Monday - Books

 This is a busy Spring here and if you aren't busy yet you will be!  The songbirds are back, the sun is shining and all is right with my world!  And my daughter is on Spring Break this week so there will be more "phone time" than usual which is a good thing as we tend to motivate each other.  So, if Spring hasn't arrived yet in a neighborhood near you...just be patient.....it is coming!
Meanwhile, the reading continues......not as many as last week though.  I only finished one but it was a great one!  I'm going to be making a list of my TOP 10 Books of 2015 and I'll put it on my blog sidebar and this one will definitely be going on it!  I will probably do one for last year too since I kept track of my 2015 reads.

Ms.  Trigiani did not disappoint with this one.  She's such a flawless writer and storyteller that I would probably love anything she writes but I do have my favorites and this is one of them.
I think she wrote a lot of it from family history as she divulges some correlations in the epilogue and what a great family history to have.  I related to much of it and that generation which would have been my parents generation and their parents.  The hard work ethic, the feeling of responsibility to your family and showing love through caring for them.
"This heartfelt story of the limits and power of love chronicles the remarkable lives of the Castellucas, an Italian American family over the course of three generations."  I think you will enjoy it very much.
This is a book I bought years ago and it is a non-fiction about nature but anytime people praise a book as highly as this by "those in the know" I find it disappointing.  So far it seems to me her writing sounds like she's smoking something!  Some of it makes sense and then some sounds like she's in a dream state.  I've only just begun reading it so maybe it will become more understandable as I get further but right now it's a struggle.  Definitely not a "relaxing read" more like one of those required in school. I read Shakespeare and all the Greek tragedies etc. and in my mind if I have to sit and figure out what the writer is trying to tell me then the writer is at fault....not me! LOL!  I'm a realist and I don't deal well with "skipping around the bush" or symbolism...spit it out!

I just chose my next fiction book this morning and this is it......

I got this at a library book sale but I can't remember when.  I buy many books based on the cover and the blurb on the back.  It looks to be one of those book club books which are usually pretty good.
 "A funny and poignant novel about having your heart in the right place even when everything else isn't."
"Newly divorced Dana Stellgarten has always been unfailingly nice --- even to telemarketers---but now her temper is wearing thin.  Money is tight, her kids are reeling from their Dad's departure, and her Goth teenage niece has just landed on her doorstep.  As she enters the slipstream of post-divorce romance and befriended by the town queen bee, Dana finds that the tension between being true to yourself and being liked doesn't end in middle school....and that sometimes it takes a real friend to help you embrace adulthood in all its flawed complexity."
I'm still listening to the audio of Agatha Christie short stories thus I haven't started The Secret Garden audio.  That's it for this week!  What are YOU reading?
Happy Trails!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!

Do you have plans for today?  This is one of my favorite days of the year and I made my corned beef and cabbage yesterday..........

 I prepped all my vegetables so they would be ready to put in with the corned beef once it had simmered for several hours.
The cabbage goes in last as it doesn't take long to cook.  I usually cook cabbage, potatoes, carrots, turnips and rutabaga but I couldn't find rutabaga this year but I love it.

I got an Irish care package in the mail too from my daughter and her family........2 packages of my favorite Girl Scout cookies, some Kiss My Face lip balm in Peach and these little canisters that are magnetic on the bottom and will stick on the side of my frig or anything metal.  I think I'm going to put spices in them.   I had one already so now I have 5!

 Plus, this beautiful book............published out of Anamosa, Iowa in the style of the old fashioned almanacs but filled with current articles many relating to the history of the region and filled with original artwork.  I know I will enjoy this book.

and last but not least an original piece of art..........which is now proudly displayed on my refrigerator!

I hope you celebrate this fun day in some small way.  I'm having my great dinner and I'm watching QVC all day as they have all things Irish with history, song and dance and a gay Irish atmosphere plus Waterford Crystal, artwork, hand carved walking sticks, beautiful sweaters and wovens, Connemara marble and more!  I usually get something for myself each year in honor of my Irish heritage.  Have a wonderfully happy St. Patrick' Day!  Happy Trails!

Monday

 I got a lot of reading in this week........

 This was a good book and I could barely put it down once I go into it but was it good or did it just peak my curiosity?  The main character was a bit sad but the mystery plot was very good.  My only problem is that so many of these books revolve around violence to women.   I purposely don't read books by male authors because I don't know what I might run into within the book.  I don't expect that from female authors but then it seems to be a "trend".  This book could have been a lot worse.  It was not graphic to the extent where I would have bad dreams or not be able to get it out of my head but there are some books that have had that effect on me.  I am beginning to think that books need to be rated like movies.  If it's a true story one cannot run from the truth but to make up horrible things makes me wonder about the author.  I know, I may be a bit odd compared to society but I don't like to have anything negative around me.....people, books, television, movies....real life is so much more tragic that I cannot fathom thinking up more tragic circumstances within the covers of a book.  So, I am sure most people would rate this book highly and as for the plot...it was a great one but I think I'm ready to read something a bit lighter now.

 Actually I finished The Storyteller before The Girl on the Train and it was great....again, sad and tragic but about a real time in history (the holocaust) and the way she told it you understood there was a lot of truth in it.  In fact, you get the feeling that she is weaving someone's personal history into a story.  I liked this book  much better than The Book Thief and Ms. Picoult is a great writer in my estimation.  When you can tell a tragic story in such a gentle manner by your choice of words that is a great "storyteller". 

This was a "sleeper".  Although I believe in an afterlife I wasn't sure this was the one.  I was skeptical and when I started listening to it I found myself analyzing Ms. Eadie and judging her by her lack of education and mispronunciation of several words such as "assept" instead of "accept" and there were others.  By the time I finished listening to it I was ashamed for those thoughts and judgements.  Ms. Eadie was one of the first people to write about her experience so she wasn't really jumping on any "bandwagon" and her sincerity comes through her voice as she does the reading.  At first I wondered why they didn't get someone else to do the reading but by the time I finished I realized no one could have done it better.  I figured this tape would go in my garage sale coming up but no.....it is a keeper if only to remind me that we are all God's children and love is the answer to everything.

This was not very enjoyable but I'm not sure if it was the "radio broadcast" atmosphere or my particular cd player.  It was loud and brash and several different accents being used and I had to back up several times as I didn't understand what they were saying.  Like I said, it could be my cheap cd player. 

 This week I am listening to a collection of stories by Agatha Christie and I am a devout fan and have been since I was in my 20's so what more can I say?

 My non-fiction book is on my tablet.........

The Afterlife of Billy Fingers  

No, I'm not reading all about afterlife.....it just so happened I am going through old audio tapes and this one has been on my tablet for awhile....coincidence.....I don't think so! LOL!

This is my fiction for this week..love this author!

And once I finish Agatha Christie, I'll be listening to this audio...........a classic.....

That's all for this week......Dancing With The Stars is on tonight!  Happy Trails!

Lucky Friday the 13th!

I didn't win the lottery but it felt like it!  I had some substantial financial gains yesterday and today and trust me....that doesn't happen very often around here! LOL!  I'll be looking forward to the next Friday the 13th for sure.  Actually before that it was not such a lucky week as I lost my driver's license and I locked myself out of the house!  But today definitely made up for it.
We had flood warnings and watches since yesterday but early yesterday before the rains came I got outside and did some planting.....
some little pansies........

and some white and purple hyacinth that were on "special" at Wally World!

The daffodils are "up and coming".......

and so are the dandelions.........in fact they were there before it snowed and after.....hardy little flowers

It started raining so in we went but I got everything planted, fed the birds and swept off the front walk.  I made some whole wheat pumpkin bread........which is very good and healthy too using pumpkin puree from my pumpkins that I had frozen in 1 cup packages.  The recipe is from a delightful website with all kinds of helpful information about Living Well and Spending Less

and the rest of my yarn came!  Yay!  Yippee!  The package was in much better shape this time.  It must have come over on a different boat. LOL!

More yarn, more colors, more options!

I hope you had a great week and an even greater Friday the 13th!  Happy Trails!

Changing the time is ridiculous...........

It shouldn't bother me as I am retired but the clocks change without me even doing anything and the girls don't know it's changed so they want to go out and eat at their regular time but I like to feed them when the news is on and so it goes.......but today is Tuesday and I got up at 6:00 which is really 5:00.  Oh, it's all so silly! 
But today I'm back in the groove and I got all the garbage out, relined all the containers, cleaned the litter box, loaded and unloaded the dishwasher, cleaned up the kitchen and washed some things that couldn't go in the dishwasher.  I went to the store and got some cat food and then went to the library.
I haven't been for a long time as I've been trying to read my own books but I was reading The Storyteller by Jodi Piccoult and I had it on my tablet and the battery ran low and I couldn't read it until I recharged it and I was right near the end!  Ahhhhhhhhhh!  So, I decided to go see if the library had it and they did.

  Of course, when you're at the library you have to see what else they might have........
 this one is supposed to be a good one....maybe better than Gone Girl which I have not read.

 

This is a cd version of the classic which I will listen to while doing handwork....  

I've read most of Adriana Trigiani's books and was especially fond of her first 3 novels.

 

 I came home from the library, lit a candle, made a cup of tea and sat down to finish The Storyteller which I did...review next Monday.

Part of my yarn order arrived too.....but where's the rest?

The package did not look too good either...it had ripped and someone taped it up and all the yarn was okay but the yarn was not wrapped in plastic inside the bag so some of it was peeking through.  Maybe free shipping isn't all it's cracked up to be.  There was less than half of my order in this package.  I hope the rest arrives soon.

But look at what I did receive..........

2 different views of the same skeins.....but wait!  There's more!  Whenever it arrives...lol! 

 Did anyone watch the finale of The Bachelor last night?  I didn't watch it until last night as I was curious since they said he was from Iowa (my last home for 22 years) and then I discovered he's from a town outside Dubuque...well......quite a ways outside of Dubuque.......but they stayed in Dubuque before the final rose ceremony.  That is my old haunting grounds!

My cousin was a livestock buyer for Dubuque Pack and I have an old lard container from there.  So, I watched the show and I think he picked the right one just from what I could see but it did seem like he was in love with the other one.....did any of you watch it?  I wouldn't want to be 2nd choice....I really thought he wouldn't pick either of them and then pursue it more after the show was over.   But farm work starts soon so maybe he wanted to "get 'er done".  What do you think?

 I hope Spring is showing in a neighborhood near you!  Happy Trails!

YOP Week #36

Same old..same old but progress is definitely being made!  I've been "clearing and cleaning" on the home front here but when I take a "break" from it all I sit and knit 2 rows. I am happy to report I am now on row 44 of 55 with only 11 more blocks to go!  I must admit this has been a thoroughly enjoyable knitting project too.

I saw one the other day that was done just using the larger squares in all different colors and it was very pretty!  Now that I know how to make these squares and rectangles there is no end to the projects you could make with them.  Another great way to use stash too.  I think this is a technique called "short rows" but not sure.  If it is I have mastered another knitting skill.  Yippee!  

I am still catching up with the preemie hats but December and January are done and I am working on the first hat for February.  Hopefully by next week I will be caught up. 
As I told you last week, I joined Cherry Heart's BAL (blanket along) and it is a group on Ravelry to work on blankets of any kind but she did feature a free pattern of her hexie blanket she is working on called "The Weekender".  I thought I would work on it on the weekends until I finish my WIP blanket.  It's a nice change of pace.
I printed off the pattern and also her JAYG (join as you go) instructions as I had done neither before.  I had no trouble with the hexies but I could not figure out the JAYG with the hexies.  The instructions were for squares.  

So, I then "back tracked" and did some granny squares and then followed the JAYG method and I think I have the gist of it now.  I will be applying it to the hexies and see if I can join them using the same method.  It's amazing how simple something is once you understand it. LOL!

 I'm still awaiting my yarn from Deramores!  Any day now!  They're also coming out with 3 new colors in April!  One is my favorite.....duck egg blue which is not what they call it but it looks like the duck egg blue from Debbie Bliss which I love!
 Once the WIP blanket is done and I've caught up with my preemie hats there will be the hexies in the evenings as DWTS's new season is coming up on March 16th!  Mark your calendars!  I also have several WIP knitting projects to work on during the day and then on the weekends for a change of pace...........I'm looking to maybe get in a bit of cross stitch or embroidery.
 So many projects......so little time!

  And then there's sewing too but that has to be during the day as I have to be fresh and wide awake for using machinery! LOL!
I hope you're enjoying your weekend!  Happy Trails!
P.S. I need to check my YOP list and update it and stay on track with it!  It's so easy to get "lured" by new projects.  The "knitting sirens" are constantly calling!

Sunny Thursday!

But snowy Wednesday...........

 I was really looking forward to this winter storm and it did not disappoint!  It rained in the morning and then turned to sleet which is this picture

but then it turned to snow and you couldn't see across the yard!

Big fat flakes the size of a quarter or more.........it snowed all afternoon and was still snowing when I went to bed.............
This was Nitty when it first started.......she loves the snow as much as I do...........

Shake it off!

it snowed............

and snowed........

and snowed..........I was in 7th heaven.............

and then this morning I woke up to this beautiful scene and the sky so blue and the sun shining so brightly......what gifts!

the only tracks were those made by the deer in the upper middle of the picture below.....can you see them?  They cross the street there to go to the lake right beyond those trees.

The birds uncovered the seed I had placed out there the night before.  I feed them every day between about 3 and 4 in the afternoon so they can go to sleep with food in their tummies to keep them warm through the cold nights.  There's plenty of water all around as the lake doesn't freeze and there is a natural spring too that feeds into the lake that doesn't freeze.  All within walking flying distance.  And of course now, there's the snow!

I'm enjoying the snow and the girls and I went out and did some "tracking"....you can see tracks so easily in the snow if  the girls don't run ahead of me and obliterate them! LOL!  I found out there's a "critter" living in one of the crawl spaces under the house as you could see the tracks leading away from the door.  Hmmm....I'll have to tell my Terminex guy as there is wiring, cables and pipes in there.  I wonder if that's why my cable in the family room doesn't work for my dish?
I hope you stayed warm, happy and well fed today!  Happy Trails!