A new home

Reading 101 books in a year was a great challenge, and I will always keep this blog to reflect it.  But changes have come to my life, and it's time to move on.  I'll be keeping this blog set up in order to go back and read the reviews that I've posted.

My new blog has become more of a lifestyle blog than just strictly reading and knitting, and I'm hoping that the change reflects that.  And that those of you who read me will follow me over to WP and keep reading!

Honestly, Megan -- my new home.

(Mildly) Productive Saturday (including firespinning pictures)

Today was one of those "barely" productive days. I did manage to tidy my yarn stash, do the dishes, straighten the den, etc.  I managed to do some homework before my sister arrived.  Apparently the roads weren't plowed well (she was en route from a friend's house to our parents'), and she's now staying here for the night.  I don't mind; David's working until midnight and having someone here is a nice change from the way I normally spend my evenings alone.

We spent the evening last night at Matt and Marcy's, at a spin jam.  In the winter, those are referred to as "freezer burns".  We didn't last long outside.  It was about 20 degrees out and you can't really spin in heavy gear or with gloves on, so most of us were pretty frozen.



I think this one looks very "Abbey Road."  It's Matt with his poi.



Jim breathing fire.



Dave doing isolations on his hands with fire staff.  This was a second attempt to catch this picture.  The first time, he dropped the staff.  Matt and Joe yelled out simultaneously "Do it again, only less shit!"  (Note: with the exception of "Are you going to Wildfire?" I've never heard anyone say the things in that video, or have those pretentious voices.  Spinners, at least the ones I know, are way cooler and nicer than those people.)



Joe, being awesome.  This was after I figured out how to photograph moving flames.  I'm an idiot.

No pictures of me this time.  David only took two, and neither of them came out clearly.  Oh well.  It was way too cold to be sitting outside for more than half an hour, so we ended up going in the house, drinking coffee, eating brownies, telling bad jokes, and chatting about weddings (Lyndsey and Joe got engaged on New Year's and they're planning their wedding for summer '13).

Anyway.  This is what I'm dealing with in trying to do my homework.



Sorry, Ollie.  That type of distraction is why I haven't graduated yet.

Back to life

After our whirlwind vacation, David and I have been settling back into "real life", and everything seems to be starting up again this week.  So much is going on in the next couple of months, but when you live life with two people balancing between three jobs, graduate school, one car, and two active social lives, it gets a little crazy!

I re-start graduate school tonight.  I have two semesters and one major thesis left until I complete my Master of Arts degree in History, and that starts tonight.  I'm nervous as hell (I haven't been in school since 2008), and things are going to get very busy for a while.  My husband works between 61 and 64 hours a week between two jobs, I work 35 hours a week at my job and classes will take up another five hours a week (classroom time; I have no idea what homework/writing time will take up).  We won't be seeing much of each other Wednesdays and Thursdays from now until May, but I keep telling myself that it will be worth it in the end.

I am wondering what this is going to do for my reading and knitting productivity.  :(  I'm taking three books out of the library today, and I was hoping to get through them quick enough, but considering the amount of books I had to purchase for my two classes (it was something like 12  books), I have a feeling that I'm going to be doing a lot more "work-reading" than "pleasure-reading." :(

Speaking of books...I realized after Christmas that I desperately need a new bookshelf.  My current bookshelf is full to overflowing.  My very generous family gifted me many books for Christmas -- some fiction, some history, some knitting technique books -- and I have no room for them.

Right now, I have two bookshelves.  A big one for my fiction and nonfiction, and another little one for my knitting technique books.  I have a $50 gift card that I got for my birthday in September from my parents, and right now I'm thinking the best use for it would be a new, big bookshelf, devoted either entirely to my fiction or my non-fiction history (I'm thinking the latter).

I often joke with my family and friends that the reason I have so many hardcopies of books (even though I have a Kindle) is that I'm "building a library" of my history books -- and it's true!  I have a pretty good start to a vast collection.  Every college teacher I've ever been fortunate to have has had a vast library of their own in their office -- I aspire to this one day.  So far, my "history library" includes the following (and I might have missed one or two):

British History:

The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir

Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Murder of Lord Darnley by Alison Weir

The Children of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

Eleanor of Aquitaine: By the Wrath of God, Queen of England by Alison Weir (title used in England, where I purchased it)

Henry VIII: The King and His Court by Alison Weir

The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir

Katherine Swynford: The Story of John of Gaunt and His Scandalous Mistress by Alison Weir

Britain's Royal Families: A Complete Geneology by Alison Weir

Faith and Treason: The Story of the Gunpowder Plot by Antonia Fraser

Russian History:

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie

Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie

King, Kaiser, Tsar by Catrine Clay

U.S. History:

The Devil In Massachusetts: A Modern Enquiry Into the Salem Witch Trials by Marion L. Starkey

Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson

Do you consider your book collection "your library" or "your legacy"?  

Cruise: Last days and wrap-up

We didn't do too much on our cruise the last two days we were there.  Thursday was the "fun day at sea", which to us translated into a late breakfast and lying on the "Serenity Deck" (re: adults-only deck with plush lounge chairs and two hot tubs) all day.  David and I spent about three hours just lounging about, him taking intermittent naps and me reading my Kindle (I got through re-reading the entire Hunger Games trilogy on this vacation).

 

On our way back to Miami, we skirted along the coast of Cuba.  I tried to take some pictures but we were just too far away, so Cuba looks like some sort of weird, pale blue cloud formation on the horizon.

We had our last meal in the formal dining room that night.  From this picture you can see we all got quite a bit of sun on this vacation.  Fortunately, nobody really got sunburned.  This time.

The last evening, after the final show and when everyone had gone to bed, David told me he wanted to have some time alone.  It was late -- around 10:30 or so -- and we went up to the very top deck and overlooked the bow (I told him that if he started any "Titanic" jokes I was tossing him overboard), and we stood out there looking out on the water.  We could see a cruise ship off in the distance -- just its lights -- and except for that, we were all alone out on the water.  The wind was really intense and it was so beautiful.

For my first cruise, it was something else.  I can understand how people get hooked on these.  The best part of it is being able to not worry about money.  Sure, you have your drinks billed to your account and you have to settle that in the end.  But David and I had a credit card with zero balance on it, and we had put a little money aside just for this trip, so we'll be paying that off ASAP.  And a whole week's worth of drinks for two people, plus the mandatory $48 gratuity (per person, so it was $96 for both of us) cost us under $200.  We're not huge drinkers; I imagine if you really like your booze it would be more expensive.

But the absolute best part of our cruise (IMO) was spending some time with my husband, just relaxing.  I loved getting to hang out with David all the time, with nothing to do and no worries (sandal escapade aside).  It was a great vacation, and I look forward to having another one with him.  He went back to work yesterday, and I start school again tomorrow *shiver*, and having a little time off to ourselves before that was...just perfect.

Cruise: Day Three (Cozumel, Mexico)

The morning of our third day at sea, David woke me up at 6:30 AM (5:30 AM, Central Time) because he couldn't sleep.  It was just starting to get light outside, so we decided to get up on deck in our pjs and watch the sun rise over the Gulf of Mexico.

It was beautiful, and one of my favorite memories of vacation.  I think Dave enjoyed it too.

We took the morning slow, since the boat didn't dock in Cozumel until 1 PM.  The morning was spent sunning, reading (I told you I did a lot of reading), etc.  It was very exciting when we started to see signs of land.

We docked in Cozumel and spent the first twenty minutes figuring out how to get to a beach.  I got called "senorita" several times...didn't bother to correct them and say I was a "senora"!

We ended up taking a 10-minute taxi ride to Mr. Sancho's Beach and Bar, where we were able to get on the beach for free so long as we bought a drink at the bar.  Fine with us.  We bought our drinks and spread out on the lawn chairs to relax.  And I got to swim in the Gulf.

We went back to the ship for dinner, then my MIL went to her stateroom to relax while Amy, Bryan, Christine, David and I went to try to get to Senor Frogs and back in two hours.

Well, that didn't happen.  Turns out that Senor Frog's was an HOUR walk away from where our cruise had docked, and we were too nervous about missing the boat to try to make it.  So we went to Fat Tuesdays, a Mexican dive bar, and had some drinks.

And some debauchery...

Bryan was way more comfortable in the dive bar than Dave was.

"Single Ladies" came over the loudspeakers, and Bryan showed off that he "liked it" so he "put a ring on it."

Amy had a brain freeze from drinking too fast.

Amy and Christine did their traditional "double fisting alcohol" shot (we have one of these from every wedding or fancy event of the past few years).

...And Bryan and Christine got up on the ledge to dance to "Cupid Shuffle."

It was a good night, but by the time we were all pretty inebriated it was time to say goodbye to Mexico and get back on the ship, to set sail for Miami again.

Ciao, Mexico.

Final entry: sailing back to Miami and wrap up of vacation.

Cruise: Day Two (Key West, Florida)

The first night sleeping on the boat was relatively uneventful.  David and I had a king-sized bed (two twins pushed together), which was quite a bit more firm than our mattress at home, but bigger, so that was nice.  I barely felt the rocking of the ship, except if I tried to concentrate on it.  I did a LOT of reading on our vacation (but more about that later).  

When we woke up on Tuesday morning, we had already docked in Key West.  The ship was docked there from 7:30 AM - 2:30 PM, so we had decided in advance to get up early and explore the area.  We decided to skip having breakfast in the formal dining room and instead got it at the continental grill on the top deck of the ship.  Bryan and Christine had booked a parasailing excursion for themselves, so they split with us, and my MIL, David, Amy and I all went into Key West via the tram that went through the naval base.

The tram brought us to Duval Street, the famous "main drag" of Key West, and left us there to eat, go shopping, etc. until the last tram left at 1:30 PM.  My MIL wanted to get a sweatshirt, and David needed to buy a pair of sandals, so we went into a little boutique souvenir shop (the name of which eludes me, unfortunately, because I'd love to tell people to never go there again).

David picked up a pair of sandals and brought them to the main counter.  They were not clearly marked with the price.  He handed over his debit card.  The saleslady, without telling him the price of the sandals, tax, etc, swiped the card as credit and handed him a receipt to sign without a price on it.  I can't stress it enough, folks: always ask the price.  David got his receipt and discovered that he was now the owner of $118 sandals.

I told him to return them.  I didn't actually need to tell him that; my husband is nothing if not frugal.  When he turned around to ask for a refund, the saleslady immediately got up on her haunches and started yelling that there were "no refunds".  She also pointed to a sign taped to the front of the cash desk that said just that -- except that it was hidden behind a rotating kiosk covered in postcards.  When David and my MIL both demanded to speak to a manager, she informed them that the manager wouldn't be coming in until 11 (an hour from now, NBD), and that my MIL "shouldn't be so ignorant".  

Yeah.

Anyway.  Long story short -- we ended up getting a refund when the manager came in, no harm was really done, but seriously, ask the price before you buy.  I'm still shaking my head about it now.

We had an hour between then unfortunate sale and when the manager came in, so we went to Margaritaville to chill out and cool off.  It was only 10:30 AM and I needed a mojito.  Don't judge.

Margaritaville interior

Unfortunately, we didn't eat at Margaritaville, partially because we were meeting Bryan and Christine for an early lunch, and they weren't back yet, and partially because the menu (while extensive) was a bit pricey.  But I can say with first-hand experience that the drinks are top-notch -- and strong.

We waited for Christine and Bryan, and we did a little more walking and shopping.  Dave and Amy discovered that Key West (unlike Massachusetts and Connecticut) doesn't have an open bottle law.  You can buy single beers at kiosks and drink them while walking down the street.  They took full advantage of this little opportunity.

We went to Sloppy Joe's Bar for lunch, apparently a hangout of Ernest Hemingway during his lifetime.  The food was good -- I had a chicken quesadilla made with chedderjack cheese and black beans, David got a pulled pork sandwich.  And my BIL got his much-anticipated conch fritters.

And for dessert, we went to the Key West Key Lime Pie Co. on Duval Street.  I had Key Lime pie the night before on the ship so I had some Dreamsicle ice cream.  My MIL had been hoping to find frozen key lime pie on a stick.  She went one better and got it chocolate dipped.  Delicious.

After that, it was time to head back to the tram, so we went back to the ship, got into bathing suits and spent the rest of the afternoon sunning ourselves on deck and reading.  I finished The Summer Garden that afternoon (my review here).

Every Carnival cruise has an "elegant night" where the dining room has a semi-formal dinner and everyone dresses up.  Our "elegant night" was Tuesday evening, so we got all gussied up and went out to dinner on the ship.

(Left to right: Me, David, Christine, Bryan, MIL, Amy)

One interesting note: Carnival's formal dining room offered a "different" appetizer every night, something that you might not always find on every menu.  Bryan and Amy tried them almost every night.  On "elegant night", the appetizer was fried alligator fritters, which were apparently delicious (I was not brave enough to try them).

Unfortunately, David got a little seasick that night, so we went to bed early (right after dinner, pretty much).  I read until very late, and he slept all that night.  

Tomorrow: Mexico, and the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen.

Cruise: Day One (Miami)

I'm going to break this down into entries because otherwise I'll never get through anything.  I'm definitely not a travel blog like some of the greats out there, but I did get a lot of pictures and David and I had an amazing time on our first cruise.

We sailed on the Carnival Imagination, out of Miami, to Key West and Cozumel, Mexico, and then back to Miami after one whole day at sea.

This is what greeted us when we first got on board.

The Atrium.  And yes, I did think Harry Potter.  I also thought "Foxwoods Casino" because that's what this picture still calls to mind when I see it.  We went down four floors to "R" deck and got to our stateroom.

Not a bad sized room for two people.  The bed was king-sized, bigger than our bed at home.  Not as comfortable, but what do you expect, really?  Every stateroom has its own bathroom with tiny shower, which isn't good for doing hair or makeup, but there's a really big vanity table and mirror in each room for exactly that purpose.  There are also three closets and a safe in each room.

We sprung for a room with a view, which I was so thankful for.

After settling in for a bit, we explored the main deck:

...and had the first of many tropical drinks:

My FSIL, Christine, and my BIL, Bryan

My husband

My cousin-in-law Amy

We had a late lunch then lounged about the deck waiting to set sail.

Bryan, my MIL, and David

And then we were off!

Next entry: Key West!  And why you should always check for prices at hole-in-the-wall stores.

Review: Tatiana and Alexander by Paullina Simons

Having finished The Bronze Horseman as my last book of 2011, I eagerly jumped into the sequel, Tatiana and Alexander (formerly called The Bridge to Holy Cross).  I didn't really know what to expect, considering that the first book was so action-packed (and left on quite the cliffhanger).  I didn't think T&A (ha, I'm five) could top it.  Well, call me a liar, because I loved it even more, and it is my first finished book of 2012.

NOTE: There are spoilers from The Bronze Horseman in this review.

From Goodreads: Tatiana is eighteen years old and pregnant when she miraculously escapes war-torn Leningrad to the West, believing herself to be a widow. Her husband, Major Alexander Belov, a decorated hero of the Soviet Union, has been arrested by Stalin's infamous secret police and is awaiting imminent death as a traitor and a spy. Tatiana begins her new life in America. In wartime New York City she finds work, friends and a life beyond her dreams. However, her grief is inescapable and she keeps hearing Alexander calling out to her. Meanwhile, Alexander faces the greatest danger he's ever known. An American trapped in Russia since adolescence, he has been serving in the Red Army and posing as a Soviet citizen to protect himself. For him, Russia's war is not over, and both victory and defeat will mean certain death. As the Second World War moves into its spectacular close, Tatiana and Alexander are surrounded by the ghosts of their past and each other. They must struggle against destiny and despair as they find themselves in the fight of their lives.

This book had everything, everything I could have asked for.  Told from both Tatiana's and Alexander's points of view, each thinking of the other as they slowly struggle through separate lives -- Tatiana as a nurse on Ellis Island in NYC, and Alexander in one terrible prison after another -- this book is chock-full of emotion, pain, and redemption.  Most of Part I of the book is backstory about Alexander's life and how his idealistic Communist parents defected from the United States to the Soviet Union, only to have their dreams crash around them.  So much of Alexander's story is glossed over in TBH, and I was so satisfied with the complete explanation in T&A.  Tatiana's story, in America, is just as interesting, as she struggles to put together a life for Alexander's baby son, trying to get over the death of her husband while not totally believing that he really is gone.  

I admit that I cried near the end of this book, too.  The last fifty pages or so are extremely fast-paced, and I tore through them all this morning just to find out what happened to Tatiana and Alexander.  The ending was brilliant, I loved it.  And I can't believe that Simons has more in her for a third book.  

...Which I will hopefully be reading on vacation.  My darling husband, who never reads EVER, decided after seeing a preview that he HAD to read The Hunger Games (which I read and loved last year), and so he has stolen my Kindle.  He's pretty far into it right now (he started Mockingjay yesterday), but I think I'm going to have to snag my sister's paper copy so that I can have my Kindle back and download The Summer Garden before we go on vacation on Sunday.  

As to vacation, this is my LAST day of work until January 17th!  I could not be more psyched.  Although I got a massive guilt-trip last night, as I was sorting through things to bring in my carry-on.  Ollie decided that he wanted to jump in and come with us on vacation.

Nothing makes you feel guilty like an adorable fat kitty.

Rating (for the book AND the cat): *****

I am "older" than I thought I was yesterday

Back when David was still taking his EMT course, before he graduated, I told him that, as a treat for graduating and being hired as an EMT, he could upgrade to a smart phone.  (This was sort of a treat for me as well, since we would stop using my parents' family plan and I would upgrade myself -- in my defense I got a smaller, less expensive smart phone with fewer bells and whistles, but more about that later)  We waited until after Christmas and bided our time until we had enough in the budget to spend, and then went to Verizon.  Eight days, one order form, and one crazy trip to a FedEx facility (because I had to sign for the package, and I wasn't home when they came to get it), David now owns a Droid Bionic, and I own a Samsung Stratosphere.

This phone is not mine.

(I got this phone solely for the sliding typepad -- I am going over to the digital keypad kicking and screaming.)

I've had this phone for about 12 hours, and in that time I have realized that I am old.  The concept of a "smart phone" is awesome -- I love the idea that I can check email and Facebook, have a GPS (finally), read Kindle books -- everything! -- on my phone.  But I am having a bitch of a time figuring it all out!  I set the alarm on my phone last night for 6:45 AM, and set the phone to vibrate.  At 6:45 this morning, David and I were awoken to an ear-pitching screech from the phone, and I could NOT figure out how to turn it off.  I think I've figured it out now.  I hope so at least.

ANYWAY, one of the reasons why I'm bringing up the phone is the reason why I don't have a picture for you of what I'm reading and knitting for today's Yarn Along!  I unfortunately don't have an SD card yet (I'm going to pick one up today after work) and I can't take photos with this phone.  SO.  You'll have to imagine that this Jaywalker sock:

...has a completed cuff, leg, and part of the heel flap done.  I really disliked the Noro Kureyon Sock at first -- the colors are beautiful, but the yarn felt rough between my fingers -- but now that I'm knitting back and forth on just the heel flap, I feel like I'm getting more used to it.  I have a feeling that the yarn is going to "bloom" and become beautiful when these are washed and blocked for the first time, at least I have hopes.  I also love that I'm finally knitting with the blue section (seen above) -- it's the major reason why I bought this colorway in the first place.

As for the book, I'm still plugging away on Tatiana and Alexander, by Paullina Simons.  I'm more than halfway through it, and I have to admit that as much as I liked The Bronze Horseman (click for my review), I am LOVING Tatiana and Alexander that much more.  There is much more backstory -- I felt that TBH left in a lot of loopholes about Alexander's background and how he came to be where he was in the Soviet Union, and this book definitely fills in those gaps.  I'm loving it.

Four more days until we leave for the cruise!  I still need to buy all of my school books, obtain a new university ID card (with my new last name on it), find my camera charger, buy an SD card, do two loads of laundry, clean the apartment, get my guinea pig to my parents' house, and pack all of our things.  David is working 5 AM - 1 PM tomorrow, so most of the errands will be done then, but all of the laundry and packing will be done on Friday - Saturday, when he's working two double-shifts both days.  Argh.  So much left to do!

But after walking to work this morning in 11 degree weather, I'm looking more forward to sunny Florida and Mexico than I ever imagined.

Good morning, 2012

It is difficult to believe that it is already January 2012, that the new year has begun.  Wasn't it just 2000 yesterday?  Can it really have been 12 years since then?  But it must have been, since I was 16 then, and I am 28 now.  Time really does fly as you get older.

I rang in the New Year without my husband, for the first time since we met in 2008.  He was (of course) working, his NYE shift from 4 PM - 12 AM, and came home fifteen minutes after midnight for a belated New Year's kiss.  We stayed awake until 2:30 AM with a ton of friends (and alcohol), and I got very little sleep (since those same friends woke us up at 7:30 AM the next day).  Yesterday was spent recovering, with chicken soup and the Patriots/Bills game, knitting, and reading.

My Jaywalker socks are coming along splendidly.  I'm almost ready to begin the heel flap.  

As for reading, I have to take a moment of silence for my big, beautiful 2011 Goodreads badge, which read "Congratulations!  You have completed your goal of 100 books for 2011" for only forty-eight hours before being deleted and replaced by a 2012 "You have completed 0 books" badge.  I'm a little sad, I was hoping to keep a record of that glorious achievement.  But we must look forward and not back, correct?  My first book of the year is -- what else? -- Tatiana and Alexander, the sequel to The Bronze Horseman (review here).  So far, I like it just as much as TBH, although it's much different -- mainly told is flashback style, and much more about Alexander's story, which I think is infinitely more interesting than Tatiana's.  I have a feeling I'm going to need to download The Summer Garden, the final book in the trilogy, before this upcoming week.

Speaking of!  David and I are leaving on our first cruise (and first vacation since our honeymoon in November of '10) on January 8th!  We're flying into Ft. Lauderdale, then cruising from Miami to Key West and Cozumel.  I can't wait to go, a whole seven days off from work for both of us will be absolutely delicious, and just the thing before I start school on January 18th (I can't believe how fast that's coming up, I have to buy books this afternoon, ugh). 

So many things coming up in 2012.  I'm going to try and enjoy them all.  Happy New Year.

2011 Wrap-Up Survey

This meme or survey cycles most of the blogosphere every year, and I'm doing it here on Read.Knit.Spin.Blog.  I'm not going to be quite so candid with my answers as I would be in private, because this is a public blog, but I'm going to be pretty honest.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you had never done before?

So many little things.  I filed my taxes jointly as a married couple.  I celebrated Easter with my in-laws for the first time (every other year, David's been working or we've just been with my parents).  In May, I learned how to fire-spin.  In August, I attended my first Wildfire retreat.  In November, we celebrated our first year of marriage.

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don't really "do" resolutions, per se.  Most of the things I resolve to do are things I've already been working on.  The only resolution I'm making for this year is the following: love everyone, and be kind.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Three of David's cousin's wives gave birth in April, May, and June.  My friend Heather gave birth (in Germany, where her husband is stationed), and my friend Kim had her baby Lily in August.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No.  *fingers crossed for the last 24 hours*  And I'm hoping it stays that way.

5. What countries did you visit?None.  In all of 2011 I only went to Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island.  But we're going to Mexico the second week of January!

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

Greater security.  A husband who is happy in his career.  David didn't start working as an EMT until after Thanksgiving, so for the majority of the year he was pretty unhappy where he was working.  Hopefully we're going to get pregnant in 2012.  We've talked about it but I don't know when we're going to start TTC.

7. What dates in 2011 will remain etched in your memory?

Happy days?  August 19 - 22 was Wildfire, and that was wonderful.  September 12 was my birthday.  September 19 David found out that he had passed his EMT exams.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Re-applying and being re-accepted into graduate school.  I start on January 18th.

9. What was your biggest failure?

There are things I wish I had said, but didn't, and times I wish I had held my tongue, and spoke.  I wish I could take those back, but I can't.  Any minute that I made anyone upset, or angry, or anxious, or was anything less than kind, I regret.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Besides a fall from my bicycle the first week of April (resulting in a minor concussion, some bruised ribs and some major roadburn on my legs), I was very healthy this year.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

A queen-size bed.  Heaven.

12. Where did most of your money go?

Bills.

13. What did you get really excited about?

Wildfire.  David's job.  Getting back into school.  Moving from our teeny apartment into our much bigger and better one.

14. What song will always remind you of 2011?

"Choices" by the Hoosiers, and "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? Wiser.

Thinner or fatter? Thinner, but not by much

Richer or poorer? Poorer, but making more money, if that makes sense

16. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Just enjoying life and my husband and what we have.

17. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Emotional eating.  Worrying about the future.

18. How did you spend Christmas?

David worked, so I spent it with my parents and extended family.

19. What was your favorite TV program?

Dave and I discovered Once Upon a Time.  I still love The Tudors and Law and Order: SVU

20. What were your favorite books of the year?

The Pillars of the Earth was my favorite.  Also The Hunger Games series.

21. What was your favorite music from this year?

Trading Yesterday, The Hoosiers, Florence and the Machine

22. What were your favorite films of the year?

New films that came out this year?  Probably Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.  I was pleasantly surprised by it.  Dave and I don't go to the movies that often, so I can't remember many others that I saw.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?I turned 28.  I worked from 8 AM - 3 PM, then David took me apple-picking and to dinner at Thai Gardens in Middletown.  Then we went home and watched "The Young Victoria."  It was a very nice birthday.

24. What one thing would have made your year more satisfactory?

Less worrying.  On everyone's part.  More kindness.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

What fashion concept?  I can't dress myself.  I wear jeans, shirts, and sneakers.  I'm not fashionable.

26. What kept you sane?

Reading.  Knitting.  Good friends.

27. What's a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011?

Sometimes you can't look to tomorrow.  Sometimes you have to live in the moment, and trust that tomorrow is going to come.

Christmas book haul

I'm not usually a huge fan of "haul" posts, but since this is a blog about reading and knitting, I thought I'd do a post on my Christmas book gifts, what I will be reading over the next few months.

(One of my relatives asked, "Why do you need so many books?  You have a Kindle, don't you?"  And it's true, but I love having hard copies, particularly of history books.  As I told my sister, as a History Master's Degree student, I'm building a library here!)

My Christmas book haul included:

Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie.
This book was one of my favorites growing up.  My father had an interest in Russian history, particularly the fall of the Romanov dynasty, and I read his copy to tatters (sorry, Dad).  I'm so excited to have my own copy.

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie

Loving Nicholas and Alexandra as I do, I was excited to hear that Massie's latest book on Catherine the Great was almost universally praised.  I can't wait to read it.

Henry VIII: The King and His Court by Alison Weir

Alison Weir!  My goal to amass an entire collection of her books continues.  I've read her Six Wives of Henry VIII, but I've never read a book strictly on the life and reign of Henry himself.  I'm looking forward to this one.

Faith and Treason: The Story of the Gunpowder Plot by Antonia Fraser

Thus far, my only experience with Antonia Fraser involved her biography of Marie Antoinette, but this intrigued me.  Also, David and I were married on Guy Fawkes Day, November 5th, so the date and events pique my interest.

World Without End by Ken Follett

The Pillars of the Earth was quite possibly my favorite book that I read in 2011.  I am so excited to read the sequel!

In addition to the histories/historical fiction, I also received two knitting books:

The Knitter's Life List by Gwen Steege
This isn't a book that I had heard of before; my father read a review of it in the paper and thought it would be good for me.  I've only leafed through it thus far, but it's pretty amazing -- sort of a knitter's checklist of things to learn, places to go, people to meet.  

Knitting Vintage Socks: New Twists on Classic Patterns by Nancy Bush
This is one of those "inspiration" books of patterns that I'm scared to death to try.  But the pictures are so beautiful, and I'm going to force myself to knit some of these beauties!


So there are four days left until the new year.  Four days, and I have one book to read.  What did I pick?


Nicholas and Alexandra.  My mom thinks I'm crazy, but I've read it before, I love it, and as of this morning I am on...page 74 of 527.  No sweat.  I can do it!
 

Merry Christmas :)

From the B house to you and yours...Merry Christmas.

A "Russian" state of mind

Ten days left until Christmas.  Sixteen days left until the new year.  So 10 knitting days left, 16 reading days left.  Help.

I noticed something over the last few weeks.  A bunch of my hobbies, or what I do in my spare time, seem to be following a similar path.

My reading:

(From left to right: The Romanov Bride, Alexander: The Last Empress, and The Kitchen Boy)

I've been spending some time on this website in an attempt to learn conversation Russian.  (So far, I can say about six words.  Not that great, but I'm still learning!).

I've been working diligently on David's Christmas present (or one of them): a One-Row Handspun Scarf in some yarn that he picked out on our honeymoon in Vieux Montreal last year.  The yarn is Malabrigo Rios (100% merino) in the Pearl Ten colorway...

...which almost perfectly matches my nail lacquer, ironically, OPI's Russian Navy.

The librarian who checked out my books said "That's a good winter theme".  I guess he was right.

Five books to go.  Five.

One knit to go.  One.

Time's a tickin'...