Persephone Secret Santa 2010

Oh, yes...I am hoping for another white Christmas but dreaming, once again, of a grey Christmas. The absolutely wonderful Claire at Paperback Reader is taking over and I cannot waste another second...I must go sign up now. Will you join in the merriment with me?

Life Gets Crazy...

...which is of course so true it is a cliche but life also goes on in spite of the craziness. So as we are in the process of helping my sister move, I still sneak in a bit of reading and crocheting, and the mail still comes in.

I finished All Things Wise and Wonderful last night. As I turned the last page and looked at my shelf, I realized I have only two books left in the series. I don't want to read anything but Herriot at the moment and at the same time I don't want to take one step closer to the end. My only consolation is how much joy I am getting out of rereading some of the same stories that were included in Dog Stories and Cat Stories which means Herriot will be just as enjoyable the second (or third) time around.

I was a little hesitant when I began All Things Wise and Wonderful because I knew it focused on his time spent in the RAF during WWII. I read Herriot for his animal stories and knew I was not in the mood for war stories but he did a genius job of using small portraits of his service time as introductions to anecdotal flashbacks to his vet work with only a few chapters fully focusing on the war. My favorite story being the one when he volunteers for harvest work on a farm instead of digging a trench and as the days unfold he and the farmer learn quite a bit from one another about the very different yet similar lives they lead. Very touching stuff.

I think I have three favorite moments when working on a project...the beginning, the end, and the moment when I see the light at the end of the tunnel. That moment happened this morning as I finished the second to last panel and looked at my diminished piles of squares and realized they were the last. After I assemble that last panel and attach it, all I have left is the border and then I am done...yea!
Looking at that last pile, I realized I had made about 10 too many squares and decided to stitch some together and do a test border to see if I would like it. But why waste it as a test, I thought, and attached the flower tassel to make a bookmark. It is so bulky, I think the only kind of book it will work in is a softcover bible, and that will accompany the scarf perfectly for the person I have in mind whose Christmas tree these gifts will be under.
As far as the mail, I had a package from England containing my own copy of The Real James Herriot which I borrowed from the library and partially read earlier this year. I am so excited to add it to my own library and plan on reading/rereading it after the series.

Having a lovely, if crazy, day...and hope you are too (not the crazy part:).

RAT: The Final Update

Well this is how I spent the final hour of the read-a-thon...not the 24th hour, mind you, but my final hour which would have been around the 15th hour...reading Herriot and drinking a dark cherry hot chocolate. It was bliss and then I was blissfully tired and then I found blissful sleep, for the next ten hours. I had the best intentions of getting up early to be a part of the last few hours but didn't quite make it. All in all, I think this was the most relaxed read-a-thon I have had. I took many breaks, visited other participants and took part in some of the mini-challenges, read many different things, slept when needed, and ended on the happy note of Herriot once again coming under the spell of Granville Bennett (or is it under the spell of the drink, maybe both). So thank you to the awesome organizers, the cheerleaders and those who read along with me. What a grand time!

The Second Update: A Semi-Coherent Review

I loved the ranting parts of this book...all the anecdotes and examples of the bloody rudeness that permeates our day and age...because you just don't feel quite so alone or silly or possibly mistaken knowing others feel the same. The rants are the strength of this book but the weaknesses are when Truss tries to explain the lack of civility. She completely lost me when she wrote that "modern people are impatient with the bad-good distinctions; they consider it intellectually primitive" because I would consider this condescending attitude toward morality to be one of the main reasons civility is on the decline. I also found it quite surprising that she doesn't bring up religion. So I think the parameters for her book should have been restrained. If she wasn't going to seriously and thoroughly look at or outline the underlying reasons for why the world is so rude today, she shouldn't have brought this aspect up. The book could have been one long rant and leaving it at that it would have been perfect. One doesn't have to offer up explanations or solutions.

The Mid-Event Survey

1. I am reading Lynne Truss' Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door and dipping in and out of Michael Dirda's Bound to Please.

2. No full books...only essays and columns.

3. I am most looking forward to finishing Truss' book.

4. At this point, the only special arrangement I make is clearing it with my husband and he then plans an outing for himself and our girls.

5. There are always interruptions and one just deals.

6. I am most surprised by how well picking essays and columns and episodic writing fits the read-a-thon. Because there are so many breaks in the writing, it makes it easy to take breaks, to remember to eat, and to check what is happening with other participants.

7. My only suggestion would be to bring back the page that would update when any of the participants posted. It made it easier to know who had posted and pay them a visit.

8. There isn't anything I would do differently as a reader.

9. Not tired yet. I remember that at this point during prior read-a-thons I was usually a little dazed and loopy at this point but I think mini-breaks are really helping with that.

10. No tips. There are already so many good ones out there and there also seems to be a certain amount of individual trial and error that is idiosyncratic.

The First Update

Almost seven hours in and here are the stats:

1 pumpkin spice latte consumed

1 slice of leftover margherita pizza consumed

7 essays by George Will consumed

22 columns by Florence King consumed

1 book review of Pops by Terry Teachout consumed

1 book review of P.J. O'Rourke's book about cars and driving consumed

3 passing references to Wodehouse consumed

So far a heavenly day of taking it all in.

Some Books

Crystal at My Reading Room is hosting the mini-challenge for hour five which asks participants to "Show Me The Books". Here they are...

Back-in-the-Day: Hour 2 Mini-Challenge

Elizabeth at Miss Wisabus is hosting the hour two mini-challenge asking us to share a favorite children's book from any age.

My favorite as a child was Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. I am pretty sure I have told the story before but what is once more. I read and reread this book so many times that one summer day I took it to the beach and due to the hot sun and the repeated cracking of the spine, at the end of the day when I went to put the book in the car, pages began fluttering into the street. I am pretty sure I didn't just cry, I balled. I so loved that book.

My mother found this copy of Mary Mapes Dodge's Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates at an antique sale and brought it home for my daughters. I ended up reading it and loved every word, every adventure, every moment of this book. I know if I had read it as a child, White would have had some serious competition from Dodge.

Dewey's Read-a-thon Begins

I wasted a lot of time booting and rebooting this morning, so I am going to answer the introduction questions and get reading...

1. Three facts about me: 1. I hate mushrooms. 2. December is my favorite month. 3. I once cheated on an algebra test...the one and only time I cheated because I got caught (well we all did because it was a concerted effort). All boring but true.

2. What is in the book pile: I only have two books: James Herriot's All Things Wise and Wonderful and George Will's One Man's America. I have about 25 magazines in my pile as I am trying to catch up with Florence King's The Bent Pin column.

3. Any goals: No goals.

4. Any advice: Be flexible. I learned from my first time participating that nothing went according to my plan, so all subsequent read-a-thons I just went with the flow.

Oops, almost forgot...I am reading from Pennsylvania...my new home state now for a little over a year and I absolutely love it!

Happy reading!

Current Reading and Project

Earlier in the year I read two wonderful volumes by James Herriot, Cat Stories and Dog Stories, and immediately ordered his series of veterinary tales. I pulled down All Creatures Great and Small a couple of weeks ago and have been lost in the delightful world of the Yorkshire dales ever since, finishing All Things Bright and Beautiful and presently reading All Things Wise and Wonderful. Since my youngest can't read yet, I will share that among my early Christmas shopping lies a copy of Herriot's children's treasury which Santa will bring and I will have the pure joy of reading to her.

In an earlier post, I mentioned that my parents gave me a copy of All Creatures Great and Small when I was young and that, for reasons unknown, I couldn't get into the stories. Now that I am reading them, I believe it had to do a lot with my lack of maturity and life experience as well as an non-existent appreciation for Great Britain and its' literature. Whatever the reason, they are working for me now.

My latest crochet project is inspired by Coco Rose Textiles. These little squares are being assembled into panels which will then be joined to make a scarf. Another Christmas project which will get me closer to my goal of having all my shopping and crafting done before December. I usually am one to save all Christmas related matters for December but the nature of making gifts doesn't really allow for that. So once I started making gifts, I started thinking about which store-bought gifts would be perfect fits for family and friends and started purchasing them. I never really thought shopping early could make a difference but I have found that I am putting a lot more time and thought into the gifts and enjoying myself more while feeling absolutely no stress about the upcoming holidays. So I guess you could say I have been converted. (And yes I admit to watching one holiday movie already, The Family Stone, and listening to Bing Crosby croon Christmas tunes which I do all year long anyway.)

So now that I feel caught up, I am looking to the future...not too far...only to tomorrow which is Dewey's 24-hour-read-a-thon. Running to the library and Barnes and Noble this afternoon to get all my reads in order and will share them tomorrow morning before the event begins. Happy reading to those who will be joining me.

What I Made

During the spring, I found myself knitting washclothes obsessively which in the end payed off as my daughter has a very nice collection now. But I began to wonder if I wasn't playing it a little safe especially as I was dwelling on several failed attempts to make a granny square (one that actually looked like a granny square and not a hot mess). I put down the knitting needles and tried a few more times and came away with something bordering on success.

At the same time, my sister came across a blog which came to dominate my summer projects. If you know it, you will understand why it became my inspiration but if you don't, please stop by Lucy's Attic24. Even if you don't crochet, it is such a lovely blog to read. I am a novice when it comes to crochet but her patterns and tutorials are so well done, I was able to complete quite a few of her projects.

The first was her Lucy bag (as it has come to be known around the blogosphere and on Ravelry) which I made for my oldest. There are many components to it including the handles, the flower detail and the scalloped edging but all relatively easy to learn if you know basic crochet.

One element I added was a liner which was worth it in the end but almost killed my patience and my sewing machine. But adding the liner to the bag and handles makes it a bit more sturdy.
This is the end product which being the slow hooker I am took two weeks (others who were more experienced finished within a few days).
I did some sewing which I hadn't done for years. The first and last thing I made was a pair of white shorts when I was about fourteen. The first lesson I learned about sewing: make sure the material you choose isn't see through. The shorts were unwearable. But this privacy curtain isn't.
With the leftover material I made a runner for a bookcase. (My mother visited her parents in Holland over the summer and my sister and I placed an order with Cath Kidston to be delivered to her there...anything to save a few bucks on shipping.)
I made a huge mistake buying ball after ball of Sugar and Cream cotton when it was on sale, so I used Lucy's flat circle pattern to make coasters in an attempt to decrease my stash.
My favorite part of making the aformentioned bag is the flowers. I used the same pattern and attached the leaf and a pin on the back. (I found the book in the background at our library sale for a dollar! I was going to purchase it at the bookstore for its' regular price...so glad I waited.)
Using the same flat circle pattern, I made an accent pillow to match our comforter...
...as well as a cover for the stool which goes to my childhood desk.
Now this is a doll blanket which I made for my youngest. It has been reincarnated twice...first as my first successful granny square. Then, because I couldn't stop making new rounds, I was going to make a lap blanket for a Christmas gift. But pretty soon I was bored using the same color and repurposed it into the blanket for my daughter's itty bitty twins.
Another accent pillow which I made for my sister matching the colors to the rag quilt my mother made.
And last (but definitely not least because, although I made two of these for a gift, I so wanted to keep them for myself), a summer garden granny square pillow.
I found that I have to have something on in the background as I crochet. I have yet to try an audiobook but I did do about three more cycles of Rosemary & Thyme's three seasons (why did that show have to end). I didn't think it could happen but I got tired of them and branched out to Miss Marple. I love Joan Hickson as Miss Marple...so perfect. But those ended soon and then it was off to Poirot which I have been enjoying since...because there are more episodes and movies than I imagined.

Next, what I am currently reading and working on...

What I Read

My dear sister likes to make fun of the number of unread books on my shelves and as I try to explain to her, and as this summer proved, they are there waiting for me when I am ready for them.

I pulled down, and thoroughly enjoyed, three Barbara Pym's: No Fond Return of Love, An Unsuitable Attachment, and (my favorite) Crampton Hodnet.

I ventured into the world of Thrush Green beginning with the second book in the series, Winter in Thrush Green, because it was so stinkin' hot and humid this summer that even imagining snow and freezing temperatures brought minor relief. And it was fortuitous that I didn't begin at the the beginning because I finished Thrush Green more out of a sense of duty than desire. I found it very hard to get into and connect with the characters so that if I had not already made that connection in Winter, I may have abandoned the whole series based on the first book. As it is, I am reticent about moving onto the third book.

Towards the end of the summer when I was restless and cranky, I reread some of my favorite columns by Florence King from her collection Stet, Damnit! She never fails to make me laugh out loud and this time around I just skipped over all the words I didn't know instead of lugging out the dictionary (okay, I meant walking to the computer and using dictionary.com).

Of course I did buy a few books. Clara's Kitchen which just seemed to fit my mood as we reassessed finances and our spending habits in preparation for whatever may come our way as the general economy continues to stumble along. What I loved most was the lessons Clara learned from living through the depression and maintaining an attitude of frugality and common sense instead of austerity and desperation.

I picked up Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English. I usually only keep the books I truly love and donate the rest but this one is beautiful and it remains on my shelf. I wanted to love this book all the way through because the beginning was so strong but by the end I was done with Jack and yearning for the story to be Sadie's. I wanted to be a part of her inner world and I wanted to be in that kitchen with her instead of on the golf course with Jack. The final disappointment was the feeling that the end wrapped up too quickly and too conveniently.

On the other hand, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand was wonderful from beginning to end. I love grumpy old men in literature and Pettigrew is another I found to be endearing. Although I could guess how the story would end, there was a delicious amount of suspense which made the book difficult to put down (and I needed to as I was trying to finish a project on a deadline).

Now one of the best reads of my summer came from the library: Richard Hack's unauthorized biography of Agatha Christie. Do I trust an author whose last name is Hack and who plainly states the book is unauthorized? But the cover said that he drew from 5,000 unpublished letters, notes and documents. I would read it with a grain of salt. But it was a terrific read, very fair and producing a portrait of Christie that was enthralling and bewitching. I came away loving Christie instead of just liking her. And Hack produced a biography that was too easy to read because it read like an un-putdownable novel. Definitely recommend The Duchess of Death.

I also checked out Goodbye Mr. Chips which, hello, if any book could be expanded upon this was it. I wanted more and was surprised to find that at the end of so few pages I was heartbroken and cried like a baby. No tears but many laughs while reading the Duchess of Devonshire's Counting My Chickens and Other Home Thoughts.

Did I Say the Last Post?

Once upon a time I had a blog called Book Psmith which I decided to stop for so many reasons and now for so many reasons I wish to start up again. This time under my name (Stacy) and a new blog name (Stories & Stitches).

Reason number one for wanting to come back: in my heart and mind I was never really gone because I was still reading blogs but more and more missing being a part of the conversation.

Reason number two: remember that hand-written journal I was keeping to write about my reading experiences? Fell by the wayside with sad little entries that included abbreviated titles, initials of authors, and a simple note saying 'I liked it' or 'wow this ended badly'.

Reason number three: I started seeing posts about Dewey's 24-hour read-a-thon. I love, love, love this event and didn't want this to be my first time missing out. Having a whole day to read takes me back to those weekends as a child where I could plant myself in one spot and not move, ever, if I so chose.

As far as the name change, I so loved and am still attached to Book Psmith but I know coming back I don't want to blog about just books and reading anymore. I want to write about the other hobbies that are fighting hard against reading for equal time. And then there are life's adventures which I sometimes wanted to share but I felt constrained by my self-imposed label of being a 'book blog' and everything in it being somewhat book related.

So there it is and once again the blogging adventure continues...