Stitching It Up...

Having a grandchild has brought out the long-abandoned knitter and sewer in me.  In addition to the baby hats I wrote about here, I've been working on baby blankets and other goodies.  So, I beg your indulgence as I post progress on various projects.

Elephant, blankets, blue, gray & cream...

Listening To...

When I turned 50, my daughter took me to a Rod Stewart concert to celebrate.  In the card accompanying the tickets, she wrote, "Better than any moisturizer you could buy to keep you forever young."

Two more milestone birthdays have passed, and now Rod Stewart has returned with a fountain of youth that while sometimes nostalgic still brings that Downtown Train beat to all new songs.  

More information and videos can be found on Rod Stewart's website.

Just Because

Summer haircut, new bandanna, riding shotgun...

Life Is Good!

Just Because

Clemmies on the kitchen table...

Independence Day 2013

America's game on America's day...

Source:  Red Sox Instagram

June Book Report

It's been some time since I posted a monthly book report, but this is a good one to start with.  My approach is to post a monthly summary report and save individual posts for books that speak to me in that special way that some books do.  The titles all link to Goodreads.  Enjoy!

Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince by Nancy Atherton
Series:  Aunt Dimity #18
Rating:  4/5 (Mystery)
Delightful fairy tale of a mystery and proof positive that a mystery need not always involve murder.

Big Sky Summer by Linda Lael Miller
Series:  Parable, MT #4
Rating:  3/5 (Romance)
Not as good as first three in the series.  The hook of the story was very one note and repetitive.

Tapestry of Fortunes by Elizabeth Berg
Rating:  5/5 (Fiction)
She's back!!!  This is the Elizabeth Berg I love.  I wanted to live in this book.

This Heart of Mine by Suzanne Hayes
Rating:  3.5/5 (Fiction)
A prequel and very nice set-up for I'll Be Seeing You.

Ladies' Night by Mary Kay Andrews
Rating:  4/5 (Fiction)
It was long, but it was oh so good.  I found Chapter 31 hilarious!

Robert B. Parker's Wonderland by Ace Atkins
Rating: 2/5 (Mystery)
It's time to let this series go.  Spenser was always tough, but never crass. Boston was always a presence, but never a travelogue. The franchise may be playing out under the pen of Atkins, but the heart and soul will always belong to Robert B. Parker.

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
Rating: 5/5 (Fiction)
Just as good, if not better, the second time around (first read in April 2009)

Book Love edited by James Charlton
Rating:  4/5 (Nonfiction)
This charming little book of quotes sits on my desk. I've been dipping in and out of it from time to time but finally read it all the way through this month.

The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank
Rating:  4/5 (Fiction)
Les has reached the straw and camel's back point of her 30-plus years of marriage to Wes who, after all these years, still hasn't got a clue.  Can this marriage be saved?  More importantly, should this marriage be saved?

Time Flies by Claire Cook
Rating:  3.5/5 (Fiction)
Claire Cook has a knack for giving us a yearly beach read with lots of humor backed up with some thoughtful undertones.  As I approach my 50th class reunion, the pre-reunion anxieties rang true as did the friendship, family, and Who Am I themes.

Don't Cry for Me (Rebel Ridge #2) by Sharon Sala
Series:  Rebel Ridge #2
Rating:  3/5 (Romance)
June selection for my f2f romance readers group.  Good, fast moving story--a little on the violent side for this wimpy reader, but ultimately I felt safe knowing that it was, after all, a romance and nothing too bad would ever happen to our hero, heroine, their families, and dog.  This was #2 in the Rebel Ridge series, but the author did a very good job of supplying the necessary details of the first book (Next of Kin), so I never felt that I had missed anything.

Stitches from the Heart

The announcement that I was to be a grandmother for the first time prompted me to dust off my knitting needles that had been tucked away in the attic for the past thirty or so years.  Five baby blankets, four sweaters, and three shawls (for other gifts, not the baby) later, I was casting about for other projects to keep the knitting needles clicking away.  So off to Google to see about organizations that accepted knitted items for babies and children.

I found Stitches from the Heart and liked their mission statement:  Our mission at Stitches from the Heart is to provide comfort, love and support to each newborn and their families coast-to-coast regardless of economic or religious background. 

The local yarn shops' one-skein baskets have yielded a very nice selection of yarns for newborn baby hats and small crib blankets.  I hope to have a package ready to send off later this year to Stitches from the Heart.

If interested, you can follow my progress in my Project listing on Ravelry by clicking here.

Stitches from the Heart -- Making a difference one stitch at a time.

July Bookticipation

Here are a three books publishing in July that have piqued my interest and landed on my library reserve list or have **s next to them in my "Check This Out" notebook.

The Lemon Orchard by Luanne Rice (July 2)

From the author's website:  Set in the sea and citrus-scented air of the breathtaking Santa Monica mountains, The Lemon Orchard is an affirming story about the redemptive power of compassion and the kind of love that seems to find us when we need it most.

The Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane by Kelly Harms (July 9)

The publisher of this book (Thomas Dunne Books) promises this "debut novel about luck and love, and winning a sweepstakes...will charm readers from the very first page.

Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole (July 9)

From Amazon's description:  A sweeping story told in letters, spanning two continents and two world wars, Jessica Brockmole's atmospheric debut novel captures the indelible ways that people fall in love and celebrate the power of the written word to stir the heart.

Elaine of Random Jottings reviewed Letters from Skye here and says the book is "sheer delight from start to finish."

What books are on your July Bookticipation list?

In the Library Bag

The library bag is somewhat manageable this week.  Finishing everything before the looming due dates almost seems possible!

• Astor Place Vintage by Stephanie Lehmann
• Sweet Salt Air by Barbara Delinsky
• The Time Between by Karen White

...and on Kindle via the library's Overdrive connection

All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue
The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore

And for anyone wondering what my library looks like, here it is!

Coming Back

A lot has happened since December 2011, but I won't clog up the works with old stuff.  Rather, going forward, I'll drop in from time to time with something bookish, maybe a photo or two, a favorite quote here and there, some music to my ears, or just a mention of something that caught my interest.

As Melanie, the main character in Claire Cook's Time Flies, says...

...maybe I needed to dabble in my past to recognize my future, and who didn't love a good stroll down memory lane, but life was way too short to get stuck there.

Looking forward to dropping a few owl's feathers here and there and welcome your comments!