Catching Up.

People, we have to discuss this school lesson from the President thing. It is embarrassing to me that we are questioning this at all. Please. The President wishes to encourage students to study hard and take responsibility for their studies. Listen to teachers and parents. Write a letter to him about how they can help him--you know work hard, study, help others. The craziness that has come from the crazy talk show host is astonishing---he is just making up whatever he can to 1. keep himself in the news, 2. make money, 3. make sure he has a following so he can do 1. and 2. We have become a very stupid people to even give this more than one second of our time. So, I will be listening to the President because as a former social studies teacher I taught my students to learn about the government, to repsect the president and the presidency and most importantly, to think and use discernment about what they hear.

We are moving forward on the wedding. Twenty days from today!

I've been busy working on Love Caps, my new favorite volunteer job, and knitting and reading. I've been reading The Book Thief about a young girl in Germany during WWII who steals books and lives with a foster family who harbors a Jew. Good stuff, written to appeal to young adults and in a different style--the narrator is the Grim Reaper!

I have 12 books presently downloaded on my Kindle and really need to speed up the reading. I've got Rebecca Wells new book; two by Dorthea Benton Frank; Sarah's Key, also about the Holocaust and the one I'm most looking forward to---South of Broad by Pat Conroy. I'm saving it for when I can savor it.

I also plan to read Absalom, Absalom by Faulkner and Look Homeward, Angel by Tom Wolfe. I also want to make my way through the new issue of the Oxford American about southern lit. It recommends the Faulkner as the quintessential southern must read. So, it's on my list, too. Both book clubs are reading Olive Kitteridge that I read this summer so I'll review it next week, too.

Knitting--well, I've been cranking out the finishing of some recent projects--a sweater vest, several shawls, some hats for Love Caps, and socks, of course. I've just started a cardigan out of Knit Picks City Tweed DK. I'm using the raglan cardigan pattern in the Handy Book of Sweater Patterns---am just about the the underarm.

I'm working my way through my stash of lace, sock, Koigu, Blue Mountain, etc. yarn. I'm still determined to use up some of that stuff. I'm also working on an acrylic afghan and a cotton baby blanket. Still working on my toe-up socks that I do not like, but will get the second one finished one of these days.

It's been beautiful here in Memphis--a cool August and early September. The knitting and the reading are good, what can I say. Life is good, today, and that's the way it is......