There’s more to me than a pair of knitting needles!
That was an expression used by a friend I had in England many years ago.
I met her at a ‘mum’s and babes’ group and marvelled at the knitting she produced.
However it seemed in a previous life before she married she had been a plain clothes policewoman, now dissatisfied with her present life (…..”reduced to nursing a baby and clicking knitting needles”….) she certainly let everyone know where she’d been and what she’d done.
So to prove that I can do more than knit I’ve managed to read several books in the last couple of weeks😊
My aim for these last few weeks we’re here has been at least a book a week, meaning I had to finish the ‘backlog of 3 by the bed’ before I could start the two new library ones
David Baldacci introduces a new character in Zero Day (the first in a now 10+yr old series of 5 books) John Puller, who could be called an army special agent investigator, sent to rural Virginia to look into ‘an unusual death’ he meets up with Samantha Cole a local police detective and the story unfolds from there. This was an impulse ‘pick off the shelf’ from the library. I enjoyed it – a pick it up – put it down – and pick it up again – to get to the end as soon as possible sort of book. A great way to pass a couple of wet windy days.
Linda Fairstein hadn’t been on my reading list before – this was a find on the ‘drop & swap’ shelf in the laundry. Final Jeopardy is her first novel about Alexandra Cooper, a sex crimes prosecutor (there’s about 20 in the series now) so I got in on the ground floor as the saying goes. Friend is killed, she becomes involved and then is a target as well. I’m not a picky reader (will read anything and everything) but to me this seemed a bit humdrum. I might see if I can find others and try again.
Other readers love her so maybe I should have another go.
David Mark’s Dark Winter was also another I plucked from the libary shelf. Some days I go there with nothing in mind and just take something for the heck of it – not sure if I should be more organised or not. Anyway this is his first novel about Aector McAvoy (10 in total now) – a policeman living in Hull, not the most glamorous city in Yorkshire but one that had a serial killer on the loose. I became really engrossed in the story as it unfolded just before Christmas (Christmas in the book not real life Christmas lol) – 3 deaths that seemed unrelated till right at the very end. And yes I did guess the killer but not the way he was involved. He had vaguely crossed my mind sometime or another and it was only when it became apparent who it was I remembered my thought about that character lol
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Did I knit over the past couple of weeks – well, sort of 😊
I got fed up with the fawn shirt, then remembered I brought some half finished items with me – aiming to finish at least one. These rather crumpled looking pieces of green (which when finished will be a matinee coat looking like the pink top left corner) will be going home looking very much like they did on the way up. I reworked one of the sleeves then put the pieces back on the big stitch holder…..guess who forgot the very long needles to use for the yoke 😟
SO…..if you aren’t just pretty face and there’s more to you than meets the eye would you like to tell me what you’ve been up to ????
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I’m linking to Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse – you’ll find many interesting blogs there. Perhaps you’d like to join in as well.
Oh, and why don’t you pop over to see Kat…….She’s hosting Unraveled Wednesday
a great place where you’ll find lots of knitting (and reading)
Still Waters 
Well done you.
I am not even a pretty face. I am a reader though.
A recent read was because the title caught my eye ‘Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone’ by Benjamin Stevenson. It had its moments but I wont be rushing out to read another by the same author.
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It seems you have a lot going for you, as well as a pretty face! A busy lady, for sure!
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Hi Cathy, it was great to read your thoughts on those books. It’s always interesting to learn of new books and what people have thought of them. That matinee jacket will be beautiful when finished! I can knit but mostly crochet these days or do art – depends on my mood! lol
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You and I seem to share a similar taste in books. I am venturing into sock knitting.
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That’s a good story she had. Actually, I always was proud of my knitting skills, and led workshops and taught classes. Needlework is important.
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Love that old pattern you are following, and such a pretty yarn. I’m a glutton for free second hand books too, but at the moment it’s all library books. More than just knitting needles…? Well I did attend a talk on The Secrets of Bletchley Park. It was quite Good, but unfortunately the speaker talked to us very slowly. Think she thought older audience…..
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My guilty pleasure is reading English detective novels. Since our first lockdown I must have read about 50 books over three years. Five minutes here, five minutes there, I get through them. My time of self education by reading worthy books has passed and I don’t care.
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F has never been a pretty face. Her Mum disabused her of any such idea at a very young age. Fairy Elephant – if that is a thing – is apparently F’s specialty.
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I grew up believing I was stupid and fat and NOT a pretty face. I now realize it was not true. I still do not love myself but have decided that I to am not just a pretty face. the talents I don’t have are knitting and crochet or sewing anything other than a hem that came loose. that said, I have realized I have talents that others don’t have just as they have talents I don’t have. tooke me 78 years to figure it out and now it is to late to use the knowledge. Baldacci is on my top 10 favorite authors list along with Lee Child. I think I have read every book they have written, but now I may have missed this one.
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At this point in my life, I have an older wiser face – at least I hope so. Let’s see, we’ve been working on updating a small bathroom. Home Improvement projects always take more time and money that we plan but it needed to be done. I love to knit from old pattern books. I have several that belonged to my Gram.
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I’ve been reading on my Kindle and working on the quilt for our eldest son’s neighbor, who happens to be a teacher.
Other than this, it’s laundry, jumping and running when Robert calls and needs help (lost count of the times) and tonight we went to munchies with the neighbors, which we haven’t been able to do since before August 15th because my face was so badly bruised from the fall that I couldn’t leave the house. Yes, it was THAT bad! LOL Still have twinges there and bits of bruise still evident, but 99% better.
Hugs and I love that green/teal/ whatever you want to call the color. It’s gorgeous! Carol
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It is an interesting saying isn’t it? I have no knitting skills at all but in my head, when I knew I was going to be a grandmother for the first time (1996), I decided “Grandmas knit something” and I did. Very poorly but dear baby Jess was dressed in it and then it became something for her teddy or dollies. I cannot sit to read a book any more. I find holding a book hurts my arms and even though I have a thingy to lean a book on, I suspect its more about my 15 mins of attention which is caused by my social media trawling. I can’t believe the Wintering is nearly over for you. Thanks for the shout out for the link up..much appreciated!! Thank you for joining in this new weekly link up of mine. Looking forward to catching up with you when you next do so, for Wednesday’s Words & Pics. Warm wishes,
Denyse.
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I can knit and I could crochet but neither gets much attention. I’ve never had a solid career although I was trained in both bookkeeping and a spot of nursing…both only semi used. Once I baked cakes regularly…
Reading I wax and wane…now mostly through Libby app, themes change.
Rather, I like to make mixed media art and bus hop in my city…
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