I've made a decision on which needlework project to concentrate on. I've decided to stitch Blackbird Designs' "Pink Hill Manor" for the State Fair in August. I had hoped to have a little more to share up front, but you can get an idea from (this very tiny) picture what the linen and colors look like and a small sense of what the design is like--I've got the first level of the house, part of the 'lawn' and most of one of the flower vases already finished.
This is the actual design, again. It's not really very big and when stitched will only measure about 5" x 5". Hopefully that is a manageable project to complete in a month. I absolutely still want to keep working away on my Mystery Sampler, and may still try and stitch the little pin cushion as well. I need to keep motivated, so you may see more updates here!
And for a little weekend bookishness . . . Do you think it's too soon to think about what books I'm going to take on vacation in August. It's now officially less than two months away! I am thinking of taking three books with me--one for the plane ride there, one coming back and one for the week I'll be in San Francisco. I get all tingly just thinking about it. As I'm sure my book line-up will change numerous times between now and then I'll spare you details until I'm sure which books will make the cut.
As I'm hoping that June moves speedily along, I didn't quite realize just how speedy it was going. I'm completely turned around. I thought I had one more full week and full weekend after this one to finish books, but no, I don't. July 1st is just over a week away, and so are a few bookish deadlines--library book due dates are very quickly approaching. There are two books that I am well into that are due at the library on Monday and Tuesday (I fear more fines are going to be applied to my account), which are likely to be returned late now. The money is going to a good cause, right?
I was planning on keeping July wide open for my own reading plans, but now I am going to be tempted to join in the reading for Paris in July. I happened across a book purely by chance in my library yesterday. The title on the spine caught my eye, so I pulled it out to look and ended up bringing it home with me. I love the sound of Paris Metro Tales, which is a collection of short stories by various authors written at different times. The stories are translated by Helen Constantine, who has also perhaps edited the collection? There are twenty-two stories and twenty-two metro stops. The stories take place both in the metro as well as above ground in the different French arrondissements. There is even an index in the back with notes on the different metro stops with a little history and flavor of the locations. It sounds like fun and I don't think I can pass it up. Many of the stories are very short, so I was thinking if I could read just one or two stories a day I could easily join in--what serendipity, eh?
I know I said I was going to put my own little reading project, summering in Italy, on hold, but I enjoyed Andrea Camilleri's The Terra-Cotta Dog so much (post to follow next week), that I decided not only do I want to read more of Camilleri, but I want to read more Italian crime fiction. So I have now started Lucretia Grindle's The Faces of Angels, which I think is going to be very good. It is a Felony and Mayhem book. One the back of their books they always list "who's likely to like this?" and for the Grindle they say fans of Ian McEwan and Daphne du Maurier (in my case check next to each author). Grindle is actually an American author who splits her time between here and the UK, but the story is set in Florence. I'm trying to read as many Italian authors as possible, but I'm happy for just an Italian setting as well. So I've hopped from Sicily to Florence.
One more bookish item. The Miles Franklin Literary Award was announced, and Anna Fulder's All That I Am won. It was already on my library list, but now I am even more eager to read it (eventually that is since I have plenty to keep me busy at the moment).
Happy weekend everyone (may we all get in lots of uninterrupted reading time--I know I am going to need it).