O Canada

For the past week I have been distracted from my stitching.  No, it was not a loss of mojo.
Rather I was engrossed in a book.

Over the departmental intranet we receive notice of new books added to the departmental library.  Usually these are ponderous sounding tomes on criminology or psychology but last week one title caught my eye.   Instead of trusting departmental lending,  I logged into my wonderful local library and they had a copy available on Overdrive.  So for the past four days I have been absorbed in this.

O Canada!   I did not fall in love with Margaret Attwood.   I adored Lucy Maud Montgomery's red headed Anne of Green Gables. Now I have fallen in love with 'Ann without an E'.
'Ann without an E' was traumatised by a mugging while living in England which definitely shook her faith in the fundamental goodness of human beings.   But once back in Canada she was persuaded by her friend Carol to become involved in a book club in a prison. This book follows the lives of six particularly involved book club members and at the same time traces the growth of the Prison Book Clubs in Ontario and other parts of Canada.   An amazing selection of books is read and discussed by the book club members and it is notable how their lives and thinking are changed, but even more notable is how Ann is enabled to move on from her own trauma.   I loved this book and have already been recommending it to colleagues at work.  I am so grateful to have read it.

This afternoon I have been sewing a warm woollen skirt and tonight will be stitching up the hem and doing the last hand sewing.  it is definitely cold now so it is tights and wool skirts weather.

A reading decline?

Today I typed up my list of books read during 2015.   My total is a lot less than that of 2014 and as I wondered why I realized two things:
      falling asleep at night over a book does rather slow progress and ,
      caring for the elderly takes up time of which there is only a limited amount.
The total number of books read in the year has decreased over the last four years and in 2015 I did not even make the 200 target.   However, in Pollyanna mode, I can be thankful that unlike the HD3QBEM I do have my eyesight and can still read :-)

So far this year I have finished two books from the library and enjoyed both.   I plan a trip to the library this weekend so will stock up again.
Now I am off to start the 'word band' of the basket liner and promise an update on that tomorrow.

Well I never ....

My friend Kathy laughed at me when I told her and I can hear the chortles of many who read this!

 Recently I embarked on Peter May's detective/mystery series in which Enzo MacLeod  solves previously cold cases  and wins the hearts of so many French maidens, visits Michelin star restaurants, vineyards, exotic countries, is reunited with his estranged daughter and has altogether too many adventures.   I am engrossed.   There are to be seven books in the series and I have impatiently read numbers one through four.   A request to the library and they obliged with book five and then to my utter astonishment I found there was no book six or seven yet written! Alas,alack.  What to do?  Even Peter May's website provided no satisfaction.   But it did have a contact me button on which, with no expectation of a reply, I left the following message.

When will number 6 and number 7 be available.   I am holding my breath with anticipation so you may have another murder on your hands when I expire from waiting !

Kathy laughed and teased me when I told her.   She may even have thought me a little mad?
So can you imagine the surprise and delight when today's email brought me a reply from Enzo himself!

Peter May /

9:58 PM (21 hours ago)

Dear Margaret,

Hoping to get that slacker Peter May to finish the final instalment of my biography some time next year!

Best wishes,

Enzo.

I' m not sure if I love Enzo but this exchange sure made my day and Peter May isn't too bad either!

A great day and some more of Amy's Tour

Good afternoon everyone.Yesterday was the Writers and Readers Festival and I went to two sessions.
First up was An Hour With Peter James.

He was an excellent speaker and responded well to the interview questions so that in my opinion both readers and writers in the audience would have felt well satisfied.   His red silk socks were the first thing I noticed!   Perhaps it is obligatory for male writers of crime fiction to wear red silk socks?   Anyway that trivial item added to my satisfaction.   He was asked if he modelled any characters in his books on real life and I loved it when he said that anyone who really annoys him gets their name included in his books on a toe-tag for a body in the mortuary!

There was a gap of some hours until the next event I had booked for, so I went shopping.   Some chocolate (for gifts) and then across the harbour to Devonport to a favourite shop.

You would admire my restraint - I only purchased two books this time.  But further up the street at a little specialty stationery store I found a new fountain pen.   She is made in France and writes beautifully, so of course there had to be a new notebook to go with her.  

Lunch was at a small Japanese restaurant and my books kept me company.

Before anymore damage could be done I came back on the ferry and settled down with a coffee and a chocolate brownie to write letters with my new pen.  

Ah, bliss!   All to soon the time had passed and I was back at the events centre for 
An Hour With Stella Rimington.

She was interviewed by a prominent New Zealand journalist and therefore the emphasis was slightly more on spies than on her spy thriller novels.   She did admit that Liz Carlyle had been modelled on herself and that her daughters thought Dame Judi Dench in the Bond movies was uncannily like Dame Stella!   Dame Stella herself dismissed James Bond with the memorable "he's nothing more than a good looking paid-assassin".   Turns out that the in-book attraction between Liz Carlyle and her boss Charles Weatherby came to nothing because at a Readers Festival in Australia there was  vociferous opposition that it just wasn't on and Stella decided to change things.   Hence Maurice and the season tickets on the Eurostar.   (Can you tell I have read these books thoroughly??)  
By the way Stella Rimington turns 77 today (I know because she told us that she feared anno domini was catching up on her) and she has the most beautiful porcelain complexion and a bewitching smile.   Her education and background show in her exqusite choice of words and I just loved the way she moved her hands as she talked.   Expressive, to say the least, but I imagine she is one formidable woman.

Anyway, enough about my great day out.   I am off on a short holiday this week so will give you the next episode of the tour first.
This is the only piece on the bottom shelf of my cabinet.   I found the little buttons and immediately had the inspiration of using a strip of Afghan fabric (left over from the HDHBEM's afghanmania) to make a golliwog bag.

Back to the second shelf

This is the last M (at least currently) and was a DMC kit some years ago.  The fabric was printed like that and there was a fine gold thread to outline some of the columns.   I rather liked this series of alphabet but DMC withdrew it from sale.

This sampler bag is done on rather coarse linen but I liked the hardanger top and the strawberry toggles.   Like most of my bags it gets displayed but is never used.

Back in 1996 I stitched this C A Wells Peacock Bag -  I think that may have been what first convinced me I was capable of stitches other than a plain cross!!  I well remember stitching this on the flights to and from Sydney when I went on a business trip and having to search for a shop selling tapestry needles when I lost my one and only.  

Then these smalls are Tricia Nguyen designs circa 2005 -  here's the front and the back of the etui and the slipper scissor keeper.

Well I think that's enough photos and talk about me for today.
The HDHBEM and I are off to Papamoa Beach for a week's holiday and my goals are
1.  at least one visit to the hot springs.
2. complete the Mary Stewart Hussif and stitch the giraffe on the growth chart.
3. go for a half hour run along the beach every day (I am allowed to walk back again if I can't run both ways)
4. read the five books currently in my library bag before I visit the bookshops.
5. take the HDHBEM to the yarn store and stand over her to ensure that stash is kept to a minimum.
6. restrain myself from visiting the needlework store or if I do visit, LOOK don't BUY.

The weatherman promises cool but fine and as I will be without internet I look forward to rest and refreshment.   See you all soon

A sunny and hot weekend

Whew, I am pleased that this week is over.   Today started off with a fine drizzle of rain but has cleared to a beautiful hot sunny day.  
Yesterday the HDHBEM was discharged from hospital but while it is good to have her home she hasn't strength or energy to do much more than move from bed to chair.   This morning I washed and set her hair in curlers for her and even if I say so myself, I did a reasonably creditable job!   However I have no wish to become a hairdresser and when she says "Thank you dear.   It feels much cleaner" I feel damned with faint praise. Ha ha.
Then this morning I had to take a pair of shoes to be repaired so called in at the LNS and at the Library.
Here's a picture of the stash from each.   Can you tell which came from where??

The new embroidery hoop was a necessity as my current one is starting to delaminate - proof of overuse perhaps.   The hardanger runner was made by the HDHBEM around 25 years ago -  I love it and have it in constant use.

And the books are to add to the stalacmite of reading material beside my bed.  "Friendship Bread" seems to have a recipe for a 'bread bug' at the core of the plot.   I wonder about those bugs and am mindful that this book is fictional but it wouldn't be very expensive to try it out.   Some years ago I did have a 'yogurt bug' which worked well.   Perhaps this is something similar.

I am currently stitching on Victoria Sampler's Heirloom Nativity Sampler and truth be told I am not enjoying it very much.   When I get the words and the next two bands done this piece will go into respite care for a time and I will try something else.   As it isn't needed until Christmas I can please myself a little can't I?  Here's a wrinkly snapshot of the top.   A gold star charm goes into the middle of the top and pearl beads go above each white heart -  at the end when I will do all the beading in one fell swoop.

Have a great evening everyone.

And finally some stitching to report

Before the stitching snapshots I have this to show you.   I went into the city today and visited McDonalds for a Diet Coke.   It came in a paper cup with this exhortation from Ronald McDonald himself.   Who would have thought that clown to be so interested in such intellectual pastimes??

But for once I agree with Ronald:   I too love reading books and thanks to these two weeks of holidays have managed to finish four.   The stalagmite of books besides my bed is not growing at an alarming rate just at present.   However there is a notice from the library that they are holding two of my requests for me.

Mother and I have just finished "reading" this audiobook and I would heartily recommend it -  a murder story to rival any Agatha Christie with a suitable twist in the tail.

Now for the promised stitching update

Tomorrow I hope to construct the small "sewing bits and bobs" bags for which both these pieces of stitching are intended.   There is a small pocket on the inside of each for needle packets or small scissors and then a drawstring bag sits in the centre to hold the "bits and bobs".   The bird will have a green lining and berry toggles on the twisted thread draw cord.   I wanted to try another in the same construction so this Wessex Stitchery piece will have a french navy lining and linen toggles on a finger knitted cord.   At least that is the intention....so we shall see.  
I have the grocery shopping and a visit to the local mall to fit in tomorrow as well but we are promised rain (again) so I won't need to feel I should be doing other chores.   Weeding the garden and washing the car can wait until the next weekend.

The sun is shining

Today we took a trip north of Auckland City, to try out the new toll road and to visit the small settlement of Puhoi that everyone seems to rave about.
The toll road was just that - a toll road - but the charges are done electronically.   I was suitably underwhelmed!
Puhoi was over in the blink of an eye.   What a small small place for such a large large reputation!   But there were a couple of items that brought the camera out of the bag!

This tiny shop sells gourmet mustards!!

And this library.   How cute is that?  

I especially liked the book stall out side and found four books to add to my pile of reading.

We drove on to another small town, somewhat larger than Puhoi, called Warkworth, where we had sushi for lunch and the HDHBEM had a lime milk shake for afters.   This reminds me.   I have been asked what HDHBEM stands for.

It all goes back to this photo of my Half Deaf Half Blind Elderly Mother!!   Too much typing for that title so I invented the acronym which has been in use ever since.

It is true she is literally that but today she looks like this.

The HDHBEM told me I should show a photo of myself but being extremely shy (in truth I cannot work the self timer on my camera) I resorted to this photo of an old sketch done at the local fair. 

After we got home I went for a walk up the local mountain, an extinct volcano.   This is the large crater that is a delight to local children who slide down on large cardboard boxes.   While they howl with delight, their mothers stand aghast at the top waiting for the disasters that never happen.

 

And finally my first finish for this year.   A small hardanger needle book to use up two hanks of hand dyed thread.   I suspect this will meet its fate in the sale basket at the Embroiderers' Guild exhibition.

 Have a good evening everyone.

My masterpiece is now on display!!

While away with Madame Muriel recently, I called at the lovely Sarah's and collected my masterpiece.

 It is now hanging on the wall of my lounge directly opposite my stitching chair where I can enjoy viewing it.   Even though it was months in progress I have never tired of this piece and still delight in it and in the knowledge I gained from the fantastic notes accompanying the chart.   Many thanks to Gift of Stitching!

The 12 Days of Christmas are almost complete -  only the 12th day to go now.  I intend to finish these as individual tree ornaments for niece number three.  I'm very pleased that for these I used up left over linen and floss from my stash.

Here's a close up of the 11th day -  but only two drummers!!   This series are numerically challenged.  And size wise they are not totally satisfying as all are different sizes and many are different shapes -  but in the charts there are historical notes about this "rhyme" which makes interesting reading as well as stitching.   Once I have finished these I intend to pass on the charts so have a think about whether or not you would like this set.   I'll let you know later when the draw is to be held.

I had a diversion this week with a couple of gifts to stitch.   These are now done and will go on their journey this week so it is back to my normal stitching routine.   Brooks Books "Brides Tree Ornaments are next on the list and I have tacked up the linen for those.   I intend to finish them as a table runner for niece number two - probably for Christmas 2012!!

There have been other diversions too.   The blog that first introduced me to this wonderful world of needlework blogging is Dani of  The Peacock's Feather and through Dani I found "Stuck in A Book" and Simon has revived my addiction to libraries and second hand book shops and extended the scope of my reading too!   But in all fairness I should say that I was not at all reluctant!   Through him I have revived my love affair with Lord Peter Wimsey;  been seduced into total silence as I read Mr Briggs Hat; etc etc. Anyway this afternoon the HDHBEM and I went out to a nearby suburb where lurks the Hard To Find Book Shop.   Now I cannot make up my mind whether it is the books that are hard to find or is it the bookshop?  
Inside this tiny store is a labyrinth of bookshelves, precarious looking ladders, stacks of books - all old but some ancient-  a sleeping cat and two armchairs in which reside lifesize stockinette dolls dressed as old men and reading books!

Only a shortage of time and a knowledge that I had been to the library twice last week prevented my haul from being larger than this!!

Currently beside my bed I have the following.....

and these ....

The BBC World Book Club has to hold some responsibilty for the top two of this pile but "The Earth Hums in b Flat" is totally the result of my daily dose of "Stuck in a Book".

No prizes for guessing how my evenings are spent!   My only problems are that the evenings are never long enough.

So its good night to all now as I was my dinner dishes, prepare my lunch box for tomorrow and complete the final Christmas ornament.   Have a great evening everyone.