Music and Lyrics Leap Year Sounds like a fun evening!

I finished listening to Thornyhold by Mary Stewart. Set in England after WW1 (I think?), a young woman inherits a country cottage from her aunt. The locals in the nearby village believe her aunt was a natural healer or maybe even a witch so folks are very interested in her when she moves in. Slow moving story but the whole of it is so enchanting you don't mind that not much happens. I'm about to start Beartown by Fredrik Backman.

I finished The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz. This is the fourth in his Hawthorne & Horowitz series and I liked it very much. Horowitz himself is being investigated for the murder of a well-known and very nasty theater critic and is forced to rely on Detective Hawthorne tot prove his innocence. I always enjoy his mysteries and the low-key humor he injects into the story. I also finished listening to North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and narrrated by Juliet Stevenson. This is both a re-read/re-listen for me and it's one of my favorites.

I think it depends on the parent. I'm a knitter/newish crocheter with grandkids and have made each grandchild a couple blankets and sweaters, cardigans, hats, etc. I look for patterns with a solid fabric and change up the type of yarn I use depending on the parent - cotton/wool/acrylic blends that are machine wash & dry, or wool blends that I know the parent understands how to care for. Yarn companies have really upped their game in the man-made fibers arena in the past several years. I've found some good acrylic blends that hold up well to washing and drying. A small blanket (like a stroller or carseat one) is a good size to make if you don't know the parent well. I think most parents appreciate the handmade item but I've learned that it's best to be choosy about who I give handknits to or, as I refer to these special people, "The Knitworthy". ha

Thank you!

After having a lackluster reading year in 2023, this year is off to a good start! I've finished two books so far and have enjoyed them both. Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher - a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty tale. The author twists the story around in a unique way that I wasn't expecting - loved it! The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp - Journalist Jack Sparks is out to debunk the supernatural. He is arrogant, narcissistic, and an overall jerk who has alienated everyone who might care about him. While attending an exorcism he mocks the demon and subsequently unleashes death and destruction on himself and anyone unlucky enough to be near him. This took off in the first few pages and didn't stop! A darkly funny, gory horror thriller that the author wraps up in satisfying ending. I started the most recent Anthony Horowitz mystery and am liking it so far. I've really missed posting here and seeing what everyone has been reading - it's good to be back. 🙂

I watched it last weekend and was surprised at how it all played out! I'll have to listen to the podcast about it as there were some aspects of it that I felt weren't explained.

I've had the yarn one in my favs for a few years now. It is eerily accurate. 😂

Helen Hunt - ugh! She is the same in every movie she is in and I can't stand her.

Congratulations!

My daughter and I loved him in Brooklyn 99. We are so sad to hear of his passing - and he was so young, too. 😞

How wonderful! Grandchildren are so much fun! Congratulations!

And here I thought I was the only weirdo who did this! 😅😂 My dad was military so we moved several times when I was a child. None of the houses we lived in have sold in recent years so I only get to look at the outside and surrounding area. Funny how everything looks so much smaller!

I remember this! My sister had one and she would only let me use it after I performed some menial task for her. 😂

I have! Same as you - I thought there must be something special about it since it has terrific reviews but nope, nothing special and it doesn't even smell nice.

I am so glad to hear this - go Jill! I have the book on hold at my library - think I'm 21st in line and hopefully it will go quicklly!

Happy Birthday! I have 2 sons with the same birthday but 7 years apart on September 10th. ☺️

I agree - this was heartwarming and a lovely reminder of the good in the world.

What a beautiful area! So glad you had a good despite the temps.

80/100

Yay! Finally, someone else remembers this show! I loved Kimba! I was 5 and just starting kindergarten. My mom let me choose if I wanted to go for the morning kindergarten class or the afternoon kindergarten class. I chose the afternoon so I wouldn't miss Kimba. 😂

What a lovely setting for a wedding! Congratulations!

Thank you for posting this!

Have you searched on Ravelry? There's tons of super cute ideas - dinos, dragons, whales, octopus, Baby Yoda, etc. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#craft=crochet&query=toys&sort=popularity&view=captioned_thumbs&page=1 I wish my crochet skills were up to making some of these!

I'm planning on watching!!