Mid-year update? Book, yarn and adventures

My blogging on a regular basis? Pretty much non-existent. However, at least I'm here again. I'm just going to excuse myself by saying that books, yarn and adventures are keeping away. I'm sure that's not 100 percent accurate (because we can always find time to do the things we want to do), but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

So let's get to it! First up, books.

This has been a great year of reading for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I love to read. Working in a library is really awesome when you are a reader, and one consequence of my job situation is that the number of books I've read has increased significantly (and let's not even talk about the increase in my to-read list!).

Goodreads is my friend. Since I started using it a few years ago, it's so much easier to keep track of the books I've read and to keep a list of books I want to read. Plus, I love that I can set a goal (annual reading challenge) and track how I'm doing. I can see what my friends are reading, too, and I love that!

Next up: yarn (and other things that have to do with needles).

Yeah, not as much yarn time happening in my life right now, but that's OK. I'm slowly working on a couple pair of socks. I do love hand-knit socks even though they take me forever to complete. I do have a lot of WIPs hanging around my house (works-in-progress) so I ought to pick those up and work on them.

I have picked up embroidery again and I am really enjoying it. I'm not fast at it either, but it's sure fun. I love the retro designs I've been able to find.

I also started a little quilting. I've learned to paper-piece, but I don't get a lot of time at the sewing machine, so it kind of feels like I have to re-learn every time I sit down to make another block. I do have some other ideas for making a couple of quilts, but again, there is not enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do!

Finally, adventures!

I love to travel and while I don't get to go to all the exotic places I want to visit, I do get to do some pretty fun things close to home. I'm so glad to have good friends that I can have adventures with.

Here are some pictures of a few of my adventures lately (walking, yarn, travels, concerts!).

Hello 2016!

Ah, it's a new year. And considering this poor blog has languished for nearly three years, I think it's time to get back at it.

Today, I'm ruminating on reading. OK, to be fair, I do this pretty much every day. It's a side effect of working in a library, but today reading is on my mind even more than normal. I don't know if it's because I finally got my nightstand cleared and have room for my books on it now (really, how could I let my nightstand get so overrun there was no space for books?!), or maybe it's because I've been thinking about my Goodreads reading challenge for this year.

Yeah, I opted for the kind-of easy way out and set a goal of 52 books again. I exceeded my goal for 2015 (52 books, because a book a week seems so doable) by nine books, but I'm unsure I can do that again. If I had my way, I would spend all my spare time reading, but that doesn't make my hubs so happy. And it means a pretty messy house and other obligations get left behind.

But what about all those books that NEED to be read? I have shelves of them at home and thousands that call to me at work, not to mention the hundreds on my Kindle.

I love to read. And I mean I really, really, really LOVE to read. There's nothing quite like cozying down into a comfy chair with a good book and a snack. If it's cold out, a hot drink just adds to the experience. It's not uncommon for me to read for a while, and when something pulls me out of my book, to have to blink my eyes a few times and remember where I am. I love that feeling so much!

Thanks to Read It Forward for this fantastic poster!