finally finished

These socks have been on the needles since December.

December!

That is just ridiculous. Socks should not take that long.The pattern is great. Easy and straightforward. I guess that's the problem, really. Too easy, not much to keep me interested, plus they were made bigger for my dad. Not much bigger, but bigger. He has small feet like me. :)

Anyway, they are done. Yay. They are now in the Christmas gift drawer. They were supposed to be a birthday gift. Hehe. His birthday was in March.




Pattern: Thuja by Bobby Ziegler
Source: Knitty.com
Yarn: Wildfoote by Brown Sheep in Zane Grey
Needles: US 1

Booking Through Thursday

This week's question: "What are your favourite final sentences from books? Is there a book that you liked specially because of its last sentence? Or a book, perhaps that you didn’t like but still remember simply because of the last line?"

You know, I always liked

"and they lived happily ever after"

It ended so many of my favorite fairy tales my mom told to me as a child. Of course, now as an adult, I know that a lot of the actual stories never ended so...nicely.

There was the much anticipated final lines of the Harry Potter series,

"The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well."

I was expecting something more. I was a little disappointed with that one.

I think, though, the one that stands out the most in my mind is,

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."

from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. One of my absolute favorite books, which also gave us one of the best opening sentences ever...

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way-in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

(I wasn't here for last week's Booking Through Thursday. Sorry. )

whiskers on wednesday

This is a very informative book if you own a cat. It taught me a lot. It taught me that my cat's just not that into me.

How do I know?

Well here are some of the chapter titles...

She pretends you don't exist check
She physically abuses you check
She shows no respect for you or your possessions check



That's three out of ten! She is definitely not into me. Good thing, this book gives you ideas on how to fix that.

For example,

"Cats adore the owner who can't keep his hands off his cat. It makes kitty feel loved, wanted, needed, sexy, serene, and best of all, in control of her owner."

Great info, I tell you. :)

inspiration

Children eager to learn.



Community coming together.



The world and all its beauty.




What inspires you?

This is the question that Phoe is asking for her Pink Contest.

Go find out how to enter.

Fearless Fourteen- Book Review

I know! This came out ages ago. Okay, not really, but it always feels that way with these books. You buy it, read it and pass it on to the next person within 2 days and then it is time to wait another year for the next one. Well, waiting this time around won't be too much of a problem. I suppose that is what happens when you have read the same book 14 times.

I didn't laugh out loud as much as I have with the previous Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich. There were a couple funny Grandma Mazur incidents but that is all. Even the Lula bits disappointed. It was just as fast a read as ever, quick paced and action packed, but it seemed repetitive. I had seen all this before and was really hoping for something new. Something different but just as hilarious would have been good.

It was the same ol' Stephanie Plum, getting herself into trouble, with a couple new characters thrown in. It was okay but definitely not the best in the series.

2/5

win books!

Click on the BookRoom button and you will be directed to a great chance to win 14 books or Breaking Dawn. How awesome is that? That is a lot of books, and 5 people have a chance to win!
Anyway, head on over.

Emma- Book Review

Jane Austen. You can't go wrong with any of her books. Pride and Prejudice is most definitely my favorite, but Emma comes in at a close second. It has been one of my favorite books for years and this reread has been a lot of fun. It is actually the 5th Jane Austen book I have read this year.

One of the things that draws me to Austen are her flawed heroines. There is always something about them that makes them just a little less than perfect and yet you cheer for them when they get the man at the end of the books. Let's take Emma.

Emma is the youngest daughter of Mr. Woodhouse. They are rich and live in a "comfortable home" where Emma, at the young age of twenty one, is the mistress. Her mother died at a very young age and her older sister is married and lives in London. It is just her and her father now that her Governess has been married to Mr. Weston. A marriage that Emma takes pride in having set up herself. Emma thinks of herself as a sort of matchmaker after this success and this is where all the fun (or trouble) begins. Well, it begins when she meets Harriet Smith, but I am not going to give everything away.

So, what are Emma's faults? Why, we find out in the very first chapter in the third paragraph:

"The real evils indeed of Emma's situation where the power of having rather too much of her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself..."

With all the trouble, misunderstandings and hurt feelings that occur throughout the story, Emma still manages to get herself the best guy. Mr. Knightley. Yes, another one of Austen's great men. He is an old family friend and the brother of Emma's sister's husband. (Got that?) He is also very good at pointing out all of Emma's faults and yet still falls in love with her. How can you not love that? That is what we all want. Someone to love us no matter what. Of course, it takes Emma a while to realize her feelings for Mr.Knightley, but in the end it all works out into a nice happy ending.

4/5

new classics challenge

A while ago I posted this list of books from Entertainment Weekly and checked off the 12 books from that list of 100 that I had read.
Then today I found this challenge hosted by Joanna and have decided to participate.

So, I am to list 6 books from the list that I will read and review between Aug1st-Jan31st.

It is hard to pick but here they are:

11. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer (1997)
29. Bel Canto, Anne Patchett (2001)
53. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)
78. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (2006)
84. Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)
99. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman (1995)

classics challenge 2008

Classics Challenge 2008:I am a little late to the party but luckily for me, I started reading a classic at the beginning of July.

So, here is the list of my chosen books:

July- Emma by Jane Austen

August- The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (my should- be- a- classic pick from the list. I just checked it out of the library. I hope it is okay to be here instead of in the last month.)

September- The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton or Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

October- Dracula by Bram Stoker or Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

November-Dubliners by James Joyce

December- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I believe that qualifies me for Option 2, not sure about 3.


Classics Meme

1. My favorite classic is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

2. The classic I had the toughest time finishing is Paradise Lost by John Milton

3. I would recommend anything by Jane Austen to someone who doesn't read a lot of classics or who doesn't generally like classics because they can't relate to the characters.

4. To me, a classic book is a book that stands the test of time, relevant today, makes you think.

5. The type of relationship I have with classics is good. I try to read a few classics, ones I have not read, every year. They are so much better now than when I tried to read them in school. :)

counting down

Get this widget!

It is getting close to the day when we can all go and get our hands on a copy of Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn. I read all three previous books back in September for the first time and have been anxiously awaiting the release of this one.
So, if like me you like spoilers, go check out this article at EW.com. If you want to be completely in the dark about anything and everything having to do with the book DON'T CLICK. :)

marireads

Yup.

I went ahead and started another blog for all the books I have been reading lately. Book posts started invading my poor little knitting blog and thought I should give them a home of their own. Now you won't have to read about books if you don't want to.

Ingenious! (Well, not really, but I like that word.)

But, If you do, head on over to marireads. There is nothing there quite yet, except for stuff you have already seen here, but eventually there will be more.

Back to the knitting.

book blog

I was thinking earlier today that I should separate the reading posts from the knitting posts and start a book blog. Really, just for me to keep track of books I want to read and books I have read. Perhaps there will be some reviews now and then.

First off, I need to get this all set up and import my previous posts from mariknits, if I can. There aren't that many.
Then, we will see where this goes.

Thursday Next - book review

(archived from mariknits)


I just finished this really fun book that I checked out from the library and thought I would share a quick review.

It is the fifth in the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde which I began reading... hmm...probably 5 years ago. The Eyre Affair was the first. Its imaginative alternate world where people can jump in and out of books was refreshing after reading so many predictable and formulaic books. This new book, Thursday Next: First Among Sequels is another great installment to the series. Hilarious. The book jumps from the late 80's to the early '00's, which offers a whole new set of challenges for Next... teenage kids, being 15 years older, book reading rate dropping, and the stupidity index rising. Also, keeping the fact that she still works for Jurisfiction from her husband makes it all the more difficult to do her job.

So many great references in this one to everything I love: knitting, Dr. Who, Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice, and Dr. Temperence Brennan. It's like it was written just for me. Hehe.

Anyway, very cool book. Glad I finally got a chance to read it.

3/5

So this makes book 45. Still falling behind.

June Books:

34. House of Dance by Beth Kephart (jun)
35. Haunted by Kelley Armstrong (jun)
36. Sepulcher by Kate Mosse (jun)
37. Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs (jun)

July Books:

38. Frostbite by Richelle Mead (jul)
39. London Bridges by James Patterson (jul)
40. Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich (jul)
41. The Rossetti Letter by Christi Philips (jul)
42. The 5th Horseman by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (jul)
43. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (jul)
44. A Hat Full of Sky by Terrt Pratchett (jul)
45. Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde (jul)


Books picked up at the library today:

Saturday by Ian McEwan
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
On the Bright Side, I'm now the Girlfriend of a Sex God by Louise Rennison

thursday next - book review

I just finished this really fun book that I checked out from the library and thought I would share a quick review.

It is the fifth in the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde which I began reading... hmm...probably 5 years ago. The Eyre Affair was the first. Its imaginative alternate world, where people can jump in and out of books, was refreshing after reading so many predictable and formulaic books. This new book, Thursday Next: First Among Sequels is another great installment to the series. Hilarious. The book jumps from the late 80's to the early '00's, which offers a whole new set of challenges for Next... teenage kids, being 15 years older, book reading rate dropping, and the stupidity index rising. Also, keeping the fact that she still works for Jurisfiction from her husband makes it all the more difficult to do her job.

So many great references in this one to everything I love: knitting, Dr. Who, Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice, and Dr. Temperence Brennan. It's like it was written just for me. Hehe.

Anyway, very cool book. Glad I finally got a chance to read it.

So this makes book 45. Still falling behind.

June Books:

34. House of Dance by Beth Kephart (jun)
35. Haunted by Kelley Armstrong (jun)
36. Sepulcher by Kate Mosse (jun)
37. Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs (jun)

July Books:

38. Frostbite by Richelle Mead (jul)
39. London Bridges by James Patterson (jul)
40. Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich (jul)
41. The Rossetti Letter by Christi Philips (jul)
42. The 5th Horseman by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (jul)
43. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (jul)
44. A Hat Full of Sky by Terrt Pratchett (jul)
45. Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde (jul)


Books picked up at the library today:

Saturday by Ian McEwan
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
On the Bright Side, I'm now the Girlfriend of a Sex God by Louise Rennison

final sprint to the finish

Final Sprint: A stage by stage recap.

Stage 1: Off to a good start. Finishing the day in the top 20.



Stage 3: As it wasn't the best day for Robbie McEwan and Mark Cavendish, et al, it wasn't that great a day for me as well.
Not much progress was made on the Clapotis today. I was hoping to get a few dropped stitches in but only made it to the first.

Stage 4: I need to bump up the pace a bit and 'put the hammer down', if I want to get this finished before Paris.



Stage 6: The rain proved to be a problem. No progress once again. Much slipping and sliding and lots of road furniture to deal with.

Stage 8: Managed to get some much needed knitting done on the clapotis despite a slight mechanical problem. Tangled yarn. I had to do some creative cutting and splicing. It has about a foot in length now. Not bad, but not good.

Stage 9: Just like the sprinters in this stage, I fell back into the "autobus". I really need to get some knitting done on this scarf or it will never get finished by the end of the tour. I believe I was distracted by the beautiful French scenery, or was it a pretty sock?




Stage 12 & 13: It was a good couple of days for Team Columbia! Mark Cavendish wins a couple more stages. Love these sprint days. Nice and flat. No uphill=progress. I also had a great day. Making some much needed gains on the clapotis. That "sprint to the finish" racked up some much needed points in the Green Jersey competition.



Stage 16: Some Tour knitting got done, but unfortunately not as much as I would have liked. The descent from Cime de la Bonette-Restefond was a treacherous one for many, especially for Augustyn and Vande Velde. My descending wasn't as great either. Just a bit of road rash visible across the finish line today. No falls off the mountain road, but more time lost. There will be some more uphill knitting tomorrow. It is going to be another long mountain stage.

Stage 17: L'Alpe d'Hues. du Galibier. Enough said.

Stage 18: I find herself fighting to stay within contact of the peloton every time the roads start to go up. I am just not a climber. I haven't even made it halfway through the clapotis. I will have to knit these last three days like crazy to see if I can make up any time lost on these mountain stages.

Stage 19: Made it into the breakaway today and got some much needed points in the race for the Green Jersey.



Stage 20: The time trial is over. It was a tough one. I was dancing on the peddles for over an hour but, unfortunately, had as much luck as Frank Schleck in the end. The green jersey will not be on my back on the road in to Paris tomorrow.

Stage 21: Sprint finish, but got boxed in. No chance to get enough points in the Green Jersey competition this year. Better luck next year.

Despite not finishing the clapotis in time and not getting to pull on the green jersey in Paris, I did get myself a few stage wins that I am happy with. Three FO's while competing in the TdF is quite a feat in itself.




Perhaps that should have been my goal for this TdFKal.
Can't wait for next year.

beatrix finished

beatrix
Originally uploaded by my_weezy

I hate to admit it. This is why my clapotis has fallen behind. I got distracted by these socks and wanting to finish them. I am glad I did. I absolutely love them. So soft and cozy and such a pretty pattern. They are a bit big but I really don't want to give them up. Maybe they'll shrink a bit with a wash.Amanda, your yarn is wonderful!

Pattern: Beatrix by MonkeyToes
Yarn : Cordial by NH KNitting Mama
Needles : US 2
Notes : Modified by adding pattern to the front of leg and instep.

Whiskers on Wednesday

Just pictures today.
Still trying to get stuff put away and cleaned after our trip.
So, here we are,

Italy kitty



Texas kitty

almost back

I am actually not home yet. I am sitting in a Panera in Needham, MA waiting for the hubby who is in a meeting for work. The wedding weekend was wonderful. Lots of fun, beautiful setting in Marion. Right on the water. Lots of the hubby's family to visit with. We had a great time. We dropped his parents off at the train station in Mattapoisset early this morning so they could get out to Logan. Our flight is after 5pm. Hubby should be done with his meeting here around noon. Not a problem. Love places that have free wi-fi. I turned on the comp to find many emails and over 150 posts to read through on Google Reader. I also had a lovely surprise of winning Aunt Kathy's contest from last week. Yay! What a great thing to find when I got mack online.

Some Tour knitting got done, but unfortunately not as much as I would have liked. There will be some definite uphill knitting tomorrow. It is going to be a long mountain stage.

till tuesday next

shredded
Originally uploaded by my_weezy

I am headed out of town for a wedding tomorrow. Not sure if there will be any wireless available where I am going so I thought I would forewarn you all of my possible absence until after the weekend.

I am taking knitting with me, three of my 4 wips. Hopefully there will be progress made and FO's to share.

Tomorrow is Whiskers on Wednesday and I didn't want to miss so I give you Joey and her artwork.

This is the mess I woke up to the other day. It's not where I found it, but I thought it belonged with who did it. Look at the guilty face.

This is what she does when she wants food or attention.

Nice.

Getting to Know You Questionnaire

Getting to Know you Contest Questionnaire:
For KnittyOtter's contest. Go check it out!

1.) How long have you been knitting?

My mother-in-law taught me to knit during our yearly trip to Sea Ranch back in 2003 or 2004. There were lots of stops and starts and garter stitch scarves until I really got into it.

2.) How long have you been knitting socks?

I started my first pair of socks for a KAL in the Summer of 2006. They were knit on 2 circulars using the Cat Bordhi basic sock pattern.

3.) What do you do with a problem like Maria?

You don't. You just let her do her own thing.

4.) What is your all time favorite sock yarn?

So far, I have really loved my Sunshine Yarns Merino Sock yarn.

5.) Toe Up or Cuff Down?

I have only tried cuff down, so cuff down.

6.) What's your favorite color (this week or for all time)? Do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

All time favorites: periwinkle, green

7.) Do you have a pet(s)?

Yes, a very cute kitty named Joey.

8.) Babies: Oven Roasted or Barbecued?

uh? neither.

9.) Besides socks what is your favorite type of thing to knit?

Hats! I like small projects.

10.) What's your favorite scent?

Lavendar.

Red Currant scented candles by Votivo

11.) What music are you really loving right now? Like a song or a band?

MUSE

12.) How many pairs of socks have you hand knit?

8 pairs

13.) What's your favorite treat? Salty or Sweet?

The saltier the better


14.) What was the most interesting thing you smelled yesterday. Not good or bad necessarily, just the thing that stuck out most so that you actually took notice of it.

Clean laundry. Best smell all day.

15.) Needles - DPN's: Wooden, metal or plastic?

bamboo

16.) What is your favorite sock pattern that you've knit? What do you recommend?

Charades by Sandra Park

17.) The last Question: If you were stuck on a deserted island who would you want with you, what knitting would you want with you and would you ever want to leave?

With the hubby, of course, and lots of sock yarn. We would have warm feet.
Would I want to leave? Yes. There are a lot of family we would miss.

stage 8 & 9 updates

Stage 8

Columbia once again with a terrific stage win by Cavendish yesterday. His lead out man, Ciolek, made it across in second place. Once again Kirchen ended the day in yellow.

I did manage to get some much needed knitting done on the clapotis despite a slight mechanical problem. Tangled yarn. I had to do some cutting and splicing. It has about a foot in length now. Not bad, but not good.



Stage 9

Today's stage was the first in the Pyrenees. It is time for the climbers and the overall GC contenders to make their moves. It was actually a quiet day for the favorites. None of them made a move, probably saving their legs for tomorrow's stage. There were a lot of attacks by others, however, and in the end the stage win went to Ricco. His second in this year's Tour. GC standings stayed about the same except for American, Christian Vandevelde of team Garmin-Chipotle moving into third.

Just like the sprinters in this stage, I fell back into the "autobus". I really need to get some knitting done on this scarf or it will never get finished by the end of the tour. I was distracted by a pretty sock. I started the second of my Beatrix socks for the SPEW KAL.

a finished pair

Pattern: Merletto Mitts by Jodi Scofield
Yarn: Betepok Nepy
Needles: US 2


They're cute. Don't know when I will get to wear them, but they are cute. I have a long time to wait until it is cold here again. The hubby thinks they are a bit "goofy" since they have no fingers. I then explained how handy they will be for when it is cold and I want to knit. "That actually makes sense," he said. I will make him a fan of the fingerless gloves, yet.

Oh, and look.



Even thumbs.

stage 6 : rain delay?

Can I claim rain delay?

Oh wait, that only works at Wimbledon. :)

These riders keep on going in the rain. Me, on the other hand, got absolutely no knitting done yesterday on the clapotis. None. I watched the stage with lots of forwarding so I could see the finish before going to a training. Do you think Kirchen really was the one responsible for Shumacher's fall, or is he just making excuses? I will have to see the recap of the finish today. I have yet to watch stage 7. I plan to get a lot of knitting done today. I must "put the hammer down".

In other news...

A ridiculously big prize package, all Twilight related, is being given over at the The Story Siren's blog. I mean big!
I know there are many of you anxiously awaiting the new book , Breaking Dawn, just as I am, so get yourself over to her blog and see how many times you can enter.

mosaic meme

1. Insomniac's dribble., 2. Sushi, 3. time to leave., 4. After the Rain, 5. HiRes Promo Image, 6. ready for the next one , 7. Masai Mara Sunrise, 8. Flames, 9. Retired After Hard Work, 10. Toothbrush Tryst (Day 119), 11. one with the sea, 12. Anbotoko Mari

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

This was fun.

To make your own, go to the Mosaic Maker, and then open another window with Flickr.com. In the Flickr search bar, type the answers to these questions:

What is your first name?
What is your favorite food?
What high school did you go to?
What is your favorite colour?
Who is your celebrity crush?
Favorite drink?
Dream vacation?
Favorite dessert?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What do you love most in life?
One word to describe you.
Your nickname.

My answers: 1.Maribel 2.sushi 3.Sanger High 4.periwinkle, green 5.David Boreanaz 6.Guinness 7.African Safari 8.Betty Crocker chocolate cake 9.retired 10.husband 11.happy 12.mari

on the mend

It looks like a big mess, but I was actually able to get all my stitches back on the needles and have begun the thumb gusset in the correct place. Yay. I hope to have these finally finished today.

urg

Do you see the problem here?

I didn't. How could I miss that? I was so excited that I was almost done with these last night until I put the two mitts together (like I should have done when I first started that thumb) and realized my mistake. I thought that I had repeated the pattern 6 times before the thumb gusset when, in fact, it was only 5. I should have written this stuff down!



I bet you can guess what I will be doing tonight.

Any advice on how to rip back without dropping stitches in those lace sections?

sprint finish (stage 5)

So far today, we have done nothing but sit in front of the television watching the Tour de France. Yes, Joey, too.



She loves watching the bikes zoom across the screen. She especially loves the boys in light blue. Columbia showed themselves to be a very strong team today. Hincapie was amazing coming from back in the cars all the way to the front to help with the lead out for Cavendish. Team Columbia gets their first Stage win. Woot.

All that sprinting really wore out the kitty. It was the last 5k that did it. She needed a rest.



I think I may join her for a little cat nap.

stage 4 sprint

stage 3
Originally uploaded by my_weezy

It was so odd to watch the last three to come out of the start gate be so far back in time today. Definitely not the norm for a Tour sprint stage.
It was nice to see Kirchen, Hincapie and Lovkvist put up good times for Team Columbia. They are all in the top 10 of the Overall Standings. The US teams are doing pretty good this year. Garmin-Chipotle has Miller and Vandevelde up there as well.

I managed to get a little bit knit during the broadcast today. Since it was dvr'ed and the hubby forwarded through a lot it cut down on my usual Tour knitting time. I will make up for it later tonight with the highlights.

Now I have to go and see if my sunburned body will allow me to play some Ultimate Frisbee. First, I have to see if it will let me put on a bra! I got a bit crispy on the 4th of July when we went floating on the Guadalupe River outside of New Braunfels. It was pretty painful. Still is in places, but mostly itchy now.

contest alert

Do you like books? Knitting? Pets? Contests of any sort?

Well then head on over to Monniblog where Monica is celebrating her 1000th post with a four prize packages! There is something for everyone over there.

day without a car

(archived from mariknits)

I went to the library today.

The first time in probably 4-5 years. I wandered the stacks for about 30 minutes, taking my time to find books on my to-read list. I found a couple actually even with the small selection. The Rosetti Letters and The 5th Horseman. Two books I have been wanting to read for awhile. I also got Debutante Divorcee. A fluff book, but what the heck.There wasn't much of a selection of YA books, unfortunately. I was really hoping to find these in the library to lessen my buying.

I had an $11.25 bill to pay at check out. Three books that were turned in late many years ago. The books?

The Invisible Circus
Jemima J (fluff book)
London

The first and the last I remember being really good. I don't remember much about the second.

There were a surprising number of people at the library. Busy.

So, I walked to the library from the tire place. I had a screw in my left rear tire of the Prius. We had three hours to fill. The hubby went straight to the Starbucks to work. I went to the HEB to check and see if my Italy pics were ready. No sign of them. Urg.

After the library, went to the Starbucks and tried to read. Very noisy. Lady on the phone trying to keep her motorcycle from being taken away by the creditors. Workers on their break chatting. Two guys, one with a mohawk, talking about something on the computer. The hubby on a phone conference. Hard to concentrate on my book. Had to put in the headphones and listen to music on the ipod. Much better.

day without a car

I went to the library today.

The first time in probably 4-5 years. I wandered the stacks for about 30 minutes, taking my time to find books on my to-read list. I found a couple actually even with the small selection. The Rosetti Letters and The 5th Horseman. Two books I have been wanting to read for awhile. I also got Debutante Divorcee. A fluff book, but what the heck.There wasn't much of a selection of YA books, unfortunately. I was really hoping to find these in the library to lessen my buying.

I had an $11.25 bill to pay at check out. Three books that were turned in late many years ago. The books?

The Invisible Circus
Jemima J (fluff book)
London

The first and the last I remember being really good. I don't remember much about the second.

There were a surprising number of people at the library. Busy.

So, I walked to the library from the tire place. I had a screw in my left rear tire of the Prius. We had three hours to fill. The hubby went straight to the Starbucks to work. I went to the HEB to check and see if my Italy pics were ready. No sign of them. Urg.

After the library, went to the Starbucks and tried to read. Very noisy. Lady on the phone trying to keep her motorcycle from being taken away by the creditors. Workers on their break chatting. Two guys, one with a mohawk, talking about something on the computer. The hubby on a phone conference. Hard to concentrate on my book. Had to put in the headphones and listen to music on the ipod. Much better.

stage 3 tdfkal progress

It was supposed to be a day for the sprinters but instead it was a great day for the breakaway. Who knew they would survive?

As it wasn't the best day for Robbie McEwan and Mark Cavendish, et al, it wasn't that great a day for me as well.

Not much progress was made on the Clapotis today. I was hoping to get a few dropped stitches but only made it to the first. Hopefully better progress will be made in my "sprint to the finish" tomorrow during the time trial.

Intermediate Sprint-Knitting Option

Choosing a project that I thought I would be able to finish by the end of the Tour and one that somehow related to it wasn't too difficult for me. I found the TdF KAL last year, too late to join, but I followed along with the great daily reports. So, since then I have been thinking about what I would knit this year. The Clapotis seemed the perfect choice.

Well, it's French, right? (nod yes)

That is good enough for me.

I pictured myself on the Champs-Elysées wrapped in my lovely "French" scarf watching the riders do their final laps to the finish. It would shield me from the cool breezes or the rain which loves to fall and make the cobblestones slick on the final day. I could even take it off to wave above my head and get the attention of Robbie McEwan. He wouldn't be able to resist coming over for a feel...

... of the soft Malabrigo scarf, of course. What did you think I was talking about? Hmm?

After the finish and a glass of champagne to toast the winner, I would take myself and my lovely clapotis to a sidewalk cafe. I would enjoy a croissant and an espresso while discussing the past stages and winners with some handsome man in shorts and a t-shirt (my husband doesn't stray much from what he is comfortable in).

Oh, to be in Paris on the final day of the Tour de France looking stylish in my "French" scarf.

One day. One day.

one half of a pair

Everytime I go away for awhile I come back and post a lot more than I usually do.
I go a little crazy. At least I have actual knitting progress (kinda) to share.
I joined the Fingerless Gloves Fanatics group on Ravelry last month and joined their June KAL to knit Merletto Mitts.

Right before leaving for Italy I finished the first of the pair so I could take the dpns to knit my sock (see below) on the trip.
Yes, I know, I need to have more than one set of US2 dpns.
Anyway, I never got a chance to show the finished mitt.



It is a really cute mitt. I really like it. Still have no idea about the yarn except that it is a wool/alpaca mix. The pattern is hard to read, though. It is four pages long! For one pair of little mitts! I had to do a lot of cut and pasting of the pattern into a word doc, because I didn't want to waste all my printer ink on four pages of pattern and pictures I didn't need. I did manage to cut all that down to one page. Much easier to read.

I have made very minor changes... added an extra repeat of the pattern on the arm, one less for the hand, and made the top ribbing match the bottom (it is not written like that).

stage 1

The Tour de France has started once again.

Last year was all about Contador and Leipheimer, the Discovery boys who placed 1st and 3rd. This year, their new team, Astana, was not picked to participate by tour officials. I would say the yellow jersey could go to anyone. Of course, the Aussie, Cadel Evans is the favorite considering he was runner up last year.

I think I will be cheering for Team Columbia. Not only because they are an American team and "Big" George Hincapie is a team member, but because I am on the team for the TdF KAL. Yay!

I started my project this morning as soon as we turned on the tour at the beginning of Versus' coverage. Phil and Paul's commentating makes it easy to knit and "watch".

I started my second Clapotis ( link in sidebar) with some really soft and yummy Malabrigo laceweight.
Here's my progress so far:



I am participating in the Green Jersey "competition" so my goal is to get this finished by the time they roll into Paris on July 27th.

"Allons-y Alonzo!"

fawkes. beatrix. whatever.

They're pretty whatever pattern they are.



Well, I thought I was making a pair of Fawkes by Monkey Toes, but I somehow ended up with the written instructions for Beatrix instead. Completely mixed up the patterns. Not sure how I managed it. I knew something was wrong but continued on since I had no way to check while in Italy. I just continued on. It looked good, so what if the stitch count was off...



So, this is really Beatrix, with the pattern on the back repeated on the front. I am happy with it so it will not be redone. One more modified Beatrix left to knit. :)

day of knitting and fiber

I had a really great day today. I think it is the first time that an entire day was devoted to knitting and shopping for yarn.

It started this morning with a knitting MeetUp at Nicki's. Lots of fun. great group of people and I got a lot done on my secret swap project (shh). I will definitely try to make it to a few more of these meetups before it is time to get back to work. I really enjoyed it.

Afterwards I met up with one of my friends from work who I taught to knit lat year. She picked a project from the Stitch 'n Bitch book, a baby blanket, that she wanted my help finding yarn and deciphering the pattern. We went to lunch at Guero's for some yummy tacos and then perused the aisles at Hill Country Weavers. She found some ribbon yarn to make a scarf with and some yarn for the blanket. She also picked up some Lamb's Pride to make a felted bag. Along with all this, she picked some much needed notions as well.

I was feeling really envious. I so wanted to fill up my own basket with yarns. I tried to refrain. I really did.

I may have left with some Berroco NaturLin. Unfortunately, it has some rayon in it so it wasn't included in the First Thursday discount. Oh well. I got 5 hanks. I have no idea what I am going to make with it.

We came back to the house and went over the pattern. Made sure she remembered to move yarn to the front or back when knitting the seed stitch. Showed her when to place markers.

Anyway, we had fun.

Hubby is not happy to see that I have someone to shop with. He knows how much of an enabler she is.

whiskers on wednesday

Being out of town for so long this is my first post for Whiskers on Wednesday. Unfortunately, my camera battery is dead and charging. I tried to get a cute picture of Joey before it died as she was cuddled up amongst my shoes but she refused to cooperate and got up and kept coming up to my hand for a rub.





So, I have found a picture on the comp from awhile back that I thought I would share. Cute kitty once again being a reluctant subject. :)



I have had Joey since we moved to Texas. She was our first acquisition after the apartment. We are going on 8 years here and we got her when she was 6 mos. She is a feisty little thing. Very needy for attention. If we are not out of the bedroom early enough in the morning anything left on the tables will be on the ground. She also chews up magazines. Yup, she is weird. She thinks she is a dog. She plays fetch, too. Best kitty ever!

More pics and kitty tidbits to come next week. :)

another "best" books list

(archived from mariknits)

Here are a couple more lists of "Best" Books. Must say I like these better. There are actually more books on these lists that I have heard about. I really am just enjoying how many books on these lists I have actually read. I have much more highlighted here than previously. You are more than welcome to pass right on by these book lists I keep posting. I just like having them somewhere I can easily reference later. :)

Modern Library Board List (I didn't check to see f these are all pubished by Random House):

*ULYSSES by James Joyce
*THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald
*A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN by James Joyce
LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov
BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley
THE SOUND AND THE FURY by William Faulkner
CATCH-22
DARKNESS AT NOON by Arthur Koestler
SONS AND LOVERS by D.H. Lawrence
THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck
UNDER THE VOLCANO by Malcolm Lowry
THE WAY OF ALL FLESH by Samuel Butler
1984 by George Orwell
*I, CLAUDIUS by Robert Graves
TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by Virginia Woolf
AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY by Theodore Dreiser
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER by Carson McCullers
SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut
INVISIBLE MAN by Ralph Ellison
NATIVE SON by Richard Wright
HENDERSON THE RAIN KING by Saul Bellow
APPOINTMENT IN SAMARRA by John O'Hara
U.S.A. (trilogy) by John Dos Passos
WINESBURG, OHIO by Sherwood Anderson
*A PASSAGE TO INDIA by E.M. Forster
THE WINGS OF THE DOVE by Henry James
THE AMBASSADORS by Henry James
TENDER IS THE NIGHT by F. Scott Fitzgerald
THE STUDS LONIGAN TRILOGY by James T. Farrell
THE GOOD SOLDIER by Ford Madox Ford
ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell
THE GOLDEN BOWL by Henry James
SISTER CARRIE by Theodore Dreiser
A HANDFUL OF DUST by Evelyn Waugh
AS I LAY DYING by William Faulkner
*ALL THE KING'S MEN by Robert Penn Warren
THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY by Thornton Wilder
*HOWARDS END by E.M. Forster
GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN by James Baldwin
THE HEART OF THE MATTER by Graham Greene
*LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding
DELIVERANCE by James Dickey
A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME (series) by Anthony Powell
POINT COUNTER POINT by Aldous Huxley
*THE SUN ALSO RISES by Ernest Hemingway
THE SECRET AGENT by Joseph Conrad
NOSTROMO by Joseph Conrad
THE RAINBOW by D.H. Lawrence
WOMEN IN LOVE by D.H. Lawrence
TROPIC OF CANCER by Henry Miller
THE NAKED AND THE DEAD by Norman Mailer
PORTNOY'S COMPLAINT by Philip Roth
PALE FIRE by Vladimir Nabokov
LIGHT IN AUGUST by William Faulkner
ON THE ROAD by Jack Kerouac
THE MALTESE FALCON by Dashiell Hammett
PARADE'S END by Ford Madox Ford
*THE AGE OF INNOCENCE by Edith Wharton
ZULEIKA DOBSON by Max Beerbohm
THE MOVIEGOER by Walker Percy
DEATH COMES FOR THE ARCHBISHOP by Willa Cather
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY by James Jones
THE WAPSHOT CHRONICLES by John Cheever
*THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE by Anthony Burgess
OF HUMAN BONDAGE by W. Somerset Maugham
*HEART OF DARKNESS by Joseph Conrad
MAIN STREET by Sinclair Lewis
*THE HOUSE OF MIRTH by Edith Wharton
THE ALEXANDRIA QUARTET by Lawrence Durell
A HIGH WIND IN JAMAICA by Richard Hughes
A HOUSE FOR MR BISWAS by V.S. Naipaul
THE DAY OF THE LOCUST by Nathanael West
A FAREWELL TO ARMS by Ernest Hemingway
SCOOP by Evelyn Waugh
THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE by Muriel Spark
FINNEGANS WAKE by James Joyce
KIM by Rudyard Kipling
*A ROOM WITH A VIEW by E.M. Forster
BRIDESHEAD REVISITED by Evelyn Waugh
THE ADVENTURES OF AUGIE MARCH by Saul Bellow
ANGLE OF REPOSE by Wallace Stegner
A BEND IN THE RIVER by V.S. Naipaul
THE DEATH OF THE HEART by Elizabeth Bowen
LORD JIM by Joseph Conrad
RAGTIME by E.L. Doctorow
THE OLD WIVES' TALE by Arnold Bennett
*THE CALL OF THE WILD by Jack London
LOVING by Henry Green
MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN by Salman Rushdie
TOBACCO ROAD by Erskine Caldwell
IRONWEED by William Kennedy
THE MAGUS by John Fowles
WIDE SARGASSO SEA by Jean Rhys
UNDER THE NET by Iris Murdoch
SOPHIE'S CHOICE by William Styron
THE SHELTERING SKY by Paul Bowles
THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE by James M. Cain
THE GINGER MAN by J.P. Donleavy
THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS by Booth Tarkington

Reader's List:

ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand
THE FOUNTAINHEAD by Ayn Rand
BATTLEFIELD EARTH by L. Ron Hubbard
*THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien
*TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee
1984 by George Orwell
ANTHEM by Ayn Rand
WE THE LIVING by Ayn Rand
MISSION EARTH by L. Ron Hubbard
FEAR by L. Ron Hubbard
*ULYSSES by James Joyce
CATCH-22 by Joseph Heller
*THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald
DUNE by Frank Herbert
THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS by Robert Heinlein
STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND by Robert Heinlein
A TOWN LIKE ALICE by Nevil Shute
BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley
*THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger
ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell
GRAVITY'S RAINBOW by Thomas Pynchon
THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck
SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut
GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell
*LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding
SHANE by Jack Schaefer
TRUSTEE FROM THE TOOLROOM by Nevil Shute
A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY by John Irving
THE STAND by Stephen King
THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN by John Fowles
*BELOVED by Toni Morrison
THE WORM OUROBOROS by E.R. Eddison
THE SOUND AND THE FURY by William Faulkner
LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov
MOONHEART by Charles de Lint
ABSALOM, ABSALOM! by William Faulkner
OF HUMAN BONDAGE by W. Somerset Maugham
WISE BLOOD by Flannery O'Connor
UNDER THE VOLCANO by Malcolm Lowry
FIFTH BUSINESS by Robertson Davies
SOMEPLACE TO BE FLYING by Charles de Lint
ON THE ROAD by Jack Kerouac
*HEART OF DARKNESS by Joseph Conrad
YARROW by Charles de Lint
AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS by H.P. Lovecraft
ONE LONELY NIGHT by Mickey Spillane
MEMORY AND DREAM by Charles de Lint
TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by Virginia Woolf
THE MOVIEGOER by Walker Percy
TRADER by Charles de Lint
*THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER by Carson McCullers
THE HANDMAID'S TALE by Margaret Atwood
BLOOD MERIDIAN by Cormac McCarthy
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE by Anthony Burgess
ON THE BEACH by Nevil Shute
*A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN by James Joyce
GREENMANTLE by Charles de Lint
ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card
THE LITTLE COUNTRY by Charles de Lint
THE RECOGNITIONS by William Gaddis
STARSHIP TROOPERS by Robert Heinlein
*THE SUN ALSO RISES by Ernest Hemingway
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP by John Irving
SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Ray Bradbury
THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson
AS I LAY DYING by William Faulkner
TROPIC OF CANCER by Henry Miller
INVISIBLE MAN by Ralph Ellison
THE WOOD WIFE by Terri Windling
THE MAGUS by John Fowles
THE DOOR INTO SUMMER by Robert Heinlein
ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE by Robert Pirsig
*I, CLAUDIUS by Robert Graves
*THE CALL OF THE WILD by Jack London
AT SWIM-TWO-BIRDS by Flann O'Brien
FARENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury
*ARROWSMITH by Sinclair Lewis
WATERSHIP DOWN by Richard Adams
NAKED LUNCH by William S. Burroughs
THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER by Tom Clancy
GUILTY PLEASURES by Laurell K. Hamilton
THE PUPPET MASTERS by Robert Heinlein
*IT by Stephen King
V. by Thomas Pynchon
DOUBLE STAR by Robert Heinlein
CITIZEN OF THE GALAXY by Robert Heinlein
BRIDESHEAD REVISITED by Evelyn Waugh
LIGHT IN AUGUST by William Faulkner
*ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST by Ken Kesey
A FAREWELL TO ARMS by Ernest Hemingway
THE SHELTERING SKY by Paul Bowles
SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION by Ken Kesey
MY ANTONIA by Willa Cather
MULENGRO by Charles de Lint
SUTTREE by Cormac McCarthy
MYTHAGO WOOD by Robert Holdstock
ILLUSIONS by Richard Bach
THE CUNNING MAN by Robertson Davies
THE SATANIC VERSES by Salman Rushdie

another "best" books list

Here are a couple more lists of "Best" Books. Must say I like these better. There are actually more books on these lists that I have heard about. I really am just enjoying how many books on these lists I have actually read. I have much more highlighted here than previously. You are more than welcome to pass right on by these book lists I keep posting. I just like having them somewhere I can easily reference later. :)

Modern Library Board List (I didn't check to see f these are all pubished by Random House):

ULYSSES by James Joyce
THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN by James Joyce
LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov
BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley
THE SOUND AND THE FURY by William Faulkner
CATCH-22
DARKNESS AT NOON by Arthur Koestler
SONS AND LOVERS by D.H. Lawrence
THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck
UNDER THE VOLCANO by Malcolm Lowry
THE WAY OF ALL FLESH by Samuel Butler
1984 by George Orwell
I, CLAUDIUS by Robert Graves
TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by Virginia Woolf
AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY by Theodore Dreiser
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER by Carson McCullers
SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut
INVISIBLE MAN by Ralph Ellison
NATIVE SON by Richard Wright
HENDERSON THE RAIN KING by Saul Bellow
APPOINTMENT IN SAMARRA by John O'Hara
U.S.A. (trilogy) by John Dos Passos
WINESBURG, OHIO by Sherwood Anderson
A PASSAGE TO INDIA by E.M. Forster
THE WINGS OF THE DOVE by Henry James
THE AMBASSADORS by Henry James
TENDER IS THE NIGHT by F. Scott Fitzgerald
THE STUDS LONIGAN TRILOGY by James T. Farrell
THE GOOD SOLDIER by Ford Madox Ford
ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell
THE GOLDEN BOWL by Henry James
SISTER CARRIE by Theodore Dreiser
A HANDFUL OF DUST by Evelyn Waugh
AS I LAY DYING by William Faulkner
ALL THE KING'S MEN by Robert Penn Warren
THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY by Thornton Wilder
HOWARDS END by E.M. Forster
GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN by James Baldwin
THE HEART OF THE MATTER by Graham Greene
LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding
DELIVERANCE by James Dickey
A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME (series) by Anthony Powell
POINT COUNTER POINT by Aldous Huxley
THE SUN ALSO RISES by Ernest Hemingway
THE SECRET AGENT by Joseph Conrad
NOSTROMO by Joseph Conrad
THE RAINBOW by D.H. Lawrence
WOMEN IN LOVE by D.H. Lawrence
TROPIC OF CANCER by Henry Miller
THE NAKED AND THE DEAD by Norman Mailer
PORTNOY'S COMPLAINT by Philip Roth
PALE FIRE by Vladimir Nabokov
LIGHT IN AUGUST by William Faulkner
ON THE ROAD by Jack Kerouac
THE MALTESE FALCON by Dashiell Hammett
PARADE'S END by Ford Madox Ford
THE AGE OF INNOCENCE by Edith Wharton
ZULEIKA DOBSON by Max Beerbohm
THE MOVIEGOER by Walker Percy
DEATH COMES FOR THE ARCHBISHOP by Willa Cather
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY by James Jones
THE WAPSHOT CHRONICLES by John Cheever
THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE by Anthony Burgess
OF HUMAN BONDAGE by W. Somerset Maugham
HEART OF DARKNESS by Joseph Conrad
MAIN STREET by Sinclair Lewis
THE HOUSE OF MIRTH by Edith Wharton
THE ALEXANDRIA QUARTET by Lawrence Durell
A HIGH WIND IN JAMAICA by Richard Hughes
A HOUSE FOR MR BISWAS by V.S. Naipaul
THE DAY OF THE LOCUST by Nathanael West
A FAREWELL TO ARMS by Ernest Hemingway
SCOOP by Evelyn Waugh
THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE by Muriel Spark
FINNEGANS WAKE by James Joyce
KIM by Rudyard Kipling
A ROOM WITH A VIEW by E.M. Forster
BRIDESHEAD REVISITED by Evelyn Waugh
THE ADVENTURES OF AUGIE MARCH by Saul Bellow
ANGLE OF REPOSE by Wallace Stegner
A BEND IN THE RIVER by V.S. Naipaul
THE DEATH OF THE HEART by Elizabeth Bowen
LORD JIM by Joseph Conrad
RAGTIME by E.L. Doctorow
THE OLD WIVES' TALE by Arnold Bennett
THE CALL OF THE WILD by Jack London
LOVING by Henry Green
MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN by Salman Rushdie
TOBACCO ROAD by Erskine Caldwell
IRONWEED by William Kennedy
THE MAGUS by John Fowles
WIDE SARGASSO SEA by Jean Rhys
UNDER THE NET by Iris Murdoch
SOPHIE'S CHOICE by William Styron
THE SHELTERING SKY by Paul Bowles
THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE by James M. Cain
THE GINGER MAN by J.P. Donleavy
THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS by Booth Tarkington

Reader's List:

ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand
THE FOUNTAINHEAD by Ayn Rand
BATTLEFIELD EARTH by L. Ron Hubbard
THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee
1984 by George Orwell
ANTHEM by Ayn Rand
WE THE LIVING by Ayn Rand
MISSION EARTH by L. Ron Hubbard
FEAR by L. Ron Hubbard
ULYSSES by James Joyce
CATCH-22 by Joseph Heller
THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald
DUNE by Frank Herbert
THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS by Robert Heinlein
STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND by Robert Heinlein
A TOWN LIKE ALICE by Nevil Shute
BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley
THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger
ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell
GRAVITY'S RAINBOW by Thomas Pynchon
THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck
SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut
GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell
LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding
SHANE by Jack Schaefer
TRUSTEE FROM THE TOOLROOM by Nevil Shute
A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY by John Irving
THE STAND by Stephen King
THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN by John Fowles
BELOVED by Toni Morrison
THE WORM OUROBOROS by E.R. Eddison
THE SOUND AND THE FURY by William Faulkner
LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov
MOONHEART by Charles de Lint
ABSALOM, ABSALOM! by William Faulkner
OF HUMAN BONDAGE by W. Somerset Maugham
WISE BLOOD by Flannery O'Connor
UNDER THE VOLCANO by Malcolm Lowry
FIFTH BUSINESS by Robertson Davies
SOMEPLACE TO BE FLYING by Charles de Lint
ON THE ROAD by Jack Kerouac
HEART OF DARKNESS by Joseph Conrad
YARROW by Charles de Lint
AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS by H.P. Lovecraft
ONE LONELY NIGHT by Mickey Spillane
MEMORY AND DREAM by Charles de Lint
TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by Virginia Woolf
THE MOVIEGOER by Walker Percy
TRADER by Charles de Lint
THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER by Carson McCullers
THE HANDMAID'S TALE by Margaret Atwood
BLOOD MERIDIAN by Cormac McCarthy
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE by Anthony Burgess
ON THE BEACH by Nevil Shute
A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN by James Joyce
GREENMANTLE by Charles de Lint
ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card
THE LITTLE COUNTRY by Charles de Lint
THE RECOGNITIONS by William Gaddis
STARSHIP TROOPERS by Robert Heinlein
THE SUN ALSO RISES by Ernest Hemingway
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP by John Irving
SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Ray Bradbury
THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson
AS I LAY DYING by William Faulkner
TROPIC OF CANCER by Henry Miller
INVISIBLE MAN by Ralph Ellison
THE WOOD WIFE by Terri Windling
THE MAGUS by John Fowles
THE DOOR INTO SUMMER by Robert Heinlein
ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE by Robert Pirsig
I, CLAUDIUS by Robert Graves
THE CALL OF THE WILD by Jack London
AT SWIM-TWO-BIRDS by Flann O'Brien
FARENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury
ARROWSMITH by Sinclair Lewis
WATERSHIP DOWN by Richard Adams
NAKED LUNCH by William S. Burroughs
THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER by Tom Clancy
GUILTY PLEASURES by Laurell K. Hamilton
THE PUPPET MASTERS by Robert Heinlein
IT by Stephen King
V. by Thomas Pynchon
DOUBLE STAR by Robert Heinlein
CITIZEN OF THE GALAXY by Robert Heinlein
BRIDESHEAD REVISITED by Evelyn Waugh
LIGHT IN AUGUST by William Faulkner
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST by Ken Kesey
A FAREWELL TO ARMS by Ernest Hemingway
THE SHELTERING SKY by Paul Bowles
SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION by Ken Kesey
MY ANTONIA by Willa Cather
MULENGRO by Charles de Lint
SUTTREE by Cormac McCarthy
MYTHAGO WOOD by Robert Holdstock
ILLUSIONS by Richard Bach
THE CUNNING MAN by Robertson Davies
THE SATANIC VERSES by Salman Rushdie

trip of a lifetime

So, we left the tenth of June and got into Dublin, Ireland in the morning of the 11th. Since we had a long layover we rented a car, left the airport and drove out to the Bru na Boinne (sp?) area to visit Newgrange. When we went to Ireland in 2003 we missed it. It was nice to get out and about Ireland again. I have ben wanting to go back for awhile. Hopefully, I will get out there for longer than a few hours. Anyway, we drove to the visitor's center and then took the bus out to Newgrange for the tour. Different from Knowth, that you can actually walk into the passage tomb and then get to see what it would be like on the Solstice.

After a quick lunch and an attempt to find a castle the guy at Hertz suggested, we went back to the airport, relaxed in the Admiral's Club lounge, and then boarded our plane to Venice. Pretty uneventful flight until we started coming into land in Venice. It was cloudy, rainy and windy over the city, which looked amazing from the airplane, but made the landing a bit difficult. Lots of turbulence causing the pilot to pull up and circle before attempting again. Second time, landed just fine and the rain had stopped making it not so wet to walk to the terminal from the plane.

First stop on our tour across Italy was Venice. We had one full day there. St. Mark's Square was the highlight. We didn't ride on a gondola but we saw many of them. It was nice just being there. Seeing it all, taking it all in. We then took a train to Florence and had two nights here. We saw Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's Birth of Venus. We climbed up 460 steps to the top of the dome of the Duomo. Back on the train, this time to the Cinque Terra. 5 towns set up on hills overlooking the Mediterranean connected by a slow train and some very scenic walking trails. This had to be our favorite place of the whole trip. We loved Vernazza, the 4th town. It's harbor, it's main street, and it's restaurants were perfect. We were here for two full days. Very relaxed and nice to be on the coast. Sitting along the breakwater was a favorite in the evenings. A train again to Orvieto with a stop in Siena. I would have liked an extra day in Siena. Lot's of cute, skinny passageways I would have loved to explore. We picked up a rental in Orvieto and drove 20 kms out of town to the Agriturismo Fattoria di Vibio for a four night stay. Beautiful Umbrian contryside. Beautiful place to stay. Nice place to take a rest and eat yummy food and drive to hill towns from. Civita was my favorite. Check out the pics. See how high up we had to go. Rome was last on our tour. We took the train, smartly not driving. We took in the Colosseum and the Forum on our first day. That night we walked around and enjoyed some sights...Trevi Fountain, Parthenon. We then found a restaurant where we could watch the Italy-Spain match. Poor Italia. The next day, our last day, we went to the Vatican. Went to the museum and St. Peter's Basilica. That night we ate near the Spanish Steps. Early night for our early flight the next day.

We got into Heathrow at around 2pm. Got 3-day passes for the tube and figured out where we were going. Found our hotel in Kensington with the help of an London AtoZ book and rested before heading out to find food. Thai food and Guinness. It was a nice change. I was so tired, we didn;t do anything that night after eating but go back to the hotel, watch the EuroCup then sleep. Next day we took in The Tower and London Bridge. Saw David Borreanaz filming something. Yum. :) We went to the Tate Modern after eating some fish and chips and another Guinness. We walked along the Thames and rode the London Eye. Walked across Westminster Bridge to Parliament and Westminster Abby. We found a pub, had dinner, go on the tube and headed back to the room for the night. Long day, needed sleep. Feet were killing me from all the walking. Thursday we went to the British Museum. So much stuff to see. Rested at a pub with some more fish and chips and Guinness and some Wimbledon on the telly. We then went to Buckingham Palace for a look-see. London was great. If only it wasn't so expensive. The darn dollar. I would get a three pound coffee and know it was actually more like $6. Ouch.

This was such a wonderful trip. I thought I would get tired of the traveling after a week but I was never really homesick until the 10 hour flight home. At least our seats had individual tv's. I saw The Other Boleyn Girl, Penelope and The Spiderwick Chronicles plus a couple of tv shows. The hubby played Tetris the entire time.

Fun trip, but it is definitely good to be home. The kitty is happy we are home, too.

Sorry for the abbreviated version, but unless I did a post a day for each day I could never get it all in.

I have so many pictures that I am going to send you all to my Flickr page to see them. Enjoy!