Laid Back Boogie by Eugeni Rocherolle

Misty Night Blues by Martha Mier

I didn't think of the potential significance of playing a blues song on the Aggie's bowl game day while wearing my 12th man jersey, but we'll hope it's blue for Georgia and not for us! Lovely little song. Hope you enjoy it.

Three Scarves that were Gifts

Red and White Towels

The red and white towels are finally finished.  I don't know why this project seemed to take me forever...at any rate, I think they are worth it as they are probably my favorite towels yet.  I hope Grandma and Laura LOVE them!

Merry Christmas to all!

I wish everyone a merry Christmas and hope you get all the wonderful gifts you've been hankering for.  I know I did.  I always consider birthday to Christmas to be a "season" in and of itself.  This year I got my big present for my birthday--a beautiful key shaped necklace from Tiffany's.  My parents bought me some ramikens so that I can cook some of these interesing meals I've been wanting to try, some cookbooks, and a panini press.  My anniversary themed gifts were Ayala Bar earrings (google her if you're interested...LOVELY jewelry).  And my Christmas gifts are crafting inspired.  The daughters bought for me a reed holder for my weaving studio as well as a ski shuttle (which I'm very excited about).  And David bought me 4 cross stitch patterns and had them "kitted" so that I have all the material and yarns I'll need for each project.  And finally, David bought me some wonderful "in season" Ranier cherries to be sent in May/June when they are at the peak of ripeness.  I can hardly wait.

This Christmas season I have known the true joy of giving.  I bought for my mother a bread machine, and hearing her experiments every day has truly warmed my heart and brought me more joy than I thought it would.  I have the pleasure of seeing her try new things, have them turn out beautifully and then share them with her family and neighbors.  I feel like I have a little part in that extra-gifting and have honest joy in the knowledge that I "hit it" this year with her gift.  Enjoy for many years mama!

Angels for my house

Any of you who have visited, know that I stitch an angel to go above each of my doorways. I'm mostly finished with the angels needed for this house with these last two additions.  The angel with wine bottle is hanging in the kitchen and the anel cat is in my bedroom.

Christmas dinner

We are having dinner with the girls tonight...serving Christmas Pasta (Rachel Ray recipe, quite delicious), french bread (from my bread machine), salad, pecan pie, fudge. here is a picture of the pecan pie...more to come later.

a work in progress

I thought this one looked so pretty on the loom that I wanted to share before it's even finished. It will be 4 towels...2 for my Aunt Janice to give as a gift to my grandmother. The other 2? Up for grabs!

sharing

Book Review: Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden

I'm a little delayed in getting this book review uploaded. Not sure why but I've been running around like crazy accomplishing very little...so here goes.

Molly Fox's Birthday was a terrific book. I enjoyed it from start to finish. In fact it was one of those book that after spending about 10 minutes with I knew I would love it. The writing is impeccable and the main character's voice is very accessible.

The basic story line follows the first person narrator (whose name we never learn) in her ramblings--both mental and physical--on June 21st, Molly Fox's Birthday. Molly is an actress and close friend of the narrator who is a playwright. They two also share a mutual friend, Andrew, and the narrator's brother, Tom, plays an important role in both women's lives. Finally, Fergus, Molly's brother is a conduit between the two women as well.

And that's really it. The novel is about the relationships between this group of people, but it's so much more. Themes abound throughout the novel, including what it means to be an actress, the ramifications of parental neglect on children, country vs city ways of knowing the world, the ex-patriot's dilemma, and the relationship between humans and animals.

Recommended.

Place mats for my music teacher

This is one of eight placemats that I made for my music teacher, Jan Mesrobian. David saw them and said, "they look rustic." And I told him that that is exactly what I was striving for. They are 100% cotton "slub" yarn (thick and thin) and so so very soft.

A christmas medley

Arrangement by Martha Meir: O Little Town of Bethlehem, Sing We Now of Christmas and Joy to the World. Enjoy!

a freak December snow "storm"

It snowed at a rate of about an inch per hour for a couple of hours last night. I was so fascinated that I couldn't sleep until it was over...and I lived through enough snow in Kentucky that I said I didn't care if I ever saw another snowflake in my life. But I have to say there's just something about snow in the south that makes it more magical--probably because you know it won't still be there by noon the next day. Here are the pictures I managed to take.

SO much better today...

...I can breathe now and was able to sleep most of the night last night and as a result I feel a whole lot better today. The challenge is to not do too much and get myself sick again...but there are errands that must be run, so I'm off to get them done. Then back home to more reading and relaxing.

Book Review: The Quilter’s Legacy by Jennifer Chiaverini

This 5th book in the Quilter’s Apprentice series focuses on the upcoming marriage of Slyvia and Andrew and Sylvia’s quest for her mother’s five “show-quilts.” Interspersed with Sylvia’s story is Eleanor’s, Sylvia’s mother.

I liked the structure of the book with one chapter that focuses on Sylvia and then the next chapter focused on Eleanor and her making the quilt that Sylvia is looking for. The chapter that focuses on Sylvia tells two basic stories: 1) Andrew’s children’s rejection of their decision to marry and 2) Sylvia’s search for her mother’s lost quilts.

I liked Eleanor’s stories the best. I felt that they were fleshed out better and had more plot and interest. Sylvia’s stories felt flat to me, mainly because I thought Andrew’s children’s reasons for rejecting the marriage didn’t make sense and their willingness to estrange themselves to their father because of it didn’t work for me.

After reading the book I think it fits the “tragic” genre. So many heartrending events take place that you feel rather depressed despite the somewhat happy ending. I did like that Sylvia was able to bond with her deceased mother through this search for her quilts, since the female bonding is one of those things that I’ve always liked about Chiaverini’s books. That said, it was a little late and not much could result from it.

Recommended if you like the Quilter’s Apprentice series. I have the 6th book already purchased but if I don’t like it much better than I did 4&5, I will quit reading the series.

Day 3 of feeling like crud...

...I think I may have turned the corner as my dinner tonight had some flavor. I also had enough energy to make some basil, parmesan and pine nut bread in my bread machine and what I could taste of it was wonderful...Also, every sneeze seems to be doing its job...and there are lots of them...here's hoping to feeling good enough to weave tomorrow (that's always me test. I'm not "well" until I can do my hobby...then the next day I go back to work). Alyssa said she's feeling better.

Welcome to December Everyone...

...I apparently caught a cold on my trip (Alyssa did too)...and I feel like crud today. Haven't done anything but sit in my chair and read. And while reading is nice, I'm bored. Hope I feel better enough tomorrow to weave. I also need to get to working on that dissertation! I have another deadline on Wednesday next week....oh, and David leaves town tomorrow for 5 days, so I'll be all alone with no one to feel sorry for me. boo!

Book Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I absolutely adored this book. It was part romance, part historical fiction, part women's relationship and a whole bunch about the love of reading.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is an epistolary novel written from many characters's perspectives about London and the Guernsey Island just after WWII. The society was formed as an explanation to the German police one night when several islanders were out after curfew because of a feast they prepared. Elizabeth makes up the society on the spot and then the islanders have to follow up with the idea to make sure no one gets in trouble.

I learned a lot about the German occupation of this small channel island while also loving and caring about the characters. The literary references are subtle but fun for a lover of literature. The plot is satisfying, and the writing is excellent.

My only problem with the novel is that it was slightly difficult at first to keep up with who was writing the letters, but that was minimal considering how much I loved reading this book.

Highly recommended for all readers.

Purple, blue and pink Alpaca Scarf

This scarf is made using one skein of a self-striping alpaca sock yarn called Alpaca Sox. It's light weight yet warm and so so soft. Using the yarn for both warp and weft allows for a plaid-like look (without all the trouble of plaid!). I love the colors and the variegations in this one.

It measures 7x65, has twisted fringe and sells for $50.

Birthday pics

Happy Birthday to Me!

Pictures from dinner tonight tomorrow...maybe...

A second purple bamboo scarf

My friend from Kentucky saw the scarf that

I made for Aunt Carolyn and asked me to make her one just like it only a little thinner and shorter. Here it is.

Happy Birthday to me!

I made this shawl as a birthday present for myself. I will wear it to my birthday dinner on Tuesday with the family. We are going to Bayona in New Orleans. It is variegated black, silver and bronze with black chenille weft. Amazingly soft and silky and so beautiful. I'm very proud of it.

Book Review: Mine ‘til Midnight by Lisa Kleypas

I’ve been having a hard time thinking of how to review this book. I liked it…and yet there was something about it that I didn’t like…and it wasn’t the kind of things you might suspect if you’d read the book. The supernatural elements. Those were fine. The racial elements—didn’t really work for me, not convincing. The romance—great. The extra characters—too many. The plot—the main one fine, but there was SO much going on that I had a hard time feeling that everything was developed.

Mind ‘til Midnight is the first in Kleypas’s Hathaway series following the five Hathaway siblings as they make their way into the world. Leo, the only brother and eldest of the family, has just been given a title in a rather round-about way, and is responding to that and the death of his fiancé by trying to do himself in—and bringing his sisters with him.

The Hathaways move out to their dilapidated country home to meet with more trouble and frustration than anyone should. And in the mean time, Amelia and Cam, the main characters of the romance, fall in love.

And here’s where my troubles came in…there was the Leo story, the Winn and Merripen story (which I understand is fully fleshed out in the 2nd book in this series), the Beatrix story (young cleptomaniac sister), the Poppy story (very underdeveloped when compared with the others) and the story about Amelia and Cam. I understand this is the first in the series, but I really think it tried to do too much.

All that said, I will read the next one in the series. Reading other reviews of the book, loyal Kleypas readers felt that Mine til Midnight wasn’t up to her usual standards. The writing was good (even if the Kindle edition had those annoying errors).

Recommended to those who like historical romances.

Soft Wool Scarf

Another experiment with self-striping wool yarn. This one is a very slow variegation which creates an almost sun-spotted or tea-stained look. It's very elegant and soft on the eyes. The wool was "fulled" a little to help it be more soft to the touch--and it definitely worked. I hardly find this scarf itchy, and I'm very sensitive to wool. It measures 7.5x62 and sells for $55. Fringe is twisted.

Mozart: Sonata in C Major, Mvt. I

This is a sonata that I played in competition in high school. I went to state and received "2" which is a pretty good score for a girl from Teague, TX. I wanted to relearn it and while it isn't as good as it was then, it's still pretty good. I'll have the other 2 movements up here when I re-learn them as well. Enjoy! PS: If you look closely in the lower left corner you'll see Oliver trying his best to distract me.

Trilogy and Bamboo Scarf

Berroco makes some wonderful yarns. This is Trilogy (wool, cotton and nylon) with Bonsai (Bamboo). From my understanding Trilogy is no longer available, unfortunately. I think it's a wonderful, glitzy, fun yarn. This scarf is wonderfully soft and drapy. It's a commission.

Orange and Pink Rayon and Wool Scarf

This is a scarf I'm keeping because I love the colors and the feel of it. It is made using rayon slub (a yarn that goes from thick to thin and back again) and a hand-dyed yarn from Schaefer called "Ann."

6 Lovely Towels for Mom