I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

I read a review of this book here at Everyday Reading. It sounded fun, and like a great book to read on vacation, so I bought the Kindle version to take with me to Hawaii.

It was a fun and sometimes funny book. A little romance, a cute premise. I liked it. It is a very contemporary book - about a lost cell phone and lots of texts and emails going back and forth on cell phones. I always wonder what it will be like to read a book like this in ten or fifteen years.

It's very Sophie Kinsella, if you've read any of her other books. There are some language issues (the f-bomb). I usually find that word very, very offensive, but somehow when Brits use it, it's not so bad in my mind. I've heard (and choose to believe) that it's not as bad a word to them as it is for us Americans. Maybe that's just a poor excuse on my part to ignore it in this book.

I would not recommend reading this book on a Kindle like I did. A fun part of the book are footnotes that are scattered throughout. There was a blurb at the beginning of the book telling how to access the footnotes on e-readers, so that helped, but it was time-consuming and frustrating to do so. Maybe other e-readers would be easier than my Kindle.

Current Reading

To tell the truth, I haven't really been reading. I realized that I've spent a total of about 20 minutes reading this last week. That means something is wrong.

So I analyzed the situation. Yes, I've been busy. But my life is always busy, and somehow I manage to get my reading fix every day. Yes, I have books available to read. Many, many books. So what's the hold up?

I finally admitted it. I don't really like the book I'm reading. It's my book club book for this month. If it weren't, I wouldn't finish the book. It's actually an easy read, and I should have had it done by now, but there it sits, day after day, night after night, getting dusty by the side of my bed.

I've been agonizing: do I take the book with me on my nice relaxing vacation? It's a library book, and I do not want to buy it under any circumstances. I don't want to take a library book on vacation - especially one I don't like.

I decided to just finish the book when I get home. After all, vacations are for relaxing and taking advantage of all that extra time to read, read, read. When I consulted our book club schedule and my calendar to see how long I'd have to read the book when I get home, it turns out that I won't be able to attend book club the night we review that book after all.

So happy to not have to finish a book I really don't like! So sad to have missed all that reading time because I didn't want to read the book. Let that be a lesson to me. I've come a long way because I finally have given myself permission to stop reading books I don't like, but I try very hard to be responsible and read the books chosen in book club. After all, that's why I'm part of that group - to expand my reading horizons.

When this post is published I will be in Hawaii, preparing to read at the beach, read by the pool, and spend delightful time with my friends. I'll even get to see my sister and her family. The perfect vacation.

Prepare for an onslaught of reading posts when I return.

Debra's Sampler Quilt

A little over a year ago my friend Trish and I gave some quilting lessons to my daughters Debra and Beth. We went over to their house once a week, taught them a new skill, and gave them an assignment to have done by the next week. The quilts are beautiful! Debra finished piecing hers, and I ended up quilting it for her. I asked her if I could try some new things I've learned and she graciously consented to let her masterpiece be my guinea pig. 

I learned a lot in the process - next time will be better, I hope. I won't enumerate my mistakes, but let's just say Debra was a good sport. If you want to read her side of the story, and more details about the quilt, you can read it here on her blog.

For my own record, here are a lot (a lot) of pictures of the quilt. Debra took the pictures for me. 

Zippy Strippy Bags

About a year and a half ago I saw these very cute bags that Nicole at Sister's Choice Quilts made. I promptly bought the pattern (Zippy Strippy by Terry Atkinson), and put it on the shelf, just waiting for the right fabrics to come along. 

When I recently finished making my bags I had a lot of scraps leftover from my bali pops, and knew this pattern would be a perfect way to use them up. (By the way, my bali pops were not consistently cut at 2 1/2 inches wide. Some were as thin as 2 1/4 inches. The patterns I used them for were very forgiving, but be aware if you are planning on making something with bali pops that needs to be very accurate.)

I got a little carried away. I made seven bags. They were very easy, and very fun to make. These are the medium sized bags. I didn't buy any new fabric to make these, and I only had to buy two zippers. It was a great way to use up some stash.

Sisters 2012

Jennifer, Sally, Ann, Diane, Amy
Orva, Mom, Elna

I just arrived home from my Sisters weekend, and like I told Orva, I'm so tired my head feels like a big pumpkin ready to fall right off my weak little neck. 

The Linford sisters and sisters-in-law and my mother-in-law get together the second week-end in March every year. Thursday evening until Monday morning. We've been doing it since 1991, and we love it. Only nursing babies are allowed, so we have a wonderful weekend just to spend time with one another. There are nine of us when everyone comes, which is usually. This year one could not come. We missed her.

Way back when we first started getting together for our Sisters weekend, Amy began our tradition of what we call party favors. We each bring a gift for everyone. We bring the same gift for everyone, and it is so fun. This year Sally gave us a Turbie-twist, a computer cleaning cloth, a chamois for cleaning, fun reading glasses, and some wonderful bamboo clothes pins. Jennifer gave each of us a ruffly scarf and a book mark that says, "Keep calm and read on." I gave a necklace with forget-me-nots on it, and a digital copy of the Nat King Cole Christmas Album with the Children's Chorus that my husband and four of his siblings sang on. Elna gave us each a small white "pocket" to put in our temple dress pocket to hold mints, or tissues. She also gave us each a necklace that says, "Keep calm and carry on." Ray's mom gave us each a scarf with kanji that says, "No success can compensate for failure in the home," and a pretty purse that she bought when she was in Cambodia. Amy gave us a glass nail file, a Christmas card game that her friend made, and some great hair product. Ann gave us the recipe and makings for home-made laundry detergent. All we have to do is mix it with the correct amount of water and we're ready to go. Orva made corn bags for us. They're bags filled with corn that we can heat up and use as a bed warmer, or put on aching muscles, etc. Altogether we had a wonderful collection of party favors. 

This year we stayed at Ray's parents, and Dad came to my house and spent the weekend with Ray. We all brought projects to work on, and we transformed Mom's lovely living room into a production line. It was delightful to all be gathered in one room, working on fun things, and talking and chatting from early morning to late at night (hence the current pumpkin feeling).

We took time out on Saturday afternoon to have lunch with our daughters who are local and/or are attending BYU. So fun!

I'm home now, and already anticipating the next time we can all get together.

Party Favors

Lunch at Brick Oven. Front row, l-r: Sally, baby David, Elna, Mom, Orva, Beth, Diane, Debra
Back row, l-r: Amy, Nancy, Jennifer, Annie, Christine, Ann, Elna, Charlotte, Jane, Laura, baby Eloise

Outside Brick Oven: l-r: Jane, Jennifer, Anne, Laura, baby Elouise, Orva, Elna, Elna, Annie, Chirstine, baby Housley, Diane, Amy, Debra, Mom, Charlotte, Beth

Dinner time - oh, we had good food! Clockwise from left: Orva, Elna, Amy, Ann, Diane, Sally, Jennifer, Mom

Project beginnings

Me sewing. 

Sally at the computer, scanning photos

Jennifer, sewing

Orva, cutting fabric

Amy, ironing

Elna and Ann, cutting and counting

Mom, the great organizer

Elna, Amy, Orva, Ann, Mom with the results of four days of cutting fabric from old dresses our daughters wore.

Beautiful Cards

Post-a-Quote card by Ken Logsdon

August of 2001 found me at Orchard House, the home of Louisa May Alcott in Concord, Massachusetts. Now, I love all things Louisa May Alcott, and have since I was a young girl. I was browsing in the gift shop and found some beautiful, handmade cards with quotes from Miss Alcott on them. I couldn't resist. I bought several.

When I got home I examined the cards. They were very classy and unique. I discovered they were made by Ken Logsdon. His company is Post-a-Quote: Correspondence Cards for the Literate. All his cards are handmade, handwritten, and handsigned.

In the eleven years since I first discovered Post-a-Quote I've kept myself well stocked with his cards. My favorite is the one with Louisa May Alcott's quote: Life is my college. May I graduate well and earn some honors. I have wedding cards, humorous cards, and literary cards.

I've never really shared this source of great cards before. I liked being exclusive. But when I got the most recent newsletter I thought how silly of me not to share. So I contacted Ken and asked, do you mind if I give you a shout out on my blog? He was happy to have me do so. (I told him I have limited readership, but they are indeed literate.)

So here it is. If you like beautiful, one of a kind cards (he'll do custom images and quotes), check out www.postaquote.com. Louisa May Alcott is actually just a tiny portion of what he offers.

Let me reassure you that I was not asked to promote Ken's cards. I just wanted to share a great product I've come to love.

Zumbalicious

It's all the rage. People Zumba at the gym, people Zumba at home, people Zumba everywhere.

So when a class was offered at a local church, I jumped on the bandwagon. I liked that it was free, I liked that it would be a mix of ages, and I liked that I coincidentally know one of the instructors. What could it hurt to give it a try?

I love it. It's a great change of pace from my treadmill, and it's social. But as I attempt to move in the prescribed manner (rather than the contortions I usually manage), a few things run through my mind:

1. Good thing there's no mirror in here.
2. I'm sweating like a pig.
3. How come everyone else can bend their knees further than I can?
4. Come on, you can keep your arms up. This song can't last forever. Or can it?
5. Good thing my backside is my best side (I stand in the front so I can see the steps better).
6. Just when I caught on to that step, she changed what we're doing.
7. If I imagine that I look and move like the instructor, can that make it be true?
8. Perhaps my job in this class is to make everyone feel great about how well they are doing when they see how I am doing.
9. Perhaps I provide a little comic relief?
10. If I get a C for close-but-not-quite, I at least get an A for effort.
11. Where's my water?

Household Hint

We have a cat. A fluffy, beautiful cat. That fluff gets annoying, though, when he sheds. We have him shaved every six months or so to help combat the cat fur fluff that ends up all over the place.

Last year I heard that Scotch-Brite scrubbers pick up animal fur quickly and thoroughly. I thought it would be worth a try. I heard right. All I have to do is skim the scrubber over the couch, or whatever has the cat fur, and it comes right up. This will save a lot of money on lint rollers. 

It will also save a lot of effort on my part. And perhaps save some mental cursing when I notice cat fur on my black pants. Or black skirt. Or black socks. Or black coat. You get the idea.

Before

After