CREATIVITY.....

Shelly over at Prairie Moon Quilts is hosting A Year of Creativity.  Want to find your Creativity?  Hop over to Shelly's place and check it out.

Challenge #18

Work on some hand lettering....
I did some practicing on my writing.  I have to make myself slow down when I write.  If not it turns into a mess.  Here is my page of lettering.

Challenge #19

Use something unexpected as a base for a drawing.....
I was thinking about this one a lot.  Wasn't quite sure what I wanted to use.  Then our local paper came in the mail and the light bulb went on.  There was an article about the library having a book sale.  So I drew some books and put some of my favorite authors on them.  I just used a marker go do this.  It's pretty simple, but I like it.

To see a close up just click on the pictures. 

BOOK REPORT....THE BONE TREE

The Bone Tree - Greg Iles

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Former prosecutor Penn Cage and his fiancée, reporter and publisher Caitlin Masters, have barely escaped with their lives after being attacked by wealthy businessman Brody Royal and his Double Eagles, a KKK sect with ties to some of Mississippi’s most powerful men. But the real danger has only begun as FBI Special Agent John Kaiser warns Penn that Brody wasn’t the true leader of the Double Eagles. The puppeteer who actually controls the terrorist group is a man far more fearsome: the chief of the state police’s Criminal Investigations Bureau, Forrest Knox.
The only way Penn can save his father, Dr. Tom Cage—who is fleeing a murder charge as well as corrupt cops bent on killing him—is either to make a devil’s bargain with Knox or destroy him. While Penn desperately pursues both options, Caitlin uncovers the real story behind a series of unsolved civil rights murders that may hold the key to the Double Eagles’ downfall. The trail leads her deep into the past, into the black backwaters of the Mississippi River, to a secret killing ground used by slave owners and the Klan for over two hundred years . . . a place of terrifying evil known only as “the bone tree.”
The Bone Tree is an explosive, action-packed thriller full of twisting intrigue and deadly secrets, a tale that explores the conflicts and casualties that result when the darkest truths of American history come to light. It puts us inside the skin of a noble man who has always fought for justice—now finally pushed beyond his limits.
Just how far will Penn Cage, the hero we thought we knew, go to protect those he loves? 
Series: Penn Cage (Book 5) 
Mass Market Paperback: 880 pages 
Publisher: William Morrow; Reprint edition (February 23, 2016) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0062311131 
ISBN-13: 978-0062311139

MY THOUGHT:  As usual I've come into a series our of order.  I picked up on some of the previous story, but not all of it.  This is also a good stand alone book.  The theory is that the Double Eagles had something to do with the JFK, RFK and MLK assassinations.  But it also has lots to do with the corruption inside the police force.  Penn is trying to save his father from one of those corrupt police without selling his soul.  Really intense book with lots of info.  I give this book 5.....

 




This book is for 1 of my reading challenges...
What's in a Name Challenge

BOOK REPORT......

The Chair - James L. Rubart

Product Description(Amazon.com)
If someone gave you a chair and said it was made by Jesus Christ, would you believe them?
When an elderly lady shows up in Corin Roscoe's antiques store and gives him a chair she claims was crafted by Jesus, he scoffs. But when a young boy is miraculously healed two days after sitting in the chair, he stops laughing and starts wondering . . . could this chair heal the person whose life Corin destroyed twelve years ago?
As word spreads of the boy's healing, a mega-church pastor is determined to manipulate Corin into turning over the chair. And that mysterious woman who gave him the piece flits in and out of his life like a shadow, insinuating it's Corin’s destiny to guard the chair above everything else. But why?
Desperate, he turns to the one person he can trust, a college history professor who knows more about the legend of the chair than he'll reveal. Corin's life shatters as he searches for the truth about the artifact and the unexplained phenomena surrounding it. What’s more, he's not the only one willing do almost anything to possess the power seemingly connected to the chair. 
Paperback: 388 pages 
Publisher: B&H Books (September 15, 2011) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1433671522 
ISBN-13: 978-1433671524

MY THOUGHTS:   I was a little skeptical about reading this book.  It's a Christian Fiction book, I've not had too much good luck reading these.  But I got and read it.  It's a really good book.  A little slow in the beginning, but picks up later.  Corin has lots of questions and not answers.  And everyone he goes to either can't help him or they want the chair for their own.  But Corin plods along and finally gets his answers.  I give this book 4.....

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges....
What's In A Name Challenge
52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge

CIRCLES, CIRCLES AND MORE CIRCLES.......

Audrey over at Quilty Folk is hosting a challenge.  To make a circle everyday, so at the end of the year you will have a whole years worth of circles.  And over at So Scrappy, the challenge is to use your scraps of fabrics to make a quilt for the year.  Each month is a new color combo.  I joined in on both of these challenges a little late so everyone has a head start on me.  But I've kind of got caught up.  So here goes.....
January - Blue With Purple

I've started putting my January circles together.  One more row and it will be done.

February - Brown With Pink

March - Purple With Yellow

April - Orange With Brown or Black

May - Green With Brown

I got a little carried away with the green.  Totally forgot about the brown.  As for what day I'm on for the circles, I'm at day 151.  I haven't started my June circles yet.  If your wondering about the Gray I'm using to fill in the calendar, I'm going to make those smiley faces.  Using buttons and embroidery.

BOOK REPORT.....PRIVATE PARIS

Private Paris - James Patterson

Product Description(Amazon.com)
When Jack Morgan stops by Private's Paris office, he envisions a quick hello during an otherwise relaxing trip. But Jack is quickly pressed into duty after getting a call from his client Sherman Wilkerson, asking Jack to track down his young granddaughter, who is on the run from a brutal drug dealer. Before Jack can locate her, several members of France's cultural elite are found dead-murdered in stunning, symbolic fashion. The only link between the crimes is a mysterious graffiti tag. As religious and ethnic tensions simmer in the City of Lights, only Jack and his Private team can connect the dots before the smoldering powder keg explodes. 
Series: Private 
Hardcover: 448 pages 
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1St Edition edition (March 14, 2016) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0316407054 
ISBN-13: 978-0316407052

MY THOUGHTS:  This is a totally different James Patterson book.  I'm used to reading about one murder though out the book.  This one is more along the lines of terrorists, treason and religion.  The book is also a series.  Not sure which one this is in the series.  But it was very good and kept me reading to find out how everything was connected.  I give this book 5.....

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges....
52 Books in 52 Weeks
Fun In The Sun Challenge

NEEDLEWORK........

Just a little update on what I've been working on.  I've started putting my circles together.  Of course the first section is January.  I've got the first row done.

I'm using the gray for the fill in blocks.  I thing I' m going to make them a smiley face with buttons and some embroidery. 
I've also been working on my May circles.  I'm behind, I've only got 19 done and this is the 25th.  But I'll catch up by the end of the month.

I also put a few more stitches on my Red Work.  I've started the 3rd block, it has lots of Lazy Daisy stitches to do.

As an added thought, yesterday was Bella's award day a school.  She got the Most Progress Award.  She's done so well in school. 

I'm also linking up with Heather over at Books and Quilts for Needlework Tuesday.  Go check out Heather's post on getting in touch with author's of Quilt Books.

BOOK REPORT.....

The Secrets of Flight - Maggie Leffler

Product Description(Amazon.com)

This captivating, breakout novel—told in alternating viewpoints—brings readers from the skies of World War II to the present day, where a woman is prepared to tell her secrets at last.
Estranged from her family since just after World War II, Mary Browning has spent her entire adult life hiding from her past. Now eighty-seven years old and a widow, she is still haunted by secrets and fading memories of the family she left behind. Her one outlet is the writing group she’s presided over for a decade, though she’s never written a word herself. When a new member walks in—a fifteen-year-old girl who reminds her so much of her beloved sister Sarah—Mary is certain fate delivered Elyse Strickler to her for a reason.
Mary hires the serious-eyed teenager to type her story about a daring female pilot who, during World War II, left home for the sky and gambled everything for her dreams—including her own identity. 
As they begin to unravel the web of Mary’s past, Mary and Elyse form an unlikely friendship. Together they discover it’s never too late for second chances and that sometimes forgiveness is all it takes for life to take flight in the most unexpected ways. 
Paperback: 368 pages 
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (May 3, 2016) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 006242792X 
ISBN-13: 978-0062427922

MY THOUGHTS: This is my book clubs choice for May.  This was a delightful book to read.  Totally enjoyed it.  The author takes through to lives, Mary's and Elyse's family's.  Mary is telling her story of being a WASP pilot during WW2.  Elyse's family is going through a divorce and the death of her grandmother.  What amazing thing brings these 2 people together, they want to become writers, so Mary hires Elyse to write her story.  But there is something else that is special about them.  Mary is certain fate has brought her and Elyse together.  I loved all the charcters and the story line is so believable.  You wouldn't believe the ending, so you'll have to read the book to find out what connects Mary and Elyse.  I give this book 5....

This book is for 1 of my reading challenges.....
52 Books in 52 Weeks

IS IT SPRING YET???????

According to the calendar it is spring.....but this morning it was 34 degrees.  That's not very springy.  Our resident Ground Hog has even been out and about nibbling at the grass.  (She lives in our barn, she had babies last spring.)  Here she is, I've officially named her Henrietta. 

Nibbling the grass....

She heard a dog bark and off she the went back to her burrow.  With it being a little windy and chilly yesterday, I worked on my Red Work and finally finished up all those French Knots.

And I've started block 3....

These are a pre-stamped kit I got from Grandma's Attic.  They are all baskets of some kind.  I'm really enjoying working on these. 

Our son has been busy cleaning up behind the barn this spring.  It's a mess of old wood, briars and weeds back there.  He's been burning and spraying weed killer.

It's looking a lot better now....

He still has some work to do, but it's coming along nicely.  I'm off to clean the bathroom and tidy up the kitchen.  Have an awesome day!

I'm linking up with
The Good. The Random. The Fun.
Stitchery Link Party

RED WORK EMBROIDERY......

I've been working on my Red Work embroidery blocks.  I have finally gotten most of the Gazzzzzion French Knots done.  Just a few more to do.

Then I can start on the next block, it looks like it's got lots of Lazy Daisy Stitches to do.  It's the block on the bottom left. 

I'm also working on my circles for May, so between the 2 of these I'm keeping busy stitching.

I'm linking up with Kathy over at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday.

BOOK REPORT......

The Kill - Jane Casey

Product Description(Amazon.com)

Detective Maeve Kerrigan is away for a colleague's wedding, and she's enjoying an excuse to spend a beautiful fall weekend relaxing in the English countryside. It's a much-needed break from the grit and grime of her daily life on the London police force. But even at a wedding, the job is never far away.
Midway through the reception, Maeve and her abrasive but loyal partner on the police force, DI Josh Derwent, are called back to London. A fellow policeman has been murdered, in a compromising position in a public park at night. And when Maeve and Derwent arrive to speak with the victim's family, his wife and daughter are surprisingly cold and reticent, which adds further layers of complexity to an already delicate investigation. And Maeve knows the victim and his family aren't the only ones with things to hide: the dark secret that her boss, Superintendent Godley, has been keeping for years is threatening to blow up in his face, and if that happens, they'll all be caught in the aftermath.
Pulled between her loyalties to Godley, Derwent, the victim of a murder, and her own driving sense of right and wrong, Maeve will be forced to decide how much she's willing to risk in the name of justice in The Kill, Jane Casey's most intimate, compelling novel yet. 
Series: Maeve Kerrigan Novels (Book 5) 
Hardcover: 336 pages 
Publisher: Minotaur Books (June 2, 2015) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1250048842 
ISBN-13: 978-1250048844

MY THOUGHTS:  Unknown to me when I got this book, it's a series, which isn't a new thing for me.  I'm always getting a book that starts in the middle or end of a series.  Then of course I have to go back and read from the beginning.  So that adds more books to my series books list.  This book was very good, well, it was an awesome read.  Loved all the characters and the location is one of my favorite places, London.  I admit I was kind of lost on some of the history of the characters, but it was still a great book.  Maeve and Derwent at cops and they work at solving murders.  This one starts with a cop getting murdered.  They are at a loss as to who done it.  Then several more police persons are killed.  They get all the info and solve those, but the first one is still unsolved.  So Maeve and Derwent start digging and come up with a solution.  Total surprise to me as to who the person was and why they done it.  I give this book 5....

This book is for 1 of my reading challenges.....
What's In A Name Challenge

BOOK REPORT......

In Daddy's Shoes - Sandra Elzie

Product Description(Amazon.com)
When Lydia Reynolds arrives home from work to find her ten-year-old son, Brandon, climbing through his bedroom window, she knows she needs help, and she ll do almost anything to get it. Brandon must learn to cope with the loss of his father in Iraq and his feelings of inadequately fulfilling his father s last instruction to take care of your mother until I get home. Andy Jenkins, Brandon's teacher, is recently divorced and happy with life the way it is. That is, until Lydia enters the picture and asks for his help. Unable to say no to a student in trouble, he agrees. When they team up to help Brandon, they soon realize that they make great partners outside of the classroom, as well. 
Series: Avalon Romance 
Hardcover: 186 pages 
Publisher: Montlake Romance (August 1, 2010) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0803477856 
ISBN-13: 978-0803477858

MY THOUGHTS:  This wasn't the kind of book I thought it was.  It's more about the mom.  The boy is just a side thought.  His father is killed and the last thing his dad told him, was to take care of his mom.  He takes it literally.  He starts rebelling and getting trouble.  Mom talks to his teacher, to see if he can help.  The teacher doesn't really want to get involved.  Then a romance blooms between the mom and the teacher.  I give this book a 3....

This book is for one of my reading challenges......

What's In A Name Challenge

  

I Work at a Public Library - Gina Sheridan

Product Description(Amazon.com)

Straight from the library--the strange and bizarre, ready to be checked out!
From a patron's missing wetsuit to the scent of crab cakes wafting through the stacks, I Work at a Public Library showcases the oddities that have come across Gina Sheridan's circulation desk. Throughout these pages, she catalogs her encounters with local eccentrics as well as the questions that plague her, such as, "What is the standard length of eyebrow hairs?" Whether she's helping someone scan his face onto an online dating site or explaining why the library doesn't have any dragon autobiographies, Sheridan's bizarre tales prove that she's truly seen it all.
Stacked high with hundreds of strange-but-true stories, I Work at a Public Library celebrates librarians and the unforgettable patrons that roam the stacks every day.
Paperback: 160 pages 
Publisher: Adams Media; 1 edition (July 31, 2014) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1440576246 
ISBN-13: 978-1440576249

MY THOUGHTS:  This is very funny book.  You wouldn't believe all the things people do at the library.  Just a few of the things that have happened in the library are, a Cold War spy in desperate search of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Cuckoo Carol dumpster diving for cans...again, and the inevitable fact that one day, somewhere, human excrement will end up on the floor.  Some of these stories are really strange and most of them are really funny.  It's amazing some of the things people ask about in a library.  Everything except a book.  I give this book 5....

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges....
What's In A Name Challenge
52 Books in 52 Weeks

Illness to Wellness - Betsy M. Cohen

Product Description(Amazon.com)
 Illness to Wellness : Reclaiming Your Life After a Medical Crisis gives you a toolbox of practical, thoughtful strategies to help you manage the emotional, medical, spiritual, and legal aspects of recovering, surviving and thriving after a health crisis. Cohen uses her thirty years of professional experience as a practicing rehabilitation therapist and case manager, and her own journey through a life-altering medical accident to provide an easy-to-follow road map through the confusing, complex medical system. 
Paperback: 226 pages 
Publisher: Betsy Cohen; 1 edition (August 21, 2015) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 069248762X 
ISBN-13: 978-0692487624

MY THOUGHTS:  I received this free book from Kelley & Hall for my fair and honest review . This book is loaded with lots of great info.  This book is well-written and very readable. It's written so any lay person can understand it.  The author blends her story into the book, using wisdom, insight, and  lots of humor.  I give this book 5....

SLOW STITCHING......

Kathy over at Kathy's Quilts hosts Slow Stitching Sunday.  Hop over and check out all the pretties she has shown this week.

As for me, I'm going to be working on my Red Work blocks.  I've got one done, the second block has all the stitching done, but I've got a gazzillion French Knots to do.  So that's going to take some slow stitching. 

Hope all the Mother's out there have an awesome day! 

CREATIVITY CHALLENGE......

Shelly over at Prairie Moon Quilts  is the host for The Creativity Challenge.  Shelly gives us things to do every week.  Drawing, coloring and other stuff.  As usual I'm a week behind.

Creativity Challenge #16
Draw Something With Colored Markers

That's suppose to be a Sunflower in the middle of the page.  It didn't come out the way I envisioned it.

Creativity Challenge #17
Illustrate Something You Don't Particularly Care For

This is suppose to be a hamburger.  I usually have ketchup and onions on my hamburger, but every once in awhile someone puts pickles on it.  I HATE PICKLES!!  So I just take them off.  But I can still taste them. 

BOOK REPORT......

Raymon And Sunshine - Karen Krett

Product Description(Amazon.com)
On Earth in 2262, Ramòn Réal, a 22-year-old comic artist who creates superheroes, is one of the Self-Contained—a designation for people once considered autistic. He is part of the InterGalactic Artists—which includes Benno, a giant, and Tonna and Charl, self-designed visual twins. They produce a monthly comic book, "Heroes of the Galaxy," extremely popular in the allmind, the 23rd century descendant of the Internet. When Sunshine—one of the most advanced line of self-replicating sentient androids—is hired as housekeeper for the Réal home, a growing bond forms between the artist and the beautiful synthetic entity. She is motivated to undergo augmentation, a process which will restructure her inner wave/fiber architecture so she can achieve romantic love. 
Paperback: 272 pages 
Publisher: Karen Krett (March 8, 2016) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0692660887 
ISBN-13: 978-0692660881

MY THOUGHTS: This is a book I got for review from Kelly & Hall.  Although this not my usual kind of book to read, it was very interesting.  As a relationship starts to between Raymon and Sunshine, his family is not happy.  After all she is a machine.  As Raymon and Sunshine begin to get closer they decide to marry.  This causes all kinds of trouble for them.  Even someone trying to kill them.  Very interesting book.  I give this book 4.....

 

BOOK REPORT....

The Map Thief - Michael Blanding

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Maps have long exerted a special fascination on viewers—both as beautiful works of art and as practical tools to navigate the world. But to those who collect them, the map trade can be a cutthroat business, inhabited by quirky and sometimes disreputable characters in search of a finite number of extremely rare objects.

Once considered a respectable antiquarian map dealer, E. Forbes Smiley spent years doubling as a map thief —until he was finally arrested slipping maps out of books in the Yale University library. The Map Thief delves into the untold history of this fascinating high-stakes criminal and the inside story of the industry that consumed him. 
Paperback: 320 pages 
Publisher: Avery; Reprint edition (June 2, 2015) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1592409407 
ISBN-13: 978-1592409402

MY THOUGHTS:  This book has lots of information about maps and the people who hunt them down, clean them up and sell them the collectors that want them.  Smiley started out as a reputable seller of old maps, but for reasons of his own, he started stealing maps.  He got caught and confessed to taking 100 or so maps.  Buts 100's or more are still missing from libraries.  As to if Smiley stole them or they have gotten misplaced is anyone's guess.  Really interesting book.  I give this book 5....

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges....
52 Books in 52 Weeks
Monthly Keyword Challenge

QUILT LIMBO.......

yep, that's what I'm in right at this moment.  I've got all these quilts in my head I want to make and I'm stuck as to what to do about it.  One of them is a Tile Quilt.  I saw this over at Shelly's place, Prairie Moon Quilts.  Shelly is making one and I really want to make one of these.  But not quite sure how to start.  This is Shelly's Tile Quilt she has started.

Isn't that beautiful!  She's using all scraps for this quilt, including the background fabric.  Another quilt I want to make is a Book Shelf Quilt.  I've seen lots of them on the internet, I've even started one, but I'm totally lost as to how to put this together.  This is one I found at Quilt Magazine.

Isn't that an awesome quilt!  Since I read and quilt I thought it would be a great idea to do this one.  Another quilt I want to make is called a Pot Holder Quilt.  Ever hear of this?  I went looking on the internet for this and found lots of info.  And of course I'm doing the 365 Quilty Challenge over at Audrey's place Quilty Folk.  I've got all my little circles all done from January to April.  They are in baggies marked with their months.  I want to start putting them together, but not quite sure how I want to do this.  I've got an idea, but haven't started it yet.

These are my April circles.  They are all bagged up and waiting to be put together.  I'm also working on the 350 Block Challenge over at Prairie Moon Quilts.  For the month of April I got 34 blocks done.  This brings my total to 198 blocks so far this year.    Have you ever been in Quilt Limbo?  I'm also linking up with Heather over at Books and Quilts for Needlework Tuesday.

BOOK REPORT......

Little Green - Walter Mosley

Product Description(Amazon.com)
In Little Green, Walter Mosley’s acclaimed detective Easy Rawlins returns from the brink of death to investigate the dark side of that haven for Los Angeles hippies, the Sunset Strip. He’s soon back in top form, cruising the gloriously psychedelic mean streets of L.A. with his murderous sidekick, Mouse. They’ve been hired to look for a young black man, Evander “Little Green” Noon, who disappeared during an acid trip.

Fueled by an elixir called Gator’s Blood, Easy experiences a physical, spiritual, and
emotional resurrection, but peace and love soon give way to murder and mayhem. 
Series: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard 
Paperback: 304 pages 
Publisher: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard; Reprint edition (January 28, 2014) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0307949788 
ISBN-13: 978-0307949783

MY THOUGHTS:  This is the second book I've read from this author.  Although I was a little skeptical about this author, I've come to really like his way of writing.  There is some foul language but I can work around that.  It's also given me some insight into the African American way of life during the 60's and 70's.  Easy Rawlins is a black Investigator, he doesn't really get paid in money, but he makes a lot of friends a long the way.  These people like Easy so much they usually help him solve most of his cases.  And then you have Mouse.  He's a sidekick of Easy.  But he's a very dangerous man to mess with.  He would as soon shoot you as not.  He is a really good friend of Easy.  Mouse has sent Easy on a task of finding Evander Noon.  Evander is a good kid that gets caught up with the wrong people.  Someone slips him LSD and while under the influence Evander sees some bad stuff  happen and now Easy and Mouse have to get him out.  I give this book 5.......

 




This book is also for one of my reading challenges.....
Color Coded Challenge

This is also my wrap up of this challenge.  These are the books I read for this challenge.  All the books are in My Library Tab plus they are linked to my review.

 1. Blue - A Spool of Blue Thread - Anne Tyler

2. Red - NYPD red - James Patterson

3. Yellow -  The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion

4. Green - Little Green - Walter Mosley

5.  Brown -Encyclopedia Brown, boy detective - Donald J. Sobol

6. Black - The black box - Michael Connelly

7. White - White Fire - Preston & Child

8. Purple - Washington Through a Purple Veil - Lindy Boggs

9. Plaid - Mad, Bad, and Dangerous in Plaid -  Suzanne Enoch