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.

Life moves along

A reading blog should have some book reviews on it. Well, how about a list of books read? Better than nothing, and proves that I have been doing something these last few weeks. These are the books I actually finished. The list would be a lot longer if it included those I started and abandoned. Time is too precious to finish a book you're not enjoying.

Oolong Dead - Laura Childs (knitting themed mystery)

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built - Alexander McCall Smith (detective)

Far North - Marcel Theroux (science fiction)

The Liberation Diet - Kevin Brown (health)

Home Safe - Elizabeth Berg (slice of life)

Blackout - Connie Willis (science fiction)

Passage - Connie Willis (science fiction)

Knit Two - Kate Jacobs (knitting/slice of life)

The Raphael Affair - Iain Pears (mystery/historical)

The Kalahari Typing School for Men - Alexander McCall Smith (audio book - great for learning the correct pronunciation of the African names)

And I've been knitting too. But not a lot. A pair of socks are taking me an age to finish. 1 1/2 shawls that I'll take pictures of soon. And the cutest little baby sweater that was so easy to make. I can't stop looking at it - it's that sweet. Fits my son's baby doll - so it's newborn size. (Bernat Worsted; Yoked Cardigan by Hannah Fettig)

I've just returned from Africa

In this age of video it is possible to travel to distant lands without leaving your seat. That's what I have been doing in my spare time for the last few days. One of my favourite book series is "The #1 Ladies' Detective Agency" by Alexander McCall Smith. A friend put me on to the fact that there is a TV series based on the books. I've been devouring the DVDs and have been captivated by the scenery and customs of Botswana, Africa at the same time. You can get the flavour of the people through the printed word, but for the beauty of the countryside you need to have visual. Highly recommended! (and available at my local library to boot!)

My last pair of socks turned out so "me" that they stayed in my sock drawer rather than become gifts. The yarn is a mystery since I've lost the ball band, but it's a wool/nylon blend of some sort, knitted in my standard plain sock pattern. It's almost too warm to be wearing wool socks now, though. Time for cotton.

Count your many blessings

Today is a GOOD day. Shall I count the ways?

1. Right now I am totally alone in the house. I love my family, but sometimes it's nice to be alone too.

2. My son and I got a lot of cleaning up done today. The light is still not visible at the end of the tunnel, but I feel like we've made some headway.

3. I'm humless for the moment (that makes being home that much more special).

4. Supper is simmering on the stove.

5. The sun is shining in the window.

6. I'm drinking a great fruit kefir smoothie.

My knitting mojo has been hibernating lately. There are too many balls being juggled and knitting has sifted to the bottom of the priority pile. A little gets done each day, but that doesn't translate into many finished projects. A cool item I finished about a month ago is a biscuit blanket (it's like a giant dishcloth to keep biscuits/buns warm in). You just have to love that name! And when a friend gave me a kit to make one, I was so happy. Now I have the pattern and can make more. The cotton yarn was sooo wonderful to work with. It has me spoiled and I won't want to go back to the cheap dishcloth cotton.

How I cope

Cotton dishcloth knitting is what I gravitate to when life becomes stressful. The feel of the soft cotton between my fingers; the mindless garter stitch. The process calms and relaxes me. I've been knitting a lot of dishcloths the last few weeks. Enough said.

Yesterday I did branch out from my standard Grandma's Favourite dishcloth pattern and tried Eloomanator's Diagonal Knit Dishcloth. Almost as easy as Grama's Favourite, but with a twist. Doesn't it look pretty?

To catch up on reviewing some of the books I've read in the past month, I'll start with "My Life in France" by Julia Child. This book was a birthday gift that I saved for my trip to Mexico. What a wonderful read, on the beach or otherwise. Of course, I came away wanting to be Julia Child, I admired her so much. She knew what she wanted and with energy, just headed there. The descriptions of the food and countryside made me want to travel and cook and eat. The book "Julie and Julia", based on Child's life as well, I quietly returned to the library mostly unread, very unsatisfied with the vulgar tone. Watch the movie, it's far better.

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]

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.