Congratulations To My Friend Sarah!

Sarah was just called to let me know that she had just heard that she has a won a cash prize of some sort at The Houston International Quilt Show this year!!! This is the most exciting thing, well almost, that can happen in a quilter's life. She will be walking up to the podium and accepting flowers and m-o-n-e-y !!!! Sarah has had a year that has had it's share of low points and I am so dang happy for her that her star is on the rise again! Well done my friend. Well done.

"Many Blessings" Quilt Pattern From Darlene Zimmerman a/k/a FeedSack Lady

Darlene Zimmerman has created a series of new quilt patterns called "Amalie's Story: Quilts & Letters From The Civil War complete with a look into Amalie's life. Each pattern comes with multiple quilt sizes as well as Amalie's life story and letters from the time of her life when she made the quilt". I have always had a very soft spot in my heart for traditional quilts & I like sleeping under them the best! When I saw this pattern advertised in a magazine I fell in love with it and contacted Darlene immediately. She had not even had the patterns listed on her web-site yet. I have a very large stash of reproduction prints that I have saved and I culled many of the the pinks & browns to use for this quilt. My friend Janet picked up off white on off white background fabric for me in her jaunt to the mainland this week. I was going to just use lights from my stash but decided that a unified background was important to this design.

It must be the cooler nights that are already settling in (yes, I do sleep well in this weather)! that have made me yearn to make bed quilts right now. A friend and I are also planning to make a log cabin over this coming winter - that's always been a favorite pattern of mine because it is so amazingly versatile. My other favorite is nine patch quilts & all of their many great variations. I am also still plotting out my next art quilt and doing experiments to get the right technique/techniques that I want to use - makes my pens and inks real handy for drawing it out too!

I am still in shock that September is so close at hand. How did the full heat of summer go by so fast? This time warping speed causes me some tears and frustrations at times - so much that I want to do and I feel like time is closing in. Fibro holds me back at times that I want to be speeding forward. I want more time dang it! Don't you think that retirement should start at 30??? I sure as heck do - though when I was 30 I am sure that retirement was far from mind as I climbed that foolish career ladder! Odd that when I achieved what I wanted I realized that it felt hollow - art and color were where all of my time should have been spent. Then again, being a starving artist held/holds very little appeal! So - I better get to work now cutting up some of my lovely reproduction fabrics. Ahhhhh -- the hum of my machine is soothing!

What A Surprise! Dr.PH Martin's Bombay India Inks

A very unexpected treat from dear friend Lauren. I have been finding that I enjoy working with inks and pens best of all and so Laurena thought that she would gift me with this wonderful surprise! I am not very very verbose today so I think I will just go and play with these wonderful to inks - so many to choose from too!

Topsy-Turvy: End of Summer Update

Early Girl - more plentiful, but terrible leaf curl

I had promised an update of this popular 'Topsy Turvy' planter and - so - here it is! The Early Girl was grown in near full sun. Despite watering every day the leaves developed a terrible leaf curl that left the plant looking yellowed & spindly. The dirt was not quite to the top - perhaps I needed 3 more inches? Was that the problem perhaps? Was the sun just too dang hot? I opened the top of the planter to 'vent' it a bit and remembered to water at the end of the day so that the roots would not 'boil' in the heat of the day. None-the-less , despite the leaf issues, I did get some tomatoes from this plant but not anywhere near as many as I would have had the plants been in the ground with a cap. Our nights can get pretty cool even in summer (one of the great benefits of where I live!) and perhaps the plant just did not like it.

Roma's - very good!

These Romas were is a slightly shadier place on the deck and experienced some leaf curl too but not as badly as the Early Girl's. Lots of tomatoes - many of which are still ripening. The leaves were rather too yellow as well after awhile. Perhaps both plants would have benefited from more fertilizer - but there again who knows what happened! Next year I think I may just grow tomatoes in a huge pot & I will try growing sweet peas or some other hanging flowering plant in the 'Topsy Turvys'. Perhaps I will discover what the error of my ways was and I will try tomatoes again. One way or the other this was an interesting experiment in alternate ways to grow vegetables and plants.

The roses seemed to have liked the extra heat and sun this summer. This 'Joseph's Coat' is still blooming furiously & beautifully. My favorite damask rose, 'Rose deRescht' is also still giving me a precious few late blooms. It is thriving in it's new home - a large, comfortable pot that is against the house and in a spot that enjoys lots of sun & summer warmth. I think I may buy a few new damasks and grow them similarly. I have lots of fungus issues with my ramblers & I think fighting it will always be a constant battle that requires chemicals that I prefer not to use. Thankfully the 'Joseph's Coat' seems more resistant and all I will do with it is a severe pruning this winter.

A soft, gentle 'volunteer'. I wait for these to appear each year!

These shelf mushrooms, on an old cedar stump, are one of my favorites.
They are so beautiful in a very 'wabi sabi' way!

Journal Pages - The Latest

These are a few recent journal pages. They are all "clickable" for a larger view.

The page above was done when I messed up my computer. This, for me, is like being cut off from the world. It was a cat-tastrophe. I have never been more grateful for an extended warranty (Apple Care) than I was that day. I had not thought of buying it because of the price tag, but DH thought it was a good thing. Boy oh boy was I blessed that he had gotten it for me. The turn time was 3 - count the t-h-r-e-e days from out the door to back again. Needless to say, I love my Mac - and Apple Care

This was my Woodstock Memories. All of the hub bub about the 40th anniversary of Woodstock had me really reliving it all. The odd, furtive story that a friend and I told out parents - that, amazingly, worked. The ride to the Woodstock site in bumper to bumper traffic in an old Rambler in that odd teal-y blue. The music, the mud and the fun. The bliss of a hot bath and room service when I checked into a hotel after leaving the music fest early because, although I may have been considered a hippie at the time, I still disliked being dirty!

This page is all about my ever growing historical fixation. The portrait is that of Elizabeth Woodville, a commoner who married Edward IV for love. The story that is, in part, the subject matter of the "White Queen". At times, it seems, that I feel more comfortable in an imagined centuries old 'skin' than I do in this present form. I look at people and wonder how they would have looked in this fashion or that. I feel the desire to take a trip - to return to some of these spots and walk in the steps. I wonder if I am losing my grip or just enjoying a fertile imagination. Nah! I can't be losing my grip any more than I have right?! Anyway, I am a sucker for romance and for history - so how could I not be carried away by this notion of " another time and another place". I mentioned to a friend that, had I truly lived before in this time frame that I cling to so ferociously, I would most likely have died young because of my asthma. She replied " but if you had lived then you might not have asthma! I had not thought of it that way - but she was right!

So - that's it - some of my recent pages.

The New Issue Of Art Journaling Is Out & Stampington/Somerset Studio Does It Again!

"Art Journaling" is one of the newer titles from Somerset Studio/Stampington Magazines. The first issue WoW-ed me and I couldn't wait for the next issue to come out - and now it has! Editor Christen Olivarez does a wonderful job. Each issue is filled with articles written by well known journalers and there are plenty of tips'n'tricks. Hurry out to your nearest store or to Stampington.com to get this latest issue. BTW - also available now is the Fall issue of 'Artful Blogging'. I just ordered my issue and I have pre-ordered the Winter (due out in November) issue already . I have included a couple of 'teaser' peeks at Art Journaling.

Also in the mail was my favorite catalog from Blick!!! I can spend hours wandering through the pages in this catalog - marking pages of things to add to my wish list as I go. Fun in mail. Yeah!!

"The White Queen" by Phillipa Gregory Finally Arrived At My Door

I have anticipated the release of this book for quite awhile. Yesterday it finally arrived on my doorstep & I read late into the night. Had I not needed to get up to go to work I would have read a lot longer I'm sure ! Thus far I have to say that the "hype" over this book is worth it - this is one good read. Best of all this is the first book of a new series called the "Cousin's War" which chronicles events of the War of The Roses -especially (in this book) about Elizabeth Woodville, King Edward IV oft defamed wife & mother of the "Princes In The Tower". Elizabeth was a descendant of The Frnch water goddess Melusine & rumors of witchcraft were always rife at Court on that account. This element would spice to any book!

I've always thoroughly enjoyed Phillipa Gregory's fabulous historical novels. Ms. Gregory's last series about the Tudors included such titles as "The Constant Princess", "The Other Boleyn Girl" (remember the great movie from this book?!), "The Boleyn Inheritance" &"The Other Queen" - plus there were two other books that completed this series. Ms. Gregory claims that a chance "taster" history class at the University of Sussex started her on the road to penning her lush, well researched books. The only thing that my history classes in college did were to strengthen my passion for both history (history minor) & reading about history - both fiction and non-fiction. I love to read books in a series because they allow you to really develop a good feel for the subjects & the time period. One of the things I enjoy doing when I am reading historical fiction is to research the true facts - people, places, dates - you get the idea. I like to see how far a writer goes to weave a tale around the truth. Ms Gregory generally writes fiction with a strong non-fiction base to which she adds just a pinch of plausible fiction to round out the story.

I have, in the past written about other favored authors; Vanora Bennett (I cannot wait for her next book!), Alison Weir (I love all of her books, both fiction and non-fiction), Susan Carroll (who I will be writing about very soon), Susan Higginbotham - and the list could, and no doubt will go on & on! I will be adding more book reviews - about historical fiction and more art/craft books soon.

Blogger is not allowing me to format the paragraphs for some odd reason today - so I must apologize for the disorderly appearance of this post.

For additional information about this book I have copied the info below directly from Amazon's website. Of course the book is easily available from Amazon or from you local independent bookseller - we really must support them too!

"...THE COUSINS' WAR
Book One

Philippa Gregory, "the queen of royal fiction,"*
presents the first of a new series set amid the
deadly feuds of England known as the
Wars of the Roses.

Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.

The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown. From her uniquely qualified perspective, Philippa Gregory explores this most famous unsolved mystery of English history, informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills.

With The White Queen, Philippa Gregory brings the artistry and intellect of a master writer and storyteller to a new era in history and begins what is sure to be another bestselling classic series from this beloved author...."

Woodstock Nation: 40 Years Gone; My Aftermath

40 years ago I was a young teen who, as a bit of youthful, furtive rebellion, concocted a ruse that worked to allow me to attend Woodstock. I was too young, I was too 'prissy' for all the mud & dirt, & was glad that I made it there. The music was the message during that fretful time. Most likely few who attended had mortgages or rents ; deadlines other than a school assignment, or appointments other than a weekend at the lake. I have thought long and hard over the years about how life can change so much in the seemingly blink of an eye. How is it that we all somehow become encumbered with the baggage of our lives? The relationships that didn't work that none-the-less forever colored our point of view; the jobs that we either left or were required to leave that somehow made existence more tenuous than ever for a time; the moves that never really made us more comfortable or happier; the things that we wish we had or had not done. I left Woodstock early. I had been moved by the compassion of the 'hog-farmers' who doled out food, love and care during this weekend sojourn. I had been entranced by the power of the music, but even then my abject dislike of large crowds was in evidence. Before the last notes had ended and the bumper to bumper return leg of the journey began I had left while the leaving was, if not good, than easier at least. I checked into the nearest decent motel for a hot bath and room service. Ever the 'princess' I liked soap and warm food better than the mind effacing lure of mud and hunger. I still prefer clean linen to dirty & I still need the solace of my personal space filled with quiet. Woodstock was, however, still a seminal event in my young life and it has managed to somehow direct me along the long road to ' now'. I am a princess child of the Woodstock Nation and I am glad that my ruse worked and that I was able to be, for even a couple of days, an attendee at the biggest musical event ever peacefully held. It was, in fact, four days that were filled will the magic of music, the blessings of peace and the warmth of fellowship.

Precious few of my friends have remained true to the far more simple ideals that those of us from the "Woodstock generation" originally espoused. I climbed the proverbial career ladder and reached, what for my chosen career, was the top, only to discover that it was not at all what I had thought it would be. The money was not worth the cost to be less than happy; the stress not worth cost to soul. From the stand point of accumulated tears I look back on my life now, not with regrets, so much as wonder. Where do the years go. Why did I not have more of "big-picture" mentality at the time - large enough to realize that the moment is, truly 'now'. We have no do-overs, or reruns, no second chances at creating our lives. There are no opportunites to truly erase the memories, both good and bad, that become a part of psyche at each step of each minute along the way. At some point in our journey the concept of Ram Dass' book becomes poignantly clear 'Remember - Be Here Now'. Now truly is the only thing that we have for certain - so we better make 'now' a good moment!

That's all for my ramblings. I am off to make the moments in this day count - I hope - by draing my way towards a deadline. Now how's that for making the Woodstock spirit live?! Yeah, I know, I probably stll need to work on that a bit before my time is up! Namaste.

What's On My Needles?

I have I have a couple of new yarns & projects to tell y'all about. First off - and only because I up loaded the photos that way- is a wonderful pattern from Louisa Harding's lovely book "Knitting Little Luxuries" that I borrowed from the library. I am, generally speaking, not much of a frou frou person, although truth be told, I always had a secret wish that I could be a girlie girl - you know someone with perfect nails & hair &, perhaps, even makeup. I never likes pastel colors, or pleats & fluff for me. I liked fitted jackets and jeans. Simple. I was the girl who loved to shoot tournament skeet, "drive" the sit upon lawn mower and do things things that were decidedly not girly girl. In my approaching dottage however, I have found that pink is indeed a tint that belongs on the color wheel, that a certain, very subdued bit of lace is not a bad thing and that I can secretly covet the things a la Louisa Harding and not feel guilty!
I saw this book and this beautiful glove pattern on Ravelry and fell in love. A little frou frou but not too much. Kollage yarns has a new yarn out called, oddly I thought, " 1/2 & 1/2". I heard the name and had to go to their webite to see what the yarn is made of and, sure enough, it's made from half milk! I can't fathom how they use milk protein with wool but they and it is a beautiful, soft combination that I think will show stitch defination to advantage. I am planning to use their deep blue for a pair of the elegant fingerless gloves Isn't this a lovely lttle wrap? I may just have to consider making this - which would mean that I might have to buy the book at some point - or borrow it from the library again for an extended period!
Ah! Shawls! I love shawls and I love making shawls. I have to admite to a fondness for Cheryl Oberle's Book "Folk Shawls". The first shawl pattern that I ever knit was made from left over Noru Kuryeon yarn and with a pattern from this book. Now I am, happily making the Aran Pocketed Shawl. I found this incredible Misty Alpaca yarn on Webs - and at an amazingly low price. This is a yarn that I just enjoy "petting". It's one of the softest Alpaca yarns that I have ever felt - and I admit to being an Alpaca or Alpaca- Silk fanatic. I have plans to work my way through several other wonderful shawl patterns - and maybe I will evben make a frou frou princess shawl of lacy yarn !

A Bevy of Lutradur Cards For C&T Publishing

"Get Off Dead Center"

First thing I need to do is post an 'errata'. Yesterday I said that C&T is a Washington Company. I was incorrect (imagine that?!). The are a Northern California based company ... and, since my good friend lives down that way and I love the area - it's almost as good as Washington! Anyway, hopefully C&T will forgive my faux pas!

Here are some new cards I made over the weekend from Lutradur. They are not quite finished yet - need to add the "card back" and borders. I had playing with Lutrdur - it's a great, versatile material to paint on and, since I had not used any for some time, it was a lot of fun to make these!

The COunty Fait begins today. It's the first year that I have not entered anything since 1992! I just spaced it. It's also a week early this year so I was all 'discombobulated'! If work does not thoroughly wipe me out today I will have to go and have alook at all of the winners! Of course I immediaely head over to the "wool shed" to see all of the textiles and quilts! Have a wonderful, creative day!

" We will remain the same until the pain

of remaining the same is greater than the pain of change"

"Dream 1"

"Dream 2 "

"Believe"

How Does A Flower Grow? Almost A Book.....

C&T Publishing has a cool group called the "Creative Troupe". Through a bit of the luck of the Irish (or something else) I am a recent addition. The latest "call out" (when you say if you want to participate in that particular round) was to use some of their products in whatever way you wanted. These finished pieces are given to C&T's sales reps to show to art supply stores in the hopes of adding sales of their prducts. I agreed to play with some Lutradur (these exercises will be in tomorrow's post) and one of the small square blank books that C&T sells. I was having a a difficult time with this project for some reason. I had started on a theme and then half way through had realized that this was not the way I had wanted to do the book! I was frustrated and irritable about it. Oh well ! I decided that I had to press on & fulfill my promise to send this in. Yesterday, a day when the planets all seemed a bit misaligned for me anyway (shall I simply blame it on the Persides meteor showers?!) my brush water bin tipped over and washed all over the book! Before I could react fast enough I had damaged the pages in the back of the book. They all stuck together from the gesso that I had primed the pages with and when I tried to open the pages they tore apart and left very rough patches. I had the finished pages wrapped in plastic wrap to protect them from my sometimes over enthusiastic painting!

I contacted Lisa at C&T to tell her that I would not be able to send back the book (mea culpa) - and offered to return it with the other things they had sent to me. Thankfully Lisa said that I could get an extension and that she would be happy to send me another book if I wanted to continue with the project. YEAH! Now I can do the project the way I now envision it....and I got an extension to boot. Thank you Lisa!

I am excited to be able to be connected to C&T Publishing in this very small way. They are a Washington company for one thing - and I like that - and they also have the best craft & quilting books & fun supplies. I have always respected the company quite a bit, and, over the years I have purchased a lot of C&T books! Being a part of this "Creative Troupe" will garner me a decent discount on some books I've been eyeing and maybe some of my work will get just s tiny bit of exposure. It's all good - or will be at least. These are the few pages that I had done using the growth cycle of a flower as a theme. The next book will be similar but done much differently.

I did enjoy playing with the Lutradur - as I generally do. I had fun using it to make art cards. I am hoping that C&T will also like them though. Right now that's what I need to do - go and finish putting them together so that I can get at least one thing in the mail on time to them!

The page above got some water damage too - but it is not as obvious but
in the photo below you can see the damage that the water did.......
I am ready for the clean new pages and a chance to have a re-do!

"The White Queen" a new bit of historical fiction is on the way!

Today is a painting and project finishing day for me but I had to pass along this information about a new historical fiction book that I have had on pre-order for some time now. I will post my painting new tomorrow - I hope ..... if I can drag myself away from my surf-a-holic ways!

Philippa Gregory is tweeting her new novel, The White Queen, according to Bookseller.com.

For those of us who love historical fiction this new this new novel by Phillipa Gregory is causing a bit of a stir. The following is what Amazon has to say about this book. Until I read this little 'blurb' I wasn't aware that it was going to be a series!

Philippa Gregory, "the queen of royal fiction,"*
presents the first of a new series set amid the
deadly feuds of England known as the
Wars of the Roses.

Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.

The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown. From her uniquely qualified perspective, Philippa Gregory explores this most famous unsolved mystery of English history, informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills.

With The White Queen, Philippa Gregory brings the artistry and intellect of a master writer and storyteller to a new era in history and begins what is sure to be another bestselling classic series from this beloved author.

The following information is courtesy of Historical Tapestry

begin quotes "...The hot giveaway in HF blogging circles appears to be The White Queen by Philippa Gregory. So far there are giveaways at Royal Reviews, Historically Obsessed, At Home with Books and A Girl Walks Into a Bookstore.

A giveaway with a difference from a new to me blog. All Things Royal is having a special Anne Boleyn related giveaway. For all the details click here...." end quotes

A Wonderful Cause For Quilters

I have lifted this post totally from Kristin LaFlamme's blog. My friend Janet just called and told me about this effort to get some our 'un-needed' sewing supplies to Iraqi women. Please head over to Kristin's blog (see the link I added just below) to get all of the information - you will need to leave a comment, it seems, to get the address to which your box needs to be sent. It is an APO box I believe. I don't get too "gung-ho" about this sort of this much anymore but this is one cause that is tailor made for us quilters (tee hee get it - quilter=tailor made?!!).

From here on out is all Kristin's words..........

http://kristinlaflamme.com/musings

begin quotes "...My very own Tech Support & World’s Greatest Husband, AKA, Mr. Incredible, has just launched a short-duration project to “surge” fabric and sewing materials into the area around which he’s posted in Iraq. It is timed to coincide with both Ramadan, and the departure of his units from Iraq.

The project started, as many do, out of a confluence of inspiration and circumstances. It may have started with reading 3 Cups of Tea, an inspirational story not only of one man’s impact, but of his conviction that terrorism can only be fought effectively with education and opportunity, not by force. Follow that with the understanding that when a US military unit leaves an area, although they take with them everything on their master list of what they brought, truth is they leave a whole lot behind as well — bed sheets, small refrigerators, DVDs, old clothes, unused building materials, etc. As one man’s trash is another’s treasure, the idea to donate re-usable materials to local groups emerged. Then came the idea to supplement those resources with more — tailor made for individuals and sewing co-ops trying to make a living in the community.

The basic premise is to make a bundle of fabric and sewing supplies from your own stash, mail it to my hubby’s APO (American) address, and he will facilitate the distribution of the bundles. By bundling teh goodies, it saves time on his end as he won’t have to redistribute the supplies or use excess packaging for them, and it makes it far simpler for his local counterparts to distribute them to those in need.

The project is called Iraqi Bundles of Love, here’s a link to his FAQ page, and we’ve got until September 7, 2009 to bust our stashes and send what we probably won’t get around to using to my man, who will get it to those who will use it right away. If anyone is interested in donating, but doesn’t want/have a box-full, or can’t afford the postage, contact me and I’ll be a rally point here in Hawai’i. Please feel free to pass on the links, share this project with your sewing pals, local bee, quilt guild, etc. As I write this post, my husband doesn’t have a list of “most needed” items yet. Fabric, thread, needles, pins, yarn will undoubtedly be on the list. I hope it goes without saying that messages of God’s blessings or anything else evangelical/proselytizing should not be included. Let’s be sensitive to the world’s diversity. Thank you so much for your support of this project...." end quotes

A Lovely Article About Moi!

I am a self professed junkie for J.Herbin inks, Clairefontaine & Rhodia paper and notebooks, Brause Nibs and pen holders, Pollen Stationary. What is the thread that runs through all of these fabulous things? They are all Exaclair products!

Karen from Exaclair was gracious enough to want to do a small article on me on the Quo Vadis Blog. Today was the day. Thanks Karen !

To see Karen's article go to:
The Quo Vadis Blog

Other than that it was arather wacky week and I am happy that it is now Friday. This full moon totally messed up my sleep for almost this whole week. Tonight I need my z-z-z-z-zz---zzzzzz!!!!!

Catherine De Medici : Two Views: Two Books

I have always had a fascination for he Medici and Borgia Families. I never thought that much had been written about them - especially about the Medicis - until recently when I discovered "The Devil's Queen: A Novel of Catherine DeMedici by Jeanne Kalogridis from Amazon and then discovered another fabulous biography (non-fiction) book "Catherine DeMedici: Renaissance Queen Of France " by Leonie Frieda though a group I am in on GoodReads.

By all acounts, Catherine DeMedici was in fact a true Renaissance woman. Her interests led her to study astrology, along with mathematics & philosophy. The rumors have always been rampant that she practices the darker side of magical arts. This book accentuates her relationship with the magician Cosima Ruggieri - her alter ego in a way. A strange and serious relationship (platonic). Catherine lived ina world where young women were brought up reared in convents, then at a marriageable age of 12, these child brides are sent to be raised by their 'husband's family. Girls especially were little more than pawns, some were afforded the luxuries of an education and were married to extend their families poer base and prestige. Catherine was mother-in-law to Mary Queen of Scots and she was the architect of the very bloody massacre on St. Bartholomew's Day. Diane de Poitiers overshadowed Catherine in her marriage to the French King Henri and, although he lived with Diane De Poitiers all of his life, Catherine found herself to have fallen deeply in love with her husband.

I found Ms. Kalogridis' book to be exceedingly well researched & a delight to those of us who thoroughly enjoy a fast paced, well written, largely historically accurate book that depicts the life of this often villified Queen who was, most likely, a very unusual female stateswoman of her time who felt that the end can, generally, justify the means. This is not a flowery romantic book but is a highy readable, thoroughly engrossing read! Well done Ms. Kalogridis!

To balance the fictionalized version I decided that I also need to a non-fictionalized biography. I just began reading this book - found as an excellent , low priced option as a used copy on Amazon.

I can't say much about this book yet other than it is a well written biography that reads as lively and fast paced as a novel does. I often like to read a historical fiction piece about a person and then follow through and go back to read a non-fiction biography. For some reason I find that my memory retains more when hit with this sort of "double dose". In my opinion, these are both excellent books about a fascinating woman who may well have just been well ahead of time.

Today I Found One Of The Most Awesome Yarns I've Ever Seen!

Today I walked in my LYS, Island Wools, looking for a replacement for my wonky Addi Turbo 24" size 8 circular needle. In looking for the needles I noticed that Skacel has replaced the material they use in the Addi Turbos. The new material (not for the needle part - they are still the same favorite needle) is more like the connector they have been using for their Lace needles. I have only used it to know several rows - but I think it's a nice change. I was just surprised.

As I was poking about in the store I spied a small basket of the most glorious new yarn that I have seen in a VERY long time. This yarn, aptly called, "Astral" is made by The Alpaca Yarn Company and is a scrumptious mix of 50 % Tencel, 30 % Alpaca and 20 %Merino. The sheen is like nothing I have ever seen - even in expensive silk skeins. Soft? Oh! My Gosh! Can you spell h-e-a-v-e-n ??!! The skeins offer a lusty 197 yards (180.137 meters) in each 100 gram hank - it's a dk weight and sugested needle is a size 7US.

I bought a teal & a black, although I think I may well have to save my pennies & buy enough of their wine color to make a shawl. The black is earmarked for fingerless gloves and I am not sure about the teal yet. All I can suggest is that you seek this yarn out & buy some. I know that you too will be utterly amazed at the sheen and brilliance - and that oh! So! soft feel. Gheck out the website - their photos really do this special yarn much better justice! It was a good time to stop by the yarn store! The basket is not as full now as I simply had to coerce a fellow shopper to also purchase two skeins - she must have thought me to be a looney local!

The Wizard Of Oz Cookbook

My best friend/sister, Lauren knows how much I love the movie "The Wizard Of Oz. I relate well to Munchkin Land! The other day she surprised me with this dear little cookbook that has fun recipes & photos from my fav movie. Thanks L - for making my day! Who knew that such a book existed?!

Weekend Project #1

The season of Blueberry jam is upon me. I had thought that I would not make any jams this year but two friends were non too happy about that and so I decided that I would go ahead and make them their jam. So if you are wondering what I am up to this weekend - this is # 1 project among three or four that that I need to get crackin' on!