I've made some progress on a few needlework projects. I was actually going to take new photos (sorry, this is on the blurry side), but after spending a good half hour last night loading a mere three photos on my computer (it should and has taken far less time!!), I decided to just share a few older ones. I've almost finished the first row of motifs on this one. I have one motif left to stitch on the right and then will be ready to start on row two. This is slower going as I don't take this to work. Lately I've been using one of my breaks for stitching (rather than reading). Even though it isn't much time, a little bit each day does add up.
This is a new design I've started (see, I am as bad with needlework projects as I am with books!). I've 
stitched more than you see here, and I really wanted to share this one, but I am too lazy to go through the process of taking and loading a photo. It is a chart that my mom brought back for me from her vacation. She visited my sister in Fredericksburg, Virginia
and there is a wonderful little needlework shop there crammed with cool stuff. I wish there was a shop locally, but it's probably just as well there isn't or I would spend too much money. I'm fond of the designer, Little House Needleworks, and my mom brought home a pile of her new charts as well as a few others. So you see I had to start one of them! I've been working on it a little every afternoon. Maybe I will actually finish something soon?
This weekend there is a needlework market in Missouri. Many designers will unveil new designs and it's generally a costly affair as I want more than I now I can stitch. Hopefully not too many things will tempt me. I am tempted by this Halloween concoction. How clever, and I love clever needlework projects. It's not only very clever, but it's also very expensive, so I am trying hard to resist. You can see more photos here, if you scroll down the page a bit.
While I am not a very good cook, I can bake reasonably well. Now that the weather has turned cooler, I've started to bake a little. Last weekend I made a batch of pecan sandies. I'm always generous with the pecans, so I am sure they are not very good for you, but they are very tasty. Don't these look like yummy chocolate chip cookies? I've yet to find a decent recipe--or else I'm not doing something right. I may have to give these a try this weekend.
I have to share one bookish thing. You know I am a fan of historical fiction, so I was curious about this question, which was answered by several authors here. It always amazes me when I read a book set in some exotic locale to discover that the author had never traveled there. How do they manage to convey that sense of place without seeing it? I think I would want that inside knowledge, but it's obviously possible to do it without it. Besides it's not possible to travel back to Victorian England, yet authors manage to write about it pretty convincingly.
I'll leave you with a little teaser. What do you think these packages contain? Just because I haven't been to a bookstore lately, doesn't mean I don't still have the ability to be bad in other ways...