Tag: Michelle Sagara

Busy Saturday

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

Friday night, Ken and I went to Michael’s.  They had a sale on sugar n cream crochet cotton.  It was wonderful in that I got a lot of yarn at little cost.  I had a 20% all items coupon which made the great deal even better.  With tax, I paid about 82 cents per skein which is a huge saving because this yarn is normally 2 – 2.5 a skein.
I have already made one thing from it.  I found a pattern for a basket I like.  It turned out really well except that I learned we picked up scented yarn.  I’ve always avoided this yarn because scents tend to set off my asthma.  I was right in that this one did as well.  It turned out really nicely though and after taking an allergy med I didn’t feel quite so awful.

From the scraps of the basket, I started a trivet for Vicki.  She wants several so I just kept working with the variegated (not the scented) and started the trivet.  It is made completely from scraps.  It was a quick and easy project.

In addition to these two smaller projects, I finished the graduation gift for my student worker.  No pictures for now as she hasn’t gotten it yet.  I like how it turned out and hope she will as well.

I started a skirt for a friend but as I’m looking at what I’ve done, I’m not thrilled with it.  I have an idea in my head and will probably be tearing it out to try to make the project match what’s in my head.

I also started a dishtowel which I hope to finish this morning.  This is also made from scraps.  I just keep tying on a new little ball when I run out of yarn.  My middle daughter has asked for several new dishtowels, this will be the first to use up some of my scraps.  I also have actual full skeins she bought so I’ll be using those as well over time.

I finished reading both Cast in Peril by Michele Sagara and Remember When by Nora Roberts and JD Robb.  I’ve gotten the audio books for the next in each series on my fire.  I’ve been flipping back and forth between audio and text.  When I’m crocheting, I listen.  When I’m too tired to crochet, I’ll pick up the book and skim through the books.  It goes faster and I can skip the parts that annoy me.  Cast in Peril this was key in.  Love Sagara’s writing and her Cast in series but Peril was just tedious and not really a complete story.  I hear that the next one – Cast in Sorrow is the same way.  I’ll see what my tolerance level is for it.  I might end up skimming through parts of it as well.

I also downloaded Divided in Death.  Having just finished the short story, I’m trying to decide if I listened to the other two short stories before this.  I’m going to have to go look.  I don’t think I did.  That means I may have to just go through and do a quick read on both of them.  I’m trying to read her series in order including the short stories.  I’ll go back and catch these two up before I start the next one.

This should keep me busy for a bit and out of trouble – maybe.  I have a bridal shower to go to today so you never know what sort of mischief I’ll get up to.

Strategy….

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

I’ve found myself in a bad place with reading books right now.  I have one book I hate.  I read two chapters of it last night and wanted to throw the book (i.e. my kindle) across the room.  I’ve been struggling to finish this book since June of last year.  The JD Robb book I’m reading is slow.  I’m a tad bored with it.  I’ve read it before.  It gets better but I feel like I won’t get to that part.  The Sagara book is just tedious.  I can’t stand to listen to more than a chapter at a time.

My strategy to get through these books is this.  Tonight I’m going to skim the beginning of each chapter of the BAD book.  I’m going to read the last two chapters and finish the damn thing. 

For the JD Robb book, I’m going to listen to the opening of the chapters and see how I feel about where I am in the book.  I’ve read this book two or three times already so I don’t feel obligated to read every word.  I’ll likely skim ahead until I get to the parts I like.  I know once I reach a certain point in the book, I’m going to want to listen to the whole thing. 

For the Sagara book, I’m going to continue to intersperse a chapter or two at a time with other books. 

I love to read.  I enjoy falling into a story and getting lost for hours as I traverse the world the author has created but these three are just annoying me.  I know the next JD Robb one won’t annoy me.  I’m not going to pick up any more by the BAD book’s author – not ever.  I hear from my daughter that the Sagara books I’m behind – there are three – two of them are like the one I’m currently reading (so this one and one more) and the third one out is back to her usual format and story telling set up.  I’ll get to a good book.  I think it’s going to take a few days – unfortunately.

Down for a Day

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

At 2:30 Tuesday morning I woke up with pain in my foot.  I knew it was gout pain.  I figured I’ll get more sleep and feel better in the morning. 

I didn’t sleep the rest of the night.  I got up at 7:00 thinking I gotta go to work.  Now if I’m going to work I need to be out of the shower and headed to the car by 7:15 so I knew at the very least I was going to be LATE. 

It was a rough morning for me.  Pain, lack of sleep, and just general growliness.  I opted to not inflict my orneriness on my job and stayed home.  I don’t watch a lot of TV.  I’ve been weaning myself off it since we got rid of cable. 

Instead of surfing unsuccessfully for something worthwhile, I listened to an audio book and crocheted.  I leaned back in my recliner, kept my foot up and worked on a throw for my mother.  When she was over, she told me her legs got cold when she sat in her recliner in the living room.  I made her a small throw.  It is with fleece yarn which is yummy and soft.  My sister picked out the pink and multi colored purple / pink.  Unfortunately there wasn’t enough for what I wanted to do.  Of the fleece I had left, black was the only one that went well as there is a dark gray in the purple variegated.  So I did a border in the blank.  I did a lacy pattern which was quick and easy.  Hopefully it will work for my mother and keep her legs warm. 

Now I got a box of yarn.  I resisted using anything in that box because I had four projects going.  However, I finished a project and I wanted a small project so I pulled out this soft gorgeous yarn and made a cowl.  I went to my book that has some ridiculous number of patterns and made a cowl.  It didn’t take long, sewing the buttons on took longer as I had to find them, get a needle that would work and figure out what I was using to sew them on for thread (yarn was too thick). 

In the middle of the day, I was tired so I took a nap.  I took a two hour (maybe longer) nap.  Curling up with the electric blanket on to keep me toasty warm, I just conked out.  I had the heat from the blanket wrapped around my legs and it helped reduce the pain of the gout. 

After I woke up, I went back to listening to Holiday in Death by JD Robb and worked on a shawl for Vicki.  I finished that and still had an hour left on my book so started another scarf with more new yarn.  I didn’t get far.  I’m not happy with the pattern so I’m going to pull out my book with the different patterns and see what she’s tagged – my poor vandalized books.  I finished the book but not this fourth item.  I did go in and finish listening to the chapter in Cast in Peril by Michelle Sagara.

I hate taking a day off because of my gout.  However, by the evening my foot had shape again, the red ring around my ankle was gone.  The pain level had gone from nearly unbearable to tolerable.  I got three crochet projects done.  Considering I didn’t think it would be a good day – I’d say it wasn’t all bad.  The nap was wonderful.  I’m betting Vicki will LOVE the two items I got done for her.  I’m hoping mom will enjoy her item as well. 

 

Scheduling…

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

My life is all about juggling the different aspects of it.  I’m working on a story that is pounding in my head and wanting out.  I have 11,000 plus words done in it already.  I’m also working on holiday gifts of which I have about thirty to make. 

Thursdays are my early day to leave.  I get off work an hour earlier which means I’m home earlier and have more time with Ken.  Last night I spent it with him, eating supper, watching West Wing, and crocheting. 

By nine last night, I had two gifts done and had listened to a couple of hours of my book.  I have three hours left in the book and am hoping to finish it tonight, along with a couple more gifts.  Right now I’m working on the gifts for student workers.  Once I have their gifts done (hopefully this weekend) I’ll start on the faculty gifts. 

I could have worked longer last night and started a third gift.  I thought about it but opted for sleep instead.  This week has been a good sleeping week for me with me actually having a couple of nights where I get more than two hours at a time. 

As I was crocheting last night I was thinking about the things I have to get done today.  In order to remember them all, I texted my email a list of what I wanted to remember.  Once I get home, I’ll be tackling that list before I go back to crocheting and listening to my book. 

My daughter – have I mentioned that my kids can be a bit smart ass? – my daughter told me the name of the next book in the series.  I told her I wanted to try to listen to a different book once I was done with the current one I’m listening to.  She laughed at me.  This does not seem appropriately respectful but not an uncommon occurrence.  Now of course I know the name of the next book in the series, I’ll want to read it. 

To be honest, I am digging the story of Eve and Rourke.  JD Robb (i.e Nora Roberts) is a master crafter of this story and I am thoroughly enjoying it – again.  I think this is the third or fourth time I’ve read through the entire story.

I’ll get to the other books eventually.  I hope I will.  I’m sure it will happen eventually.  I’ll get tired of the JD Robb ones – there are a couple in the series I’m not so thrilled with – and then I’ll switch over.  However, my goal is to finish Immortal in Death and then switch to Cast in Peril.  I just don’t know if that will work as my inner reader rules when it comes to what I listen to. 

Ken and I were talking about the schedule for the weekend.  We only have one commitments so that means a quiet weekend – hopefully.  I’m hoping Sunday will be a good day to sit and crochet all day – hopefully finish a number of projects and gifts. 

Saturday I’m hoping to work on manuscripts but I’ll have to see what all we decide to do.  Ken was talking about errands.  It will depend on what and when he wants to do them.  I have a stack of coupons I have to sort out – some for me and some for the girls.  At some point I’d like to clear off the couch as it is filled with manuscripts, crocheting, mail, and other random things.  Maybe I should make a to do list?

Change of Focus

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Writing

Starting tonight, I’m going to crochet instead of working on writing.  I need to get a number of gifts made in the next month. 

This weekend I’ll probably work on two manuscripts which are close to being done but during the week this week I’m going to either watch tv and crochet or listen to an audio book.  I have three Michelle Sagara books to catch up on.  I also have a ton of JD Robb and Nora Roberts audio books to read.  I’m sure there are other audio books I can listen to as well.

Interestingly, I was listening to Glory in Death and taking note of certain scenes and how she handled certain types of scenes.  I respect her as a writer so as I’m reading her books I’m also researching writing techniques. 

I guess as I’m listening to the books I’m also doing research on writing techniques.  It will be fun to read a book while I’m crocheting.  Two of my favorite activities will get done all at once. 

It is the whole NaNoWriMo but this month doesn’t work for me.  I’ll be working on crocheting this month.  I wonder if they have a craft project month?  I’m sure they do – they have a month for everything it seems. 

In all likelihood I’ll still work on writing on the weekends.  I will go stir crazy if I don’t write, especially since I’m almost done with three manuscripts.  Marketing will have to be a focus.  I need to promote more to a wider audience. 

So the plan – I’ll see how well this one works – is to crochet and listen to audio books during the week.  Work on manuscripts on the weekend as well as crocheting and listening to audio books.  In the next month I have to finish a lot of presents, three manuscripts, and keep my sanity.  Well okay – the sanity is probably too much to hope for.  I’ll have to see how the plan goes.