This is as far as I can go on A Spot of Tea with the thread that I have.
Just one more large motif to go, and then it'll be done. This motif will have
space for my initials and the date. I could make a serious start on it, but I
am assuming that the thread that I've ordered will be a different dye lot
and might have a noticeable colour difference. So I'll wait and stitch the
final motif entirely in the new thread so it doesn't look mismatched or
off.

Meanwhile, I'll start on LHN's "Faith" which I want to stitch for our
friend Sue who became a minister last year. Years ago she stitched one
of the samplers for DH and my wedding, so I owe her one. Just have to
go through my stash and choose a fabric to stitch it on.

I'm almost done reading Khaled Hosseini's latest book, A Thousand
Splendid Suns. I am enjoying this book even more then I did The Kite
Runner. I don't know if that's because this book focuses on the lives
of two women, but I'm more emotionally involved in the story. Mr
Hosseini really has a talent for creating strong, three dimensional
characters, and also for drawing vivid pictures of the Afghanistan
countryside and cities with his words. It's a brutal story in many
ways, but it helps explain the situation, past and present, over there.
It's a book that takes you out of your comfort zone and transports
you to another world that seems very alien to ours. And then it
presents characters that we find we can relate to, and understand,
which makes their world far less alien after all.

This weekend one of my favourite authors is appearing at the
Indigo Bookstore in the Eaton Centre, in downtown Toronto.
Diana Gabaldon will be signing copies of her newest book, which
is the second of her "Lord John" series. It's funny that Karen
posted a review of her book "Outlander" (called, for some
unknown reason "CrossStitch" when released in the U.K.) on
her blog a week ago. She said that the story wasn't to her taste.
As for me, I've read all of Diana Gabaldon's books, and I've read
Outlander twice. I have it in hardcover. I'm hoping to go to
the book signing on Saturday, which means traveling for about
two hours by Go bus, and TTC and I'm hoping to get my copy
of Outlander signed as well.

The Toronto Film Festival is in full swing as well, and if my
friend Mary accompanies me to the book signing (she's
another D. Gabaldon fan) she wants to go hunting celeb's
afterwards. Don't know about that, but a trip to the World's
Biggest Bookstore, this time sans DH, will definitely be on
the schedule as well. I'm too much of a babbling nerd around
celeb's to want to go trying to meet them in public.

Dani, yes, on occasion I've been known to pick up the odd Johanna
Lindsay book to read. Actually, some of her books that I've got are
over 20 years old I think. Possibly closer to 30. Eek!! I'm
partial to Bertrice Small, and to Judith McNaughton as well.

Lynn, I read Jodi Picoult too. I read her book My Sister's Keeper
when I was in a book club a few years ago, and started to
collect her stuff after that. She's great.

Lelia, I've read all of Anne Rice's Vampire, and Witch books.
Some I've loved (The Vampire Lestat, The Body Thief, Queen
of the Damned) and some I've been decidedly lukewarm about
(Violin, Memnoch the Devil). Darlene and I went to a book
signing of hers about 10 years ago and so we met her, for five
seconds, and had our books signed. I've not bought her latest
book on a year in the life of Jesus (aged 8). My most favourite
book of hers though has to be The Mummy. A really good story.

Karen, I passed on my small collection of Star Wars books too
when I was weeding my library last winter. I'm more of a
Trekker then a Star Wars fan anyways.

As always, thanks everyone for your kind words about my
library. After all, you can never have too many books.

And Phoebe greatly appreciates every one's kind words as well. Rupert,
well, he just takes it all in stride.

Cheers everyone!!