Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Spring is in the air

I am seeing lots of people out working in their yards already and have to confess that the digging-in-the-dirt thought has been floating through my mind as well. But it's only the beginning of March!

A book to wet your appetite to do things the organic way is
"Diary of a Compost Hotline Operator". Uniquely written; local(Vancouver, BC.) Everything you ever wanted to know about setting up and maintaining a composting system set down in a humorous and easy-to-read way. This was a fun way to begin the gardening season. Now to keep up the momentum.

I finally finished a pair of socks that have been languishing in a corner for well over a year. Showing how much my knitting has improved, I whipped through some lacework that had me stumped back when I was working first on them. However, my tension has loosened up quite a bit, so the second sock is considerable larger than the first. But they're done! I got to cross them off the list - very satisfying. (Knit Picks Essential yarn; Girl's Best Friend Anklets Knit Picks pattern) [Ravelry picture - I think we lost all our pictures with the computer crash]

Sunday, February 21, 2010

If we all take one small action...

Sometimes you feel powerless when seeing all the tragedy around the world. You want to change things; make a difference; have some significance in your life.

Today is Freedom Sunday. A day when people around the world of every faith and non-faith, come together through action and prayer to take one step closer to freedom from human trafficking. Join hands with us.

Freedom Sunday from David Hepburn on Vimeo.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

The music never fades

Stories are plentiful when it comes to "The King of Rock and Roll", Elvis Presley. Some are written for money, some for the love of the man himself and some to set the record straight. "The King and Dr. Nick" is a first-hand account of Dr. George Nichopoulos's 10 year relationship with Presley as his personal physician. After Elvis died, Dr. Nick was accused of wrong-doing in the death and spent years defending himself and trying to clear his name.

While I didn't find the story riveting, a die-hard fan of Elvis Presley will be fascinated by insider stories and little-known facts about the behind-the-scenes life of this infamous man.

The book is written in a day by day manner, so either Dr. Nick has a really good memory or kept a journal. The many photographs make reading that much more interesting and also included are a number of photocopies of original documents, lending an air of authenticity to the research.
I would recommend this book to someone interested in learning everything they can about Presley. A less devoted fan might find it a little dry.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Learning curve

My computer died. I have a new one. I'm getting to know it. That takes time...

In the meantime, here's a quick video promoting a new book out there that I'm anxious to read and maybe you will be too. Josh Harris, our darling boy from the homeschooling years, who made good and seems to get better. Check this out.


DugDownDeep_Carnahan.mov from Covenant Life Church on Vimeo.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Back home again

Mexico is a fantastic place to relax and regenerate. The sights, sounds, smells and gastronomic delights soothe you into believing that this is reality. Of course, it's not - for me, at least, but for a short week it was nice to take a step outside normal life and experience something totally removed from my routine. (for my pictures, check facebook)

So...3 books and one pair of socks later, I left Cabo San Lucas a little browner and feeling like I have enough Vitamin D stored up to last till we start getting our own rays here in the dreary northland.

Having forgotten to take a picture of the socks ON the beach like I had intended, I created a pseudo-beach for our dining room table centerpiece and that will have to suffice. The yarn I chose from my stash before leaving turned out to be the perfect colourway for beach knitting. (Drops Fabel - colorway 910) There's a little sun, a little sand and lots of water symbolized in the colours. These will go to a woman at church who's going through some parenting struggles with a wayward teen. From one mom to another - a little love and lots of prayers.

Book reviews to follow once I've figured out how to get back to normal.