Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Listening to this book, my appreciation for great narrators swelled. The story is complex, interesting and superbly narrated by Simon Slater. (I will look him up in "Audiofile" and search for other books narrated by him.)

That said, this is a huge story made easier to follow by keeping a list of characters within reach.

24+ hours of great company in the car, on walks and while quilting.




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My First Log Cabin

Every year in November I travel to the Sisters of Ursula in Rhinebeck, NY, for their quilters retreat.  It is a peaceful place on the Hudson River that is free of distractions like television and cell phones.  Here, it is possible to work quietly and in a focused way on quilts.  I love going there.

Under the guidance of expert quilters, this baby quilt took shape.  Nine traditional Log Cabin blocks, each 11” square comprise the body of the quilt.  It is rendered in non-traditional colors to bring it up-to-date.  The finished size of 45.5” x 45/5” includes a darker pink sashing, a pink dotted stop border, pink plaid outer border and pink-dotted binding.  The backing is a nice soft flannel.  The quilt is washable, sturdy and meant to be used as a blanket, carriage cover and play mat.  

It was a joy to make. :)

 

Dancing on the Ceiling

Lionel Richie's All the Hits Tour 2014 landed at the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel on Friday night.  And, thanks to my beautiful daughter and most wondcrful son-in-law, I was there...

...with Jackie. WE HAD A BALL!

Lionel is a great entertainer - likeable, funny, involved with the audience - who kept us going the entire evening.  We laughed, we danced, we finished his sentences, we sang.  Did I say we danced? He was dynamic and backed up by very talent musicians who were also entertaining (especially his saxophone/harmonica player).

Here is a picture of his arrival on stage, "Hello," he said. "Is it me you're looking for?"

Jackie was up dancing and screaming right away.  She grew up listening to these records. Lionel said that he had two kinds of fans, the ones who had been with him throughout the journey and the others  who knew his music and called him "Mr. Richie."  He promised us the hits and he made sure that he sang them all.

Oh, and let me not forget that Ce Lo Green opened the show and warmed up the audience for almost 50 minutes before Lionel came out.

IT WAS A GREAT EVENING!!!!!!!!

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Finished on Sunday, rushed out to Costco to pick up The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike #2)on Monday! Cormoran Strike is the most interesting detective/private investigator character that I have encountered in quite a while. I would say that he is right up there with Lucas Davenport. :)

Promising NEW series for those of us who were hopelessly addicted to series books as kids....

Huge fun to read....

Very hard to put down....




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The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


All of the characters are severely introspective and intense.  The impulse to scream "Just let it go!" while listening to them is overwhelming.  Really.



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