Timber!

Only a little tatting today and no pictures of that to show. I had a doctors appointment yesterday, just a routine med review and a documenting of various aches and pains. I did get some exercises to do that may help with the tension headaches I get occasionally, very occasionally, once every few years type. It’s probably the same type of exercise everyone else gets to do for that type of headache. Things to stretch out the muscles in the neck and shoulders. I never though to try those as I never seem tense there, I just get this weird random muscle over my skull that starts spasming. Bad news is she said the tatting may actually be causing some of the tension. I will choose not to believe her and assume that some other life matter is causing the damage. After all, tatting and other hobbies are to relax us! After the appointment I took vacation. The last of the big trees in my yard came down the night before (Wed. night) That was an adventure in itself. My neighbor who has been helping me made all the cuts. The tree was set to go down in an angle to the south east. I saw the cuts, I know a teeny tiny bit about physics, that tree should have gone down to the south east. Nice neighbor started making more cuts and again I checked, tree should go down to south east, but it started sliding off to the southwest. Neighbor didn’t believe me, after all, those cuts should have sent it the other direction. He kept cutting and sure enough tree went down south, south west. He got out of the way in time, and the tree missed the 2 trees I wanted to keep and the house. The very top tips brushed the electrical wires coming down. Gravity and strange angles of the tree that appeared to be going pretty much straight up conspired against us. Thank goodness no one was hurt. No electricians needed, and no houses or fences damaged. Here are some pictures of the downed tree. Sorry if pictures are grainy, they were taken by my trusty phone.





It is now fire wood, or in sacks and barrels ready to go to the city compost. Neighbor and I are down to cutting the stumps as close to the ground as possible, then using stump killer, or salt water to try to prevent recurring growth. I need to get around to the parts of the yard I could never get to before and pick up all the trash that is there. That trash has been there for longer than the six years I’ve lived there. It is rather appalling the amount of trash that was allowed to hide in that yard. Off the top of my head I can tell you there are car parts, parts of campaign signs, clothes, rags, odd chunks of cement, broken glass, tin and aluminum cans, Styrofoam, and plastic containers. I may have to take a couple of pictures of just the trash as it comes out of the yard, but that may not get posted, it may actually be rather revolting.

Don’t know how much I’ll get to/feel like tatting this weekend either. A friend is remodeling her bathroom and I’ve promised to help. She needs to get most of the tiling done on the floor and I think counter tops before plumber comes to install the new toilet and whatever other plumbing needs to get done. the electrician has already been there. This weekend while I help her I am hoping to learn how to tile, I also plan to fetch and carry things for her so she can concentrate on getting the work done, and maybe make some food for lunch. In fact I’m planning on making her onigiri for lunch. In case you don’t know, onigiri is a traditional Japanese dish, riceballs. You make up sushi rice, and frequently hide a little surprise inside. I like teriyaki salmon or umiboshi for the insides. Umiboshi is pickled plums. You can also just season the rice and not have fillings. It is the sort of food that we cannot get in restaurants here in the great plains states. Anyway the remodeling friend loves onigiri, but never takes the time to make it for herself. And shouldn’t one have a food they really love when they are working hard?

Blog Roll

Okay, my blogroll is probably a weird thing to blog, but what the heck. At this point, these are all the blogs that I subscribe too. I use the Bloglines service for this. I check bloglines every morning, and they have done a search and let me know which blogs have been updated, and they provide the postings, either partial or in full -- your choice. Then I can go to the individual sites and browse around, read or leave comments, and see what blogs other people have linked too. It is a wonderful service. If you are forgetful like me, or just plain busy it is a wonderful tool.

The crafting sites: Embroidery, Tatting, and Crazy Quilting these sites are loaded with patterns and or inspiration.

Other Blogs: Well, just that, other blogs.

• The Criss Library is where I work, information that is a must have for any of us in the Criss Library who work a public service desk. If you don't work there, you probably don't care.
• The Pump Handle, because I am woefully uninformed about the goings on in the world. This is one way I can at least get the headlines on a topic I care about, my fellow human beings.
• Horror Movie a Day. Hard to explain, not the blog, but why I read it. The blogger watches a horror movie every day, then talks about it, like he is talking to a friend. It isn't a review it is more of a conversation. I don't even watch many horror movies, but I love this blog. Warning-He uses rough language.
• My other blog, is where I blog on non-craft things, probably where this entry should go but oh well, the lines between the two are so blurred now anyway that there is probably no hope.
• Any other blogs there at this point are friends, virtual or real-world that have blogs. Not that those who write the crafting blogs are not friends and potential friends, they just have a more focused blog.
  

Cross Posted on Zaijovan's This n That

Gate of Souls: a Familiar's Tale

This has nothing to do with fiber arts, but it's my friends book, I think it's great and I want her to do well, so if you like the fantasy genre, please consider this book!

I received my copy of Gate of Souls last night. I am quite excited and cannot wait to read it. Probably will sit down Saturday morning with a pot of tea and some scones and really enjoy it. I was a beta reader for this book when my friend Verna was writing it. It was great then, I loved it and was thrilled when she thought she had it published. That promise fell through, and in retrospect it was a very good thing it did. Since I first read the book, my friends Rick and Verna have moved so I haven't seen the changes in this book. Verna published several short stories in e-zines and in this way was 'noticed' by a book publisher. A Familiar's Tale was dusted off and has been through some serious editing. The title of the original, A Familiar's Tale, has become the series title. The story is told through the eyes of the sorcerer's familiars. The first time through Mellypip was the main character along with his sorceress Runa. I expect this hasn't changed any. As sweet and endearing as these two characters are Belwyn the owl -- and Mellypip's tutor -- was a favorite of mine, and everyone in the writers group. To a person, in our imaginations Belwyn had the voice of Edward Woodward. No one tried to give actors or voices to the other characters, but try giving this book a read and see if any voice other than Woodward's comes through for Belwyn.

I hear the 2nd book in the series is almost done. I wonder how much chocolate I'll have to mail out to Verna in order to see a rough draft of this book ahead of time?