Blossom Street
17 Feb 2012 1 Comment
in Knitting, Personal notes, Reading Tags: A Good Yarn, Alex, Blossom Street series, book, books, cancer survivor, clive cussler, clive cussler books, Debbie Macomber, hold a grudge, how to make a baby blanket, linda hoffman, Project Linus, Reading
I’ve been feeling sentimental lately. That happens from time to time and I start missing my sister. I miss my bothers too but not like I miss my sister. Whenever this happens I end up reading more emotional books and listening to sappy music. I feel sorry for the people who have to endure this little spell of mine.
So I’ve put aside my beloved Clive Cussler books that I’ve been devouring lately and I’m re-reading the first book in the Blossom Street Series by Debbie Macomber called “The shop on Blossom Street“. I just feel the need to revisit “A Good Yarn” which is a little knitting store owned by Linda Hoffman, a cancer survivor. It’s been a while since I read it and I can’t remember all of the details. I just know that the characters are great. Linda opens her store and has a knitting class to teach how to make a baby blanket. The people who come together are all so different but become very close friends. That is the thing that draws me to this book and other’s like it….. that friendship element. Sisters are like good friends that never drift away, never get mad for long, and always remember your birthday. My sister and I are a lot alike in some ways but so different in others. She is the always happy, forgiving type sister and I’m the moody, hold a grudge till I die sister. We balance each other out.
This book is also about knitting, which I love, and one of the characters in the book just happens to be making the blanket for Project Linus. Of course its a court ordered community service type of deal and Alex is a little rough around the edges but this little group ends up helping each other out. Alex is actually my favorite character. The pattern for the blanket they are knitting is in the front of the book so you can actually make it too, in-between reading times of course.
I read several books in this series several years ago until I hit a brick wall. I have to read books in order. I just can’t stand skipping around. So I found out that Debbie had written a short story that went with the series and it was in a book with a couple other short stories by different authors. I could not find a copy of this book anywhere. I finally put it on my wish list at www.paperbookswap.com and a while back I finally got a copy! So now it has been so long that I feel like I need to start all over. That is one bonus to getting old – old books become new again!
Lazy day
16 Jan 2012 2 Comments
in Personal notes Tags: auburn hair, bacon, book, clive cussler, doll, fisher price, heroes, instant mashed potatoes, leftovers, mashed potatoes, microwaves, sausage, scrambled eggs, snoopy, westerns
I’ve been in bed all day. I got up this morning but just couldn’t concentrate on anything. I went back to bed and tried to read but just ended up sleeping on my book again. I woke up a little while when my husband came home. He came home early because his stomach was upset. He made himself some instant mashed potatoes. I told him I’d always thought mashed potatoes would be good with scrambled eggs and he looked at me like I was crazy. After a few minutes though, he said, “… and maybe some crumbled sausage.” He bought this already cooked “crumbed sausage”. He also has already cooked bacon. I can’t believe people keep getting lazier and lazier. I really can’t say much though since I slept all day. Well I fell asleep and when I woke up later in the evening my husband was cooking. Apparently they don’t make already cooked scrambled eggs yet. He made some more INSTANT mashed potatoes and mixed them with the scrambled eggs and already cooked “crumbed sausage” and brought me a bowl. It was soooooooooooooo good! I was right. Scrambled eggs are great with mashed potatoes…. and the sausage was good too. I should add that he melted cheese on the top of it. He was already thinking of ways to use the leftovers. It makes me wonder what would happen if there was a disaster and there was no more instant anything….. would American’s used to buying already cooked, instant food that they heated in microwaves survive? What if,suddenly, the only way to get food was to get up off the couch and go shoot it yourself? I think a lot of people would lose a lot of weight fast. Personally, I think I would just eat veggies since I don’t think I could kill something. I really prefer veggies and beans anyway. Just give me some seeds and some dirt and I’ll be okay.
I did take a picture for my 365 project but I haven’t uploaded them yet. I’ll do that tomorrow and hopefully I’ll be felling better then.
I started another book. I’m reading The Wrecker by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott, which is the second book in the Issac Bell series. It looks like it picks up where the last one left off. I love these books! They weave historical details into an exciting story. It makes me think of the westerns my dad used to watch. I always loved the cowboy heroes. They were always tough but calm and seemed to take down the bad guys with so little effort. Most of them had blue eyes too and I have a soft spot for sky blue eyes. Issac Bell, the hero detective in these books has violet-blue eyes which I have never seen myself. That is really the only clue to who is at the ski resort in Germany in the preface. I mean, I had an idea that it was him but I wasn’t sure until I read about those eyes. After all day in bed I only read to the end of chapter 1. Now I think my dog and I are going to nap some in the recliner. My back hurts after being in bed all day.
The NaBloPoMo promt for today is
Tell us about some of your first toys.
Well, I remember seeing pictures of myself on this funny looking rocking horse type thing but I don’t really remember it. I do remember I had this doll that was almost as big as me. I called her Janie but that wasn’t her real name. I think she was a Crissy doll. She had auburn hair and you could pull a string in her back to make it shorter or pull her hair to make it longer. I was always changing her clothes into baby clothes people had bought me and fixing her hair. I had auburn hair when I was younger so people always said she looked just like me. She was really big and I was small so people always laughed at me carrying her around by her head. I also had one of those fisher price snoopy dogs that you pulled by a string. It had legs not wheels like the newer ones do. I loved that thing!
Snow
04 Jan 2012 9 Comments
in Photos Tags: alaska, book, clive cussler, fence, goodreads, iphone, itunes, music, new years, resolutions, snow
It’s only -26 F outside right now… brrr. I actually went outside for a minute because I really wanted to take a good picture for my picture project. I bundled up in my huge puppy parka and probably looked like a freak outside in my furry hooded parka, pink pajama pants and fuzzy black house slippers. I took several pictures but the sky is really kinda grey and clouded over. I ended up using this one… I really like the wood grain. It’s not a bad picture considering I used my iphone.
The first thing on my new years list that I’ve been really focusing on is sorting through my music. I’m going through my itunes list. My husband has the whole house networked and moved everyone’s music into one place. My last computer suddenly fried so when he set up my itunes on this one he dumped ALLLLLLLL of the music into it. Many of the files are duplicated….sometimes 3 or 4 times. Now I know that means that there are probably duplicate FILES that are taking up space but I’m not taking that on right now. I’m just trying to put some order to my music, get rid of all the crappy music I didn’t download and change all the genre’s to what I like them to be. I don’t need 500 different genres. It’s actually been fun listing to music the past several days…..except for when I’ve spaced out and not really been listening for the last hour or so and have to go back. I’ve deleted a lot already and I’ve found some damaged files. I have learned that I really detest R&B but that I just can’t delete Alicia Keys. I just wonder who downloaded that if I didn’t hmmmmm? I’ve also been going through paper stuff still. I ended up taking a huge siesta yesterday and not finishing. I need to get my table back.
I did start reading a book. One of the things on my list is to read one book that I already have every month and to then part with said book. I’m reading The Chase by Clive Cussler. A friend of mine was reading some of his books and commented in goodreads.com how great they were. I checked them out and they look really good….all of them. I have this crazy hang up that I can’t read a book out of order even if the books don’t have to be read in order like these. I also want to have every book in a series before I start. In the case of Clive Cussler he has several different series that all look good so I have been hording his books trying to complete the entire collection before I start reading. So I have this copy paper box full of his books and I still don’t have them all because I’m broke and buying them all second hand. The first book I grabbed was actually “The Wrecker”. It has a really interesting cover and I thought it was the first in that series. I grabbed it and a cup of tea and ran a hot bath. I got cozy and opened the book and read the quick synopsis on the first page. Then, right below that was this reviewer saying the previous book was really good. UGH, I got the wrong book. I tried to talk myself into reading it anyway since everyone has told me they can be read in any order but no…. I had to get up, grab my robe and find the right book. So far The Chase is looking really good.
My journal isn’t finished yet because I need my table. I have pieces and parts and really want to work on it. I’ve got a lot to do. It’s a good thing I have a whole year.
Frozen in Alaska
16 Nov 2011 2 Comments
in Personal notes, Uncategorized Tags: alaska, book, cold
Its pretty cold here right now. It is so cold that the tires on vehicles stay flat for a while where they were touching the frozen ground and you hear “clunk -clunk, clunk-clunk” for a while when you first start driving. I just stay home unless I just can’t avoid it because you either have to plug your vehicle in to keep it warm or leave it running. Most places don’t have places available for people to plug in since it costs so much in electricity. I rode with a friend to the Watercolor Society Meeting tonight so I didn’t have to deal with it. I got cold and never really could get warm. It was kind of chilly inside too so I kept putting on my coat and then taking it off when I got too hot. They were making Christmas Cards. There were a lot of great examples shown and some people brought in old Christmas cards for inspiration. I sketched out a bird house with a cardinal but never did paint anything because I just couldn’t get comfortable.
Well, as soon as I got in the door I went in my room and put on some footed pajamas! My feet are still cold but the rest of me is finally thawing out. My hands are hurting but I took some ibuprofen so it should start working pretty soon.
I found this video on youtube of an old song I remember hearing on the radio as a kid. Johnny Cash actually sang it with June Carter but I wanted to use the original version. The street scene that you see first on the video is here in Fairbanks where I live. That is very close to where I live actually and that is exactly how it looks right now. Foggy and cooooOOooold! The other pictures are from other areas in Alaska and some of the pictures of dancers were probably not even taken here in Alaska. I think someone likes girls in Red. Hmmm
The antibiotic the dentist put me on makes me really tired. Yeah, everything makes me tired. Dayquil makes me tired. I’m just sensitive to everything. I have to take it every 6 hours and shortly after taking it I end up falling asleep. I slept most of the day today and missed my watercolor lesson again! I think that makes 3 times in a row. I was able to show my watercolor teacher what I’d been painting though since he’s who I rode with tonight. He really liked my face I painted and my zentangle trees.
I don’t have any pictures of anything for today. I’m just so cold I want to curl up in my bed and finish my book. I’m almost finished with A Can of Peas by Traci Depree.
Oh, and one more sleep until my prince comes home! Tomorrow evening I’ll go pick him up at the airport!!! YAY!
Help Yourself: Finding Hope, Courage, and Happiness
30 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Book Reviews, Personal notes, Quotes, Reading Tags: anger, book, Dave Pelzer, forgiveness, Help Yourself, Quotes, Reading
Help Yourself by Dave Pelzer
This is a wonderful book I’m reading by David Pelzer. I had already read his books, A Child Called “It”, The Lost Boy, and A Man Named Dave. This is a sad story that doesn’t end that way. I have read so many stories of tragedy and pain and they usually leave you sorrowful, wishing there was some way to help ease the pain. This story ends with a man that came through his pain to help YOU.
I have been fighting with forgiveness for years and years. I hold grudges and then the negative feelings eat away at me. I have been trying to stop holding onto the pent up anger and forgive but as of yet I haven’t had much luck. Sometimes I push it into a dark corner in the back of my mind for a while but it always comes back when I least expect it. You never know when someone might say something that brings it all back again. Then, as I was reading this book, David Pelzer began to speak about FORGIVENESS. Now if he can do it I should be able to! I bought this book simply because it had his name and face on it and figured it was simply more of his story but it’s not. It’s about forgiving and moving on, about finding real happiness that is blocked out by the dark clouds of hate. He has already done it; he moved on. This book is for helping others do it too. I hope it can help me. I have decided to make this book one of my permanent collection.
“If I have learned anything from my unfortunate childhood it is that there is nothing that can dominate or conquer the human spirit”
“I learned as a child…the value of personal responsibility and opportunity.”
“Because of my childhood experience, all I desired was a better life for myself…. While adverse surroundings play an important role in our lives, if we are willing we do not have to be dominated by them.” - David Pelzer
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
14 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Book Reviews Tags: book, book review, nicholas sparks, Reading, scary, The Guardian
Well I finished reading this book last night. Even though it started off slow and almost lost me a few times it made up for it when things got interesting. It got pretty scary and I found myself getting the creeps because I was here alone at night. I kept checking to make sure the doors were locked and the curtains were all closed. Who knew Nicholas Sparks could write a scary novel? Of course it isn’t like the typical thriller, there’s a love story included. Note: no cursing in this book.
When Julie’s husband Jim was dying of cancer he was worried about her being left alone. He knew she didn’t have any real family other than him. So he arranged for someone to bring her a Great Dane puppy with a letter he wrote on Christmas Eve knowing he would probably die before then. The letter explained that he sent her the puppy to keep her company and that he wanted her to find someone to make her happy. He also said that he would always be there to look out for her. Singer, which is what she named the puppy, became her constant complanion and she even talked to him like he was human; sometimes even argued with him. Years later, when she was finally ready to start dating, Singer growled at each person she went out with like a jealous boyfriend. It wasn’t until she met a handsome engineer named Richard that her close friend Mike started to take notice. He had been her husband Jim’s closest friend so she thought of Mike more like a brother. Singer loved Mike though and was always taking off to see him at the garage he worked at with his brother causing Julie to have to come over there to get him.
Would she end up chosing the handsome engineer who treated her like a princess and took her on a hotair balloon ride and a picnic for a date or would she fall in love with Mike, the good ol’ boy?
I’m not going to say but I will say that things get pretty intense when she realizes she’s being watched…. everywhere she goes…….
Sick and Tired
10 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Personal notes, Quotes, Reading Tags: book, book review, cold, Don Juan, Guardian, nicholas sparks, Quote, Reading, sick, tired
“A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.”
― Steve Martin
I love Steve Martin. No matter how bad I feel I can never NOT laugh at Steve Martin.
I woke up a little while ago and looked at my phone to see what time it was. It’s Thursday! I have been sick with a nasty cold that turned me into a errupting volcanic snot ball with running eyes and a throat that feels like it’s been ran through a sander… for almost a week! I had stuff to do this week! All I’ve done is take cold medicine like it was whiskey, blow my brains out on TP, and sleep like sleeping ugly turned Zombie. Don’t let me understate how bad I feel.
So, since I was awake and lucid for the first time in a week I decided to read my book. I’m still reading The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks. Chapter 14 Mike/Julie/Richard- now how is THAT going to work? Mike’s the gool ol’ guy that everyone loves and Richard is Don Juan. Okay, so I get the since that Richard (aka DJ) is about to snap and kill everyone in town but I’m sure Julie’s Dog, a Great Dane named Singer, will save Julie. Mike, though, will probably be found with a “Z” sliced into his chest. Wait, maybe I should just read the book!
Well, I’m momentarily feeling better although it may just be the whiskey, I mean cold medicine. hic…
