Books and Samplers

Bicentennial Birthday

2012-02-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday!

Charles Dickens

(February 7, 1812 - June 9, 1870)

Three little kittens

2012-02-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

Or are they really terrors?

At the start of last summer, I found an abandonned litter of three kittens. What could I do? They were so small, and there was no way that they would have survived on their own. Even though DH had taken in a kitten only a few weeks before, I took these guys in. They quickly became a part of our household. Schatzi, our dachshund, adopted them without question. (She loves cats.) Yoda is just a little older, so he had no problem fitting in, but the two older cats have definitely been slower to accept them.

I named them Merlin, Gandalf, and Tosca.

They are a handful, but they're very cute.

TUSAL

2012-01-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

My very first TUSAL post ever! And I've amazed myself because I actually have some orts in my jar. They're mostly from some bookmarks that I've worked on this year. But hopefully, I'll move onto some larger projects and UFO's soon.

So here is my photo --

And if you don't know what a TUSAL is, you can go to Daffycat's blog for all the info. The rules are easy to follow, and you don't have to stitch any special projects.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:40:00.000-08:00

These books represent the tip of the tip of the iceberg known as my To Be Read pile. My book habit is a bit of a problem, and I don't want to say how long I've had some of these books, but I do intend to read them all. Luckily, I found a reading challenge at Bookish Ardor, called the Off the Shelf challenge. You read books that you already own, either printed or digital, that you haven't already read. I've chosen the "Making a Dint" level. Over 2012, I intend to read 30 books that have been laying around the house and blog about them. Hopefully, I'll get to more than 30 this year, and make a dent in the TBR mountain.

The glass jar represents the sampler part of "Books and Samplers." Sharon at Daffycat is running the 2012 TUSAL, or Totally Useless Stitch-Along. Each month at the new moon during 2012, I need to post a photo of the jar with ORTS accumulated during that month. (It's okay if some months the jar doesn't get any fuller; a photo gets posted anyway.) My plan is to stitch so much this year that the jar will be full by next December 31. (BTW, the jar is an old instant coffee jar from our bicentennial year of 1976 that has somehow survived several moves over the decades.)

So, while I don't have a list of New Year's Resolutions, I am committing myself to reading books I've bought over the years, and stitching projects that should have been hanging on my walls already.

We'll see how well I do.

Happy New Year!

Season's Greetings!

2011-12-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

All the best wishes of the holiday season!

Erica Wilson

2011-12-14T10:53:00.000-08:00

The New York Times reported today that Erica Wilson has died. They call her the "Julia Child of needlework" and I can't think of a better way to describe her. She did much to revive embroidery and needlepoint in the US. While her kits were beyond my means and expertise, her books found their way onto my bookshelves. I actually wore out my copy of Erica Wilson's Embroidery Book, because I would look at it so often and study the stitches. When I was in high school, other girls in my class would rush home to watch their soaps, but I would be watching Erica Wilson's show on PBS. Although the episodes were only 15 minutes long, they gave me ideas and inspiration to last a lifetime.

When I think of Erica Wilson's designs, I think of one that appeared in Erica Wilson's Embroidery Book. It was of a 16th century young woman standing by a tree and holding a hawk. Each chapter of that book was about a different needlework technique, and that design was worked in each of those techniques. Her talent was just amazing. And even though I wasn't able to make a career out of needlework like she did, my interest in needlework will last throughout my life.

The Times' obituary is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/nyregion/erica-wilson-dies-at-83-led-a-rebirth-of-needleworking.html?ref=obituaries.

Let's try this again

2011-11-24T09:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

(Editor's Note: I tried this yesterday, but the pictures were too dark, so I had to take them again today. The teddy bear is an old Leisure Arts design from the 1980's. See the post below for another holiday cross stitch decoration.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T21:00:00.000-08:00

A Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to everyone!

(This is an old design from Leisure Arts, circa 1980's.)

TUSAL 2012

2011-11-20T09:23:00.001-08:00

Something new for me to do in 2012.

Sharon of It's Daffycat is doing another "Totally Useless Stitch-a-Long" in 2012 and she has graciously added me to her list of participants. The rules are easy to follow, and you get to work on any project you want. All you're asked to do is save your orts (those annoying little ends you cut off your threads) in a jar or glass, take a picture every month and post it on your blog at the new moon.

Easy, right? We'll see how well I keep up. If I post faithfully every month, maybe I'll treat myself to a little prize at the end of the year. And if it gets me posting and stitching more regularly, well, that'll be the real prize I give myself!

As for my eye, recovery is going well and I can do some stitching, although I'm reading more than stitching. George R.R. Martin's series, A Song of Ice and Fire, is just riveting. All five books are hard to put down. The plot is too complicated to summarize easily, but basically the kingdom of Westeros is undergoing a civil war, and there are all kinds of scheming and skullduggery going on everywhere. Plus, there is a lost queen hoping to regain the Iron Throne of Westeros. And there are all kinds of scary things - dragons, giant wolves, and zombie-like creatures in the far north. Great reading!

Well, gotta go pick out a container for my orts!

What's this?

2011-10-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

A post! At last!

It has been kind of a roller coaster ride since June. Around the time of my last post, I found a litter of 3 abandonned kittens. We think that their mother died somehow, and they were only about 4 weeks old. Well, what could I do but start taking care of them? They're a handful, but very cute, and our dog has accepted them as part of the family.

So, while our household has increased by a total of 4 kittens this year, we also had raccoons in one part of our roof, and a leak in another part of the roof.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I noticed a spot in the corner of my eye, like a shadow or sun spot that wouldn't go away. Turns out that there were holes forming in my retina, and a little over a week ago, I had eye surgery. Recovery is going well, but the eye takes a while to heal. So stitching is on the back burner for a while. But the good news is that I can read large print comfortably, so I've been continuing with A Feast for Crows (Book 4 in A Song of Ice and Fire). This series is an incredible read, and I've been a bit obsessed with it this summer.

So there you are. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some photos soon.

No News is Good News

2011-06-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

A popular phrase, and often true, but I don't think it quite applies to blogs, especially to stitching blogs.

No news usually means no stitching, and that's the case with me. Hopefully, soon, I'll have some stitching updates to report.

In the meantime, I'm still reading those Leaphorn/Chee books. I haven't read a boring or weak one yet. The novels just keep getting better as the series moves on. Leaphorn and Chee work well together, but manage to avoid being a modern day "Holmes and Watson" team.

Make it another frabjous day!

2011-06-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

I managed to do some stitching on "Orangina" while running away from about a million quehaceres (Spanish for stuff you have to do) over the weekend.

Watching my Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee movies gave me the perfect excuse to stitch.

I even made a cover to go over the stretcher frame when I'm not stitching on "Orangina." The fabric was a remnant from Walmart, and was just the perfect size for this. (Don't mind the wrinkles!)

Temptation

2011-05-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Here's an update on Orangina, which I'm stitching for DH. He loves the stuff. (If you don't know what it is, it's a French soft drink, like carbonated orange juice. Interesting taste.)

I had convinced myself that this would be a quick stitch, but it's obvious to me now that this will take longer than I had thought. It's pretty, though, a different type of project, and it was a souvenir of Paris, purchased at the Boutique des Modes et Travaux.

However, temptation has reared its ugly head, and this little kit was calling to me. It's a blackwork band sampler called Autumn, part 3 of The Four Seasons by Indigo Rose. I got it at the stash sale at the EGA's Metropolitan Region seminar a couple of weeks ago. It's really pretty, and I love those silk threads. But I will be good and go back to Orangina!

Hillerman Country

2011-05-16T12:24:00.000-07:00

Last year, a death in the family brought us out to California. On the way out, we had a brief stopover in Phoenix. This was my first time in Arizona, and as I looked out the airport windows, I thought of Tony Hillerman, Joe Leaphorn, and Jim Chee.

It took me a while to get a complete set of the books together. Some I already had - I used to read them as they were published in the late 80's and 90's - but I couldn't find them. DH went on ebay and gave me a complete set for Christmas. So at last, motivated by that brief glimpse of Arizona, I'm reading my Hillermans.

What a great series! I had forgotten how much I had enjoyed them. But reading them in order really lets me see how the series improves, and how Leaphorn and Chee develop. The series begins with Joe Leaphorn as the investigator, but Jim Chee is introduced in the fourth novel, People of Darkness, while Leaphorn is absent from this and the next two books. I think that Chee is better developed as a character at this point (I'm on the 5th novel, The Dark Wind.) He has a good sense of humor, and is studying to become a Navajo shaman.

Landscape is very important in these novels. Sunsets are lovingly described in great detail. Much action takes place in the desert, in arroyos and canyons and mesas and buttes I've never seen. It is a world both remote and vast, and totally foreign to this New Yorker. Navajo culture is equally important to the plots. Hillerman handled it with great respect. The mythology is interesting, as are the ceremonies and the importance Navajos place on harmony with nature, or walking in beauty.

Right now, I am almost a third of the way through the series. After The Ghostway (#6 in the series), Leaphorn and Chee are teamed together, and it will be interesting to see their different styles of investigating.

Seen any UFOs lately?

2011-05-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Last January, my EGA chapter started a UFO challenge for this year. Members submit a list of projects they want to finish by next March, and for every project finished, they get an opportunity to win a year's membership. In a moment of insanity - oops, I mean inspiration - I submitted a list of five projects which I have listed on the sidebar of this blog, not including the "Roses" blackwork class we started in February. These are fairly large projects, with a lot of work still left on each. I had set up a schedule of getting one done every two months, but of course, I'm already behind on that. If I get one done, I'll be happy! My strategy now is to work on each as they grab my fancy, a sort of rotation without a plan.

Of course, with these large projects in mind, last month I decided that I *really* needed to do a small one. I was inspired by someone at the April EGA meeting working on a class project from the EGA's Metropolitan Regional seminar. The class she took was by Barbara Rakosnik of Periwinkle Promises. In my stash was a Periwinkle Promises kit called "A Teal Touch of Holbein." At only 2 1/2" by 4" it stitched up quickly, almost too quickly. It was fun to do, and I loved the silk threads.

To Bullion or Knot to Bullion, Part Deux

2011-05-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

Last year, on 6/23/10 to be exact, I posted about working bullion knots on a needlepoint project called The Midnight Garden. Unfortunately, I didn't include any pictures because they had all turned out kind of blurry. Well, frabjous day indeed, I managed to take a clear close-up of my bullions, and in the spirit of "better late than never," here it is.

And now this reminds me, I have another project with bullions that I should be working on.

An Oliver Twist kind of day

2011-05-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

Today my mother and I did a little shopping at Salvation Army. My mother wanted a small set of shelves that she could stand on her desk and put supplies on. Of course, she didn't find what she wanted, but that doesn't mean that we left empty-handed. I found this little guy among the pictures and picture frames. I have to admit that I'm a sucker for "orphan needlework" and this scarecrow is too cute. Plus, at only 99 cents, it wasn't a big investment. Someday, my own work might sit on thrift store shelves, and I hope some needleworker will take pity.

The scarecrow is stitched on 14ct white aida, but needs some cleaning, so I'll take it out of the frame. There are tiny green beads on the patch on his left leg and two little buttons on the straps of his overalls. This looks like a Leisure Arts design, but I'm not sure. The stitching is beautiful. Someone put a lot of love into this project.

While we were out, DH took in his own orphan. Long story short, this little guy was rescued from traffic in NYC, but the person who rescued him couldn't keep him. I'm not sure if we'll be able to keep him either. It all depends on how our dog and two adult cats react.

For now, his name is Yoda. I've been telling our dachshund that, while the kitten may be Yoda, she is the Jedi master with a young padewan to teach. Think she'll buy it?

For all the moms...

2011-04-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

... and dads who don't get to see their children get married. In memory of Diana.

Much happiness to William and Catherine!

Waterloo

2011-04-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

I finished the Poldark Saga two weeks ago. Sorry to say, but the last two books in the series were a little disappointing. It felt like Winston Graham was hurrying to finish up the story. Some interesting characters were pushed to the background or completely dropped in favor of others who I didn't always find interesting. The last novel, Bella Poldark, had two plotlines which I felt were unnecessary. One concerned a serial killer and the other an ape named Butto. Plus, I wasn't terribly interested in Bella's budding career as an opera star. But overall, I loved the series and am glad to have read it.

Since the Battle of Waterloo is a key event in the lives of the Poldarks, I decided to stick with Waterloo and make Georgette Heyer's An Infamous Army my next read. I had read this years ago, but since then I've been to Brussels and I felt it was time to read it again. Many of Heyer's novels are very light reading; the plots and characters don't always stay in my memory. But An Infamous Army is more serious. True, it has the light, fluffy romance. Handsome, dashing Colonel Charles Audley proposes to aristocratic party girl Lady Barbara Childe only a few days after meeting her, and she impulsively accepts. Their respective families are not happy with the engagement, but also don't expect it to last. Charles is well-liked, a really nice guy. Barbara is wild, headstrong, and loves to cause scandal. Not a happy recipe for a smooth romance.

But behind the romance, events are leading up to this terrible battle. As rumors circulate about Napoleon on the march, social activities continue and there is a non-stop round of parties, balls, concerts, and moonlight picnics. Brussels is full of English tourists eager to see the Continent after so many years of war with France. The Duke of Wellington's presence in Brussels gives a sense of security to the English civilians, but when the battle starts, many rush out of Brussels. It is a measure of Lady Barbara's worth that she stays in Brussels despite the danger.

One thing I like about this novel is that several of the characters have appeared in a previous novel (Regency Buck) while Lady Barbara is descended from another family of characters (the Alastairs in These Old Shades and Devil's Cub). Yet An Infamous Army is in no way a sequel, but can be read and enjoyed on its own. Its subtitle is "A Novel of Love, War, Wellington, and Waterloo," and this accurately describes the plot in a nutshell. Many historical figures, including Wellington himself, intermingle with the fictional characters, but they all flow smoothly together. Georgette Heyer was known for her meticulous historical research. The account of Waterloo in this novel is considered one of the best and most accurate ever written by a non-combattant.

The picture above is of the Hotel de Ville in Brussels, where Charles first meets Lady Barbara at a ball.

The banner that wasn't

2011-04-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

"Books and Samplers" was a design I did myself, with the intention of finishing it and photographing it for the banner of this blog. However, as I stitched on it, I found that the fabric's grain was off. The words look like they're marching uphill! I don't know if there's a way to fix it, and it kind of bothers me, so this one has become a UFO. But I'm okay with that. This blog is, after all, a work in progress, just like its writer!

Another thing is that I'm not sure if the Ackworth motifs work as a border for this design. Possibly the scale is too big and a smaller, simpler border, like the one for "Bienvenue," would work better. So it may be "back to the drawing board" for this one. (Maybe I should redesign this as a Quaker sampler?)

fabric - 32ct sandstone linen

thread - WDW "Merlin"

alphabet - Times New Roman from yarntree.com

border - Quaker motifs from The Pattern Book by Jacqueline Holdsworth, Needleprint

A Year Ago

2011-03-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

This is where I was a year ago, in terms of reading and stitching. The Taz peaking over the edge of the beige fabric was going to be an Easter doorhanging. Real life events interrupted my work on him, and I didn't get back to him until last Saturday. Luckily he's a small project, and a few hours of steady stitching should see him completed. I was reading an annotated Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, but also didn't finish it. I was enjoying it, too, but that's one of the those books I'll want to pick up again in the future, so no hurry to go back to it. The only stitching that got finished was the Yankees logo. The beige was a doodle cloth for something else entirely that never even got started. As for The 39 Steps, I was reading its sequels but didn't like them.

from Major League Baseball Cross Stitch - American League

Finishes, Finishes

2011-03-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

These are several projects that I worked on over the winter.

The shamrock was a Secret Needle Night kit from the Silver Needle in Tulsa. I purchased the kit at a needlework flea market held by the EGA Bergen County chapter several years ago. It is called "A Lucky Charm" and was designed by Linda Stolz for the February 1999 Secret Needle Night. I love the sparkly effect of the metallic threads and the little shamrock charm on the pot of gold. The shamrock fabric bordering it came from Jo-Anns, and when I saw it on the bolt, I just knew it would be right for this project.

I took the alphabet and border for Bienvenue from one of Valerie LeJeune's books of antique designs (Le Livre des Lettres d'ici et d'ailleurs, tome 2). It was stitched on 14ct black aida in DMC 111 and Splendor silk. The toile fabric was a remnant I bought at Walmart. It's not the greatest quality, but it was just the thing for this project.

The Giro d'Italia pillow was for DH, who loves bike racing. He had bought a Giro t-shirt online, but didn't want to wear it. Instead, he asked me to make it into a pillow for him, and it now sits on our livingroom sofa.

RIP

2011-03-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe, but my uncle died a year ago today.

I think the procrastinating has gone on long enough!

2011-03-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

What can I say?

I get like this sometimes. Procrastination seems to be something I'm really good at. At least, I always have time for it! Maybe I should have called this blog "The Queen of Procrastinating Blog" or "The Once in a Blue Moon Blog" or maybe "The Procrastination Station Blog." Then there'd be a good reason for long gaps between posts.

Over the winter I was busy mostly cleaning out stuff I didn't need anymore or didn't want anymore. There is a box for our church's penny social, and a bag for Salvation Army, and some boxes of stuff that have gone on ebay. My EGA chapter held a swap meet over the winter, and I donated some stitchy stuff for that. The only problem is that I came home with new-to-me stitchy stuff!

More importantly, it feels good to clear out things and feel that I can move on with my life instead of living in the past, which is another of my weaknesses. At one point, I realized that holding onto the past won't bring it back. That made it easier to let go of things.

Doing all this cleaning out may have kept me from the blog, but it didn't keep me from my reading or stitching. I managed to do all the reading for the Jane Austen challenge, although I still haven't done my JA sampler. Among the books that I read over the winter were Dangerous Liaisons by Chaderlos de Laclos and Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe. Both were excellent. I found a dvd copy of Moll Flanders with Alex Kingston as Moll and Daniel Craig as Jamie. It is a great adaptation, although one caveat - there is quite a bit of explicit nudity and sex. The raciness is in the book, just underneath the surface.

I also got caught up with one of my favorite mystery series, the Marcus Didius Falco books by Lindsey Davis. The latest one out is Nemesis (good, but a shocking ending!) and also The Official Falco Companion (warning - at least one spoiler is in it).

Right now I'm on the penultimate novel of the Poldark series, The Twisted Sword. This one brings Ross and Demelza to Paris just as Bonaparte returns to France. The battle of Waterloo is looming ahead, although no one knows yet that the peace isn't permanent. The Poldark children are now grown, and at least one is in Belgium. I'm happy to say that after 10 novels (this is the 11th), the story and characters haven't grown stale.

What have I been stitching? A little of this and a little of that. I'm still working on the Mallard Collage, which I'd like to have done by the end of this month. Also did some framing and finishing on old projects, but haven't taken photos of them yet. Below are photos of what I started on my JA sampler, and some of my progress on the Mallard Collage. (I've worked a bit on it since the photo was taken.)

Finally, time for a little update

2010-10-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

I've finished reading the first six of the Poldark novels. I don't know how Winston Graham did it, but he managed to make each novel in the series, at least so far, interesting and entertaining. Sometimes a series can suffer from repetitions or become a bit stale after a while, but not the Poldark saga. Although I'm taking a break from them, I hope to get the remaining titles in the series.

In honor of it being October, the month of Halloween, I'm trying to establish a tradition of reading gothic novels this month every year, and watching a scary movie on Halloween. This year, since I didn't quite want to leave Cornwall (Poldark country), I got out my copy of Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier. She is best remembered for Rebecca, but I prefer some of her other novels, including Jamaica Inn. It's a classic gothic - young, innocent, orphaned girl goes to live at a remote inn with her aunt and uncle. The uncle is sinister and violent; the aunt, battered and afraid. The heroine, Mary Yellan, starts to hear rumors about the inn and the strange activities that take place there. It doesn't help that Jamaica Inn is situated in an isolated spot on the moors, with no neighbors for miles. But there are two eligible bachelors that Mary soon meets, a hunky and very charming horse thief, and the enigmatic Rev. Francis Davey. I guessed which one Mary ends up with, but otherwise enjoyed this book very much. I hope to watch the movie version soon.

(There was an interesting coincidence between Jamaica Inn and the Poldark books. In Jamaica Inn, there is a blacksmith in a village called Warleggan. Ross Poldark's archnemesis is the banker George Warleggan, who is the grandson of a blacksmith.)

I haven't forgotten about the Everything Austen Challenge. In fact, I managed to come up with a list of things to do:

Read Sanditon
Read The Watsons
Reread Lady Susan
Read the Marvel Comics edition of Pride & Prejudice
Read Claire Tomalin's biography of Jane Austen
Stitch the sampler I meant to do last year.

At this point, getting the list done by the end of the year may not be possible, but at least I've already read the first two items. Sanditon and The Watsons were both really enjoyable, if a little frustrating. They both ended leaving me wanting to know more! Does Sanditon become the next Brighton? Do Lord Edward and Clara Brereton elope? Will Charlotte Heywood end up with Sidney Parker? And does Miss Lambe find the cure for what ails her in Sanditon's fresh sea air? I love the idea that Sanditon is about real estate speculation, and is set at a beach town. As for The Watsons, just which lucky bachelor will win the hand of Emma Watson? And what about Emma's sisters? We get to see Elizabeth and Margaret, but what about Penelope? Elizabeth had nothing good to say about her. Is Penelope really all that bad?

Stitching hasn't been neglected, either. I've done a couple of counted canvas projects, and am now working on Laura J. Perin's Mallard Collage, which I'm enjoying. To be honest, part of the appeal this design has for me is that it's name makes me think of Dr. Mallard, aka Ducky, on NCIS. But I also love the colors, which are perfect for this time of year. I haven't done much with pearl cottons or with Caron threads, so this is a treat for me.

I like to work on one project at a time, but I'm also tempted to start another cross stitch piece, the Chat Noir poster by Art Stitch. Either way, I have to get busy with my camera!

How I Spent My Summer

2010-09-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

Sad to say, but I seem to have spent my summer ignoring how long it has been since I've written here.

Actually, there wasn't much new to report. A couple of finishes, but no photos. And I'm still reading my Poldark novels, and still enjoying them.

I haven't had much time to think about the Austen challenge or what I want to do, aside from reading the shorter works. I also have a biography of Austen and a graphic novel of Pride and Prejudice to read, but I've wanted to finish with the Poldarks first.

I'm not exactly happy to see summer end, but I do prefer the cooler weather. The leaves are changing so fast that it's impossible to ignore the approach of autumn.

I'll put my thoughts in order, and get back to blogging.

Everything Austen Challenge Two

2010-07-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yippee! It's back! The second Everything Austen Challenge started on July 1 at Stephanie's Written Word. The rules are the same: read six Austen or Austen-related books, or watch six Austen adaptations, or do six Austen projects, or mix it up any way you want. Last year, DH and I did our own side challenge, with him reading all 6 Austen novels by his birthday. He even wrote a few posts for this blog. I don't know if we'll do a side challenge, but I'm already thinking about what to do for this year's challenge.

Let's see, there's the cross stitch project I didn't do, a biography of Austen I received for Christmas and haven't read yet, maybe a novel to listen to in French, or I could make an Austen bookmark. There is also the Marvel graphic novel edition of Pride and Prejudice. I don't really get the monster mash-ups, but I may add Mansfield Park and Mummies to my list.

The more I think about it, the more choices I come up with.

Happy Fourth of July!

Bullion or Boolean?

2010-07-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

DH tells me that the bullion knot is not merely an embroidery stitch, but is a "unilateral binary" stitch. Boolean logic uses binary numbers, and is the basis of modern electronics. According to DH, without Boolean logic, there would be no iPod. Scary thought. Considering the wraps of the bullion knot form little zeros and the thread it's wrapped around forms a horizontal "one," I guess I get the theoretical mathematics/needlepoint connection.

I had hoped to find some information on the bullion knot's background, but no such luck. Sharon B's Dictionary of Stitches lists some alternate names for this stitch - bullion stitch, caterpillar stitch, coil stitch, grub knot, knot stitch, post stitch, worm stitch, and my favorite, Porto Rico rose. Bullion knots make lovely embroidered roses, although I haven't attempted one yet. Some of these names are obvious - these knots can look like tiny caterpillars - but I'm wondering if the name "bullion" comes from the stitch's similarity to gold bullion when worked in gold, or if it has something to do with the tassels used on military epaulettes.

To Bullion or Knot to Bullion

2010-06-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

Recently I started working on something completely different for me, a counted canvas project called "Midnight Garden" designed by Orna Willis. The project is an online class at the Caron website, and all the threads used are either Waterlillies or Watercolours. This is my first time using these threads, and they are just wonderful to work with. The stitches have been fun to do. At least, that's what I was thinking until I reached the section with the bullion knots.

Most embroidery and needlepoint stitches are pretty easy to do, even when they look complicated. Even the dreaded French knot is something I enjoy. But bullion knots have defeated me in the past. I forget now why I was trying to learn them, but I remember the failure of those wraps refusing to stay wrapped, and giving up in frustration. So I saw this portion of the garden as a hurdle.

Luckily, on the web there are several websites with stitch instructions. I went to the ANG's Stitch of the Month page and carefully read how to do a bullion knot. Then I pulled out my doodle canvas and some floss, and went to work. Somehow, this time the bullions turned out right, and I could proceed on my sampler. The other night, I did 36 bullion knots on "Midnight Garden", not without some mishaps, but bullion knots are easy to undo, so you just try again. The secret to a good bullion, I learned, is not to wrap the thread too tight, so your needle can go through them. Just hold them in your left hand, while you pull the needle through with your right. Most importantly, be fearless in your execution. Don't be afraid to try it, because you can always rip it out and do it over.

California Dreamin'

2010-06-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

It might not be a winter's day, but these photos have me dreaming of California. I took them on a visit to Newport Beach back in 1996 or '97. Makes me wonder what my life would have been like if I had given into the urge to move to California. You know, the road not taken and all that.

Father's Day

2010-06-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Almost There

2010-05-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

The cross stitching is done on the Yankees logo, and there is just a bit of back stitching to do. I'm already thinking ahead to the next project, perhaps some canvaswork.

I also finished Alexandria, which I enjoyed. Considering all the hours I spent so long ago at the Brooklyn Public Library, how could I not enjoy a mystery set in a library? I noticed that a new Falco is due out later this year. The author is hinting that someone close to Falco will die in this one. Not sure how I feel about that. I'm fond of all the characters!

Finishing Through the Looking Glass is next on my TBR pile, which unfortunately could probably fill a wing at the Great Library of Alexandria.

Sad Times

2010-04-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

My uncle died suddenly and unexpectedly right before Palm Sunday. It has been a great shock to my family. He never complained about feeling sick, but apparently he had heart disease, which he never told us. He wasn't one to complain much about anything, except politicians. I like to think that he died without any regrets. He got to see the world at a young age, and continued to travel throughout his life. Except for the last couple of years, when he stayed close to home and took care of his dogs. The last few weeks haven't been easy.

Was it John Donne who wrote that each man's death diminshes us all? "Ask not for whom the bell tolls." Or am I remembering it wrong?

Somehow I've managed to make quite a bit of progress on the Yankees logo. I feel like I'm just rounding third and heading home, at least as far as the stitching goes. But the finishing won't take very long. I never got to finish poor Taz, but he'll be ready for next Easter (I hope).

I gave up reading John Buchan because the attitudes toward minorities were just too outdated for me. I realize that the times were different then, but the third book in the series grated on me and I couldn't finish it. I haven't quite finished "Through the Looking Glass" either, but that's not from a lack of enthusiasm for it. I got sidetracked with two mysteries by Lindsey Davis, the latest two in her excellent series set in Ancient Rome, Saturnalia and Alexandria. Marcus Didius Falco is one of my favorite detectives, but you don't have to like mysteries to enjoy these books. They're well writen, funny, and extremely entertaining.

Oh frabjous day!

2010-03-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

This is what I called last Sunday after seeing Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland." It was wonderful! I wasn't sure about it at first after reading how much the story was changed for the film, but the film stands on its own merits. Tim Burton understands that Wonderland (or Underland in the movie) isn't a trite fairy tale world full of whimsical characters, but a dark place that is sometimes scary, sometimes menacing, and always full of challenges. The deviations from the book didn't bother me at all because the characters were the same. Helena Bonham-Carter almost steals it as the Red Queen, but Johnny Depp, et al, keep her in check. Now I'm looking forward to seeing it in 3-D and to rereading the book.

Another recent film adaptation that differed from the original book was "The 39 Steps," shown a couple of weeks ago on Masterpiece Classic. Once again, the differences didn't bother me because the story was so good, and Rupert Penry-Jones was great as Richard Hannay. I've reread "The 39 Steps" and am now reading the second novel to feature Hannay, "Greenmantle." Some of John Buchan's observations about different nationalities, ethnic and religious groups are dated now, but the stories are still readable, and Hannay keeps an open mind about the people around him.

I'm still working on the Yankees logo, but have also started a little Easter decoration featuring the Tasmanian Devil. The doodle cloth is where I'm trying out different black threads for another project I've got planned.

Some stitching while it snowed

2010-03-01T10:14:00.000-08:00

Something about the weather maybe, but my stitching mojo has returned. I've finished a housewarming gift for our friends, but since I don't know if they read this blog or not, I'll just post a work in progress photo. When it's framed and ready to be presented, I'll post a finish.

The fabric is 14ct Charles Craft aida, and the threads are DMC. I started out with a design from an old Cross Stitch and Country Crafts magazine, but I changed the colors and redesigned the border. Those threads around it were my choices for the border.

I've also started a gift for another friend, a Yankees fan who (I hope) will like having a cross stitched Yankees logo. No photos yet of this one, but it's going kind of quickly so far. Not sure yet how I'll finish it.

There's snowbunny like Schatzi

2010-03-01T10:02:00.000-08:00

One of the things I learned about dachshunds when we first got Schatzi is that they hate getting wet. My dog must be a free spirit.

She loves to play in the snow. This photo above is from the storm we had a couple of weeks ago. Last Thursday and Friday, we got hit again with another storm.

Schatzi didn't care that it was cold or that the snow was almost taller than she is. She just had a good time hopping through the snow and trying to catch snowflakes.

Cats are nuts, too

2010-02-09T09:16:00.000-08:00

This morning, I heard a scrambling noise behind my bed and thought, "Oh crap, not again." So I removed all pets from the bedroom, closed the door, and went squirrel-hunting.

I should have known better.

As I peered behind the bed, this little calico face looked up at me.

Wouldn't the dog (Schatzi) have gone crazy barking at a squirrel? Wouldn't my big grey guy (Cosmo) have fought removal from the bedroom?

I think they're plotting to drive me crazy!

Squirrels are nuts

2010-02-08T09:27:00.001-08:00

My life felt like something out of Looney Tunes this morning. For the past couple of months, a squirrel has been trying to move in with us. We hear him sometimes in the walls or the ceiling above the kitchen, but we don't think he's trapped up there. (We're not even sure if it's the same squirrel.) He got into the house itself in December, and caused an unbelievable amount of panic and mayhem among humans, cats and dog before making his getaway. You never think you'll come home from grocery shopping to see a squirrel perched on a curtain rod in your livingroom, and your cat trying to climb the curtains to get at him.

This morning, I heard the dog barking downstairs and knew that I had to go investigate. One of my cats had parked himself on the kitchen counter while the dog was standing by the sink and barking. Then I noticed that some items had gotten knocked over, which led me to suspect "squirrel." I looked into the darkest corner of the counter and behind the dish drain, but didn't see anything. That was when I heard a scrambling that made me jump and shriek. I looked again, and saw a grey, bushy tail between the dish drain and the wall. And no, it wasn't the cat!

The squirrel had chosen his hiding place wisely. I locked the cats into the bedroom, put the dog in her crate, and then made a peanut butter sandwich for the squirrel. I cut the sandwich into small, "grab-and-go" pieces and left them by the open kitchen window. But little Rocky wasn't buying it this time. He wasn't leaving his fortress while he wasn't sure about the enemy's whereabouts.

What was I going to do now? Up to now, my squirrel-wrangling technique has involved quite a bit of panic, running wildly about, and screaming. DH just laughs as he calmly but firmly directs the squirrel to an open door or window. Since DH wasn't home, it was up to me to help Rocky find his way out. So without thinking about possible consequences (like the squirrel jumping onto my head), I moved the dish drain. This startled poor Rocky enough to make him jump up onto the window sill and out onto the fence. Only thing was, in his own panic and haste, he missed the fence and fell straight down in a move worthy of Wile E. Coyote.

I did go out and check on him, but he was long gone by the time I got to the side of the house.

There are worse ways to start a week, but for me, this has been one of the most unusual. Happy Monday!

Ever have one of those days...

2010-01-24T13:31:00.001-08:00

when curling up with a teddy bear seems like a good idea?

Current Project

2010-01-09T14:57:00.001-08:00

Tintin was an easy cross stitch. (Sewing it up as a banner was a different story!) Right now I'm working on a housewarming present for friends of ours who recently bought a new house. The design is from the November 1986 issue of Cross Stitch and Country Crafts, an oldie but a goodie! It was designed by Polly Carbonari, and features five rows of five houses each. The houses are based on the schoolhouse quilt block, which made it a really appropriate choice as both these friends are teachers. I wasn't happy with the border, so I changed it and also changed the colors. The fabric is 14ct platinum aida from Charles Craft and the threads are all DMC. Here is my progress as of last week.

First Finishes 2010

2010-01-09T14:08:00.001-08:00

My first finishes of 2010 are a pin sampler for DH and one of my Christmas presents.

DH loves Tintin. His father was from Belgium, so DH grew up reading the Tintin books in English. I found this chart on a French blog a few years ago, and was looking for a use for it. (My apologies to that blogger for not finding her site and giving her credit. I didn't feel right posting a picture.) Since DH also likes to collect souvenir pins, I figured he'd like a Tintin pin sampler. Okay, this was supposed to be ready for Christmas, but the first week in January still counts as Christmas, doesn't it?

The book is an historical mystery, Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner, that DH gave me for Christmas. It is set in Paris in 1889 during the World Exposition, and it's not exactly giving away the plot to say that a murder occurs on the newly opened Eiffel Tower. Victor Legris, an antiquarian book seller, finds himself investigating this mysterious death along with several others that occur in a short time. It was very entertaining, and the killer's identity remained a mystery to me until the end. I loved the setting, 19th century Paris, and Victor's shop reminded me of the Isaac Mendoza shop in Lower Manhattan, now long closed. This is the first in a series of French novels, eight so far with the first five translated into English.

Fast away the old year passes

2009-12-31T18:26:00.000-08:00

2010 is only a couple of hours away, but today saw a couple of new experiences for us. DH reminded me this morning that today is the last day of the Everything Austen Challenge. He accomplished his goal of reading all six novels, but I have two things left. My Jane Austen sampler is kitted up, but not stitched on, and I have two chapters left of Persuasion to listen to in French.

We did manage to get out in the snow this morning and go into New York to see the Austen exhibit at The Morgan Library. It was well worth it! I loved looking at her letters and reading in one about the portrait Austen imagined to be of Mrs. Bingley and how she couldn't find one of Mrs. Darcy. A print of that painting hangs next to that letter. It was very cool to read her words in her own handwriting. I also liked the manuscript of Lady Susan.

We very rarely go to museums, so today was a real treat, especially since we also walked to MOMA to see Monet's Water Lillies and the Tim Burton exhibit. That sounds like some type of time-travelling triple play combo - Austen to Monet to Burton. And not only did we visit two museums in one day, but we also walked through Times Square on New Year's Eve. Now, we've been to Times Square before, but never on a New Year's Eve, so we felt kind of like tourists in our own city. We got to see the stages and the 2010 sign that the big crystal ball will light up in two hours.

DH wrote his own report about the day:

The last day, and would you believe we went to The Morgan Library to see The Jane Austen Exhibit? It was a great day even with the early snow and New Years Eve crowds. We went to Times Square first and then to the museum in the heart of the storm. But it was worth it. The exhibit was a new insight into the past few months of reading. The exhibit had many letters of Jane’s to many of her family and friends. There were copies of her books, many stories and artwork that showed the era and characters of her works. The Video was excellent and I know because I watched it three times.
The great end to the year continued; we walked 16 plus blocks to MOMA to see Monet’s lilies and the Tim Burton Exhibit. Along the way we saw the tree at Rockefeller Center.
It was truly a great end to the Jane Austen Challenge.

Happy New Year!

I must've hit the snooze button...

2009-12-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

...because I feel like I've done a "Rip Van Winkle!"

Oh well, life comes at you and sometimes the diary or blog has to wait. But that's what's great about a diary/blog. It waits patiently until you're ready to come back.

Let's see, DH and I celebrated our 23rd anniversary in November. He finally finished reading Emma, which I think he enjoyed, although maybe not as much as I have. I read a very long historical romance called To Dance with Kings by Rosalind Laker. It is set at Versailles from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI, and concerns four generations of women in one family. Of course, their lives are dramatically affected by their proximity to royalty. Some of it was a bit improbable, but the history was interesting. This family started out as fan makers, which was different. Mostly, though, this was the sort of novel I would have loved in high school. The history was what kept me reading more than the plot. But I will say that the ending was quite a page turner!

I haven't made any more progress on the Everything Austen Challenge although at this point, the clock is ticking! I got together the materials for the JA sampler I want to stitch, and I still have two more chapters to go with Persuasion in French. I don't know if I'll finish by year's end, but the challenge has certainly been fun!

Now to go clear the cobwebs out of my head!

Bienvenue and books

2009-10-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

Lately my mind has felt pretty blank. No ideas to blog about, no exciting finishes, not even a pretty picture to post. Well, I did manage to finish The Phantom of the Opera over the weekend. Now I want to see the movie, the Andrew Lloyd Webber version, to compare with the book. And I did a tiny bit of stitching, a little welcome sign that I was thinking of hanging on my front door, only now it strikes me as a bit pretentious since I stitched "bienvenue" rather than "welcome." I'll still finish it off, but maybe for inside the house.

Did I ever blog about the library book sale I went to last month? I was lucky enough to find a pile of books about needlework. Usually I go home with mysteries for myself and science fiction for DH. At the same sale, I also found one of Zola's novels in the Rougeon-Macquart series in French. Of course, it also came home with me, even though I have a long way to go before I can read Zola in French.

The Everything Austen Challenge is still very much on my mind. I have almost finished my annotated Pride & Prejudice, as well as the audio of Persuasion in French. (The music soundtrack on that one is beautiful!) The last item on my challenge list is to stitch a Jane Austen project, but I don't think I'll get this done by December 31. I want to make a couple of changes on the original design I had picked, which is taking longer than planned. I also have to decide on a color and fabric for it.

Books and Samplers - The Sampler

2009-10-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share an update of what I call my "blog sampler." The fabric is a little wonky; the weave isn't straight, so it looks like I'm stitching on an angle. But I love the color and I think it will look all right when I get it framed eventually. I'm also working on another little project, but I'll post a picture of that another time.

The other day I finished a really great vampire story, Carmilla by J. Sheridan Lefanu. It was creepy and scary. According to wikipedia, it influenced Bram Stoker in writing Dracula. That's another classic I've never read, but right now I've started The Phantom of the Opera (in English translation) and I'm still working on my annotated Pride and Prejudice. Sometimes the notes interfere with the flow of the story, but I have learned some interesting things from them.

Today's the Day!

2009-10-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

Today is the deadline for DH's challenge. Happy Birthday, sweetie! Here are his thoughts on Emma:

It’s down to two days. I have about 200 pages to read and I have only two days. I think Emma will be my downfall. I am really enjoying it so I don't want to rush.

JA uses her writing to explain the complicated class system of the era and how the changing times will eventually change the whole country. We know this now because of history and what happens later.

I have come to realize that Charles Dickens is a man who takes Austen’s way of writing descriptions to explain the way life is afer Austen in England and how the Industrial Revolution has changed the landscape of England. We look at Dickens’ writing as a picture of Post IR England and how society has changed and then reflect on Austen’s picture of British Society many years before.

In Emma we see the youngest daughter holding the family together and worrying about others and forgetting about herself. As in society today so many times changes in family dynamics will cause someone to step up to the plate and bring everything back into place.

Being an analytical person I have had to learn during this time to leave my predispositions and just read. In the beginning it was hard but now at times I can't put the book down and at times I have to try to just find time to pick it up.

The challenge, even though it looks like I won't make it, was one of the best things I have done in many years. I think it brought me closer to my wife doing something she liked and something we could talk about together. I have a few books to read after Emma and then I will take the next challenge up. Thanks for letting me be a part of the JA Challenge. DH Bruce

Thank you for doing this, Bruce! You did great with it! It was so much fun for me to see how you were really enjoying these books and discovering for yourself why I like them so much. It doesn't matter that you haven't finished Emma. Just the fact that you like it is enough for me! So now, what's next?

More Books

2009-10-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

Not much new on the stitching front, but I've read a couple more books. I started my annotated copy of Pride and Prejudice as part of the Everything Austen Challenge. The notes are interesting, although at this point, I don't need so many words explained. But I did find one note in particular very helpful. It was about a remark Elizabeth makes to Darcy when she is staying at Netherfield with Jane. She and Caroline Bingley are out walking in the garden one morning and they meet up with Mrs. Hurst and Mr. Darcy. Caroline takes Mr. Darcy's other arm, and as there is only room enough on the path for three to walk together, Elizabeth is left out. Darcy tries to include her, but Elizabeth declines, saying that a fourth added to the scene would spoil the harmony. This is a reference to a book written by William Gilpin about the picturesque in landscape painting. Apparently, Gilpin used illustration of cows to make his points. So this is a very subtle insult to Darcy and Bingley's sisters.

I had read about a challenge on the Austenprose blog to read Lady Susan, but it was too late to sign up for it. But I did manage to read it on my own for the first time. What a novel! Lady Susan is totally different from Austen's other works. For one thing, it is told through a series of letters exchanged between different characters. This creates sort of a barrier in front of the reader because you don't see the action unfolding before you. Instead, you get someone else's version of what has happened, and you have to judge for yourself how reliable or biased that character might be. Lady Susan is also a very different heroine because she is a bad person. Think Austen mean girl all grown up. Or Erica Kane. I had to keep reminding myself that this was by Austen, but I enjoyed it very much.

Every October I try to read something gothic or scary. A couple of years ago I read short stories by Daphne du Maurier. Another year I watched "Poltergeist" on TV. (At least that time, I didn't have any fears about facing my bedroom closet.) This year I picked up a novel in my TBR pile, From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris. This is number eight in a series featuring Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress whose friends include vampires, wereanimals, witches, a shape shifter, and a fairy godmother. Since this is the first of these novels that I'm reading, there is a lot of back story that I'm not really familiar with. And I'm not quite sure if the vampires and wereanimals are sympathetic characters or not. While I like the setting, (the fictional Bon Temps, LA) and the breezy tone, I don't know if I'll make a point to read the other novels in the series.

Otranto

2009-09-25T07:29:00.001-07:00

Before starting my annotated edition of Pride & Prejudice, I decided to read The Castle of Otranto because (a) its called the first gothic novel ever written, and (b) its short. I had read this in college for the same course in which I read Udolpho and NA, and had hated it. The writing seems stiff today and the story is over the top, supernatural without being scary. But this time I enjoyed it. The story begins with the son of Manfred, Prince of Otranto, on his way to be wed to the young and beautiful Princess Isabella, who doesn't love him. As the wedding party crosses the castle courtyard, a giant helmut falls from the sky and crushes the young groom. A young peasant, a stranger to everyone, is accused of witchcraft in the Prince's death, and Manfred panics at the realization that his only heir is dead. From there, the plot proceeds to coincidences, ghosts, betrayals, murder, and a giant who scares the servants. There is a not quite happy ending in which the evil-doers are punished and the good rewarded. I'm not surprised that it's author, Horace Walpole, was inspired by a dream, because the novel has a dream-like quality to it. It also feels like an episode of Doctor Who.

My JA Challenge progress

2009-09-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

I'm still hanging in there with the Austen Challenge. This morning I finished the third of my six challenges. I had finished Udolpho a couple of days ago and this morning I finished Northanger Abbey. Now its a mystery to me why I didn't like either one the first time I read them in college. Udolpho was written in an era when people had the time to enjoy a leisurely, meandering story. The plot took a turn I didn't expect, but it was good. I expected to be bored by the descriptions of the scenery, but instead, this book was incredibly visual, like watching a film. And it was a good idea to read it right before Northanger Abbey, because it made that novel so much more enjoyable. Catherine starts reading Udolpho after she gets to Bath. There is a scene where she mentions the Black Veil, and I thought, "Ha ha, Catherine, I know what's behind the Black Veil and its not what you think!" I love the part set in Bath. Those Thorpes were horrible! The story got a little tame when Catherine went to Northanger with the Tilneys, but it was still good. Can you imagine an Austen mean girl clique - Isabella Thorpe, Lucy Steele, Mrs. Elton, Caroline Bingley, Maria Bertram, and Mrs Clay. Talk about your scary stories!

DH is getting close

2009-09-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

DH is getting close to the end of his JA challenge. The next installment in his diary:

S&S is done. I am sorry to say I think I like this one the best. I was a bit lost and I needed to clarify some things but I got it done.
Closing thoughts- Jane must have something with the letter W. It seems that if you have a W last name, you become a jerk or screw up someone’s life.
Then there is the rain. In the books someone always is in love or falling out of love and gets caught in the rain and gets very sick and its never at home so they have to impose one someone and the story line gets slowed or stopped and the drama moves in a different direction but it always works out.
After I finished the book I watched the last part of the Masterpiece Theatre version of S&S. I really liked it and it clarifed and confused at the same time. But after that we watched the movie version - very interesting interpetation. At times it messed with my mind again. I have learned one thing - Jane Austen is a great read but an adaptation can really screw up a story.
Well Emma is next and then I am finished. Its less than a month to the end of my challenge. Later,BR=

DH continues

2009-09-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

DH writes:
It's the end of Northanger Abbey. I have two books to go.

Jane Austin is a very interesting read. But I think next time I do something like this, I will need to spread it out a little. Six books by one author in three months is just too much; the stories are meshing together.

I am looking forward to reading Emma at the end of the week. I am half way through Sense and Sensibiltiy. I am enjoying the images of the story and trying to put myself in this era.

I have realized that I have to finish S&S and Emma in the next three weeks. I have no idea what the next challenge will be with my wife but I am looking forward to it. Maybe a SCI FI or History. I would like to read some Dickens or Hemingway. We will see. Who knows, maybe it will be to cross stitch something. We will know after 10/6. BR

This and that

2009-09-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life in the doghouse isn't so bad. I don't know why, but our cat enjoys sleeping in our dog's carrier, even though she can't stand the actual dog.

I made a little progress on the border for my blog sampler. It's all charted out. You can probably guess where I'm going with this. I just have to do the stitching. But I've also started work on a painted needlepoint canvas which has the advantage of no chart to consult.

DH is at the Abbey

2009-09-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

DH writes:

Its been a weird kind of week. Over the weekend I started Sense and Sensibility on my EReader. It seems that the longer books go faster that way, plus its easier to keep your spot and not worry about forgetting the book. Tuesday I again started to travel to work daily, so in the morning I try to read the newspapers and on the way home I read JA. So now I am reading Northanger Abbey. I found it interesting and am seeing why Annie is reading The Mysteries of Udolpho. I think that I will now have to read it also. I am reading the book, it seems that the second hundred pages are more interesting.

Now I write:

OMG! DH wants to read Udolpho! What have I unleashed? Does he know what he's getting into? One thousand plus pages of scenery, gloomy castles, mysterious music, meandering sentences, and melodrama. Still, I'm enjoying it somehow. In Volume 3, a character worthy of Jane Austen makes her first appearance. She is the Countess de Villefort, the Count's very vain, self-centered second wife. She isn't quite as bad as Emily's aunt Mme Montoni, but she is definitely not good. Radcliffe describes the Countess as being liked more for her beauty than her wit. She prefers Paris to the wild countryside surrounding the isolated Chateau-Le-Blanc, which doesn't go over well with her husband as he has fond memories of this castle. (It's his place anyway; he inherited it from a relative.) Paris is the "big, bad city," the seat and symbol of corruption and vice. (Actually, when DH and I went, it was quite nice. But we're from NY.)

There is a scene I really like in this section, but I don't have the book handy to quote the text. The Count and his daughter, Blanche, are watching a huge storm one night; the sea is visible from the Chateau. All of a sudden, there is a crash of thunder, and lightening illuminates a sailing ship struggling to avoid the rocks along the coast. I can just picture that ship crashing through the rough waves, at night, illuminated in the stark light of the lightening.

Doctor, Doctor

2009-09-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Some of my friends probably think I’m a little crazy because I like these charts of celebrities which appear in each issue of Cross Stitcher Magazine(UK). I’m way too old to have posters of hunky actors on my bedroom walls. But the Doctor is a different story. Dr. Who is one of my favorite TV shows, in part because I like David Tennant in the role. (DH prefers Tom Baker.) If you watch the show, then you know that there have been 10 time-traveling Doctors since the 1960’s.

Sometimes it seems to me that this is an odd thing for a Jane Austen fan to like. DH loves science fiction, but me, not as much. If Jane were alive today, would she watch Dr. Who? It’s a very well written, character driven show, not unlike her novels. Okay, not all the characters in Dr. Who are human, but it is science fiction after all. I’m no expert, but I think that if Jane Austen really enjoyed the gothic novels of her day, she would probably enjoy this, too.

This chart appeared in issue 189 (August 2007) of The Cross Stitcher Magazine (http://www.crossstitchermagazine.co.uk/). It is a very good likeness of David Tennant, and I love the sepia look of the color scheme. I started it at last year’s Shore Leave Convention, so it is a nice souvenir of a really good time last summer. Not sure yet how I’ll finish it off, but I’m thinking of a frame with a matte. Maybe someday I’ll get the Doctor’s autograph on it!

Another checkmark on the list

2009-09-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finished reading my copy of Jane Austen's letters, so that's a second item accomplished for the Everything Austen Challenge. I enjoyed the letters, but my edition had only the letters, no essay or notes to explain who she was writing about or what the context was. So, down the road, I'd like to get a better edition of them.

I'm almost halfway through Udolpho. Much to my surprize, this is a fun read. It seems overwrought by today's standards. Emily cries at the drop of a hat, but she is also strong enough to stand up to her evil relatives who want her to marry someone she doesn't like. Count Morano, her uncle's choice, reminds me a little of Sir Guy of Gisborne, someone who would be good if he only had the love of the right woman. Not that the Count is as evil as Sir Guy, but he's definitely not good enough for Emily. I also like the servant, Annette. She is superstitious and believes in ghosts, but she is also chatty and loves a good gossip. When she learns a secret about Emily's uncle Montoni, she just can't resist the urge to tell Emily.

I found a cute Quaker-style sampler at Jardin Prive. It is called Gentleman Quaker, and the figure on it reminds me of Mr. Darcy.

I hope this is okay, but I've been responding to comments left on the posts within the comments. (Does that make sense?) Thank you for reading my blog!

DH has left the park...

2009-09-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

The next installment of DH's Jane Austen diary:

I have left Mansfield Park. This was a long haul for me. But really I finished Persuasion in between and watched Northanger Abbey, so all was not wasted.

The theme again was love at first site for our heroine or main femme fatale. Also, there are the conflict between love and money and the abuse of the body and mind (drinking). We did see some conflicts between the father and the children.

The love Fannie had for Edmund was eternal and I think that’s what Austen uses for her conflict more than once in her books. Also the times show the shallowness of some of the characters. Position, money, and status are what life is all about.

As usual there is a lost soul or the character sent away for her betterment and to add flavor to the story. Again there are multiple daughters of marrying age and limited worthy husbands available. And of course, a familiar picture of brotherly conflict between Thomas and Edmund. Finally you have the Crawfords. From the beginning I felt they were con-artists.

In this story there is a stronger father figure but he is away on business which again causes issues and he is of the old school. The eldest son eventually does himself in, too much of a good thing.

I really don’t understand the mother’s deal; she seems always to be falling asleep and sometimes I think she is sickly. Also her constant companion Mrs. Norris and in the middle I felt Fanny was the person to fill that role in the future.

Then of course you have the sisters’ love life, falling in love with Crawford while engaged to someone else. It was apparent that eventually it would cause breakup and disgrace to the family.

In closing the themes of the first three books I read are the same, Love & Money. But as with all great stories these things lead to conflict and keep the reader going. Even in the deadliest spy novel or space alien book there is always some reason to keep the reader interested to the end. I think if Austen was alive today her writings would again reflect the themes she has masterfully created so long ago.

2009-08-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo I took today of a sampler that is still in progress. I charted and stitched up the name of my blog on a 32 ct linen with Weeks Dye Works "Merlin" thread. The fabric is actually a remnant that I bought on a recent shopping trip with my needlework guilds. A label on it only gave the color (sandstone), not the manufacturer, but I suspect that it's from Wichelt. The WDW was an impulse purchase from the same store. It's a deep, dark navy that looks like ink, and I love it. In fact, I love this combination of fabric and thread. I can picture several samplers in this: Long Dog's Paradigm Lost, Papillon's Mary Queen of Scots, Scarlet Letter's Ann Grimshaw, Needleprint's Beatrix Potter, or Plum Street Sampler's Coffin Buzz. Decisions, decisions...

It's a mystery...

2009-08-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

...exactly why I like The Mysteries of Udolpho. In general, I don't care for novels written before the nineteenth century, except for La Princess de Cleves. The characters seem more like types than like real people, and the language sometimes puts me off. Late the other night, I found my old college copy of Otranto/Udolpho/Northanger Abbey. Udolpho was so drastically abridged that it's no wonder I didn't like it. The plot probably didn't make much sense to me, since only about a dozen chapters were included out of how many? The novel is over 1,000 pages and has 4 volumes of I forget how many chapters each. That's a lot of story to leave out! The first six chapters have been meandering through the countryside, where St. Aubert, his daughter Emily, and their young friend Valancourt stop to admire the mountains and trees and crags and sweeping scenery. How characters react to the scenery is one way to tell the good guys from the bad. The good guys love trees. The bad guys want to cut them down. So far, except for St. Aubert sighing over the miniature of a woman Emily doesn't recognize, and mysterious music heard in the woods surrounding a castle St. Aubert and Emily have been warned not to approach, there hasn't been much mystery or horror. The story is taking it's time to unfold, and I think that's what I'm enjoying. A leisurely walk through the woods.

Some progress...

2009-08-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

on the Everything Jane Austen Challenge.

I finished reading Persuasion, but not the French translation that I had challenged myself with, so this doesn't count as a finish. I'll go back to it in a week or two, but in the meantime I've started The Mysteries of Udolpho, which I want to read before Northanger Abbey. Way back when I was an undergraduate, I had to read The Mysteries of Udolpho, Northanger Abbey and The Castle of Otranto for an English lit class. All three were in one volume, and The Mysteries of Udolpho were abridged, and that is the extent of the impression they made on me. So it is much to my surprise that I'm kind of enjoying Mysteries. So far, I've only read the first four chapters, and mainly St. Aubert and his daughter Emily have been admiring the scenery while Valancourt has been admiring Emily. Mme St. Aubert died, and Monsieur doesn't seem long for this world, although he has an amazing amount of energy for hiking through the Pyrenees. I've left the three travelers spending the night at a monastery.

However, I can report one finish on my Challenge list! Last night DH and I watched Northanger Abbey on dvd. This version was from the 1980's, and is part of a Jane Austen boxed set. I picked it after finding out that Peter Firth stars in it as Henry Tilney. Peter Firth is best known in this household as Harry Pearce of "MI-5." It was nice to see him in a romantic role. Move over, Matthew Macfadyen and Rupert Penry-Jones! It was even nicer to see that DH enjoyed the dvd, even though he swore that the only thing keeping him awake throughout was the cup of coffee he drank earlier that evening. Yeah, right! He also kept asking how similar the dvd is to the book, so maybe he wants to read it?

A Blast from the Past

2009-08-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

Sylvester was the first novel by Georgette Heyer that I ever read. It took me a long time to get interested in Heyer's work even though I had grown up around her novels. My mother collected them, read them and reread them until they fell apart. When I finally did start reading them, I enjoyed them. This year, Sylvester was released on audiobook and read by a fantastic actor, Richard Armitage, who is celebrating his birthday today. Unfortunately, the audiobook is abridged, but it is nonetheless well worth listening to. A new copy of Sylvester has also found its way onto my TBR pile.

Also on this day, twenty three years ago, a certain young woman found herself becoming engaged to a handsome young man while they were waiting for a light to change on a street corner. They had just eaten dinner at a Chinese restaurant long since closed. They married soon afterwards, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Past Stitching

2009-08-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

This band sampler I designed for my mother several years ago in order to display some of her pins. I took the elements - borders, motifs and alphabet - from different sources and charted it using cross stitch software (I forget which one). Looking at it now, I'd do some things differently, change the colors, but overall I am pleased with it. My mother was very happy with it, too.

Stray Thought on Persuasion

2009-08-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me that perhaps Capt. Wentworth confuses a strong mind with being headstrong. Louisa Musgrove is headstrong, which leads her to hurt her head. Luckily, she has a strong head and recovers. Anne has developed a strong mind, ie sure of her opinions, but is so quiet and unassuming that he doesn't see it right away.

Funny, the first time I read this novel, I didn't think much of it. I had even forgotten that I'd read it! But now, I love it!

To Be Read (and read again)

2009-08-17T09:47:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had a nice, neat stack of books to be read...

and then gone off and read something completely different?

A recent trip to the library saw me leave with a copy of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and very happy I was to have read it. Just the thing for hot summer days. Now I want to go look for some other books I've read long ago, The Book of Ebeneezer Le Page, 84 Charing Cross Road, How to Make an American Quilt, and even Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Is it too late to add Lady Susan to the Jane Austen Challenge? (That is epistolary, isn't it?)

Actually, I'm being good and have started Persuasion over again as I went about a week without touching it. This time, I've noticed that Anne's first direct words in the novel are about the navy. She defends sailors as deserving whatever benefits they earn. And Mrs. Clay's first words are also about sailors. She mentions knowing firsthand not only how generous they are, but also how "neat and careful" they are. And just how does she know that, I wonder?

More of DH's Diary

2009-08-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

DH has made some more progress on his Jane Austen Challenge. Here's the latest installment from his diary:

Journal Number 6
Well it’s been a crazy few weeks. I am reading Mansfield Park the old fashioned way and Pride and Prejudice on the computer thanks to Barnes and Noble EReader. It was part of the Software Download.
The reader itself has some flaws but it allows you to read the book on your PC, IPod or IPhone and more applications are coming soon. It was recently compared to the Amazon Kindle in the NY times. It was a great article.
Now back to Jane. I am stuck between books so it’s time to choose. I am 75 % done with Pride and Prejudice and just finished volume one of Mansfield Park.
After being on the second and third book of six, I have to get back on track.
The stories are interesting and the conflicts are also at times confusing when reading them together. I understand the stories were written in a short period of time so story lines can reoccur and the era the books were written are also reflected in the story lines.
The premise of all the stories I know is to marry off your daughters to the richest or most established and for the sons to marry within your station and for the better of your families.
The conflict of old money and new money comes into the story. The classes collide; the Admiralty and Professionals, which many times is the new money as the Industrial age started, and of course the royal class, the Sirs and Ladies of the estates.
This time is also the time of British expansion for needed materials for the production and the expansion of the British Empire. These all play into the story lines. As a student of business history this part is what gives me the most interest to keep reading. Nobody ever looks at novels as a reflection of economic times. Some day I think I will reread the books and look at them totally from a business prospective.
Lost in Austen or just on target!

Just Doodlin' Around

2009-08-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking that it's high time I do a little blogging about my stitching. So far, my projects are moving slowly. But I decided to pull out my doodle canvas and share some of the stitches I've practiced on it. It has been a while since I did some of these stitches, and of course, I've forgotten what they were and my notes are buried. But I believe that the purple stitches are (clockwise from the top) diagonal cashmere, diagonal upright cross, slanted encroaching gobelin, and encroaching gobelin.
The brown is a cashmere variation, while below it is an experiment with the cameo stitch. The Rhodes hearts were just for fun.

The yellow stitches in this photo are, I believe, burden stitches. The green is done in Alicia lace variation and the brown is diagonal mosaic. The orange stitches are upright cross, staggered cross stitch, diagonal mosaic, and slashed cross stitch.

Here is another view, with blue stitches in alternating continental and upright cross stitch.

Sometimes it's just fun to experiment and pull out colors and threads that you wouldn't necessarily use on a more serious project.

Seasons Change

2009-08-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

A sign that fall isn't too far off?

DH goes to Mansfield Park

2009-07-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

My DH has started Mansfield Park and has this to say so far:

Mansfield Park- I read the introduction in the edition I have and again asked why I am reading the book. Jane Austen is an interesting writer and I understand why people who read can be really into it.

Volume 1- pages 1-56 – I have now gotten the impression that some time in Miss Austen’s life she had seen families broken up, felt hardships and seen changes in people’s comfortable lifestyles.

The main character is Fanny and she has been sent to an aunt to have a better life, if you can say it’s better. I think being with your family is the best place to be. When you send someone off it causes conflicts but that’s what makes a good story.

This is my second Austen book and I am realizing the story lines are very period driven and similar. The key issues are so true to life and even in today’s climate they are still true.

Back to Mansfield Park, the characters are very interesting and do work into the plots in the other books, girls to marry, fortunes lost and won, and people dying and changing the story. Love won and lost. That’s about where I am right now.
Lost in Austen
BR

Paris and Murder

2009-07-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

I've finished Murder in the Marais and have begun the second in the series, Murder in Belleville. As you might guess, each novel in the series is set in a different Parisian neighborhood. I've only been to Paris twice, very brief trips, but these novels really bring me back there. DH & I visited the Marais, but not Belleville. Maybe another time. (*sigh*) Murder in Belleville starts off literally with a bang, a car bomb which kills a mysterious young woman and almost kills Aimee Leduc. I got a kick out of it when Aimee notices the name "E. Grandet" on a doorbell, and later on finds out that the "E" stands for Eugenie. Eugenie Grandet. Really? Do you think that could be an alias?

My stitching has slowed to a crawl. This happens sometimes, but hopefully it will pass and I'll pull out a project.

I'm still listening to Persuasion in French. Actually, I've started it in English as well. This book is so delightful, so subtle and yet so full of emotions. This time around, I was struck by Anne's thoughts after Louisa hits her head. Of course, Anne is concerned about her, but part of her is thinking about Wentworth and how he said that he wanted a woman who knew her mind and who couldn't be easily persuaded out of something. Anne thinks to herself that here is an instance where being strong minded wasn't so good. It's just a small moment in the novel, easily overlooked, but this time I noticed it.

Happy, Happy

2009-07-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

The other day saw me doing a little happy dance. At the library, I found the first two volumes of a mystery series by Cara Black that I've wanted to start reading for a long time. It is set in Paris and is about a computer forensics expert named Aimee Leduc. I've already begun the first novel, Murder in the Marais, which starts out with a search for an encrypted photo and the murder of an old woman. Aimee finds herself investigating neo-nazis and secrets going back fifty years to WWII. (The book begins in 1993.) So far I'm enjoying it very much. Yeah libraries!

My stitching has been a little slow. I'm working on a correspondence course from the EGA, and I have a lifetime's worth of other projects to get started. Sometimes reading takes over from stitching and sometimes it's the reverse.

It doesn't seem fair but...

2009-07-15T14:25:00.000-07:00

DH has finished Persuasion! Below are his thoughts (in two parts, as I got a little slow in posting):

JANE AUSTEN
MY DIARY
7/13/09
Here we go again Chapters 6-12. The Admiral is another interesting character and I truly see him as a Harry Mudd type from “Star Trek: The Original Series.” He is always looking to make things his way and help people have a better life and help in some way.
Today I did some internet work and found some stuff that made some of the things make a little bit of sense.
I am getting through the book slowly and finally figuring out some things. In reality they are on a different reality plane. The characters seem very materialistic and for that time period they seem not what I expected but add flare to the story line.
In chapter 12 I am reading about the trip in November to Lyme and how they were interacting with each other. I see how the captains interact with the women in story and sometimes it looks like a college party.
I am trying to look at this with a clear mind but every time I pick it up I can’t help but think about what would happen if it was present time. Boy would this story rock.
As in present time money is everything and status is so important and from what I see this is a common thread between the stories. There is the conflict between planned marriages and courtships for money versus love.
Still Lost in Austen
BR

JANE AUSTEN
MY DIARY
7/14/09
Day 4
It’s done - one down and five to go. After rereading chapters one and two and twelve to fifteen I finished Persuasion today around 1 pm.
I realized a lot of things about classics. If you don’t know the style you can get pretty lost. I think there should be a character profile before you start the book. I would even say there should be a guide for the DH so that sharing this with your significant other would be easier.
The final Persuasion log entry - hopefully I won’t destroy this great work of literature.
Why did Jane make so many different names and issues? I got lost in the Elliotts from the get go. After about 15 chapters and some research I figured out Mr. Elliott was a different person from Sir Elliott, his life’s goal was to get his title that was from what I get was his birthright. It would be easier if the daughters were all married. This would ensure the best chance for him to inherit some type of estate with a title down the road. The whole book is about status and future status and who has it from birth and who has it now. The captains became rich by taking ships but then you have the old money and the new money so that made it interesting.
My final thoughts - if the tide was turning and Jane had written this in this century, who would the characters be? Would they be on TV Shows like Dallas, Knott’s Landing , Falcon Crest, and Dynasty?
Haven’t decided what to read next but will be back soon.
Still lost but feeling better about it.
BR
I’m back, I have decided to read Mansfield Park basically because I haven’t seen any movie or BBC version so it will allow me to have an almost clear head to start it. It will be a little slower to read since I have a lot to read at work so I won’t be able to get that far for a few days.
Can’t wait to get started!
BR

First Steps on the Austen Challenge

2009-07-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

My DH is getting ahead of me in this challenge, but I've started the first of my items. I've listened and read along the first three chapters of Persuasion in French. (One of my lifelong ambitions is to be fluent in French, and it may well take a lifetime to achieve it!) DH has asked me to post the first of his Austen diary, so if you scroll down, you'll be able to read his thoughts on Persuasion.

In the meantime, I'm reading the fifth and final volume of Christian Jacq's series of novels about Ramses the Great. They have been very entertaining, although I imagine that they're more fiction than history. I don't mind that in this case because so little is known about Ramses. I keep in mind that these are fun novels about a great pharoah. After I'm done with it, I'll start Persuasion in English.

I'd also like to thank Stephanie and Devon for reading my blog and leaving comments!

Mixed Up in Austen Land

2009-07-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

July 12, 2009
This is the third day and I have read 4 chapters of Persuasion. All I can say is between the dysfunctional family and the bouncing story lines it’s hard for a person to keep up. I am used to reading science fiction and science fact; both are organized somewhat I feel analytical and easier to read. It will get better for sure, after all it’s a classic and has stood the test of time.
I have figured out that Elizabeth is the sensible one, a Princess Lea type, leaving I think Annie as the lost soul or an early Luke Skywalker or even Frodo Baggins. Thought everything was set and has trouble dealing with decisions and what has happened. The Father I think Sir Elliott is kind of a C3PO character trying to help everyone out but not looking at the big picture all the time.
I am trying hard to read the book without thinking of the movie which I say I enjoyed the soundtrack but the movie and casting did intrigue me.
I am looking forward to getting more into the book and posting later this week.
Lost in Austen.
BR
July 13, 2009
As usual I am mixed up in Austen land. The movie is Pride and Prejudice and not Persuasion. After thinking, most of what I know about Austen is from the movies which are usually rewritten to get an audience. So I will have to block out the movies and just read.
My wife said C3PO is not a good choice for Sir Elliot I am looking at the confusion state of his life right now. I am sure as the text goes on I will be able to re-assign character to him as I see it.
Lost in Austen
BR

Everything Austen Challenge

2009-07-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

Is it crazy to enter the blogosphere by entering a blog challenge? I'm asking myself this as I think of the six Austen-related things I'd like to do by January 1, 2010.

The Everything Austen Challenge was started by Stephanie at Stephanie's Written Word. It sounds like a lot of fun. Think of six Austen-themed things that you'd like to do over the next six months, do them, blog about them, and link to her blog.

So, here are my six:
1. Listen to Persuasion in French and read along with the text.
2. Read Northanger Abbey and The Mysteries of Udolpho together.
3. Read Jane Austen's Letters.
4. Watch at least one dvd with my DH (except for the 2006 "Pride and Prejudice" which he has seen more times than I have although he denies it).
5. Read an annotated Pride and Prejudice.
6. Cross stitch a Jane Austen sampler. (The one I have in mind is in issue 86 of New Stitches Magazine.)

Laurel Ann at Austenprose has suggested doubling the number to twelve in an Everything Austen Challenge X2, but I haven't quite decided on the next six.

Last night I was telling my DH about the Everything Austen Challenge, and just to make life interesting, he suggested a side challenge with me. If he reads all six Austen novels by his 50th birthday in October, I have to buy him a new bike for his 51st birthday. We stopped at Borders and he bought his own copies of Persuasion and Sense & Sensibility, and he started Persuasion this morning. No word yet on how he's enjoying it!

We'll see how this works out.