Knitting, Fall, and Reading

 

Holly Cow!  I don't know where time goes.  Had no idea it had been this long since I had blogged.  I got busy with yard work, walking, planking almost daily; and genealogy!  The genealogy is probably what I spent the most time on.  I worked on my husbands side of the family and then switched back to my side and found lots of information, pictures and made great headway with both of our families.  Reaching back several additional generations for both of us.  

AND, I finally finished my shawl.  I love the color and the texture this broken garter sttch provides.  It's nice and warm, and since the weather has indeed turned; I've worn it several times so far.

We had some nice color, but it didn't last long.  This was taken Nov 2, right after voting and since then we've had lots of windy rainy days, so the leaves just simply didn't last long.

It seems like people do more decorating for holidays these days.  When I walk I noticed far more than Christmas Decorations, which is really all I remember until recent years.  I saw lots of Halloween decorations.  I posted about them on my travel blog, click HERE.  Have you noticed more decorations?  Do you decorate for holidays beyond Christmas?  I never have, so am curious.

Continued my lighter reading/listening with this series of 4 books, Bride Ships Series by Jody Hedlund.  They are historical romances.  This is book 1, A Reluctant Bride

Book 2 The Runaway Bride

Book 3, A Bride of Convenience

And Almost a Bride is the 4th and final book of the series.  These books deal with bad conditions for women who can't marry well, due to their station in life.  Often not having a say in whom they're promised too, violent pasts and so they try to improve their lot by leaving London and head to British Columbia on a Bride Ship with the purpose of finding a husband.  All is not as it seems.  The historical fact is women did travel to marry men they did not know in many places around the globe.  It often help settle frontier areas.

Let me know if you've read/listened to these and what your thoughts were.

As always, please leave a comment so I know you were here and I will happily visit, read and comment on your blogs.  Thank you.

Yarn, Flowers, and Books oh My

 

Took this picture about a week ago so have made more progress since; but wanted to show you this picture because you can see both sides of this shawl.  The flat portion is the back side, and the triangle section is the right side.  In my previous post most people indicated they liked the wrong side the most.  I like both and think wrapped up in this will show both sides and it will work out just fine.  

My Mothers Day Flowers.  Not a good picture though.  Tried several times, the color is so vivid but was having a problem with the light.

This at least shows you the colors.  There are so many interesting flowers.  I don't know what the green feathery flowers, or the orange one to the right of the green flowers, or the larger deep reddish one next to it.  I know the Carnations but, that's about it.  If you know what any of these flowers are, please share.  These were a gift from my darling daughter.

I love fun cocktail napkins.

I like to have a mix on hand, and so does my hubby.

My first blooming Iris.  I get very excited each spring when this pop up.  I got the starts for these purple Iris from my parents yard.  I've given starts to both my brothers from my yard as well.  Flower beds are badly in need of weeding; but it will be a long process before I'll be able to mulch.

I finished the Stacey Abrams book I mentioned in the previous post.  And again tried to get into the RGB book also mentioned in the previous post; but just couldn't.  I think so highly of her, I must try it again another time.  I returned it to the library so others on the list could have a go at it.

I started something much lighter.  Have read so many heady books of late.  This series of 3 books was just what I needed.  The historical story of the gangs of New York, the large number of orphans or children given up by their parents when they couldn't care for them went west on trains to try and get a new life.  This is book #1

This is book 2, and this is book #3

I really enjoyed these 3 books.  I loved the voices of those doing the reading.  I enjoyed how they took on the many voices of the various characters in the books.  And I enjoyed the love stories.