Status Check...

Eight months of this year are almost gone...it doesn't seem possible. So many changes in these few months...that it has become time to check the status on my goals that I set at the beginning of the year.

Moving seems to put a hold on life - projects have continued although not as quickly as I had hoped for. There was a lot of heartache and roller coaster emotions but in the end things are as they are supposed to be...

My new apartment has become "my home"...it is looking more and more like me as I unpack. But, more importantly it has become my home emotionally and I am finding contentment and peace within its walls. Joy and happiness don't seem to be avoiding me...or maybe I am just letting it back in...instead of looking at and feeling only the negative. Life has always been good to me...now I am allowing it to be better! And, once again I am learning who I am and what I want from my life - and hopefully growing...

Ahhh...but, I digress...this is about a status report on my tangible goals...

1) Knitting from my Stash - kept my word not to buy any yarns other than sock yarn...and have worked on projects with yarns that have been in my stash.

2) UFOs and WIP - Have to admit my knitting is current. Finished a scarf last night and started the second one. Am using the same pattern as they will be going to different people...and it is a cute pattern.

On the quilting side - haven' done well on that only because my quilting items and area is not set up yet...but, it is in the works...and hopefully by the end of the month it will be all ready and I can once again work on quilting.

3) Yarn Life Challenge - the Red Sweater is done and I hate it. What can I say...the pattern which I just loved and was the reason for making the sweater does not show up the way I wished for...so, am thinking it is time to frog it...we'll see.

Socks - the goal was to make a pair of socks every two months. Got one pair finished and another on needles. The year is not over yet and maybe six pair will be finished by then - who knows.

4) Reading - The summer reading program was a success and I finished my nine books really early into it. Since then my reads have been:

The Rocky Road to Romance by Janet Evanovich -Fiction

Center Square: The Paul Lynde Story by Steve Wilson and Joe Florenski - Biography

The Woman’s Day Book of Beauty, Health, and Fitness by Sharon Gold - Non-Fiction

So my total reading was 2001 pages for the month of July!!!

In addition, as the unpacking has taken place old books have been found and put on the night stand to read...some were books that had been forgotten in the bookcases. That will explain why some of the books are ten years old - and as the reading goes on - some will be even older.

5) My charity knitting continues with the Red Scarf Project, the Magic 28 socks, and hats and mittens for the local head start kids...photos will come as projects are finished...

More This and That...

None of these things would make an entire post...so, we'll just talk about this and that today!

1) What gives with Bloglines...oh, I'm going nuts trying to figure out why some blogs are showing just the current post and then others are showing some weird number and taking me back to stuff I read a year ago...

2) For the last week I have been working on my Cabin Cove Yarn Socks - do you think I can get to the point where I start the toe??? It has taken forever to knit 6-1/2 inches and I'm still not there! What gives there!!!

3) Killian hasn't used his new bed since the first day! Go figure!!!

4) I have been reading a lot lately! My goal for the summer reading program this year was to read 9 books between June 1 and August 31; to read books in my library; and to read at least one book of poetry.

Goals one and two are met but I haven't unpacked any of my poetry books...they will be unpacked soon...

My recent reads are:

Justifiable Means by Terri Blackstock - Fiction - Christian Suspense

A Rage to Kill by Ann Rule - True Life Crime

Heart Full of Lies by Ann Rule - True Life Crime

Nicole Brown Simpson: The Private Diary of a Life Interrupted by Faye D. Resnick with Mike Walker - Biography

5) I had to return all the clothes I bought yesterday because they were too big! I must have lost some weight somewhere along the line...

6) My bookcases are starting to fill up and I am excited that the unpacking is moving at a faster rate. My furniture is where I want it in the apartment so now I can unpack my things into the desks, bookcases, and sewing center! It is so exciting!

This and That...

I'm disappointed that I didn't finish my Cabin Cove socks by the July 2nd deadline...I tried - but, didn't make it. They should be finished in short order and I will post a photo.

Actually have been keeping up with my Summer Reading Program. My goal is to read nine (9) books from June 1 - August 31. June saw me finish 3 books:

Couplehood - Paul Reiser

The Great Escape - Cheryl Anne Porter

Evidence of Mercy - Terri Blackstock

Killian is doing better - maybe he is just trying hard to adjust as everyone suggested. He seemed more settled once I got some boxes unpacked in the bedroom. Tomorrow intend to continue with the unpacking.

Updated: Paul Reiser is the actor who appeared with Helen Hunt in "Mad About You" - as well as a very funny writer. I needed a laugh and this book fit the bill.

Cheryl's book is a romance for Harlequin's Love and Laughter line.

Terri's book is a Christian Suspense...and is a real page turner.

All of these books are older - you know me - I have tons of books...and I am totally reading from my own stash...could be years!!!

Discovery...

Oh my...went and discovered a new author! It's not like I don't have a zillion authors that I like and enjoy reading - I had to go find another one - and a darn prolific writer, too...

This would be the book I just finished - Deep South by Nevada Barr. It was an excellent mystery featuring a National Parks Service Ranger named Anna Pigeon...and it is the 8th one featuring Anna. This story was set in Mississippi's Natchez Trace where she has just been transferred to accept a promotion. This book, while being a decently paced mystery, was filled with excellent prose describing the area and the park land as well as the subtle and sometimes not so subtle differences between its people. I will be looking forward to reading many more books (I think she is working on #14 in the series!) by this author.

Unpacking and Summer Reading...

Still unpacking...think it will go on forever...although I did manage to get rid of quite a few boxes today...and made some decisions about some things that I am going to try and sell...just need to figure out how to do that - whether it be on e-bay or some other method.

Finished the first book in my Summer Reading goal of 9....

Book One:

King's Ransom - Sharon Sala - 220 pages.

Published in 1992, this probably was one of Sala's first romance novels published by Meteor Publishing's "Kismet" line. They folded a year or so later and recently noticed that so of Sala's novels were reprinted by other publishers.

The sexual tension was really good in this book - Sala knows how to build feeling upon feeling - and helped build on the relationship between the couple. The only problem I found with the book was that it was too easy to figure out the willian in the book...but, all in all, it was a fun read.