Miss Marple Is On the Case

Every now and then I’m in an Agatha Christie mood. I pull out a book or two and enjoy a few hours reading one of her stories.

To add to that experience, PBS’ Masterpiece Mystery is featuring Miss Marple as part of their 2010 summer TV programming. The first movie was last night—The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side.

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It’s so relaxing to do a little knitting while watching an Agatha Christie movie as knitting appears here and there when Miss Marple is involved. In last night’s show, I noticed her WIP involved a ball of red yarn. Mine, however, is blue.

Here’s the schedule for the Miss Marple series featuring Julia McKenzie in the role of Agatha Christie’s spinster sleuth.

• May 23: “The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side”
• Jun. 6: “A Pocket Full of Rye”
• Jun 13: “Murder is Easy”
• Jun 20: “The Secret of Chimneys”
• Jun 27: “The Blue Geranium”

You can download a PDF version of Masterpiece Mystery’s summer schedule here.

Martha Stewart Book Giveaway Winner

I appreciate everyone’s sharing of things that make them happy. Reading them was a delight.

Today I announce the winning commenter for a copy of the new Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts.

Using the Random Number Generator (found here), the winning commenter is number 42.

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Congratulations, Laura! Please contact me via email (link in right sidebar) within 10 days with your full name and snail mail address so I can order the book for you right away.

Thank you all for joining in a bit of happy fun.

BronteAlong: Jane Eyre

Don’t forget about my giveaway which ends April 12. Go here to enter.

I’m reading an old favorite. Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. It was one of my Christmas stocking gifts, one of Penguin Classic’s beautiful reissues. I do so love the story of Jane, Mr. Rochester, and the other characters.

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There’s nothing like holding an old classic in your hands engaging all your senses as though the words inside have an actual fragrance, emotions appear more realistic, and so on. The important story enclosed within a beautifully-bound printed book seems more substantial somehow. Although I thoroughly enjoy my Kindle, reading Jane Eyre as an e-book doesn’t really thrill me.

Happily I’ve discovered there’s a BronteAlong project, a springtime read-along (more information found here).

It’s fun to know other women (and hopefully men) are also enjoying this classic.

Naturally I started thinking about what I could make (as in sew, knit, embroidery and so on) to enhance my reading experience. But something Jane said near the beginning of the book gave me immediate pause for thought.

“You think I have no feelings, and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannot live so…”

While Jane is confronting Mrs. Reed concerning her aunt’s abominable behavior, the words can be applied to ourselves. We have to also give ourselves bits of love and kindness.

And I realized some things are just fine as they are—so I’m simply going to enjoy a cup of tea and lose myself in the book. Sometimes just relishing such bits of time out of life is the most creatively loving thing we can do.

Read It Forward: Three Free Books

I read the Hey, It’s Free blog when I have time in order to discover all sorts of free wonders to be had. Today I discovered three new free books and thought I’d quick tell you about the opportunity in case you don’t know about this wondrous blog.

Sponsored by Crown Publishing Group, their Read It Forward program provides an opportunity for you to get free books here and there. The title says it all—read and pay the opportunity forward by giving the book(s) to someone else to enjoy.

Source: Crown Publishing Group

The offer lasts only as long as the limited number of copies available. Don’t stall, my friends, hustle over there right now and then make your way to Hey, It's Free to find other items you may like. Click here for the books.

Almost Elf Time

It’s Christmas Eve and this afternoon my husband and I will pretend to be elves and deliver our last little gifts to nearby friends and neighbors.


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We’ll deliver the Magic Reindeer Feed and Rudolph’s Spare Red Noses I made to all the neighborhood children. But we haven’t forgotten their parents; we’ll give them a copy of Richard Paul Evan’s book The Christmas Box as well as a tin of Cinnamon Toast Pecans I made and the recipe in case they want to try making some themselves.


© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved. Holly sprigs graphic from The Graphics Fairy blog

I converted Paula Deen’s recipe to a card for my recipe box. Click on the picture to enlarge for saving to your computer and printing. For gifting with the pecan treats, I printed the recipe on cardstock, made decorative corners, and backed it with a piece of dark-red cardstock.

All the little gifts are lined up on the pool table, ready for stuffing in our elf sacks (no, we really don't have elf sacks), and off we'll go just when the sun is starting to go down and the Christmas lights come on in all the houses. I love Christmas Eve!

Have a wonderful Christmas Eve and enjoy all the magic this night brings to the world.

One Yard Wonders Book Giveaway

I’m back from Thanksgiving vacation and ready to embrace all that December promises. Today I’m going to hang wreaths and work on packaging our gifts for mailing.

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Since it’s Christmas season, I’d like to give one of you a gift. I’m offering a brand new copy of One-Yard Wonders: 101 Fabulous Fabric Projects, the book I told you about in a previous blog post.

My giveaway offer will be available today through Thursday. Leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite Christmas tradition. On Friday I’ll announce the winner (chosen via random drawing).

Project Planning

We’re leaving this Saturday for Florida where we annually spend the Thanksgiving holidays. We won’t be back until midnight on Dec. 1, so I thought I’d better organize my project planning schedule.

Today: Sewing Day


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Today I’m finishing a sewing project which I’ll reveal soon.

Wednesday: Baking Day


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I’m attending a cookie exchange three days after I get home and need to have twelve packages of cookies ready, one dozen cookies in each package. I’ll bake them tomorrow and store them in the freezer until party time.

Thursday: Craft Day


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These index cards are what I’ve been using for years to store my online accounts and passwords information. It’s driving me crazy trying to sort through them all to find what I need. So I’m going to make a Computer Info Notebook as inspired by one featured on the Mish Mash blog.

Friday: Packing Day


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Along with the regular packing, I always pack a project bag with my latest knitting mission. I’m making one of our daughters (a Twilight fan) a set of Bella’s Mittens and a cable knit cap. Both Christmas gifts will be finished while we’re in Florida.

Ongoing


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Although I met the NaNoWriMo word count, that doesn’t mean I consider my novel done. I’m editing and revising as needed. I’m taking my laptop to Florida to work on this and will add the new draft to the NaNoWriMo site for the final word count due by midnight on Nov. 30. Even after that, I’m going to revise until it’s ready for submission to an agent.

Resources

• Bella’s Mittens free pattern: Subliminal Rabbit blog
• Cable Knit Cap free pattern: Head Huggers blog
• Computer Info Notebook tutorial: Mish Mash blog

I'm a NaNoWriMo Winner!

Dear Friends:

At 7 a.m. on Nov. 1 I began my effort to write my first novel. At approximately 5:30 this morning, I finished. In doing so, I earned the following official designation:



I am overwhelmed with joy for having met the National Novel Writing Month challenge and conquering a major goal I’ve had my entire life.

Hugs,

Blessings Friday: The Next Queen of Heaven and One Yard Wonders

Want a free book? Concord Free Press is offering a free copy of The Next Queen of Heaven by Gregory Maguire (Wicked). The only thing the publisher asks in return is that you make a voluntary donation to a charity or someone in need.

Source: Concord Free Press

I happily endorse charitable activities, but getting a free book is a really lovely thank-you for doing so. Copies are limited so hurry while you can to the Concord Free Press web site and sign up.

By the way, it wasn’t my shining brilliance that made this great discovery; it was my daughter Lindsay who ordered a book for me. My copy arrived yesterday and I’m looking forward to reading it.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

My contributor copy of One Yard Wonders still hasn’t arrived. Not being able to stand the wait another second, I bought a copy.

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The minute I had the book in my eager hands, I flipped to the contributors’ names in the back to view my own entry. So vain, I know, but ever so fun. If you look at the photo, you’ll also see my buddy FinnyKnits in the left-hand column.

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The table of contents told me where to find the section holding my projects. I’m in Chapter 2: Dwell Redux (FYI, starts on page 41). Yes, indeed, all four of my projects are there in a four-page spread. Four pages, people! My husband and I danced around the kitchen in pure glee. We’re mushy like that.

A little confusion as to what defines projects (plural) ensued last week when I received a letter and check in payment for my project (as in singular) contribution. The actual printed book in my eager hands has me with four, not one. Finally I realized my four offerings are categorized as one “Bathroom Makeover” project. The mystery is finally solved.

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Out of respect for the then-pending publication, I kept quiet about the fabric the authors mailed to me to recreate my contributions for the photographer. Now the book is out, I feel free to share that detail. It’s Heather Ross’ Mendocino line featuring mermaids. Is that not the most perfect choice they could have made for me? I was and still am ecstatic.

So, a book that helps charity and a book in which I have a contributor’s role are truly great blessings for which to be thankful this week.

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends. I’m going back to work writing my very own book.

National Novel Writing Month

The frenzy has begun. November is National Novel Writing Month, fondly known as NaNoWriMo. Are you a participant? I know my friend over at FinnyKnits is also typing her little fingers off this month.


Source: NaNoWriMo

I’m officially a participant this year, my first NaNoWriMo effort. In 2008, 119,301 erstwhile novelists produced 1.6 billion written words. The goal is to reach 50,000 words beginning Nov. 1 and ending at midnight on Nov. 30. Only 18.2% of the 2008 contestants achieved the word count goal. I plan to be one of the success stories for 2009.


Source: NaNo Calendars 2009

A calendar download from the NaNoWriMo forum now serves as my desktop theme to give me inspiration. To reach the golden 50,000 word count, it’s suggested we write 1,670 words per day. Today, the goal is to achieve 3,340 words. Nov. 2's inspiration note says “Get Ahead Early for a Buffer” and I took that to heart. My word count for yesterday was 4,298—so I’ve definitely built in a buffer right from the start. You never know when life will keep you from working on your novel. Today so my count will go even higher. As long as I keep pushing on, winning is a strong possibility.

So, what am I writing? A mystery. Folding the Edges Just So is my working title but will probably be changed later

Synopsis

Sometimes what you seek results in an unexpected nightmare. This is the tale of a woman who discovers a body as well as herself when pursuing a heretofore innocuous hobby.

Excerpt

Sometimes what you seek turns out to be a true treasure. Sometimes what you find is a dead body tucked inconsequently in the bushes. The disposition of bodies is not generally on one’s mind when following a map and clues during a letterboxing outing.

That’s my news for now. I’m off to do my morning 3-mile walk, laundry, my housework, a sewing project, and then I’m going back to writing about the mysterious adventures of my novel’s protagonist, Kate Cameron.

Blessings Friday: One Yard Wonders Soon to be Released

Guess what? Five days from now (Oct. 28), a new book is being released—a book to which I contributed: One-Yard Wonders: 101 Fabulous Fabric Projects. EDITED NOTE 11/4/09: I have four projects in the book.


Source: Amazon.com

This new resource is stuffed with ideas (including patterns and tutorials) on what to do with that treasured yard of fabric you bought just because you love it. Who doesn’t have such fabrics in their Sacred Stash Mountain?

Want to know who else has projects featured in the book? The ever-so fabulous Jessica of FinnyKnits is just one of the familiar names you’ll see. To find out the other creative contributors to the merriment, visit Facebook (I don’t do Facebook but admit it was fun to read the bit about myself).

Decluttering Books

One reason we decided I needed an electronic book reader is because my doctor discovered I’m allergic to molds found in paper and books. It’s such a ridiculous and weird allergy with which to suffer. However, it is what it is and we’re taking steps to ease my chronic discomfort.

Source: Decalgirl

See this cute Kindle 2 skin? Thanks to Evylynn's suggestion to get one for additional protection, I ordered this style called Forest from Decalgirl.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved. Book Friends

I cannot give up all paper, there’s toilet paper, our files, daily mail, and so on. However, my beloved library has to go. I’ve gathered ideas to consider for my impending big book cleanse:

• Donate to the local library for their fund raisers
• Donate to a school
• Give to friends
• Host a garage sale
• Sell online at such places as at Amazon.com
• Donate to nursing homes/hospital libraries
• Sell to a local used-book store
• Register the books at BookCrossing.com and leave them in public places for other people (an activity I’ve been doing for years as it’s fun)

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved. Book Friends

The craft, sewing, and knitting books are a whole different thing. More pondering is required on the disposal of this collection, maybe scan targeted projects for archiving on my external hard drive and then purging the actual book.

Alas, goodbye dear book friends.

How to Find Free e-Books

I promised a few folks I would share free book resources discovered recently for the Kindle. While it’s easy to find e-books for sale, I’m seeking free books as much as possible to mitigate the expense of the Kindle 2.

After searching Amazon.com, the public library (Pima County, AZ) was the next source checked. I spoke with the librarian about the availability of e-books the library system. He said they do offer free book downloads but not in Kindle format—right now, but the format is coming. Click here for an article about libraries loaning out Kindles—maybe there’s a library near you offering a chance to check out a Kindle for free.

Authors are discovering the marketing power inherent in e-books. Some offer free copies of their new book, especially if it’s the first in a series. The point is to hook you on their first book and hopefully you’ll buy the next and so on. But you have to be quick as these are usually limited time offers. For example, Paranoia by Joseph Finder is free until Sept. 18.


© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved. Kindle 2

Available for free is a plethora of classics, urban fantasy, science fiction, and romance novels. As for the latter, I just cannot read a book citing “throbbing members and pulsating orbs” with any degree of seriousness. However, Harlequin is celebrating their 60th year by offering free PDF versions of a few romances until October, such as Price of Passion by Susan Napier.

Book offers are available in a number of different e-reader formats, such as the Mobipocket/Kindle, Sony Reader, Iliad, and PDF. You select which download version you prefer. For the Kindle 2, I either download via Amazon.com's magical Whispernet or directly to a “Kindle” folder created on my laptop. For the latter, I simply plug in my Kindle’s USB and copy the book over to my Kindle, easy.

Here are just a very few of the many free e-books available:

• Beautiful Red by M. Darusha Wehm (science fiction)
• Gone by Bryan W. Alaspa (horror)
• My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent (young adult fantasy)
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (classic)
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (classic)
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (classic)

More free books will emerge as time goes on, books enter the public domain, and electronic readers become more prevalent. Of course, e-sales will increase as well.

Resources

The following are some free e-book resources; some are easier to navigate than others:

• Amazon.com's Kindle Store
• Blog Kindle also tracks Kindle news and information about other e-book readers
• Feedbooks
• Free Kindle Books (classics)
• Kindle Review
• Manybooks.net
• An extension of Manybooks, this link provides downloads directly to your Kindle (choose Mobipocket format)
• MobileRead is a forum for eReaders
• Munsey's for mobile browsing via Whispernet (choose Mobipocket format)
• Project Gutenberg
• World eBook Fair (free membership until August 4)

Blessings Friday: Life is a Gift

While my age doesn’t normally bother me (I recently turned 57), some things about getting older confuse me—like the eternal human angst about existence, the biological changes impacting my health, and my emotional/psychological feelings about transformations visually apparent. I guess we could call this the Graying of Junie Moon. The last few days have been about accepting that fact.

Instead of worrying about things I cannot change (as in I’ll never be 21 again), I decided to celebrate myself as a woman and do what I normally consider frou-frou stuff. Appointments for manicure/pedicure and hair were made. Then I did something yesterday normally avoided like the plague—mall shopping.


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First, I was fitted for new bras at Macy’s, discovering like about 92% of the female population I’ve been wearing the wrong size for years. Basics in white, black, and nude were purchased, more colorful bras can be future buys if I decide to get sassy.


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I traipsed to the other end of the mall to visit the Chanel counter at Dillards. My purchases were a new lipstick (Rouge Allure in the color Voluptuous) and a jar of Précision Ultra Correction Eye Cream which I’d been testing in sample form morning and night for the last few weeks and decided I love.

While the consultant was messing around with picking out a good color for me, she invited me to an upcoming event “Defining Natural Beauty with Chanel”. I accepted her invitation as I need help figuring out what works for me now that my hair is gray and my skin tones have changed.


© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

A trip to Coach to see their new rings (at home I found the one I want on eBay at a much better price and bought it) and then a quick detour to Borders on my way out of the mall to pick up a Fodor’s guide for our Caribbean cruise in October. This may not sound like major mall shopping to you, but it’s all I can tolerate.


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While I’m quite excellent at keeping my clothes in good order, I periodically have to purge. So I spent this morning doing so and did it without mercy of any sort. The picture above is my armoire: top shelf is for socks, second shelf is for panties, and the bottom two shelves are for t-shirts and golf shirts.


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I use vintage padded lingerie organizer boxes to hold my small items (purchased years ago on eBay).


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Only three dresser drawers are needed for my other things so I cleaned those out, too. A whole bagful of mostly unworn cashmere sweaters were purged. They are going to my sister—I kept only two cashmeres and a few other pieces as I don’t need sweaters that often in Arizona.


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This drawer holds my collection of swimsuits and pareos (sarongs). The pareo on the left is one of my treasures—an enormous pure silk piece hand-painted to feature a mermaid and sea life.


© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

Since I live mostly in pareos during the summer, I don’t need a lot of shorts but did keep a few. Skorts are my favorite for golf but I hang those in the closet.


© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

A number of bags are going to the donation center. My thinking is that I have enough stuff, so I was very judicious in the purge (see #17 in the list below).


© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

After all this, how do I feel now? Wonderful! Instead of bemoaning my aging, I’m celebrating my transformation. And I realize that it's how I feel about myself, not how I appear to others, that really counts. My friend Kristie told me something the other day that really resonates: "Rest, relaxation, and self-care are NOT luxuries, June. They are survival skills."

My sister Connie emailed the following to me this morning which perfectly echoes my thoughts about celebrating living. It was written by Regina Brett, ~ 50+ years old, of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio who says, "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."

1. "Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."