A Cuppa, My Book Report, and Pattern Graphing

 

 I have a little bit of spare time this afternoon for Tea Time while I finish reading a very good book. I used to set aside some time for a brief afternoon cup of tea before I worked on dinner but during Summer, that routine tends to get lost. Now with our days getting shorter, I am going to resume the habit. I link my phone to my Kindle and can pick up where I left off the evening before. It is usually just a 30 minute pause in my day but it invigorates me. For some reason, I have always sort of wilted around 3 o'clock. When I was working, I would leave my desk and take a little walk down the long hospital hall or pop down to the cafeteria for a cup of tea or hot chocolate. So lets talk about these three books I have consumed so far in this month.

 To be clear, I have a rule, of sorts. It involves my books. The collection was getting out of hand and I was out of shelf space. So,  well over the last 5 years or so, I have just been downloading my novels to my Kindle pad or Ipad,I have to admit that this method is less expensive and you have the luxury of an instant download.

 

An interesting read. Recommended by an online friend, it was a profile of courage for a young woman as she navigated a complex family dynamic. This was a little out of my typical genre, but I did enjoy that it did not drag out and ended with all the loose ends tied up.

 Now this one, wow. This was a must read for me. "...re-imagined fictional portrait of Wallis Simpson through the lens of her cousin who is engaged to spy on the Duchess of Windsor for her alleged Nazi sympathies and finds much more than she bargained for!" Oh yes, a great read.

Dear stitching friends, this is an outstanding compilation of authentic cross stitch patterns. It includes flowers, borders, and alphabets derived from antique French linens. A fantastic addition to your library. I have scanned it several times and see something new with each view. If you would like to design your own pattern, this is an outstanding reference. It is a big book, actually a bit heavy for my grip, and still available on Amazon and some other online sources. Not as expensive as I would have thought and looks good on my library shelf!  

• Can anyone tell me where September went? Just curious, I seem to have lost about two weeks.
• Have you ever charted a cross stitch pattern, on paper, by a computer program? Here is a post by Mary Corbet, HERE, She details the process and the computer program that she uses.
• For all my dear friends in Florida in the path of this nasty hurricane named Helene, take great care, be well and be safe. We have family in South Carolina as well. This one is large and scary. Right now the forecasters are saying our current heavy cloud cover is a result of this storm as well, all the way up here in the north. Oh my.
• And last but not least, a dear follower is dealing with a very difficult health crisis with a family member, my thoughts and prayers are with you.