Musing Mondays

Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading, Musing Mondays asked several questions and you are asked to answer only one.

Today I will be talking about a new reading habit of mine -- reading in bed before I go to sleep.  My husband bought me my fifth Nook for Christmas.  Excess?  Absolutely!  NOT MY FAULT!  They need to quit coming out with new models.  However, I have been passing my other models on to family members so that is good.  Anyway, my latest acquisition is the new Nook Glowlight.  It is significantly lighter in weight than my Nook Simple Touch but more importantly, it has a light which makes it easy to read in bed and not disturb the Hubs. 

So, because I have the light now, I can read a bit in bed without the light disturbing the Hubs.  I don't read long because it absolutely puts me to sleep but it is such a nice way to end the day.  I don't watch the news much because that is just disturbing before you try to get a good nights sleep but reading is  a much gentler way to nod off.  I haven't always read in bed because of the lighting issue but now I can and I am enjoying that five to ten minutes before I drift off.  Fortunately I conk out before the urge to stay up all night reading strikes.

Anyway, this is my new reading habit and it is a nice one for sure!

Downton Abbey


Hubs and I don't watch a lot of television.  It may be "on" but that doesn't mean we are watching it.  My father was a television news announcer when I was a child and the television was always on with him keeping up with the news of the day so he had some idea of what he would be reporting on at 10 p.m.  After he left news reporting he worked as a cartoonist and, because he had always worked at night, he continued to work at night so there was always noise, either the television or the radio.  So, I became very accustomed to the constant noise factor and I still find myself comforted by it. 

We do watch a few things on a regular basis, however.  We watch my soap opera "Days of Our Lives" every evening -- we DVR.  Then, we watch "Elementary", "Revenge" and "Parenthood".  A year or so ago we got rid of all our "premium" cable channels, bought a Roku and subscribed to Acorn and Hulu Plus.  A great deal of our television viewing is done via this device as we love all the British mysteries on Acorn.  We are working our way through the Hercule Poirot mysteries now, having finished the George Gently mysteries, which I absolutely loved. 

However, there is nothing like Masterpiece Theater on PBS which usually has such wonderful offerings.  We have all been looking forward to season 4 of "Downtown Abbey" which began airing last night and we weren't disappointed!  A two hour episode of this series to start us out was pure delight  I love the setting and scenery as well as the costuming.  The characters are wonderful -- glad to see O'Brien go -- she was so devious.  And what about that dreadful Nanny?  It is so much fun to see the personalities of the staff as well as the "upstairs" family and to see them interact so personally.  I remember watching "Upstairs, Downstairs" and while both sides of the house were represented in the story, I don't remember there being such interpersonal relationships between the staff and the family. 

It was a wonderful evening for television viewing and I heard recently that they have already started filming season 5!  I hope this series is around for a long time!

Dont' Have Time--

For a blog! It is time for Downton Abbey!  Love, love, love!

Shopping Spree!!!

I have always had an interest in quilting but I prefer hand quilting to machine quilting even though it is hard on my hands.  I don't really care for machine piecing because I am not really very good at it but hand piecing is so -- well, slow.  So, I have been exploring English Paper Piecing and absolutely love it. I started with EPP a while back and abandoned it -- don't know why -- but have picked it up again.  It is something mindless to do while watching tv and it doesn't make a huge mess. 

I am also going to go back to foundation piecing because I like the accuracy of it.  I have made a few blocks with the paper foundations and find it a lot of fun, once I figure I have things going correctly.

However, after browsing through several blogs I realized I needed some new stuff to do either of these techniques. No, I don't really need new stuff but what a great opportunity to go do a little shopping.  I haven't set foot in a quilt store in quite a while so it was good fun.

This is what I came home with.

1.  Add-a-quarter ruler to make my trims better on my foundation piecing. 

2.  Two packages of templates for my English Paper Piecing

3.  Sewline glue stick to eliminate basting on the EPP.  I have tried it but not
      sure how I like it yet.

4.  Refill cartridges for the glue stick.

5.  Clover applique pins.  TINY! but oh-so-cute.

I guess all this means I need to get myself in gear and start getting busy!

Book Beginnings on Friday

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Rose City Reader.  The premise is to share the first sentence or two of what you are currently reading.

I am beginning this book as I share this line with you so here goes:


"Liverpool was a desperate place on October 9, 1940, when Julia Stanley Lennon gave birth tp her first and only son, at the Oxford Maternity Home."

Yes, this is a biography of John Lennon written by Tim Riley.  My first impression of this book came when I saw the cover in the store -- a somber John Lennon looking through rose colored glasses.  I never thought of John Lennon as anything but a realist and a bit cynical so the idea of him looking at life through pink tinted shades just doesn't mesh with my impression of him.  I look forward to seeing if perhaps he was a bit more idealistic and optimistic as a youngster than he was as an adult.

From the descriptive language of the first sentence I expect this book to be written in a realistic manner, sometimes harsh, but never sugar coated.  That remains to be seen.  I will review when I am done.  Loads of photos in this book -- I am sure I will enjoy that!

Booking Through Thursday -- January 2, 2014


Looky, looky - I got the date right!

I digress.

Today's question for Booking Through Thursday is "What Were Your Favorite Books Last Year".

This is easy -- the books I read by Dorothea Benton Frank.  I was looking for an audio book to read on my daily commute and decided on "Folly Beach" because I recognized the cover and it was affordable at my neighborhood Half Price Books.  The first five minutes into the book and I was hooked.  It helped that it was narrated by a fantastic speaker in the form of Robin Miles.  This led me into a love for the Frank books and a love for audio books.

I went on to read "Pawley's Island", "Sullivan's Island", "Return to Sullivan's Island" and "Porch Lights".  I am pretty sure I am not done with Dorothea Benton Frank yet -- will let you know.

Deja Vu All Over Again and Let the New Year's Reading Begin


Meet H and C.  They are "best friends".  Their mothers, B and C, were best friends at the same age.  C looks just like her mother and H looks just like hers so, for me, it is like deja vu all over again! They were at my house yesterday afternoon visiting and they were so much fun to watch.  This was the best moment!

H (on the left) and C -- New Year's Eve 2014

New Year's Eve was spent at home.  We enjoyed a chuck roast I had put in the crock pot almost twenty four hours earlier and I can't tell you how good it tasted.  I had roasted veggies and scalloped potatoes with it.  After dinner we settled down to a bowl game -- Texas A&M vs Duke University.  I only watched with one eye because I had already started on my 2014 Reading Challenge.

I am drawing my books from four sources -- The Elm Creek Series, The Aunt Dimity Series, my Nook queue and the Nancy Drew series.  I also have a couple of biographies to enjoy as well.  The first book I am starting with is one from my Nook -- I am just starting with the first in the alphabetical library list.  However, with that said, I am dismissing any that may have sounded like a good idea when I acquired them but no longer hold any interest for me.  I have no plan to spend my time reading books I am not interested in just because I have them.

The book is "90 Minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper.  It is a short book, less than 200 pages and it is packed with a painful account of how Mr. Piper was in a horrific automobile accident, sustained horrific injuries, died for 90 minutes and came back to tell the tale.  I don't know why I am chosing to read a book with so much pain involved but I can't put it down.  Do I believe that he actually saw heaven?  I don't know yet but his story sounds an awful lot like the one my brother in law has retold when he had a heart attack a year ago.  So, I will continue and review when I am done.

I am not good at reading more than one book at a time but I think I am going to jump into the John Lennon biography.

I never had a favorite Beatle but I now I think that John Lennon is the most interesting.  Of course, I still believe in the Paul Is Dead Conspiracy so what do I know?

I did buy a new book for my personal library.  I have read quite a few Dorothea Benton Frank books and have decided to add them to my own bookshelves.  So, when I visited Half Price Books a couple of days ago I picked up a brand new copy of "Folly Beach" for only $5.98.  I listened to this book on audio book for my 2013 challenge but I might just have to read the actual book.

So, that is the beginning of my new year.  Relaxing day reading and stitching today, dinner with daughter tonight and getting on with the rest of my life tomorrow.

Have a good one!

Happy New Year!

Yes, yes, I realize that it is 17 hours too early but chances are slim to none that I will be awake at midnight so....there you go!

As I take stock of 2013 I have to say that it was a pretty good year in spite of the drama that ensued.  It started out slow and went on without a hitch until July when my daughter and I both got sick and had to had surgery all within two weeks of each other.  However, we seem to have come out on the victorious side and life is getting back to normal.  Now I am looking forward to the new year and am making plans.

I don't believe in resolutions because they usually involve food -- basically the not eating of it -- and I just fail miserably at that.  If I say I am never eating sugar any more you can be guaranteed that I will have a cookie in my hand before I finish typing the sentence.  So, yeah, no resolutions.  Instead, I would like to look at the goals I have for the year.

Quilting -- yes, I am anxious to get back to it.  I have been away from it -- having burned myself out on it for a while.  It seemed that every time I looked around I was required to make a quilt for something and it went from a joyous pastime to a chore so I stopped.  I have always loved handwork though and am now exploring English Paper Piecing and hope to ease my way back into quilting for pleasure.

Reading -- I signed up for two reading challenges in 2013 and contributed to both.  I committed to 20 books for the 2013 Goodreads Reading Challenge and actually read about 25-26.  I also signed up for the Pre-1960 Children's Literature Challenge and read 5 for that one.  I feel like I did pretty well, I learned some authors new to me, I fell in love with Nancy Drew and I explored audio books which were a fantastic help on my daily commute.

I am only signing up for one reading challenge this year -- the Goodreads 2014 Reading Challenge and the first books I will be reading are a biography of John Lennon that I got for Christmas, the next Elm Creek Quilt series book "The Quilter's Legacy", one off my Nook queue "90 Minutes in Heaven" and the fourth in the Nancy Drew series.  I don't know if I will read them simultaneously or one after another -- I usually don't do well trying to read more than one at a time but I will see.

Exercise -- yes, well, I need to do that but after whacking my back out on my Tony Little Gazelle I think I will be revisiting pilates -- on my bedroom floor -- and walking on my little feet.  I have a path through the house that yields 100 steps with my stride.  Yes, I don't have a large house and I would have to walk this path about a bazillion times to get enough steps in for the day but at least I wouldn't have a backache.  So. yes, exercise will be a daily, ongoing challenge it seems.

Eating -- ah, I said eating wasn't going to be a part of this but it is.  I am definitely going to try to eat better -- more fruit and veg, less meat and fewer treats.  I think moderation is the key here.

My blogs -- definitely more attention to the blogs and less attention to Facebook.  Who knew how addictive FB could be and I am sure it is not a good addiction so less Face time and more bloggy time. 

So, there are some of my goals for the year.  I am sure I will have others as the year goes on but for now, this will keep me very busy and I look forward to getting on with it.

So, again, Happy New Year!

Cosmetic Update

A while back I posted about my quest for less toxic cosmetics and skin care.  I think at the time I mentioned that my skin care routine now consists of two products -- Dr. Bronner's baby soap and rosewater.  I did buy a bottle of Burt's Bees Rosewater Toner with glycerin the other day and started using it instead of the bottle of plain rosewater I was using.  No particular reason -- and it works the same.  I don't think I will ever vary from this routine because it is just so easy and very cheap frugal.

I have been using the Rejuva line of mineral makeup for a few months now and I have to say I love it.  Well, not all of it.  I love the foundation and the blush is what I have been looking for all my life! I don't see myself changing either of those any time soon.  I don't care for the eyeliner pencil I bought as it isn't soft and doesn't go on well on my old, creapy eyelids.  The mascara isn't what I thought it would be either.  It goes on well and doesn't clump but it tends to smudge.  I will finish the tube but I don't know that I will re-order.

Looking at other sources for cosmetics I ran across a company called 100% Pure Cosmetics.  I ordered a lipstick.  I don't care for it but it came in a lovely little case.

I think part of it is that I just don't like lipstick so for now I am using Burt's Bees Replenishing tinted balm.  I don't think Burt's Bees is so pure but for now it is the best I can do for lippies.  I digress.  The lipstick came with three little samples of other 100% Pure products and I absolutely love them.  One is a coffee bean eye cream,

 one is a coconut body cream

 and the other is a super fruit anti-aging cream.  I just tried the super fruit cream this evening and so far I like it but I love the other two -- so much that I placed an order for full sized containers of the products.  I might add the super fruit cream after a couple of days of trying the sample.  I am also going to give their eye shadows a closer look.

So, that is where I stand on the less toxic cosmetics.  I have had no desire to search for new foundation or blush and the little containers are so cute!  I would recommend for sure!  I will give another review on the 100% Pure skin care products after I have a chance to use them more.

New Blog

I started a new blog today.  It isn't to replace this one.  This one will remain what it is and won't overlap with the new one.  The new one is faith based and is actually a personal discipline of gratitude journaling.  I am making it public so that maybe others will want to join in with their own gratitude journal.  So, visit me here if you wish:

http://tinklepaw.blogspot.com

New Blog Look --

Ok, last night I spent a little time messing with the blog.  I tried on some of the backgrounds from other places -- some worked, some didn't, some were just frustrating so I came back to the standard ones on Blogger.  I have always liked this one -- a little bit more than just "plain" but not overwhelming.  Some blog pages I see are so busy that I tend to look at the page and not read the content.  They are lovely, to be sure, and definitely catch my eye but again, I am there to read content.  So, I decided on this one so I could add my own photos.

Speaking of photos, I decided to remove the Christmas photo -- nice as it was -- and put up something a bit more wintery.  This is a photo of our back garden during the recent ice storm.  Looks cold and dreary, right?  Well, that is because it was.  Fortunately we didn't lose power which was wonderful.  Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt and it wasn't fun.  Anyway, the patio doesn't look like this right now but we are in for another cold snap beginning this afternoon so who knows what might happen.  I am hoping for nothing!

I also added some new lists to the blog.  I am only subscribing to one official reading challenge this year -- the 2014 Goodreads Reading Challenge -- but I have a few personal goals.  I love reading books in a series.  There are two series that I am particularly enjoying right now -- The Elm Creek Quilt series and the Aunt Dimity mystery series.  My goal is to finish these two series this year so making a list on here makes sense as I can see at a glance what I have read.  I also added a list for the Nancy Drew series.  I have no plans to finish this series this year as there are many, many books in the series.  I might stop at the original books and not progress through the more modern writings.  However, since I am enjoying that series as well I would like to keep a tab of what I have read. 

In addition to all the reading, I am pursuing a new quilting technique -- well, new to me but it is quite old in reality.  I have explored English Paper Piecing in the past -- in fact, I just ran across sixteen "flowers" that I made a while back.  I started again and am having great fun both sewing and reading blogs about technique, finishing and such.  Apparently EPP is to quilters what knitting is to knitters -- portable, relaxing and addictive.

Not sure how I am going to finish these -- whether I am going to link them all together and make a quilt top -- applique them down and make quilt squares or put them together and make cushion covers or link them together and make a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.  I have a couple of other projects to finish before I get too involved with this but it is really nice to sit in front of the fire (and tv) and stitch away.  I have always loved hand sewing from quilting to embroidery and cross stitch.  I would like knitting and crocheting but apparently I was out of the room when that gene was passed on.

I will be starting a new blog on Wednesday -- well, Tuesday night probably.  It is devoted to gratitude and will be heavy on the spiritual side.  I am doing it as a personal discipline and I thought about keeping it very private but then I decided that it would be a good opportunity to encourage others to count their blessings and maybe see life from another perspective.  Anybody who is interested is certainly welcome to visit me there but if that isn't your "thing" feel free to visit me here -- the two blogs will not be linked -- both have different purposes and will probably have different audiences. 

So, there you have it -- blog overhaul, dreary photo, and goals for a New Year!