My LYS is closing!

I was so sad to see "going out of business" signs on the windows of my LYS as I drove by yesterday.  I know it must be hard for small yarn shops to compete against the big internet stores these days, and I'm sorry to see it's affected the only shop on this end of town. 

I went in today, and the owner told me she is consolidating her two stores into one, and keeping the one (on the other end of town) open.  So that's a relief....at least she isn't out of a job!

Of course, I had to take advantage of the closeout sale they're having!  I bought 2 skeins of Cascade 220 in a navy blue & light gray.  What knitter couldn't use a little more 220 in her stash?  I want to knit a vest for Little Dude & these colors really compliment the ones I already have.  I'm excited to start on it!

I also purchased this little cutie, simply because the name of the yarn happens to be my maiden name!  I have no idea what I'll make with it, or maybe I'll just keep it & enjoy the novelty of it:

Hmmmm....I'm considering going back before the owner closes the doors at the end of the week to get a few more things I saw today.  A fingering weight alpaca that was so heavenly....Mission Falls superwash merino (even though it's been discontinued)....sock yarn!

-Cheryl

Book Nook - From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler written by E.L. Konigsburg:



Recently, I've tried reading 3 modern, adult books of fiction that sounded very promising, but ended up being terrible.  One of the books (I won't name any names!) had lines like, "so-and-so really liked living here."  Yes, profound writing, indeed!  So, after returning 3 novels, all unfinished, promptly to the library, I decided to redirect my reading strategy and try something a little older, for folks a little younger, and something that won a Newbery Award in 1968 (this is the icing on the cake, so to speak).  I'm happy to say that this book was thoroughly enjoyable and went back to the library after completion, though reluctantly.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is the story of Claudia, a 6th grader who decides to run away from home.  Or, as she explains, she's not running away, but rather running to something.  That place ends up being the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  She decides to include her younger brother, Jamie, in her scheme, since he has a piggy bank full of money!

Claudia is a planner, so she plots their escape and instructs Jamie on how to keep it a secret (in a funny scene, Jamie decides it best to eat the note from Claudia with their plans written on it).  After hiding out in the back of their school bus, the pair sets off for a train ride into the city.  Once there, Jamie, the financial department of the operation, insists they walk all the way to the museum instead of spending any of their limited funds on a bus or (gasp!) a taxi.

Once at the museum, the reader is treated to the details of their logistics (how do two school-age children  live at the museum without being discovered?) as well as the descriptions of all the rooms and exhibits that the children encounter.  Claudia insists that they spend their time learning everything at the museum.  However, a short time after they "move in", they explore the Italian Renaissance wing.  While there, a huge crowd is gathered around a small statue of an angel.  Claudia & Jamie set out to find out what all the fuss is about and learn that the statue was sold to the museum for a mere $250.......and it is possibly an original work of Michelangelo.

At this point, the story takes a shift, as our two runaways devote all their time trying to solve the mystery of "Angel."  Their sleuthing takes them all the way to the home of the seller of the statue, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  It is here that they make discoveries about the statue, and Claudia makes a discovery about herself.

As you can see, there is a lot happening in the story and the pace moves along at a good speed.  I loved how Claudia and Jamie interacted in the story - they fought like real siblings, and also had touching moments (it's also cute how Jamie calls her "Claude" all the time).  Claudia is the leader, but Jamie is an equal partner and exerts his opinion often, and exerts his authority over issues of money.

At first, I was going to read the book with the Bachsters, but I'm glad I decided not to.  While the subject matter is benign, I didn't want them getting ideas of running away put into their heads (and after reading the story, running away does sound pretty fun).  There is also a part in the story where Jamie finds a chocolate bar, still in its wrapper.  Claudia warns him that it could be "doped."  He eats it anyway, and acts as if he's been poisoned, just for dramatic affect.  Again, a topic that could be brought up with younger kids, but probably better for older ones.  I'd say 5th or 6th graders would probably be a good age to enjoy, and understand, this book.

Also, if you read it, I'd recommend the recently re-released version, with an afterword from the author.  I enjoyed reading her insights into the book and the museum, since its original publication.  And, I recommend the audio version of the book, too.

Now that I've read the book, I'm just dying to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art!  And while the elaborate bed where Claudia and Jamie slept has since been dismantled (a fact learned from Konigsburg's afterword), I have a feeling there is a violin case nestled in an ancient sarcophagus, filled with gray clothing, waiting to be discovered.

-Cheryl 

Book Nook - Start Something That Matters

Start Something That Matters written by Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS shoes.  It's hard to read this book and not feel inspired.



In 2006, Mykoskie took an extended vacation to Argentina.  Being an entrepreneur-type (he was currently on his 4th start-up business) he thought about the opportunities there might be to market the alpargata (a simple canvas shoe worn by just about everyone in the country) in the US.  As he continued on his travels, he met a woman who worked with a charity that was giving shoes to underprivileged children.  She explained that sometimes the donated shoes were the wrong size & many children still went barefoot after the "shoe drops."  And Mykoskie saw firsthand the poverty outside the cities and the effects that not having shoes had on the children (infections, disease).  He decided that the best solution was to turn to something he already knew about: business.  He came up with the idea that he could start a shoe company that made a version of the alpargata and for each shoe he sold, he would donate one to a child in need....One for One, which is the motto of his company, TOMS (shoes for tomorrow).  In September 2010, the company celebrated its 1,000,000th pair of shoes given to a child in need (here is the link to the TOMS site to learn more).

The author not only gives the reader the TOMS story & how his company got started, but also explains that the reason it's so successful is that there is a great story to tell and customers that are all too eager to pass along the story because they are advocates for the company, not just consumers.  He gives lots of examples of other companies - what they do, how they started, how they grew, how they give.  There are also many pictures throughout the book of the TOMS company, the people that work there, the shoe drops, etc.  The pictures help add a very personal touch to the book, as well as Mykoskie's candid, honest writing.

Anyone can start something that matters.  Mykoskie shows the reader how he did it, and encourages the reader to do the same.  Maybe there's a great idea you've had (it doesn't have to be a grand idea, it's ok to start small) - turning your idea into a reality is possible.  And if you can help out a cause that is important to you, even better, because chances are, it's important for others out there too.  And that's one of the messages in the book: if you believe in what you are doing, you can't help but be passionate about it.

This is a great read for anyone interested in making a difference, whether it's through your own business ventures or volunteering or donating. etc.  This is the story of one person who had a great idea and turned it into a reality.

Oh, and I almost forgot:  there are lots of inspirational quotes (I love quotes)....like this one:

"Be the change you want to see in the world."
              -Mahatma Gandhi

-Cheryl 

Book Nook - The BFG

A few months ago, I read The BFG, written by Roald Dahl, to the Bachsters......and they loved it.  When I say they loved it, I mean they asked to re-read it immediately.  The very night we finished the story!  Then, after our 2nd reading, they asked to re-read it a 3rd time.  Not only that, but the BFG is in our vernacular now (cucumbers will forever be known in the Bach Haus as "snozzcumbers."  Charles Dickens will always be referred to as "Dahl's Chickens", with a chuckle).

Here's a link to the book on amazon.  Side note: I'm not sure what happened to my handy links with the lovely picture of the books.  I'm still looking into that, but I'm not tech-oriented, so it's going to take me a while.  Sorry!

Anyway, about the BFG.  This is the story of Sophie, a very sweet little girl who lives in an orphanage.  One night, she is lying in bed awake, at the witching hour, and she sees a strange sight: what appears to be a giant carrying a big horn of sorts, and he's using the horn to blow something into the neighbor boys' bedroom while everyone else is asleep.  But the giant is interrupted in his task when he spots Sophie.  In a second, he is at her window, and a very big hand is reaching out to get her.

Sophie is whisked off to the land where the giant lives.  It turns out he is a very nice giant, unlike the others who live in the land: they eat human "beans" every night.  The BFG (Big Friendly Giant) hates this, and he and Sophie team up to put a stop to their evil ways.

I read this story aloud to the Bachsters, and I must admit, it was a difficult book to read, linguistically speaking.  The BFG has a very mixed-up way of speaking, and I found myself tongue tied a lot.  It would probably be very easy to read to oneself, but then I wouldn't have had the pleasure of sharing the book with the kiddos.  Some grown ups might be a little put off by the idea of the giants going off to guzzle the human beans, or the fights that they have among themselves or their meanness towards the BFG.  If you know Roald Dahl's writing, these situations will not be shocking.  My thoughts are that it depends on the child to whom you are reading.  If they are very sensitive, or scare easily, then the mean giants might be too much for them.  My kids were fine with it, including Little Dude, who is 4.

One really nice thing about the book is the rich characters Dahl has created in Sophie and the BFG and their relationship.  Sophie is inquisitive about the BFG and his strange world and he is forthcoming and protective of her.  They work together to solve the problem of the giants, and include a very unlikely accomplice: the Queen of England herself!

Our oldest has a birthday coming up, and she will be getting The BFG.  I have no doubts that she'll ask me to read it right away.  And when we're all finished with the book, I'm sure she'll ask to read it again and again.  It's a keeper!

-Cheryl

ETA: here's the official link:

The pumpkin patch

Yesterday, we took a little family trip to the pumpkin patch.  The weather was perfect and the pumpkins were plentiful!  In fact, the farmer said that it was his first day of selling for the season.  Yes, we're a little impatient when it comes to pumpkins and we must be the early birds!

We always go to a local farmer to buy our pumpkins.  He sells them right in his front yard.  There are always unique pumpkins to choose from, in addition to the standard jack-o'-lantern pumpkins: white pumpkins, "peanut" pumpkins (which look like someone glued peanuts all over them) and lots of gnarly gourds.

And of course, huge pumpkins!  Our oldest picked this huge pumpkin, changed her mind and put it back, then changed her mind again & put it back in our wagon.  All that indecisiveness led to quite a workout!

And today, the Bachsters have been plotting and planning their designs and carving schemes for each pumpkin that now resides on our front porch.  They may be too excited to wait until Halloween!

Are you doing any fun Fall activities this weekend?

-Cheryl

My creative commitment

"Walker, there is no path,

you make the path as you walk."

-Antonio Machado

Little Dude started preschool last week (and loves it, I should add).  Now I find that I have a few hours each week all to myself, which is an absolute rarity for me.  So, I've asked myself what I should do with this gift of free time.  Workout?  Catch up on laundry or dishes?  Run errands?  Find gainful employment?

After a great deal of thought, I've decided to invest my time in my creative endeavors.  There are photography things I want to do and knitting projects that I've been working on forever that seem to have gone nowhere.  I've pondered what would my dream job be? and I've decided to work to make my ideas come to fruition.  

The challenge will be to stay away from temptation: things like a quick errand, easier to run without Bachsters in tow.  Or getting an indulgence such as a grande decaf cafe latte with caramel.  Or just surfing on the internet.  I'll need to treat those few hours each week as time to dedicate myself towards my ultimate goal: turn my creative interests into a living.  It's a worthy goal, I think!

-Cheryl  

Book Nook - The Gentle Art of Domesticity

One of the most wonderful, magical things about books is how they have a way of finding you.  A good case in point is The Gentle Art of Domesticity written by Jane Brocket.  I first saw this book at the grocery store, of all places, in a big clearance bin.  I looked through it, felt that it was promising & vowed to check it out at the library.  But when I checked, the library didn't own a copy.  Then I saw it mentioned on Stefanie Japel's blog & it came to the forefront of my thoughts again.  Last time we were at the library, we happened to be in the cooking/pets aisle & I happened to spot the book.  It found me at last!

 The Gentle Art of Domesticity (sorry my usual link is not working today) is just a pure pleasure to read.  It's really different from what my first impression was when I perused through it in the clearance bin at the grocery store.  I thought it was another picture-heavy coffee table book with recipes, patterns and household tips.  It's actually much more philosophical.  On each page, Brocket discusses, muses, and provides spot-on insight about all sorts of issues related to domesticity (which, by the way, is not to be confused with the domestic.  I love the distinction and I find that I spend my days in the company of the former much more than the latter, which you would understand instantly if you saw my kitchen).  She talks about choc-lit (how certain classics pair nicely with a fine bittersweet) on page 186.  Her discussion on project gestation is so funny (page 94) - comparing a project's start-to-finish time with various animal gestation times.  I love her thoughts about life skills on page 116 when she states "embedded in the gentle arts is a sly subversive streak that encourages free thought, individuality, creative self-expression, imaginative thought processes and not a little self-determinism."

Not only are her observations astute, but her wit and sense of humor are wonderful.  I love her recipe for making hand-made bread (page 128): "preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Take the phone off the hook."  She shares on page 24 that "gingerbread houses are one of those little secrets no one ever tells you about until it's too late, like the pain of childbirth or the whole dinner-party thing."  On page 149 she reveals that she "even joined the Victorian Society......so that I could stay at the cutting edge of fogeyism."

The author shares her insights on knitting, quilting, baking, gardening, books, movies (she loves Amelie! I do, too!), color & fine art, to name a few.  But there are also some quirkier "entries" (and I say entries because in a way, each page feels like reading a new blog post - Brocket writes a blog called yarnstorm, which is just as much fun to read as her book).  Anyway, back to the quirkier entries: many musings on Cary Grant, a long discussion on various food colorings and thoughts on kitsch.

Brocket comes across as incredibly personable and charming.  Her words inspire me to focus on wonderfully creative domesticity and (as much as possible) leave the mundane domestic behind.  I'm so happy this book found its way to me!

-Cheryl

ETA: here's the official link: