Excitement!

    About two weeks ago, I read on facebook that my very favorite author, Laurell K. Hamilton, was back from a ComicCon thing. They are not my things, but as a famous best selling fantasy/horror author, she regularly attends those that she can.


    I read in her post that on returning home, they discovered an entire box of limited edition Anita Blake 20th Anniversary T-shirts, and they were selling them at a special price on her website. They had sold out at the event. I was very excited, so I went right to the site and put in my order.


    Now, I prefer a really large T-shirt, I like to be comfortable. I really doubted that they would have any of my requested size in that box of treasures. Every day, I checked my email for the "Sorry, we don't have that size" message. It didn't come and it didn't come. I still checked every day.


    Then almost a week ago, I got an email I wasn't expecting! They had shipped my package! I did the dance of joy, straight out of Perfect Strangers. Now I just had to wait for it to be delivered.


    Last night, I checked the tracking on the package, and it had been delivered to my local post office on Saturday. So this morning, I was there at my post office, even before the window opened, eagerly waiting for my package! Now it's home, and I'm going to wash it today. Here is a front view:

And on the back:

 

 

 

    Those are the titles and years of publication of all the Anita Blake books. I'm now officially in heaven!

Stitch n Bitch Report

    Here we are, with school back in session. That means it's time for Stitch n Bitch to resume our weekly get-togethers. We were originally going to meet last Friday, but we got a message that one of our group member's kids didn't start school until this week. So we delayed a week. They are in a different district than we are. It makes no difference to me, all my kids are all grown up.


    So Kim and I met this morning for a breakfast and some crafting. Cheryl didn't make it, we don't yet know why. Our beloved member Jan has moved to Portland, Oregon, and she is very much missed. I did less than a row on the Super Secret crochet project. Kim was in the middle of TINKing the bind off of a test knit, and she didn't want to do it during breakfast.


    The really sad part for me was that I sat there considering frogging the whole Super Secret project and starting a different one, with the same yarn. I think I'm just not feeling it any more.


    As for my reading the whole Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series (by Laurell K. Hamilton), I'm almost half done with the very latest one. Reading them all in a row has brought a question to my mind. I'm not going to mention it here, because it's rather explicit, but I am trying to decide if I should contact Ms. Hamilton personally. Really,   I am sad that I'm almost done reading it, but excited to crochet or knit again. Maybe the self imposed crafting break is nearly over. I will keep you all posted.   


     

Running out of steam

    Well, it looks like I'm running out of steam for daily posts. It only took two years and a little bit. I guess that's not bad. I sure don't want to repeat any of my stories.


    I promise I will post when I have something to say or share, or have exciting news. So keep checking in.


    I am at this time, still reading. I am up to book #20 now, so I'm almost done. I have decided that out of all the books in this series, my favorite was Narcissus in Chains, and the one I liked the least was Skin Trade.


    Kudos to Laurell K. Hamilton, she is by far my favorite author. Go read, dammit!

Three days? Really?

    It's really been three days since I last posted? It doesn't feel like that long. I'm still reading, I believe I'm on book 16 now, of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter by Laurell K. Hamilton.


    I've been stressing about a medical exam, complete with pulmonary test. I don't do well with those. The day after, I'm usually confined to bed. At the very least, I usually need to nap after these kinds of tests. They totally exhaust me.


    I had my exam and test today. It wasn't the worst kind of pulmonary test, where they put a clamp on your nose and expect you to breathe only through a tube in your mouth. As tests go, it was one of the easier ones. Don't get me wrong, I'm still exhausted. It takes a lot out of you, or rather me. I'm not sure yet how I'll feel tomorrow. But at least it's over with.


    I am still not knitting or crocheting, and my arthritis is still not too painful. Knock on wood....

I'm almost afraid to ask

    Remember that I told you that my arthritis has been acting up? It was every other day that I'd be in pain and discomfort. Well this week has been different. Today is my 4th day in a row with little or no discomfort. I am speechless. I'm still doing the stretch in the doorway about twice a day, just to keep the shoulder joint limber.


    Yesterday I was amazed at my good fortune of three days in a row. Today I'm just flabbergasted. What I'm afraid to ask it this: What about tomorrow?


    Today I spent a lovely two hours with my good friend Bonny, she was having a barbecue and asked me to come. Her husband's family is a hoot and a half. I ate some salad that I've never even heard of before. It's an apple and snickers bar concoction, with a sweet creamy sauce. It looked like potato salad, but it was really good. It had cinnamon in it too. I also ate a hamburger, and some real potato salad. I wasn't fond of the potato salad as it had hard boiled eggs in it, and I don't like hard boiled eggs. At least it had onions and celery in it.


    I've been reading like a fiend, I'm on book 15 of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. It's called The Harlequin. I just finished #14 this afternoon, after I got home from Bonny's. I can not state any stronger how great an author Laurell K. Hamilton is.


    I have these favorite sayings, I've said them for years. As I'm reading the series again, I'm discovering that I got them from these books!! I frequently use "Yippee Skippee", and my very favorite, "the ass-crack of dawn" is in there as well. When I worked nights it was the ass-crack of noon.


    And OMG it's September already! Where did the summer go?

Reading, Crocheting and Arthritis Report

   I am currently enjoying the 12th book of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton.  It's called Incubus Dreams, and like all the rest, it's really good.


    I actually crocheted today, in between bouts of reading. The day passed pretty quickly, and before I knew it, it was after 6 pm! I woke up at 4:45 this morning, which really is the ass crack of dawn. I made a trip to the ladies room, and then in my half awake stupor, went into the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker. I forgot that Hubs wasn't scheduled to work today.  I got back into bed, but couldn't get back to sleep, I couldn't get comfortable. I eventually got up and had some coffee. But by 9,  I was getting really tired even after two cups of coffee. So I went back to bed and took a nap.


    A few weeks ago, I noticed that the exercises I had been doing with the hand weight weren't working any more. I was at my wits end, I didn't know what to do next. The pain was becoming excruciating. Suddenly I had a thought. Couldn't I stretch the joint out in a doorway or an outer wall corner? I've been doing that now, and it's working! It seems like every other day I feel uncomfortable, which is way better than pain every day.


    I asked Hubs to model the move for me for a photo, so you could see what it looks like, but he wouldn't do it. So I had him photograph me while doing it:

    After this move, I usually turn sideways so I can stretch it out the other way. I usually do it in the bathroom, on my way out. It is really working. You may not be able to tell from this photo, but the  burgundy wall end that my arm is on actually sticks out about 4 inches from the short wall. That way, I can really step into the stretch.

Time got away

    Time got away from me yesterday, and I never got a chance to write to you! Today almost got away from me too. I babysat my beautiful grandbabies today. We had fun, but now I'm really tired.


     There's a little progress on the Super Secret Project, as the grandkids let me knit sometimes when I'm there. I've really been slacking, I'm still mostly reading. I believe I've worked my way up to book 9 of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. It's called Obsidian Butterfly. It's like all of them in the series, extremely good. I don't think I need to state again that Laurell K. Hamilton is my very favorite author.


   For a while there, I was reading a whole book a day. I really didn't mean to rush through them that fast. I'd like to take my time, but I've read them more than once, and they're very familiar to me.


    Well, I know it's not that late but I'm that tired. So good night to all of you!


   

So much going on....

    There is, and has been so much going on, it's difficult to decide what to tell you about. The Harley is awesome, Hubs is very happy. I'm knitting a little but not a lot, because I'm reading right now. Just finishing up book 6 of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter. It's called The Killing Dance. And like all of Laurell K. Hamilton's books, it's absolutely awesome.


    Being of mostly Italian decent, I have tried to stay away from foods that have a "wurst" attached to them. I've seen liverwurst, and it looks disgusting. Well recently, my Hubs came home from work and told me that they had had a cookout there. He had tried a bratwurst for the first time, and it was pretty good. I told him that of course I'd never had one, but if he thought it was good, I'd be willing to try one.


    When we went to Sam's Club the other day, we bought a package of brats. We had them for dinner last night. We cooked them on the grill. They weren't bad at all! In fact I liked them so much I made more for lunch today for the two of us.  At long last, a "wurst" that I'll eat. I still won't eat liverwurst, and you can't make me.


    The karate school picnic went well. Lots of people came, and lots of volleyball was played. Also lots of swimming was done. There was lots of food too. It was a potluck affair as usual, I brought more than two dozen cupcakes. I didn't enter the chili cook off, as I believe I wrote about before.


    My son called me today, they found a stray kitten at the karate school today. I brought over some litter for her, she is so cute. She's solid black and very friendly. Master Leclerc is either going to adopt her, or take her to the SPCA tomorrow. It was hard to leave her, I wanted her. But my Hubs doesn't want another cat. Heck, half the time he can't stand Ozzy!  

A random literary story and more

    I have been rereading the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series on my nook. All of them, in order. Yesterday I finished #3. I am having trouble getting #4 to load on my nook. But that's not the point.


    I've been living in this woman's world for a long, long time. I love these books, they are like old and dear friends. Anyway, any man in Anita's life knows that she is always armed, and never to walk on her right side, or hold her right hand. That's the hand she needs to draw her pistol from her shoulder holster.


    Well the other night, Hubs and I went to our favorite BBQ joint, Billy Bob's BBQ, in Poughkeepsie. There is no parking lot there, so you park a ways away and walk to it. We enjoyed our food, and as we left we were walking down the sidewalk hand in hand. As we were walking, I thought that he should be walking on my right side, since I'm left handed and would need my left hand free to pull my pistol from my shoulder holster. That is how immersed in Anita's world I can get. 


    P.S. The laundry detergent works pretty good! I am officially pleased. I did another load yesterday. Also yesterday my Hubs did some work on my Jeep and used it as a hand cleaner. He said it worked better than the store bought kinds. YAY! If at some future time I become disenchanted with this stuff, I will be sure to let you know. I think I have an idea of what some people are getting for Christmas....


    Now if you will excuse me, I need to call the 800 number that keeps appearing on my nook screen, "if this problem continues".

Hoisted!

    OK, I'm still reading Lasher by Anne Rice. At least I'm more than half done now. BUT in the meantime, the newest Iron Druid book is downloaded to my nook. And driving me even more insane, the newest Anita Blake book is also!! They are both there, taunting me to hurry and finish.


    I just want this book to be done already!! Since I've made the commitment to read it, I'm going to finish it, but I'm finding myself skipping paragraphs, even skimming and sometimes skipping whole pages in an effort to be done with it quicker.


    And I still can't find that stupid ribbon yarn. Dag nabbit. Just so you know, the title refers to "hoisted by own petard".

What I'm Doing Instead, and Why

    Since I have confessed that I haven't been crafting, I must state that I haven't just been sitting around watching TV like a zombie. I've been reading. Now, it's been my habit for many, many years to keep a book in the bathroom. When I will be in there for an extended period of time, I pass the time by reading.


    For the past few years, the bathroom has been the home for my nook. It's like having an entire library in there. I read all the Game of Thrones books, and discovered a new series, The Iron Druid, by Kevin Hearne.


    While waiting impatiently for the latest Iron Druid book to come out, I decided to reread one of my favorite books. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. She used to be my very favorite author, but then she went and got all religious on me. But even though I liked her vampire books, I have always thought that the books about the Mayfair Witches were better. And The Witching Hour, I consider her master work.


    One day before the anxiously awaited new book came out, I finished The Witching Hour. Unfortunately I didn't know that. So I decided to reread the second Mayfair Witches book, Lasher. I was hoping I would like it better the second time around, since many years have passed since I first read it.


    So now I'm trying to rush through Lasher, so I can read the newest Iron Druid book. But I'm savoring the waiting too.


    It's like with my all time favorite series, Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter by my very favorite author, Laurell K. Hamilton. I have all of the series in hardcover as well as on my nook. The twenty second book is due out soon. I can't wait! So she's getting twice the money from me. In fact, when I first got my nook, my goal was to buy all the Anita Blake ebooks. And I did, a few at a time, and reread them all. It took all of that summer, but I got them all.


    Ms. Hamilton writes another series about Merry Gentry, a fairy princess. I have read most of them also, but the Anita Blake ones remain my favorite. I recommend these books to anyone who will listen.


    As to why I've been reading and not knitting or crocheting, it all has to do with this future grandbaby. I swore I wasn't going to make anything else until we knew for sure the sex of this child. And my daughter and son-in-law want to know before the actual birth. So I'm anxiously waiting, crochet hooks and knitting needles at the ready. I'm even planning on making something on one of those round knitting looms.