Tag Archives: books

four things | three

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what I’m reading

One of the libraries I belong to offers access to Hoopla, an online resource for ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, music, and videos (TV and movies). I try to keep my book buying down so when I find something I might like, I check it out on Hoopla.

I found one that I loved: Norah Gaughan’s Twisted Stitch Sourcebook. Mr. Aitch surprised me with the book for Christmas.

I’m so enamored with it and all the different stitches that I might see a newly designed sock in my future.

what I’m learning

A new word for my vocabulary is: voluntold (vŏl′ən-tōld) forcefully volunteered; ordered to do something. One of the teens at church was voluntold to be the lector for the service. I read online that this word has been around for several years but this was the first I’d heard about it.

what I’m loving

This luxurious lotion bar for my very dry skin.

The light scent of mint, lemon balm, and lavender also has a hint of honey from the beeswax. The sunflower oil and Shea butter make it a little sticky but glides across the skin like, well, butter. No more dry, flaky skin on my arms and legs.

My BFF’s daughter’s family has a farm in Pennsylvania where they raise bees, sheep (for meat, not wool), pick-your-own blueberries, chickens/eggs, flowers, and a pumpkin patch. Her sons also show sheep, dairy beef, pigs, and goats.

Katie makes salves, lotion bars, sprays, and candles as well as wool dryer balls with most of the ingredients sourced from her farm. The only things she not from her farm are the Shea butter, sunflower oil, and green tea. She has a list of the different scents and products here and here.

You can find more about her farm on her FaceBook page here.

what I’m working on

We had some pretty gusty winds starting Monday evening through Wednesday. One of our big oak trees in the side yard lost a huge limb.

The view from inside the kitchen
The limb stretches from the base of the trunk to the
lower right-hand corner.

I was sitting at the kitchen table facing the window and watched it snap and fall to the ground. Some small broken branch pieces and twigs hit the window. Fortunately nothing was damaged other than the tree.

I’m helping Mr. Aitch with the cleanup.

Patti

Card carrying member

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I’m an avid reader or at least I think I am.

I like mysteries, autobiographies, biographies, history, humor, and classics. I can tolerate some women’s literature and chick lit as long as it isn’t too morose or giddy. I’m not much into sci-fi, fantasy, or romance.

I can read while knitting or walking but I prefer to listen to books when I’m doing those things as I sometimes need to look at what I’m doing or where I’m going.  If the story requires close attention, I just listen and walk.  No lace knitting or counting stitches.

Free ebooks and audiobooks are my go-to choices.  Keyword being FREE.  You can easily for sources in any search engine.  My local library gives me access to many books in the eastern part of the state.  But not ALL the books in say a series.  So I joined the library just across the Potomac River in the neighboring state.  My annual membership isn’t free but at $10, I thought it was well worth the price of admission especially since I can get access to all the books from the entire state.

So now I am a card-carrying member of two libraries and I’m loving it!

Do you read actual in-your-hand books, ebooks, or audiobooks?

Goodbye…

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…to 2013.

Hello, Twenty Fourteen!

May your new year be full of joy, health, friendship, love, peace, prayer, thankfulness and comfort.  And finished projects.

I want to be more positive this year, however I need to wrapup last year.  Referring back to my previous post, these are what didn’t get finished for Christmas:

  1. The quilts.
  2. Two of the four pencil/marker cases.
  3. Snowman kits and drawstring bags.
  4. The taggie ball for our baby grandson.
  5. The second slipper.  (It’s finished now but not for Christmas.  It wasn’t a gift so why was I even worried about it?!  Duh!)

On the positive side I did complete two pencil/marker bags and flannel marble mazes (idea from Serving Pink Lemonade) that weren’t on my list.  Extra credit, maybe?  And, of course, all the gifts were wrapped.

Christmas-2013-E&Z

Two box bags, one with a pink zipper and orange lining, the other with a purple zipper and blue lining.   (Even added names to the straps with my new sewing machine!)  The pillowcases that match the quilts.  Six flannel marble mazes using scraps of fabric.  Only three are shown here.  They were actually a bigger hit than I thought they would be.  The marble is contained inside so no worries about losing it or getting into the wrong hands (or mouth) of a baby.  The reverse is printed.

We had a very merry Christmas.  Did you?

Sorry Mr. Aitch.  I’m not showing the gifts you received.

Christmas-2013-all

Christmas-2013-book

Yes, I know I have another sock book that I “planned” on knitting every sock in order but the first sock was so intimidating that I haven’t opened up the book for a long time.  (Purchased in 2010!!)  This one will be different.  I hope.

Christmas-2013-dvd

I’ve only seen Season One so don’t tell me what happens!!

Christmas-2013-calendar

I love these kinds of calendars.

Christmas-2013-bag

My new knitting bag is the Retro Metro from thirty-one.  I think this will be large enough for my travel knitting.

The rest of the gifts were already eaten or in use.

I’ve started knitting a sweater for our grandson’s first birthday on the 17th.  I’m making up the pattern as I go.  It will either be a learning experience or it will be the perfect gift.

How’s that for a positive attitude!

Getting…

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gloves

…a grip.  I have taken up quilting and am almost ready to machine quilt my first one.  Question for quilters: Do you wear special gloves to get a grip on your quilt as you maneuver it while machine quilting?

cake

…older.  I had another birthday at the end of October.  Funny how they keep happening year after year after year.  I know age is just a number but I have a hard time telling people how old I am.*  My finite existence is starting to weigh on me.  I’m not as quick physically or mentally.  I forget things so I have to write everything down…that’s not really new but having to go back and refer to my notes is new.  Sleep issues have been a part of my life for 15 or so years.  Our new mattress has helped the past two weeks as I’m getting better sleep, just not enough.  Planning for the future is a real eye-opener.  We’ll need a new roof on our house in the next five or so years.  Do we look at the 20-25 year life shingles or go for the 50-70 year metal roof?  Is adding a craft room in the basement worth the time, effort and expense?  These are things I just don’t want to think about.

pizza

…a chance to goof off.  Last evening I allowed myself to goof off.  I brought home a pepperoni pizza for dinner.  That’s really a big thing for me as I’m not a much of a pizza fan but it was a quick no-brainer option and I actually had some cold paper cash with me.  After washing the dishes and reading a few emails (some I answered, some I did not), I fixed myself a pot of peppermint tea and started to read a book a friend sent me.  Thanks Leah!

tea-pot

*BTW  I’m fifty-eleven.  Ouch.  That hurt.  I need some ice…and an R&C.**

**Rum and Coke