Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Each year at our Sisters' retreat, we give gifts to each other. Traditionally we give the same gift to each person, so we all have the same things (it's so fun). This year my daughter-in-law, Carolyn, gave us this book. It is one of her all time favorites. I was excited to read it, and have another glimpse into Carolyn. Plus, what could be more fun than a new addition to the family who also likes to read?

This was a cute book. It had a mystery to solve from the very beginning, so of course I liked it.

King and Maxwell by David Baldacci

This the most current book in the series. As yet there are no more. I've enjoyed the series, and I hope Baldacci sees his way clear to write some more of them.

A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King

This is the third book in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. I'm really liking the series, and it's holding my attention. The fourth book is waiting for me at the library.

7: an Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker

 Small problem. I've read several books lately that I haven't blogged about yet, and then I had gall bladder surgery. I am having a hard time remembering what some of those books are that I've read. I think part of my brain was removed with my gall bladder. Perhaps it was hanging out with my gall bladder and got caught in the process.

But I have no problem remembering this book. I loved it!

Jen Hatmaker decided to do something about the excess in her life. So she chose seven areas in her life to cut back on. For one month each she "fasted" in those areas.

Food: Jen ate only seven foods for one month.
Clothing: Jen wore only seven articles of clothing for one month (she is a public speaker, so this required some creativity)
Possessions: Jen gave away seven items a day for one month.

That's just the beginning. Jen documents each month, and her feelings and reactions to giving up each area of excess. She is witty and thought-provoking. She is never preachy. She just shares her experience. If I hadn't borrowed the book, I would have been underlining parts of it like crazy.

It made me sit up and take notice, and look at the excess in my life. It made me want to get rid of that excess--not just get rid of it, but find where it can be put to good use.

In general the only non-fiction I am fond of are biographies. This is a big exception. In a funny way it reminds me of The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Both books have inspired me to find ways of cutting out or adding to my life to make me happier.

Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

I started reading this once, and ended up putting it down because I had other, more pressing books I needed to get to (which is an indicator of how I felt about the book in itself). Then my daughter read it and talked about how insightful it was about her husband and daughter. That was a new motivator to read it. I checked it out, read less than 30 pages and had to return it - it was all marked up, and the markings were very distracting. Finally, I got the audio book and listened to it. Well, most of it.

In some ways the audio version was better because it kept me forging ahead in the book. In other ways it was not (like the times I fell asleep listening to it).

This all makes it sound like I didn't like the book, which is not true. I did like it. I felt it had good information. And, I'm an introvert, so it was especially good information for me. But still...

Cain is a clever writer. This book is so pro-introversion that it's almost ridiculous. Yet she is sly in her lack of "respect" for extroverts. At the end of the book (or as close to the end as I got), you realize the only positive example of an extrovert in her book is Martin Luther King. I personally feel like it takes all kinds to make the world go around. We need both introverts and extroverts to balance our world.

If you are a strong introvert who has a hard time seeing any place for yourself in the world around you, this book is for you. Or if you have family members who are strong introverts, you can better understand them and help them adjust to the world around them by reading this book.

As I read the book, I kept thinking "I think I'm an introvert." I wanted to take a Myers Briggs test, then remembered that I took one about 20 years ago. I was an INSJ (the I means Introvert). I wondered if I would score much differently now. Rather than take the test again, I looked up the personality traits of an INSJ. It's me on the nose. I don't think I need to take the test again.

March 2014 Report

March came in like a lamb and out like a lion. I'm not talking about weather here. (Although it is true for our weather also.) I knew I had a busy month ahead--out of town for a long weekend, and then all my girls here for our Sisters weekend. I did not take into account having my gall bladder removed one week ago. That threw me a little bit for getting a couple of things done. Something always comes up. That's life!

An aside about the gall bladder: I've been having gall bladder pain for years and years that was never definitely diagnosed. It would come and go. Finally in January I decided to find out for sure if it was my gall bladder or some other problem that I should have taken care of. (I wanted to choose when to have it removed if possible, and not get stuck while on vacation or something.) I had an ultrasound which did not reveal any problems with the gall bladder (no stones, etc.). Then a few weeks ago I had a HIDA scan done. Before I got the results back from that I had two severe gall bladder attacks. The second one landed me in the ER. While I was there they checked the results of the scan. Sure enough, I had gall bladder disease. It was functioning at about 17%. So I scheduled outpatient surgery for two days later. What a great, easy surgery. Zero pain afterward, just fatigue. I didn't exactly get to choose when to have the surgery, but it ended up at a convenient time.

So, with that in mind, here's my month in review:

1. First Things First: plugging along as usual. I've had a couple of weeks of no exercise because of the surgery. I'll start again next week.

2. Personal History: Still no writing. Writing might not happen this year. That's okay. I spent my weekend out of town working on Ray's mission slides. They are all ready to be labelled. I'm taking a night class on Photoshop Lightroom beginning this week. That should help propel my photo journaling.

3. Temples: Draper temple this month.

4. Home Projects:
Cleaning: Master Bath top to bottom.  How about master bath shower top to bottom, and a cursory clean of everything else.
Project: Dad's files. Done! All re-organized and put into a different box. I'm feeling great about that one.

For April: cleaning the Family Room top to bottom, and updating my emergency information.

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott

Tess Collins is a servant who runs away and tries to get hired on to work on the Titanic. All positions are filled, but she is noticed by a famous dressmaker and is hired on as her maid. No spoiler here--we all know the Titanic went down. Tess and her new boss are rescued, and most of the story takes place in New York City during the few weeks immediately following their rescue. There were public hearings trying to find out what actually happened on the ship and during the rescue period following the sinking.

I liked the book, yet I had mixed feelings about it. I was drawn into it right away, and usually had a hard time putting it down. So the story was engaging. I liked the characters, and felt they were adequately drawn, but I wanted to know them better.

I guess that describes how I felt about the book. I liked it, but wished parts of it delved deeper. The book was 300 pages long. Perhaps to really dive into the story and flesh it out more would have required too much.

The book does make me wonder: what would I have done in that situation? Give up my life for someone else, or do anything possible to survive?

Baby Quilt

A friend of mine is having a baby in a few weeks. I grabbed a couple of charm packs  (Moda's A Breath of Avignon by American Jane Patterns Sandy Klop) and quickly put this together. It's not that big--36 inches by 38 inches--but it will be big enough for quite a while. Everything I used to make this came from my stash. 

Here it is, fresh out of the dryer. 

I like to make baby quilts that can and will be used. I tell the recipient: use it, or give it back to me and I'll give it to someone who will use it. It's washable, so it can be spilled on and spit up on. Now, I hope they will be careful and not run over it with their car, but I don't want it sitting up on a closet shelf either. 

Doesn't it look pretty on my new sewing table?