knitorious

Bright ideas

I've been reading this really great (IMO) book for book club -- I happened to choose it, so I'm really happy and relieved that it's turning out to be good!  I don't often read first and then recommend, I usually choose a book that I haven't read, that looks good (often judging by the cover, I must admit), and hope for the best.  I'm pretty sure that not everyone in our club is going to think The Book of Bright Ideas is good, though, and I'm okay with that.  The last time I picked out a great (IMO) book -- Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time -- there were a few in the club who thought it the biggest bore ever and couldn't even plod their way through half of the 256 pages, yet one member loved it so much she gave a copy to everyone she knew for Christmas.

My choice is usually pretty easy when I discover that an author is from Wisconsin and the story is set in Wisconsin (must go back to my Little House in The Big Woods, Laura Ingalls Wilder roots) and (IMVHO) these two -- Sandra Kring and Michael Perry -- are among the best.  I've enjoyed their work and have shared it when I can.

The actual "Book of Bright Ideas," as referenced in the title, is written by two little girls, from very different backgrounds, who were thrown together one summer.  The "bright ideas" are tips for life, rules to live by, observations on how to get along in the world because, they figure, no one else is going to tell them what they need to know and, they figure, by the time they reach 100 bright ideas they should know all there is to know!

Don't you just love it?!  It reminds me of seventh grade.  My parents had just separated and we had moved from a four-bedroom colonial to a three-bedroom ranch.  Behind us was another single-parented family of five in a three-bedroom ranch.  Janet was my age and had an older sister and brother, Julie and Jim.  Julie was, of course, way smarter than us.  She asked me once how many facts of life I knew and my heart sunk.  I knew that there were some vague facts and I had a vague idea of what they were about...  Not wanting to look stupid or be made fun of -- I fudged as best I could, I'm sure I was very vague.  She told me that their mom told them one fact of life every night.  I imagined that there was a book -- how big, I don't know -- with all the facts of life, numbered.  I imagined the kids in their pajamas, at their mother's feet, each night at "story time," drinking up the knowledge (fact-by-fact) that she imparted.

Ummmm, yeah, I was a bit naive then.  Now, I am Knitorious.  ; )  I know the facts of life and sometimes I have bright ideas! The latest was to pull the knitting needles from almost everything I had going and frog.

At first glance, the moebius looked great -- I really am getting the hang of it.  It's working and I'm getting comfy with the circs and picking!  I found this huge hole, though, and I just can't think.  It's weird, but it just seems easier to rip and re-do.  Helping Beadslut pull the needles from a sock on Sunday gave me strength to do the same to my second Braided Cable Sock.  OMG, have you ever pulled the needles from someone else's work -- intentionally?  Even when they ask you to, when they're holding it out to you and begging you to, it's so HARD!  You may recall that I wasn't liking how the color was working out on that second sock, and it was Beadslut who'd commented then that I could try knitting from the other end, so I'll try.  Whatever the result, I'll live with it, but at least I tried.

Books!

Yay, she's back; let's get Bookish!

It is interesting, perhaps only to me, that the only two book-ish episodes of Oprah that I've ever seen became mired in controversy shortly afterwards.  I'd read plenty of Oprah books -- and loved the idea of her book club, even if not always loving the books -- before ever actually seeing one of the book club episodes; that episode was, of course, when she chose Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections, and his response to the whole thing pretty much put an end to that incarnation of Oprah's Book Club.  Too bad.  I never quite understood that.  I'd always wished she'd start Oprah's Art Club or something (I've got some favorite, near and dear artists to suggest).  Anyway...

Whatever the last weekday was that I had off, I caught the VERY tail end of Oprah featuring James Frey and A Million Little Pieces.  I saw enough and was impressed enough that I've been talking about it, quoting it ("HOLD ON"), all but recommending it.  There was a light crowd at book club last night (though more in attendance than last time) and that's the book we'll be reading for next time.

The book we discussed last night was Inside The Kingdom by Carmen Bin Ladin.  I didn't particularly care for her writing, but it was an interesting story.  I don't know that I'd ever be so blinded by love and idealism that even after visiting Saudi Arabia and experiencing the culture I'd gloss it over as she did.  That's me.  I'd like to be an idealist, but that damn practical stuff always gets in the way.

There's still some clucking, but the feathers are beginning to settle.  Tonight we'll all go to dinner, and tomorrow morning I'll see Katie off, and then I've got some things planned (I have the day off of work) to keep myself occupied.  Possibly a hair cut, definitely some knitting, some shopping/food prep (trying something new; no pumpkin lasagna news yet), and yoga.

Panic-Cluck-OMMMMMMM.  I'll get by with a little help from my friends.