January books

There's been quite a bit of publicity recently for the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice... so last night I picked it up to re-read.  This book has long been a favourite, so I didn't need too much encouragement to look again.

It's amazing how a new aspect of a book can jump out at you on a repeat reading.  This time I'm noticing much more of Darcy's reactions to Lizzy and the way he's captivated by her from the outset. (I'm still fairly early in the book - Jane has been staying at Netherfield because she's caught cold and Lizzy was looking after her).  I'd read before that Jane Austen's male characters often aren't as well defined as her heroines, but this time I feel I'm seeing much more about his feelings and reactions than I'd expected.  Perhaps it's because I know how the story continues so that I'm reading more into the early parts than I'm supposed to know.

Other books I've read this month include:

1. A Deadly Yarn by Maggie Sefton.  ok - maybe I don't want to own up to this one!  It's the 3rd in a series of murder mysteries based around knitting... I've read them as a bit of mindless fun, and keep saying I won't bother with the next in the series but then go on to buy it from the Amazon marketplace.  They're getting a bit formulaic now, but I guess they don't claim to be anything else...
2. A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber.  This was a Christmas present from a fellow knitter, and is the 2nd in a series.  I'm glad she chose to give me this as the first one to try and I found myself quite getting into the story.  It was a relaxing read, where nothing too bad happened for too long and people found the best in each other.  I liked that the knitting side was just a small part of the story (essentially just an excuse for 4 random women to meet each other), compared to the Maggie Sefton books where it feels more heavily worked in (and less authentic because of that).  I'll probably have a look in the library to see if there are more to try.
3. At Knit's End by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.  Maybe there's a theme emerging here... Actually this is more a collection of thoughts and musings, which is quite fun to dip into from time to time.  I like that I feel normal when I read about other women's eccentricities.
4. One Hundred Favourite Poems from Classic FM.  I don't normally read poetry, but when I was invited to a Burns Supper last weekend I needed to prepare a poem to recite and chose the Ode to a Mouse.  There was a copy in this book, which led to me browsing through and spotting other poems which I'd forgotten.  I hope I'll spend a bit more time dipping into this now as well.

Growing... and blubbing!

1. Played bass at church again, this time in a different band to usual.  One song was much more funky than I'm used to and I struggled a bit during the practice ("Let's do this bit with just drum and bass") but when it finally clicked what the chords actually were it felt good.  I missed the transition to the bridge section though - I was too busy trying to read the notes to see the signal from the leader.

2.  The sermon was about spiritual gifts, and particularly prophecy.  I liked the practical approach he took, which included asking a couple of people to explain the words they'd brought earlier in the meeting.  I found myself nodding to a lot of it.

3.  Saw Les Miserables at the cinema with a friend.  I think it was better than the stage version (certainly the 2nd time I saw it) and I liked that they incorporated a few details from the book which weren't in the stage musical.  It was very emotional though - as expected.  I kept myself together most of the way through, but the final 5 minutes were impossible!

What a lovely day!

1. It was a beautiful clear morning as I popped to town for some shopping. I didn't find any tartan clothes for tonight (I had a good back up plan though) but I did buy some ankle boots (30% off :-) ) and some patterned tights.

2. I do like Cockermouth. Lunch in the Coffee Kitchen, then a relaxing haircut with a head massage and enjoyable chat.

3. The Burns Supper. It's been a fantastic evening with lots of fun. I was nervous reading my poem but it went well, and all the other contributions were fab. I felt a bit left out not being able to share in the whisky drinking so was given two wee glasses to take home. What a treat!

Good company

1. Good company: I feel blessed to have good colleagues at work, growing friendships at my exercise class, and a lovely prayer triplet.

2. My weekend plans are coming together, including a Burns Night supper. I've been asked to choose a poem to read, so I'm looking into the Ode to a Mouse.

3. A deer ran across my path as I drove home tonight. It was far enough away to be safe so I enjoyed the unexpected sight.

Weekend highlights

Friday:
- I left work with the feeling of a good job done. It's been a busy week but with a fair bit of progress and without stress.
- Pizza with a friend. We knitted and chatted.

Saturday:
- lots of washing done
- lots of extra clothes sorted to get rid of
- lunch with a friend
- knitting while I watched a film on tv, with a wee dram of Glenkinchie to seal the day (Christmas present from 2 or 3 years ago)

Sunday:
- good company at church
- browsing patterns to destash my yarn mountain
- A came home from a weekend adventure with his brother
- a long chat on the phone with my friend. We compared notes on sorting out our houses.

Sunday pick-me-up

I woke up this morning feeling tired and achey, so took the chance to go for a walk before church (unusually, we were both off duty!).  Much of yesterday, and last week, was spent sitting down so I'm in need of some fresh air and exercise.  I walked about 2 miles...
- the snow flakes were just starting to appear when I set off and were getting stronger as I returned
- I saw 2 dogs, a blackbird, 2 wood pigeons and lots of cyclists
- it was cold!

My eyes were watering all the way around, but by the time we'd driven to church I felt nicely relaxed as if they'd been washed clean.

We had lunch (roast beef dinner followed by gingerbread cake and ice cream) with A's parents.  I cast on for a BSJ and we helped A's mum to start learning how to write letters on her netbook.

Home to some ironing, more knitting and the last portion of Monday's bargain lentil soup.  Hopefully I'll be disciplined enough for an early night too...

A rural Saturday

A busyish Saturday:
- We drove to Carlisle, picking up a parcel from the sorting office on the way to the building society for a mortgage review.  It's interesting to think we've been in our home for 10 years now.
- We had lunch in our favourite cafe in the Carlisle Market Hall.  We've been going there for years now and have got to know the owners a bit - it's great to have somewhere so welcoming and to be able to relax with friends.
- Next, up to Gretna for a quick trip to return some items to the outlet village.  We managed not to be tempted by all the bargains this time...
- Back down south again, with a quick stop in Cockermouth to book a haircut in a couple of weeks' time.  Another example where I love feeling part of a community - she knows who I am, what my name is and I enjoy having a chat during my appointment.
- On to Whitehaven to get the weekly shop

...and back home again by 5pm!  We must have covered about 100 miles just getting basic jobs done, but that's how it is in these rural parts ;-)