Same old, same old! LOL!

I'm trying to keep things watered outside (sunny and 92 today! Hot!!!!) and finish this quilt and not let the house fall down around me while I do plus trying to finish up a few YOP projects for next week.
Here's the quilt so far.............

 

Started another washcloth..... 

 Only 4 more feet to go on my I-cord!!!!!!  23 feet done.  Hopefully I'll have a chair pad to show next Sunday!

The girl's had a play date.................

And the flowers are blooming........as long as I water else they'd be goners in this heat!  

 I have deadlines so please forgive me for not visiting but I will.....promise!  I miss you all!

Oh, please visit Tami's too and see what great projects people are working on...it so motivating!  Just click on the button on my right sidebar and it will take you right there!  Toodles!

Book Report.........

I finished this book and it was good but sad and I don't really like sad books.  It was very well written and I can see why people are attracted to this author.  It has an unusual storyline and beautiful descriptions.  I also like the low country of South Carolina where it takes place and the closeness of nature but it didn't leave me feeling very happy.  I might try reading another book of hers later but not for awhile.  The whole time I was reading it I was waiting for the "other shoe to drop" and it left me anxious right before going to sleep.  Maybe I need to read certain authors/books during the day time.  Regardless, it would probably get 4 out of 5 stars.
"A troubled daughter of privilege and her secrets threaten to blow a hole in twelve-year-old Emily's beautiful world."

Still reading...........still good..........a reference book that I would highly recommend!

This book is a Pulitzer prize winning book/author but so far it puts me to sleep....boring!  It's starting to pick up a little and I will persist and read the entire book.....maybe it will get better.  What's interesting is she wrote this book and taught in the same town where I worked at the exact same time, Iowa City, IA.  In fact, I even did some work in setting up data communications between the University where she taught and where I worked at the time as a systems programmer.  Why is it I am never impressed with what most are impressed by?  Especially "great literature".  

Since there seems to be nothing on the telly in the evening and I can't get NPR on my radio here, I have decided to listen to audio books while I do handwork; crocheting, knitting, etc.  I got this one at the thrift store awhile ago and so far it is very good.
"  A woman is summoned back to the town where she grew up.  And in the house where she spent her most magical years she finds a series of letters addressed to her.  Each of those letters is a piece of a story that will completely upend the world she thought she knew----and throw her into a love more powerful than she ever imagined could be possible.  Two extraordinary love stories are entwined here, full of hope and pain and emotions that never die down."
My nickname is Sam and in the story "Sam" is also a female.  Anne Heche who reads for Jennifer is one of my favorites too.

I picked up this magazine by USA Today.  It's a special publication on retirement and thought maybe I could learn something before it's too late? LOL!  It may be already! I just started reading it last night so I'll let you know what I think.

I know this isn't reading but I've decided to go through my music to see what to keep and what to get rid of.....so each week I pick a cd and listen to it all week on and off to see if I really enjoy it still.  I have all types of music and I know some of it I may have loved at one time but it also may contain triggers to some memories I would rather forget so I'm cleaning my "musical house".   For the last 3 weeks it has been classical and all 3 are "keepers"..........
These 2 will keep you from dozing!  Peter IljitchTchaikovsky (1840-1893) has always been a favorite because of his strong, vibrant musical scores.   The top one is Symphony No.2 op.17 in C minor "Russian" and Symphony No.3 op.29 in D major "Polish".  Don't ask me what that all means because I am not a music major or even a minor! LOL!
The bottom one is Piano Concerto #1, String Serenade, Violin Concerto, The Sleeping Beauty Ballet Suite, Capriccio Italien, Swan Lake Ballet Suite and Eugene Onegin: Polonaise......just in case you wanted to know all that....(whew!).

But of the 3....this one tops the charts at No. 1............Edward Grieg (1843-1907)...I'm not writing all that stuff down again but I love his music!  One you might recognize is the Peter Gynt Suite.
Again, this music will not allow "dozing" and is great for handwork or housework! LOL!

I wish you a great week with wonderful reads and maybe some great music when you can't be reading. 

YOP Sunday

Finally, at the end of the year I get organized.  I've made a page for YOP 1213 with my finished projects, works in progress and projects that haven't even been started yet.  They are all linked up to the actual pattern/project in Ravelry so even if I'm not posting about it you can access them from my blog at any time. 
It's been 5 steps forward and 10 steps backward this week but I keep plugging along.........

No, I did not  make this but I want to!!!!  Have you seen this?  I just had to share in case any of you want to put it on your YOP 1314 list!  I'm not sure there are directions but I'm sure it would be easy to figure out.

 I found a neat way to dry my hand knit socks.  I put rugs on top of my washer/dryer to dry and by accident threw my socks up there wet out of the washer so they wouldn't go in the dryer with the rest of the load.  I smoothed them out and they literally "blocked" themselves on that rug!  Easy peasy!  So now I always have a rug up there.  It also keeps things from sliding off.  The rug  has a latex backing so it stays put pretty well although once in awhile I have to straighten it out.  It also prevents items from falling between the washer and dryer.

 

 I started wearing my socks finally....and LOVE!!!!!  They are Cascade washable wool but they are actually cooler than my cotton socks and who needs Dr. Scholls with hand knit socks?  Not me!  They are so cushiony I couldn't believe it!  The yellow's are a bit small but they don't bother me but they'll probably wear out sooner.  Oh no, is that a bunion starting on my left foot?  OMG! 

 Here's he blue ones to match my gorgeously comfortable Asics LOL!  Guess what there's going to be a lot of on my 2013-2014 YOP list? 

 I've been going through containers in my basement to utilize for packing and guess what I found?
Yep, you guessed it.....STASH!  Recognize the sunflower afghan squares popular back in the 70's, an afghan I started for my daughter and son-in-law, an afghan for a grandson who is now a teenager and has probably outgrown the dinosaurs that were going to be on it.  I'm not even sure what the white and off-white pieces were supposed to be.  Does this mean I have to finish them?

 I have about 5 feet left on my chair pad I-cord and as for the Blackberry Salad blanket...I haven't touched it in months.  Below is the cuff of one pillowcase.  But I'm going to make ones without contrasting cuffs in the future as it is easier and I really don't think I care for the contrast but we'll see when I'm done.  I had a dickens of a time with the grain on this fabric.  I had to straighten it as it was so cock-eyed and I lost a good bit of fabric doing that and the selvages indicate that the green fabric is not quite as wide as the yellow.  One may be 45" but the other is 44"...and if I sew it with a 1/4" seam like they say the selvages will show.  Who knew a pillowcase could be so complicated? 

Check out my YOP 2012 - 2013 project page above and you will see all my projects for this year: finished, wips and all that I never even got started!  I'll be working on my YOP 2013-2014 page but there may not be as many pictures as I'm going to be working from a lot of books this coming year but I'll see what I can figure out.  Have a great week everyone!