Flowers from the gardens

It is quite windy this a.m. When I looked out, I noticed several flowers laying on the ground. I clipped them & brought them inside. There is nothing like bringing in fresh flowers!

Gifts from MIL

I finished reading John Irving: The World According to Garp. And started Mercy Seller. Mercy Seller is most excellent. Nice link HERE, with more info on this novel.

I enjoy reading - from books - first thing in the morning. The best time of my day is after the boys & DH are off to school/work. I like to get the laundry sorted, start the loads & enjoy 50 pages from a novel. Fiction,usually. At the end of the day, after the evening meal, I enjoy picking up needlework & listening to audiobooks while I stitch. It is best to have both the book & audiobook of the same title - author. Tho, sometimes that is not possible. I want to read Angela's Ashes [memoir] next -- I own the book & found the audio book at the library - read by the author. Guess that will be the 'next' read on my list!



When I received the great big yellow bowl, gift from MIL - chick bowl, I wasn't sure what to do with it. I thought to purchase some Easter candies & place them in the bowl -- only problem was, what if the pets get into it? While I was at Walgreen's, I noticed a sale on soft peppermints ... and the pets won't bother with peppermints.

I have been asked why I have more than one blog .... errr, that is kinda difficult to explain. I started with Xanga & found many very good book rings - lots of readers with lots to say about their hobby. There were very few stitchers - so, I started a blogger site for my stitching. ooooh .... lots of bloggers are stitchers! And when Blogger started the 'beta' stuff -- I opened up this blog to mess with the new template, etc. Some blogger accounts switched to word press, etc -- but I think I have enough blogs now : )

Now, I have Xanga - for books & the book rings.
Stitches of Life II for books & cats & non-stitching [yes, some of my GFs don't stitch].
Stitches of Life mainly for my needlework hobby.

ENOUGH blogs!! I swear.

Sue D's back yard ....

Aren't they cute???

These are two of Honey Bunny's kittens -- all grown up. Meet Thelma & Louise : )

Flowers in the yard

Pictures taken by DH

Book Sale finds ...

Nick is leaving Weds night for Virginia Beach - the "Band Trip". I took him to the sale room for some reading materials. There is a verrrry loooong bus trip there & back. He collected an arm full of mystery & sci-fi.

I left with FIVE -- a couple paperbacks & 3 hard cover novels:
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Love in the Time of Cholera - Garcia Marquez [I HAD this & either loaned it out - or lost it]
John Irving: The Hotel New Hampshire & Trying to Save Peggy Sneed
Janet Fitch [wrote White Oleander] - Paint it Black
The Hebron Library is having their Book Sale later this week ... stay tuned.

This week-end is the Hillside Samplings workshop ... for My Stitching Chair Necessaire. I started this several years ago - in a class sponsored by House of Stitches. I got out my kit & have more stitched than I originally thought. Maybe with the workshop, I'll get motivated to get the stitching completed & think about the finishing!!!

Green Day

Photo by Alex. Nikki & Button curled up on the blanket.

Spring Weather in NW Indiana: It has been cloudy & we had more snow flurries. A minute later, we see a bright & sunny day -- with bitter cold winds!!! brrrrr. DH is making pizza. Tori is out shopping. The boys perform tonight. I want to stitch!!!


Myspace Graphics

What I'm Stitching ...

This is my afghan - in progress. I am trying to get all the squares done before the HEAT of Summer is upon us.

We had a record 73 degree day on Tuesday - cloudy & all that dreary stuff yesterday -- last night a snow / wind storm ... woke to snow on the ground. Now, it is melting off. Must be Spring in the air!

Still reading John Irving "the Word According to Garp" I'm about 1/2 way thru it.

Spring Flowers + Spring Musical

My Inlaws visited on Sunday. We went to the High School Musical performance during the afternoon. Alex was a Skater Dude & #45 Basketball Player & "A" for the Drama Club scene. Nick was in the pit, played the trombone. There are three more shows coming up this week-end.

Tonight, Alex is going with the Drama Club to Michigan City.



Tori selected these spring flowers about a week ago. I should have taken a photo then. There were many small pink roses in the arrangement. Now, I have them in a dish to dry. The 'eggs' are candles / chick belongs to Alex [gifts from MIL]

what's up?

My head cold has become a chest cold. I have felt more energetic yesterday & today. Wish it would just go away ... and wish Spring would arrive.

Did I mention seeing a ring tailed hawk in the backyard earlier today? It was quite a site. The hawk had either a mouse or small bird. I wished I had a camera phone & could have taken a few quick pics.

I'm about half way thru this book of short stories. More info, excerpt & reviews here






I started this paperback while 'waiting' with my son. I've read a few of John Irving's books & somehow never got around to this one. More information & book review here

And, no, I usually don't write my own book reviews. Too much like 'work'. I enjoy reading as recreation : )






I received an e-mail asking about our "cat-in-the-box" & yes, she still naps in her box, on my counter in the kitchen.

ah-choo ah-choooo (sigh)

Finished this book. Wow. The ending had quite a shoot-out between the bad guys and the badder guys. LOL




I have a totally sukky cold. Again. I'm very sick and tired of these bugging germs. Couldn't sleep much last night & read most of this comedy. Every time I turn the page, something cracks me up. And, this is a series of books. Go me.




I want some of these buttons---I hope House of Stitches can figure out who makes them : ) Would be excellent on my Pennsylvania Redware pincushion. [it is a Carriage House design]. I'm so hoping.



This is my all-time fav 'historical fiction'novel .... called, The Illuminator by Branda Rickman Vantrease. AND GUESS WHAT????












Another book!! by the same author ... scheduled for release March 2007. The library ordered it - I'm FIRST on the list. WOOT!!!