NSSVS Feb 2006

NSSVS Feb 2006
Originally uploaded by AnglersRest.

I simply have no willpower and opened up my pressie early this morning. Thanks wilksie for two books from my wish list and a selection of goodies!

Circle of Quilters (Elm Creek Quilters Novels) by Jennifer Chiaverini

Two of the Elm Creek Quilters are leaving. That means that Sarah, Sylvia & the Elm Creek Quilters need to interview for replacements. - Meet Anna, a chef and quilter frustrated with her boyfriend Gordon who I think is very shifty!. There is Karen who is a stay at home Mum with two young children, whose husband takes her for granted and doesn't really understand that Karen needs more of a challenge in her life. Maggie is another applicate whose interest was spoarked when she came across a quilt at a garage sale and purchased it for $5.00, she researches the history of the quilt and the woman who made it and publishes a book. Russell, the only male applicant who discovers his passion for quilting as he struggles to overcome his grief following his wife's death, and lastly Gretchen whose good nature has been abused by "friend" Heidi, who takes Gretchen's business plan and request for help set up a quilting shop and makes it her own.

Each applicant enjoys quilting and has a lot to give Elm Creek, but who will Sarah, Sylvia and the team choose?

I am so disappointed, this is the last Elm Creek novel on my bookshelf, well until book 10 is published!

The Christmas Quilt (Elm Creek Quilters Novels) by Jennifer Chiaverini

A really lovely little book, from the size of the book (18 x 12.5cms), the decorative dust jacket, and storyline. Indeed the cover has a "read me" feel to it and I wonder just how I resisted to read for so long, but I have read the books in order of publishing.

The book is actually set between The Quilters Apprentice and Round Robin. Sarah and Sylvia are in the attics of Elm Creek Manor hunting for the Christmas decorations. Instead of removing to the foyer two chests and a box, Sarah brings an extra box. Upon opening it they discover the Christmas Quilt.

As Sylvia explains to Sarah the history of the quilt, that it was worked on by her great aunt, her mother,her sister and herself, her memory spirals back to past Christmas's,to those of her childhood, including and especially the last Christmas that her beloved mother was alive, the Christmas following the Wall Street Crash and the subsequent Depression in the US (1929-1930). Also remembered is that last Christmas when Andrew spent it with the family as a young boy, the making of Apple Struddles using a recipe that has been passed down from previous generations both in America and Germany.The traditions of the newest wed couple selecting a Christmas tree from Elm Creek grounds and when Sylvia and her late husband selected the tree and coincidence involving Sarah and her husband Matt some 60 years later.

The Sugar Camp Quilt: (An Elm Creek Quilts Novel) by Jennifer Chiaverini

The very gentle story of Dorothea Granger, who we, as readers meet in The Runaway Quilt. Dorothea is the very close friend of Sylvia's great great aunt Greta. This story unfolds the life that Dorothea endured before she meets Greta, from a young 19 year old who discovers that her Uncle Jacob, although a tyrant due to the loss of his wife and children, has actually been helping slaves on the run to safety. Dorothea and her family decide to continue their deceased relative's work.

The Master Quilter (Elm Creek Quilters Novels) by Jennifer Chiaverini

Sylvia has married her childhood friend Andrew and she is happy and her friends delighted for her, but something is amiss. There is an undercurrent of the Elm Creek Quilters being unsettled. Bonnie is about to face a divorce and her business is struggling, Diane continues her feud with Mary Ann, and so the lives of the Elm Creek Quilters are unravelled. Despite all this, the Quilters and the friends they have made along the way make secretly a Bridal Quilt and present to Sylvia and Andrew....regardless of all odds friendship shines through.....

Weekend Review

Kitchen Floor
Originally uploaded by AnglersRest.

Over the weekend we decided to crack on with the kitchen/breakfast room. It is a huge room, 27 foot, but was originally two rooms when the house was built in 1896. At some point, these two rooms were knocked into one to make a lovely spacious room to enjoy, but a daunting experience to decorate.

We nearly have all the wall paper off, and decided that the tiled floor was now going to come up. We purchased a hammer drill, which removed the tiles like cutting through butter. The floor underneath the tiles is concrete, despite the hall and lounge being floorboards. We came across an inscription in the concrete from when the floor was last done - I've loaded a photo, but reads J Burgess 1970. Was that the owner or perhaps builder/decorator.
I need to access a local phone book for that year or a house directory.

The Quilter's Legacy (Elm Creek Quilters Novels) by Jennifer Chiaverini

The very gentle story of Sylvia's search for her mother's quilts. Sylvia is about to marry her long term friend Andrew. She remembers her mother's quilts and searches the attic, only to be told that the quilts were sold by her sister Claudia when money was short. Sylvia explores and researches what happened to the quilts and begins to piece together her mother's ancestry, and the lives of her beloved family.

Another meme!

Spotted on pussreboot's LJ

Loneliness Quotient: 9%

Your Personalized Assessment Report:

Your LQ is incredibly low, indicative of quite a satisfying social life. Congratulations on scoring so low. Your relationships with friends are not a source of loneliness for you. You are doing well in this area. Your family is also not a source of loneliness for you. Sometimes family can put a strain on your life, but in your case things seem to be okay. Importantly, your current romantic situation seems not to be a source of unhappiness for you. You and your special man don't seem to have any major difficulties. Finally, a bright spot for you is that you don't suffer any major insecurity issues. This fact helps keep your LQ lower than what it might have been.

Take the Loneliness Quotient Test at Dating Diversions

The Runaway Quilt (Elm Creek Quilters Novels) by Jennifer Chaverini

This was a beautiful story, and for me the series of books gets better and better.

Sylvia is approached by a fellow quilter and shown a quilt named the Elm Creek Quilt. There is not obvious connection between the two women, but Sylvia's curosity is aroused and upon her return to Elm Creek she searches in the attic for the chest that legend has it contains several quilts. The chest indeed does contain quilts, three of them, and a journal. The memoirs of her great aunt, Gerda Bergstrom.

The memoirs reveal the early life of Gerda and her brother, their connection to a local family who became their friends and the story of Gerda's love for a local doctor. Through what is a terbulant time in American history, leading to the abolishion of slavery and the part Sylvia's family played in it. Summer, one of the Elm Creek quilters assists in searching at the local archives and soon, much of what is written in the memoirs is confirmed through other sources.

Although Jennifer Chiaverini states that this is a work of fiction, I can't help but wonder if there is just a strain of truth as the foundations for her book. Perhaps a diary or folklore than she has come across?

Personality Meme

Spotted on Molyneux's Live Journal


Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.

The Cross-Country Quilters (Elm Creek Quilters Novels) by Jennifer Chiaverini

Another satisfying book from Jennifer Chiaverini. As you read them, they are books that you can soak up and enjoy!

Julia, Megan, Donna, Grace, and Vinnie meet at the Elm Creek Camp to enjoy a week of quilting. Julia is an actress, attending camp because she needs to learn before her next movie, Megan & Donna are online friends who have never met,Vinnie is a regular to camp, whilst Grace is an old friend of Sylvia's.

As the week of the camp draws to a close the five women have formed a friendship,race,religion and geography can not affect. Pledging to return next year and complete their friendship quilt.

This book, is essentially about love,mothers & their children, and most importantly, friendships.

Snaffled from pookledo and

tiggsybabes

1. Where were you 1 hour ago? In the study, talking to my boss

2. Who will be your next kiss? Peck or tongues? From Stuart when he comes home this evening

3. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? yes, mobile & slippers

4. When is the last time you went to the mall? Before Christmas

5. Are you wearing socks right now? No pink slippers

6. When was the last time you went out of the state? I went to Cornwall about 3 weeks ago for a meeting

7. Have you been to the movies in the last 7 days? No.

8. What was the last thing you had to drink? Cup of tea

9. What are you wearing right now? Blue jogging bottoms and a green top

10 Last food you ate? grapefruit & orange segments

11. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? No.

12.Do you have a pet? Yes

13. What's the last sporting event you watched? I endured watching some fishing with Stuart

14. What was your favourite class in high school? History & English Lit

15 What is the last thing you purchased online? Book from eBay

16 How old are your parents? Approaching 60

17. Are you in love? Yes

18. Do you miss anyone? Yes, Stuart & my family in Australia

19. Last play you saw? The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in London about 10 years ago

20. Ever go camping? Not if I can help it - where would I plug in my hairdryer?

21. Were you an top set student in school? Yes. - History & English

22 Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? No.

23 Do you have a tan? No.

24 How old do you want to be when you have kids? 30s

25. Do you collect anything? Books, Early royal commemoratives & fishy things!

26. Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over? It's never happened

27 Have you ever drank your soda from a straw? No

28. Last time you took a shower? 6.30am

29 Are you someone's best friend? Yes

31. What's the last TV show you watched? Sky News at 8am

32. Do you own a Britney Spears C.D? No

33. Are you a Lost fanatic? No.

34. Have you ever eaten an entire pint, or more, ice cream by yourself? No

35. Do you sing obnoxiously in the car when you're driving alone? I sing badly whenever I sing!

36. Have you ever liked a girl/boy but didn't ask her/him out because you were afraid? Oh yes!

37. Have you ever written a poem/story about your love life? No

38. Do you eat all the servings in the food groups on a daily basis? Yes

39. What's the current ringtone on your cellphone? Harry Potter music

40. When you open your closet, what is the dominant colour of your wardrobe? dark - black,brown,navy & dark green

Monthly Reviews - January 2007

January seemed to go on forever. Despite being busy, it seemed a dreadfully long month. Several things happened I went to my endrocrinologist appointment last Friday.

We heard from two friends, one in New Zealand and One in Australia that they had, had new additions to their families, strangly enough both girls!

Mum and I spent several hours sorting out her pension arrangements for Feb, which she reaches the big 60! There is lots of form filling and each wretched form has to be accompanied with her birth certificate, which means they have to go, one after the other, which is understandable, but irritating!

I managed to keep up with my journaling for several projects, and the weekly journal over at

journaleers

Work is becoming more and more emotionally draining. I have an especially unpleasant situation happening at the moment. My CPD folder is in a mess and I am dreadfully behind writing everything up.

I reduced the ring pile from 10 at the start of the month. If I am totally honest, I've had a succession of books here, totaling between 7-10 since October! It has now reached the dizzy number of one book and I am almost done with it.

January was a month of reading, I read a total of 15 books, including 4 books scoring a 10 and several 9s. Actually there wasn't much I didn't enjoy. Here is my list, culled from my web page reading list.

1. KNITTING RULES! by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee *
2. YARN HARLOT, THE SECRET LIFE OF A KNITTER by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee *
3. THE MANGO SEASON by Amulya Malladi
4. FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND by Sarah Challis *
5. SAM’S LETTERS TO JENNIFER by James Patterson *
6. THE BIRTH ORDER BOOK by Dr Kevin Leman
7. TESTIMONY OF AN IRISH SLAVE GIRL by Kate McCafferty
8. THE JASMIN MOON MURDER (A Tea Shop Murder Mystery) by Laura Childs
9. NO! I DON’T WANT TO JOIN A BOOK CLUB by Virginia Ironside
10. (UN)ARRANGED MARRIAGE by Bali Rai
11. WILL YOU BE MOTHER?: WOMEN WHO CHOOSE TO SAY NO by Jane Bartlett
12. CROW LAKE by Mary Lawson
13. BOUND FOR MURDER by Laura Childs
14. THE QUILTER’S APPRENTICE (Elm Creek Novel Book 1) by Jennifer Chiaverini
15. ROUND ROBIN (Elm Creek Novel Book 2) by Jennifer Chiaverini