10. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (309 p.)
11. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (341 p.)
12. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (345 p.)
13. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (734 p.)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (870 p.)
14. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
14. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling–Just this little, YA fantasy series you might have heard of? I’m pretty proud of myself for resisting rereading book seven since I read it in July, and thoroughly enjoyed reading the entire series from beginning to end.

15. Wood: Craft, Culture, History by Harvey Green (405 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–a history of wood, its uses, and how the need of it has affected human development. Informative, well-researched, nicely-written, but not exactly gripping as a story (grin). Still, it was interesting to learn that “hardwood” and “softwood” are not actually defined by the relative strength of the woods, but by the way the trees actually grow. I had no idea–I had just always assumed that hardwood was, well, hard!

16. Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermeyer (320 p.) First in an epistolary trilogy–written in the form of letters between two cousins in post-Napoleonic England in an alternate world where magic actually exists. Charming. Fun. Good read.

17. Escaping Into the Open: The Art of Writing True by Elizabeth Berg (223 p.) A very nice book about writing–tips on how to write, how to discipline yourself to write, how to find inspiration … all that.

18. No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin (636 p.) Excellent–which, since it won the Pulitzer, shouldn’t be surprising. This tells the story of the Roosevelts during WWII and was fascinating. They certainly had an interesting marriage, but, wow, was Eleanor ever a woman ahead of her time. I’ve never really read a book about her, even though she’s always mentioned on lists of “great women,” and just based on this book alone I’m incredibly impressed. Fascinating story–this is exactly the kind of history book I like best. Stories of the people and personal interactions going on and the way they affected the bigger events unfolding. Because, really, if you don’t know about the people, the rest is just names and dates, right?

19. The Grand Tour by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevemeyer (469 p.) The second of this trilogy–Kate and Cecy are now married and travelling together on their wedding journey, when they (and their husbands) stumble on a mysterious plot focusing on various magical ruins about Europe. I don’t think this is as good as the first book, but part of that is because they’re not letters. Instead, Kate is writing in her journal and Cecy is telling her story as part of a deposition–it loses that personal connection of telling the events to someone. But still, enjoyable.

20. The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevemeyer (328 p.) Third of the trilogy and it takes place ten years later–another mystery but this time with added children. At least it’s back to direct-address letters again, this time with Thomas and James (the husbands) chiming in with their own. Good, but the first book is still the best.

21. The Garden of the Stone by Victoria Strauss (485 p.) The sequel to The Arm of the Stone, and definitely the weaker of the two. It takes place about 30 years after the first book and focuses on Cariad, Bron’s daughter who has never met him but has been trained as an assassin and wants nothing more than to kill Jolyon for his part in her parents’ downfall. This had its moments but I don’t think it was nearly as good as the first one–Cariad and her story just wasn’t as interesting as Bron’s story in the earlier book, and the best part of this one was when Konstant finds Bron in “our” world….

22. Clean House Clean Planet by Karen Logan (281 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–a book about how to clean things with environmentally-sound products. As in, instead of using harsh detergents that just leach into the world’s water supply, things you can use instead to clean anything from your floor to your furniture to your bathroom to your jewelry. Now I just need some spray bottles to mix some of my own….

23. A Test of Wills by Charles Todd (305 p.) Mystery, first in its series, with Inspector Rutledge taking the lead. It’s 1919 and he’s just back from WWI and suffering from “shell-shock” (aka Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) but struggling to pick up his life as a Scotland Yard inspector. Very good mystery. Enjoyed it a lot.

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Books from March // 4 Comments »

You’ve just reached the end of a book . . . what do you do now? Savor and muse over the book? Dive right into the next one? Go take the dog for a walk, the kids to the park, before even thinking about the next book you’re going to read? What? (Obviously, there can be more than one answer, here–a book with a cliff-hanger is going to engender different reactions than a serene, stand-alone, but you get the idea!)

It’s been far too long since I answered one of the BTT questions myself, which, you know, is pretty silly since I’m the one asking them in the first place.

So, me? Simple. When I hit the end of a book I plunge full-steam ahead into the next one. I mean, it’s pretty clear that I have a reading addiction, right? You could probably call me a chain-reader. Even when I finish a book at bedtime, I still need to find another book to read before I can go to sleep, so it’s ready to go. As I move around the house, I always have a book with me, so it’s available at a moment’s notice. The only time I really pause between books? When I can’t find just the right one to “click.” I call that being “Bookless,” and it’s a tragic thing (sniffle).

• Tags: Reading • Permalink:After the End // 8 Comments »

Okay, the embedding didn’t work, so you’ve got to click over to the site, but it’s worth it. Go here . . . Lookybook. It’s a cute little site with scans of picture books, and this one, The Princess and the Pizza by Mary Jane and Herb Auch is just adorable.

And, psst! Did you know the new Spring Knitty is up?

• Tags: Reading • Permalink:Princess and the Pizza // 4 Comments »

This picture pretty much encapsulates today for you . . . in the cozy house with Chappy while the rain streams down outside.

Okay, technically, Mom and I went out for coffee this morning, which we usually do on Saturday mornings, but that was, what, an hour? Hour and a half? Away from the house, so it barely counts. (Except for the fact that we split a cinnamon bun–Mara’s makes excellent cinnamon buns and is worth getting a little wet for.)

Otherwise? Well, it will say a lot about my day when I tell you that I’m on my fifth book since this time yesterday. Yesterday, I was finishing up Crystal Dragon by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller–which I finished just before 8:00 last night. Then I went onto The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope (yawn), then Dark Watcher by Lilith Saintcrow (okay), which I finished about 12:30 last night. Then I picked up Standing Still by Kelly Simmons and read the first couple chapters before going to sleep. This book, incidentally, I picked up because Kelly mentioned it on Ravelry, and well, isn’t this what you do for friends and acquaintances when they get their books published? And, well, if she’s on Ravelry, that means she’s a fiber person and therefore an acquaintance. I finished that around 1:00 this afternoon (good), and am now reading Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb.

And, I can’t help it. I was too tired to do anything constructive like spin or work on the computer, so I just read instead. Reading is easy.

Oh, I also spent about an hour sitting in the living room with Mom and my spinning wheel, which was ideal. She worked on her cross-stitch and I spun, which was soothing and productive and yet gave my eyes a nice rest. May I just say how grateful I am that I’ve improved enough to spin with my eyes closed? In fact, it was so relaxing, I almost fell asleep while spinning, which would have just been too strange–which is when I got up to make some tea instead. I drank that, read a bit, and then figured I should write a post since it’s been a couple days since I wrote a “real” one. The plans for tonight? Supper, and then Mom and I are going to watch The Queen (which neither of us has seen yet).

All in all, a lazy kind of day, but Chappy’s just glad that all of us are home. Even if this heavy rain did mean that he missed out on any chance for a walk today! But . . . lazy is good once in a while, right?

Oh–and for those of you affected, don’t forget to change your clocks ahead tonight for Daylight Savings Time. (Grumble, grumble. I hate losing sleep, and having to get up an hour “early” is not fun, either, which makes this coming Monday one of my least-favorite Mondays of the year.)

• Tags: Family, General, Reading, Weather • Permalink:Wet // 9 Comments »

Okay, here’s my reading list from the month of February. As you can see, I went on a nostalgia kick….

1. The Song Reader by Lisa Tucker (306 p) Teenager Leeann narrates this book about her older sister, who is convinced that the songs that run through people’s heads are the key to their troubles . . . until things fall apart. A really enjoyable book, the author nicely captures the early 1980s and the bonds holding these two sisters together. And, really, Mary Beth might have been on to something about the ear-worm thing….

2. The Keeping Days by Norma Johnston (238 p.)
3. Glory in the Flower by Norma Johnston (198 p) YA. The first two (and the best) books in the “Keeping Days” series–these are classics, centering around Tish Sterling growing up in Queens around 1900, with her opinionated, high-tempered family. I’ve been huge fans of these books since I was about 13 and like to pull them out to reread them every now and again. The first one introduces Tish and her family, her sister Bronwyn’s courtship by two men (or, really, every man that meets her), Tish’s budding friendship with a neighborhood boy that loves books as much as she does, her clashes with her strong-minded mother . . . The second one centers around the high school’s production of “Romeo and Juliet,” and has always pretty much perfectly described the “sensitive, misunderstood” self-centered chaos that even the most generous teenager has to deal with. There are more books to this series but they are ALL out of print these days, and only the first two have triggered the desire for me to hunt down copies for my own library. They’re definitely worth it, though.

4. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (309 p.)
5. Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery (207 p.)
6. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery (244 p.)
7. Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery (258 p.)
8. Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery (230 p.)
9. Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (277 p.)
10. Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery (225 p.)
11. Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (277 p.) YA. It’s been a loooong time since I read through the entire “Anne” series–usually I stop after the original trilogy–but the stars were aligned, and so I read all seven . . . ranging from Anne’s arrival at Green Gables as an imaginative, 11-year old orphan, through her courtship, her marriage, and her motherhood to five equally imaginative children. The final book focuses on her daughter Rilla, growing up during WWI, and makes a great end to the series. Books 5 and 6, which focus more on Anne’s children have never been my favorites, but there’s something about the strength of character that comes through–for everybody–in that final book that redeems them all. Although, really, it’s the first three that are by far the best. The complete collection of “Anne” books can be bought as a group right here.

12. Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence (246 p.) Biography of Jane Austen, and the one which the movie was loosely based on. It’s not the first bio I’ve read, but it was very readable, and very clear. A good book which stresses the various pressures she was under to marry (or not) and to write (or not).

13. Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott (258 p.)
14. Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott (311 p.) Children/YA. The two books focusing on Rose Campbell and her seven bonnie, blond, high-spirited cousins. The first book takes place when Rose is 13 and newly-orphaned, and being brought back to health and sense by her all-wise Uncle Alec. The second is years later, just before she comes into her inheritance, and as she’s being courted by all and sundry. Now, these are sweet, wholesome books (and the first is better than the second). But they are rather TOO sweet. A little too preachy and moralistic as Miss Alcott teaches us all these important lessons about health over vanity and self-sacrifice over selfishness . . . I’ve loved Louisa May Alcott since I was a child, but I find my tolerance for her particular brand of sweetness is much lower than it used to be. I described it as comparable to eating sticky, sweet cinnamon buns–one is delicious, but more than that? As a child, that much sugar cannot be anything but good, but as an adult . . . one (or two) at a time is really enough. Still. I’ve always liked Rose, and I have an inkling that it’s thanks to Uncle Alec that I still mostly eat Oatmeal for breakfast almost every day.

15. Once Upon a Day: A Novel by Lisa Tucker (342 p.) An interesting novel–it starts by telling Dorothea’s story–she’s been raised on an isolated estate in New Mexico with her brother–no television, no computers, and lots and lots of safety restrictions by their father–no knives, no climbing trees, no staying in the sun for more than 20 minutes at a time, no pets because they might bite. You get the idea. When her brother grew up, he left, and then Dorothea’s father got sick . . . so she left to try to find her brother, whose last known address was Missouri. There are a lot of interwoven stories, here–telling the story of Dorothea’s search for her brother, but also telling the story of their (dead?) mother, how she met their father, and what led up to his taking the children to such a remote place, and also Stephen–the widowed cab-driver who helps Dorothea find her brother, and Janet, who had been their mother’s best friend . . . Good book.

16. The Salterton Trilogy: Tempest-Tost by Robertson Davies (242 p.)
17. The Salterton Trilogy: Leaven of Malice by Robertson Davies (220 p.) The first two books of the Salterton Trilogy. The first tells about an amateur theater production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and the second about a prank of an engagement announcement in the local paper of two people who barely know each other . . . and the ensuing chaos when the girl’s father takes it personally and threatens to sue the paper for libel . . . I really love Robertson Davies’ books and find his interesting blend of scholarly writing plus humor plus interesting characters and situations to be fascinating, but in just about all his trilogies, there’s always one book out of each that I don’t particularly care for. Luckily, though, you can get full enjoyment out of the other books on their own . . . And, really, I’ve always rather enjoyed reading about Solly and Veronica’s response to that engagement-announcement predicament.

18. Dream When You’re Feeling Blue: A Novel by Elizabeth Berg (276 p.). Taking place in Chicago during WWII, and following the Heaney sisters as they write letters to their men overseas (one sister’s fiance, one sister’s hopes-to-be-fiance, and then the third sister’s revolving list of penpals). Told from Kitty’s point of view, it follows her growth as a woman throughout the war, leading up to a sacrifice for one of her family members … Good, but sad. (Oh, and the blurb on the back of the book–annoyingly mixes the names of the soldiers the two sisters are writing to, saying that Julian is Louise’s fiance and Michael is Kitty’s boyfriend, when the names are reversed. It’s not quite so bad as the glaring error in the title of the book I got in October, but still . . . don’t people check these things??)

19. Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley (342 p.) YA book in a somewhat alternate-universe America where dragons are real and endangered but it is just as illegal to help one as to hurt one, Jake, 15 when the book begins, finds a dying dragon, killed by a poacher beside her newborn babies. He takes the one, still-alive dragonet to try to save her life and thus begins the long process of trying to keep her a secret. As always, Robin McKinley is just wonderful.

20. The Places In Between by Rory Stewart (297 p.) The true story of the author’s walk across Afghanistan. I found it interesting and his writing style is engaging, but I wasn’t as entranced as the blurbs on the cover led me to hope that I would be. Still, good book.

21. Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley (306 p.) The second retelling of the story “Beauty and the Beast,” which is interesting just in itself–that she chose to tell the same, basic story twice. I tend to like the first one a little more, but still, this is a lovely little book with a good story and wonderful story-telling.

22. Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn (355 p.) Fantasy book by one of my favorite authors. Cori is a half-blood noble who lives most of her time in her Grandmother’s humble cottage, learning to be an herbalist, but during the summers, she visits at Castle Auburn, admiring the dashing Prince Bryan, and adoring her sister Elisandra, who’s betrothed to him. As Cori gets older, though, she starts seeing signs that Bryan is not perhaps as wonderful as she’d thought him, and she begins to dread her sister’s marrying him…

23. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey (188 p.) The first Pern book, and in terms of writing, it’s not the best, but it lays the foundation for the rest of the series and is therefore a must. To save the world, F’lar and Lessa must convince everyone that the dangerous Thread that falls from space are due to start their cycle of destruction again, despite a long interval of 400 years since the last time. Not only that, but they must figure out how one, understaffed weyr of dragons can do the job that had been handled by five in the past…

24. Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey (320 p.) Book two, and with the true “voice” of Anne McCaffrey. Taking place 8 years after the first, things have settled into routine, but there are political problems now, as well as practical ones–like, is it possible to visit the Red Star and eliminate Thread at the source?

25. White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey (296 p.) Book three, focusing this time on young Lord Holder Jaxon, rider of Ruth, the sport white dragon. This has always been my favorite of the original “set.” Jaxom is an engaging young fellow, and the tease at the end as he and the other characters discover Landing–the original settlement from when men arrived on Pern thousands of years ago–is delectable.

26. The Renegades of Pern by Anne McCaffrey (384 p.) The next Pern book in the timeline and, while not one of the best, it’s an important transition to the next “phase” of the story. And the last third of it is great.

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Books from February // 8 Comments »

I know, I know, I didn’t post yesterday. Apparently the time felt endless, because I got an e-mail this afternoon asking if everything was all right. I mean, come on, I only missed one day . . . but still it was sweet of her to ask (and yes, I’m teasing). I hope none of you suffered unduly at the lack of an exciting Tuesday. (Because, trust me, it wouldn’t have been exciting even if I had posted. Watching the NY Philharmonic playing in North Korea was MUCH more interesting than anything I could have summoned up to talk about last night.)

I’ve been working on my blue merino and oh, this is really just the prettiest color. I don’t think I’m going to have the heart to ply it with the other roving I bought to go with it. Which, really, is a shame because I had wanted enough to make a sweater, and I don’t think 8 ounces is going to be enough on its own. But, still . . . it sure is pretty!

Of course, I could ply half of it with itself and then spin up the black/blue roving and ply half of it with itself, and then use the other halves to blend . . . that would make for some really interesting color in a sweater, huh? Pure blue at the top, blue and black barber-poled together in the middle, and the black at the bottom? Hmmmm . . .

Then there’s the knitting–I’m getting close to having the back on my Flutter-sleeved cardigan done. I’m not sure how many rows are left, but I think I’m about midway through the sleeve shaping at the top. (he sleeves, of course, are part of the back of the sweater–not separate pieces–so the rows are longer now, but, no complaints. It’s moving along nicely, the Silky Wool is a pleasure, and I absolutely love the shade of green (though it’s HARD to photograph!)

It’s a little strange, having only this one thing in my knitting bag.

Technically, I do have a second project–these little wrist-warmers that I’m carrying around in my purse for knitting emergencies. The yarn is the handspun Aspen merino/tencel from last month and the stitch is actually the one from the Suede Berroco tote I made a couple years ago. And, in fact, the same as I used on my Sundara Black Lagoon socks, too. I figure, I don’t have massive amounts of this yarn, but I wanted to do something with it, it was so lovely, so I’m basically knitting tubes–two at once–and when I run out of yarn, they’ll be done.

So yes, technically, I have two projects going. But you know, I’ve apparently done a mental-clearing thing lately, because a week or so ago, I only had one book going at a time, too, which is practically unheard of for me. But things are back tonormal there, too–four current books. Much more like it! One history book (is Doris Kearns Goodwin ever anything less than brilliant?), a book about the history of wood (yes, wood), the original Dragonrider of Pern books by Anne McCaffrey, and a book about writing by Elizabeth Berg. A nice, well-rouned pile.

Okay, speaking of books and mental decluttering, I read the Zen Habits blog every day, and it’s filled with all sorts of tips about how to make your life a little calmer, a little less cluttered, a little happier, a little more peaceful… You get the idea. Well, he just came out with an e-book called The Zen Habits Handbook for Life, and considering how good the blog is, and how many great tips I got from his prior e-book about productivity–and that it’s only $6.95–I wanted to share. You can pretty much get all the tips directly from the blog, but paying a few dollars for convenience that you can take away from the computer with you is pretty reasonable, I think. His blog is a good one–he doesn’t knit, mind you, but he talks about simplicity, health and happiness, productivity, finances, family–all good stuff.

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Reading • Permalink:Don’t Worry! // 7 Comments »

What is that Curry-colored blob, you ask?

It’s my almost-but-not-quite finished Japanese Shawl. I started binding it off tonight and am about 1/3 through the bind off.

The problem?

This is all the yarn I have left in this skein. I have more, mind you, but . . . you can see that I’m going to have to join to the new skein to be able to finish the darn thing.

Sigh.

I keep telling you that Zephyr just doesn’t like me.