Like Raindrops in Spring!

February was the hottest month here since "they" started keeping records.
Bodes ill for summer.

March has come in with rain... all weekend and most of the week.
But it was a nice rain, slow steady raindrops and about 4 - 6 inches worth.


*

It's March and thoughts have turned to Spring!

I've been slowly finding my Easter decorations.

My favorite Easter Bunnies.

They make me smile.

Sitting at the kitchen table
surrounded by some of my favorite things
is a great way to start the day!


*

Working on the Cottage Charm Afghan.
I bought the kit from Mary Maxim.
Nice yarn and the pattern is easy to follow.

However, I've run out of yarn twice.
I'm a "tight" crocheter so I was a little surprised.
I had one more pink flower to make.
Thankfully, I had some yarn at home that was a close enough match.
Then I ran out of the green.
I had to go out and find a green yarn to match.
I now have enough of the green to make another afghan.
Feast or famine! Ha!

Now adding the blue to the squares and wondering if I will have enough yarn.

*

I started a "new to me" cozy mystery series by Laura Bradford.
They are set in Amish country -- Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
I visited the area some 15 years ago.
Came home with a Quillow (a blanket that folds into a pillow)
 which is mentioned in the first Amish mystery Hearse and Buggy.
I thought Hearse and Buggy was one of the best first books in a cozy series I had read in a long time - so much so that I dashed out and bought the next four! 
The books pictured here are the ones that I've read.
I like the characters, the story line, the mix of the "English" and Amish life styles. 

The lovely teacup was a Christmas gift from one of my sister's by choice.
It is an Aynsley.
Aqua is one of my favorite colors.
Pretty waves on the cup and saucer with gold rims.
Fun spring-time flowers on the inside of the cup.

Five on Friday

Willy Nilly Friday

Mosaic Monday

Monday Social

From the Fortune Cookie Journal:
"Good fortune will shower you like raindrops in spring."

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

SaveSave

Reading For Pleasure

Now I ask you. How could I resist sharing this email from the Daily OM about one of my favorite subjects -- Reading For Pleasure? I've even included a couple of reviews at the end!


February 22, 2010
Reading For Pleasure
A Whole New World When reading we remove ourselves from the confines of reality to immerse ourselves in the intrigue of the unfamiliar.

Every book has the potential to touch the human soul deeply, arousing patterns of thought that might otherwise have lain dormant. The pleasure we derive from the written word is unique in that we must labor for it. Other forms of art provide us with stimulus and ask nothing more than our emotional response. Reading is an active pastime that requires an investment of emotion as well as our concentration and imagination. The words we read are merely a starting point for a process that takes place largely within our minds and hearts.

There are few activities as comforting, relaxing, and healthy as perusing the pages of a good piece of fiction or nonfiction. Curling up with a book and a cup of tea is one of the simplest ways we can remove ourselves from the confines of reality in order to immerse ourselves in the drama and intrigue of the unfamiliar. The pleasure of transcending reality is only one aspect of the reading experience, however. Each time we read for enjoyment, whether we prefer the fantastic nature of fiction, the empathy awakened within us by memoir, or the instructive passion of nonfiction, we create entire landscapes in our mind’s eye. The books we choose provide us with the inspiration we need to accomplish such a feat, but it is our own creative reserves that empower us to use our imaginations for this unique and beautiful purpose.

The tales you lose yourself in can lead you on paths of discovery that take you out of your own life and help you see that existence can unfold in an infinite number of ways. You can learn so much from the characters and mentors who guide you from page to page. Your emotions are awakened each time you read, allowing you to become vessels of the passion that pours forth from line after line of print. Ultimately, the books you absorb—those that touch you deeply—will become a part of who you are, providing you with a rich and thrilling world within that you can revisit anytime you wish by simply closing your eyes. If you haven’t read a book for pleasure lately, try and allow yourself the time—you deserve it.

A couple of reviews for you from my Goodreads list. The first a non-fiction book and the second a cozy mystery. There's a book out there, somewhere for you -- no matter what your interests. Go for it!

Play by Play: Baseball, Radio and Life in the Last Chance League by Neal Conan



Most of you know how crazy we are about college baseball. We've just recently started reading baseball books. Play by Play was one we found at Half-Price Books. It is about Neal Conan (of NPR and Talk of the Nation fame) and the year he took off from NPR to follow his dream of being a baseball play-by-play announcer.

From the book jacket: " Following nearly twenty-five years as a prominent voice at National Public Radio, after being shelled, rocketed, bombed and held captive in the desert as one of their top foreign correspondents, Neal Conan decided to pursue a lifelong dream -- to become, of all things, a baseball announcer. And, that's what he did, specifically with the Aberdeen Arsenal, a franchise of the independent Atlantic League. Not the majors, alas, but it afforded him a rue opportunity to use the surge of conflicting emotions that we refer to as midlife crisis to rethink what he'd done and what he was doing. It also allowed Neal to marry his two lifelong passions - radio and baseball - and gave him the chance to return to the grassroots of each. He decided to put the fun and challenge back into things he had become bored with."

Lot's of fun baseball trivia in Play by Play. For instance: " One of Tyrone Horne's bats is in Cooperstown. In 1998 Tyrone did something unprecedented: he homered for the cycle. Hitting for the cycle is unusual, once a year or so, somebody will get a single,double, triple and home run in the same game. Four homers in a game is much rarer, and, so far as anyone knows, Tyrone is the only professional ballplayer every to hit a solo shot, a two-run job, a three-run homer and a grand slam in the same game." Conan shares other stories throughout the book.

If you are baseball fan or a fan of Conan's from NPR, I believe you'll enjoy this book.


Dropped Dead Stitch by Maggie Sefton



Kelly's friend Jennifer is a top notch knitter and a bit of a party girl. But she's always stayed one step ahead of trouble, until the night a stranger follows her home. As Jennifer recovers from the dangerous encounter, she looks to Kelly and their other close-knit friends for comfort and support. A retreat in the mountains, stitching and talking seems to be just what the doctor ordered. Surprise! The owner of the ranch turns out to be Jennifer's attacker and when he ends up dead - Jennifer is at the top of the suspect list.

All the usual characters return in this cozy mystery. Sefton gets 5 stars for the banter between the characters in this novel. She gets two stars for the story itself and the way it was written. I haven't quite put my finger on it, but I didn't think this one was written as well as the previous novels in the series. Perhaps Sefton has reached the *too many books in the series* itis! I enjoy visiting with the characters and love the knitting/weaving/crochet shop - Lambspun.

From One Extreme to Another

From one extreme to another -- a book I really enjoyed and a series mystery I won't read again. So where to start? How about with the one series I'm finished with?

I enjoy brain candy - cozy mysteries written around subjects I'm interested in like needlework. I hadn't read a Monica Ferris mystery in awhile (having forgotten why I gave them up once before). When I saw Thai Die, I was intrigued -- by the cover and the subject -- Thailand. This is number 12 in the needlework series by Ferris and that is probably the problem. By the time you get to number 12 there just isn't anything new. The characters that I enjoyed in the past were even blah. The editing was horrible and I just plain didn't enjoy this read that took me one day. At least, I spent only one day.

**

Now Dark Fire: A Matthew Shardlake Mystery by C.J. Sansom is a completely different matter. This historical mystery, set in 1540 was superb, beautiful prose, excellent editing (nothing jumped out at me), an interesting story with interesting characters. YeeeeeeHaaaaaw! A real winner. So good, in fact, that I ordered the others in the series. Mr. Dragon enjoyed it so much, he is currently reading Sansom's stand alone about Spain.

From the back cover: "In 1540 Henry VIII has been on the throne for thirty-one years. Lawyer Matthew Shardlake has been called to help a young girl accused of murder who refuses to speak in her own defense even when threatened with torture. On the verge of losing his case, Shardlake is suddenly granted a reprieve. His benefactor is Thomas Cromwell, the kings' feared vicar general, who offers him two more weeks to investigate further. In exchange, Shardlake must find a lost cache of "Dark Fire", an ancient weapon of mass destruction. What ensues is a page-turning adventure filled with period detail and wonderful characters."

This book won the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award for good reason!

There's a Mystery for Every Interest

(From fotosearch.com)

There are mysteries of all kinds, covering all sorts of interests, for all different readers. There are hard-boiled mysteries, Noir, urban fantasy, cozy mysteries and all sorts of combinations. There are mysteries for readers who like to cook, who like to read, who like scrap booking, tea drinking, falconry, needlepoint, collecting antiques. You get the idea. How about for collectors of teddy bears and knitters? You bet!

DIED IN THE WOOL: A Knitting Mystery by Mary Kruger is the first in a series of cozy myteries. Ariadne Evans is the proud owner of her very own knitting shop. She enters her store one day to find longtime customer Edith Perry strangled to death with homespun yarn. Now Edith wasn’t the easiest person to get along with so there is a long list of suspects. Detective Joshua Pierce, may or may not have designs on Ariadne (a little romance never hurts in a cozy mystery). Ariadne decides to do some sleuthing of her own. Hopefully, the killer isn’t as crafty as she.

I’m behind the times as this book was first published as a paperback in 2007. I thought it was well done and I like the characters -- something that is very important in cozy mysteries -- and I’d like to visit Ariadne in her shop. I do love yarn and the description of the purple heather hand spun, hand dyed yarn used to kill Edith really sounds lovely! There are several more books in this series and I’m looking forward to getting to know Ariadne and her friends better.

THE CRAFTY TEDDY: A Bear Collector’s Mystery by John J. Lamb is the third book in this “sort of cozy” police procedural. I say sort of because Mr. Lamb is a retired homicide detective and hostage negotiator. He has all the police procedural part of the books down to a science. He and his wife collect teddy bears (at last count had over 600), so he also knows the teddy bear business. Definitely an interesting combination and one I have really enjoyed.

From the back of the book:

“Retired San Francisco cop Brad Lyon is settling into a quieter life with his wife, Ashleigh, in Virginia’s mountain country, where they collect and create teddy bears. But even here, stuff happens...

The peace of the Shenandoah Valley is shattered when an intruder breaks into the Lyon home and makes off with the antique Farnell Alpha teddy bear -- one of the most celebrated stuffed animals in history, and also Brad’s gift to Ash on their twentieth wedding anniversary.

Afterward, life seems to be getting back to normal -- until a trio of Japanese gangsters inexplicably shows up in town, and then the local museum director is found dead. Even though it all seems a bit fur-fetched, Brad knows he’s got a 187 on his hands -- that’s California penal code for murder ...”

These are fun books. Well written and fast paced. Not too cozy or too hard-boiled. Brad and Ash, Tina Barron the County Sheriff and Sergei Zubatov (Brad’s best friend and the owner of Pinckney’s Brick Pit barbecue restaurant and former Soviet military attache -- or, in other words, spy) are all wonderful characters. Add the great information about bears (there are always ideas about where to buy bears and usually a bear artist or two are featured in the books) and a well written mystery -- well -- it’s the perfect brain candy for a rainy afternoon. I’m glad I have two more in my stack!

Even a rainy day brings JOY!

A Simple Woman's Daybook

Simple Woman’s Daybook

For Today...July 13, 2009

Outside my window... the sun is shining brightly. Not a cloud in the sky.

I am thinking...that I’d better get a move on. Off to the gym.

I am thankful for...another day on Mother Earth.

From the kitchen...bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches. Still using home grown tomatoes. It has amazed both of us how long our tomatoes have lasted on our balcony in all this heat. They came to an end today when I picked the last one.

I am wearing...my standard gym clothes - red shorts, gray Planet Hollywood T-shirt, tennis shoes

I am reading... Miss Julia Takes Over by Ann B. Ross. This is the second book in the Miss Julia series. It is a southern cozy with just a little bit of mystery. Quoting from Publishers Weekly “Imagine Aunt Bee from the Andy Griffith Show with a lot more backbone and confidence and drop her smack in the middle of a humorous, rollicking plot akin to that of the movie Smokey and the Bandit and you have the tone and pace of Ross’s entertaining second novel.” What’s funny -- Ross’s characters remind of people I know (or have heard about)! Great summer reading and I have 8 more in the series before I’m caught up.

I am hoping...for a break in the heat! We did have some rain last week -- one day when it rained in the morning, stayed cloudy, and broke the heat advisory (feels like temperatures are between 105-110 degrees F. or more). Wish the high pressure would move on down the road!

I am creating...Mrs. Piggy is finished (crochet), but I have to get some more yarn to finish up the little piglets. Here’s the finished Mrs. Piggy. Piglet photos to follow when they are done.

I wanted to make sure you saw her tail. She makes me laugh out loud!

I am praying... for Anne Marie and Cydney Marie, Jean and Carol

Around the house... it’s too quiet! I wonder what the kitties are doing? Mr. Dragon has feed the birds -- I can hear them outside talking to each other (Mr. Dragon and the birds).

One of my favorite things...rain!

A few plans for the rest of the week...staying cool is big on the list. I need to get to Sam’s Club. Make a dermatology appointment. Mr. Dragon has two more color pencil workshops. I need more pink yarn to finish the piglets -- Michaels here I come. Otherwise, stay at home and stay cool.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...I’ve always had a fondness for Mary Engelbreit and this card was in my mail this week from my Saurian Sister in California.

To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman’s Daybook. While Peggy is on summer vacation, more Daybook posts can be found at Grandmother Wren’s

Potpourri

It's Friday so it must be Potpourri Time!
I'll start out with the latest journal page.
I call it prayer.
In many ways, very simple - no writing by me.

I finished Beautiful Ghosts by Eliot Pattison. This is the fourth novel in the series featuring disgraced Chinese Inspector Shan Tao Yun. I suppose mystery reviewers would call this a suspense thriller. Shan was sent to a work camp in Tibet for taking on corruption of his superiors - a very dangerous thing to do. Shan is released from the camp, but without papers of any kind, no status, official identity or the freedom to return to China. He lives with Tibetan lamas where he has learned about Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism. In Beautiful Ghosts, a murder in a ruined monastery in Tibet and an art theft in Beijing are linked. The same officials who exiled Shan are asking for his help.

I love these books. Pattison brings alive the Tibetan people, their old way of life, their life under the Chinese, their hopes. It is heart breaking and hopeful at the same time. I had been saving Beautiful Ghosts to read. I don't want the series to end. I have one more tucked away.


Wormwood: A China Bayles Mystery by Susan Wittig Albert is the latest in this long running cozy mystery series. China is an ex-lawyer and an herbalist. In Wormwood, China has decided to assist her friend, Martha, with some herbal workshops in a historic Shaker village in Kentucky. It seems like a Garden of Eden, but is far from it. The restored modern version of the village is plagued with misfortune and strife - some of it sabotage. Martha, a member of the board and a relative of a Shaker who left the fold long ago, is hoping China can get to the bottom of it.

I do enjoy the China Bayles mysteries. I love the herbal lore. I'm always learning something new. In Wormwood, Albert has added lots of Shaker history. More things to learn! And, as in all good cozy mysteries, there are some delicious sounding recipes at the end. Also, at the end, lists of herbs for Shaker Gardens: A Medicinal Garden, Tea Garden and Culinary Garden.

The grand opening of the Arts of India Gallery is tonight.
YeeeeeHaaaaw!
Finally!
And I have to leave you with a little something I found on another blog.
(Did I make a note of where I found it? If I did, I can't find it! I apologize!)

Smile!
Joy to You!

Potpourri

Happy Friday everyone!

Today I have a journal page, cross stitch and a short review of a cozy mystery.

The journal page "Life is a Garden" was fun to do.
I cut and pasted, and cut and pasted, and cut and pasted, and .....
I stamped some, too - but didn't like it and tried to cover it over.
All in all, I like Ms. Flora in her garden.

Isn't this cute? Now I have to get it framed.
I have cross-stitch urge.
Good thing.
I have a huge tote bag full of counted cross stitch that needs to be done!

Lastly, I finished The Silver Needle Murder: A Tea Shop Mystery by Laura Childs. This was number nine in this cozy mystery series set in Charleston, South Carolina. I sometimes wonder why I have continued to read this series. The mystery is usually an easy one to figure out or one that comes to a completion in a moment and makes no sense. I decided I continue to read them because I like the setting and the characters. Theodosia Browning and the staff of the Indigo Tea Shop are "the cats pajamas" (thank you granny). Theodosia has a dog named Earl Grey who occasionally is in the spotlight; Drayton is a master tea blender; Haley the young baker extraordinaire; Delaine Dish owns the Cotton Duck Boutique; Detective Tidwell and Charleston is, well, Charleston!

In The Silver Needle Murder the Charleston Film Festival brings a busy week of catering jobs to the Indigo Tea Shop. The first job is for the opening night gala at the historic and newly renovated, Belvedere Theatre. The festival starts off with a bang when famous director Jordan Cole is shot on his way to the podium and the entire audience witnesses his death silhouetted across the scrim.

Theodosia is asked to stand in as a judge when two of them quit. She agrees and gets pulled into the investigation of the murder.

As in all good cozy mysteries, Theo finds out who done it by accident. She's in the wrong place at the right time. But the conclusion was a little abrupt and not well concluded. There are some nice recipes at the end and some suggestions for tea parties.

So, will I read another in the series? Yes! I love the characters and all the talk about one of my favorite subjects, TEA. I want to hear what new blend Drayton has come up with and what Haley's menu for the day is. Yum!

If you like cozy mysteries, these would be good summer reads (especially if you like TEA). Most of them are available in paperback at your local used book store.

Happy Friday!

Potpourri

Here's the Friday Journal Page. I think it says it all. Everyone needs to "Take Five" every now and then! I had a great time putting this page together and I finally used some napkins that Sharon sent to me back in December. Better late than never. The wrinkled feet are because my journal book is wrinkled. That's okay. I'm wrinkled, too!

Sharon is doing some videos now. You can find her on YouTube.
I did want to share this video from her blog on the use of napkins.
This is part one.

I'm getting ready for summer with lots of "brain candy". Abby Cooper: Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie falls under brain candy and fun. In the first book of the series, Abby's work as a psychic intuitive can be very rewarding but when a client winds up dead it seems that Abby may know too many details about the murder for her own good. She doesn't know if she can solve the case, but the killer thinks she can! This was a fast and fun read. There are at least five more in this series and Laurie has another "ghost busting" series. Between Miss Julia from last week and the Laurie books, I think I can stock up with some brain candy for summer!



A Lifetime of Peace: Essential Writings by and about Thich Nhat Hanh Edited by Jennifer Schwamm Willis is a whole different kind of brain candy. This is at least the fourth time I've read this book. I sit down and read a chapter ... put it down for awhile ... pick it up again ... read another chapter. You get the idea. I learn something every time I read it. I guess you could say it is one of my favorite books.

This book draws on dozens of sources to collect the very best writing by and about Thich Nhat Hanh. It is both a political and spiritual handbook which encompasses all of Thich Nhat Hanh's major themes—mindfulness, love, truth, compassion, and peace on earth. This collection not only presents Hanh's writing about his experiences during the Vietnam War and excerpts from his journals, but also subjects such as his advice for those entering into meditation practice and his unique insights into Buddhist and Christian theology. A Lifetime of Peace is an examination of the nature of peace—both as an inner state of being and as a real condition in the world.

Hope your Friday has been inspiring and beautiful and your
weekend is the same!

Books

I have been reading - mostly mystery novels - in between my research on India, Hinduism and Buddhism. My fun reading lets me relax. It's mind clearing!

Bookmarked For Death: A Booktown Mystery by Lorna Barrett is the second book in her new cozy series. They are set in a small town in New Hampshire on a street that would be any book lovers delight -- a street full of book stores. To celebrate her bookstore's ( Haven't Got A Clue) anniversary, Tricia Miles hosts a book signing for local, best selling author Zoe Carter. The event takes a terrible turn when the author is found dead in the washroom. I enjoyed seeing the characters from the first book that I liked so much. They are quirky and feel like they'd be welcome at my place anytime for a cup of tea. Tricia's sister, Angelica, now owns the cookbook store next door. As with any good cozy, there are recipes at the end.


Runner: A Jane Whitefield Novel by Thomas Perry is the book I just finished. Jane, a Native American guide who helps people assume identities has been gone from the book world for nine years. Jane is now married and living a quiet life as a surgeons wife. It's nice to have her back. A bomb goes off in the middle of a hospital fundraiser. A young pregnant girl has been tracked across country by a team of hired hunters. Jane helps her escape and then sets about helping the young girl begin a new life. Of course, it's not as easy as one, two, three. There is plenty of suspense. I liked having Jane back. This series was one that I faithfully followed for many years. Times have changed since the last time Jane *ran*. I thought the book was fast at the beginning, then slowed in the middle and then set a break neck speed at the end. Guess that's the sign of a well written suspense novel. Fans of Jane Whitefield will be glad to see her back. Those who have not read any of the series before, may not like having any background on Jane.


Dragon's Kin is a novel by Anne McCaffrey and her son Todd McCaffrey. Ms. McCaffrey started writing the Pern series in 1968 and it has never gone out of style. Todd McCaffrey joins his mother as author on this novel. A mining camp's watch wher dies and young Kindan and his new friend Nuella learn about loss, friendship and responsibility. Impossible dreams are never out of reach - a lesson that we all should learn! Knowledge about the watch whers and their relationships to the dragons has been lost. Kindan and Nuella work to relearn that knowledge.