What's up?

I wish I had a fun answer to that question!
Since I'm about ready to be put out to pasture (same old pain, I know, I'm so tired of myself !) I haven't been knitting on much of anything lately. Well, ONE sock, but that seems to be turning out kind of "icky" so I'm not going to be braggin' on it anytime soon. The pooling is turning me "off" (and I refuse to start over-just too tired!) so I may just knit the socks up and over-dye them a darker blue. We'll see, and I'll show pics when I decide.

I did finally get this in the mail last week:



My new Ott Light from Joann's. It's taken some getting used to, but to read or knit by it really helps. It's not as pretty as some of the other (much more expensive) ones they have, but I'm "Mrs. Frugal To The Max" at times, especially if I'm not sure I'm going to like something beforehand. I miss a more "sunny" glow (this is super-WHITE) but it works well for it's purpose (to help these OLD eyeballs!)

I've been reading up a storm since my pain level has been on the high scale again. In the past few weeks I've read:

by Mary Kruger:
Dyed in the Wool
Knit Fast, Dye Young

by Maggie Sefton:
Dying to Sell (not a knitting mystery)
Knit One, Kill Two
Needled to Death
A Deadly Yarn
A Killer Stitch
Dyer Consequences

Fleece Navidad is coming out September 30th so I sure hope my library gets that one in as well.

I've already read all of Debbie Macomber's Blossom knitting series, The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood, The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs (both terribly depressing in my view). I never even bothered with "Knitting: A Novel" by Anne Bartlett because it outright tells you it's about grief, and I don't do so good with that. I want to feel good by a read, not worse off than when I began. I guess I'm overly sensitive about that subject, it deeply affects me and stirs up too much pain.

I'm now reading Death by Cashmere by Sally Goldenbaum (will be done today, most I can finish in a day) and I have the three Chicks With Sticks books (It's a Purl Thing, Knit Two Together, and Knitwise) waiting in the wings for their turn. They're geared toward girls my daughter's age (tweens) but us old fogey's seem to really enjoy them as well!

I have to admit, these are all fast, easy reads but very enjoyable for people who love knitting and like me can't get enough of it. I usually figure out who the "murderer" is (in the mystery series') by the middle of the book, but a couple of times I've been wrong!! LOL! I just grab what's available at my local libraries and that's what I read. Checking out Amazon today though, I see a few more I may have to try to find....

Outside of Knitting, I also just read "Mistress of The Sun" by Sandra Gulland. It had me crying by the end, but in a good way I guess. Sad, but good. That's different than overwhelming grief. Next up is "The Heretic's Daughter" by Kathleen Kent. Looks like a good one! It takes place during the Salem Witch Trials. So much to read, so little time....if I could only enjoy audio books I could knit at the same time, but getting lost in my own imagination with the printed word is what I REALLY enjoy most of all.

I better get back to my books!! I miss them already!

UPDATE: Thank You Girls for all of your prayers!! Grandpa Ken was released from the Hospital today and is feeling stronger bit by bit!! God is Good.