A new favorite book...

...my Spanish vocabulary has markedly improved in the last month thanks to Henry's current obsession with this book:

The Poky Little Puppy...

Here is one of Henry's Christmas presents (referred to here). A soft The Poky Little Puppy book. I bought this panel awhile back at my very favorite fabric store and finally got around to making it. I love it, and can't wait to give it to Henry on Christmas morning. At the advice of Shelly, I took one of the dogs from the instruction panel and turned it into a soft bookmark and attached it to the cover portion of the book. Bob & Sharon have a soft book with a little bone dangling from the pages, and Henry loves it, so I thought I'd add my own dangling item to his new book...

The book with the bookmark addition:

Bookmark close-up (the edges are frayed, but I think it's kind of cute that way):

Cooking for Baby...

My mom gave me a little gift yesterday, and I love it! I've had to pace myself because I could just sit down and read the whole thing all at once. Cooking for Baby is a book about making homemade, wholesome baby food, which sounds intriguing. Obviously, I won't need to worry about this for about 6 months or so, but it's never too early to start reading about it, right? This book has beautiful pictures and high quality information. I can't wait to dig in.

Oh, and that saffron rice...nothing :(

Childhood favorites...

My parents read these books to me when I was young. I loved them. I believe they were both my dad's when he was a kid. He's now on a hunt for both of them for me, although, the first 2 copies he finds are slated for residence at Grandpa's house, but after that, I'll get the next 2. I can't wait. My next order of business is to collect some of John's favorite childhood titles. I'm not sure what those might be, although I'm sure I've heard before, but I'm sure Bob & Sharon can shed some light on this issue for me. What are your favorite children's books?

(This book always made me think of The Pirates of the Carribean...that is the closest I've ever come to a firefly)

On fire...

...my pocket that is. Those Strawberry Patches giftcards were burning a hole in them. I took care of that though, don't worry. I bought this lovely book by Anna Maria Horner. It is fantastic.

I went in looking for this fabric, but alas, as is the case with fabric and waiting to purchase it, it was gone. Hopefully I will be able to find it on the internet soon. Amanda gave me a few tips for internet fabric searching, so I will see if those pay off for me. I'll keep you posted.

Plenty...

I just finished the book, Plenty, by Alisa Smith & J.B. MacKinnon. It was a memoir of sorts. A look at one couple's commitment to eating food grown within a 100-mile radius of their home. I'm developing quite a fondness for local food, although don't have much to show for it myself at this point. We'll see where this affection takes me. But for now, I love reading about it, and am constantly insired by people who are willing to challenge themselves in the midst of a society that promotes excess & indulgence. It's a good read.

Little Stitches...

...by Amy Butler, is on my wish list. Her patterns are amazing to look at and easily navigable. She just doesn't make a bad product.

Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy...

I just finished this book. It was a thoughtful look at the Nickel Mines School shooting tragedy within the cultural context of the Amish emphasis on forgiveness. I'd highly recommend it (and I'd even more highly recommend that you request it from your local library...if you live in Kern County click here to do so).

More library books...

...this time of the flea market decor variety. I don't think I can ever mention it enough...I L-O-V-E the library!

They finally arrived...

I requested these books from the library many, many months ago, and they are finally here! I've already read through them and now know that they are worth owning. I'll definately put them on my wish list. If only my birthday were in July instead of December...

A childhood favorite...

I remember reading this book as a child. It was my dad's when he was a kid. It is about a boy who got sick and used a big ball of string to create a system of pulleys and contraptions to allow him access to all of the things that become difficult to attain when one is sick. I don't know why I just thought about it, but if you haven't read it, it's a good one.

I'm reading this now...

I'd vote for him.

I just got 7 new books...

...from the county library. Last summer, John's Aunt Susanne clued me in to the wonderful world of online library services. To access it you simply type in your library card number and a pin number (which is typically the last 4-digits of your telephone number) and presto...the Kern County Library System is at your fingertips. My favorite part about the website is that you can browse ALL of their books (including those in places like, Fresno County) and place "holds" on books that you would like to check out. Then, once a book is available for check out, it is shipped to the library of your choice, and you are notified of its arrival. It couldn't be easier.

So, about 2 weeks ago I went to the Kern County Library's website and placed a hold on 9 books that I was interested in reading. They spanned a variety of genres, as they were the first ones that popped into my head. Because I had never used this service before, I was eager to see how quickly my books would come. Well, today my wait was over. Seven out of my nine books were waiting for me at my local library when I got home from work today. And, the coolest part is, the library will be closed for floor renovations starting next week, so I get to keep all seven books for SIX whole weeks! Score.

Also note-worthy is the fact that I walked to the library and back. No gas was burned to get there. Well, actually, in the interest of full disclosure, I jogged to the library. I imagine I was quite the spectacle. Knowing that I had seven books waiting for me, I knew that I would have to carry a backpack for storage purposes. I did not let the extra weight on my spine discourage my attempt. I merely cinched up the straps and tied their hanging tails around my abdomen and thought of it as a "weight-training" exercise. The good news is I arrived at my destination in a mere 10-15 minutes and enjoyed a leisurely walk home with my new books in tow. I'm already plotting my next list of holds. If you have any recommendations please share.

My choices are shown below: