No lazy days of summer for me

Summer is in full swing and as usual, is moving along much too quickly. But we finally have some sunny July weather, so it feels like summer at least. I've been reading and knitting and doing some organization (but not as much as I'd like!). A shift is in the wind - more on that in the next weeks.

Books I haven't set aside:

The Boy in the Moon by Ian Brown tells the true story of a boy born with a very rare medical condition that affects his looks and mental and physical development. Written by the boy's father, it is at the same time inspiring and gut-wrenching.

The Alchemist's Dream by John Wilson takes place in the late 1600's and mixes true tales of the search for the Northwest Passage with seemingly fantastic, but also true tales of alchemy and occult.

This Time Together by Carol Burnett is filled with a collection of stories of Carol's life in show business over the long span of her career. The snippets from here and there served to give a better picture of the personality of this well-loved actress. I grew up watching Carol Burnett and truly enjoyed reading about her acting life. What fun she had!

On the knitting front: a mohair/acrylic shawl modeled by my son under great duress (Estelle Watercolours) - my third time to use this yarn and make this shawl. Yellow socks out of Bambino yarn by Chameleon Colorworks. I look forward to cooler weather so I can test out the bamboo. And lastly, some socks for a fundraiser next fall - Regia Jacquard color.

I'm not a feminist, but....

Reading "The Heart Specialist" by Claire Holden Rothman was a glimpse into life before women were treated as the equals that they are today. Agnes White is passionate about all things scientific and aspires to be a doctor like her father. However, the year is 1882 and things like that are just not done. Women don't even go to university, let alone spend many years there learning. They just aren't made for stuff like that. This book is inspired by the true story of one of Montreal's first female physicians, Dr. Maude Elizabeth Seymour Abbott. It was a page turner and I highly recommend it. Many twists and turns.

Do you ever read any of the blogs in my sidebar? Josh Harris's "Mark Driscoll's: Church is not a restaurant" video clip is right on the mark. Take a few minutes to listen in.

We are having a new baby in our church next month. I made a baby sweater that will hopefully fit in the winter. It's made with a yarn that will be washable for the new mom - Red Heart Eco-Ways, in a soft light teal colour. So soft after washing.

Thank goodness for libraries

I've spoken before of my love of libraries. If I ever spend time in a new town for any reason, I usually check out their library. They are such comfortable places. Think of all the money they save us! One day I'll sit down and estimate how much money I would have spent if I had bought all the books I've taken out of the library. In my present Connie Willis period, I would be in the hundreds of dollars by now. The latest is "The Winds of Marble Arch and other stories". Short stories are satisfying to read, as they can be nibbled at here and there. This is a huge book containing 23 stories of varying lengths. Some are in the time travel vein that I've come to expect of her and others general SF. It was interesting to see how diverse her writing skills are, while keeping to the SF genre.

While camping this past week I finished off a pair of socks for a colleague/friend who recently lost her mother. They will be warm and comforting on cold winter days. Online Linie 3 Highland Color; Farbe 842; Partie 69469. Pattern: K3, P1 down the leg on a standard sock.

Traveling to other times

Science fiction - you've got to love it. SF stretches your mind with possibilities that are sometimes brain exploding. I find time travel to be that way especially. What are the ramifications of traveling backwards in time? What if you change something? What if you step on a butterfly or save a life or merely have your atoms share space with a world that didn't have your atoms in it before? When you mix questions like these with a rousing good plot, the result is a story that begs to keep you up late at night. "Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis (my current favorite author) was a delight to read. Set during Medieval times, it had all the historical accuracy and engaging tidbits I love to learn about, coupled with interesting plot turns and complex characters. These were characters you became close to, laughed with and ached for. We are not solitary creatures wandering the earth - we're meant to live in community. Sometimes that isn't easy, but strengthing our understanding of other people is highly worthwhile.

Are you green? Do you carry around a reusable shopping bag? I find that the more bags I have, the more likely that I'll have one when I need it. To that end I knitted a simple bag out of soft cotton that I will feel very trendy carrying to the farmer's market, should I ever get there. Knit Picks Simply Cotton Organic Worsted yarn; Fantasy Naturale Market Bag.

Racism strikes at our hearts

"The Help" is an exceptional first novel by Kathryn Stockett. I haven't read a book that captivated me like this one for a long, long time. Well, in actual fact I didn't "read" this book at all. I listened to it being read by some incredible narrators. That added immensely to the experience. "The Help" is a story that takes place in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960's. Black housekeepers and nannies are known as "help" in that state. In this novel, a group of them are interviewed by a white journalist and their stories are compiled into a book. These stories will draw you in, make you laugh, make you cry and make you ache for the evil that is racism. I did not want to stop listening; I wanted to put my life on hold till I found out what happened to the women involved. A good book should make you a better person and this one certainly gave me a much greater appreciation of the race situation, relationships, friendships and much more. A minor take-away from the reading - one of the characters was in the habit of writing out her prayers every day. It ended up making her a better writer all round. I think this would be a great habit for me to get into.

Do mothers still put hand-made sweaters on their babies? I hope so because I've found them very satisfying to make - quick and so adorable. I recently finished another yoked cardigan for a baby shower gift. Made out of Moda Dea washable wool, it should be an easy item to take care of.

For the men in my life

Men – what could you do with a map of your spiritual life? Do you think that it might make the Christian life easier to follow? You bet! “The Map” by David Murrow is just that. Using the interesting format of a thriller novel, plus insights he has derived from scripture, Murrow develops the theory that the bible has imbedded in it the image of a map that will help men become deeper followers of Christ. The book was interesting to read and the map concept wasn’t farfetched. I could see it all coming together as the three journeys were laid out. So even if scripture wasn’t arranged to provide this message, a man could gain some valuable direction using Murrow’s ideas. I’m not a man, but after reading this book I was left thinking that I wished a similar book for women was available.

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.

Is Weight Watchers our friend?

Matt Stone is a favorite blogger of mine. He's also written ebooks. He has an interesting perspective on the weight loss/health issue that runs contrary to much that we hear in conventional circles. He makes a lot of sense, but I haven't totally wrapped my mind around the "putting into action" of his theories. Makes for interesting reading/listening though.