Reading

 I'm a slow reader because I tend to read only at night before going to sleep -- just a few minutes. Some books I've finished recently:

The House Near Paris by Drue Tartiere

The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan

It's been a while since I finished The House Near Paris, but I enjoyed it very much. My mother shoved this book on me well before she died and insisted I read it. I'm glad she did. It's a true story of an American woman in France during WW2 and her brave work in helping people escape the Nazis in her town.

The Ivy Tree was typical Mary Stewart: romantic, lovely. Not her most amazing, but typical. I like a little Mary Stewart occasionally as a break from other books.

I expected to adore Theo of Golden because it seemed everyone else did. But again, my unusual reading preferences made it a ho-hum book for me. It was okay. I finished it. I found Theo endearing, but the story a bit too fairytale perhaps. And the one scene of violence in the square by the fountain I found extraneous and pointless. Theo's death could have been accomplished in a dozen different ways without that scene. Just my opinion.

Becoming Mrs. Lewis was a surprise; at first I didn't like the idea of a novelist attributing all these thoughts, emotions, and personal words to people like C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. I was offended for them, rather Who does she think she is? However, I stuck with it and later grew to enjoy the story. The more romantic parts toward the very end were a bit sappy and awkward, but otherwise I felt it was a well-told tale. 

Going to see the movie The Odyssey recently prompted me to pull out a copy of Homer's epic and read it again. I'm finishing Book II. I would recommend the movie, unless you're a purist who cannot abide anything that's not true to the book. It was well-done by a director who clearly loved Homer's work. There were omissions and additions, as you'd expect. I will now enjoy the book.

I have run out of Josephine Tey books to read, and this is a sad place to be. Her books stick with me and I think of them often, especially The Franchise Affair. I need to find more Ngaio Marsh mysteries, and maybe some Ellis Peters. I do not like running out of books!

Time for a Catch-Up

 

Hello, friends! It's time for a little end-of-summer catch-up.

As usual, I'm barely surviving this end of the horrible hot season.

I am not a summer person.

I've still been painting cards.

I've also been doing some tapestry weaving. Below is the latest one, a beach scene with little beach huts.

In July we took a LONG drive to Florida to visit our daughter and her family there. We had an absolutely fabulous time -- very busy, but full to the brim of fun with the grandchildren. And it was so satisfying to see how well they are settling into their new home there. God's been good.

Poppie had all the fun his Poppie heart could stand with those kids.

We visited the Naval Aviation Museum. It was stupendous!

More handwork -- the first pumpkin of autumn this year:

Here's another tapestry weave this summer. This one was so fast. I LOVE doing the needle felting on top!

This is the tapestry weave that started it all: it had been on my loom for about 2 years. I was tired of it, and had to force myself to finish it. After it was cut off the loom, I launched into the other two and didn't look back.

I've been spinning too, just easy spinning with fiber I'd already dyed and processed. I spun the yellow and then plied it with the dark orange that I'd already spun.

I knitted yet another pair of wool socks. I love wool socks.

Our grand dogs came to visit. They are very loved.

They brought their humans along too! This was over July 4th. SO much fun! It was insanely hot, and our son worked outside so hard anyway. We went to the beach and played inside. We miss them.

My old wool slippers finally died, so I knitted and felted a new pair.

And here's one of several little purses I've started making.

Leeli, my mother's dog that we adopted after her death, is doing really well. She is my "velcro dog" -- strongly attached to me. All 5 animals seem to have adjusted to each other and get along in the house.

Adam is about to start school again and is eager to be in the classroom with students. Soon I'll return to the farmers market (after the temperatures cool), and life will settle into its usual rhythm. I'm so very ready for autumn.

Oh! And I've joined a local writers' group! We meet each month, and I've even been brave enough to read some of my stuff. I had just about stopped writing. But Adam gave me a good shove to go (and he accompanies me), and now I'm enjoying writing again.