Time, Never Enough

This week's Booking through Thursday reminded me of all the things for which I never seem to have the time. Reading hasn't been completely replaced by knitting, but my reading over the past decade has certainly changed. I am far more likely to pick up a book to screen for Young Man than to pick up a book just for fun. I will say that the young adult fiction of recent years has been quite good. Cornelia Funke is one of my favorites and I have started her Inkspell. It has been shelved while I read a borrowed copy of Life of Pi.

Knitting continues and I have a new pair of socks for tomorrow!

Project: Dalarna from Knitting on the Road, by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Regia Cotton (41% wool, 34% cotton, 25% Polyamide)
Needles: US1 dpns
Notes: This is yet another gem from Nancy. I had my doubts about this one. The cuff seemed fiddly and the pattern too subtle. Again, I was wrong and Nancy was right. The finished cuff is worth the effort and the pattern is just enough to keep the stockinette from driving you bats. The yarn is a bit darker blue than the photo suggests. The end result is sort of a denim effect that will look fabulous with jeans.

Booking Through Thursday

1. How many books would you say you read in an average month?
Not nearly as many as I would like! I probably finish 1-2 novels per month and at least one young adult book. It takes me several months to finish the large non-fiction tomes that I choose.


2. In a year? Maybe 25-30 all together.
   


3. Over the last five years? With an average of 30, that would make a paltry 150 books over the last 5 years.



4. The last 10? I would hazard that I probably only read 200 books over the last 10 years. I used to read far more, but I have spent the last 10 years with a slightly more demanding past time. The good news is that all that effort has paid off and Young Man is growing up nicely!

Booking Through Thursday

So, in honor of Valentine's Day . . .

1. Love Stories? Yes or No?
I am not really a love story sort of reader. I don't mind some romance in a story, but I rarely choose a book that has romance as the main point of the story.

2. If yes, "romances" as a genre? Or just, well, stories that have love stories? (Nobody's going to call "Pride & Prejudice" a "romance," right?) Pride & Prejudice is a wonderful book and I'd never call it a "romance."

Certainty

In my overly-multitasked life, I am rarely certain of anything. At work, I am pulled from one project to the next and all want my undivided attention. At 3:00 p.m., I wonder if I should be at Young Man's school picking him up instead of sending him to after care. If I leave at 5:00 from an end-of-the-day meeting that goes over time, I spend the drive home wondering if I should have stayed for the rest of the meeting since Mr. Engineer is more than capable of handling the evening routines.

One of the two good things* about having a sick child is knowing with absolute certainty that staying home to care for him is the best thing that I could possibly do. Happily, yesterday's wan smile has been replaced by a real smile of joy that crackers stay down. (* The only other good thing is that even big little boys love to snuggle when they are sick.)

Booking Through Thursday

What kind of care do you take of your books? Let's review, shall we?

1. Are you careful with the spines? Or do you crack your books open to make them lay flat? I try to be careful with my book spines. I dislike raggedy spines.
   
2. Do you use bookmarks? Or do you dog-ear the corners? If you do use bookmarks, do you use those fashionable metal ones? Or paper? I always use bookmarks and never dog-ear corners. I love all sorts of bookmarks. I have hand made bookmarks, nice metal ones, ribbons with beaded bobbles, keep your line clips, and the all-purpose scrap of whatever is handy. It is certainly nice of magazines to provide so many bookmarks with each issue!


3. Do you write in your books? Ever? If you do, do you make small marks, or write in as much blank space as you can find? Pen or pencil? Highlighter? Your name on the front page? Write in a book??? Not since college. If I loan a book, I will write my name inside the front cover. Otherwise, my books remain pristine.


4. Do you toss your books on the floor? Into book bags? Or do you treat them tenderly, with respect? I try to treat my books well. Sometimes the do end up on the floor, but most stay on the table or nightstand.


5. Do you ever lay your book face-down, to save your place? I will only do this if I can't find a bookmark or am drawn away by an emergency.


6. Um--water? Do you bathe with your books? Hold them with wet hands? Read out in the rain? Anything of that sort? No water is allowed near my books unless it is in the glass from which I am drinking!


7. Are your books lined up on a bookshelf? Or crammed in any which way? Stacked on the floor? Most of my books are lined up on bookshelves. Unfortunately, we need more shelves so some are stacked on top of the lines and there are also some stacks on the floor.
   
8. Do you make a distinction--as regards book care--between hardcovers and paperbacks? I am probably more careful with hardcovers than paperbacks, but I try to take good care of all of them.
   
9. And, to recap? Naturally, you love all of your books, but how, exactly? Are your books loved in the battered way of a well-loved teddy bear, or like a cherished photo album or item of clothing that's used, appreciated, but carefully cared for? I have some old favorites that look quite battered, but my book collection more closely resembles the photo albums that are cherished, but kept carefully.
   
   Project: Socks - cross between Simple Trekking Socks and the Gentleman's Fancy Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks.
10. Yarn: Trekking XXL in colorway 105
11. Needles: US1 dpns
12. Notes: I wanted a pair with this pattern ever since I made it for Mr. Engineer. This colorway is soft and cozy looking. It should be perfect to wear with jeans.

Red Sky

This was our sunrise Tuesday morning. There are rumors that we might gets some rain Wednesday or Thursday. I'll believe it when I see it. Young Man wants rain Friday night and/or Saturday. Weird kid. He likes playing lacrosse in the rain. He got his first game goal on Saturday and now he is in love with the game.

There has been some knitting here. My Trekking socks should be finished before bedtime tonight. Arwen has seen some attention. I just saw that next week is Random Acts of Kindness week so I want to finish up the Forbes Forest scarf and send that out. Now, if I just didn't have to spend so many hours at work...

Reading is the other big thing lately. I finally read Bridge to Terebithia on Saturday. I missed this one when it first came out (no age comments, please). Young Man finished it on Friday and couldn't/wouldn't articulate his feelings about the book. I bawled. It was a lovely book that was well-crafted and true to itself. I really hope the movie version doesn't ruin it. I understand why Cara is nervous. Some reports indicate that it might not be too bad. If you have not read this one, run and get it. Seriously. This is a little book that packs a lot of emotion between the covers.

Of course, all bets are off when blogging is interrupted by ill children. Young Man didn't quite make it to the bathroom. After a quick application of wet dry vac and clean sheets & jammies, we can all settle down to quiet. We hope.

For Brigid

It is time for the Second Annual Bloggers (Silent) Poetry Reading. I present my longtime favorite, Emily Dickinson, in honor of all the new presidential candidates:

I ’M nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there ’s a pair of us—don’t tell!
They ’d banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!



Now for the details on the step socks. The yarn was Austerman Step, needles US1, and pattern a simple 6x2 rib. This was my first experience with Step yarn. I am still not so sure about the colors, but the socks feel wonderful! I am taking a class this week and the only way I can stay awake (short of caffeinating myself to the point of jitters) is to knit during class. I hope the instructor isn't too offended. I was able to finish the second half of this pair and have finished the first half of a new pair of Trekking socks. So I'm learning and getting new socks! It's a great week.

Cue Phasers

Aye Cap'n, we have Tribbles. Lots of Tribbles. That is what the hats look like to me. Here is a dozen silly, fussy hats ready to go to Boston. They should be in the mail Friday!

In other news, the step socks are finished! Details to follow, I have to run!

Booking Through Thursday

1. What are your reading habits? Do you tend to read at specific times during the day, or does it vary from day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute?

My main reading time is from 8:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. each evening. This is a wonderful time when I snuggle up with Young Man and read my book while he reads his mandatory reading and writes his daily summary. We try to keep the reading up (but not the summary) on weekends. Some days we enjoy the snuggle more than the reading, but it is a wonderful way to end each day.