I'm so upset!

The plant thief struck again, this time taking 3 of our aloe veras. Two of them we'd had for about 5 years and they were very mature and beautiful plants.

Both patients are on the mend

Alyssa had her wisdom teeth out on Monday. She wanted to "do this on her own" so she went to the oral sugeon with her sister and then went to her apartment to recover. She came by here that evening and looked and sounded great. Yesterday she said she was swollen and feeling sore, but ok. "it's not that bad," she said.

Lochi, my kitty, had a urinary tract infection and was very miserable and uncomfortable when we got hom from New Orleans on Sunday night. She's on antibiotics and is acting like her old self again.

Heavenly

This silk and soy silk scarf looks like 2 scarves, but it's one. You can wear it on either side for a completely different look. The silk has lots of different colors to match just about any wardrobe. The drape and feel is heavenly too, just as you would expect from silk.

The scarf measures 7x60 and sells for $60.

4 Wash Cloths for my Aunt Betty

100% cotton, waffle weave wash cloths. I LOVE them and hope Aunt Betty does too!

Kuhlau, Sonatina in C Major: Op, 20, No1, Movement 1

I love my new bed

I'm sleeping so comfortably. My back does not hurt. David's movements are dampened and don't disturb me when I'm asleep. But darnit. I can't wake up in the morning. Can't.

Book Club Book Review: The Last Thing On My List by Jill Smolenski

The Last Thing on my List follows complacent June Parker as she deals with the very real and very shocking experience of having been the driver and sole survivor of a car accident. Her acquaintance through Weight Watchers, Marissa, is killed when she is thrown from the car, leaving behind her recipe for Taco Soup and a list of 20 things to do before her 25th birthday. Two things are already accomplished: lose 100 pounds and wear sexy shoes. June takes on the remaining 18 in an effort to cleanse herself of the guilt she feels for having been responsible for the death of Marissa and to honor Marissa's memory.

June learns a lot about herself through this process and ends up shaking herself out of her complacency in such a way that she grows and becomes aware of her growth and is proud as a result.

I liked the book--found it very believable and not depressing at all (which I originally thought it would be though the lime greem cover really threw me there!). It's a charming tale of a woman who learns to love herself and as a result touches the lives of other people around her.

Elizabeth's purple scarf

Made from a softly spun merino wool, this scarf is much softer than you'd imagine. There are skinny white, pink and turquoise stripes. The fringe is twisted.

Celebration by Carolyn Henry and the Thornton Thimblers!

Done

pics tomorrow when it's dry...can't wait to hang it!

7 Towels for My Bathroom

The colors match the mirror in the bathroom. The pattern is called a block twill--so many variations and options one can do with this. I love each and every one of them.

My New Bed

My temperpedic bed arrived today and is set up...I'm hoping that it solves our sleeping dilemma! Updates when I know more.

I've got a secret...

...don't tell anyone but I just finished quilting the quilt bee quilt. I'll hem it tomorrow, wash it and then take its picture. I can hardy believe it!

Schedule

I'm busy working on my dissertation and weaving during the day. Resting at night. It's been a good schedule for me and I feel like I'm actually making progress...on both fronts. At any rate, I can't think of anything clever to say so I'm just letting you all know that I'm busily dissertating--whatever that means--and that I'll have pics of my lovely new towels tomorrow!

clementi sonatina op 20 no 4 mvt 2

Book Review: The Last Girls by Lee Smith

Smith departs from her usual poetic ramble through the psyche of Appalachian folk lore to write a story about women coming of age—it felt rather cosmopolitan for her, but it wasn’t really, of course.

The Last Girls is about four women (college dorm mates) who have been invited on a steamboat cruise of the Mississippi River to spread the ashes of a fifth dorm mate, Baby, who recently passed away in an automobile accident. The focal character is Harriet who must come to terms with her life choices and sexuality (or lack thereof). Charlotte, Anna and Catherine round out the quartet.

While the story is interesting, and we get enough back story on each of the characters to understand their importance in understanding Baby, I didn’t fall in love with The Last Girls as I have with every other Lee Smith book I’ve read. It fell flat for some reason—either the characters weren’t developed enough, or the true story, the more interesting one of the raft trip the girls took as college students, was embedded too deeply and mysteriously for it to be a linking thread throughout.

I liked the book, I didn’t love it. Not recommended for die-hard Lee Smith fans as they will likely be disappointed. Recommended for women who like to read about women coming of age and want to read an author who knows how to write well.

Fleece and Wool Scarf

I'm going to see if Alyssa wants it to replace the blanket that failed. It's very very soft and fuzzy feeling. I imagine it will be quite warm too.

Pillow

I have some issue with following directions, or there is some issue with the directions I follow, OR there is some issue with the yardage reported on yarns. At any rate, I did not have enough burgandy solid to make two pillows, so ended up only making one. Here it is. It looks great in my living room. I like the yarn, but don't know if it's worth the expense as there are other similar yarns that are cheaper. Use will let me know.

Pics of the Empty Nest

You start in the foyer--it's an octagonal red room. We have two chairs and an ottoman. Then you go to the salon which houses my piano, a couch and chair with ottoman, and an armoire with all kinds of storage. Next is the bedroom which we've painted turquoise. I've only shown one bed here but we have two in there for now. The stairs are in the bedroom and lead to the storage room upstairs. The office is next. David's at his desk and my desk area is vacant. Then you enter the studio. I've taken two pictures to try to capture as much of it as I can. I just love that room. The white work table upon entry is amazing.

The kitties approve of the new sofa and chair

Me and my quilt!

I have no idea how I'm going to piece a quilt top for the 2010 bee, finish hand quilting this one, AND write a dissertation in the coming year, but I guess I'll figure it out. I LOVE my new quilt. Thanks Carolyn for making it "for me" :) I love my quilt bee family!

Packed up for the Quilt Bee!

No kidding. Everything I need for 4 days is in this backpack...now it doesn't include the two giant boxes I sent with Mom last week, but not bad :)

Sunflowers

Yea!

The Weaving Studio is complete--as far as I can tell. I still need to hang pictures, but I consider that lagnaippe! Oh, it's so wonderful!

We're Nested

I LOVE my empty nest. I have a weaving studio that is gorgeous.

We have finally finished all the painting and moved all the furniture, so now we have to hang three ceiling fans (electricians coming tomorrow or Wed for that) and hang pictures and we're pretty much done.

I hope my little fledglings enjoy their new nests as much as we are enjoying spreading out in their old one!

I'll have pictures sometime next week after the quilt bee...

Book Review: Vindication by Frances Sherwood

I wish I had enjoyed Vindication more. I was really looking forward to reading it. One of my favorite genres is that which takes a historical person and write fiction about him/her. Or takes a fictional character and writes another story about him/her. Vindication, about early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft fell short for me.

Sherwood said in a little write-up at the end of the book that she enjoys writing fiction about historical characters because (among other reasons) she likes writing "tart dialog." I find that I don't like tart dialog. Otherwise, she's a good writer, Wollstonecraft’s story follows her relationships with different men in different phases of her life. It examines her mental illness. I found it hard to believe, however, that Mary Wollstonecraft would have been such a masochist when it came to men...maybe she was and that means that I don't like her as a person, maybe she wasn't and that means that I don't like the way Sherwood has imagined her...

Recommended for those who are interested in feminist history--or those who like tart dialog.

Before and After

Last Night's Graduates

Beautiful and Happy! We are all so proud!

Today is graduation day!

4 years ago Alysa and Elizabeth participated in the 8th grade graduation. Here is what they looked like.

Etude in c# Minor by Alexander Dorn

This one is a real finger and arm stretcher, but I hope I've done it justice.

Pictures from New Orleans

The storm that kept us from walking around the French Quarter when we go to New Orleans. Luckily it cleared in time for us to go to dinner at Bayona.

Me and the girls in the courtyard of Bayona.

David and the girls in the courtyard.
All of us enjoying our dinner.

In the hotel lobby after dinner.

At the Red Fish Grill with the awesome chocolate bread pudding.




Elizabeth enjoying hers.

Alyssa watching them pour her chocolate onto her bread pudding.


The remains of dessert.

Book Review: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Rebecca is a chilling book that follows the life of the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter and her experiences trying to outlive the ghost of her predecessor, Rebecca. She meets Maxim while serving in the employ of a Mrs. Van Hopper—a rude American who hires the narrator to be a companion. She hates Mrs. Van Hopper but doesn’t see much other option for herself since her parents died and left her penniless.

Upon Mrs. Van Hopper becoming ill, the narrator and Mr. de Winter strike up a friendship that turns into something more and eventually marry. It’s upon the return to Mr. de Winter’s estate, Manderley, that things start to get interesting and complicated for the narrator. We follow along as she deals with family, the servants and former friends, and attempts to make a happy life for herself and Maxim. The mysterious death of Rebecca haunts the main character though she can’t quit pinpoint why, and we follow her through her daily routine until she discovers what happened and why it’s important to her.

I found the book tedious at points. The writing is very tightly wound up in the narrator’s mind and we follow her thoughts through several permutations of “what could have happened” or “what might be happening” or “what other people are currently thinking about her”, etc. I never felt like putting the book aside, however, but I did find it difficult to get into in the beginning. And it isn’t until around p. 200 (in my edition) that it becomes gripping…and the book is indeed gripping, and I finished the last 200pp in an evening and the following afternoon.

Recommended.

Our first produce

The garden is more of a success this year. We should have a bounty of cherry tomatoes when we get home tomorrow. In the meantime, here are our first two. I think they look pretty darn perfect.

4 towels going to college

I made these 4 towels for the girls to split. I'll also make them 4 wash cloths to split. They are 100% cotton. I think I did a really nice job with the weaving of them because the patterns really came out and the fabric is flat and just about perfect. I'm proud of them.

Finally!

The frenzy is over. I'll have pics of towels tomorrow. Going to New Orleans on Saturday!

Aaaah!!!

So much to do, so little time...

Book Review: The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

I have had such a wonderful run of books lately. The Blind Assassin is yet another great book that I’m listing up there as “one of the best I’ve ever read.”

Three main plot line weave throughout the book supported by newspaper clippings and descriptions of photographs. Very intelligently organized, this could have resulted in a confusing montage of events and descriptions, but instead, Atwood manages to compose a wonderful, very tightly structured, novel that keeps you thinking about it long after you’ve put it down.

Iris Chase Griffen is the novels main narrator. She is the daughter of a wealthy factory owner and marries another wealthy factory owner when her own family’s financial situation becomes dire. She and her sister, Laura, grow up in unusual circumstances and their story told in first person makes up one of the plot lines.

The second plot line is the “current” story of Iris as an old woman dealing with a failing heart and realizing that she will soon die. She must tell the story of her life, Laura’s life, her questionable state of mental health (is she crazy or just much more aware of details than the rest of us) and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death (covered up suicide).

The third plot line is the novel-within-a-novel, The Blind Assassin, written by two lovers during their rendezvous. A science fiction that occurs on a different planet, The Blind Assassin is created by the lovers together as the talk before having to separate again to their daily lives.

This book is beautifully written. The wry wit of the elder Iris is wonderful, and I found myself underlining passages just to be able to read them again. Atwood is truly a master craftswoman and I look forward to reading her other books.

off to the beach

Yea! Wish it were longer, but even one day is wonderful.

Happy Mother's Day everybody!

Toccata by Kablevsky

In 20 Days...

My house was wrapped/tp'd/rolled last night. We have no idea why. These things usually happen during homecoming as a lark, but since it's senior week at school, I guess the juniors are "getting back" or something. I hate this and am happy that in 20 days I will no longer have children in high school so that stupid pranks like this don't trash my house!

Plan C

Our plan C involves moving all the pots to the back porch. The thief, if so inclined, will have to search our property to find them and then go back there where there is a spot light to pick them up. I do hope this works as I will be very disappointed if they strike again and steal more plants.

I do like the plants back here and this coming weekend we will remove the rose bushes that aren't doing well and rearrange the pots so that they are more aesthetic.

Resting

I'm so upset...

Obviously two pots are emtpy...the one at the very top in the middle has half of the plant removed and the on in the row below it and to the right has about 1/3 of it removed. Time to get a camera, but to what point? To find out who is doing this? Unless we know them, what then?

Silk Scarf

With this blue silk scarf, I took advantage of how the different yarns and colors play with light and created a block pattern that does just that. The darker blue is a boucle yarn, which means it has tiny bumps or circles throughout. It give an interesting texture contrast to the sleek shiny lighter blue. The scarf is luxurious.

It measures 7x70" and sells for $90.

Book Review: The Music Lesson by Katharine Weber

A very quick read. Patricia Dolan tells her story of love, loss, and discovery through a journal written over several days while she is alone in a remote west-coast Irish village cottage with a stolen painting. How she got there and what she does while there is really the meat of the story.

She meets a distant Irish cousin, Mickey O’Driscoll, who she immediately feels passion for and who woos her into participating in his fight against the “English occupation of Northern Ireland.” She consciously assists with the theft of the painting and sits with it while it the Irish liberators are awaiting the ransom money—which doesn’t come and creates an awkward moment in the novel where painful decisions have to be made.

I enjoyed the book, and found Weber’s writing to be very engaging. I was surprised at how quickly I read through the entire book—less than a day start to finish. What I found a little dubious is the use of a painting as collateral for ransom money…maybe I just don’t understand rebel politics. Overall, though, a good read and recommended.