Fairy Garden Class

When my mom and I venture to our favorite nursery, Blue Moon, we've always been intrigued by their Fairy Gardens. In case you haven't heard of them (I never had before this!), they are miniature gardens planted in all kinds of small to large containers and are accented with small furniture where the fairies hang out when no one is watching. See below...


The Blue Moon property is filled with these cute, adorable gardens which use small plants to look like trees and bushes. We found out later that the ladies at Blue Moon have won two State Fair competitions for their gardens (though, it may have more than two, I can't recall). Their gardens are a work of art!


My mom and I found out they were teaching a class on Saturday and we enrolled a month ago; we've been excited about it ever since, anxiously awaiting our class. We started out with this...


Though the class was a bit expensive, you're given the above container, good potting soil, small rocks, one big tree-like plant, and two smaller plants. You have to buy the furniture. Here's how ours turned out....


I think it's pretty good for two novices. Notice that the walkway is purposeful: there's an entrance and exit. Some of the ladies had random piles of rock that had no entry or exit. How do the fairies get around, then? Anyways, I couldn't resist the St. Francis, though I'm not sure he and fairies would get along. The furniture is not easy to see as it's iron but there's a gate, a bird bath, and a chair where our fairy can sit and rest her wings.

We've already picked out two other pots around the house in which to do our next fairy gardens. So cute!

The ladies at Blue Moon left us with a marvelous quote from Hans Christian Andersen, spoken by a fairy: “Just living is not enough... One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”

Rand and Love

Like everything else in my life, my reading has been slow of late. I'm only on page 476 of Atlas Shrugged - out of 1000 pages.

Last week, I read an interesting bit in this grandiose novel on the subject of love and relationship choices. Here it is... (Spoken by Frisco to Rearden, pg. 453-4.)

"...The men who think that wealth comes from material resources and has no intellectual root or meaning, are the men who think - for the same reason - that sex is a physical capacity which functions independently of one's desire and makes a choice for you just about in some such way as if iron ore transformed itself into railroad rails of its own volition. Love is blind, they say; sex is impervious to reason and mocks the power of all philosophers. But, in fact, a man's sexual choice is the result and the sum of his fundamental convictions. Tell me what a man finds sexually attractive and I will tell you his entire philosophy of life. Show me the woman he sleeps with and I will tell you his valuation of himself. No matter what corruption he's taught about the virtue of selflessness, sex is the most profoundly selfish of all acts, an act which he cannot perform for any motive but his own enjoyment - just try to think of performing it in a spirit of selfless charity! - an act which is not possible in self-abasement, only in self-exaltation, only in the confidence of being desired and being worthy of desire. It is an act that forces him to stand naked in spirit, as well as in body, and to accept his real ego as his standard of value. He will always be attracted to the woman who reflects his deepest vision of himself, the woman who surrenders permits him to experience - or to fake - a sense of self-esteem. The man who is proudly certain of his own value, will want the highest type of woman he can find, the woman he admires, the strongest, the hardest to conquer - an achievement, not the possession of a brainless slut. He does not seek to..."
"...gain his value, he seeks to express it. There is no conflict between the standards of his mind and the desires of his body. But the man who is convinced of his own worthlessness will be drawn to a woman he despises - because she will reflect his own secret self, she will release him from that objective reality in which he is a fraud, she will give him a momentary illusion of his own value and a momentary escape from the moral code that damns him. Observe the ugly mess which most men make of their sex lives - and observe the mess of contradictions which they hold as their moral philosophy. One proceeds from the other. Love is our response to our highest values - and can be nothing else. Let a man corrupt his values and his view of existence, let him profess that love is not self-enjoyment but self-denial, that virtue consists, not of pride, but of pity or pain or weakness or sacrifice, that the noblest love is born, not of admiration, but of charity, not in response to values, but in response to flaws - and he will have cut himself in two. His body will not obey him, it will not respond, it will make him impotent toward the woman he professes to love and draw him to the lowest type of whore he can find. His body wll always follow the ultimate logic of his deepest convictions; if he believes that flaws are values, he has damned existence as evil and only the evil will attract him. He has damned himself and he will feel that depravity is all he is worhty of enjoying. He has equated virtue with pain and he will feel that vice is the only realm of pleasure. Then he will scream that his body has vicious desires of its own which his mind cannot conquer, that sex is sin, that true love is a pure emotion of the spirit. And then he will wonder why love brings him nothing but boredom, and sex - nothing but shame."

Rand goes on, and on, linking this to what she links everything to: money. But I find the basic concept interesting. What do you think?

Birdhouses

We saw the coolest birdhouses at the Edom Arts Festival last weekend. I've never seen anything like them! They're made here in Edom by a guy who has his own shop dedicated specifically to birdhouses.


The base of the house is made from a cedar tree trunk. How cool is that? The birdies feel right at home.


Mom and I are going to learn how to make fairie gardens next month - I'll explain more then - and we were thinking one of these birdhouses, which can hang or sit on a pillar, would be totally cute with a few fairie gardens. Well, these birdhouses cost between $250 and $300! Maybe when we win the lottery....


On a political note, the New York Times editorial board has endorsed Obama. I guess we should have seen this coming, as they are part of "fake" America, which bin Laden mistook for "real" America. It's so good of the Repulicans to insinuate that those who died on 9/11 were un-American and un-patriotic. Good, God, what are they doing? And while we're at it, if you're Muslim, you're a terrorist. Got it. Thank you, Palin, for dividing this country so thoroughly. Are we going to go back to lynching as well? Maybe lynch us some Muslims? I repeat, Good God.

A Bit of Knitting

The other night, I finally picked up the knitting again. After royally screwing up the first time - and correcting the mess-up marvelously - I turned the heel on the second sock! Yay! However, my momentery aura of happiness evaporated when I remembered it was time to pick up stitches. I hate picking up stitches! So, I'll have to leave that for another night.

I also finished the body of my Market Bag, finally! Now I have to do the handles which I'm dreading.... All this after not knitting for practically a month!

Also, over the weekend I unpacked my craft desk which means I can finally turn out some much-needed cards!

And... I finally have internet in my house! Yay! The wireless signal from my parent's router reaches as far as my bedroom (we moved the router closes to the outside wall). However, once I move to my desk, the signal is nonexistent. So, I must buy a booster thingy this weekend. Yes, I'm a techno-whiz. Can't you tell by my profound use of "thingy?"

Ha!

Herb Garden

Ever since I knew that I was moving home, I've been hoping to plant some herbs. The conundrum of inding a location for an actual herb garden ended when we decided to plant them in the fall. They will reside in our enclosed porch ("screened-in" porch sounds too hick and rickety for the room my parents just finished).

There's a fabulous gardening store only two miles from us. People come from around the entire area just to walk around their serene gardens. They are a bit more expensive but for smaller plants, we like to go there. You can't, after all, give Wal-Mart that kind of business!


I purchased (from top right): sweet basil, catnip (for Sybella), (chocolate) mint, thyme, lavender, oregano, cilantro/coriander.


Finding pots to fit on my mom's plant stand was another matter entirely and one that was, unfortunately, resolved at Wal-Mart, after three other stops. So, there was not much selection for the square pots; they're not my favorite.


Mom decided to buy a big rosemary plant, which is beautiful! She got this ugly pot for free and then realized there are no holes in the bottom. So, we'll have to get a better pot.

That's what went on this weekend. I finished unpacking my craft table (woohoo!) and even got to see my niece and nephew for a while. Not bad for two days!

True Blood

I guess I've been writing about politics because there's not much more to write about. Things have been quiet here since the move. Being out in the middle of nowhere is, indeed, quiet. However, I generally like the quiet.

I've never worked from home and I'm amazed at how much I get done. I should have brought more work with me! Without the distractions of people, it's easy to just sit and work and get tons done! It's amazing! The only downside is that I've come to associate my desk - and laptop - with work. I don't want to sit there and write because it feels too much like working. Hopefully I can overcome this association soon. I need to write.

TRUE BLOOD premiered last night on HBO. For months I had been looking forward to this show, based on the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Novels by Charlaine Harris. I watched fifteen minutes of it and had to turn it off. I've never been so disgusted. It was all sex. And when they weren't having sex, they were talking about it. It was gross. There was no sex in the novel like that! I thought ROME dispelled all my prudishness when it came to this stuff, but no. They took cute, funny, sassy novels and turned them into something demeaning and insulting. Why do they think the only thing we want to see is sex?

It's hard for me to watch a movie after I've read a book. I was excited about THE GOLDEN COMPASS movie and it lacked something the book was infused with. At least they stuck to the book. Alan Ball (creator of TRUE BLOOD) has done something dispicable. I'm even angry at Charlaine Harris for selling out to someone with such a disgusting vision. I know she has had virtually nothing to do with the show, but still.... Her fans should be in an uproar.

I'm signing off.
Disillusioned in Texas.

Diet Links

So I missed my Tuesday diet blog, so you're getting it on Friday!

Here are some good links and some great recipes....

1. Aimee's Adventures is a site dedicated to dieting on Weight Watchers. It includes tips, progress reports, favorite foods, and recipes. I haven't tried many recipes as I've been trying to cook as little as possible (I'm hoping to change this soon), but Aimee invented one of my favorite things of all-time: Breakfast Crunch Cookies. Aimee sent the recipe to Kashi and they loved it; it's now on their site as well.

The first time you make the cookies, it will seem overwhelming. I don't have a food processor; I always use my mixer instead. I don't try to flatten the cookies either. Suffice it to say that ever since I made my first batch - over a year ago - I've made these every two weeks so that I can have one every morning with my coffee. Some things don't work well with coffee but these do! Yummy! (I also make and love Aimee's Meatless Taco Soup, though I can't find it at the moment!)

2. Dottie's site is fun to look around. I like that you can look up food by points!

3. This Dining Out Guide has tons of restaurants listed so you can see how many points you're eating when you go out. This is great if you don't have the Weight Watcher's Guide to Dining Out.

4. It made my week yesterday when I stumbled upon the recipe for Olive Garden's discontinued Chicken Giardino! I was heartbroken when they took this off the menu. Imagine my delight when I saw they'd added it to their recipes on-line! I don't know how many points it would be but the worst thing I see is Olive Oil. I love this dish because of the veggies and light sauce. My dad tried it once - he's pickier than me - and even he liked it! I hope to make it in a few weeks!

Well, those are just a few things that come to mind. If you haven't poked around the Weight Watchers site, I suggest you do that. Also, the message boards are great. I try to look at their Recipe Review board now and then.

Market Bag, Vol. 4

Significant progress is being made on the Market Bag after the Saturday class. The bottom looks a lot better than I thought it would...


The mesh part is easy, but I know I've made some mistakes. The k2tog, yo sequence can be a bit of a pain when starting a new round.


The class was fun and Linda showed us - and made us practice - a three needle bind-off. It was so easy! And it looks so cool! I'll definitely be substituting that for any "grafting" I see in the future. Grafting just sounds like a four-letter word!

I didn't get as much done on the bag as I would have liked, but I'm not complaining. After the class on Saturday, I got to meet up with my best friend, SK, and we actually went swimming. I haven't swam all summer! Then we had an awesome dinner. So that was fun. I was so tired when I finally got home, but I managed one box before turning in.

And yesterday was spent packing. By mid-afternoon, my back hurt from bending over boxes! The good news is that I have 97% of my books in boxes and all of them are on LibraryThing. The only ones that are un-boxed are pesky cookbooks and knitting books. I guess the knitting books can go in a box with yarn, eh? I pulled out my stash and realized that only half of it is up on the Ravelry. Eek! Given the move, I don't know when I'll have time to take photos, but whatever.

The move is really beginning to stress me out and I'm worried about Sybella. A cat-lover, rescue lady I met not long ago said that moving is the most stressful thing you can put a cat through. Sybella looked a little disconcerted at the growing number of boxes yesterday, but I don't know what to do. I can't - and I wouldn't want to - board her for two weeks! I guess we'll both be stressed out together!

Market Bag, Vol. 3

Just a quick Saturday post - unusual, I know - to let you know that I've figured out the Market Bag!

Remember that yarn over that I tried taking out? Well, that did it. In fact, that yarn over is nowhere on the pattern. Linda told me to yarn over after every row. I read the pattern, like a good little knitter, and did not see a yarn over after the even rows. She insisted that I do it.

Yesterday, I called her and she asked if I was only doing the yarn over after the odd rows. I wanted to scream. This, after she insisted I do it after every row. I know people make mistakes but it was really frustrating!

When I tried to take the yarn over out earlier, my knitting was probably so screwed up that it couldn't help. Well, last night, as I watched the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, I started over - again. And the third time's the charm! It worked! There's actually a pattern happening - like there's supposed to be! All is right and I'm delighted.

Sybella and I are settling into my parent's empty house. They are off frolicking on an island (ew) for their thirtieth wedding anniversary. So, it's me, Sybella, and a really big, empty house. More on that Monday.

Have a good weekend!

Market Bag, Vol. 2

I worked on the Market Bag again last night. After doing a couple rows, things just got more off with the stitch count. So I decided to frog it and start over. This was a big decision considering I couldn't start it before, Linda had to do the honors.

But guess what? I did it! I was able to do the crochet cast-on, after a few tries, and I got it started perfectly on the double-points. Yay!

That's where the goodness stops. After a few perfect rows, the stitch count was off - there was one too many for two rows! So, I decided to take one of the yarn overs out. I thought that was working until a few rows later when I was short a stitch!

Really, I'm at my wits end! I took out a few rows this morning and have started them over. So far so good. But I don't know if I should keep the yarn over or not. Arrrg! This is SO frustrating.

However, it's Friday and next week I'm off the WHOLE week! Yay! Vacation!

Market Bag, Vol. 1

Yesterday I was super excited about going to my Market Bag class. This is what the bag looks like:


The pattern for the bag is here.

Well, it all went downhill after the crochet cast on. I have no dexterity with a crochet hook. I've managed to repair a few knitting projects with them - my socks included - but it's never easy. And it's very frustrating to know what to do but to not be able to maneuver the needle in order to do it! Linda had to do it for me.

And then there was the whole, let's put eight stitches on three double-pointed needles and go from there. There's nothing I hate more than having just a few stitches on double-points. It's confusing and hard and just plain scary. Finally, I was able to work with some ease but that didn't last long. Just when I thought I knew what I was doing (on the double points), a problem arose. I kept coming up with the wrong number of stitches. I undid a row and re-knit it; the same thing happened. Linda worked and re-worked three rows for an HOUR and still we had the same problem. It got to the point where it wasn't my knitting - at least I don't think. Two and two were not making four, they were making five - for me and Linda!

Sigh. Finally, she made it work, by making an extra stitch. Hopefully, all will be well when I go to knit on it. I haven't tried anything since I left the shop last night at 7:20. They close at seven. I was there for two and a half hours! Linda was super nice but I knew she was frustrated - not necessarily with me, but with the knitting for sure.

I was exhausted by the time I walked in the door, and was greeted by Sybella, at 7:40. She was hungry and in need of attention - after all, I'd been gone for over twelve hours. There was no packing or knitting last night. I made myself write a page in the book, because I had an idea that I wanted on paper. Of course, I didn't get as far as my idea, but it'll hold until tonight.

The good thing: socks look incredibly easy after last night's debacle.

Bobbie Faye

Last night, I finished Bobbie Faye's Very (Very, Very, Very) Bad Day by Toni McGee Causey. It was loaned to me by SK and I recommend it to you. It was an uproariously funny read!

It took me about fifty pages to get into but once hooked, I couldn't put this book down. The opening is less than glamorous and the main character, Bobbie Faye, lives in a trailer park. Her day of relaxation quickly turns to one of disaster, chaos, and crime. She battles snakes, alligators, bears, teenagers, and gunrunners all in an effort to save those she loves.

Along the way, she must evaluate who to trust, as the plot turns are quick, surprising, and not without humor. It will have you guessing until the end. There is also the predictable romance as Bobbie Faye must battle and outmaneuver not one, but two of her exes. Throw in a new handsome guy she just happens to kidnap at gunpoint, and you have a formula that, though a bit conventional, manages to be fresh and exciting all because of Cauley's snappy writing.

This is a non-stop thrill ride - and it all takes place in about a 12 hour period. Voodoo, bayous, and Cajuns are all accounted for and you don't need to be from Louisiana to get the humor. Bobbie Faye is the most unlikely hero you'll ever meet but you'll root for her every step of the way.

Sock Happiness!

Last night, I finally got some pictures taken in order to update my Ravelry profile. Yes, it's now up to date, even my stash! I was at a loss - and had little patience - when it came to my socks so this is not the best pic....


But it'll have to do. I have horrible lighting and so I always get frustrated with these pictures. But you get the point. The colors knit up so beautifully - I love it! This yarn is J. Knits and the colorway is called Mesa. Yum!

I must say that this sock venture has really opened my eyes. About a year ago, I tried to start a project but gave it up when I got frustrated trying to pick up stitches. Well, for this sock, I picked up stitches and it was a breeze! I was dancing in my chair during the class (on Wednesday), I was so excited! Half of the ease had to do with the technique used to make the stitches easier to spot and, therefore, pick-up.

Do you know what I'm itching to try now? A log cabin blanket! But I have so many projects in the works as it is.... Sigh. It'll just have to wait. I need to finish these socks before I forget everything Linda said! I have a short-term memory, you know.

Ok, it's Friday. I'm happy.

Jesus in Houston!

Did you know that the second coming of Jesus Christ is happening in Houston??!!

Well, it is! This new - and improved? - Jesus has '666' tatoos and claims there is no hell. It must be real, I saw him on the news last night! Here an old CNN link: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/16/miami.preacher/

Apparently, Miami loved him so much that he decided to move to Houston recently. Thank you, Floridians, for sending us such a welcome gift! Now, salvation is just a short trip down south!

Ok, now that I'm all out of sarcasm.... I really don't have that much to say, surprisingly. However, I doubt the Messiah would wear the sign of the beast - 666. The Bible can be a little fuzzy, but it's pretty clear on that. I think it's safe to label this guy as an Antichrist. After all, John says there will be many of these....

Just thought you'd like to know. (I think this guy has been around for a while - this all sounds strangely familiar but it was a shock to see it on my local news last night. Must have been a light news day.)

Anita Quotes

Out of boredom the other day, I started compiling Anita Blake (Laurell K. Hamilton) quotes that make me laugh. Here's a sampling. I hope they have the same effect on you. Just imagine being in the head of a grown-up Buffy the Vampire Slayer who's become a bit cynical and sarcastic. Ha!

I've taken a break from the books as my life seems to stop when I'm reading them. I've read the first seven books and though I really liked the last one, Burnt Offerings, I can already see how it's going to go downhill. I'll probably pick them up again sometime when I have the time... Now on to the quotes.

WARNING: Some of these are rated R for mature.

We tough-as-nails vampire slayers don't cry. At least, never in public. At least, never when we can help it.

Pimps beware. I was bringing the Master as backup. It was like carrying a thermonuclear device to kill ants. Over kill has always been a specialty of mine.

Raise the dead, kill a few vampires, and people start considering you one of the monsters. Sometimes it hurts.

The vampires called me the Executioner, but they called Edward Death. After all, I'd never used a flamethrower on them.

Richard was still by the door, looking unclothed, and inviting. Jean-Claude stood by the couch utterly still, like a three-dimensional picture of a wet dream. The sexual potential in the room was astronomical. The fact that nothing was going to happen was almost sad.

You don't volunteer for slugfests with vampires. It shortens your life expectancy.

"You irritating son of a bitch."
"Ah, ma petite, how can I resist you when you whisper such sweet endearments to me?"
~Anita & Jean-Claude

Asking Jean-Claude not to be a pain in the ass is like asking rain not to be wet. Why try?

I never forgave anyone for anything. A character flaw to be sure, but hell, everyone's got to have at least one.

I'd never met coffee that wasn't wonderful. It was just a matter of how wonderful it was.

My life was a cross between a preternatural soap opera and an action movie. Sort of As the Casket Turns meets Rambo.

Raina - "But you could kill us, all of us, even Stephen's brother, and feel nothing?"
Anita - "I'd feel something."
Raina - "What?"
Anita - "Safer."

There are only two things you can do when you're dressed like Barbie Does Bondage; you can be embarrassed or you can be aggressive.

A lot of people don't get my jokes. If I was less secure, I'd think my jokes weren't funny. Naw.

I wasn't sure if he was trying not to laugh, or not to frown. Maybe both. I affected some people that way.

As long as he didn't flash that smile at the wrong time and get us molested by nuns, we would be safe.

I know who and what I am. I am The Executioner, and I don't date vampires. I kill them.

I decided to ignore it. If the poodle got loose I figured I could take it. I was armed.

Never trust people who smile constantly. They're either selling something or not very bright.

The smile came, a soft curl of lips. The serpent must have smiled at Eve like that. I have this nice, shiny apple for you. Want some candy little girl?

He could have the bed. I'd take the couch. What could be more innocent? Biker Nuns from Hell, but besides that.

The laugh was like candy; sweet and infectious. If you could bottle Jean-Claude's laugh, I know it would be fattening. Or orgasmic.

Knitting with Sybella

I went to my LYS yesterday to sign up for a Beginning Lace class where I will, once again, make a triangular shawl. What I'm excited about, however, is that I'll finally learn how to read those lace charts that I always skip over. Yes!

So I signed up and browsed the store for a good thirty minutes, trying to find the required DK or fingering weight yarn. I wish we could use lace weight but the teacher wants us to start with something that will knit up quicker - and I have no objection to that. So I browsed....and browsed. I can never find anything in this store and now I know why. I don't go into a yarn store thinking, I need red yarn. I go in, wanting to find something that feels wonderful. Therefore, you can see my problem when I enter a store that is organized almost entirely by color. I can't find anything! Plus, since the shawl requires 700-1000 yards, nothing I found was cheap. Arrrg!

I got a little knitting done on Tuesday night. I worked on the Ripple Blanket until Sybella drove me crazy with her whining. Seriously, that cat wants to play 24/7! It's non-stop! Yesterday, as I sat working on the computer, she started whining in the living room. I came out and she was in the process of dragging her favorite toy into the study! And then, as I was trying to sleep last night, she did it again! I called her and she came into the bedroom, jumped up on the bed, and began her nightly self-cleaning ritual. Thankfully, I was able to sleep after all that.

Maybe, even though she's fixed, she still has hormones each month and these cause her to get antsy. That's my only guess. I never had this type of problem with Louis.

Dishcloths and Pics

I took some pics the last time I was at my parent's place and thought I'd share them. The wildflowers were out and everything was green and beautiful!


The field was covered in orange, white, and purple flowers.


Mom's roses are going to town!


Are these irises? Maybe? I don't know but they were pretty in mom's flower bed.

In other news, I'm finishing up my last dishcloth for my mom - it'll be a late Mother's Day gift. I had one to give her on the big day but couldn't quite get this one finished. Maybe after these quick ones, I can try a more complex dishcloth. Fun!

Sookie's Back!

On Friday, I received a much anticipated package from Barnes and Noble: a box containing Charlaine Harris' next Sookie Stackhouse book, From Dead to Worse. I spent all weekend - with breaks, of course - reading it and Harris did not disappoint.

I don't know how to classify the Sookie series. At first glance, they seem to be paranormal romances, especially the first few books. But as the series has matured, so has it's heroine, the telepathic barmaid, Sookie (in fact, there wasn't so much as a steamy kiss in this book!). No longer is her fate dependent upon the men in her life. Now, she makes her own fate and makes decisions in the fates of others.

In From Dead to Worse, Sookie is brought into the messy political spheres of the were community and the vampire world. Both of her exes, Bill and Eric, play prominent roles and keep up the romantic suspense. And that's all the real romance there is. Her boyfriend, Quinn, has mysteriously gone missing but Sookie is not alone, thanks to her new roommate, Amelia and the cat, Bob. In the end, however, Sookie will once again feel betrayed by someone she loves and her brother, Jason, will cause even more heartache. But for the first time, Sookie discovers new relatives who give her hope and support. Slowly, she is coming into her own and though I love a happy ending, Ms. Harris always provides us with enough real life to keep us grounded - which keeps me from bemoaning my own non-happily-ever-after situation.

This was the perfect book for my weekend. I can't wait until HBO finishes the series True Blood, which will bring these characters to the little screen. However, I am weary - Anna Paquin is not my idea of the perfect Sookie Stackhouse but I'm trying to stay hopeful.

FCS3 Package!

Last night I got a package from Australia - from my FCS 3 pal, Kerin! See all the goodies.....


Included were tons of handmade stitch markers (which Kerin made herself, though she's not a knitter) with cute kitties, three awesome Australia magnets, the cutest stuffed kitty ever (he's black and it's hard to see in the picture), some kitty stickers for scrap booking, chocolate (yum! - Cadbury but made in Australia), a little black kitty to sit on my desk, and a koala book marker! I always forget that other chocolate (not from America) is less sweet - very yummy though. It makes it much more easy to digest! Thank you so much, Kerin! You are too sweet!

And now a funny story featuring the stuffed kitty and Sybella. I set up all the stuff to take the picture on the couch and left it there for an hour or so while I made and ate dinner. Then I played with Sybella; she chased her mouse around like a crazy cat. She jumped up on to the couch to grab the mouse and froze. She saw the stuffed kitty! Her tail went up and fluffed out like crazy! I'd never seen a cat do that before! She crept towards the stuffed kitty very stealthily and sniffed it. She seemed satisfied that he was not alive and turned her attention back to the mouse. Seriously, I've never seen anything so funny! Who would have thought??!!

Sybella Update

Yesterday morning, I was 90% convinced that Sybella has feline asthma. I found videos on YouTube showing cats coughing - cats who had asthma. They looked just like my Sybella.

However, I went home and an amazing thing happened: she didn't cough last night or this morning. Usually she coughs at least once or twice during that time. And I'm not talking a little cough; she crouches down, sticks out her neck and coughs for at least thirty seconds. That may not sound like long but, trust me, it is.

So now I have hope. I'm praying like crazy that she was allergic to the litter I was using before. I changed it out Tuesday night for The World's Best Cat Litter which is supposed to be one of the best litters for allergy-ridden cats. It is made of corn and is 99% dust-free. So far, so good! In fact, I think she's only coughed once since I changed it out - and that was a little cough. I'm almost too scared to hope she may be ok, especially after Louis' chronic problems.

Sybella and I are bonding as well. She hasn't really had any interest in being on my lap but last night I put her there and gave her ten minutes of chin scratching, which she loves. After that, she stayed put and took a bath.

This morning she did not awaken me with clawing. Instead, she came up and laid by my side, again taking a short bath. It was cute, especially when I couldn't get out of bed because she wouldn't move!

That's progress! I think we'll get along pretty good!

Meet Sybella

So it's been an interesting two evenings with this lady. I took a better look at her paperwork last night as I was filing it and it turns out she's not 1 1/2 - she was born 3/8/08! That explains why she has so much kitten in her. I thought about her all day yesterday as I worked and worried that she was lonely...and that she was destroying things. I came home and she was fine. The only thing she'd done was knock the stuff off the dryer - which ended up in her litterbox - the poor thing had to go pretty bad.

I brought home a scratching post for her and she went right up to it and did her thing which is encouraging - however I still need to discourage her from the couch etc. I played and played with her; Jake got here and he played with her; we both played with her. She continued to play while I went to bed. She finally settled down and slept on the bed for most of the night.


So it's going good. I think she's going to be fun. I need to clip her claws, however... I think she may have opened a door last night which could be an interesting facet. And she has spurts of utter madness which are funny to watch.

One thing that has earned my ire... Do you notice how one of her ear tips has been sliced off? Well, that's how they "brand" them once they're spayed/neutered. How awful is that? As if it's not bad enough to have your sexual organs taken away, they slice away at your ear as well??!! I really hope these are not the people who refuse to declaw - because they've just proved they're not the least bit humane!

Sybella

I ran with my heart last night and picked up a beautiful long-haired black and white kitty, who I named Sybella (she did not answer to her previous name). I have pictures ready to go but Blogger is not allowing me to upload them!

Sybella lived in a home with many other cats and actually had a litter about six months ago. Afterwards, her owner could not afford to have her spayed so a rescue group volunteered to that for her. After her procedure, Sybella's owner decided she had one too many cats and the rescue group took Sybella off her hands. She's only a year and a half old.

She arrived at my home around 5 pm yesterday and went immediately to exploring. Nothing was left undiscovered - even the fireplace! Sybella has quite a bit of kitten left in her which should be fun - though her claws less so. Louis was declawed in the front so I don't quite know how to handle a clawed kitty. Any suggestions? She doesn't seem overly destructive but she does smell where Louis used to scratch (without any damage) - and she's tempted to do the same (with damage).

I'm so glad I got this precious girl out of her cage. It was so cute watching her stare and chirp at the birds and squirrels yesterday. She was good when it came time to sleep; unfortunately, other factors kept me awake. Plus, I was nervous she would try to get into something. It's going to be a few days before we're adjusted to each other and I can't wait!

Oh - and about her name. The first Delphic oracle was a prophetess named Sibyll (in the Greek). Sybella is a Latinized version of this. There are several famous Sybellas - most notably during the Crusades. You may remember a Sybella from Eva Green's character (written poorly and extracted from history in an appalling manner) in THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, with Orlando Bloom. This was one famous Sybella.

In Memoriam

First off, let me say thank you to everyone who has expressed their sympathy for Louis' passing and kept us in their thoughts and prayers. My parents and friends - even those friends I've met here through my blog - have been wonderful. I'm trying to get through this but it's proving more difficult than I ever imagined. I have to tell you about Louis so that others will know what an awesome cat he was...and I must say these things once more.....


I got Louis from the Humane Society in September of 2006. He looked so cute and so lonely in his cage; his eyes begged me to take him. Once he got to his new home, he checked out all the possible places to nap and settled on the bed (two pics here from his first day with me).


The first two months were not easy. Louis was sick and it took some time to find out what was wrong. Once diagnosed, his medication kept him happy. He settled in with me and we began to bond. I soon learned what kind of cat Louis was....

He was cool. He played with the cheapest mice I bought him until you watched him - and then he was too cool to be seen playing. If he was really feisty, he liked to chase me around, batting at my ankles as I ran. He always sat and stood with his front two paws side-by-side, touching. He was very proper in this respect. If you caught him cleaning his nether regions, he would freeze, limbs askew, as if to say, "What are you looking at?"


A common place to find the little monster was on the back of my computer desk chair. This (above) is his playing stance - he's ready to bat my hands away from him. Despite all the toys I bought him, his favorite thing to do was wrestle. He would try to bite my hand and I would rub his belly - he didn't like that when he was in playful mode. He would try and try to bite me and when he finally gave up, he would sigh. I used play with him just to hear that sigh.


(Pic - One of his napping places - the computer desk chair.) I quickly learned that Louis preferred to drink from the faucet instead of from a bowl. He rubbed against anything and everything. He always wanted to be close and often followed me around like a puppy. His characteristic head-butts would make my knees buckle if I was not prepared for them! And he head-butted everyone he met; he was the friendliest cat I ever met!


(Pic - He loved it when I settled down and sat on the couch. He would sit beside me but he preferred my lap!) His eyes were always amazing to me - I was looking at them in awe only hours before he died. They were the clearest amber in the sunlight and the lightest green in the dark. They were the only thing on his body that was not gray!


Every morning he was there - wanting a drink from the faucet after I got out of the shower. While I got ready for work, he sat on the vanity and kept me company. He greeted me every evening when I got home; he stretched and purred as I changed for my workout. After dinner, he sat with me - or on me - while I watched the news. If I needed the computer, I generally had to fight him for the chair if it was a prime napping time.

Every night, when I turned off the living room lights, he made his way to the bathroom, to wait out my nightly beauty rituals. Once I climbed into bed and got settled, I would hear his soft warning meow - "I'm coming up!" - and then he would be there, with a head-butt. I would pet him and he would purr for a few minutes before he assumed his favorite position - laying by my side. I would turn off the light and we would sleep, curled around each other.

It's that warning meow I expect to hear every night - and it's not going to happen ever again. I never thought I would get so attached to the little guy but he was a constant friend and buddy. He would cheer me up when I was down; he could always make me smile. I've hesitated to tell too many people about his passing because so few can truly understand how heartbreaking this is. I expected to have him for ten years - I was given only one and a half with him. I have so many regrets.... But I hope he was happy.

We buried him next to Sparky - our old Sheltie who died last Memorial Day weekend - at sunset on Good Friday (ironic, huh?). As I drove home on Sunday, all I could think of was that I was leaving him behind...

Louis the Cat

Louis, my cat, died last night. I can't really expand right now, but I'll try to later. He was five years old.

Brite is Wright

Several months ago, Brite Divinity School decided to award Rev. Jeremiah Wright for his leadership at their State of the Black Church Summit and Awards Banquet on March 28-29. After the recent airing of some of Rev. Wright's more controversial statements regarding race in this country, Brite decided to go on with the banquet and honor Wright as scheduled. (I must explain - for it is even confusing to those calling in to protest Wright's award - that Brite Divinity and TCU are separate entities, though they are associated for academic purposes.) On Monday, the calls to TCU and Brite poured in; countless letters were published in the school newspaper denouncing Brite's decision. TCU's Chancellor, Victor Boschini, made this statement yesterday:

"As a university, TCU supports the right of free speech even when the opinions expressed are controversial. That is what a university is about. But giving an award is another matter, and in this specific case in light of Rev. Wright's recently discovered remarks, TCU would not give such an award."

The university is a unique setting - one that I love and cherish. It is a place of ideas, of thinkers. It is where free thinking is encouraged and treasured. Everyone is of the opinion - as I assume you are - that our right of free speech is sacred. I don't know what your reaction to Rev. Wright's comments was, but mine, upon first hearing them, was dismay. But then I put these words into context. They come from a man who has fought with black leaders since Martin Luther King. He has seen his congregation struggle with poverty, drugs, and crime. His generation had to fight for the rights they now have. This kind of black and womanist liberation theology is a uniting factor within the black community across America.

So we cannot be too quick to judge someone such as Wright. Obama's remarks on this subject were incredibly sincere and insightful. It was refreshing to hear a speech free of political rhetoric. For a transcript of this, go here.

There was very good op-ed piece in the Ft Worth Star Telegram today that I encourage you to read - Sanders is more eloquent than I.

As far as racism, sexism, class in America... I hope my generation and future generations will not have to resort to the kind of fiery rhetoric Wright uses in order to unite. I know our country is divided. In my high school, there were two rooms in the cafeteria and there were whites in one and blacks in the other - this was the natural day-to-day state. I hadn't even thought of sexism until I got the raw end of several deals in grad school. I was even talking to a colleague today about class - something I never think of in America, where upward mobility is supposed to be easy. Maybe these issues deserve a second look, another thought.

As far as TCU.... There's a profoundly eloquent (insert sarcasm here) interview with the student editor of the campus newspaper here. This type of ignorance shown by the student body is one that will only further divide America. It's a sad state but there is hope: even now faculty are planning workshops and forums to confront these issues with open dialogue.

FCS 3 Questions

Favorite Color Swap Questionnaire

1. What are your top three favorite colors?
Pink, Purple, Yellow (not to wear - just in flowers etc)

2. What crafts do you really enjoy?
Knitting, Scrap-booking, Stamping cards

3. What products do you really covet?
Stitch markers, history books (or any books in general), candles, sock yarn

4. What other activities do you enjoy besides your favorite crafty things?
Reading, Writing, Movies

5. Is there anything you collect?
Cool magnets from around the world, Unique mugs, Maps

6. What is your zodiac sign and/or Chinese zodiac symbol?
Libra, the year of the Rooster - I hate roosters

7.What are your favorite…

…scents/smells?
Cherry Blossom, Clean Linen, Melon, Light Florals

…types of music and/or bands?
Alternative/Rock, Classical, Soundtracks

…authors?
Steven Saylor, Christopher Moore, Katie MacAlister, Charlaine Harris

…animals?
Well, I have a cat but I grew up with dogs - my parents have two Shelties and a dachshund. I'm having an identity crisis on whether I'm a cat or dog person.

…places to shop?
Barnes and Noble (can't resist books!), yarn shops, Container Store, Banana Republic, Gap

…season?
This one is hard. I didn't like Fall until I experienced two in Michigan - where there's great foliage. I'd rather have it cool than hot - I do live in TX. I hate summer! Spring can be beautiful!

…yarn/fabric/paper/other craft supplies?
Sock yarn, though I don't know how to make socks yet, Cotton yarns, Malabrigo...

…candies or goodies?
Chocolate - any kind, Tootsie Rolls, Starbursts, coffee (I've only been drinking it for a year and am trying to find some interesting kinds - that are not too dark!)

8. Do you have any wish lists?
On Amazon - under my full name

9. Are you allergic to anything?
Nope. I once went on a blind date with a guy who - turns out - was allergic to pine trees. My parents live in the piney woods of East Texas - that date ended before it really began.

10. Do you have any pets? What are they?
My cat, Louis - pronounced Louie in vulgar American English. He's part Chartreuse and therefore had to have a French name!

11. Please include anything else you would like your secret pal to know about you- anything that would be helpful in finding you little gifts that you will really enjoy. Also, if you have a Ravelry ID, please include it here.
Ravelry ID: doniamarie. I love writing letters on stationary/note cards and am always on the look-out for cool things like that.

A Trip Down South

I'm finally posting a picture of my trip to South Texas last weekend. However, Blogger is vexing me so you only get to see the one. Below is my grandfather's childhood church.


Across the street from the church, is his elementary school. My grandfather only went to school through sixth grade before his father needed him at home, on the farm. Despite his minimal education, he was extremely good with numbers and became a carpenter. During the war, he built prisons and barracks throughout France, Belgium, and Germany. He put German POWs to work and actually gained a great deal of respect for the enemy; he used to say they were very smart.

It's funny how our perceptions change through the generations. "Nazi" is not a word I hear often, but my grandfather used it throughout his old war stories - it was interchangeable with "German" to him. I wish I'd listened a little more to these stories. I was, however, young and immature; he died when I was in tenth grade.

A quick knitting update: I ran to JSY on Saturday and talked to Linda about the Ripple Blanket. She agreed I should probably add a few more inches to the width. So, I bought two more skeins of yarn and started over. I really don't mind all that much, I want the blanket to be usable. I think I finally figured out the color pattern, so that's exciting! I'll post a pic when I have a few inches on it!

Ripple Blanket, Part One

I began my Ripple Blanket today - woohoo! I'm making this....


With this....



More on Monday!

Puppy Update

Since my last post was a bit....negative, I'm going to try to lighten the mood. It's been a while since I last talked about my parent's puppies, Cody and Max. I went to East Texas this past weekend and saw them - unfortunately, I did not get any pictures. If I had, they would have been blurry; the two monsters are never unmoving.

Cody is HUGE! Though we were told he's pure Sheltie, we think he's got the DNA of a horse. He's not the brightest dog in Texas, but I don't think he's quite the dumbest. I think he's finally learned his name which is an improvement. Max is the dachshund and he's pure dachshund. That nose of his is going to get him into serious trouble. There's no doubt that this dog is the new king of the pen, despite Mikey's mature age. Cody cannot stand to be away from the wily dachshund. Maybe they're gay.

Anyways, on that drizzly, miserable Saturday, mom and I let them all out for a romp in the yard - they rarely get to run free during the week. The did well until the end when Max took off across the pasture to investigate the brush-filled fence-line. I ran after him but could not get his attention - he was too busy smelling. I stood there for probably fifteen minutes while he ran around in circles, following only his nose; he seemed to have found something. Finally, I got his attention and when I started running back towards the house, he followed. And passed me. The little guy stands two inches off the ground but he can run faster than me!

Now I know that I've only had one running "lesson" from Jake but I was disheartened. I was surpassed by a dachshund - one not yet fully grown. However, let me tell you something: there's nothing cuter than seeing that little guy flying through the tall grass with his ears flopping like wings. It's so funny!

I'm sure if we could somehow harness the energy of these three dogs, we could power my parent's house for a year, no problem. They are wild! I need to find a way to have that type of energy!

The Tudors

I'm really not a history snob. Really. The time of the Tudors is not even a period of time I excel or remotely care about. When I rented the first disc of Showtime's THE TUDORS, I was merely curious; ROME was so good, what could be done with sixteenth-century Britain?

Well, let me tell you: not much, apparently. My disdain for the show began with the opening sequence: the music was mediocre, the shots were ridiculous, and why, in the world, did this show have a worse opening than a soap opera? I was flabbergasted. Moreover, no one - outside of Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Jeremy Northam - seem the least bit at ease in the costumes. They appear to be playing dress-up. Add to that the fact that the first episode was basically a parade of breasts. Yes, boobies everywhere! Honestly, is that all they can come up with to fill an hour of TV?

And then, in episode two, the final shoe dropped. I may not know much about Britian and Henry VIII, but I know Rome. When the show flashed the Vatican before a scene of the dying pope, my eyes popped out of my head. That shot of Rome, which no one probably paid the least bit of attention to, ruined the integrity of the entire show. Why? The Rome shown was present-day Rome: a gleaming St. Peter's Basilica, a nice Baroque bridge, and the Via della Conciliazione - the nice road leading up to St. Peter's.

And now, a short history lesson that will show why this upset me so much. Henry VIII reigned from 1509 to 1547; we can place episode two around 1512. The modern St. Peter's Basilica was built between 1506 and 1626. If there was any church standing on the Vatican Hill in 1512, it would have been the remnants of Constantine's St. Peter's. The groundbreaking on the new basilica would hardly have been noticeable in 1512. Furthermore, to show that magnificent boulevard leading up to St. Peter's Square, the Via della Consiliazione, is only further evidence of the complete ignorance of the producer/director/historian of THE TUDORS. That road was built by Mussolini, completed in 1950. Mussolini had a thing for roads and he did not care what he destroyed in order to have them. He put one through the (Ancient) Roman Forums, through the perfection of the Piazza Navona, and through the Vatican. With this particular road, which is actually quite short in comparison to his other abhorrences, he tore down over twenty medieval and Renaissance buildings, thereby ruining the space of St. Peter's Square which was meant to be closed and surrounded - as the arms testify. Instead, this superbly planned urban space was ruined by an ignorant, stupid dictator - it is now open and clear. I'm not saying it is unimpressive but it destroys the ideas of the great architects who were responsible for these great feats. Below is a view from the dome of St. Peter's basilica, before Mussolini's road:


This is what it now looks like:



In short, I watched the first three episodes of THE TUDORS and was completely unimpressed. (I don't know if that came through in the above diatribe.) All the information I gave above could easily be found in seconds on Wikipedia. Are the Hollywood-types so cocky they no longer bother with basic fact-checking? This only further purports my thoughts that ROME was unique. The togas were worn naturally, Caesar died brutally, and the sex was sweaty and generally not seductive looking. The world was right. Showtime should be ashamed of their efforts. Go take a lesson from the historians hired by HBO.

Library Thing

There's something new on my blog!!! Can you see it?? Look to your right!

Last week I stumbled upon Library Thing through a blog. I'd noticed people's books on their pages before but I didn't investigate. Well, I finally did and I'm so glad!

Library Thing is a way to organize and manage your books online. You go through and enter your books into Library Thing, which is connected to various databases like Amazon and Library of Congress. Most likely, your books are in one of these databases. You can then tag your book to make it easy to search topically - some of my tags are Christianity, Ancient, Primary, Saints - or you can organize your books by title or author with just one click of the mouse! The coolest thing is that you can see all your book covers, making it easy to find a book amidst the chaos of your physical "library."

Those of you who know me, know that (a) I have tons of books and (b) I love to organize. This was a dream come true for me. I tried it out by entering some of my history/Christianity books. I've entered 189 books and it really didn't take that long! You can enter 200 books for free and then it's either $10 a year or $25 for a lifetime membership to Library Thing. $25??!! I laughed when I first heard that! This is so incredible!

I was excited about this site for myself - of course - but it also made sense for work. My boss has an office filled with books. Literally - it's a big office and every wall is covered. My office is filled with his books as well. I'd thought about cataloging them - I'd even had an undergrad begin the task - but there was no good way to organize them. This site can solve that problem. My boss was ecstatic when I told him about it. He has a collection of Children's Books, pertaining to the Bible, and we've begun entering those into Library Thing as an experiment.

The only drawback with this system is that my boss has a lot of antique books and those are not going to be in the system. Actually, I'm amazed at what is in the Library of Congress. However, even if an antique book is in the LC, it usually does not have a cover on file. We have a lot of our covers scanned but not all of them. That's the only thing that will take some time.

So this has excited me a lot - as you can tell. I need to go ahead and pay the $25 so I can do my other 5 book cases! It's so much fun!

The Old Stethoscope

My mother once let me play with a stethoscope. I though it was the coolest thing. I could hear things I never thought possible! Who knew you could hear your organs inside your body??! That's crazy! ...At least to a 7 year old.

My mom used a stethoscope everyday and this made an impression on me during my young years. She was so smart. She saved lives and still managed to make it home in time to make dinner. At the age of 7, she made me want to be a nurse. I could think of nothing else that would be cooler. I wanted to be just like my mom.

This phase didn't last long. Soon, I learned of some of the grosser aspects of the medical field. But I still played with the stethoscope now and then. I soon learned of other things that caught my attention and somehow I found out that I was good at history. While I did this, my mom, who started out as an OR nurse, rose through the ranks of hospital administration. She took a management job which led to Day Surgery Manager at one of the biggest hospitals in Dallas. Then she took over as Administrator of a separate Outpatient Surgery Center. While she did all this, she also got her master's degree. Now, she's a Chief Nursing Officer. For those of you unacquainted with hospital leadership, that's the equivalent of a Chief Operating Officer. She is responsible for all medical aspects of her hospital. The only departments out of her realm are financing and compliance. Her office is next door to the CEO.

To say I'm proud of her is an understatement. In the summary above, her career sounds easy - like it was all a matter of time. It has been anything but. She's never been given anything and she's faced challengers that would have stopped me in my tracks. If I'd never seen her outside the home, I would not believe she was a successful business woman. But her goofiness at home becomes animated, compassionate leadership at work. I've seen her in action and she's incredible.

I recently saw that stethoscope - my mom dug it out to use one day. For some reason, I didn't think it worked, but it does.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Problems with Follett

I've been trying, and generally succeeding, in enjoying my book, The Pillars of the Earth. Then I hit a major road block last night. Ken Follett, the author, made a huge mistake and it's one that is so glaringly obvious that I have now lost most respect for him - at least as a researcher. What was this huge mistake? He said the vows of a Benedictine monk are poverty, chastity, and obedience. Most people know these to be the common vows taken by all Catholic vocations. Not so.

Those three vows pertain to Franciscan friars only. All other orders - Benedictines, Dominicans, Cistercians, and so forth - follow the vows set forth by Benedict (in his Benedictine Rule) in the fifth century. These started out numbering around six but now they have been combined into three: stability, conversion of life, and obedience. Doesn't sound familiar at all, does it? Just so know, Follett could have easily found this all out by typing "Benedictine vows" into Google - I just tried it.

Francisicans and Benedictines are fundamentally different. As mentioned above, all monks - including Benedictines - follow the rules set forth by their "founder" of sorts, Benedict of Nursia. He was not the first monk - St. Antony was - but he was the founder of monastic communities. Before this, most monks, including Antony and Benedict, were hermits who lived far from settled areas.

Franciscans are not monks, but friars. The order was late in appearing - Francis of Assisi (the founder) died in 1226. They are not cloistered; they have more contact with the communities around them and, were founded upon the principle of a wandering life filled with good works and preaching. Monks (in the traditional historical sense) do none of this - they live in a monastery. However, it must be noted that present-day Franciscans live in friaries - a base of operations, of sorts, for their community work.

Ok, I'm done with the history lesson. I honestly have no idea what is up with this book. You would never find such mistakes in an Ellis Peter or Sharan Newman novel. Another thing irking me is the sex that appeared before page 100. That's quicker than a quickie in a Danielle Steele novel! I didn't know that was the type of book I was reading. Furthermore, it was a totally cliche - not original in the least. (In case you're wondering....the sex appeared amidst death and starvation - mind-blowing surreal sex in the midst of this. Yeah right!)

I'll try to keep reading. The subject matter is interesting - if you can overlook the flaws.

La Gioconda

A few days ago, I finished an excellent book: I, Mona Lisa by Jeanne Kalogridis. It's now on my list of favorites. This author did the Borgia Bride as well which was equally fantastic, though much darker. While that portrayed the Borgias and Pope Alexander VI in an appropriately decrepit manner, the Medicis were treated mildly by Kalogridis. I don't know if this could be thought of as anti-Papist but Kalogridis has a tendency to come down quite hard on the Church. That being said, at this time in history, it is much easier to find fault with the Church than to find true goodness.

Historical characters such as Leondardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Lorenzo de' Medici, and the fanatical preacher Savonarola ran rampant thoughout the book. It's absolutely awesome! Kalogridis sticks to historical fact and only embellishes it with a plot centered around the unlikely Lisa di Antonio Gherardini, who eventually married Francesco del Giocondo (an especially yucky dude). This explains why the French call the Mona Lisa, La Gioconda. Even more exciting is that Kalogridis explains why Leonardo's famous painting is so often described as a self portrait.

Truly, this is historical fiction at its best. Fifteenth-century Florence comes alive! The massive dome of the Duomo is its own character and the Ponte Vecchio across the Arno feels the same as it does today. It is too easy to imagine Florence during this time. This is the kind of book that makes you dread the ending because there will be no more to read; it is that exciting!

But all good things must come to an end...

In knitting news, I doubled the length of the Reversible Scarf last night. It's now probably 5 inches long! Wow! (That was said sarcastically.) And there are now 2660 people ahead of me on Ravelry. Getting closer...