Friday, January 08, 2016

A Well-Traveled Shawl Weekly Link Round-Up




I'm going through a phase in which I wish I had about six pairs of hands so I could knit everything I want. Of course... I'm not sure how well six pairs of hands and only one brain and one pair of eyes would work together!

Last spring and summer I knitted a shawl for my niece who lives in Gibraltar. One of her favorite colors is pink, so I didn't have to think very hard about color choice. It's called a "comfort shawl"-- long and warm and snuggly, and it just made me think of her. 

Before Thanksgiving, I boxed the shawl up, and Denis took it to the post office to send it on its way. When my niece received it, she and her partner were just about to head off on their Christmas holiday to Malta and Spain, and she took her present with her.

Evidently it came in quite handy when they were celebrating New Year's Eve in Madrid. I had no idea any of my knitting would be quite so well-traveled, but it certainly makes me smile!

Now it's time to get those links out of the corral. Head 'em up! Mooooooooove 'em out!



►Books, Movies & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄
  • Wolves are helping to heal veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
  • The New York Post thinks these are the most incredible nature photos of the past year. 
  • Animal attire ruled 2015-- and not just because it's cute.

►The Happy Wanderer◄

►Fascinating Folk◄
  • Why are female World War II pilots like Elaine Harmon barred from being buried in Arlington National Cemetery? 
  • George Weidenfeld, a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor, is funding the rescue of 2,000 ISIS victims.

►I ♥ Lists◄



That's all for this week! Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll be sharing a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure.

Have a great weekend, and read something fabulous!


11 comments:

  1. Three comments:
    I do not understand the popularity of "The Girl" books, and agree with Bernadette at Reactions to Reading. How does "The Girl on the Train" relate to real women's lives? Most women don't imagine women who they see from trains are murdered, most are not. And it's badly written. Three women characters are indistinguishable in their narratives.
    As far as "Gone Girl," did can't say as I didn't read it or see the movie, but I don't think it speaks to most women's experiences -- murder?
    Which brings me to points number 2: I read the list if books most often taken out of NYC libraries and am flummoxed. So many of these books are superficial, not particularly well-written, have no social content. Maybe people just want escapism. But there's good escapism with good writing.
    Point number 3 is about Irish ancestry: I am fascinated by the possible links of Celtic people to the Middle East thousands of years ago. So, going back in time, maybe my Irish ancestors were related to my Eastern European Jewish ancestors. More research should unravel this.
    And another point: I'm so glad to hear about night owls and people who sleep late. Finally, my side is heard. I have known this since age 11, armed with flashlight and book, until the late hours.

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    1. I agree with you about The Girl books, and I was curious enough about Gone Girl to pick it up and give it a try. I lasted 25 pages. Could not stand the characters.

      I think there are a lot of people out there looking for some sort of guidance in their reading, and too many of them are just being pointed to the flavor of the month. Or many of them don't know how to find anything past the flavor of the month (which usually stinks in some fashion).

      Like you, I've been a night owl almost my entire life. I loved school, so I knew that I had to be able to function on school days, but weekends were another matter. Mom never fought me about it because she was a night owl, too. I've been known to do a lot of my creative work between the hours of midnight and 5 AM. I love to watch the sun come up as I'm going to bed!

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  2. The shawl is gorgeous and she looks very happy with it! Love the colors of pink in it. I took a look at Stephen King's list and found that I've read more than one of them. And I liked the ones I read, especially Big Little Lies. The Killer Next Door was creepy deluxe. One that I kind of felt like showering afterward. LOL

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    1. Oh, and I am definitely not a night owl - I'm an early bird. I rise before the sun every day. I was such a party pooper at slumber parties. ;-)

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    2. It sounds as though you and I would meet as I was going to bed and you were getting up! LOL

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  3. I think that's true. Most people don't have guidance on what to read. But if they go by the NY Times best-seller lists in fiction, there isn't a lot to offer. (Sorry, NYT.)

    Or it's like junior high school: One reads what one's friends read because that's what is known. (Until parents and the librarian intervened for me and I learned about good books at 13.)

    I look at the NYT best-seller lists and wonder what the reading public is coming to. But what do they want? Also, few global books are available or promoted over here, other than Stieg Larsson and probably Jo Nesbo. Also, some British writers, too.

    But since my friends -- on blogs and in my city -- read so much and find so much that's good, I want to pull my hair in frustration. Where are good recommendations posted?

    My library has been posting book recommendations, although after I read what is most popular in my city's libraries, I think the plan to encourage reading good books isn't working.

    And yes, night owls. I love midnight to 5 a.m. Here I am writing and I haven't been to bed, but this isn't the usual.
    I read blogs, books, my NYT, write, enjoy the quietness around my apartment when no one is astir, the night time.

    I have enjoyed that since high school when I'd read till late when it was quiet and I could sneak downstairs, get snacks and return to read. It's like those hours are our times when the world is quiet.

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    1. There's something about the quiet that really turns my mind loose.

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  4. What a lovely shawl, Cathy!! And what an interesting journey it's had, too. Thanks as ever for those lovely links. I'm off to check out that underwater museum...

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    1. That underwater museum absolutely fascinates me!

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  5. Night owl, if circumstances permit.

    Lots of interesting links. I was hoping to read the Kansas geological mystery, but the link leads to Will Smith talking about his character's death in the new Independence Day movie. We got to take a short trip to the Dry Tortugas one year. Cool that they're searching for shipwrecks in the park.

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    1. Yikes! Thanks for pointing out that goof; I've corrected it. Here's the link so you don't have to go scrolling up for it:

      http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2016/jan/02/ku-team-solves-century-old-kansas-geological-myste/

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