Carole Knits

october zinnia
october zinnia
martinis with a view
martinis with a view
gettysburg fence for
gettysburg fence for
germinate shawl on rocks
germinate shawl on rocks
field of flags 2
field of flags 2
color affection with edge
color affection with edge
cedar leaf shawlette 2
cedar leaf shawlette 2
3_27_2014
3_27_2014
3_18_13
3_18_13
2_24_2014
2_24_2014
1_11_13
1_11_13

Three On Thursday

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Is it just me or does it feel like January is dragggggging by? I mean, I’m not one to wish the time away and I appreciate every day but I can’t help but wonder why June feels like it lasts about 5 minutes and January goes on forever. Okay, I don’t actually wonder at all, I know it’s all about the weather.

Anyway.

How about some laughs this Thursday?

This one is funny:

This one is timely:

And this one is 100% accurate:

It’s still cold but at least I’m laughing and I hope you are, too.

Don’t forget to add your link if you wrote a post for today.


For the Love of Reading: Mid December 2018 to Mid January 2019

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I did a summary of my 2018 reading but I haven’t shared reviews of the books I’ve finished for about a month now. Without further delay, here they are:

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Absurd and farcical and way too long, I struggled to finish this one but I was curious enough to want to know how it all turned out. It’s like a mash up of Forest Gump, A Man Called Ove, and Big Fish. There are parts that are funny and the intermingling of historical events and leaders is clever but overall this just wasn’t the right book for me.

 

Circe

Circe by Madeline Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m not especially familiar with mythology and hesitated to read this book despite how much everyone loved it. I decided to give it a go and I’m so glad I did. It’s fabulous, with strong characters (especially female ones), beautiful descriptions, and a truly compelling story. It’s all familiar but also different and I highly recommend it.

 

Fox 8Fox 8 by George Saunders
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Super short but brilliant. Just be “niser” to each other.

 

 

Before We Were YoursBefore We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An easy and entertaining read. Not great literature and utterly predictable but engrossing and worth reading.

 

 

Everything Under

Everything Under by Daisy Johnson
My ratin

g: 5 of 5 stars

Weird and wild and probably not for everyone but this book blew my mind.

 

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an excellent true crime book with compelling writing and a fascinating subject. It’s particularly tragic that McNamara died before a suspect was arrested and charged with this crimes from the 1970s and 1980s. Highly recommended for those who enjoy the genre.

 

The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better AngelsThe Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The premise of this book is to remember that our country has often experienced times of turmoil and corruption and that (eventually) our better nature has prevailed. It definitely helped to think of those times as I watch the news and see the struggle with the current times.

 

Three Things About ElsieThree Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a truly charming book full of poignant observations on life, aging, friendship, and more. It’s rare for me to make note of specific sentences I love in a book but this one had a few that I just couldn’t resist including: “A long second is when clock hesitates, just for a moment. Just long enough to give you the extra time you need to make the right decision.” While the third thing about Elsie was pretty obvious to me right from the beginning, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. Highly recommended.

I hope you’ve been reading great books and I also hope you’ll tell me about them.

Weekending

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Here are the rest of the photos from my weekend:

Friday Night Snacks. I did have Jackie for the afternoon but – if you can believe it – I didn’t take a single photo of him! Video? Yes! Photos? Nope. These days it’s easier to videotape him because he’s constantly on.the.go.

Saturday morning we took down Christmas. I put away my Mom’s jewelry Christmas tree along with (most) of the other decorations. I left up the greens around the windows and on the mantel along with the twinkle lights and the tree in our bedroom. Winter is dark and bleak and those lights make things cozy and cheerful.


In the afternoon we did some shopping (Dale really needed a good warm coat to wear to the game) and then rewarded ourselves with some beer at Naukabout brewery. We chatted and played Boggle (a first for us) and had a generally good time.

Sunday was the Pats game and we had a fabulous time. It was very cold but we managed to stay warm thanks to great food and drink, awesome friends, and a very well played game!

Hope you had a good weekend full of all the things you love to do, too.

Eye Candy Friday

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This simple bouquet sitting on the edge of my bathroom vanity makes me smile every time I see it. White carnations (inexpensive) and pine (free from my yard) are a lovely combo for a winter bouquet.

Our predicted temps this weekend are decidedly winter-like. Hope you’re warm wherever you are!

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