Reading list #2 2019

1. The Island Legacy by Ruth Saberton
2. What Once Was True by Jean Grainger Ireland during WW II 
3. Return th Robinswood b Jean Grainger book 2 after WW II
4. Lots of Candles Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen written by a woman of a certain age about women of a certain age and life changes for those women from growing into adulthood to careers, marriage, children, reentering a career, children becoming adults, the importance of girlfriends. 
5. Neither Wolf Nor Dog by Kent Nerburn for book club
6. The Glassblower  by Petra Durst-Benning  three sisters in Germany in late 1800’s need to support themselves pick up late fathers glassblowing business and make Christmas ornaments 
7. Off the Grid by C.J. Box book # 16
8. The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Cleo Coyle writing as Alice Kimberly a ghost story obviously and the murder of a mystery writer and it takes place in a book store
9. The Cottingly Secret by Hazel Gaynor about photos and faeries and a young woman who inherits her grandfathers bookstore.  Just for fun
10. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult for book club about a school shooting a lot of insight into teenagers and complicated characters that followed me through the day.  I couldn’t stop thinking about them.
11. The Ghost and the Dead Deb by Cleo Coyle writing as Alice Kimberly murder mystery 
12. Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg about a young girl growing up in the 1950’s in Mississippi 
13. Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks another love story
14. Vicious Circle by C. J. Box book #17
15. The Homecoming of Bubbles O'Leary by Jean Grainger another tour group story just for fun
16. Journey by James Michener I haven't read a Michener book for decades this one is short about navigating the rivers and mountains in western Canada in an effort to get to the gold in the Yukon and Klondike.
17. A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman for book club  I love this book more everytime I read it.
18. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R.A. Dick  after reading a couple of the Mrs. McClure books by  Cleo Coyle I had to read the book that inspired them.  Its an oldie and was made into a movie and a tv series.
19. Time to start a new list.  --Ann-- 

Doubtless

“Doubtless God could have made a better berry but doubtless God never did.”  William Allen Butler
The sweetness of summer and the sweetness of strawberries.  --Ann--

strawberries

Long about knee-deep in June, 
'Bout the time strawberries melts 
On the vine,  James Whitcomb Riley      Need I say more...........--Ann--

Pizza

 Hubby bought me this little wood fire (pellet) grill and is it ever slick!!! providing of course you read the directions carefully.  The first time we used it I skimmed through and did not fill the hopper full to provide an even heat.  The first pizza was good but the next two were under cooked.  Then I read the directions like I was reading a novel, savoring each word and a few aha moments......

We took it up to son's for the weekend.  He has a nice big deck and you really need to be able to make your pizza and stick it in the oven with some efficiency because it only takes a minute or two to cook the pizza if the oven is hot hot like 900 degrees hot,  and very quickly the flame will char the pizza.  You gotta be close and pay attention!!!!  You also have to learn you can't heap the toppings on, more is less not just with design but also with using a pizza peel.  Too much topping and it won't slip off the peel.  It was delicious. --Ann--

knitting on the road

A couple road trips in the last 2 weeks.  Hubby drove the last one so I got to knit a good 4 hours each way.  I started these socks as we left town and knit as far as the pin when we got to our destination.  This skein was one of those "fade" yarns I didn't know before I wound it how long the color changes were so they will look like two completely different socks and it may be a couple more inches of knitting before I see the color change.  I'm doing a seed stitch of k1, p1 two rows then p1, k1 two rows and a little bump in the road and I did a couple 3 row repeats.  They are socks and the reciepient probably won't be able to tell once they are on her feet.  On the way home I knit from the pin to just beginning the gusset.  I'm going to set them aside until the next road trip.  --Ann--

The Colors of Early Summer

Another quilt out of the cupboard and on the wall for summer.  I love pastels did you know that about me?  I love working with pastels, brights are fun, plaids are cozy, earthy colors are comforting,  RWB are patriotic, but pastels just make me sigh......long sigh.....they do that to me in the store when I'm choosing them and when the lady is cutting them and when I take them out of the bag, why............ because they are the colors of so many of my favorite flowers and my favorite flowers are usually what is blooming at the time.  The pattern was in a book Mullbery Lane by Teri Christopherson published in 2000,  so this is another quilt that is close to 20 years old.  Its just half square triangles I had enough fabric for a wide border so I added the appliqué.   --Ann--

Red black and plaid

 The borders of this were nagging me all last week.  I decided I couldn't come upstairs until it was finished and to sweeten the deal I rewarded myself with a glass of wine.  Good thing hubby was still fishing because it was 6:25 pm when I finished his supper would have been late.  A couple little road trips for me then back to the sewing room next week.  --Ann--

one of last weeks projects

Bridal shower for future DIL last Saturday.  These are some placemats my mother wove more than a few years ago.  I have enough placemats and tablecloths to last several lifetimes so I'm passing them on.  They are woven from linen and they go very nicely with the dishes she picked.  I found some dish towels to compliment and a printed check for napkins them made 8 pot holders from remnants in the stash. You can never have too many post holders.  --Ann--

Iris

A little walk through McCrory Gardens late in the afternoon and after the wind went down.  These tall bearded iris were still standing tall.  I don't think there is a purple or yellow iris that I don't love so many shades of purple and almost as many of yellow.  I contributed some hours of work last summer weeding and planting new but this year I have had a conflict when the ladies have worked.  They are gorgeous again this year.  --Ann--

Iris

 My friend who is really into iris takes care of these at the golf course she also plays golf and its just a short walk from the house so I have walked over in the evening several times just to sigh.  The yellow with the stripes is called Moose Tracks and is a dwarf the others are all tall bearded iris.  Flowers make walking so much more fun.  --Ann--

sketching and coffee

 I was enjoying my morning coffee while looking out the window yesterday morning and a robin hopped up on the neighbors pile for recycling.  It tried very hard to pull something out of the box but it was stuck fast, it tried from every angle but could not free the contents.  Just enough time for me to make a quick sketch.  My little bird just plays dead unless I have a knitting needle poked in it belly.  I could use it for sketching practice.  I could knit another one to look like a bluebird.  A couple of my favorite sketchbooks.  --Ann--

A little bird

 I knit this little bird just for fun, a little English Robin pattern designer is Claire Garland she is on ravelry.  She has patterns for lots of little birds and animals.  I thought the bird looked easiest  and it really was just follow the directions one row at a time and it all makes sense.  I just needed some time with no distractions.  The beads I had for eyes were too small and the buttons were too big.
--Ann--

Out of the Cupboard

 I've been working on my to do list while hubby is off fishing.  I seem to be doing the smallest but most noticeable projects first like change the quilts on the walls and hang a couple more.  I also ordered blog to print books of 2018 blogging.  After proofreading the previous year and wandering through memory lane I have never posted about this quilt.  Round Robin row quilt made with my quilt friends from Pierre in 1999.  Golly that's 20 years ago!!!  We each chose a theme and color scheme then passed our bags around the group for the next 6 months.  We didn't see our own again until the last rotation was complete.  Then we had 6 months to complete the top and preferably to complete the quilt.  My theme was Grandmothers Garden because my grandmothers and great grandmothers and mom were all gardeners and quilters.  Grandma Elsie always planted pansies by the back door. Grandma Selma took me out in the pasture to fly kites as did my great grandmother with my mother who took my kids out to the pasture to fly kites she also made some fabulous quilts in the 1930's.  Do kids fly kites any more?  When I have grandkids I am taking them out to fly kites!  The flowers in the pots are because my great grandmother made a quilt with similar flowers that was on my bed growing up.  My mother loved butterflies and completed a quilt that her mother started with butterflies and my mother found it when she was cleaning out her house.  That was such a wonderful thing to help her through the greiving process.  They all had tulips in the spring.  I sewed the morning glory tri rec stars and the ladies in the bottom row the dresses remind me of my grandmothers.  Its not old enough to be an heirloom but if I pass the stories to my kids it will be.        --Ann--
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