The Bee Sting

Books

Author: Paul Murray

I worried about this book from the very beginning. The first page talked about a man who had murdered his family and then set the gun on himself. A little unsettling, but I was okay. Then I turned to the back of the book, not to see the ending but to see how many pages. I couldn’t help but see the final sentences, “It is love. You are doing this for love.”

The story is told from the point of view of the Barnes family – Dickie, Imelda, Cass and PJ. Although they are all telling the back story there a new details that come out in each telling. The murder/suicide didn’t happen to this family and did, indeed, happen in another town but did that make the ending any easier? It is one of those “you decide” stories.

Goodreads Rating: * * * *

Clean, clean, clean

Journal

Friday, January 26, 2024

I cleaned all morning yesterday. My focus was the kitchen but that extended into the living room and the hallway. I pulled out things from the wall and, on my hands and knees, got into the corners. The vacuum is hard on my back but so is sweeping; between the two I could barely move my wrists when I was done.

I went out to Gail’s in the afternoon and cut out the pieces for my third chicken block. I have everything whip stitched down on the bonus block but I think I have one piece upside down. I’ll take another look at it and decide if it is worth redoing.

Today I cleaned both upstairs bathrooms; down on my hands and knees again to do the floors. Surprisingly getting down was easier today than yesterday but the getting up was just as tough.

My final cleaning today has been in my sewing room. I hadn’t put away the fabric from my last few Alias Grace blocks so that is done. Since the floor downstairs was clean I arranged the blocks one more time to see how they will go together. I have two setting options now but I think the one I did today will be what I go with. There is still a lot of math to sort out before I’m ready to attach anything together.

I went through several bins to find the green and neutral fabrics I want to use for my weekend project. I call it a weekend project but we will actually be sewing all day Saturday, Sunday, Monday and until mid-afternoon on Tuesday. We have meals catered so it will be sew, sew, sew. In preparation I cleaned and oiled my machine so I’m ready to go.

I thought if I drove to sewing tomorrow morning (because I’ll have my machine, etc.) and home tomorrow night I’d be able to walk to and from the rest of the days until it was time to bring my machine home again. I had the radio on at lunch and they are forecasting another atmospheric river to start this afternoon (and it is raining as I write this) that will last until Wednesday. So I think I’ll opt to drive every day.

I’ll sit and read for the rest of the afternoon. My book is good but it is very thick – 600+ page and they aren’t large print.

Stitching Pillows

Quilting
Pattern by Quilt Roadies

I hadn’t heard of a stitching pillow before but they are meant to be held on your knee while you are hand stitching. This helps prevent problems with your shoulder and neck as it raises your project closer to your eyes.

Before Christmas this project was making the rounds at the Guild’s Tuesday sewing sessions. I immediately wanted one for myself and one for Stacia and Deloise. But with Christmas so close at hand I realized I wouldn’t have time to make it as a Christmas gift so I delayed.

I found the pattern online (Quilt Roadies) and I immediately loved the presenter. I made mine first and had a few issues but adjusted my notes and the other two worked out well. I had three panels of sewing-related fabric and I used that as backing. The panels had originally been purchased for another project but those projects were also meant for Stacia and Deloise so it all worked out.

I’ve used mine a few times and it is easy to work with. I haven’t used it enough to know if it helps my neck and shoulders but it is very handy to hold my needle while I change threads. No more dropping it on the floor, losing it down the side of the chair or setting it somewhere that I can’t find it again.

Although it doesn’t show in the photo, each pillow has a handle attached so it is easy to move from one location to another when you are holding a handful of other necessities.