Books Read in 2008

• Let me start by saying the books read here are a list of the books I read in many ways. Some of them I read by myself, for my own enjoyment. Some were read aloud to the kids. Some were even enjoyed by audio book or even by listing to my husband read them aloud. I plan to write a review of the graphic novel "A Christmas Carol" and "Peace Like A River". You can find the list on my reading archive book here, along with my list from 2007, when I fist started recording the books I read.

Happy new year!

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• A Christmas Carol (The Graphic Novel) by Charles Dickens
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• Portuguese Irreguar Verbs by Alexander Mccall Smith
• Jotham's Journey by Arnold Ytreeide
• The Silver Needle Mystery by Laura Childs
• Frill Kill by Laura Childs
• Peace Like A River by Leif Enger
• Murder in China Town by Victoria Thompson
• The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
• A Spoonful of Poison by M. C. Beaton
• Death of a Gentle Lady by M. C. Beaton
• Free-Range Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
• The Apprentice by Pilar Molina Llorente
• Dragondale by some young author
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
• Death Swatch by Laura Childs
• The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
• Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
• War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
• The Claverings by Anthony Trollope
• Murder on Bank Street by Victoria Thompson
• Forsaken by James David Jordan
• The Shack by Wllm P. Young
• The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatly Snyder
• A Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
• My Antonia by Willa Cather
• Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer
• Death in the Stocks by Georgette Heyer
• Home Girl: Building a Dream House on Lawless Block by Judith Matloff
• Augustine Goes to Kent by Barbara Willard
• Horse of a Different Color by Ralph Moody
• Son of Charlemagne by Barbara Willard
• A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
• A Door in the Wall by madeleine L'Engle
• A Wrinkle in time by Madeleine L'Engle
• Hinds Feet on High Places by hannah Hunard
• Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortennson
• Corrie Ten Boom by J & G Benge
• The Dry Divide by Ralph Moody
• A Daughter of the Land by Gene Stratton-Porter
• The Silver Needle Murder by Laura Childs
• Twice Freed by Patricia St. John
• Tanglewood's Secret by Patricia St. John
• The Clear Light of Day by Penelope Wilcock
• The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
• The New Year's Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
• The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper
• And The Word Came With Power by Joanne Shelter
• Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon

Christmas

Donna over at the Quiet Life asked for pictures of our oldest Christmas ornaments a couple of weeks ago, and I am finally getting to it:
This one and it fraternal twin (which has one angel in it) are my favorite. My mom made them, blew the egg out and decorated them so beautifully. I don't know how old they are. I love finding all the cherished ornaments each year. This year my mom and the kids did the tree, so I found them this year already on the tree.
My oldest now has new ornaments for her feet. Here's her Christmas gift, these thick wool socks:
The family all want WOOL KNITS, badly!!! It has gotten so cold here.

Winter has descended!

The Fall here in the Midwest had such amazing colors, ones I used to decorate my home with using fabric and holiday decor. Now here it was all around me:
The kids love the state parks. Pere Marquette, Father Marquette is a local historical figure and this park is names after him. Climbing the rocks and the trees...
This one is being lit up from behind, in the late afternoon sun.
BUT THEN:
It got cold so fast.
Some finished projects are coming up. One is finished and awaiting photos, but I can't get my DH to stop wearing it and working in it. I've got to get him to stand still for the photo.
Another project is almost finished. I was out of clean wool socks last week and realized I needed to get finished with some new ones. Or maybe I should clean some????

Here's a foot print in snow. Since these photos, it has been cold. below 30 during all day. 14 degrees at night. Bbbrrrr. Nice for hot chocolate, warm soup and cuddling.

Fall has fallen

I wanted to get these photos of a finished product before I start posting the winter stuff. Winter here really exists...and I think it started this week. Others who live here tell me this is still mild weather. I think they are just putting me on. It couldn't get down to 10 degrees for a month, could it?
Anyway, the mild weather photos here of of my long-term project, Lady Eleanor Stole from the Interweave Press book "Scarf Style". I used 12 balls of Noro Silk Garden and size eight needles. I almost finished it about a year ago and then came to the conclusion that it would have to go. It was the worst of times, for a knitter. Lady El was one of the first big projects I wanted to do. I cast on eons ago and worked slowly and steadily until I realized that disaster had struck. But now it is finished, in all its wrapping and warmth and color.

The colors of this season were stunning. This is one picture of a local state park which is at the end of the Fall season, but just before the snows. I loved it.