This Time of Year

I love this time of year when everything is bare and stark. There are touches of color here and there, but not much, and the colors that are there are muted.

Books Read--January, 2011

1. Angel Time: The Songs of the Seraphim, Book One by Anne Rice
2. Of Love and Evil: The Songs of the Seraphim, Book Two by Anne Rice
3. Interweave Presents Knitted Gifts: Irresistible Projects to Make and Give by Ann Budd (NF)
4. The Short Forever by Stuart Woods
5. Not a Girl Detective by Susan Kandel
6. Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell
7. Beautiful Sheep: Portraits of Champion Breeds by Kathryn Dun (NF)
8 Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag
9. I Still Dream about You by Fannie Flagg
10. Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny
11. The Attenbury Emeralds: A New Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane Mystery by Jill Paton Walsh
12. The Sentry by Robert Crais
13. Tick Tock by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Quilt Kits and Heirloom Tool Chest

I have a lot of quilt kits. I don't know exactly how many because they're scattered in different boxes, cupboards, and closets. I'm going to find out though because John offered me the use of his great-grandfather's tool chest to put some of my things in. I'd thought first to use it store quilt tops, but was afraid they might get snagged or stained. Then I thought about yarn, but same worries. Most of my quilt kits, however, are packaged. And those that aren't can be.

Some background about this tool chest. It's over 100 years and was used by my husband's great-grandfather, Niels Rasmussen. He was a master carpenter and moved to the United States from Denmark at the turn of the century. This was not his master carpenter tool chest, but a rougher one he used every day.

Then the scary part. Finding out how many quilt kits I have. I suspect I have more than will fit in the chest. The good thing is that maybe I'll actually start making some of these quilts.

Later: So far I've found 16 quilt kits and 2 hooked rug kits.
Much Later: Oh, Lord, I've found more than 30 quilt kits. The chest is now packed and I still have more. I'm thinking I may be selling some of these on Ebay.

My Practical Resolutions

These are my more mundane resolutions for 2011.

1.Continue to eat a healthy diet and exercise
I began this a couple of years ago and now that I am a "woman of a certain age" or, more truthfully a "woman of a certain age, plus", it's even more important. A health scare last year really made me aware of why this must be a priority.

2. Update my blogs more consistently
I've let some of my blogs languish. The problem is, of course, that I have too many of them! I am focusing on four this year and this one is the first. I'm not going to put a number out there--post twice a week or four times a month--but letting almost an entire year go by without updating is just unacceptable.

3. Knit 2 pairs adult socks and 1 pair baby socks a month.
I was overly ambitious last year and tried to finish 4 pairs of adult socks and 2 pairs of baby ones every month and I did it for a time, but eventually I burned myself out. Knitting Only Socks is the second (the first one is this blog) that I will post to more often.

4.Do more charity knitting.
I will post about this on yet another blog, Knitting for Peace.

5. Complete 2 doll quilts a month and 4 full size quilts this year.
I have plenty of ideas and plenty of fabrics. What I don't have enough of is time. This may be overly ambitious and I may have to modify this goal. I will post updates on my doll quilts on Only Doll Quilts. I'll write about the full size quilts I complete on this one.

6. Remember to list the names of the books read (at least 100) I read this year.
I easily read 100 books a year, but I forget to keep track of them. I'll try to do better.

7. Learn to play the violin.
I have to admit my husband is not too thrilled with this one, but this is something I've talked about doing for the past year and haven't followed through. A friend gave me some great tips about where to find a teacher willing to take on a more "mature" student. And really. My husband should be thankful I've decided to give up the idea of learning how to tap dance!

Oh! And one more resolution! Don't start any more blogs!

New Year's Resolutions

I wrote this at the end of 2004. I'm still working on them.
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Every New Year's resolution is a small gift wrapped in shiny paper that I give to myself and I want to chose it carefully. It wasn't until two weeks into 2004, after a great deal of thinking and considering different ideas, that I decided on nurturing serenity as my resolution. So, again, I begin the process. My resolutions aren't always practical or concrete or measurable. They're certainly not easy. I can't claim that I kept my resolution of nurturing serenity all the times I could have last year but I do feel more patient and calmer and that was the whole point.

Simplify.
After spending yesterday evening at my in-laws house, a house crammed full of stuff everywhere you turn, where it's impossible to focus on anything because there is just too much, my resolution includes to get rid of things that I don't need, don't want or will never use. There are some things I will keep for sentimental reasons, others because they're practical, but I will begin looking at the things in my house with a far more critical eye. Some things will be stored, others given away and others sold. I do not want to be eighty years old and spending most of the little time I have left on this earth taking care of inanimate objects while also trying to figure out how to get rid of them like my in-laws are doing now.

I also want to simplify my inner life. I have a tendency to make everything much too complex. I examine things too closely, try to determine all the possibilities beforehand and spend inordinate amounts of time making decisions about things which really aren't all that important. I do that partly because I dislike unpleasant surprises, have a tendency to be a perfectionist and want to feel in control. Yes, I am aware of how ironic it is that I will spend so much time determining my New Year's resolution but I'll argue that it doesn't apply because the resolution I decide on is not unimportant. At least, not to me.

I want to include three of the components I had last year.

Pray
I pray in bits and pieces throughout my day. I don't use long and formal prayers. I pray when I'm driving, when I fold laundry, when I cut carrots and roll out pie dough. I pray when I sweep the front porch or water flowers or see birds or sing. Prayer is an important part of my daily life.

Expect Joy
Sometimes I miss the little pieces of joy that are around me.

Accept Grace
Accepting grace is far more difficult than it seems. Part of it is having faith and sometimes mine wavers.

That's a start. I'll see where it leads me in the next few weeks.

Making Lists

I am an inveterate list maker. I make all kinds of lists. I even make lists of lists! I find it's the best way to get things accomplished and crossing an item off a list is very satisfying.

I've made a list of socks I want to knit and other items (hats, mittens, and scarves) as well. Some are for charity, some for gifts, and some for me! Others are class samples as I want to teach at least one knitting class a month. I'm also thinking of knitting a sweater for myself, but I have yet to find a pattern I like. I've made a list of quilts, both doll/small sized and bed size, to make. I want to read at least 100 books this year and this time keep track of them! I'm determined to lose the remaining excess weight, to eat healthier, and to exercise.

Today I'll take Christmas down and put it away until next year, catch up on laundry, and plan meals for next week. I've had three weeks off work, but go back on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting next week. This first week I'll only be working half days.

I hope you have a very Happy New Year!

I'm Back!

Yes, it has been almost a year since I've last written. I did read well over 100 books in 2010, but didn't continue my list. Ah, well.

I've made doll quilts, knit socks, hats, and mittens and begun teaching knitting classes. I've lost quite a bit of weight by eating healthier and going to the gym three times a week. I'm still working two days a week as a reference librarian/archivist at a university library. Next year? I'm still mulling it over. Oh, I'll continue everything I did last year, but I love new challenges.

One idea I've been considering is to research a woman's diary in the university archives where I work and use that as a basis to write a book including either knitting or quilting projects focused on the time frame of the diary. That could be a fun as well as a daunting project.

2010 100 Book Challenge

Again, I have as my goal to read at least 100 books in 2010.

January
1. U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton
2. Made in Brooklyn by Jared Flood
3. St. Albans Fire by Archer Mayor
4. Arctic Lace: Knitting Projects and Stories Inspired by Alaska's Native Knitters by Donna Druchunas
5. Classic Quilts from the American Museum by Kate Hebert
6. Occam's Razor by Archer Mayor
7. Dare to Die by Carolyn Hart
8. Things I Learned from Knitting --Whether I Wanted To or Not by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
9. Call the Devil by his Oldest Name by Sallie Bissell
10. The Good Son by Russel D. McLean
11. In the Forest of Harm by Sallie Bissell
12. The Catch by Archer Mayor
13. The Red Door by Charles Todd
14. The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
15. The First Rule by Robert Crais
16. Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, a Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese by Brad Kessler
17. A Whisper to the Living by Stuart M. Kaminsky
18. The Paths of the Air by Alys Clare
19. The Girl in a Red Tunic by Alys Clare

February
20. Mostly Mittens : Ethnic Knitting Designs from Russia by Charlene Schurch
21. Doors Open by Ian Rankin
22. Fortune Like the Moon by Alys Clare
23. 99 Yarns and Counting: More Designs from the Green Mountain Spinnery by The Green Mountain Spinnery Cooperative
24. The Case for Books: Past, Present, and Future by Robert Darnton
25. Vintage Quilts: Identifying, Collecting, Dating, Preserving & Valuing by Bobbie Aug, Sharon Newman & Gerald Roy
26. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
27. Knitted Lace of Estonia : Techniques, Patterns, and Traditions by Nancy Bush
28. War Dances by Sherman Alexie

March
29. Ashes of the Elements by Alys Clare
30. Out of the Dawn Light by Alys Clare
31. Mother's Best: Comfort Food that Takes You Home Again by Lisa Schroeder
32. The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman
33. The Sonnet Lover by Carol Goodman (audio-book)
34. The History of Hand Knitting by Richard Rutt
35. A Rumpole Christmas by John Mortimer
36. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
37. Great Poets of World War I : Poetry from the Great War by Jon Stallworthy
38. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves
39. The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield
40. Listening Below the Noise: A Meditation on the Practice of Silence by Anne D. LeClaire
41. Death of a Valentine by M.C. Beaton

April
42. The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear
43. Ontario's Heritage Quilts by Marilyn I. Walker
44. The New England Quilt Museum quilts: Featuring the Story of the Mill Girls by Jennifer Gilbert
45. Quilts, 1700-2010: Hidden Histories, Untold Stories edited by Sue Prichard
46. Wheel of Fate by Kate Sedley
47. Liberated Quiltmaking by Gwen Marston
48.

John Nilsen Concert

Twenty-three people enjoyed the wonderful music of John Nilsen this afternoon at the Halsey United Methodist Church. We are so blessed to have this terrific pianist and composer come to our little church and regale us with an hour of music.



John's CDs and tapes were available for purchase after the concert.


Cheese and crackers, cookies, brownies, and other goodies, as well as coffee and Rosalie's delicious spiced wassil, were served in Wesley Hall.

Here is Pastor Karen with a cup of Rosalie's wassil.


Checking out the cookies.

Local Treasures-- A Special Collections Workshop

I attended this workshop, sponsored by PORTALS (Portland Area Library Association for Continuing Education), and held in Portland at the Central Branch of the Multnomah County Library yesterday. The program was organized by Roberta Richards, and the discussion was moderated by Bob Kingston, who are both librarians at Portland Community College. Presenters from archives, museums, libraries, and special collections discussed their institutions and treasures. They included

* The Oregon Historical Society Research Library - Shawn Gandy
* The City of Portland Archives and Records Center - Diana Banning
* The Multnomah County Archives - Terry Baxter
* Central Library's John Wilson Special Collections - Jim Carmin
* Oregon Jewish Museum - Anne Prahl
* Oregon State Library - Dave Hegeman
* Lewis and Clark College Special Collection - Robyn Ward

A wonderful resource page for the workshop is available on the Northwest Central webpage and can be found here.

I will be writing a more formal blog post describing some of what I learned on the Oregon State University Archives webpage later. You can find the post here.

I arrived early and immediately went to Children's Library. Two features I especially love are the the Alice in Wonderland sculpture by Florence Thomas, circa 1930.



and Bronze Tree



I still had some time so I went to the Friends' Library Store where I purchased some fabulous presents. Because some readers may be the recipients, I am only going to post photographs of two items I purchased for myself. One was a postcard book


and the other a Christmas ornament.


I loved the program and knew most of the presenters. I worked at the Oregon State Library when I first began library school and input almost 1,000 photographs in Past Perfect under the direction of then Special Collections Librarian, Merrialyce Blanchard. I was delighted to see that the photograph of the musical family on their homepage is the very first one I researched and put in PastPerfect. It was working there that made me want to become an archivist.

Evidence

I am reading Jonathan Kellerman's latest novel, Evidence. I am an avid reader of this author's books and have read all of the Alex Delaware novels. But I've found factual errors in every one. Some are glaring, others aren't. The problem is that they distract me from the plot.

Here are the ones I found in this book.

Page 5: "He'd brought a good lunch today, roast beef sandwich from Arby's, too bad there was nothing to heat the gravy with."

I've eaten at Arby's and they do have roast beef sandwiches, but I've never seen one on the menu which includes gravy. I looked at the Arby's website and they have sausage and biscuits with gravy, but no roast beef sandwiches with gravy. So where did this guy get the gravy?

Page 65: "We found some soda cans toward the back of the property, dented and rusty, like they've been there for a while."

They must have been there for a very long while. Most soda cans have been made of aluminum since the early 1970's and aluminum doesn't rust.

And lastly, on pages 142-143, there is some discussion about $50,000 in $50 bills. "Two large suitcases full."

No. That's totally wrong. $50,000 in $50 bills is a total of 1,000 bills. A bill is 0.0043 in thickness. A stack of 1000 bills would be less than five inches high. "Two large suitcases" would not be required.

I know I am being picky, but why can't authors (and their editors) catch these factual mistakes before the book is published? They're not huge errors, but they detract from the story.

Possessives, Contractions, and Plurals

This is my latest pet peeve. Don't schools teach this anymore? I am astounded by the number of times I've seen these used incorrectly in books and on professional blogs.

Here's a brief review:

Ownership by one person or thing: school's John's
Ownership by more than one person or thing: students'

Using its and it's:
When used as a possessive, use its: The truck lost its muffler
When used as a contraction--"it is": It's best not to question a judge in a courtroom.

When a word ends with the letter "s" (including a plural) to make it possessive use an apostrophe after the "s" without adding another "s": snakes'

How hard is that?

Autumn Rains

I woke last night to the rain beating on the roof although there were pieces of blue sky this morning. There may be a day or two of bright sunny weather in the next couple of weeks, but the rainy season is upon us. I need to find my wool hats and gloves and my umbrella. I'll be using them often for the next six months.

The Last of Summer's Flowers

The sun was warm when I went out to water my flowers this morning, but the air is cold. Yes, autumn is here. Next weekend I'll need to clear them out and get the flower pots ready for next spring. The lavender, sage, chives, oregano, and rosemary will winter over. The basil is in John's office. The Thanksgiving cactus has been put away in a dark closet to force it to bloom.

When I Know Summer Really is Over

There comes a time when it cannot be put off any longer. The radio warns of a killing frost coming that night, and you must say good-by to the garden. You dread it, as you dread saying good-by to any good friend; but the garden waits with its last gifts, and you must go with a bushel basket or big buckets to receive them. ~ Rachel Peden