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Books

Author: Tamar Ossowski

While I was away I finished my “real” book but knew I had three more books waiting to be picked up at the library. I needed something to read while we waited on ferries to get us home so I started this one that I had downloaded recently.

A woman with two girls, one of which seems to be autistic although that is never stated for sure, lives with her mother. Some event causes the woman to leave her mother’s and travel to a friend’s home. After a couple of days the mother takes one daughter (Matilda) shopping and the friend takes Franny, the autistic one, to an art museum. The mother and Matilda never return.

The book is told from the point of view of the mother, Therese, and her two daughters. Before the end of the book we learn most of the secrets that everyone was hiding. Of all of those secrets, I only guessed one!

Goodreads Rating: * * * *

A Treacherous Paradise

Books

Author: Henning Mankell

I’ve always liked Mankell’s Wallander books; I’ve read at least one book outside of that series and didn’t like it much. This one was on the bookshelf on the day I was looking for a new stack to add to my bedside table so I picked it up.

The book isn’t a mystery; it follows a young woman who leaves her home in Sweden to move to a larger city for a better life. She ends up as a cook on a ship sailing to Australia but jumps ship in Portuguese East Africa. From there her life takes several turns before she heads for home, a rich widow.

Many years after the main story takes place her diary is found in a run-down hotel in Mozambique. Although the details of the story are fictional, they are based somewhat on fact.

Goodreads Rating: * * * *

Getting ready

Journal

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

I thought I had another week before our next Cranberry Hall Board meeting but when I looked at the calendar I realized it is coming up on Monday. Since we are heading out of town tomorrow morning I had to get the Agenda out today. And since I was immersed in Hall work I went ahead and got as many of my reports ready as possible. There will be a bit of work left on Monday morning but I’m well prepared.

I have a deadline coming up for the Guild on Monday and I realized I needed some information from one of our members. Although I can’t get the actual form until Monday I’m assuming that it won’t change much from the form I submitted for Quilt Canada 2018. It took a bit of looking but I think I have everything I need for when the submissions open.

I had time this afternoon to get that last quilt block quilted. I was hoping to have another row of my quilt-as-you-go project ready to hand stitch tonight. When I compared the blocks I had quilted with the photo I had taken with the layout I realized one of the blocks wasn’t for row two. I went ahead and connected the other three blocks so I’ll have a bit of hand stitching tonight.

What I should be doing is getting ready for our trip to Christy’s tomorrow. I’ve made a pile of the electronics I want to take (Kindle, iPad, charger cords) and I have a pile of stitching to take (curtains, blankie repair kit, and some cross stitching for the evenings). I guess I better get a few clothes and my current book stuff into a suitcase so I’ll be ready to go first thing in the morning.

Lots done

Journal

January 21, 2020

I was back at the bee today and I got lots done. No actual finishes mind you but I was happy with what I did accomplish.

But first I headed out to the Post Office. I hadn’t been for awhile and the last time I was there the line-ups were still quite long. But today I was first in the door and had my package weighed, paid for and all the paperwork filled out before anyone else came in. That made me a bit too early for the bee and, since I hadn’t had any breakfast, I thought I’d go through one of the drive-throughs and pick something up. Instead I went to the grocery store and bought some muffins to share with the quilters. I managed to bring a couple home with me at the end of the day.

I was working on two card tops today from the Splendid Sampler 2 book. I don’t know why I hadn’t found these particular patterns earlier as I know I’ve looked for easy pieced patterns before when I needed to save some time. I had two card tops finished before lunch; it made me wish I had brought some batting and backing with me.

But I had four more blocks for my quilt as you go project. I got three of them done and a start on the fourth before I ran out of bobbin thread. I figured that was a sign so I packed up and did my usual errands – the Hall and the bank.

If I had managed to get that fourth block quilted I might have been tempted to get them ready for hand stitching tonight but, since I didn’t, I’ll be content to get back to my knitting.