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

Think Write Thursday

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The Think Write Thursday topic is to write about 3 good things that happened this week.

  1. We picked our first summer squash of the season. I steamed it last night and served it with some grilled chicken and it was delicious and fresh and perfect.
  2. I attended a work meeting that included a very frank, open and honest discussion about management styles, rumors and gossip, and ways to build trust. I didn’t expect this discussion to happen but it resulted in some great team building among my peers and I’m grateful for the opportunity to see some of them in a whole new light.
  3. I finished #The100DayProject! Yes, indeed, I took one hundred one second videos from April 3rd through July 12th. It was fun and I definitely learned a lot about how long a second actually is and how to (slightly) improve my video taking skills. There are quite a few things I’d do over with those videos given the chance but it’s still a pretty nifty look back on the last 100 days. I haven’t decided yet whether I will continue doing this but I just might. I also haven’t figured out a way to share it here because the video exceeds the size of a file I can upload. Damn. You can see it on instagram, though, if you’re so inclined.

What good things happened for you this week? If you wrote a post for today’s topic please include your link below so that we can all come and read it. And if you’d like to receive the Think Write Thursday topic in your inbox each week (usually by Monday afternoon) then click here to sign up.


Watercolor Wednesday

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Remember when Watercolor Wednesday was a thing? We were all so excited about the Waterlogue app and we posted watercolor photos all.the.time. It’s not such a thing anymore but I still like being able to turn this:

Into this:

With just the tap of an app.

A Month(ish) of Reading: June-Early July 2017

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There was one other thing that happened this weekend that I left out of yesterday’s post. I got my first Bingo of the summer!

And with that I will update you on the books I have finished since I last shared a post about reading.

Burntown by Jennifer McMahon
4 stars, Bingo square: Thriller
Part mystery, part thriller, part fantasy, this is McMahon’s finest work yet, in my opinion. The story is compelling, the writing is good, and there’s a circus. Highly recommended.

The Nix by Nathan Hill
5 stars, Bingo square: With an unreliable narrator
I adored this book! It’s long and full of a lot of ideas and characters and story lines but Nathan Hill ties them all together in a perfectly satisfying way. In some ways it reminded me of both A Little Life and The Goldfinch but it’s not as gut wrenching as either of those and there is a lot more humor in this one. Highly recommended!

An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor
4 stars, Bingo square: About art/artist(s)
The premise of the book is that altars and opportunities to worship are everywhere and found in every day moments. I think that’s a wonderful premise, particularly as someone who has drifted pretty far from organized religion. Some of it was a little preachy to me but still, the premise is terrific, the writing is great, and the author is extremely likable and wise.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
3 stars, Bingo square: Number in the title
Set in a bookstore of old, mysterious books, this story is fun and intriguing. The characters are quirky and diverse, it’s a bit of a mash up of Harry Potter, The Historian, and the Jasper Fforde Thursday Next series. Plus, there’s a knitting museum! Recommended for an easy summer read.

Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver
5 stars, Bingo square: Wanted to read for more than a year
These poems are gorgeous, focusing on the beauty of nature and the importance of gratitude. They are very accessible and easily read but can be studied and read over and over again for even deeper meaning. Highly recommended.

The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
4 stars, Bingo square: Banned in a country outside the US
Dark and twisty is done so well by Shirley Jackson. These tales will make you uncomfortable at best and creeped out and downright scared at the most. Definitely recommended!

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman
5 stars, Bingo square: Person on the cover
There is so much wisdom packed into this little book. It’s a story of love, devotion, loss, the frailty of the body and the triumph of the spirit. Poignant and deeply moving, it’s a must read.

The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian
4 stars, Bingo square: About a person with a disability
I tend to love anything Chris Bohjalian writes and this one is no exception. It’s a haunting tale and suspenseful right up to the very end. I couldn’t put it down and the ending was a complete surprise but still very satisfying. Highly recommended.

The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve
4 stars, Bingo square: Set in a different season
I enjoyed this book very much, it was accessible and a quick read. I do feel it’s lacking some of Shreve’s typical depth, I could have used a little more detail to help me connect better with some of the characters. It almost felt choppy at times but the plot and setting descriptions kept me engaged and wanting to finish.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
5 stars, Bingo square: Set in a country you’ve never visited
Amazing, difficult, beautiful, horrific, important, historic, and a must read. I have too many feelings about this to say more, just know that it’s highly highly recommended.

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
3 stars, Bingo square: ANY BOOK
I enjoyed this book and read it from start to finish in one day. The story is great and it’s very well written. I was slightly annoyed by the way Patchett would drop really significant events into the plot as an aside rather than giving some plot developments their proper due and that’s what kept me from giving it 4 stars. I mean, seriously, is it so hard to just tell a story from start to finish on a straightforward timeline? Maybe that approach isn’t artsy enough for literary writers but it would be refreshing to read a book like that now and again.

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson
5 stars, Bingo square: That you want to read in spite of the cover
A short but meaningful book about a young black woman and her friends growing up in Brooklyn in the 1970s, I couldn’t help but compare our childhoods while reading it. We grew up in the same years, listened to the same music, and thought about boys but the similarities end there. This book packs a punch and captures the time period exceptionally well. Highly recommended.

We Were On A Break by Lindsey Kelk
3 stars, Bingo square: Set in a different country
A bit drawn out and contrived but still a light and entertaining summer read. Think Bridget Jones crossed with Love Actually, it contains great British words and humor. Not fine literature but recommended for something easy and fun.

Woot! That’s a lot of books since June 7th. I did read a whole bunch on vacation (5 total, to be specific) and some of those were audio and a couple were quite short. I feel mostly confident in saying I’m on track for my cover all.

How’s your summer reading going?

Weekending

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Monday morning? Already? I guess that means it’s time to look back at the weekend that was.

Friday was raining and not a day suitable for outdoor activities so we headed to Dick Blick in Providence. I needed some art supplies for a new online drawing course I am taking and oooh boy, going to that store was awesome. We combined that shopping trip with an excursion to Swan Point Cemetery. Dale has been wanting to go there for ages to see a couple of Civil War graves. I was just there for the turkeys. Heh.

We headed back our way and met up with my cousin Len and my cousin Lynn for dinner. Lynn had been traveling up this way for work and I haven’t seen her in probably 45ish years. It was so awesome to catch up and get to know each other again. I’m grateful to Len for pulling this together and expanding my family circle yet again.

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day. We started it with fabulous blueberry scones with lemon glaze that were delivered by Sean. And then Dale worked on some projects around here while I read and puttered around. The humidity was up a bit so I spent much of the afternoon inside.

We did some grocery shopping and stopped at a favorite farm stand for our first local corn of the season. We attempted an evening on the deck but were thwarted by showers so we came inside, enjoyed corn for dinner, music, Mexican train, and dancing in the kitchen.

Sunday was another gorgeous day and the humidity was way down so we were outside much more. Breakfast on the deck, a little more reading, and then we headed out for a drive in the Mustang. I told Dale I wanted to see water and he said, well then, we’ll just head East and we’ll hit it eventually.

We got home just in time for cocktail hour! Caprese with local mozzarella and tomatoes and our own basil was perfect. Dale’s dad wandered over with his friend Bill and joined us for a bit.

The evening ended with pizza on the picnic table with Dale’s dad, Jack and our friends Bill and his dad, Charlie. It was impromptu and fun and a great way to enjoy the close of the weekend.

How was your weekend?

Eye Candy Friday

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How about a Maine sunrise for today’s eye candy? I took this at 5am on the morning of Dale’s birthday; it was a gorgeous start to the day. Then I went back to bed because I’m not an idiot and I was on vacation.

Have a great weekend!

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