Sharpe’s Company

A series of books about a British private, sergeant, lieutenant, captain etc. Richard Sharpe fighting in the early 1800s against Bonaparte and chums. Just finished the third book (in the order written, but not chronological) I listened to the first two from Audible.com Randy got me started on this saga knowing that we both enjoyed the Horatio Hornblower story. It’s a log of fun but I’m beginning to...

The Year of the Flood

The Oryx and Crake for women. I do like her later books better than the earlier, although A Handmaid’s Tale is probably still my favorite. This one is tough to crack into, but is speeding up. I’m still haunted by a reference in O&C about the mutated chicken-nobs. It sends shivers down my spine. I hope not to find them here too.

Be all you can be

I admit I like to read vintage kids books. With a growing collection of Trixie Belden books, somewhat similar is the Donna Parker series, also published over the late 50s, early 60s by Whitman. Currently I’m enjoying Donna Parker – Mystery at Arawak, where our heroine has a summer job as a junior counsellor at Camp Arawak. Donna differs from Trixie, experiencing more ‘life lessons’ instead of...

Voyage West

Voyage West, as Virginia named it, has concluded. After Vancouver, (stopping back in Calgary to pick up Adam), and then Yellowknife for “you-may-be-the-government-but-I-am-your-lawyer” meetings, the travellers flew in to Edmonton. Adam helped me to fence in the back meadow, formerly known as Lac St. George (the ‘lac’ lacks water and now grows tasty forage). Sue arrived on Friday and we all...

First place at the fair

Millet Harvest Fest, the quaintness of rural Alberta. Vegetables, flowers, embroidery, jams, jellies and sewing. My dress dummy and I won first place in the “Sewing-other” category. The better part of the story – the only other entry in this class was a pillowcase. The best part of the story – the pillowcase was also awarded a first place ribbon.

President George for another year

The publishers conference is over at last, and George is elected to serve another term as president of the association. Friday’s theme dinner “Riverboat Gambler” was fun, but sparsely attended. About 20 people dressed up in costumes for the event. While I had over the past month tried on my dress many times, I had never worn it for any extended length of time, and certainly had not tried to eat a...

Morden Blush

This is all growing on one branch. Unbelievable blooms for a hardy shrub rose.

Champlain

Explorer series. Hardy rugosa. Tons of blooms and nice full flowers. This is the first year for Champlain, so it is not surprising that it did so well. We will have to see how he winters and how nicely he comes out of hibernation.

Morden Sunrise

A little slow to come on this year. But then…what wasn’t.

Our state fair is a great state fair

And George and I aren’t too shabby either. This Saturday was the Millet Harvest Festival Fair. Mainly it’s a bench show. George said a few weeks back that I should enter my 1879 dress, and since we were doing that, we might as well enter some other classes. George entered eight photography classes and won five ribbons. I entered a photo as well, plus a lace shrug that I knit this winter along with my...