Sorcery and Cecelia, or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot

I just finished reading "Sorcery and Cecelia, or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot", by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. I've been looking for a good book to read ever since I finished the last Septimus Heap book. This one wasn't too bad!

The story takes place in Victorian England, and is comprised of letters sent between two cousins, Kate and Cecelia. Kate is in London, "coming out" this Season, being 16 years old now, and Cecelia is at home at Rushton Manor in Essex. The two correspond throughout the Season, and disclose secrets about the strange goings on in their lives. Both are intrigued by magic, but both are forbidden to study it by their ever-watchful and extremely proper aunties, Elizabeth and Charlotte. Forbidden to study magic, they are unwittingly drawn into a subversively sorcerous plot to destroy Thomas, the Marquis of Schofield (who is a magician in his own right), and his friend James Tarleton (no wizard, but an extremely loyal friend of Thomas.)

The story line twists and turns, drawing the reader deeper into the recesses of the tale, revealing humor, intrigue, and two different plots. After readng the story, I read the afterword at the end of the book with the two different authors, and discovered that the entire story was indeed written in a series of letters. The two authors had entered into "The Letter Game", in which they collaborated on the development of the main characters and the setting and the timing (when the story would end), but each created their own plots and additional characters, and did not discuss them with each other. After the letter game ended, they got together and revised, refined and created a more readable and understandable story, then dashed off to an editor. It wasn't originally intended to be published - it was just for fun. The letters are long on fun and gossip, full of creativity and wit.

I enjoyed the book immensely. I think it would be fun to play the letter game, too! I wish I could find someone who was interested in playing. What fun it could be!

Reading list for 2010

Thinking ahead, and dreaming about going back to the land of less traffic, accessable libraries and books, open spaces and places to explore with Celeste and O, I am building my "Must Read" list for 2010:

1. The Sable Queen(From the Redwall series, by Brian Jacques)
2. Doomwyte (From the Redwall series, by Brian Jacques)
3. All the Redwall series. (I bought some for my daughter and neices, who seemed to enjoy them.)
4. Year of the Flood, by Margaret Atwood
5. The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown
6. Pirate Latitudes, by Michael Crichton
7. Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel
8. The Sookie Stackhouse Series, by Charlaine Harris
9. Witch And Wizard, by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
10. New York, by Edward Rutherford

That's it, so far. I'll be adding to the list after the first of the year, I'm sure. What's on your list?

A very pleasant surprise

This week has been very good for me so far. First, I have 4 really happy, enthusiastic classes to teach! The language levels range from beginner to higher intermediate, but - maybe because it's close to Christmas, I don't know - they are all great, so far. I can walk into class and see smiles on faces, ready to participate and seemingly happy to be there. Amazing! It could be that I finally have managed to put together interesting classes, or maybe these are just exceptional students. Whatever it is, I hope it continues!

Second, I've been visited right here on this blog by none other than Randolph, the super sleuth Labrador Retriever of the canine mystery, A Dog About Town. What a wonderful surprise to read his politely Labradorian comment, and receive a subsequent e-mail from him! Wow! I read A Dog About Town a couple of years ago. It was a fun and fast-paced read, and (I am happy to say) was one that I could pass on to my nieces without getting the hairy eyeball from their mother.



If you are in the mood for a short, fun read, check out A Dog About Town, written by J. F. Englert, and Randolph. I think you'll like it!

Just quickly...

Damn this day job! It interferes so much with my REAL life, my fiber life. Between a correspondence course on line, a presentation and class observation with another instructor, getting evaluated, and a full day of teaching, I'm not getting the proper quality time with my projects. Knitting with the mermaid blue/green/purple roving has become so addicting; just watching those gorgeous colors slip through my finger is mesmerizing. It's been quite an interesting experiment so far. I'm not advancing as fast as I'd like, partially due to a little vegetable matter (VM) that's cropping up as I split the roving and draft it out to the thickness that I want for knitting. And partially due to the fact that I spend a lot of time just staring at the colors and imagining that I'm in a clean, clear river in the mountains.

Septimus Heap is over for now. Wah. It was a fast and fun read, but now I have to wait to get the next volume until I go visiting Barnes & Noble when I go home next month. The SH series is a result of the Harry Potter craze, but these books are a little more gentle and less violent. Not that there's a lack of danger and adventure - there is plenty - but it's handled in a way that's more suited for a younger reader. So it focuses a little more on the fun aspect of the magical imagination than Harry Potter does. Things also take place outside of the walls of the castle, in the forest, in the Marsh, in the Badlands, and in the Ramblings, and things seem a little more verdant and fresh, and not so dark. Plus the characters are kind of different. The story is a little less sophisticated than Harry Potter, and so are the characters. I definitely recommend The Septimus Heap series if you want a fun, quick read! The good thing is that there doesn't seem to be an end to the series looming on the horizon.

And, speaking of going home, I really cannot wait to go! It's been 2 years since I've had a vacation, and I'm ready. It's been 2 years since I've spent much time at all out of the smog and car exhaust. I need a few lungfuls of clean country air, even if it's flavored with eau d' dairy cow, goat, or alpaca. Plus, I need some clothes. My work clothes are getting worn out and I seem to be too big to be able to find affordable clothing and footwear here. My tennis shoes have several holes in them now and the soles are so smooth that I get no traction at all with them.

*Sigh* It's time to get ready for work again. See you later.

a little progress

I've never been able to stick to just one project at a time. I've been playing with the rovings bag, knitting little here and a little there. I've also been spinning on two sets of batts, and I've got a crochet project in the works, too. Project ho, here. And, I've been reading. I'm in the middle of the second volume of the Septimus Heap series, Flyte. I know, it's a kid's book, but it's also a LOT of fun. And I like fun with no strings attached. A kid's book - just what I need for these gray, damp and fungusy, dreary winter days!

So here are some photos of the experiment of knitting with roving, so far (and a little peek at Flyte.) I like it, but I need to devote a little more time to it. This is how it's going so far:

The mermaid roving.

Good Reads

In the last two weeks, I've been reading on the bus, to and from work. Last week, I read "Deception Point", by Dan Brown. Excellent read. I loved it. I'm a Dan Brown fan. I've read three of his books: The daVinci Code, Angels and Demons, and now, Deception Point. Gosh, I hope he comes out with a new one soon that's just as good.


This week, I read Anita Diamant's "The Red Tent". I remember when it first in 1997, and there was a huge hubbub about it. I steered away from it because of all the fuss that was made. Now I've finally read it, and in a way, I'm sorry that I didn't read it sooner. In another way, I'm glad I waited. I'm in a better way to appreciate it than I would have been in 1997. My life was way different then than it is now.

Over the past several months, I've considered donating some books to the library at the institute where I work. I have limited space in my little apartment, and I have read nearly all of the books that I brought from home or bought from Amazon.com (there are about 60 of them now). I'm just about ready for some new books to read and really need the space, so some of the books really should go and I'm sure that the library would be happy to take them...

...but my books are like close friends of mine. Even though I may not read them for another few years, I love them. They comfort me. They speak to me. They take me places when I need to escape from the everyday crap that life in the concrete jungle presents. So I haven't been able to bring myself to donate any of them to the library yet.

What's the Haps?

WOOOT!!! Look what came in the mail the other day:



This is the only Nicky Epstein book that I have, and it's a beauty! I didn't realize that it was a hardback until it arived and, at first, I thought "Great - a coffee table book," with some disappointment. But after cracking the cover open, I realized that I was wrong.

Wow. The patterns are great. The pictures are great. The inspiration is non-stop. It's true that there are patterns in this book that I'll probably never make, at least in the form that they are presented, but what great ideas!

And I have been spinning some lace weight singles.



I plan to use them in a shawl. Originally I was spinning for the Mystery Stole #4, but decided against it. I'm not up to spinning 1100 yards of laceweight all in the same year, but I do think I can pull off 600 yards. I've done about 100 yards so far in this teal romney and silk, with another spindle filled with about 150 yards. I've started on the second spindle today, but only have about 25 yards on it so far.

So the shawl that I'm spinning for now is the Garden of Alla shawl. I haven't decided if I will edge it in a contrasting color or not, but I've got 12 more batts worth of time to think about it before I have to make a decision. I don't really like the edging on the shawl shown in the pattern.

I'm thinking about beading it with clear crystal beads, too. They're supposed to look like raindrops on the yarn.

I'm still spinning on the Bundaflicka tweed that I was going to use for the Mystery Stole, but I'm re-thinking the project for it.

Socks Socks Socks

Yeah! My second ever sock book has arrived!

I think the last sock book I may look for is Folk Socks. I don't think I need tons of sock books. I'm terrible at following patterns. I use them for inspiration, but always have my own modifications that I do to them, so I think this will do me for now.

Folk Socks is so tempting, though...

Yeay! It's here!

My first book about hand spinning has arrived! It tok an incredibly long time to come through the mail, but at last,I have a reference for spinning. Several people have told me that this is a coffee table book with great pictures but no real written content of value. Well, I haven't read the whole thing, but I do like the first portion, where the author gives illustrated instructions on various techniques and explains terms. She explains basics of fiber prep, gives explanations through the spinning process and plying methods. The rest of the book is devoted to "homework", project to try with a particular yarn style to achieve. Personally, I like this book. Yes, it has lots of photos of different fibers and examples of finished yarns that are the objects of the project lessons, and it gives me the feel of being free to experiment, and if my yarn turns out different than the picture of the target yarn, then it's no big deal. I like that.

The Painted Pig

A posting about books and libraries by Needles of Iron has me thinking about books...kid's books, but books all the same.

When I was a kid, I remember reading a beautiful book called "The Painted Pig". It was about a ceramic pig in Mexico that came to life one night. Along with the pig, I believe a painted rooster also came to life. A little girl owned both the pig and the rooster, I think. The story is about the hi jinx of this pair. Does anyone remember it? I've been thinking about this story for months...that one, and a wonderful children's story called "Pussy Willows". I think now "Pussy Willows" is available as one of those Little Golden Books, but ours was a giant picture book with those big kitty eyes and amazing pictures that capture a child's imagination and draw her right into the story. The picture below is not what was on the original story book, but it is painted in a similar style.



Here in Peru, the average person doesn't read much, usually for business or education, but rarely for pleasure. As I think about these children's stories, I feel so bad for those children whose parents don't read stories to them! I did find some wonderful Peruvian folktales for children in the Metro supermarket, however, so someone is reading them.

Book on the way

Yesterday I got notice that my first ever spinning book has been shipped. Yeay! I've been spinning and spinning, but I'm mostly self-taught. Now maybe I'll get a few pointers and instructions on new techniques to try. I've read the reviews on this book, both pro and con, and if nothing else, nearly all say that this book is great for inspiration. Some say there is great instruction and info in the front of the book; others say that it's a coffee table book with great pictures. Whatever it is, I'll be sure to get something out of it. I'm a visual learner and love lots of pictures.

Book Order

The other day, I was contemplating my sock-making compulsion and ordered this:



Unfortunately along with the book came:

"Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your account will only be charged when we ship the item."

Hmmm. I'll leave it on order and maybe it'll arrive for Christmas.

And, yes...it's a momentary, short-term compulsion, not an addiction - I am not an addict...I am not an addict...I am not an addict...I am not...

A new knitting book

I received a new book in the mail the other day. It's called "Domiknitrix", by Jennifer Stafford. It has a black vinyl cover. Cool.



At first I thought it had to do with punk and goth knitting. But then I found out that it's really about getting a good handle on my knitting, no matter what my style of dressing is. Whew! That's a relief! And then I cracked open the book and techniques with step-by-step instructions and pictures or every step. That's good. And not let the yarn dominate me, not let the stitches dominate me, not let the whole thing overwhelm me. Okay. I don't usually have that problem, but sometimes I do.

And then I saw the projects. Interesting. Different. Goth-looking, some good for Halloween, some good for every day. Each with a box that says what knitting technique will be learned while making the pattern. That's good for me. With a change of color and motif, I could use these. So, all in all, not a bad book so far. I haven't sat down with it seriously yet, but I think it will prove to have been a good purchase.

Book MEME

This one is a Book Meme, and I've been tagged by IntheMud at the Life In The Mud! Here are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

1. Okay...the nearest book - The Shell Seekers, By Rosamunde Pilcher.
2. Open the book to page 123 - yup.
3. Find the fifth sentence: "I've been dreading telling you."
4. Post the next three sentences: "Just shocked. So sudden." Her hand went out to grope for a chair, found one.
5. Tag five people.

I'm going to cheat here, and say that if you've come here and read this, you've been tagged. Find that nearest book and post away!

And the "MWAH" award goes to...

I just got a "MWAH" award from Inthemud! I'm tickled pink about it! Now I have some people here that deserve a big fat "MWAH" from me:

La Gringa
Greenlee
Woolyworks
The Wild Tomato
Raniknits
Maggie
JC

Whenever I get on the computer, I go straight to these blogs. I can't wait to see what they've posted!

From Childhood

When I was a kid, I loved Beatrix Potter stories. That animals had stories to tell was not a foreign idea to me; after all, our farm animals had been talking to me all my life! So, look at this! This is a shot from Woolyworks on the family farm:

The Shell Seekers - Introduction

The Shell Seekers was originally written in 1984, published around 1987, and Ms. Pilcher was 64 years old at the time of writing. I have the 10-year anniversary edition, and she has made a few comments about the book. She alludes to the fact that it could have its roots buried somewhere in her own family and past. Lawrence Stern is a name that comes from a contemporary of her husband's stepfather...a real person quite removed, but in this story, a person of great importance.

Her publisher, she tells us, asked her to write a big, fat women's book; something that would be "a really good read, something people could really get their teeth into." So, Ms. Pilcher wrote about the times that she grew up in, she wrote about Britain and the social culture of the time. She wrote about families and the things that can tear them apart - greed, jealousy, self-victimization, and the need to acquire both social standing and material things. And along with all that, she wrote about love, men and women, and their human failings - all the things that make the world go round.

She also wrote in her introduction that she hoped some teenager might have had his or her fill of teen magazines and be ready for an adult book, something they could really dig into...and perhaps they would dig into her book and find it to be so much more than one of those glittery teen magazines full of heart throbs and kiddy fashion.

I have a twenty-one-year-old whom I think would love this story.

The Shell Seekers

Today "The Shell Seekers" arrived at my door. It's been a long time since I read it - almost 14 years. When I opened the small box from Amazon.com, I know I squealed a bit; O looked sideways at me and asked, "What is it? What happened?" I replied to him that one of my favorite books of all time had arrived and he looked at it - then simply said "Oh."

Today, I can step into another time zone, with Penelope Keeling there at Podmore's Thatch. I hope it's a long, long read this time. The last time I read this book, I INHALED it, and then the sequel, September, too. This time, I intend to savor both of them. I'm hoping that my sister will join me in the reading, and I invite anyone else who has the notion to join here, too, and to post your thoughts about The Shell Seekers.

Mrs. Pollifax

I love Mrs. Pollifax. I discovered her by accident several years ago, when I was stalking a different book at the public library. She turned out to be such a refreshing change of pace for me that I was immediately drawn into her adventures. Who would have imagined that an elderly lady from New jersey, living in a tiny apartment with a couple of geraniums would turn international, globe-trotting spy and be such a fantastically fun read?

Mrs. Pollifax has 14 adventures...and I have read 3 of them. The Whirling Dervish in one of my favorites, so far. I may well have to invite Mrs. Pollifax to visit Peru this year.

New old books and a pottery puzzle

I got a wave of nostalgia this afternoon, and ordered "September", by Rosamunde Pilcher. I remember reading it in the '90's and loved it. That one and The Shell Seekers were wonderful books. I took advantage of a gift certificate that I received for Amazon.com (thanks to Woolyworks!). Maybe next time I'll get The Shell Seekers.



I also bought "Little Heathens" because it sounded good:

From Publishers Weekly
Kalish's memoir of her Iowa childhood, set against the backdrop of the Depression, captures a vanished way of traditional living and a specific moment in American history in a story both illuminating and memorable. Kalish lived with her siblings, mother and grandparents-seven in all-both in a town home and, in warmer weather, out on a farm. The lifestyle was frugal in the extreme: "The only things my grandparents spent money on were tea, coffee, sugar, salt, white flour, cloth and kerosene." But in spite of the austere conditions, Kalish's memories are mostly happy ones: keeping the farm and home going, caring for animals, cooking elaborate multi-course meals and washing the large family's laundry once a week, by hand. Here, too, are stories of gossiping in the kitchen, digging a hole to China with the "Big Kids" and making head cheese at butchering time. Kalish skillfully rises above bitterness and sentiment, giving her memoir a clear-eyed narrative voice that puts to fine use a lifetime of careful observation: "Observing the abundance of life around us was just so naturally a part of our days on the farm that it became a habit." Simple, detailed and honest, this is a refreshing and informative read for anyone interested in the struggles of average Americans in the thick of the Great Depression.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
This unpretentious yet deeply intelligent memoir of growing up on a central Iowa farm in the throes of the Great Depression radiates the joy of a vanished way of life as Kalish recounts what appear to contemporary eyes as unendurable deprivations. Those who share Kalish's midwestern farm background will immediately identify with her recollections of winter nights spent under layers of quilts in unheated bedrooms. Others for whom agrarian life is uncharted territory will learn both the harsh rigors of days governed by unforgiving work cycles and the irreproducible sensual pleasure of savoring a just-picked, sun-drenched, ripe strawberry or tomato. In prose that never yields to mawkish sentimentality, Kalish details the roles of family, religion, thrift, and education in her upbringing. The complexities of wash-day chores will bring up short those who know only today's appliances. Kalish's disquisition on outhouse etiquette will simply amaze those accustomed to their own bathrooms. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


I ordered the paperback version, but it won't arrive until May...not released yet. Hey! What if it coud be the Purple Coo spring or summer reading selection!?

If I knew how to spell out a sigh, I'd do it. I have a new puzzle to put together - as soon as I find some good epoxy. Celeste got to playing too wild this afternoon. The coffee table flew, the flowers flew, the vase flew into several pieces...and as soon as the vase hit the floor with that "I'm Broken" sound, Celeste flew into her crate without being asked. She KNEW she'd gone too far this time. She is resting comfortably in her safe haven and I am pondering shards of pottery. The flowers are still on the floor - I'm too pissed off to pick them up right now. At least they're fake and don't wilt or mash easily.