Hello Judy's Blog Followers!
Let me introduce myself - my name is Darlene, I'm a friend of Judy's - you may have read about me in previous blog posts...LOL. I sometimes come to Judy's place on the weekends to go to movies and other fun stuff!
I'm writing this because currently Judy is having technical difficulties with her computer, but soon she should be back. She's bringing her comp to the repair shop tomorrow to see what's happening. So let me see what has gone on lately...
Family update: Judy's Mom has been in the hospital for two weeks that's why you haven't seen her on here for awhile. She was released from the hospital today and is doing better, but not 100% or at a state where we can all breathe completely easy.
Garden news: She was able to get her flowers and things for her garden last weekend, but hasn't had much time to work on it. And has quite a full plate this weekend as well, so she may have to aim for next weekend.
Stomp out those obsessions: One good thing that came out of her computer's difficulties is that she was forced to give up Bejewelled - I'm sure she has told you guys of this recent obsession. Let's see what happens when the computer comes back. LOL
Note to Jennifer: Please give Judy a call - your number was on her computer -- urgh - so she can't get in touch with you. Please leave your number on the answering machine if no answer since she is going to be with her Mom most of the weekend.
Judy would like to send her best regards to everybody and hopes to be back soon!
Take care!
Over and Out!
Darlene
Friday, May 28, 2010
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Why is it that whenever you're close to finishing a project
the temptation to start a new project is all but irresistible??
I just have the top section of Winter Wind to stitch and it'll
be done, finished, completed. So am I working diligently
away at it, nose to the grindstone and all that??? Heck no!!
I started poking around in my stash a few weeks ago and
ended up pulling Sew Red (design by Carol at Istitch) out
and settling down to stitch it instead. This past week I had
a three day holiday thanks to three floater days that I chose
to use because the weather's been nice and my DH is off
for two weeks right now and because things at work have
been really slow lately. Because of that I've had extra time
to stitch and have devoted it to Sew Red. The picture above
shows my progress so far which is about half way done.
I will get back to Winter Wind. Maybe after Sew Red is done,
or maybe when I get to the point on Sew Red when I just have
half of the top line or the last bit of border to stitch. I do have
to make sure that I finish Sew Red this year though, one way
or another, because I've already stitched the year on it.
the temptation to start a new project is all but irresistible??
I just have the top section of Winter Wind to stitch and it'll
be done, finished, completed. So am I working diligently
away at it, nose to the grindstone and all that??? Heck no!!
I started poking around in my stash a few weeks ago and
ended up pulling Sew Red (design by Carol at Istitch) out
and settling down to stitch it instead. This past week I had
a three day holiday thanks to three floater days that I chose
to use because the weather's been nice and my DH is off
for two weeks right now and because things at work have
been really slow lately. Because of that I've had extra time
to stitch and have devoted it to Sew Red. The picture above
shows my progress so far which is about half way done.
I will get back to Winter Wind. Maybe after Sew Red is done,
or maybe when I get to the point on Sew Red when I just have
half of the top line or the last bit of border to stitch. I do have
to make sure that I finish Sew Red this year though, one way
or another, because I've already stitched the year on it.
I think the highlight of this mini holiday is that I got to
meet another stitcher/blogger who doesn't live too far
from me. Jennifer from Seasonal Stitches was a sweet
heart and didn't mind the short notice invitation from
me to get together on any day of my three day holiday
that might work best for her and her schedule.
She came here on Wednesday and we spent a lovely
time getting to know one another and talking, talking,
talking. We went out for lunch at a local bakery in
Glen Williams and we visited a quilting store called
The Hobby Horse which is located on a farm a few
miles outside of Glen Williams looking for fabric
for finishing stitching projects.
Did I mention that Jennifer is a sweetheart??? She
arrived on my doorstep bearing gifts and spoiled me
rotten. Looky at the above picture. Two charts that
I didn't have in my stash, one of which was a Prairie
Schooler!!! And a new puzzle to feed my other addiction
(see previous post) which features some adorable Cats!!!
We got along like a house on fire!! The time flew and
we found lots that we had in common and we talked
until we ran out of time and Jen had to head home. So
sad. So we agreed that we'd really have to get together
again soon to talk some more and maybe stitch too.
I'm so happy to have met another stitcher who lives fairly
close to my little part of Ontario, and to have her be as nice as
Jennifer is is just icing on the proverbial cake.
I have one regret from Wednesday though. Somehow in all
the excitement of meeting for the first time and then going
out for lunch and stashing shopping, we both managed to
forget our cameras to take pictures! DOH!!!
Thanks for coming Jennifer and for driving us around
and for the wonderful gifts and for everything!
meet another stitcher/blogger who doesn't live too far
from me. Jennifer from Seasonal Stitches was a sweet
heart and didn't mind the short notice invitation from
me to get together on any day of my three day holiday
that might work best for her and her schedule.
She came here on Wednesday and we spent a lovely
time getting to know one another and talking, talking,
talking. We went out for lunch at a local bakery in
Glen Williams and we visited a quilting store called
The Hobby Horse which is located on a farm a few
miles outside of Glen Williams looking for fabric
for finishing stitching projects.
Did I mention that Jennifer is a sweetheart??? She
arrived on my doorstep bearing gifts and spoiled me
rotten. Looky at the above picture. Two charts that
I didn't have in my stash, one of which was a Prairie
Schooler!!! And a new puzzle to feed my other addiction
(see previous post) which features some adorable Cats!!!
We got along like a house on fire!! The time flew and
we found lots that we had in common and we talked
until we ran out of time and Jen had to head home. So
sad. So we agreed that we'd really have to get together
again soon to talk some more and maybe stitch too.
I'm so happy to have met another stitcher who lives fairly
close to my little part of Ontario, and to have her be as nice as
Jennifer is is just icing on the proverbial cake.
I have one regret from Wednesday though. Somehow in all
the excitement of meeting for the first time and then going
out for lunch and stashing shopping, we both managed to
forget our cameras to take pictures! DOH!!!
Thanks for coming Jennifer and for driving us around
and for the wonderful gifts and for everything!
Here are the fabrics that I picked up at The Hobby Horse
on Wednesday. The first step towards perhaps finishing
off some of my stitching someday. I still need some of
those pearl headed pins, some pretty ribbons and whatever
else might look good on a pinkeep or a flat fold or a little
pillow. All in good time.
off some of my stitching someday. I still need some of
those pearl headed pins, some pretty ribbons and whatever
else might look good on a pinkeep or a flat fold or a little
pillow. All in good time.
I got some new stash a few weeks ago that I have to
show you before I forget entirely. Of course I had
to get LHN's The Book Store which was newly released
recently and at the same time a few other charts jumped
into my shopping basket, as often happens when one is
shopping at a favorite on line store.
show you before I forget entirely. Of course I had
to get LHN's The Book Store which was newly released
recently and at the same time a few other charts jumped
into my shopping basket, as often happens when one is
shopping at a favorite on line store.
I've been finding a lot of designs that appeal to me
from My Big Toe and ordered three more of their
charts plus one from Lizzie Kate and one from LA-D-
Da. I also got the fabric to stitch one of the My Big
Toe designs. The other two charts were wins from
Ebay and are by a designer that I was unfamiliar with.
They're both very pretty, don't you think??
I did order one more chart in the splurge from the
on line store but it wasn't in stock at the time that
the rest were mailed out to me. I understand that
that chart is now on it's way to me, and I can't wait
because it's another one that I've been drooling over
since it came out during Nashville. Guess which one
it is.
Rose Quaker!!
******************************************************
from My Big Toe and ordered three more of their
charts plus one from Lizzie Kate and one from LA-D-
Da. I also got the fabric to stitch one of the My Big
Toe designs. The other two charts were wins from
Ebay and are by a designer that I was unfamiliar with.
They're both very pretty, don't you think??
I did order one more chart in the splurge from the
on line store but it wasn't in stock at the time that
the rest were mailed out to me. I understand that
that chart is now on it's way to me, and I can't wait
because it's another one that I've been drooling over
since it came out during Nashville. Guess which one
it is.
Rose Quaker!!
******************************************************
Of course I've been reading whenever I can find the time
and I've finished three books recently that I highly
recommend to you, each one a different genre from the
others but all wonderfully well written with great stories.
I'll let you check out the synopsis of these books for
yourselves because this post will be way too long if I
tried to do it, but in brief here's what you should expect
from each novel.
and I've finished three books recently that I highly
recommend to you, each one a different genre from the
others but all wonderfully well written with great stories.
I'll let you check out the synopsis of these books for
yourselves because this post will be way too long if I
tried to do it, but in brief here's what you should expect
from each novel.
This is the second book of Jennifer Donnelly's that I've
read, the first being The Tea Rose, which was the first
book in what will eventually be a trilogy (I think). I
suppose that you could read this one on it's own but
when books share characters and history I prefer to
read them in order so that I get the most out of them.
This series would be categorized as Romance I guess
but Donnelly has done a lot of research into the era
in which her stories take place (the early twentieth
century) and so you get lots of historical detail which
adds depth and color to her stories. I love how she
creates such wonderful characters, whether they are
the hero or heroine, secondary players, or those with
small parts.
read, the first being The Tea Rose, which was the first
book in what will eventually be a trilogy (I think). I
suppose that you could read this one on it's own but
when books share characters and history I prefer to
read them in order so that I get the most out of them.
This series would be categorized as Romance I guess
but Donnelly has done a lot of research into the era
in which her stories take place (the early twentieth
century) and so you get lots of historical detail which
adds depth and color to her stories. I love how she
creates such wonderful characters, whether they are
the hero or heroine, secondary players, or those with
small parts.
I've also read Michelle Moran before and this is the
second book of hers that I've read. This is historical
fiction which takes place in Egypt during the time of
Ramses II and is about Nefertari, niece of the despised
heretic Queen Nefertiti. Another well written, well
researched book with memorable characters and a
enthralling story. A fascinating time and place in history
that I can't read enough about.
second book of hers that I've read. This is historical
fiction which takes place in Egypt during the time of
Ramses II and is about Nefertari, niece of the despised
heretic Queen Nefertiti. Another well written, well
researched book with memorable characters and a
enthralling story. A fascinating time and place in history
that I can't read enough about.
And now for something completely different. Tongue
in cheek, witty and wry, a comedy of manners and a
Supernatural mystery, all rolled into one. This is Gail
Carriger's first novel and she's done a fabulous job of
creating a unique mythology for an alternative Victorian
era England then the one we're familiar with. Lot's of
imagination and more then a bit of the eccentric went
into the creation of this delightful debut which I loved
from the get go. You'll have fun reading this one.
******************************************************
Went to a baby shower today for a friend who's new
daughter is just a month old. Lots of pink clothes, lots of
cute accessories and lots of sweet girlie things that we all
had a lot of fun shopping for. Baby slept through most of it.
Have spent a lot of time walking in the past month as the
weather has been mostly fabulous. I think we're about three
weeks ahead of schedule in the growing season with trees
that should only be starting to leaf out actually in full leaf now
and flowers such as tulips and hyacinth in full bloom when
they should just be starting to bud. The weather forecasters
claim that it's El Nino (pardon if spelling is off) causing the
warmer and dryer then usual weather. Whatever it is, we're
enjoying every minute of it. I keep forgetting to take my camera
out walking with me so that I can get some pictures of the crab
apple and cherry trees in bloom, as well as other pretty signs of
Spring around town, to show you.
So that's about it from me for now I think. I do have a pile
of new books that I will be showing off in my next post, if I
remember that is. There was a book sale in town today and
I was one of the first in line for it. Also got a stack of new books
from the bookstore that I've been anxious to get my hands on.
My library's shelves downstairs are getting full again. Oh Oh!!
Take care all and thanks for dropping by.
Cheers!!
in cheek, witty and wry, a comedy of manners and a
Supernatural mystery, all rolled into one. This is Gail
Carriger's first novel and she's done a fabulous job of
creating a unique mythology for an alternative Victorian
era England then the one we're familiar with. Lot's of
imagination and more then a bit of the eccentric went
into the creation of this delightful debut which I loved
from the get go. You'll have fun reading this one.
******************************************************
Went to a baby shower today for a friend who's new
daughter is just a month old. Lots of pink clothes, lots of
cute accessories and lots of sweet girlie things that we all
had a lot of fun shopping for. Baby slept through most of it.
Have spent a lot of time walking in the past month as the
weather has been mostly fabulous. I think we're about three
weeks ahead of schedule in the growing season with trees
that should only be starting to leaf out actually in full leaf now
and flowers such as tulips and hyacinth in full bloom when
they should just be starting to bud. The weather forecasters
claim that it's El Nino (pardon if spelling is off) causing the
warmer and dryer then usual weather. Whatever it is, we're
enjoying every minute of it. I keep forgetting to take my camera
out walking with me so that I can get some pictures of the crab
apple and cherry trees in bloom, as well as other pretty signs of
Spring around town, to show you.
So that's about it from me for now I think. I do have a pile
of new books that I will be showing off in my next post, if I
remember that is. There was a book sale in town today and
I was one of the first in line for it. Also got a stack of new books
from the bookstore that I've been anxious to get my hands on.
My library's shelves downstairs are getting full again. Oh Oh!!
Take care all and thanks for dropping by.
Cheers!!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Hello. My name is Judy. I have a problem. I'm an addict.
What is it that I am addicted to you may be asking?? Well,
let me tell yo....
"You're addicted to cross stitch!!!"
Oh ... well ... yes I guess I am. But that's not what I'm talking
about tonight. This addiction is actua ....
"I know!! I know!! You're addicted to books!!!"
What is it that I am addicted to you may be asking?? Well,
let me tell yo....
"You're addicted to cross stitch!!!"
Oh ... well ... yes I guess I am. But that's not what I'm talking
about tonight. This addiction is actua ....
"I know!! I know!! You're addicted to books!!!"
Er ... um ... yes, I suppose that's true too. Yes, books are another
of my addictions. But that's also not what I'm trying to explain
here tonight. This addiction is much mor .....
"Blogging!!! It has to be blogging!! We're right this time
aren't we??? It's blogging!! It's obvious!!"
No!! Not blogging!!
Ahem. As I was saying, I am an addict. And the thing that
I've been addicted to so ardently lately, almost to the exclusion
of all else, is Ji .....
"Chocolate!! Cats!!! Walking??? Vampires???? Those
little candy coated Easter Egg thingies???"
JIGSAW PUZZLES!!!!!!!! I'm addicted to JIGSAW PUZZLES!!!
"Oh"
of my addictions. But that's also not what I'm trying to explain
here tonight. This addiction is much mor .....
"Blogging!!! It has to be blogging!! We're right this time
aren't we??? It's blogging!! It's obvious!!"
No!! Not blogging!!
Ahem. As I was saying, I am an addict. And the thing that
I've been addicted to so ardently lately, almost to the exclusion
of all else, is Ji .....
"Chocolate!! Cats!!! Walking??? Vampires???? Those
little candy coated Easter Egg thingies???"
JIGSAW PUZZLES!!!!!!!! I'm addicted to JIGSAW PUZZLES!!!
"Oh"
That's why I haven't been around blog land for awhile now.
I was loaned three puzzles by my Mom's friend Flora,
who loves to spend part of every day working on a puzzle,
and I haven't been able to leave them alone. I especially
adore puzzles made from Charles Wysocki paintings. I
collect those.
They sit out on the dining room table and they call to me.
I wander over and put a few pieces in while dinner is cooking
... and hopefully not burning. I put a few pieces in while
guarding Phoebe while she eats her dinner (Rupert tries to
steal her crunchies if we don't watch him). I sit down for
"just" half an hour before going to bed and end up an hour
or two later glancing at the clock and realizing that it's
almost 11:00 pm and we get up at 5:30 for work!!
Well, the third puzzle was finished this weekend and so
I have no new ones to do. I can finally return to my first
love which is ....
"Books!! Cross Stitch!! Blogging!! Cats!!"
All of the above actually. Hi gals (and any guys out
there as well). How's it going??
I was loaned three puzzles by my Mom's friend Flora,
who loves to spend part of every day working on a puzzle,
and I haven't been able to leave them alone. I especially
adore puzzles made from Charles Wysocki paintings. I
collect those.
They sit out on the dining room table and they call to me.
I wander over and put a few pieces in while dinner is cooking
... and hopefully not burning. I put a few pieces in while
guarding Phoebe while she eats her dinner (Rupert tries to
steal her crunchies if we don't watch him). I sit down for
"just" half an hour before going to bed and end up an hour
or two later glancing at the clock and realizing that it's
almost 11:00 pm and we get up at 5:30 for work!!
Well, the third puzzle was finished this weekend and so
I have no new ones to do. I can finally return to my first
love which is ....
"Books!! Cross Stitch!! Blogging!! Cats!!"
All of the above actually. Hi gals (and any guys out
there as well). How's it going??
I finally bit the bullet and took one of my stitched pieces
into Michael's to be framed. I got one of their coupons
out of the local newspaper which gave me something like
60 % off the regular price and I put it to good use. This is
one of my most favorite projects of all time and I've been
wanting to get it framed ever since it was stitched about
two years ago. I'm delighted to have it done and it does
look pretty darn good. Someday I'm going to have me
one of those big, wondrous stitching walls like some of
you talented stitching folks out there. It'll probably take
a couple of decades given how slowly I stitch but I'll do it!!
into Michael's to be framed. I got one of their coupons
out of the local newspaper which gave me something like
60 % off the regular price and I put it to good use. This is
one of my most favorite projects of all time and I've been
wanting to get it framed ever since it was stitched about
two years ago. I'm delighted to have it done and it does
look pretty darn good. Someday I'm going to have me
one of those big, wondrous stitching walls like some of
you talented stitching folks out there. It'll probably take
a couple of decades given how slowly I stitch but I'll do it!!
This is a short post tonight just to get myself back into the
swing of things. I have a few things to post about next time
that might just interest yo ....
"Book reviews?? New stitching stash?? New book stash??
New stitching projects??? Personal observations on
currant events??"
Uh, yeah.
Missed ya!! Thanks for putting up with me.
Cheers!!
swing of things. I have a few things to post about next time
that might just interest yo ....
"Book reviews?? New stitching stash?? New book stash??
New stitching projects??? Personal observations on
currant events??"
Uh, yeah.
Missed ya!! Thanks for putting up with me.
Cheers!!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
I think that it's time that I updated this poor neglected blog,
don't you??? Time just has a habit of flying by and
before you (I) know it it's been three weeks since the last
update and people are deleting you (me) from their blog
lists, which isn't good.
don't you??? Time just has a habit of flying by and
before you (I) know it it's been three weeks since the last
update and people are deleting you (me) from their blog
lists, which isn't good.
First on my list of things to write about is progress on
Winter Wind. I'm happy to report (and show) that I've
finished another section of the design and have just
one more section to stitch which is the header.
I chose to stitch the square that the designer had used
in the centre of the design instead of choosing one of
the other four designs on the back of the chart. This
one is my favorite of the five and I am very pleased with
how it's turned out.
I'll confess to having the "mid-project blues" for a few
weeks and during that time my stitching was half hearted
and sporadic on this piece. But I wasn't about to start
another project and leave this one unfinished and
abandoned, possibly to turn into a UFO. I want to see
this one finished. Now that I'm so close to a finish
(relatively speaking) I've gotten something of my mojo
for it back and am eager to get going on the final bit.
Winter Wind. I'm happy to report (and show) that I've
finished another section of the design and have just
one more section to stitch which is the header.
I chose to stitch the square that the designer had used
in the centre of the design instead of choosing one of
the other four designs on the back of the chart. This
one is my favorite of the five and I am very pleased with
how it's turned out.
I'll confess to having the "mid-project blues" for a few
weeks and during that time my stitching was half hearted
and sporadic on this piece. But I wasn't about to start
another project and leave this one unfinished and
abandoned, possibly to turn into a UFO. I want to see
this one finished. Now that I'm so close to a finish
(relatively speaking) I've gotten something of my mojo
for it back and am eager to get going on the final bit.
Pictures can be clicked on to get a closer look.
Stash enhancement!! These arrived from Mary Kathryn
a few weeks ago and I'm tickled with them all. Of course.
Along with everyone else I kept an eager eye on the build
up to Nashville, and the releases from that weekend. I
have been through the listings on many on line stores
and have picked out the ones that appealed to me the most.
a few weeks ago and I'm tickled with them all. Of course.
Along with everyone else I kept an eager eye on the build
up to Nashville, and the releases from that weekend. I
have been through the listings on many on line stores
and have picked out the ones that appealed to me the most.
This design was first brought to my attention by Mary
Kathryn and as soon as I saw it I was mesmerized!!
It's Rose Quaker by Stickideen von der Wiehenburg
and I have to tell you that I have been dreaming about
this beauty every since first laying eyes on it. Then I
saw on Mary Kathryn's blog that she'd begun stitching
it and it truly is gorgeous!!!! I haven't ordered it yet
because funds are tight this month and this is not an
inexpensive chart, but it'll be ordered soon and I am
so looking forward to stitching it.
Which leads me to a question that I'd like to put out
there for anyone who'd care to advise me.
I'd like to try stitching on 40 count fabric. Don't know
if my eyes (even with my magnifier) will allow it, but
I'd like to try. Usually I stitch on even weave fabrics
such as Lugana or Jobelan. I'd like to hear from any
of you who stitch on 40 count fabric for advice on
what is the best fabric to use for this and any other
advice that you think that I should know.
I would order a small piece of whatever fabric in this
count is best and try a small project on it first and if
it is doable then I would try stitching Rose Quaker on
it. Maybe. We'll see.
I've also seen designs by La D Da and Brittercup Designs
that I have added to my list of "must haves". Hopefully
I can place an order in April.
Kathryn and as soon as I saw it I was mesmerized!!
It's Rose Quaker by Stickideen von der Wiehenburg
and I have to tell you that I have been dreaming about
this beauty every since first laying eyes on it. Then I
saw on Mary Kathryn's blog that she'd begun stitching
it and it truly is gorgeous!!!! I haven't ordered it yet
because funds are tight this month and this is not an
inexpensive chart, but it'll be ordered soon and I am
so looking forward to stitching it.
Which leads me to a question that I'd like to put out
there for anyone who'd care to advise me.
I'd like to try stitching on 40 count fabric. Don't know
if my eyes (even with my magnifier) will allow it, but
I'd like to try. Usually I stitch on even weave fabrics
such as Lugana or Jobelan. I'd like to hear from any
of you who stitch on 40 count fabric for advice on
what is the best fabric to use for this and any other
advice that you think that I should know.
I would order a small piece of whatever fabric in this
count is best and try a small project on it first and if
it is doable then I would try stitching Rose Quaker on
it. Maybe. We'll see.
I've also seen designs by La D Da and Brittercup Designs
that I have added to my list of "must haves". Hopefully
I can place an order in April.
Then there's this little gem. Need I say more???
************************************************************
Last weekend I got my dear, long suffering hubby
to drive me to Michael's on the pretext that I
needed a skein of DMC 3371 to finish Winter
Wind off with. The night before we went I thought
that I'd better go through my DMC spares and
doubles pile to check and see what I did have in
there just in case I already had that color. And I
did!! Rats!! No reason to go to Micheal's then,
right?? Oh but then I realized that I was awfully
low on DMC #3777. I would have enough of it
to finish Winter Wind, but what if I needed it for
another project in the future??? I'd be caught short!!
The horror!!!
Excuse intact the trip to Michael's happily remained
on the weekend agenda. I got a handful of DMC
threads to add to the spares and doubles pile and
got to browse through the store for a bit as well.
When we got home I decided that I needed to sort
through my S&D pile and perhaps work on winding
some of those threads on bobbins and putting them
in my S&D box, which would make it easier to keep
track of what I had.
I then decided, after a day of winding thread on bobbins,
and putting them in my S&D box, that it's an excellent
way of encouraging meditation. No need to chant mantras,
light tapers, burn incense or do whatever else it is one does to
enter into a meditative state. Just wind skeins of DMC thread
onto bobbins. Over and over again. Skein after skein.
and putting them in my S&D box, that it's an excellent
way of encouraging meditation. No need to chant mantras,
light tapers, burn incense or do whatever else it is one does to
enter into a meditative state. Just wind skeins of DMC thread
onto bobbins. Over and over again. Skein after skein.
Not only is it relaxing, but it takes piles of floss
that have been tossed willy nilly into a basket
like those above.
Sorts them into color groupings.
And then places them neatly, numerically into my
floss box, where they encourage productivity and
creativity without frustration and chaos.
I still have quite a bit of work ... sorry ....
meditating ahead of me, but that box will be full
before you know it.
******************************************************
I have had to spend some quality time at the dentist
in the past week getting a couple of fillings done. You
should know that I don't handle dentists visits very well.
So two weeks ago when I was dreading the appointment
that lay ahead of me that day it was almost impossible
to keep my mind focused on my work, and my nerves
became more and more frayed as the time grew nearer.
I shook and I shivered (mostly on the inside, but not all)
and forced each step of the trip to my dreaded destiny of
dental doom. Only to discover that my appointment
was for the following week!!!
A week later, on the actual real day of the appointment, I was
a bit less freaked out then I'd been the week before, probably
because I'd worked some of it out dreading the bogus
appointment. The dentist knows how nervous I get and
was very kind and accommodating during the procedure.
It was done in no time at all, with minimal fuss and bother.
This Wednesday I'm going to another Dental appointment.
This time it will be for a root canal. The specialist will give
me something to relax me and make the procedure more
bearable, both for me and for him. Wish me luck!!
Wish him luck too. He'll need it!!
A few book reviews to write here. The first being the
biography of Beatrix Potter that I'd picked up at the
used book store about a month ago. It took me three
weeks to read this tome, which is about par for the
course for me when it comes to biographies. I don't
sail through them as easily as I do fiction.
What a fascinating woman Ms Potter was!! Her
artist's skills are obvious and well documented, but
her knowledge and her work in the fields of sheep
breeding and in the studying of the natural world in
general and in particular the studying and painting
of fungi and small animals are impressive and
extensive and her observations and her theories
are still viable and in use today.
She was a passionate proponent of the conservation
of the farms, villages and wilderness areas of the
Lake District and used the money's earned from her
books to buy up large sections of the area to save
them from being lost to development and exploitation.
Upon her death most of her property was left to the
National Trust.
But Beatrix was also a dutiful Victorian daughter who
was expected, by society and by her parents, to dedicate
her adult life to the care and well being of her father and
mother to the exclusion of any kind of a life of her own.
That she somehow managed to look after her difficult
and demanding parents while still pursuing her own
dreams and interests is a testament to her strength of
character and her determination to live a useful life.
This is a well written and very well researched book
that brings Beatrix Potter to life in it's pages and
reveals the complex, strong and determined woman
who was a talented artist and writer of children's
books, a scholar, a naturalist and a conservationist.
biography of Beatrix Potter that I'd picked up at the
used book store about a month ago. It took me three
weeks to read this tome, which is about par for the
course for me when it comes to biographies. I don't
sail through them as easily as I do fiction.
What a fascinating woman Ms Potter was!! Her
artist's skills are obvious and well documented, but
her knowledge and her work in the fields of sheep
breeding and in the studying of the natural world in
general and in particular the studying and painting
of fungi and small animals are impressive and
extensive and her observations and her theories
are still viable and in use today.
She was a passionate proponent of the conservation
of the farms, villages and wilderness areas of the
Lake District and used the money's earned from her
books to buy up large sections of the area to save
them from being lost to development and exploitation.
Upon her death most of her property was left to the
National Trust.
But Beatrix was also a dutiful Victorian daughter who
was expected, by society and by her parents, to dedicate
her adult life to the care and well being of her father and
mother to the exclusion of any kind of a life of her own.
That she somehow managed to look after her difficult
and demanding parents while still pursuing her own
dreams and interests is a testament to her strength of
character and her determination to live a useful life.
This is a well written and very well researched book
that brings Beatrix Potter to life in it's pages and
reveals the complex, strong and determined woman
who was a talented artist and writer of children's
books, a scholar, a naturalist and a conservationist.
There are seven House of Night books out now, and
number eight is due out sometime this month I
think. I've enjoyed all the books in this young adult
paranormal series and recommend them highly.
Quick reads too. I'd suggest reading them in order
though since the story continues through each book
and a lot has happened to make up the back story
building to the newest installment of the series.
number eight is due out sometime this month I
think. I've enjoyed all the books in this young adult
paranormal series and recommend them highly.
Quick reads too. I'd suggest reading them in order
though since the story continues through each book
and a lot has happened to make up the back story
building to the newest installment of the series.
Phil was taking a nap on Sunday and Rupert, his
constant shadow, soon joined him on the bed,
bringing along a small token of his affection to give
to Phil. The little brightly colored "crinkle" ball
there is one of four that Rupert "gives" to us whenever
he wants to let us know that he's missing us, or
wants to be made a fuss of. Often when Phil comes
out of the bathroom after his shower Rupert will
have brought a couple of those fuzzy, colorful balls
right to the door for him, and Rupert will be
waiting right next to them for his buddy. So funny,
and so sweet.
Spring like weather arrived here a few weeks ago,
and we reveled in it let me tell you!!! Temperatures
in the double digits soon got rid of the last of our
snow (good riddance!!) and now the crocuses
and the daffodils are coming up. The robins are
back in town, but the gold finches are still wearing
their drab, olive green feathers. The chipmunks
are running around in the garden and the red winged
black birds are making pigs of themselves at our
bird feeders.
The warmer weather has meant longer walks out
doors for me and I'm finally getting the opportunity
to break in the new pair of running shoes that
Darlene gave me last Christmas. No more ice patches
or deep puddles to worry about thus no need for boots.
I jump over the muddy bits.
Mind you, the nicest weather was during the
weekdays, while gloomy gray rainy weather was
reserved for the weekends which was annoying,
but what can you do?? This week is going to be
cooler again with more seasonable temperatures
and you can pretty much bet that there will be at
least one more snow storm before mid April
since that always happens every year.
I guess that's about all from me for the moment.
Thank you everyone who left such nice comments
about me reaching Lifetime at Weight Watchers.
The support that I've received from everyone in
the past year has really helped me to achieve my
weight loss goals and kept my spirits up.
Take care! Cheers!
constant shadow, soon joined him on the bed,
bringing along a small token of his affection to give
to Phil. The little brightly colored "crinkle" ball
there is one of four that Rupert "gives" to us whenever
he wants to let us know that he's missing us, or
wants to be made a fuss of. Often when Phil comes
out of the bathroom after his shower Rupert will
have brought a couple of those fuzzy, colorful balls
right to the door for him, and Rupert will be
waiting right next to them for his buddy. So funny,
and so sweet.
Spring like weather arrived here a few weeks ago,
and we reveled in it let me tell you!!! Temperatures
in the double digits soon got rid of the last of our
snow (good riddance!!) and now the crocuses
and the daffodils are coming up. The robins are
back in town, but the gold finches are still wearing
their drab, olive green feathers. The chipmunks
are running around in the garden and the red winged
black birds are making pigs of themselves at our
bird feeders.
The warmer weather has meant longer walks out
doors for me and I'm finally getting the opportunity
to break in the new pair of running shoes that
Darlene gave me last Christmas. No more ice patches
or deep puddles to worry about thus no need for boots.
I jump over the muddy bits.
Mind you, the nicest weather was during the
weekdays, while gloomy gray rainy weather was
reserved for the weekends which was annoying,
but what can you do?? This week is going to be
cooler again with more seasonable temperatures
and you can pretty much bet that there will be at
least one more snow storm before mid April
since that always happens every year.
I guess that's about all from me for the moment.
Thank you everyone who left such nice comments
about me reaching Lifetime at Weight Watchers.
The support that I've received from everyone in
the past year has really helped me to achieve my
weight loss goals and kept my spirits up.
Take care! Cheers!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Hi there!! Well, here we are again. This is most
definitely not going to be anther epic post this week
(okay, who just let out a sigh of relief out there????)
but there is stitching progress, a few new stash goodies,
and feline cuteness, so stick around and we'll get started.
definitely not going to be anther epic post this week
(okay, who just let out a sigh of relief out there????)
but there is stitching progress, a few new stash goodies,
and feline cuteness, so stick around and we'll get started.
Not a huge amount of stitching going on this week, but
some basic stuff was done that will allow me to concentrate
on the prettier colors and parts of the design this week.
I finished the verse and extended the border to enclose
that area of the sampler. At the bottom of the third
line of the verse is the halfway point for this design. At
this point I had to adjust the fabric on my Q-snaps to
allow me to continue with the stitching comfortably so
the bottom of the design will not be visible in future
progress photos.
some basic stuff was done that will allow me to concentrate
on the prettier colors and parts of the design this week.
I finished the verse and extended the border to enclose
that area of the sampler. At the bottom of the third
line of the verse is the halfway point for this design. At
this point I had to adjust the fabric on my Q-snaps to
allow me to continue with the stitching comfortably so
the bottom of the design will not be visible in future
progress photos.
This is the rest of the weeks progress, mostly done this
weekend. That wavy border gave me some grief as the
frogs came home to roost, and I had to pick out several
mistakes made when I either miscounted or just ignored
the chart altogether and stitched the pattern as it was
imagined in my brain. The scene inside the square will
be solid stitching so I'm thinking that it's going to take a
bit of time to accomplish. We'll see how much time I
have to stitch this week.
weekend. That wavy border gave me some grief as the
frogs came home to roost, and I had to pick out several
mistakes made when I either miscounted or just ignored
the chart altogether and stitched the pattern as it was
imagined in my brain. The scene inside the square will
be solid stitching so I'm thinking that it's going to take a
bit of time to accomplish. We'll see how much time I
have to stitch this week.
I don't usually collect the pretty little accessories that
can be a fun sideline for stitchers. I have a couple of
magnetic needle minders, a lovely scissor fob made
and given to me by Kathy last summer (my camera
steadfastly refuses to take any kind of a half way
decent picture of it, unfortunately) and a couple of
pairs of scissors. The scissors are one pair in the shape
of a rooster and a pair of the ubiquitous stork scissors
that everyone in the world has.
Then I saw the Kelmscott Designs Tudor Rose
scissors when they came out last year. Oh Boy!!!
I loved them the moment that I laid eyes on them.
When I placed my order with Mary Kathryn at
EHandcrafts for the newest LHN designs I also
ordered those gorgeous scissors, and they arrived
this week. Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em!!!
The chart is another Ebay win and I love this so
much. A wonderful Quaker design, in beautiful
colors, with a verse taken from the bible that was
also used in that classic song from the 60's sung
by The Byrds and written by Pete Seeger called
Turn Turn Turn. Come on now... you all know it
I'm sure. You're probably humming it to yourself
right now.
**********************************************
Weigh in at Weight Watchers this week had me
caught in a dilemma as I worried that I'd put on
too much weight because of my indulgences of
my holiday week, and then fretted that I'd not
put on enough to finally get off of maintenance
and on lifetime.
I'm relieved and delighted to tell you that I
was only up by one pound, and that was enough
to allow me to become a lifetime member of
Weight Watchers!!! Woo Hoo!!!
What a relief, let me tell you. So now I only have
to go in to meeting once a month for weighing in,
and as long as I stay within two pounds of my
goal (above) I don't have to pay any more money
to Weight Watchers. I plan to attend two meetings
a month, to keep up with the friends that I've made
there, to continue to learn how to handle my food
issues, and to pick up the boxes of snacks and things
that are only available at the meetings here.
*************************************************
Yesterday I was at the hairdressers by eight thirty
in the morning for a trim and a color/rinse. This
is the third time I've been in to have my hair colored
and each time I go I have it darkened a bit more
to see how I'll like it. I've always wanted brown or
auburn colored hair with red highlights so that is
what we're striving for. I've also invested in a hair
straightening thingy to use at home to help smooth
my uneven, frizzy hair. I'm getting quite fashionable
these days with new clothes and new hair style and
color. I hardly recognize myself. :)
We have had some nice, warmer weather in the past
week, with temperatures around +1 or +2 Celsius, which
is all the encouragement we need to have us dreaming
of Spring and shedding a few layers of Winter wear.
Unfortunately tomorrow we're suppose to get about
10 cm of snow and it looks like the weatherfolks are
calling for snow all week long. Nuts!!!
No book review this week I'm afraid. I've been
reading the biography of Beatrix Potter and it's quite
interesting, but it's also a slow read for me. Lots of
information and lots of names to process and remember.
And it's one heck of a big book.
can be a fun sideline for stitchers. I have a couple of
magnetic needle minders, a lovely scissor fob made
and given to me by Kathy last summer (my camera
steadfastly refuses to take any kind of a half way
decent picture of it, unfortunately) and a couple of
pairs of scissors. The scissors are one pair in the shape
of a rooster and a pair of the ubiquitous stork scissors
that everyone in the world has.
Then I saw the Kelmscott Designs Tudor Rose
scissors when they came out last year. Oh Boy!!!
I loved them the moment that I laid eyes on them.
When I placed my order with Mary Kathryn at
EHandcrafts for the newest LHN designs I also
ordered those gorgeous scissors, and they arrived
this week. Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em!!!
The chart is another Ebay win and I love this so
much. A wonderful Quaker design, in beautiful
colors, with a verse taken from the bible that was
also used in that classic song from the 60's sung
by The Byrds and written by Pete Seeger called
Turn Turn Turn. Come on now... you all know it
I'm sure. You're probably humming it to yourself
right now.
**********************************************
Weigh in at Weight Watchers this week had me
caught in a dilemma as I worried that I'd put on
too much weight because of my indulgences of
my holiday week, and then fretted that I'd not
put on enough to finally get off of maintenance
and on lifetime.
I'm relieved and delighted to tell you that I
was only up by one pound, and that was enough
to allow me to become a lifetime member of
Weight Watchers!!! Woo Hoo!!!
What a relief, let me tell you. So now I only have
to go in to meeting once a month for weighing in,
and as long as I stay within two pounds of my
goal (above) I don't have to pay any more money
to Weight Watchers. I plan to attend two meetings
a month, to keep up with the friends that I've made
there, to continue to learn how to handle my food
issues, and to pick up the boxes of snacks and things
that are only available at the meetings here.
*************************************************
Yesterday I was at the hairdressers by eight thirty
in the morning for a trim and a color/rinse. This
is the third time I've been in to have my hair colored
and each time I go I have it darkened a bit more
to see how I'll like it. I've always wanted brown or
auburn colored hair with red highlights so that is
what we're striving for. I've also invested in a hair
straightening thingy to use at home to help smooth
my uneven, frizzy hair. I'm getting quite fashionable
these days with new clothes and new hair style and
color. I hardly recognize myself. :)
We have had some nice, warmer weather in the past
week, with temperatures around +1 or +2 Celsius, which
is all the encouragement we need to have us dreaming
of Spring and shedding a few layers of Winter wear.
Unfortunately tomorrow we're suppose to get about
10 cm of snow and it looks like the weatherfolks are
calling for snow all week long. Nuts!!!
No book review this week I'm afraid. I've been
reading the biography of Beatrix Potter and it's quite
interesting, but it's also a slow read for me. Lots of
information and lots of names to process and remember.
And it's one heck of a big book.
It always seems like I'm featuring funny or cute pictures
of Rupert here, and if I do have a picture of Phoebe she's
usually with Rupert and not solo. So today I'm posting
two pictures that feature Phoebe alone! Above shows
her sitting, with one paw daintily raised, on ... er .... the
kitchen counter. Um... No, we do not encourage this
behavior in our cats. I guess there were birds on the deck
and she was looking out the back door from the higher
vantage point of the counter. She got down as soon as
the photo shoot was over.
usually with Rupert and not solo. So today I'm posting
two pictures that feature Phoebe alone! Above shows
her sitting, with one paw daintily raised, on ... er .... the
kitchen counter. Um... No, we do not encourage this
behavior in our cats. I guess there were birds on the deck
and she was looking out the back door from the higher
vantage point of the counter. She got down as soon as
the photo shoot was over.
And this picture does show Phoebe and Rupert but
since all you can see of Rupert is his back legs and
feet Phoebe is the queen of the shot. They're sleeping
in a spot of sun light in the living room, side by side
but with heads at opposite ends.
I'm thinking that I've covered all the topics that I had
to write about this week so we'll finish off this weekend's
blog post by wishing you all a wonderful work week,
with lots of time to stitch and read. Take care and
thanks for visiting.
Cheers!
since all you can see of Rupert is his back legs and
feet Phoebe is the queen of the shot. They're sleeping
in a spot of sun light in the living room, side by side
but with heads at opposite ends.
I'm thinking that I've covered all the topics that I had
to write about this week so we'll finish off this weekend's
blog post by wishing you all a wonderful work week,
with lots of time to stitch and read. Take care and
thanks for visiting.
Cheers!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Today is the last day of my first week's vacation (insert
dramatic sigh here) of this year. Today is also Family
Day in Ontario, which is a new holiday on the vacation
calender for us. It's only been in existence for two years.
So DH is also home today and right now is downstairs
playing with the document shredder and a pile of paper
which requires disposing of. The hum of the shredder,
and the whir of the dishwasher are the soundtrack of my
morning, along with the muted click of the computer keys.
dramatic sigh here) of this year. Today is also Family
Day in Ontario, which is a new holiday on the vacation
calender for us. It's only been in existence for two years.
So DH is also home today and right now is downstairs
playing with the document shredder and a pile of paper
which requires disposing of. The hum of the shredder,
and the whir of the dishwasher are the soundtrack of my
morning, along with the muted click of the computer keys.
Of course the past week included stitching time so I have
an update on Winter Wind. I just have one word left in
the verse to add, and the border to extend and this
section of the sampler will be done. I hope to do that
this afternoon after taking care of a few household chores
that need doing.
It's funny how the colors of the threads being used in a
Prairie Schooler project look so uninspiring and dull
when you first pull them. Shaking your head and thinking
"I'm not too sure about this....yawn!!" you put the first few
stitches into the project, work at it for a while and suddenly
start to think "ahhh...this is so pretty!!".
an update on Winter Wind. I just have one word left in
the verse to add, and the border to extend and this
section of the sampler will be done. I hope to do that
this afternoon after taking care of a few household chores
that need doing.
It's funny how the colors of the threads being used in a
Prairie Schooler project look so uninspiring and dull
when you first pull them. Shaking your head and thinking
"I'm not too sure about this....yawn!!" you put the first few
stitches into the project, work at it for a while and suddenly
start to think "ahhh...this is so pretty!!".
Paid a visit to a local second hand book store the other day
and found a lovely biography of Beatrix Potter in excellent
condition amongst the biographies of movie stars,
politicians and historical figures. Of course I pounced on
it and brought it home, eager to get started reading it.
The book reminded me that I had "Miss Potter" in my DVD
collection which I had never watched so Friday afternoon
I sat down in front of the computer and watched it. What a
lovely movie! And I mean that both story wise and visually.
For you Beatrix Potter fans out there (Hi Sandra!!) this movie
is a must see but it's a wonderful story for anyone who loves
these wonderful little books and the talented artist/writer
who created them.
and found a lovely biography of Beatrix Potter in excellent
condition amongst the biographies of movie stars,
politicians and historical figures. Of course I pounced on
it and brought it home, eager to get started reading it.
The book reminded me that I had "Miss Potter" in my DVD
collection which I had never watched so Friday afternoon
I sat down in front of the computer and watched it. What a
lovely movie! And I mean that both story wise and visually.
For you Beatrix Potter fans out there (Hi Sandra!!) this movie
is a must see but it's a wonderful story for anyone who loves
these wonderful little books and the talented artist/writer
who created them.
Valentine's day I spent the afternoon visiting my Mom.
I had lunch with her and we visited and chatted the
afternoon away. DH gave me a lovely bouquet of red
and white carnations and a beautiful card, pictured
above, to celebrate the day. Unfortunately I have to
keep the flowers shut up in the craft/computer room
because both cats would love nothing more then to
get their paws on them and play with them and then
eat them.
I had lunch with her and we visited and chatted the
afternoon away. DH gave me a lovely bouquet of red
and white carnations and a beautiful card, pictured
above, to celebrate the day. Unfortunately I have to
keep the flowers shut up in the craft/computer room
because both cats would love nothing more then to
get their paws on them and play with them and then
eat them.
A few weeks ago I paid a visit to Mary Kathryn's blog
(caution: visit at your own risk) and discovered that
there were some new Little House and Country Cottage
Needlework charts out. Oh, Oh!!! My fingers seemed
to click on the EHandcrafts logo of their own accord
and the next thing I knew I was ordering these little
beauties. Love 'em!!!
This week I visited Mary Kathryn again (you'd think
I'd know better, but I can't seem to help myself) and
there she was announcing four new Prairie Schooler
charts! Oooooooohhhh!!! Ahhhhhh!! Eeeeee!!!
Sigh!!! I expect they'll be here sometime around the
beginning of March.
(caution: visit at your own risk) and discovered that
there were some new Little House and Country Cottage
Needlework charts out. Oh, Oh!!! My fingers seemed
to click on the EHandcrafts logo of their own accord
and the next thing I knew I was ordering these little
beauties. Love 'em!!!
This week I visited Mary Kathryn again (you'd think
I'd know better, but I can't seem to help myself) and
there she was announcing four new Prairie Schooler
charts! Oooooooohhhh!!! Ahhhhhh!! Eeeeee!!!
Sigh!!! I expect they'll be here sometime around the
beginning of March.
Ebay is another place I should really try and avoid. But
you all know that I'm weak and have no self control.
The Prairie Schooler on the left is an oldie that is a
welcome addition to my PS collection, and the Leisure
Arts chart on the right was purchased for a mere pittance
but is full of colorful designs that delighted me when I
first saw them. Even if I don't use the scripture verses
the borders/bands will be great to stitch and adapt to
other projects if I so choose. The book in the middle
I found at the Humane Society thrift store and was
only .50 cents. Lots of cute Christmas motifs to play
with in this one and you can't beat the price.
you all know that I'm weak and have no self control.
The Prairie Schooler on the left is an oldie that is a
welcome addition to my PS collection, and the Leisure
Arts chart on the right was purchased for a mere pittance
but is full of colorful designs that delighted me when I
first saw them. Even if I don't use the scripture verses
the borders/bands will be great to stitch and adapt to
other projects if I so choose. The book in the middle
I found at the Humane Society thrift store and was
only .50 cents. Lots of cute Christmas motifs to play
with in this one and you can't beat the price.
Our friends Charmaine and Matt's eldest daughter
graduates from University this week (congratulations
Danielle!!!) and was accepted for a five month research
position located in (wait for it...) Switzerland!!! I know,
it's a dirty job but someone's got to do it. So on Saturday
we all went to Charmaine and Matt's for a celebration.
Charmaine is a phenomenal cook. She makes meals
that you will be dreaming about for weeks after eating
them. Saturday's feast included little puff pastries
stuffed with creme cheese and bacon, corn chowder,
little corn muffins, various salads and turkey burgers
with all kinds of wonderful toppings.
And dessert?? See the picture above??? Chocolate
brownie pudding, hot from the oven, with a scoop of
vanilla ice cream. I'll pause here for a moment while
you check out the picture. You may wish to move your
keyboard so as not to drool on it.
graduates from University this week (congratulations
Danielle!!!) and was accepted for a five month research
position located in (wait for it...) Switzerland!!! I know,
it's a dirty job but someone's got to do it. So on Saturday
we all went to Charmaine and Matt's for a celebration.
Charmaine is a phenomenal cook. She makes meals
that you will be dreaming about for weeks after eating
them. Saturday's feast included little puff pastries
stuffed with creme cheese and bacon, corn chowder,
little corn muffins, various salads and turkey burgers
with all kinds of wonderful toppings.
And dessert?? See the picture above??? Chocolate
brownie pudding, hot from the oven, with a scoop of
vanilla ice cream. I'll pause here for a moment while
you check out the picture. You may wish to move your
keyboard so as not to drool on it.
As you can see DH thoroughly enjoyed the meal and
was quite enthusiastic about the turkey burgers.
The latest two books that I've read were both lightweight
Supernatural Romances. Both are by authors that
I had never read before and in both cases I picked up
the first two books in each series so that I would be
able to move on to the next book without having to wait
to order them, if I so chose.
Karen White's " The House on Tradd Street" takes place
in Charleston and is about real estate agent Melanie
Middleton who specializes in selling old houses, though
she herself does not share her client's enthusiasm and
fascination with the historic wreaks that require tons of
work, sweat and money to restore and maintain. It
doesn't help that Melanie also has the dubious gift of
being able to see ghosts.
Melanie is shocked and dismayed when she unexpectantly
inherits a run down, historical old house on Tradd Street
from an elderly gentleman she'd only met a few days
previous to his death. The terms of the will require that
she live in the house for a year before being able to sell it,
and the funds attached to the estate be used to restore the
house to it's former glory.
With the assistance of writer Jack Trenholm who offers
his personal expertise to help restore the house in exchange
for being allowed to write about the mysterious disappearance
of a former resident of the house, who happened to be the
mother of the old man who left Melanie the house.
As Melanie and Jack discover unexpected connections between
Melanie's family and the former residents of the Tradd Street
house, and old rumors of diamonds hidden in the house during
the Civil War begin to evolve into something more then fiction,
an evil presence in the house makes itself known and threatens
Melanie's life if she does not abandon the property, it's secrets
and it's ghosts.
I liked this book. I didn't love it. Don't know why for sure.
The character of Melanie for some reason didn't charm me,
and I found the secondary characters more fun then the leads.
The story was predictable in many ways, which usually doesn't
bother me much, but was just one more thing to put me off
in this case. I'll read the next book at some point, since I have
it, and hope that it will hold more interest for me.
Supernatural Romances. Both are by authors that
I had never read before and in both cases I picked up
the first two books in each series so that I would be
able to move on to the next book without having to wait
to order them, if I so chose.
Karen White's " The House on Tradd Street" takes place
in Charleston and is about real estate agent Melanie
Middleton who specializes in selling old houses, though
she herself does not share her client's enthusiasm and
fascination with the historic wreaks that require tons of
work, sweat and money to restore and maintain. It
doesn't help that Melanie also has the dubious gift of
being able to see ghosts.
Melanie is shocked and dismayed when she unexpectantly
inherits a run down, historical old house on Tradd Street
from an elderly gentleman she'd only met a few days
previous to his death. The terms of the will require that
she live in the house for a year before being able to sell it,
and the funds attached to the estate be used to restore the
house to it's former glory.
With the assistance of writer Jack Trenholm who offers
his personal expertise to help restore the house in exchange
for being allowed to write about the mysterious disappearance
of a former resident of the house, who happened to be the
mother of the old man who left Melanie the house.
As Melanie and Jack discover unexpected connections between
Melanie's family and the former residents of the Tradd Street
house, and old rumors of diamonds hidden in the house during
the Civil War begin to evolve into something more then fiction,
an evil presence in the house makes itself known and threatens
Melanie's life if she does not abandon the property, it's secrets
and it's ghosts.
I liked this book. I didn't love it. Don't know why for sure.
The character of Melanie for some reason didn't charm me,
and I found the secondary characters more fun then the leads.
The story was predictable in many ways, which usually doesn't
bother me much, but was just one more thing to put me off
in this case. I'll read the next book at some point, since I have
it, and hope that it will hold more interest for me.
This is one of those books centered on a knitting store
and it's proprietress. Not an epic, literary opus but a
charming, magical and very funny story.
Sugar Maple Vermont is a delightful, picture postcard
small town that draws in the tourists. The knitting
store Sticks and String, owned by Chloe Hobbs is a
popular destination for knitters. A place where
"your yarn never tangles, your sleeves always come out
the same length and you always, always get gauge."
But Sugar Maple Vermont has a secret that the
tourists are never allowed to see. For it is home to
witches, vampires, pixies and elves who hide their
otherworldly selves behind mundane facades and
depend on the protection of an ancient spell to
conceal and safeguard their magical town from
threats and exposure to the mortal world.
But the ancient spell is fading, and a suspicious
death has garnered the attention of the authorities
who send a mortal detective Luke MacKenzie to
investigate Sugar Maple's very first murder. Now
the town's residents are scrambling to present a
united, mundane front to the suspicious new
comer until a way is found to bolster the spell of
protection over the town and the mysterious death
is explained to the satisfaction of both the
detective and his superiors.
Chloe is the last descendant of the witch who cast the
protective spell, and is the last in a long line of
powerful sorceresses. But she herself has never
developed any powers and is not likely to do so
unless she falls in love and provides the town with
a daughter of her own to continue her line. Plus
manages to locate the missing book of Spells that
will (hopefully) provide the tools necessary to restore
the spell. The trouble is Chloe finds herself drawn like
a magnet to the very mortal, very human Luke
MacKenzie and that's a mix that can only lead to heartache
and big trouble.
I really enjoyed this one. Again, it's a light read and
fairly predictable, but I loved the heroine and the
detective and their struggle to understand the incendiary
attraction that causes sparks whenever they touch, and
the irresistible urge to fall into each others arms and
make out like bandits. The secondary characters were fun
too. A nice magical love story with a bit of mystery and
menace mixed in for flavoring.
and it's proprietress. Not an epic, literary opus but a
charming, magical and very funny story.
Sugar Maple Vermont is a delightful, picture postcard
small town that draws in the tourists. The knitting
store Sticks and String, owned by Chloe Hobbs is a
popular destination for knitters. A place where
"your yarn never tangles, your sleeves always come out
the same length and you always, always get gauge."
But Sugar Maple Vermont has a secret that the
tourists are never allowed to see. For it is home to
witches, vampires, pixies and elves who hide their
otherworldly selves behind mundane facades and
depend on the protection of an ancient spell to
conceal and safeguard their magical town from
threats and exposure to the mortal world.
But the ancient spell is fading, and a suspicious
death has garnered the attention of the authorities
who send a mortal detective Luke MacKenzie to
investigate Sugar Maple's very first murder. Now
the town's residents are scrambling to present a
united, mundane front to the suspicious new
comer until a way is found to bolster the spell of
protection over the town and the mysterious death
is explained to the satisfaction of both the
detective and his superiors.
Chloe is the last descendant of the witch who cast the
protective spell, and is the last in a long line of
powerful sorceresses. But she herself has never
developed any powers and is not likely to do so
unless she falls in love and provides the town with
a daughter of her own to continue her line. Plus
manages to locate the missing book of Spells that
will (hopefully) provide the tools necessary to restore
the spell. The trouble is Chloe finds herself drawn like
a magnet to the very mortal, very human Luke
MacKenzie and that's a mix that can only lead to heartache
and big trouble.
I really enjoyed this one. Again, it's a light read and
fairly predictable, but I loved the heroine and the
detective and their struggle to understand the incendiary
attraction that causes sparks whenever they touch, and
the irresistible urge to fall into each others arms and
make out like bandits. The secondary characters were fun
too. A nice magical love story with a bit of mystery and
menace mixed in for flavoring.
Rupert, who never seems to run out of new places to nap.
In this case underneath the tablecloth covering the TV
tray that holds my printer here in the craft/computer
room. Cave and blanket all in one.
In this case underneath the tablecloth covering the TV
tray that holds my printer here in the craft/computer
room. Cave and blanket all in one.
But eventually he has to move to a softer, more
desirable place. And why is this spot desirable??
Why, because Phoebe is laying there already. So
he has to shove his way onto the blanket, and she
has to give way and make due with his backside as
a pillow.
Weight Watchers update. A week ago my friend
Darlene came for a movie weekend. She, DH and
I all went to see Avatar in 3D and it was fabulous!!
For dinner that night we ordered in pizza. Two
medium sizes, one Hawaiian style and one with
lots of meat and cheese and stuff. The Hawaiian
had lots of cheese too actually. Anyways, it's been
almost a year since we'd last ordered in pizza and
I thoroughly enjoyed scarfing down five slices (!!).
For dessert I bought a Mississippi Mud Pie and
had a big hunk of that. So I figured Tuesday's
weigh in would be a breeze for making goal by
gaining a couple of pounds. Ha! I was the
same weight as the week before.
So this week I've been very, very bad. (Did I
mention the Chocolate Brownie Pudding???)
I won't go into all the gory details (lemon loaf,
pumpkin spice loaf, crusty bread etc) but I
weighed myself at Curves on Saturday and
their scale has me up about three pounds.
We'll see if it sticks around until Tuesday.
desirable place. And why is this spot desirable??
Why, because Phoebe is laying there already. So
he has to shove his way onto the blanket, and she
has to give way and make due with his backside as
a pillow.
Weight Watchers update. A week ago my friend
Darlene came for a movie weekend. She, DH and
I all went to see Avatar in 3D and it was fabulous!!
For dinner that night we ordered in pizza. Two
medium sizes, one Hawaiian style and one with
lots of meat and cheese and stuff. The Hawaiian
had lots of cheese too actually. Anyways, it's been
almost a year since we'd last ordered in pizza and
I thoroughly enjoyed scarfing down five slices (!!).
For dessert I bought a Mississippi Mud Pie and
had a big hunk of that. So I figured Tuesday's
weigh in would be a breeze for making goal by
gaining a couple of pounds. Ha! I was the
same weight as the week before.
So this week I've been very, very bad. (Did I
mention the Chocolate Brownie Pudding???)
I won't go into all the gory details (lemon loaf,
pumpkin spice loaf, crusty bread etc) but I
weighed myself at Curves on Saturday and
their scale has me up about three pounds.
We'll see if it sticks around until Tuesday.
This post has turned into quite the epic but I've finally
run out of things to say so will close off for now. Thanks
for dropping by and sticking with this rambling, never
ending narrative. Take care and happy reading and
stitching until next time.
Cheers!!!!
run out of things to say so will close off for now. Thanks
for dropping by and sticking with this rambling, never
ending narrative. Take care and happy reading and
stitching until next time.
Cheers!!!!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
I am very pleased with my progress on Winter Wind this
week. I have mentioned before that I am not a fast
stitcher and finding time to stitch can be difficult at
times. But this week I took every opportunity, including
a nice chunk of Saturday afternoon and evening, to work
on this piece and the results show it. I am now ready to
stitch the verse in the center of the design.
This week will be more hectic because it's the first of the
month, our most busiest time at work and we're also
very short staffed. So I may have some late nights
that will curtail my stitching and blogging time. But
in one weeks time I'll be on vacation for a week and then
I'll be able to stitch a lot more. Which means that I'll
probably start another project. Maybe. We'll see.
I can't wait!!!
I mentioned in an earlier post that I'd ordered some new
stash, and to my delight the package arrived from Stitching
Bits and Bobs on Friday. In this order I chose charts from
designers that I don't usually collect, with a couple of
exceptions.
Since being on Weight Watcher's I've found that I've
been drawn to Casey Buonaugurio's sweet designs,
more so then usual though I can't imagine why, and
so I ordered three of them to add to my collection.
The design by Plum Pudding NeedleArt which
celebrates the many varieties of apples also appealed
to me since I've been eating a lot more apples during
the past year. Hmmmm.... Another food related chart.
Then there's The Cafe by CCN. A cafe is where they
serve food. Oh dear!!! Ummm...
Lizzie Kate's Life's a Stitch bucks the trend and deals
with my other obsession. I love this design, but not
in the colors chosen by the designer. I recently saw
a blog post with this piece stitched in colors picked by
the stitcher and loved it. Wish I could remember who
it was now.
The rest of the order. My first designs from My Big Toe,
the four sweet little girls from Imaginating's Joan Elliott,
and the wonderful Midnight Watch from Blackbird Designs.
See. No food connections to these designs whatsoever!!!
And stash of another sort. More books from my evergrowing wish list at Indigo/Chapters. Laurie R. King
writes fabulous mysteries, including her own take on
Sherlock Holmes, although this book is not one of
those. It was on sale when I checked my wish list items
and so I was obliged to pounce on it. Hotel on the
Corner of Bitter and Sweet has been featured on Book
Browse and other book blogs and comes highly
recommended. Hiroshima will be a difficult read
because of the subject matter (survivors of the
bombing of that city tell their stories) but I've read
other books by this author and this is a story that
should never be forgotten. And finally the two
paperbacks are by Karen White and are light reads, one
the sequel to the other, and there are ghosts involved
in each book. Lots of great reading to look forward to.
I finished Girl in a Blue Dress this week. It is the story
of a hugely famous, beloved author from 19th century
England, who wrote about the poverty stricken world
that he grew up in, and his relationship with his wife.
Yes, this book is a fictionalized account of the life of
Charles Dickens, with the names changed but many of
the infamous facts of Dickens life woven into the story.
It begins with the death of the author and is told by his
widow Dorothea, who has not seen her husband for ten
years and is not invited to be a part of his funeral. A
virtual recluse for those ten years, separated from her
children, her place in the home taken over by her own
younger sister, Dorothea takes the reader through the
events leading up to the estrangement from her husband
and follows her as she ventures out into the world and
confronts the sister who took her place, as well as the
mistress who turned her husband from her.
I knew a little about the strange relationship that Charles
Dickens had with one of his wife's younger sisters who
died young, and I knew that he and his wife had parted
after some years of marriage and eight (!!) children, so
I was curious to read this book and see what the author
would have to say about this very well known man who's
books are still read and loved today. It was a well written,
fascinating story which has received a lot of acclaim for
it's first time author. It reveals the era, it's people, it's
principals and it's flaws with well researched precision
and detail. I enjoyed it very much and am now on the
lookout for a Dickens biography to see how much truth
was written into the novel. It'll be interesting to compare.
******************************************************
Weight Watchers this week: I gained 1.4 pounds. My
facilitator was pleased. My DH was pleased. My Mom
was pleased. Me??? The phobia about gaining weight
and falling back into the old me look had me muttering a
halfhearted "Yippee!!". But if I can gain another pound
by this Tuesday I can become Lifetime and that's my goal.
I've not been actively trying to eat more this week though.
I just plan on wearing my jeans and a heavy sweater when
I weigh in. So there!!
The January thaw in this part of Ontario came to a crashing
halt last week as the temperatures plunged and we were
treated to temperatures in the -17 Celsius range. Brrrr!!!
It's going to be warming up to a more clement temperature
of -2 now that the weekend is over which will be much more
bearable. Tuesday is Ground Hog day. If the rapacious
rodent is hauled out of his den on that day and sees his
shadow we're in for six more weeks of winter. Oh fun!!
Rupert will join Phoebe and I in the computer/craft
room at night. His preferred place to sleep at the
moment is behind the door of the room. Why??
I can't think of anything else that needs reporting
here at the moment so I'll finish off with a thank
you to all my visitors for dropping by, and I hope
that you all have a wonderful week. Take care!
Cheers!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
I thought that I'd check in and show off a weeks worth
of stitching on Winter Wind. Don't know if I have much
else to write about though so we'll just have to see how
we go and I'll try not to prattle on about nothing for too
long.
I've just about finished the main part of the house,
although the window panes have yet to be filled in,
and there's still a bit of roof to stitch in and then the
two chimneys. I couldn't resist stitching in the two
trees this week otherwise I would have probably
finished the house. The more that I add to this
design the more I love it. But that's Prairie
Schooler designs for you.
I ordered a few things from Anita's Little Stitches for the first
time a few weeks ago and was thrilled with her service. I swear
that the day I placed my order was the day that she mailed it
out to me. My main reason for ordering was to get a selection
of mesh bags for kitting up and transporting projects so I ordered
a variety of sizes and colors and am quite pleased with them.
I also ordered a couple of cuts of fabric, just because. The
one on the left is Bone Lugana, which is a favorite color of
mine for fabric, in 28 count and the other piece is Vintage
Marble Lugana in 25 count. This has a really nice marbling
effect on it (hence the name) and I'm eager to try my first
stitching project on it. Wonder what it'll be. Anita threw
in a package of needles with my order which was incredibly
nice of her.
********************************************************
Yesterday I spent practically the entire day at a gathering
to celebrate the birthday of a friend. We do this every
year and it's become something fun to look forward to at the
end of January. There were nine of us gals there for lunch
and it was a great afternoon of good food and talk and catching
up. Lots of talk. It was 9:30 in the evening before I got home.
As I said...lots of talk.
Today I spent the day in my pajamas. Outside it was dreary,
dark and, in the afternoon, it pelted with rain off and on. I
puttered around the house a bit, doing a few necessary chores
and then I sat down and stitched for a couple of hours and
also blogged a bit. It was great fun and so very relaxing.
********************************************************
Weight Watchers update. I dropped another pound as of
last Tuesday. I'm baffled. I'm eating so much and trying
to follow my facilitator's advice to eat lots of protein, but
still I loose. I should have eaten more of those chocolate
biscuits I guess. Note about those biscuits: I went to have
a few tonight and discovered that someone had beaten me
to it and polished them off!!! Now they're all gone until
next Christmas when, hopefully, Loblaws will carry them
again. It's probably for the best, but I wasn't too impressed
at the time I realized that there were none left.
This week is my sixth week on maintenance and I'm
suppose to be within two pounds, below or above, my
goal weight of 146. I was 141.6 last Tuesday. We'll see
if I managed to gain anything this week. I've never
thought to ask what happens if you're not within those
boundaries at the end of the six week period. Do you
start another six week period? Gackkk!!!!
I finished reading The Book of Illumination this week. I
just left it lying on the kitchen table and whenever I had
a few minutes I picked it up and read a few pages, or
chapters. And I loved every page of it. This is a first
time novel for these two writers and I sincerely hope
that there will be lots more to look forward to in this
series.
It's about the theft of a fabled and priceless illuminated
manuscript from the 12th century called The Book of
Kildare, a treasure that many scholars have doubted
ever existed. Helping to search for the manuscript and
the person responsible for it's theft is Anza O'Malley, a
single mother who is a bookbinder by trade, and who
is also able to see and speak to ghosts. The manuscript
has been accompanied over the centuries by the ghosts
of two monks and Anza must deal with them when the
book is stolen. Anza also meets the ghost of a butler in
the home of the owner of the manuscript who also
requires her help to retrieve a missing document from
his past. All this while she must also spend time
looking after the needs and demands of her five year old
son Henry.
Anza is a wonderful heroine with a great
sense of humor and a caring heart who gamely tackles
the problems that she encounters, whether it be the
chauvinistic abbot and his refusal to deal with anyone
other then an Bishop or Cardinal of the church, or her
son's participation in his school play, with compassion,
determination and a great deal of forbearance. I loved
her.
One of the authors of this book is the person upon whom
the Ghost Whisperer series is based and she is a
consultant for that show, which I've never watched I
should add. I really loved this book because of Anza
and I recommend it for anyone who loves a mystery
with great characters and no gore or excessive violence.
I'll end this weeks post with a photo of Phoebe, trying
to take a nap in the bathroom. Hope everyone has a
great week and thanks for visiting.
Cheers!
of stitching on Winter Wind. Don't know if I have much
else to write about though so we'll just have to see how
we go and I'll try not to prattle on about nothing for too
long.
I've just about finished the main part of the house,
although the window panes have yet to be filled in,
and there's still a bit of roof to stitch in and then the
two chimneys. I couldn't resist stitching in the two
trees this week otherwise I would have probably
finished the house. The more that I add to this
design the more I love it. But that's Prairie
Schooler designs for you.
I ordered a few things from Anita's Little Stitches for the first
time a few weeks ago and was thrilled with her service. I swear
that the day I placed my order was the day that she mailed it
out to me. My main reason for ordering was to get a selection
of mesh bags for kitting up and transporting projects so I ordered
a variety of sizes and colors and am quite pleased with them.
I also ordered a couple of cuts of fabric, just because. The
one on the left is Bone Lugana, which is a favorite color of
mine for fabric, in 28 count and the other piece is Vintage
Marble Lugana in 25 count. This has a really nice marbling
effect on it (hence the name) and I'm eager to try my first
stitching project on it. Wonder what it'll be. Anita threw
in a package of needles with my order which was incredibly
nice of her.
********************************************************
Yesterday I spent practically the entire day at a gathering
to celebrate the birthday of a friend. We do this every
year and it's become something fun to look forward to at the
end of January. There were nine of us gals there for lunch
and it was a great afternoon of good food and talk and catching
up. Lots of talk. It was 9:30 in the evening before I got home.
As I said...lots of talk.
Today I spent the day in my pajamas. Outside it was dreary,
dark and, in the afternoon, it pelted with rain off and on. I
puttered around the house a bit, doing a few necessary chores
and then I sat down and stitched for a couple of hours and
also blogged a bit. It was great fun and so very relaxing.
********************************************************
Weight Watchers update. I dropped another pound as of
last Tuesday. I'm baffled. I'm eating so much and trying
to follow my facilitator's advice to eat lots of protein, but
still I loose. I should have eaten more of those chocolate
biscuits I guess. Note about those biscuits: I went to have
a few tonight and discovered that someone had beaten me
to it and polished them off!!! Now they're all gone until
next Christmas when, hopefully, Loblaws will carry them
again. It's probably for the best, but I wasn't too impressed
at the time I realized that there were none left.
This week is my sixth week on maintenance and I'm
suppose to be within two pounds, below or above, my
goal weight of 146. I was 141.6 last Tuesday. We'll see
if I managed to gain anything this week. I've never
thought to ask what happens if you're not within those
boundaries at the end of the six week period. Do you
start another six week period? Gackkk!!!!
I finished reading The Book of Illumination this week. I
just left it lying on the kitchen table and whenever I had
a few minutes I picked it up and read a few pages, or
chapters. And I loved every page of it. This is a first
time novel for these two writers and I sincerely hope
that there will be lots more to look forward to in this
series.
It's about the theft of a fabled and priceless illuminated
manuscript from the 12th century called The Book of
Kildare, a treasure that many scholars have doubted
ever existed. Helping to search for the manuscript and
the person responsible for it's theft is Anza O'Malley, a
single mother who is a bookbinder by trade, and who
is also able to see and speak to ghosts. The manuscript
has been accompanied over the centuries by the ghosts
of two monks and Anza must deal with them when the
book is stolen. Anza also meets the ghost of a butler in
the home of the owner of the manuscript who also
requires her help to retrieve a missing document from
his past. All this while she must also spend time
looking after the needs and demands of her five year old
son Henry.
Anza is a wonderful heroine with a great
sense of humor and a caring heart who gamely tackles
the problems that she encounters, whether it be the
chauvinistic abbot and his refusal to deal with anyone
other then an Bishop or Cardinal of the church, or her
son's participation in his school play, with compassion,
determination and a great deal of forbearance. I loved
her.
One of the authors of this book is the person upon whom
the Ghost Whisperer series is based and she is a
consultant for that show, which I've never watched I
should add. I really loved this book because of Anza
and I recommend it for anyone who loves a mystery
with great characters and no gore or excessive violence.
I'll end this weeks post with a photo of Phoebe, trying
to take a nap in the bathroom. Hope everyone has a
great week and thanks for visiting.
Cheers!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
I've been working on my latest project for two weeks now
and felt that I had enough done that I could show it off to
you all. The chart is Prairie Schooler's "Winter Wind" and
I've been stitching the bigger design.
and felt that I had enough done that I could show it off to
you all. The chart is Prairie Schooler's "Winter Wind" and
I've been stitching the bigger design.
I began by stitching the alphabet and as always I started in the
bottom, left hand corner. Once the alphabet was done I began
to fill in the white background. I wondered at the time if I
should have done it the other way around, and worried that I
might find the background boring to do. Fortunately I found
that it was actually fun to figure a "path" for myself around
each letter and was eager to get it finished so that the full
impact of the alphabet would be seen against the "snow" white
background. I'm now building the house and loving the DMC
#3777 that the design calls for.
I'm trying to stitch at least three strands of floss per night to
keep this project moving, and I'm also trying to do a couple
of blog visits per night to make some attempt to keep up with
my commenting. Some nights (such as Tuesdays which is
shopping/Weight Watchers night) I have less time at the end
of the day then others to follow this plan exactly, but I do
what I can.
Speaking of Weight Watchers....
Lost over two pounds between the 5th and the 12th of January.
Am currently on maintenance which means that I'm suppose
to be maintaining my goal weight. So my facilitator upped my
daily points to 29 and reminded me to eat more protein. This
Tuesday is my 6th week on maintenance and I'm suppose to be
within two pounds of goal. Um...not so much. We can adjust
my goal somewhat, but I still need to gain two or three pounds
to complete the maintenance program. Ironic, isn't it??
Last night a friend came over for tea and a chat. We were at
it until 1:00 am! We got into the chocolate biscuits that our
friends from Scotland brought me at Christmas. They are
Marks and Spencer's chocolate covered biscuits and I am
crazy about them. I ate quite a few of them. At least six!
DH and I took the rest of them over to my Mom today and
left them with her to be shared and enjoyed with her friends
and to get them the heck away from me!! Perhaps gaining
those two to three pounds won't be too much trouble after all.
bottom, left hand corner. Once the alphabet was done I began
to fill in the white background. I wondered at the time if I
should have done it the other way around, and worried that I
might find the background boring to do. Fortunately I found
that it was actually fun to figure a "path" for myself around
each letter and was eager to get it finished so that the full
impact of the alphabet would be seen against the "snow" white
background. I'm now building the house and loving the DMC
#3777 that the design calls for.
I'm trying to stitch at least three strands of floss per night to
keep this project moving, and I'm also trying to do a couple
of blog visits per night to make some attempt to keep up with
my commenting. Some nights (such as Tuesdays which is
shopping/Weight Watchers night) I have less time at the end
of the day then others to follow this plan exactly, but I do
what I can.
Speaking of Weight Watchers....
Lost over two pounds between the 5th and the 12th of January.
Am currently on maintenance which means that I'm suppose
to be maintaining my goal weight. So my facilitator upped my
daily points to 29 and reminded me to eat more protein. This
Tuesday is my 6th week on maintenance and I'm suppose to be
within two pounds of goal. Um...not so much. We can adjust
my goal somewhat, but I still need to gain two or three pounds
to complete the maintenance program. Ironic, isn't it??
Last night a friend came over for tea and a chat. We were at
it until 1:00 am! We got into the chocolate biscuits that our
friends from Scotland brought me at Christmas. They are
Marks and Spencer's chocolate covered biscuits and I am
crazy about them. I ate quite a few of them. At least six!
DH and I took the rest of them over to my Mom today and
left them with her to be shared and enjoyed with her friends
and to get them the heck away from me!! Perhaps gaining
those two to three pounds won't be too much trouble after all.
I'm still waiting for two stash packages (!!!) to arrive
from different locations. One will be awhile because
of an out of stock leaflet but the other I know is in
the mail somewhere. I did receive my monthly
addition to my Threadworx collection this week,
plus a chart that I scored off of Ebay which happened
to tickle my fancy when I saw it there one day. Love
the colors in these two designs but I had no idea of
how BIG they are when stitched on 28 count fabric.
Oh well.
from different locations. One will be awhile because
of an out of stock leaflet but the other I know is in
the mail somewhere. I did receive my monthly
addition to my Threadworx collection this week,
plus a chart that I scored off of Ebay which happened
to tickle my fancy when I saw it there one day. Love
the colors in these two designs but I had no idea of
how BIG they are when stitched on 28 count fabric.
Oh well.
A book order did arrive in the mail this week as well. I've
got a wish list a mile long on Indigo/Chapters site of all
the lovely, tempting books that I want to add to my
library and these made a wee, tiny dent in that list. I
started "Girl in a Blue Dress" as my travel read and on
Friday night nearly read past my bus stop because I
was so absorbed in the story.
The book on the top of the stack "The Book of
Illumination" I casually picked up just to read the
first couple of pages to see what it was like since I'd
never read anything by these two writers before.
I'm over half way through it and can't help but pick it
up whenever I have a spare second. While waiting for
the dinner to cook, while eating breakfast, while
passing the time on the porcelain throne .... uh .... well,
you get the idea.
Actually, the only writer in this pile that I've read before
is Michelle Moran who focuses on Egyptian history for
her fictional stories. She's a brilliant writer.
got a wish list a mile long on Indigo/Chapters site of all
the lovely, tempting books that I want to add to my
library and these made a wee, tiny dent in that list. I
started "Girl in a Blue Dress" as my travel read and on
Friday night nearly read past my bus stop because I
was so absorbed in the story.
The book on the top of the stack "The Book of
Illumination" I casually picked up just to read the
first couple of pages to see what it was like since I'd
never read anything by these two writers before.
I'm over half way through it and can't help but pick it
up whenever I have a spare second. While waiting for
the dinner to cook, while eating breakfast, while
passing the time on the porcelain throne .... uh .... well,
you get the idea.
Actually, the only writer in this pile that I've read before
is Michelle Moran who focuses on Egyptian history for
her fictional stories. She's a brilliant writer.
I finished Men of the Otherworld this week and it was
fabulous!! I adore Kelley Armstrong. Her sense of
humor, her wonderful, colorful characters and the
mythology that she's created all make her stories irresistible
to me. An author who's books I buy without hesitation or
second thought as soon as they come out. And of course
she's from Ontario so I can take pride in helping to support
a fellow Canuck.
fabulous!! I adore Kelley Armstrong. Her sense of
humor, her wonderful, colorful characters and the
mythology that she's created all make her stories irresistible
to me. An author who's books I buy without hesitation or
second thought as soon as they come out. And of course
she's from Ontario so I can take pride in helping to support
a fellow Canuck.
Rupert lazing under the Christmas tree. Dignity, as we all know,
is very important to a cat and must be maintained at all times.
More or less.
DH and I dismantled the Christmas tree and packed away all
the decorations a week ago on the Saturday. It took four and a
half hours to do that. Sunday I vacuumed, dusted and cleaned
the house and returned the every day knickknacks (once I'd
found them again in all the places that I'd stashed them in to
get them out of sight during the holidays) to their proper
places. It's kind of nice to have the house back to normal
again, but I do miss the Christmas tree, which seemed to look
especially nice this season for some reason.
The new Little House Needleworks and Country Cottage
Needleworks designs that are coming out next week have
caught my eye and got me itching to reach for my mouse,
my credit card and my "gotta have" list. "Rose Hill
Plantation" and "Liberty Lane" and perhaps "Mississippi
Riverboat" are the ones I love most.
Thank you everyone who commented on my last post
and were so generous in their compliments on my first
finish of 2010, and for my ongoing weight loss battle.
I'm off to stitch on "Winter Wind" for awhile so thanks
for dropping by. Hope you have a great week.
Cheers!!
is very important to a cat and must be maintained at all times.
More or less.
DH and I dismantled the Christmas tree and packed away all
the decorations a week ago on the Saturday. It took four and a
half hours to do that. Sunday I vacuumed, dusted and cleaned
the house and returned the every day knickknacks (once I'd
found them again in all the places that I'd stashed them in to
get them out of sight during the holidays) to their proper
places. It's kind of nice to have the house back to normal
again, but I do miss the Christmas tree, which seemed to look
especially nice this season for some reason.
The new Little House Needleworks and Country Cottage
Needleworks designs that are coming out next week have
caught my eye and got me itching to reach for my mouse,
my credit card and my "gotta have" list. "Rose Hill
Plantation" and "Liberty Lane" and perhaps "Mississippi
Riverboat" are the ones I love most.
Thank you everyone who commented on my last post
and were so generous in their compliments on my first
finish of 2010, and for my ongoing weight loss battle.
I'm off to stitch on "Winter Wind" for awhile so thanks
for dropping by. Hope you have a great week.
Cheers!!
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