Miscellany

After several days of silence, we now have our internet back.  Hooray!!  Due to the wonderful, snowy weather we've been having lately, our internet was knocked-out for a bit.  In all honesty, it was rather pleasant not having access to the internet for a few days.  It definitely made the day less busy.  More time for reading, crocheting, spending time with my mom and watching movies.

Ah, yes - movies.   I have official broken my record for movies checked out from the library in one day.

24

I repeat, 24.  Before you look completely shocked, it was not my intention to take home twenty four movies.  No, that was the library's idea.  All of my requests (some of which I have been waiting for for months) all decided to come in on the same day.  Thank you, library dear, I love you too. *sarcasm*

I felt like sinking through the floor.  My brother said it was embarrassing, walking out of the library with me toting two bags full of DVDs.  I it makes it look better, I also took home five more books.

One of those books was titled Teach Yourself Visually: Knitting.  This book finally unlocked the mysteries of knitting for me.  I can now knit.

*applause*

And I completely recommend that book.  Very clear, easy to understand instructions and pictures.

Now to invest in a few more knitting needles and I'll be off and running.  Who knows, you may be seeing some knitted items in the shop soon.

About a month ago I received a chain letter in the mail.  The old-fashioned kind with a stamp on it.  It was from one of my new church friends, and it contained two, purple quilt squares.  The idea is for me to pass on copies of the letter with quilt squares of my own to four people and eventually I'll have enough squares to make a Purple Charm Quilt.  How fun is that?!  The only problem is, I've run short on people to send them to.

So, I had an idea - would any of you ladies be interested in receiving and passing on this quilt chain letter?  If so, please send me an email here:

edithmacalpine{at}gmail{dot}com

And our power just went out...but we have a HUGE generator which kicked in after 30 seconds.  Thank goodness for that!

Our church's Christmas Program last Sunday was excellent.  They took the story of the census, Mary and Joseph and turned it into a Channel 7 News Report.  Very, very well done.  Especially the hilarious inn keeper who kept popping out of his "inn" and saying "Helllloooo".  His inn was a small cubicle about 5'x2'.  Very roomy.  My favorite was the "commercial".  The shepherds came up on stage and were beating their socks on rocks to clean them, and then a guy comes on and sings a catchy jingle about Star Beam, the #1 detergent for cleaning socks!  It was awesome.   I think the best part was seeing all of these adults and kids from our church up on stage in costume.  So much fun, especially the pastor's cameo as a wise man.  My bro and I sat with a friend and whispered and chuckled through the whole thing. ;) 

Who all has seen The Hobbit already?   I keep telling myself, "You waited a whole year, you can wait a few days more...", but I cannot wait!!  Hopefully this Saturday we'll be able to go.

And that's all I have time for now.  I've got to get outside and do some snow removal from the top of the chicken coop ASAP before it collapses.

Have a wonderful day and Merry Christmas!

Project Gutenberg

Reading a book on your computer?!  That's...that's practically sacrilegious!!!   Half the fun, no! more than half the fun of reading a good books is the feel of the book, the rustle of the pages turning, the smell.   A book on the computer?  That's ridiculous!  Unheard of!  Absurd!  And silly!  And ridiculous!  Wait.  I said that already...  Anyway, you get the picture=)

But...it would be rather handy not to have to go to the library and borrow a book (Especially after losing some for about a month.  I'm in no hurry to go back to that library!  I'm probably on a wanted poster down there, "Wanted, dead or alive, for outrageously overdue books, Natasha Marie Henkoski, $500,000,000 reward".  I might even have to leave the country!...;), or, go to a bookstore and buy it...wait?  What am I thinking?!  A book on the computer? 

Hmm, well, it can't kill me to try it...or can it?  As I saw it, I had three options:

1) I can disguise myself, and go to the library, at the risk of being discovered and facing a life sentence in debtors prison for overdue fines,

or,

2) I can get myself to the nearest bookstore as fast as I can before I die from not having a new book to read, and hope that I make it in time,

or,

3) I can download a FREE ebook without having to go through the extra hassle of even leaving the house, or my chair, for that matter.

Hmm, the choice is obvious...risk prison, and go to the library!=)  No, no, no, bad idea!  What else can I do?  I'm desperately in NEED of a book.  Right now.  Period. 

Ok, alright.  I'll download an ebook...

I first heard about Project Gutenberg on a friend's blog, and then on my cousin's blog, so I thought I'd check it out.  I liked what I saw (and I trust my friend and my cousin's good judgement:), so I decided to take the plunge, and download *drum roll please*...an ebook.   Jane Austen's, Sense & Sensibility, to be precise...as well as Emma, a Henty book (In the Heart of the Rockies), a Jules Verne (Robur the Conqueror), and a James Fenimore Cooper (The Spy).  So, yes, I downloaded not one, but five ebooks:)  The last two I got on a whim, only because I'd heard about them somewhere.

This is just a test, mind you.  I don't know if I'll like this, reading a book on a screen, instead of feeling the solid bulk of the book in my hand.  But, I was desperate...I NEEDED a book to read.  You understand, right?:)

Here's a link, in case you would also like to take the plunge and download an ebook:)

Project Gutenberg