I've had several positive comments about my garden photos, so I'm trying an experiment.
I'm opening a Cafe Press store, and selling a few greeting cards and note cards.
I'm starting small, just to see how it goes.
Come visit my store on CafePress!
30 July 2008
26 July 2008
Just finished reading...
Not in the Flesh by Ruth Rendell.
The latest in the series (the 21st?) has Chief Inspector Wexford investigating the identity of a body found by a truffle hunter and his dog. What makes the search even more difficult is that he doesn't seem to have been missed by anyone. There's an interesting but incongruous sub-plot about female genital mutilation, as Wexford's daughter leads a campaign to stop it happening in immigrant communities.
Well-written as all of Rendell's books are; I never get tired of Wexford's adventures.
The Dirty Secrets Club by Meg Gardiner.
A standalone novel about Dr. Jo Beckett, a forensic psychiatrist who is investigating the car-crash death of a D.A. There are some words written on the attorney's leg in lipstick, which leads Beckett to think that the crash might not be accidental.
This is the first of Gardiner's books I've read, and I found it quite compelling. Beckett is a many-layered, human protagonist, and I'm hoping we might see more of her.
The latest in the series (the 21st?) has Chief Inspector Wexford investigating the identity of a body found by a truffle hunter and his dog. What makes the search even more difficult is that he doesn't seem to have been missed by anyone. There's an interesting but incongruous sub-plot about female genital mutilation, as Wexford's daughter leads a campaign to stop it happening in immigrant communities.
Well-written as all of Rendell's books are; I never get tired of Wexford's adventures.
The Dirty Secrets Club by Meg Gardiner.
A standalone novel about Dr. Jo Beckett, a forensic psychiatrist who is investigating the car-crash death of a D.A. There are some words written on the attorney's leg in lipstick, which leads Beckett to think that the crash might not be accidental.
This is the first of Gardiner's books I've read, and I found it quite compelling. Beckett is a many-layered, human protagonist, and I'm hoping we might see more of her.
21 July 2008
Just finished reading...
Dyer Consquences by Maggie Sefton.
In the fifth volume of the Kelly Flynn Knitting mysteries, all sorts of mishaps befall Kelly. Her home has been vandalized, a fire has been set on the ranch she recently purchased, and her dog has been poisoned. Kelly is convinced that someone has a vendetta against her, but when a young woman dies in the basement of the House of Lambspun she begins to reconsider.
I didn't enjoy this as much as the earlier books in the series. Characterization depends too much on the reader's knowledge from descriptions in the previous books. Additionally, the plot seemed to depend waaaay too much on coincidences.
I'm hoping this is an aberration in an otherwise decent series.
In the fifth volume of the Kelly Flynn Knitting mysteries, all sorts of mishaps befall Kelly. Her home has been vandalized, a fire has been set on the ranch she recently purchased, and her dog has been poisoned. Kelly is convinced that someone has a vendetta against her, but when a young woman dies in the basement of the House of Lambspun she begins to reconsider.
I didn't enjoy this as much as the earlier books in the series. Characterization depends too much on the reader's knowledge from descriptions in the previous books. Additionally, the plot seemed to depend waaaay too much on coincidences.
I'm hoping this is an aberration in an otherwise decent series.
19 July 2008
What I read on my summer vacation
Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman.
This is the latest in the Tess Monaghan series. A television series is shooting in Baltimore, and Tess is hired to babysit the troublesome female star and deal with vandalism on the set.
Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett.
After her divorce, Tricia Miles buys a mystery bookstore in a small New England town. When the woman who owns the shop next to her is murders and Tricia is the prime suspect, she determines to find the real culprit and clear her own name.
Pointe and Shoot by Natalie M. Roberts.
In the third of the Jenny Partridge dance school mysteries, Jenny is still beset by problems. Her apartment is fire-bombed, and one of her dancers is attacked at a competition. Jenny is worried about the future of her business, but with the help of her boyfriend, detective Tate Wilson and her other friends, she manages to track down her tormentor.
The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society by Beth Pattillo.
Eugenie Pierce, the town librarian, has a history of redeeming problem kids. But when she "sentences" a 13-year-old caugh tearing pages out of books to attend meetings of her knitting/book group, the other members of the group are disbelieving, and even uncooperative. I bought this book because of the title. It's charming and sweet, but rather predictable.
The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey.
The first in the Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms , a wonderful twist on the Cinderella story, is one of the prolific Lackey's winners.
The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein.
Anna Strong, a bounty hunter who is nothing like Stephanie Plum, is unwillingly turned into a vampire by a one of her pick-ups, and has a little trouble getting used to the idea. The doctor attractive who treats her after her "accident", also a vamp, volunteers to help her become accustomed to her new "lifestyle" while she attempts to track down the rogue who turned her. Anna is a strong female protagonist, and I'm looking foward to the next books in the series.
Index to Murder by Jo Dereske.
Helma Zukas is finally back! Ruth is starting to get over being dumped by her long-term boyfriend when some of her paintings are stolen. She coerces Helma to help her find the thief, with the unlikely assistance of Helma's mother and aunt. There's quite a cliffhanger at the end: Helma's personal life may change drastically!
This is the latest in the Tess Monaghan series. A television series is shooting in Baltimore, and Tess is hired to babysit the troublesome female star and deal with vandalism on the set.
Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett.
After her divorce, Tricia Miles buys a mystery bookstore in a small New England town. When the woman who owns the shop next to her is murders and Tricia is the prime suspect, she determines to find the real culprit and clear her own name.
Pointe and Shoot by Natalie M. Roberts.
In the third of the Jenny Partridge dance school mysteries, Jenny is still beset by problems. Her apartment is fire-bombed, and one of her dancers is attacked at a competition. Jenny is worried about the future of her business, but with the help of her boyfriend, detective Tate Wilson and her other friends, she manages to track down her tormentor.
The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society by Beth Pattillo.
Eugenie Pierce, the town librarian, has a history of redeeming problem kids. But when she "sentences" a 13-year-old caugh tearing pages out of books to attend meetings of her knitting/book group, the other members of the group are disbelieving, and even uncooperative. I bought this book because of the title. It's charming and sweet, but rather predictable.
The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey.
The first in the Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms , a wonderful twist on the Cinderella story, is one of the prolific Lackey's winners.
The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein.
Anna Strong, a bounty hunter who is nothing like Stephanie Plum, is unwillingly turned into a vampire by a one of her pick-ups, and has a little trouble getting used to the idea. The doctor attractive who treats her after her "accident", also a vamp, volunteers to help her become accustomed to her new "lifestyle" while she attempts to track down the rogue who turned her. Anna is a strong female protagonist, and I'm looking foward to the next books in the series.
Index to Murder by Jo Dereske.
Helma Zukas is finally back! Ruth is starting to get over being dumped by her long-term boyfriend when some of her paintings are stolen. She coerces Helma to help her find the thief, with the unlikely assistance of Helma's mother and aunt. There's quite a cliffhanger at the end: Helma's personal life may change drastically!
18 July 2008
Photo highlights
Here are some of the coolest photos from our trip:
It's Ferdinand the buffalo!
We had to wait for this guy to cross the road.
The Music Experience in Seattle.
At the beach in Newport, Oregon.
The ceiling of our room in Fort Bragg.
Fuschias at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens.
Hummingbirds around the feeder at the Blackberry Inn.
It's Ferdinand the buffalo!
We had to wait for this guy to cross the road.
The Music Experience in Seattle.
At the beach in Newport, Oregon.
The ceiling of our room in Fort Bragg.
Fuschias at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens.
Hummingbirds around the feeder at the Blackberry Inn.
17 July 2008
Vacation recap
I was not very consistent about blogging during our vacation (see that "blogging without obligation" button in the left-hand column?), but I thought I'd just do a quick summary of the itinerary.
We left home on Saturday June 29, and drove to Las Vegas. Katy and Josh came along, and we all saw Ka, which was very cool. The next day, Katy and Josh headed home, and Tod and I headed north. We stayed Sunday night in Ogden, UT.
Monday morning, we drove to Grand Teton National Park, stopping at Jackson Hole, WY for lunch. We stayed at Jackson Lake Lodge for two nights, then headed up to Yellowstone, where we stayed at the Lake Hotel (see previous post) for three nights.
Saturday morning, we headed towards Seattle, staying the night in Spokane on the way.
We spent a couple of nights in Seattle, at the Shafer Baillie Mansion.
Then we drove down the coast, stopping for single nights at the Tyee Lodge in Newport, Oregon; the Requa Inn in Klamath, CA; The Weller House in Fort Bragg; and the Hillview Country Inn in Napa.
The next Saturday we went to Yosemite, where we stayed at a B & B just outside the park. We spent Sunday exploring Yosemite, and on Monday, we headed home.
What a great vacation!
We left home on Saturday June 29, and drove to Las Vegas. Katy and Josh came along, and we all saw Ka, which was very cool. The next day, Katy and Josh headed home, and Tod and I headed north. We stayed Sunday night in Ogden, UT.
Monday morning, we drove to Grand Teton National Park, stopping at Jackson Hole, WY for lunch. We stayed at Jackson Lake Lodge for two nights, then headed up to Yellowstone, where we stayed at the Lake Hotel (see previous post) for three nights.
Saturday morning, we headed towards Seattle, staying the night in Spokane on the way.
We spent a couple of nights in Seattle, at the Shafer Baillie Mansion.
Then we drove down the coast, stopping for single nights at the Tyee Lodge in Newport, Oregon; the Requa Inn in Klamath, CA; The Weller House in Fort Bragg; and the Hillview Country Inn in Napa.
The next Saturday we went to Yosemite, where we stayed at a B & B just outside the park. We spent Sunday exploring Yosemite, and on Monday, we headed home.
What a great vacation!
05 July 2008
Yellowstone
We arrived in Yellowstone on Wednesday afternoon. It wasn’t a very long drive from Jackson Lake. Our room wasn’t ready yet, so we drove over to Old Faithful for lunch and to see the geyser.
It had just spouted when we arrived, so we walked around the trail until the next eruption. It was pretty cool, but what struck me most was the nature of the crowd. It was not the usual type of people one sees in a national park: hikers, cyclists, and other outdoorsy types. What it felt like to me was Disneyland. There were viewing benches built around Old Faithful, and people were crowded into and around the benches like they were waiting for the Disneyland parade. And there seemed to be as many people, too.
After the eruption, which, as I said was cool, but didn’t quite live up to advance billing, we went for lunch at the lodge cafeteria.
By the time we got back to the Lake Hotel, we were able to get into our room.
The Lake Hotel, by the way, is a charming, rambling old hotel, built in (I think) the 1920s. When I asked if they had Wi-Fi, the receptionist told me almost proudly that there was none in the park, nor was there any cell reception in the area. As you know being without internet access makes us a little twitchy, not to mention the fact that Tod’s father is in hospital and cell phones make it so much easier to keep apprised of his condition. (We eventually found we could get cellular service in the area of Old Faithful.)
Back to the hotel....as I said, it’s a very charming old building, and it has been kept very much in the style of the era in which it was built. The main lobby is a large sitting room/sunroom, where they have live music nightly. The first night it was a pianist, and the next couple of nights it was a string quartet.
The Lake Quartet
There is also a bar, with a server who will bring drinks, so in the evenings the room is filled with people chatting, playing cards or board games, and reading or doing needlework (yes, I was knitting; I saw a lady doing cross-stitch). It felt very civilized to be sitting in the sunroom looking out over the grounds and having wine served to us.
It had just spouted when we arrived, so we walked around the trail until the next eruption. It was pretty cool, but what struck me most was the nature of the crowd. It was not the usual type of people one sees in a national park: hikers, cyclists, and other outdoorsy types. What it felt like to me was Disneyland. There were viewing benches built around Old Faithful, and people were crowded into and around the benches like they were waiting for the Disneyland parade. And there seemed to be as many people, too.
After the eruption, which, as I said was cool, but didn’t quite live up to advance billing, we went for lunch at the lodge cafeteria.
By the time we got back to the Lake Hotel, we were able to get into our room.
The Lake Hotel, by the way, is a charming, rambling old hotel, built in (I think) the 1920s. When I asked if they had Wi-Fi, the receptionist told me almost proudly that there was none in the park, nor was there any cell reception in the area. As you know being without internet access makes us a little twitchy, not to mention the fact that Tod’s father is in hospital and cell phones make it so much easier to keep apprised of his condition. (We eventually found we could get cellular service in the area of Old Faithful.)
Back to the hotel....as I said, it’s a very charming old building, and it has been kept very much in the style of the era in which it was built. The main lobby is a large sitting room/sunroom, where they have live music nightly. The first night it was a pianist, and the next couple of nights it was a string quartet.
The Lake Quartet
There is also a bar, with a server who will bring drinks, so in the evenings the room is filled with people chatting, playing cards or board games, and reading or doing needlework (yes, I was knitting; I saw a lady doing cross-stitch). It felt very civilized to be sitting in the sunroom looking out over the grounds and having wine served to us.
01 July 2008
A Room with a View
This is the view from our room at Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park.
And this guy lives just outside our patio door.
And this guy lives just outside our patio door.
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