Lilac update

So far,  they are doing very well.  But I am under no illusions here.  We are not out of the frost free zone. This weekend, in fact...perhaps...

Spring is trying very hard.  And in spite of The Guy’s efforts at ‘thinning’ last year, the violets are blooming.

I am making good progress getting the beds cleaned out, and say that I am about 85% there.  Maybe 90%, because I am optimistic that way!

And I am seeing tall bearded iris buds in the front yard.  I have the little guys blooming already.

May is right around the corner.

Hooked

Earlier this year, after I received my Kindle for Christmas, I started watching 3 or 4 sites that offered the heads-up on the ‘cheap read’ Kindle offers, books offered for free, or $1, or $3, or (gasp) even $5, generally.

Now many of these books are not my cuppa’ joe.  I have never been one for the bodice ripper romance novels (not judging, just saying…).  I do not read horror or the vampire genre.  And omylard…these seem to be a dime a dozen.

Or free, as the case is now.  These seem to be given away for e-readers.  Do not ask me why.

Also the Christian publishers…they like to give their books away, too.  Which is nice.  If one goes for that sort of read.

I did find some that were good reads…you know…in my book. Some mystery, which I can read a few at a time, especially historical ones.  That is, until I get creeped out by what the authors are thinking up for their characters to do.  (I mean really...if authors can think up this stuff...) I even found some young adult reads, that didn’t match up to Harry Potter, but were palate cleansing…and for free…well heck (she shrugs…) why not?  And some historical fiction, which I do enjoy.  Some political thriller types, contemporary fiction…et cetera et cetera et cetera....

In fact, it was very educational, to become…educated…in the indie publishing vs ‘name brand’ publisher pricing and what all that was about.

And in that line, I did buy a couple of books from the ‘big houses’ that were part of a series that I had started a long time ago, but hadn’t bought the hard copies of the last couple of books, because of price.  Also, I am not going to mention the series by name, because the series is just the respectable side of trashy, and I am a little embarrassed to be so taken by it.  But what’s cool about the Kindle?  I could read these ‘books’ without anyone knowing I was reading ‘almost trash’! These last two books were ‘on sale’ for $5.  So it was all cool.

There was one other book I bought for $5.  HBO was making a series based on it.  I hadn’t heard much more about it than that.  I read the description which said ‘resembles England during the War of the Roses’, but had fun stuff…like barbarians and direwolves and a great ice wall…so not for real.  Fantasy/historical fiction…highly rated.  Award winning.   Five bucks.  Sold.

I have finished six kindle books since I received the gift of my Kindle, and last week randomly chose Game Of Thrones as my next read.

Oh my. I kid you not.  I have been sneaking into the bathroom at work with it trying to eke out another page or two.  I have found it fascinating.

And unfortunately addictive.  There are going to be seven books in the series.  Four are written.  Number five will be released in July 2011.  Which is really really great…but…

also unfortunately, all full price, at $9.  The Kindle Store is like…a pusher!

Do not believe for a minute that the big publishers are going to sell a book by a big author for less just because paper is not involved.  And while some big authors wind up on the sale tables at Barnes and Noble relatively quickly, I saw a display of this particular series last weekend that led me to think I needed to buy Clash of Kings at least.

You know.  For my next fix.

edited to add...I started Book Three: A Storm of Swords last night...I am lost...

New Things on The Needles of Iron

I am not really sure what has happened.  I was cruising through this year whacking out a bunch o’ little projects (knitting) to keep me focused on Big and Pressing Projects (quilting) when suddenly!  This week!  I find 3 rather complicated projects on the needles.
With a deadline.
#1 came about in the middle of the night.  After waking, but before going back to sleep, I thought of one skein of silk (rav linky) I have that just might match the dress I am thinking to wear to the wedding in June.  In the daylight, it was discovered that the silk yarn does indeed match perfectly, and I think a mini-shawl of silk is just the thing for a beach wedding.  After much searching and contemplating, I think I have settled on a mini-Annis out of this.
#2 So I was emailed Eldest my idea, and while she was flutzing around Rav on my login, she found a swimsuit cover-up, and asked me what I thought, which was not much, as it was a crocheted garment.  Disappointed she was, but she did not have the mad advanced searching skilz that the Mother-Unit has.  It required the purchase of a Vogue mag, but this (rav linky) was decided upon, and I even half most of the yarn required.  The rest was tracked down through another Rav member (I just love poking through other people’s stashes!) and a swap was arranged for some of my hand-dyed handspun.  Suh-weet! So #10 Mesh Cover-Up, out of this.

#3 In contemplating the idea of a swimsuit cover-up, I considered it would be good to have one also, and I like the wrap-the-triangle-around-the-hips action.  I found a pattern for one, but on close inspection, I thought it was lame lame lame!  And then I thought, that is nothing but a shawl!  I have hundreds….nay….THOUSANDS!!! of shawl patterns at my finger tips that are very cool, some even in my queue already.  What I need is a) one that I can wear on the beach like a hippy sarong thing, then wear as a shawl when I go back to my real life without beach butlers, b) a pattern that doesn’t take a lot of concentration because #1 and #2 above are going to take all my concentration, and c) can be made out of my stash.  The Simple, but Effective Shawl, by Laura Chau, out of Maggi’s Linen.  Perfect!
Quilting is continuing.
Spinning is continuing.

Socks are probably going to have to percolate for a bit.

I do recognize my limits…after a fashion….

The Pretender to the Throne

 (alpaca waiting to be spun...)

…thinks these are appropriate places to catnap…

(quilt being quilted...)

 
He would be wrong.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

Guess who had a birthday?

Guess how many?

She is not a grandbebe anymore.

(not sure what I am going to call her forthwith)