A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

I read this book a few years ago, and loved it. I loved it again this time.

Richard Peck can certainly paint a delightful picture with words. It's well deserving of the Newbery Honor Award that it earned.

Joey and his sister Mary Alice spend a week each summer with their grandma who lived just this side of nowhere, which was a big change from Chicago, where they lived. Each chapter is about one visit and the book spans from 1929 to 1935, with an epilogue from 1942.

The language is clear and concise. The stories are witty and yet have depth. Peck is subtle as he tells his tale.

I highly recommend it.

Newbery Honor Book 1999

Breaking Dawn part 2

I must admit, I went to see this movie purely for social reasons. I enjoyed the books, but hated the first movie. I couldn't get past the bad hair and make-up. This is the only Twilight movie I've seen since.

I liked the movie. Hair and make-up were much improved, as was most of the acting. Kristen Stewart (Bella) and Robert Pattinson (Edward) never looked happy. Here they are with their dream come true--together forever--and not a decent smile out of either of them.

The movie was much better than I expected, but I had such low expectations that that wasn't much of a challenge.

Skyfall

I just love a good James Bond movie, and that's what this was. All the action you could ever want, a few pretty girls thrown in, a decent plot, and of course, Daniel Craig. Add the Imax factor, and I was in heaven.

Jubilee Trail by Gwen Bristow

I remember the first time I read this book. I can see clearly in my memory our small local library in Port Hueneme, CA: the stacks to the left were the adult fiction. My mother led me over to the far wall and browsed until she found this book. She pulled it off the top shelf and said, "I think this is a book you will like." She was right. I liked it so much I read it over and over. My sister read it over and over.

Fast forward several years. The book is now out of print. My mother hunted down a copy for both me and my sister in a used book store in Kirkland, Washington. It was a Christmas gift, and I think she had to pay a pretty penny for those books.

Last Christmas Audrey asked for a Gwen Bristow book. I began searching my usual used book websites. Lo and behold, there it was, new. They have a new printing of several of Bristow's books (by the way, I've loved every book of hers I've ever read). I bought each book they've reprinted. Now I can loan out this copy, and keep the copy my mom gave me safe and sound. My only criticism of the new printing is that it looks like they had a contest to find the ugliest cover ever, and that is the one they put on the book. Do not judge this book by its cover!

This is a fun romantic historical novel. Garnet Cameron is raised in the privileged part of New York city. The book begins in 1840. Garnet meets Oliver Hale, a trader who has come to New York from California. They marry, and Garnet leaves New York to travel to California with her new husband. There is a lot of California history in the book, and I loved that when I first read the book, living in California as I did. Many adventures and mis-adventures occur. I'll leave it at that.

I loved reading it once again.

In the Woods by Tana French

I keep going back and forth about how I feel about this book. It's a mystery, and we all know how much I love a mystery novel. But this one is intense, and somewhat dark. It's not a light, fluffy mystery novel (aka book candy).

The story was good. In fact I think Tana French did an excellent job fleshing the book out with a good back story and character relationships. It's about the murder of a 12 year old girl just outside of Dublin, but the deeper side of the book is about the police detectives who are assigned to the case. The murder is solved, but some of the other pieces of the story are sort of left hanging--but that's sort of fitting. It's not all wrapped up and tied with a bow.

The big negative of this book is language. The f-bomb is distracting. In fact several times I almost stopped reading the book because of it. I guess it shows there's enough to the story that it kept me reading in spite of that fact. But I'm still waffling just the tiniest bit on whether I should have kept going, or stopped. I guess that shows something too.

Pincushion

I'm headed to a quilt retreat in Park City. Trish and I decided to give it a try and see how we like it. This particular guild does it every year, and if it's even half as good as we hope it will be, we might make it a tradition. I'll give a report when I get back.

One of the things we can do is participate in a pincushion exchange. Here's the one I made. 

I'm pretty excited. I've been cutting out and gathering a few projects I'd like to work on. I'm taking several options, in case I need a change of quilting scenery.

Sometimes the anticipation is almost as fun as the actual event. It's been a fun week getting ready to go.

October Report

October sped by so fast my head is still spinning. I haven't felt as crazy busy, but still it just zoomed on by. Here it is November and Thanksgiving and Christmas are looming. I am determined to stay calm, cool and collected and really enjoy the holidays. That means getting some things done early.  I think I can do it. I think I can. I think I can. If I think it enough, it might happen.

October analysis: (really I copied September and changed about 10 words--that's how it's gone)

1.  First things first: much the same. Plugging along, doing fairly well.
2.  One shelf/drawer per day: I think about which shelf I want to do every day. Do I get it done? Not that often. But my sister-in-law and I are trading two days a month helping each other organize some area in our home. That's about even with one shelf or drawer per day. Actually the real bonus is that I'm ready for her help, because I've cleaned out and organized so much already.
3. 30-30-30: by far my most effective method of keeping on task. I'm like a little kid--so responsive to the challenge of beating a timer. I like the days that I have time to employ this system.
4. Skype/webcam: I've been doing more FaceTime with the grands. My goal for September was to sign up for Skype. Let's just say that that particular goal will be carried over into October. (Now it will be carried over into November.)
5. Digital Photo Storage: I'm still plugging away at the class I'm doing. We're on track to finish the first part of December, giving me a new goal for next year: actually label and get my photos in storage. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Anything can still happen. 

Fun Saturday

It's been a great day so far.  

1. I got up and finished preparing my lesson for church tomorrow. 

2. I did a yoga class for the first time. To celebrate her birthday, my friend Lori (who is turning 50 on Tuesday) invited 50 people to attend the yoga class she teaches and have a light lunch afterward. It was great. 

3. Ray and I ran to Costco and the grocery store to get food for Sunday dinner.

4. I'm basking in the fun of having Austin, Matthew, and Elizabeth here. They ran straight downstairs and started playing. Elizabeth at the tool bench, and the boys playing cards and Risk. It's wonderful to have them here.

5. Uh-oh. Disagreements at the Risk board. I think I'll go to my yoga state of mind. Maybe I'll suggest they go to that same state of mind. 

6. Peaceful once again, the boys trying to decide which game they want to play next. We'll see how this one goes!

Elizabeth

Austin (showing me his toothless smile) and Matthew (all teeth currently intact)

Halloween Fun

 Usually I consider the phrase Halloween Fun an oxymoron. Well, maybe not completely, but when it comes to costume ideas it's for sure an oxymoron for me.

Here's a little story about Audrey's family and their Halloween costumes. If you don't want to read the story, you can just skip to the cute pictures at the end.

A few weeks ago Austin (age 7) approached Audrey and said, "Mommy, I've been a cowboy for the last three Halloweens. I want to be something different this year." Audrey said she refrained from rolling her eyes, and groaned inwardly (the pressure induced by this holiday  must be genetic). She asked what he wanted to be. They had a lengthy discussion, looking at different ideas. He finally landed on being a musketeer. Audrey thought, "Over my dead body, " but said, "I don't think that will work." Austin sighed, and said, "That's okay. I'll just be a cowboy again." After that knife to the heart, Audrey capitulated and agreed that he could be a musketeer. Then Matthew and Elizabeth wanted to be one too. That makes three musketeers, and you have to admit, it's even cuter that way.

No one wants to hear the complicated story of procuring the fabric and everything else for these costumes, and believe me, it is complicated. Suffice it to say that in two weeks she made the costumes, even down to the boot covers. (She bought the hats).

When I FaceTimed with the kids last night and saw the costumes for the first time, I was stunned. Talk about darling!

Austin, Matthew, Elizabeth

Matthew

Austin, Matthew

Elizabeth. Don't be deceived by her smaller size. She's just as fierce.

Elizabeth

All for one, and one for all! En garde!