Gold Bonsai Scarf

This is a really beautiful metallic gold scarf in a basket weave pattern.  It is very soft, has a great drape and would be the perfect accessory to a dressy evening, or even with jeans.

It measures 6.5" x 66" and sells for $70.   The fringe is twisted.

Red, White and Gold Double Weave Placemats

It was 6 weeks in the making, but finally this project is finished.  I like them, but don't ever want to take on this project again!

Grading Accomplished!

Hair Cut

Oliver Will be Missed

Oliver, our sweet orange kitty, passed away this morning.  He was with us for 14 years and was sweet and such a wonderful addition to our family.  He will be sorely missed.

Yeah, I'd say it's worth it

5.5 hours worth of work

...and I hope that the 4 placemats that I'll get out of this warp are worth it!

The Pile...

I didn't make much progress on the grading pile yesterday, but maybe today.  So many things get in my way...maybe I let them...because I do detest grading!

One more Pile left

...and it's grading, so I hate it, but I'm almost at a clean desk!

The desk...

...is still a mess, but the piles are receding--except for the grading one which is getting bigger despite my best efforts to ignore it.  Perhaps I need to do something about that.

Taking "THE PILE" and Making piles

So, today begins the great cleaning of the desk.  I'm starting by taking "THE PILE" of accumulated papers, documents, and proof that I've been busy, and putting them into smaller pileS in order to then file, write reports, etc.  I have here about 3 weeks worth of work...and I think I'm about 1/2 way through reorganizing.  Thank goodness.

When I'm done with the PILE shifting, I'll be able to write up my monthly progress report (to date) and put much of this documentation in my "Activity Binder" to have as proof that the work I've been doing has documentation to back it up. 

Being on a grant can be exhausting to those of us who don't like to file.  But, I have to admit it feels good to clean things up a bit!

What Have I been Doing?

So much, and none of it interesting.  Work has really been crazy busy and rather stressful of late.  I've had zero time and energy for blogging, weaving, reading, or otherwise enjoying life.  Things have finally slowed down and will hopefully maintain a regular pace so that I can keep up, have a life, and enjoy my job.  And don't get my wrong, I enjoy my job...just in littler pieces!  So, this is what I've been doing:

• conferencing with students
• interviewing and hiring peer mentors for our peer mentor program
• designing the training for our peer mentors
• meeting with our external evaluator
• meeting with our external consultant
• designing and delivering the training for our faculty advisors in the legal and ethical issues of advising
• designing and delivering the training for our professional staff in best practices of advising, intrusive advising and the legal and ethical issues of advising
• creating evaluation tools for all the above training
• managing our advisors as they began advising the students in my classes
• planning, designing activities and teaching 2 sections of a college success class (these are the pilot students who we will track for retention purposes and who are going through our advising model)
• grading assignments for the 2 sections I'm teaching

For fun I:

• Went to College Station and attended the season opener for the Texas Aggie football season
• Got my hair cut
• Went to bookclub
• Hosted my crafting group: The Crafty Vixens

And that's about it.  I hope to be back to more regular blogging soon.

Fun Times in Aggieland this Weekend

Book Review: A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrich

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrich follows the characters Ralph Truitt, a very rich man in Wisconsin, and his "mail order" bride, Catherine Land.  Catherine arrives in the middle of the first snow storm of the year to begin her life as the wife of Mr. Truitt.  She misrepresents herself from the start yet Mr. Truitt marries her anyway.  Her plan was to slowly poison him with arsenic and then bring her lover to live in his mansion.  Things don't go as planned for either, and to tell too much of the rest of the plot would give away more than anyone interested in reading the book would want. 

It's a quick read, even though it feels "big."  And mostly good.  I didn't like any of the characters and thought Goolrich's writing was overdone in many instances, but it was a good book, and I recommend it to anyone who likes reading books with surprise endings.

Something to Smile At when I come into my Office

Rust and Cream Scarf

This is a rust and cream bamboo and cotton scarf woven in a "plaited twill" pattern.  This is a commission for my friend Cathy.

Book Review: A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James

A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James is a Cinderella story complete with "rats," a fairy godmother, and of course the evil step mother.  Orphaned Kate must pretend to be her sister, Victoria, and go to the Prince's castle in order to get his blessing on their marriage.  While there, of course she falls in love with the Prince and he with her, but there's the complication of his betrothal that will be announced the night of the ball.

This is another lively book with a strong heroine by James. 

I loved it.

Remembering You by Eugenie Rocherolle

Elizabeth said this song made her feel sad when she listened to it last night.  I just love it, and hope that I evoked emotion in my playing.  Sorry about the lighting.  Will work on that for the next piano videos--which hopefully won't be 4 months from now!

Stress Management

Anyone out there have some good stress management tips?  I'm dealing with my 3rd migraine in a week, so apparently I'm not dealing with my stress very well, and would like to do so in a way that does not involve alcohol or migraines!  Any advice is appreciated.

Book Review: The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant

The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant tells the story of the town Dogtown as it is "dying"...people moving on and out.  I almost didn't pick the book up because the description sounded so depressing, but I'm glad I did because it's a beautifully written book that details the death of a town with both humor and love. 

I thought Diamant wrote a compelling story about how people move to and then leave Dogtown, what it means to the remaining residents, and of course, the dogs for whom the town is named.

Recommended.

4 Cotolin Towels

4 towels made using cotolin.  I tried to use up the yarn I had but still have quite a bit left, so there'll be another set soon.  LOVE these towels in all their bright plaid-y-ness.

Strange Dreams

For the second time in as many weeks I've dreamed about these weird looking red spiders who are in my house.  They are climbing around, big as your head and quite plasticky looking.  I told these red spiders in my previous dream that they needed to leave but they didn't.  Last night when I told them they needed to leave, they told me they didn't want to go outside because it was hot and then when winter came they would die.  I told them that if they didn't leave my house I would "squish them flat."  They marched right out the front door pretty as you please.

Book Review: Death on a Silver Tray by Rosemary Stevens

Death on a Silver Tray by Rosemary Stevens is a really fun mystery.  The main character is Beau Brummel, the "real life" fashion guru of Regency England.  He is joined by a cat named Chakkri, who I just adored.

The mystery plot revolves around the poisoning of a cranky old woman, Lady Wrayburn.  Miss Ashton is accused of the murder, but Beau knows she didn't do it and is out to prove her innocence.  He's not the best of detectives and stumbles along into the clues and answers to the mystery, but does so in a very delightful way.

I want to read the rest of the Beau Brummel series and all the other books that Rosemary Stevens wrote, so I highly recommend it.  Hope you enjoy!

Electric Green Scarf Revisited

Cotton and bamboo scarf just like the one I made last year.  This is a commission for a friend.

Elizabeth's Christmas

It was really supposed to be a totally different scarf but after I messed up about $50 worth of yarn (unfortunate, very unfortunate) I went with plan B.  I think this is adorable and very very soft.  It's bamboo feather yarn woven with grey merino.

Book Review: Seduction by Amanda Quick

Seduction by Amanda Quick was a very satisfying read.  At first I thought it was a little slow to get started, but once I was a little over 1/3 into it, the plot really picked up and the characters took on a personality that was both enjoyable and fitting.

Sophy and Julian decide to marry for their own reasons, neither of which is embedded in a deep passion for one another.  Sophy is quite the budding feminist, reading such books as A Vindication of the Rights of Women, and has expectations of her husband that he's not willing, at first, to abide by. They negotiate their relationship and come to an understanding of one another that brings the book to a satisfying close.

Recommended to readers of romance.

A Weekend...

There is a weekend with my name on it coming up...it has a heating pad, a comfy couch, some piano playing, weaving, reading and nintendo playing all packed into 3 days of also sleeping late and snuggling with my cat.  I think I can deal with that...and maybe find middle ground while I'm at it.

Where is Middle

There is a song by Mary Chapin Carpenter called "Middle Ground" where she wishes for some space in the middle where she could be content (lyrics here if you're interested). There's the overly busy side of her that works really hard and enjoys it. Then there's the side that goes home, turns off the phone and hides under the covers for the weekend even though she feels guilty about avoiding her friends and family. There's the part of her that longs for love so bad it hurts and the part of her that is happy to be single.

I'm searching for that middle ground. I'm perfectly happy with my love so that's not an issue, but I would like some more quiet time with David. I'd love to be able to spend an entire 24 hours where neither of us works or thinks about work. It would be heavenly not to look at the clock sometime between 5 and 5:30 and realize that I've got to get up and "go to work." And I love my job...but I need some space or something where I can be just middle for a few days. No pressure, no expectations, just middle.

I long to sit and play the piano uninterupted for a long time. Or read a really good book (I'm at that place in my current book, so that's nice). Or weave a lovely complicated project. Or even shop on-line for some yarns in pretty colors that I would love to work with.

I've been dreaming of tidal waves and swollen out of control rivers. I compare these dreams to my former tornado dreams (which I haven't had in a long time). And what is so odd about all this--this feeling of stress--is that I don't really feel stressed. I thoroughly enjoy my job, everything I'm doing is fun and interesting, and will make significant changes in the culture and practice of the college where I am...there's just not enough time to get everything done. And that must be the point of stress. Time slips away every day and here I am at the end of it with a pile left to plow through tomorrow.

So, I long for middle ground. That place between up and down where I can enjoy what's around me and appreciate all that I have before me.

Book Review: An Affair before Christmas by Eloisa James

In this second installment of the Desperate Duchesses series, James focuses on the love between Poppy and Fletch, who have been married for four years but have never been able to kindle that "spark" that begins with their love of one another. As Poppy works through the abusive relationship she has with her mother and learns to grow and develop her own interests, she discovers the passion that she holds for Fletch and as a result their marriage is able to survive.

Meanwhile Jemma and Beaumont are slowly negotiating their relationship. She is learning to appreciate his passion for politics while he is learning to love her intelligent and wit. The Duke of Villiers, injured in the duel at the end of Desperate Duchesses develops an infection and is sick most of the novel--he has to learn to forgive himself in order to be healed.

Artful weaving of three stories. Beautifully written. I'm always sad when I finish a James book because I know I'm not going to miss the characters.

Highly recommended for romance readers.

Book Review: The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue by Barbara Samuel

LOVED this book. I liked all of the characters, really appreciated their growth and determination. Samuel's use of 4 women in different stages of life and love represented a "whole woman" and I thought it was a perfect picture of womanhood. The style is also accessible, and the book well-written.

In The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue, Samuel tells the story of Trudy (whose is separated from her husband after finding out he was having an affair, Jade (who returns to her grandmother's house after the death of her grandfather), Roberta (Jade's grandmother who just lost her husband) and Shanelle (who is having trouble with her husband accepting her desire to be a writer). The women support each other, grow and learn from each other, and seek out fulfillment in things that will make them a better person--and by default a better wife and mother.

Highly recommended.

The View from our Balcony

Wonderful Beach Weekend

We:
* made some killer sangria
* made some more
* sat on the balcony watching the waves and birds and people
* enjoyed the beautiful weather
* walked on the beach
* Jenn went for hikes
* sat in the hot tub
* went swimming in the condo's pool
* went to the Jimmy Buffett benefit concert (which was awesome)
* cooked some amazing food
* read a lot
* had great conversations
* laughed
* cried
* drank wine
* ate lots and lots
* made some pina coladas (do I detect a theme???)

We had a wonderful time. The condo (Martinique on the Gulf) is gorgeous. We'll definitely be going back there!

Beach today!

We're heading to Gulf Shores, AL, today for a weekend at the beach with my friend Jenn. We will be lazy for a couple of days and on Sunday we are going to the Jimmy Buffett benefit concert. Hopefully I'll get some pictures.

Old Friends

My friend Jenn comes in for a visit today. She'll stay for a week. We have a few plans, but mostly she'll be birding, hiking, and otherwise enjoying Mississippi nature. We are going to Gulf Shores, AL, Friday-Sunday. On Sunday we'll be attending the Jimmy Buffett and Friends concert, which I'm looking forward to. Should be fun.

Details as they come!

Book Review: On Agate Hill by Lee Smith

On Agate Hill by Lee Smith follows the life of Molly Petree from the age of thirteen until her death as an "old woman" of 68. It is a depressing tale of loss and more loss and then more loss. I thought at some point there would be a glimmer of hope, but really, there wasn't.

Smith's books tend to be more dark than I like to read these days, but On Agate Hill was particularly so. After the lackluster The Last Girls, I'm not sure I'm excited or looking forward to reading more Smith books. Her early works, Fair and Tender Ladies particularly, while sad, had a wrangle-hold on life and love and the characters were trying very hard to make their lives better. Molly, however, really just floats along without much volition or course in life.

While I wanted to like the book, finding it a little like Fair and Tender Ladies in the diary and letter aspect, I didn't find Molly as compelling a character. I just didn't care what happened to her. Which was sad.

The book got good reviews on amazon.com, from die-hard Lee Smith fans and others alike, so maybe I just missed something. But, for me, there was just a polish or finish on the book that wasn't there.

Finally

After over a week of feeling like crud, I can say that I actually feel better today. Still don't have my voice totally and there's a cough threatening to come through every now and again, but I have energy, curiosity about the world...a desire to bake. Life is good. Still missing my quilt bee family, though!

The Quilt Bee Quilt

Still without a name, this year's quilt bee quilt was unveiled last night at the home of Doreen Fisher. I was present by phone. It is made using 12 handwoven squares alternating with a golden sun batik and the outside border is a purple background and multi-colored hearts batik. It will be quilted using a sampler of stencils in the gold squares and simple straight lines for the outside border. The handwoven squares will be tied using a gold cotton yarn.

I miss y'all!

Up and At 'em!

Well, I made it to work this morning. This has been the strangest bug...exhausted tired for several days (that's where David is right now), then the scratchy throat sets in, not bad but irritating. Then the rest of it gets full-flight. I'm still in the awful cough stage, which means I'm not sleeping well, but the pharmacist did recommend a good cough syrup so I got some sleep, but not enough. Hopefully this weekend will do me good.

Have a wonderful quilt bee, my quilt bee family. Wishing I could be there with you!

Sad...

Sad to be missing the quilt bee this year, but at least I'll BEE there in spirit as my quilt has arrived and will BEE quilted by my wonderful BEE family.

ugh again...

Ear Infection...

ugh!

SO TIRED!!!

Fun Times in NOLA

We had a terrific time in New Orleans with our friends, Bill and Catherine Sisson. I swear we ate ourselves silly:
*Dinner Friday night at Antoines (our group opinion, overpriced but good New Orleans mainstay)
*Breakfast Saturday morning at Stanley's on Jackson Square (great down-home food)
*Lunch Saturday afternoon at Lilette on Magazine (VERY tasty. I can't wait to go back).
*Dinner Saturday night at Bayonna on Dauphine in the French Quarter (never disappoints, and amazes me everytime I go at how terrific everything is prepared)
*Brunch Sunday morning at Mr. B's Bistro on Royal Street in the French Quarter (always dependably good, though the service was a little disappointing)
*Dessert after Sunday brunch at the Redfish Grill on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter (rich, chocolately and divine!)

I almost felt that I was in a food-induced coma or hangover last night. Yum yummy yum!

And the conversation was terrific too! Can't wait to get together with the Sissons again!

yea!!!

It's off to New Orleans we go to visit with our friends, the Sissons! Hope to have a few pictures on Monday.

Book Review: Devil of the Highlands by Lynsay Sands

Devil of the Highlands is a fun romance that pits Evelinde against the "devil of dunairrach" (misspelled I know but I don't have the book with me), Cullen Duncan. Their marriage has been arranged by her evil stepmother in the hopes of making Evelinde's life miserable, but the opposite is quite true, as the nickname "devil" doesn't really aplly to Cullen since he's really quite considerate and sweet, just doesn't talk much.

The conflict involves several "accidents" that are happening to Evelinde that if successful would have ended in her death. The latter half of the book does a great job of developing the mystery and revealing the attempted murderer without feeling trite or rushed.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I found Evelinde's character to be rather charming and funny and enjoyed her growth through the novel. Looking forward to reading another novel by Sands (though I won't read her vampire stuff...I just don't get into vampires).

Highly recommended for romance readers.

Book Review: Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery

Having absolutely loved The Elegance of the Hedgehog, I was very excited to see Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery. It tells the story of Pierre Arthens as he is dying. Every other chapter is from a different person's perspective, the other chapters are from Pierre's perspective as he is remembering his life and seeking out that "flavor" which is the essence of living for him.

It's a slim novel, without the difficult passages that many people found troublesome in "Elegance" but, to me, it was also without the depth of character and development that "Elegance" brought forth. I truly cared deeply about the characters in Elegance, but didn't really about the characters in Gourmet...perhaps that's because I got such a brief view of each of them except for Pierre, and he really is an unlikeable character.

I did find it an enjoyable read even so and recommend it. Especially to those who like reading books about food.

That was a nail-biter!

I finished the quilt bee top today. I'm so happy...was worried it wasn't going to get done, but now I have a wonderful quilt that one of two lucky ladies will own in a couple of weeks!

Book Review: Desperate Duchesses by Eloisa James

I parse out James slowly because one day I'll be out of her books and then I'll be so sad...I absolutely love her books and Desperate Duchesses was not disappointing.

Desperate Duchesses sets up the series of 6 books that is known as the Desperate Duchesses series. In this story we get to know Jemma and her duke, Elijah Beaumont. While they are the main titular characters of the story, Roberta and Jemma's brother Damon are the main love interests. (I think Jemma and Elijah's story is simply too complicated to deal with in this book.)

Roberta's father, the Mad Marquis, embarrasses her with his overly expressive emotions and flamboyant mistresses. Roberta desires to marry the Duke of Villiers after seeing him at a party and realizing that he will not ever display any excessive emotions. Roberta finally goes to London in search of marrying Villiers and shows up at her far-distant cousin, Jemma's, house and from there partakes in a game of love and learning that leaves her heart captured quite by surprise.

James is a wonderful writer, and her characters are lively and ever-so-much-fun. I always miss them when I'm finished and have a very hard time not going back and picking up the next one to read...patience is a virtue, even with romance novels :)

Highly recommended.

New Floors

We have had our kitchen and dining room floors resurfaced. They are now a lovely unfinished "old pine" color and texture. I love it. We used the Traffic Master Allure from Home Depot and are very pleased so far. I do hope that it can manage our wavy floors better than the square vinyl tiles did!

5 red cotton bags, 4 for sale

These fun and wonderful bags were the result of a commission by Liana (hers is the first bag in the set). They were woven using a double weave technique to create tubes and then cut apart, sewn up along the bottom and hemmed at the top to create a wonderful little bag to sling over your shoulder or around your body.

They sell for $30 a piece.

Book Review: Miss Julia Speaks Up by Ann B. Ross

A delightful book about a widow who must learn to take care of herself and does so through learning that her husband wasn't all he pretended to be. When his mistress shows up on her front door and leaves his illegitimate son and then drives off, Miss Julia must face the fact that her life has changed forever. Unable to confront the author of her anger, she begins to confront all the confining actions and behaviors that she had dealt with all her life.

I found the book hard to put down even if I did find it hard to believe that Miss Julia would be quite so dependent and silly. Still she cares and learns to love herself and her husband's second family after much trial and tribulation.

Highly recommended.

Book Review: Restoration by Rose Tremain

Restoration by Rose Tremain is a novel that will stay in my head for a while. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes books that make you think...especially when you're finished and have to wonder how much of the story can be trusted.

Restoration follows the life of Robert Merivel over a couple of years during the 1660s. He's brought into the court as a Fool and physician to the royal dogs, almost by accident and ends up being married to the King's mistress. What follows is a descent into dispair as low as his highs had been, and then a shallow creeping out of the mess he made of his life.

The novel starts off very funny, bawdy and enjoyable. The character is very likable and the writing clean and enjoyable. I actually couldn't wait to get home to read everyday and felt "tried" by the fact that my days and evenings were so busy lately.

I'm looking forward to reading other novels by Tremain.

What's Up...

I hope everyone has been having a wonderful mid-May. The weather is spectacular here, if hot, but sunny most of the time with afternoon popcorn thunderstorms. We've even had fog this week.

I've been busy with work and not doing a whole lot else lately. I'm thoroughly enjoying my job. Lots to learn and figure out but it's all good. I've even found that the drive isn't as bad as I anticipated. Having done it before (and hated it) I'm not quite sure why it doesn't seem odious to me now, but I'll take it while I can. In June and July we are going to a 4 day work week which means the work day will be longer, and I'll have to leave my house at 6:45...still trying to figure that out...but I will have Fridays off, and a couple of 4 day weekends, so I don't suppose it will be all bad. Looking forward to the fall when the students come in and we start working with them directly. I think it'll put meaning to all the work we are doing now setting up policies and putting together space. In the meantime, there is lots of training the plan and conduct.

I also have a wonderful, big office with sunny windows and lots of light. It makes the day go by so quickly and I don't get tired, which is very nice. I do miss my Lochi kitty as she and I had become quite good buddies, but she seems to be adapting ok to me not being home all day. I honestly don't think that Oliver has noticed.

On the home-front, we are getting new flooring in our kitchen and dining room next week. It is being delivered to the house today so that it can adapt to the temperature and humidity of the house. I can't wait for it to be "in" so that all looks polished and nice. I'm really excited about that.

And other than that, there really isn't much to report. I'm hoping to have some time this weekend for weaving. I still need to make the quilt bee quilt. I certainly hope we have something to work on: I'm beginning to seriously worry about that! (yikes!) And I've been dying to sit and read my book which is really really quite good.

Another great day!

2 really nice work days in a row can hardly be beat. I've been organizing, learning, and re-organizing. Getting used to a schedule, signing contracts and other paperwork. The general beginning a new job stuff, but it's SO nice. I hope to have pics of my office up next week after I get it all set up...it may just be the biggest, nicest office I've ever had :)

Great Day

I had a great day at work today. I'll hopefully have pictures of my office tomorrow and a few other wonderful things. I think it's going to be a terrific job working with some really nice people. Looking forward to tomorrow.

The reading slump is finally over, thank goodness

Sometimes I find myself reading several really great books in a row. When I do this, I'm so excited about reading that it's all I want to do in my free time. However, every now and then I get to reading some books that I don't like at all, and I think "is something wrong with me?" Then I'll go read the reviews of the books on amazon.com and sometimes see that I'm not the only person who has had particular issues with a book. Always, when I'm not enjoying a book, or find myself avoiding reading, I give myself permission to put the book away. Time is too precious and there are too many wonderful books out there to force myself to read something I'm not enjoying.

And I've been in an awful reading slump lately.

It started out with Douglass' Women by Jewell Parker Rhodes. I wrote on this one last week, but I was really looking forward to it because it came as a referral from one of my favorite authors. I absolutely hated the writing style. Couldn't get past it and decided that in addition I hated every single one of the characters and found the historical components of the novel to feel flat and uninteresting. So, back to the library with that one (glad I didn't spend my money buying it!)

Then I started Like unto Like by Sherwood Bonner. Here was a book a bought a while back, written in the 1880s, highly recommended by the literati of the day. Oh my! I could (somewhat) ignore the overt racism as a product of the time period and Bonner's Mississippi upbringing, but I found the STORY so difficult to get into and the prose so stilted that I had to put it aside after about 50 pages. That book was donated to the library today as it was a book I'd purchased some years back.

Next I started reading Karen Robard's Irresistible. Again, looking forward to this one because it was recommended by an author I like...also it's a romance, historical at that, and I generally LOVE romances. After 80 pages of kidnapping, near rape, and the protagonists ogling of each other, I just couldn't take another word. Quit it mid-sentence in fact. I returned it to the libraray today (again glad I didn't waste my money on it!).

I started Restoration by Rose Tremain on Monday. It's funny, bawdy, and well-written. The main character is lovable in his shabby haphazard way and I'm looking forward to seeing his growth and development. The author has already demonstrated to me that he will grow and develop and that there is a plot in the book. In fact, I'm hooked and all I want to do is sit down and read...looking forward to some time with it this evening and during lunches (now that I'll be working again). So, thankfully the slump is over.

p.s. I have been challenging myself to read books I wouldn't normally pick up, which is why the slumps are a little more frequent than before. I don't mind, really, because I've also found some wonderful gems along the way.

I have a new job!!!

I start Thursday, yes, this Thursday! I will be the Learning Specialist for a Title III grant at Pearl River Community College. I'm very excited!

The Constant Bass by William Gillock

A fun little jazz piece to get you ready for the weekend!

Book Review: Douglass' Women by Jewell Parker Rhodes

I don't usually review books that I was unable to finish simply because I think it's unfair to the author of me to do that. However, I will review this one because I thought there were some interesting and compelling points to the book that other readers might want to look at...I simply found the writing too annoying to want to continue.

Douglass' Women tells the story of Frederick Douglass and his wife Anna Murray and his mistress Otillie Assing. Assing was a German-Jew who immigrated to America and became interested in the abolitionist cause upon arrival. Anna Murray is a free black woman who helped secure Douglass freedom and then married him shortly thereafter. The women are polar opposites in race, education, and personality but both love the man Frederick Douglass for their own reasons.

That was the interesting and compelling part of the book. This is the seed of the book that I think could have flourished (and did for a lot of readers as the reviews are typically very good); however, for me, the writing styles between the two women's narrative/diary sections is so similar that I couldn't get a feel for either of them as an individual person--I guess I felt too strongly Rhodes coming through her characters rather than the other way around.

Recommended to readers who like historical fiction and 19th century American literature.

Happy Mother's Day Indeed!

Slippin' Around by Martha Mier

Teague Lion Fans, Take Notice!

This orange bamboo and cotton scarf will be perfect to show your Teague Lion pride at the season's games--from football to baseball. This scarf is made of light-weight bamboo and cotton so is perfect for the south's warm weather. Get it while it's "hot."

The scarf measures 7.5 x 62 and sells for $50. Fringe is twisted.

Red Rose Rendezvouz by Martha Meir