Crochet Time

Again I forget to add in the comments from me. First Happy Birthday to my brother, Stormy. Don't want to use his real name, he is three years older than me.  

Supposed to be a very windy day with a snow storm to follow on Sunday into Monday. So far I see one of my outside chairs is blown over, along with one small bird feeder. Plus I can hear the house creak a little bit while I am in the living room, but not in my bedroom. 

I have a couple of things to take care of on Friday AM outside the house. Then I can stay home until Tuesday! 

Mystic Mermaid, Big Twist Value yarn. Nice blend of colors in the purple family with a bit of pink added in for contrast. 

 

 

 Stay safe and warm this weekend. I have lots of books and crochet to keep me busy. 

Happy Weekend 

Wonderful Wordy Wednesday

Lots of work over the past week getting things on the computer back to "normal", I wasn't thinking and just clicked on the button from my cloud storage to restore EVERYTHING. Wrong move, said it would be three days, so I let it run for three days. Then I couldn't find anything. Early on I knew I could find individual files and I found the 10 or so I really needed. No pictures included. 

Then as I figured it out, I could just download certain folders with documents and pictures. Got that all done and finally have things where I want them and can find them. In January my old hard drive was nearly full so I bought an external hard drive to move really old pictures off. But after restoring so much to my new hard drive, that is over half full already. Maybe I should go get another external hard drive.  

After thinking about it I will be starting a new blog concentrating on what I do with books and crochet projects. The reveal date will be 

 Wednesday April 1, 2026 

https://bookshooksyarn.blogspot.com/ 

This will give me a chance to get things organized over there. I haven't done much with setting up a blog in ages. Just doing posts is easy, all this other stuff I have forgotten how to do it. Plus a few things aren't quite the same. I will figure it out, nothing like a new challenge. 

We had a successful evening at trivia on Monday, second place again. Which means a $25 gift certificate which we use for our drinks and appetizer for the evening. Taking the rest of the month off as one of our group will be on a trip.  

Monday March 16 will be a memorial post for Ducky. 

So on to the books, yes, still finding time to read. Makes me calm after being stressed out with all of the computer stuff.   

Home of the Braised - White House Chef mystery. Ollie is in the midst of planning a last minute White House dinner, trying to get her wedding organized and oh yeah, save the day with the President. 

A Dream of Death - first book in a series, Kate Hamilton Mysteries. Kate is an antiques dealer and widow from Cleveland, Ohio. She is on a trip to visit her sister-in-law, Elenor, who lives in the Scottish Hebrides. She finds out her Elenor is planning on selling the large family home that serves as a hotel. The night after Elenor announces the sale she is found murdered and buried under a pile of snow. So can Kate figure out who did it? 

The Twelve Books of Christmas - it's Christmas time and Brooklyn and Derek are hosting the entire family. They get a call from from their Scottish friends. Would they fly to Inverness to be witnesses at their wedding? Yes! However while there they look into missing books from the castle library and find a couple of bodies. I've managed to read all 17 books in this series already in less than a year. Now I wait for the author to release a new book. This last book was published in October 2023, so two years ago! I want a new book! One is in the works. 

In the Bleak Midwinter - First book in a series. Main characters are Rev. Clare Fergusson and Police Chief Russ Van Alystyne, both are former Army as well. Clare finds an abandoned baby on the back steps of her church. In trying to track down the parents, some church members aren't too happy, and when they figure out who mom is, the mom is murdered. Lots of twists in this one. 

Every time We Say Goodbye - Vivien has written a play that audiences love, but the critics don't. To escape London she goes to Rome to work as a script doctor in 1955. While there she also searches to see if she can find her any trace of her fiancee who died during World War II. Lessons as to looking behind to the past or looking forward to the future. 

Karen - a memoir by actor Kelsey Grammer about his life and that of his sister Karen. Karen was brutally murdered in 1975 when she was just eighteen. Book was hard to read, party on the subject matter but also the writing style of the author seemed disjointed to me. 

The Lost Key - second installment of The Brit in the FBI. Nicholas Drummond is a newly minted Special Agent and manages to be involved in a few deaths on his first day on the job. Those deaths lead to a much deeper sinister plot that involves a world order, nuclear material and a bit of James Bond magic. This book moved much faster than the first one, which I liked better. 

 Happy Reading. 

Crochet Time

Hello and Hallelujah. I'm back in business on the laptop. Got most of the basics done, programs re-downloaded. In the process of restoring files from my cloud backup, but that will take time. Lots of files to come back. Plus I think I am going to start using Google Drive docs and whatever they call their Excel clone. I don't want to pay for access to Microsoft 365. Or at least get free access to Microsoft stuff. I wonder if I can still download the student edition. Hmmm.

What was wrong, well the hard drive crashed and burned. Nothing that could be fixed. So they replaced it with a drive that is now twice as big as the old one. It took me 6-7 years to fill up the old drive, so this one should last a while. I may need a new laptop before then.

When I first tried to get into the blog it wouldn't let me. I had to hunt around, re-activate or recover this blog. It wanted me to create a whole new new. Maybe I should do that, but leave this one as a archive for Derby and Ducky. Will see if that happens or not, I did think of a nice title and did start it up. So I can move it when I want. Don't worry, I will give you lots of warning. 

It is Friday, which means crochet stuff. 

Yarn is Big Twist Rave, color Unicorn. This yarn has been discontinued. Lovely mix of lavender and mint. It was also a soft yarn so would be good for a baby blanket.  

This catches me up to the blankets I finished and then donated in early February. What I finish from here on out will be stored until fall for donation. 

Happy Weekend! 

Wonderful Wordy Wednesday

It was nice to have a comment last week from Megan from Sydney that she looked into one of the books I read and liked it. That is what this is about, just sharing what I am reading and maybe you might be inspired to try one of the books. I know I check out what others I know are reading, sometimes I like them, sometimes not. So many books and authors, but I can't read them all. 

As of February 28 I am writing this on my tablet. Laptop in the fix it shop. So not doing a longer post. Hope the fix it shop can get it done soon.

 

 

Memories, Dreams and Reflections - a memoir by Marianne Faithfull, which I found to be a bit disjointed. Like paragraphs of a memory, then jumping to the next memory. Hard to read and I skimmed this more than actually reading it. 

Tilt - Annie is 37 weeks pregnant and in the Portland, Oregon IKEA. While there the Cascadia fault lets loose with a huge earthquake. Annie sets out of foot to find her husband and to get home. Current story line alternates with flashbacks to her earlier life. 

Knife Skills for Beginners - when I first saw this title I thought it was a non-fiction book on using knives. Nope, fiction. Paul is a chef who is recruited by another chef, Christian, to take his place at a cooking school when he breaks his arm. The second morning of class Paul finds Christian dead with a meat cleaver stuck in his head. Somehow Paul becomes the prime suspect, can he figure out who really did it?

The Final Cut - a big fat book but a page turner. A officer with Scotland Yard is assigned to monitor the Koh-i-noor diamond when it is allowed to be loaned for an exhibit. The officer is murdered and her colleague Nicholas Drummond hurries to New York to help solve her murder. Plus the diamond is stolen! Following an international cat and mouse game they trace the theft to The Fox! Note: the Koh-i-Noor is not allowed out of the UK as it is part of the British Crown Jewels. 

The Fact Checker - has a nameless narrator, the fact checker. He works at a New York magazine and is assigned a piece to check on a farmer's market. A market that might have a shady dealer. The checking leads him on a few adventures which don't have a good outcome. 

Something Whiskered - Charlies, Helen and Diesel are in Ireland on their wedding trip. Part of it is a visit to Helen's cousin, a baron with a castle. As they arrive a body falls off the roof, the baron. Far too many people to consider to be suspects and who will inherit the estate of the old baron?

The Nine - the true story of nine women who were part of the French Resistance in World War II. How they escaped and made it back to Paris at the end of the war. Author is the great niece of one of the nine women. 

Uptown Girl - a memoir by Christie Brinkley. Covers her early life, discovery in Paris for modeling and her various marriages and other relationships. 

The Eights - it's 1920 and Oxford University is allowing women to enroll as degree students. The novel is well researched and based on actual documents. It follows four women as they enter this new world, rules and rituals of the university. Do they make it through? Find love? Or keep a secret? Interesting book.

 

Happy Reading. 

Crochet Time

We get a warmish day, then cold again. At least no new snow on the ground. I did see one robin and one red-winged blackbird on Wednesday. Probably scouts sent to check things out. I did put out meal worm for the robins once I saw one. If they were around on Thursday I didn't see them and I was watching for them. 

Ducky's remains are back home. I will post pictures of that when I do his memoriam soon. It is nicely done. Better than Derby's as well, but I don't know if the same place did the cremation. 

Trying to get back into a routine of sorts with the Olympics done. Less watching of TV. Also have been doing lots of lunches with friends this week. Oh yeah and trivia too on Monday. WE WON! 

Anyway, back to crochet stuff. Working away and knocking the stash down. I am going to wait and order more yarn when they have a special of either free shipping or a one price for shipping the order. Then do my gigantic order all at one time. 

Here are some of the recent blankets.  

Caron Jumbo, Blush and Blue. Nice fade from the blue to the blush and then back. 

Red Heart Yarn, Bubble Gum Speckle, Pink background with other colors for accent. 

 These two blankets were the sixteenth and seventeenth blankets done since August 2025. More to come!

The older I get the happier I am to be at home, with or without a cat.  

Well when I buy yarn I do know what I am going to make with it. I may take a few months to get to it, eventually I will use it up. 

Last week I shared a picture of a "yarn baby". I have had that happen to me where you pull on what you think is the starting strand and a whole blob comes out. Another term I have recently come across is "frogging" which I hadn't heard of before. It is the act of pulling out your stitches because you made a mistake. Why they call it that I am not sure. Whatever! 

Happy Weekend. 
 

Wonderful Wordy Wednesday

Last week of February, a few really nice days, then cold and snow in the air. I did hear a robin late last week, haven't actually seen one yet. Keeping my eyes open for the early spring migrators.  

I "retired" Ducky from blogging a year ago. Figured I would take it over with guest appearances. So I will be here. Not sure if I will make any changes to the blog in terms of header or pictures. That isn't a priority. 

Olympics done and gone. Last thing I watched was the men's gold medal hockey game on Sunday morning. Made sure I was up in time for the first puck drop. At the first intermission I tossed in a load of laundry and made myself breakfast. Waited again for the second intermission to start the second load, then the break for the third load before the OT session. 

I did get the Ducky laundry loads done too. Beds, pillows and towels are laundered. Right now they are just sitting on the dining room floor. I have to figure out where to put stuff or should I donate it somewhere.  

The Devil Wears Scrubs - a humorous novel on the life of a newly minted female doctor during the early days of her internship. Dealing with the attending docs, her supervising resident and an oh, so sexy surgeon. 

The Perils of Lady Catherine DeBourgh - some strange things have been happening to Lady Catherine at Rosings. Is someone trying to scare her or are they actually trying to kill her? 

The Paper Caper - an installment of the Bibliophile Mystery series. A celebration of all things Mark Twain is happening, all funded by one of the richest guys in town. Problem? A nagging mother-in-law, a trophy wife and a butler who thinks he should be in charge. When the butler is killed by poison, was it meant for him or his boss? 

One Sharp Stitch - Shelby is filling in running her parent's needlecraft shop. The monthly trunk show person is an old friend and she is found murdered in the parking lot. Shelby works to find out who and why. 

Funny Because It's True - the history of the satirical paper The Onion, which was founded right here in Wisconsin. 

Careless People - New York Times has this book on their 100 Notable Books of 2025. For seven years, beginning in 2011, Wynn-Williams worked at Facebook, eventually as a director of global public policy. In this insider account, she says the company was run by self-absorbed leaders who chafed at the burdens of responsibility and grew increasingly feckless, even as Facebook became a vector for disinformation and cozied up to authoritarian regimes. Author at times put her own health at risked due to pressure from various bosses too. 

Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live - was presented as a biography of Lorne Michaels. The first third of the book, yes. Covers his early life, how he went from performing, writing and the producing TV. The rest of the books seemed like a never ending recap of what happened at SNL more than Michael's life. The books seemed a bit tedious in spots and at 600 pages, more than I wanted to really know!

 

 

Happy Reading.

 

Crochet Time

The house is so quiet it is almost weird. I have a small pile of Ducky's things, beds and such that need to be laundered. I also took the window ledges out and the curtains are hanging normally for the first time in ages. 

It got very warm this week, record temperatures. All of the snow in my yard melted. The parking lot piles are still there. The dirty piles of snow. Although we may be getting a little bit of snow over the next few days. 

I'm not planning on quitting blogging. Still do the books and blankets. Not sure how or if I will change the header on the blog. Nothing that has to be changed for the time being. I have to think on this a while.  

I have been falling behind on showing my finished crochet items. Time to catch up

Red Heart Yarn, Jeweltone this was the first lap robe finished this year. The items you will see this week and next have all been completed this year. 

Red Heart Yarn, Soft Navy Speckle, I like these speckle yarns. A nice background color with a flecks of accent colors to give some interest other than a solid color. I prefer to NOT work with plain solid colors. 

 I came across this picture on the internet recently. This is for all of you who think I have a large stash of yarn. The far wall is full, then there are back to back sets in the middle, plus another set of six columns on the far right. This was a whole room in a house somewhere. 

I don't have that bad of a yarn problem and this has to be several thousand dollars worth of yarn. I probably spend maybe $500 a year on yarn which I can deduct on my taxes since I donate the finished products. 

I've been getting more yarn babies lately. It isn't that bad but I am happy when I get pull skeins that actually pull properly.  

I am sure I make mistakes in my work, things I don't actually see or they are so minor they don't matter.                                                              

 Happy Weekend. 

Wonderful Wordy Wednesday

Well it has been an interesting week so far. Missing Ducky and just letting things go for a bit. Trying to keep myself busy with anything other than picking up Ducky's stuff. 

One of my friends, and sometime cat sitter Kellie sent me some flowers. I can actually leave them out and enjoy them. Both Derby and Ducky liked to chew on flowers. Ducky would even chew on silk flowers! 

I'm doing OK, adjusting to a quiet house, no feline invading my lap or getting on things and sneezing snot all over the place! My laptop screen has stayed clean all day!

Monday my trivia gang had agreed to meet early and do dinner for my birthday. So that helped distract me for a few hours. Plus we ended up getting second place. Two of my three gang have been pet parents, so they know the heart ache of losing a fur kid.   

I was getting too big of a gap between when I actually checked out and read the books, to when you saw the post. Usually about three months. So this week I am putting all the books I checked out at one time in the same post. Versus making this two if not three posts.  

Fonduing Fathers - White House chef Ollie is off to visit her mom in Chicago. Mom shares info with Ollie on her Dad's death and the fact that documents show he was dishonorably discharged from the Army. Ollie knows that doesn't make sense as her Dad in buried in Arlington Cemetery. She starts to investigate and crazy things start to happen. 

Before the Coffee Gets Cold - is set in a small, out of the way cafe in Toyko. Legend is that you can go back in time here. Lots of rules and if you go back it won't change the present. "If you could go back, who would you want to me?" Cute little book. 

The Secret War of Julia Child is historical fiction of one Julia McWilliams. During World War 2 she takes a job at the OSS, handling top secret information. Her skills are needed outside of Washington DC and she ends up in Asia, Ceylon, India and China. The work is one thing but she meets fellow OSS officer Paul Child whom she later marries. 

Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS - The OSS was the precursor to the CIA. During World War 2 it provided dis-information to aid the Allies during the War. Book follows four women, before, during and after the war. How they were suitable for the jobs they were to do, how they did them and how they fared during their later lives. 

 

The English Chemist is a historical fiction based on the life of Rosalind Franklin who was a major researcher who with X-ray diffraction studies on DNA which revealed the double helix structure. Franklin die of ovarian cancer before any Nobel prizes were awarded for this discovery. 

Miss Dior the true story of Catherine Dior, the younger sister of designer Christian Dior. She was active in the French resistance in World War II and was held prisoner for a time. The book isn't just about her life, but of the French resistance, the aftermath of the war and fashion couture. 

Becoming Madam Secretary, historical fiction based upon the life of Frances Perkins who was Franklin Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor during his presidency. Book covers more of her life prior to being secretary, her life, marriage and child. Her husband suffered from mental illness and was in a facility for much of his life.  

Wicked, the movie watched this just before the next film came out which I haven't seen yet. 

 Happy Reading 

Ducky is Gone

 Just a quick post to let all know that Ducky went to The Bridge this morning. When I got up he was having a seizure. Called vet and they said to come in as soon as I could get there. 

My regular vet saw him rather than the on call vet. She thought he might have had a stroke. Rather than move him from the back treatment area to an exam room for me to be present they let me to come back into the treatment area. They gave me some alone time with him, then it was time. He quietly slipped away.  

 I will do a more lengthy tribute in the near future. Farewell Sweet Boy. 

 

Sweet Sixteen Gotcha Day

Skipping the crochet this week to celebrate my sweet little mancat Ducky. Today is his 16th Gotchaversary! WhooHoo. 

This first pic is one of my favorites of Ducky, he was sitting on the ledge in the front window. My most handsome lad.  

This is one of the pictures that I took when I first got him home from the shelter. It was a Saturday, picked him up as soon as the shelter hours allowed. Got the paperwork done and we came on home. 

He had a brief meeting with Derby, then into his own suite with me in my bedroom. His first spot was under the bed, but he came out when I laid down on the floor to just talk with him.  

The year was 2010, during the Olympics and we bonded over cuddling on the bed and watching TV. 
 

My lap cat!. He loves to sit on my lap, unlike Derby who was not a lap cat at all. 

While I celebrate this day unfortunately things are happening that make me feel that Ducky won't be here for an extended period of time. He doesn't play anymore, he just sleeps, eats, pees and poops. He has to visit the vet soon for his rabies vaccination and we will discuss the way forward. 

Love you little guy.  

Happy Weekend 

Wonderful Wordy Wednesday

Several days with above average temperatures. We don't have much snow on the ground and it is melting. Sun is now rising before 7 AM and setting after 5 PM, so it makes it nicer to have more daylight hours. Plus the sun is now shining into the back windows on the house again. Plus daylight saving time starts in less than a month. 

Football season is over. I had the game on, watched the game and commercials and it was ok, nothing really bowled me over. I didn't really watch the half time show, was getting my dinner together and then cleaning up the kitchen. I learned the story of the half time show afterwards from various sources.  

Watching some of the Olympics, at least those parts that interest me. With the time difference between where I am an Italy many things happen in the very early morning. I record them and then watch them when I get up. I don't check the web to see how things ended up. So on Sunday I was watching the women's skiing to see the US win gold and Lindsay Vonn take her fall. Also into the US Women's Hockey team. 

The Many Lives of Anne Frank, the author splits her life into sections based on age. Child, Refugee, Target, Witness, Lover, Artist, Prisoner and Corpse. While I read the original diary Anne wrote many years ago, I was not aware that there are multiple versions of that book. The original, her edited edition, the first published edition which had been edited by her father. Later more critical editions which included sections her father left out. 

Includes how the family lived prior to them going into hiding. Then the after story of the father, Otto, and his journey to get the book edited, published, movies etc. 

 

 Happy Reading