Finished! It’s not the best picture, but we have had dark and dreary skies all week long, so I had to use some artificial light. Sigh.
Will we ever see the sun?
Anyway, I finished it just before dinner time yesterday. I have yet to read the explanation of all the characters and symbols. I’ll do that later today.
I’m writing this early Saturday morning because we have to get some grocery shopping in before Don leaves for his gig.
I’m taking part in another readalong this year. Simon, the same lovely gentleman from England who ran the War and Peace readalong is not only repeating it for those who missed out – he’s also presiding over a readalong of the Cromwell trilogy by Hilary Mantel. We start with Wolf Hall on January 1st.
I am not generally a reader or even a fan of historical fiction but when Mantel died unexpectedly last year, I read a lot about her and her books. The raves about the trilogy were unqualified and unanimous. That intrigued me, and I remember vowing to read one of them in the near future. Fast forward to this year when Simon suggested Mantel and I was immediately onboard. Since the chapters aren’t as short as Tolstoy’s, we can’t do a chapter a day, so he’s gone through every book and mapped out a certain number of pages per week. For example, the first week of January consists of pages 1 -33. He also provides a guide to all the characters. I’m really looking forward to it. The book is right by my reading chair in the den and I’m ready.
A couple of months ago, I ordered a couple of hats and a sweater from a wonderful artist in Ukraine. She makes them to order so it took a while for them to ship and then to arrive at my door. This is one of the hats – or helmets, as the Blythe community calls them. Isn’t it adorable? (Chloe is still wearing her Christmas sweater because I realized how adorable she looks in red. And it’s really a winter sweater, right?)
So. Grocery shopping and cleaning are on the docket. I’m also getting anxious to reorganize things in this house. That happens to me every January.
I’m going to store the putz houses and put the Vintage by Crystal figures back in the upstairs cabinet later today. But the tree will be lit and loved as long as it hangs in there.
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
I think you’ll find Wolf Hall fascinating — and possibly read more than your allotted pages! It’s an intriguing trilogy. And, much as I know we both get frustrated by attempts to dramatize, the Mark Rylance performance of Cromwell, which was seen on PBS and MIGHT be on Passport, is terrific. They will be repeating it later this season with the final book in the trilogy.
Love the Poirot puzzle and may have to add that one to my wish list. You’ll love the explanation grid! That’s yet another reason why I loved the Agatha puzzle.
And definitely a winter sweater so keep her toasty in that cute ensemble!
They have the explanations for all of their puzzles – and I think I’ve done every one of them except for the Sylvester Stallone puzzle.
I have met Mark Rylance and like his work, but no, not when I’m reading the books! And maybe not ever…
I’m really looking forward to the book, Jeanie.
Stay safe.
your plans sound great, especially enjoying the tree and lights as long as safely possible.
yep, winter sweater. :) as a hat knitter, i am thinking i might make a nice dark green hat (chloe looks adorable). and i love red! i’d have more of it around if the varnish on the floors and doors hadn’t over a very short time turned orange. good think i also love (deeper, and slate-ier) blues; i’m using a lot of them to help balance the orange.
could you please share the name of simon’s read-along website? thank you. i might try to do the one for “war and peace”!!!
had a wonderful get-together with more family members yesterday … visiting, laughing, happy memories, watching little kids open presents, football, good food, nice weather so could go outside, playing Christmas bingo … :)
today will get a few groceries to fill in gaps, enough for the week ahead, then put away Christmas decorations until next year. knitting, reading, maybe a walk outside (it’s beautiful and the sunlight this morning makes the leaves on my parents’ swamp oak look like corn flakes).
will spend a quiet new year’s eve and day with some family members. ease and no sugar are in my plans for 2024 and always. and a new cellphone.
happy new year to you, don and everyone else. i pray it will be full of happiness, good health, safety and peace for all of us, our loved ones and the world.
hugs and love to you all,
kathy
It’s on Instagram and Substack but you can find the link on IG – footnotesandtangents.
Happy New Year, Kathy!
Stay safe.
thank you, claudia.
another question … what edition did you read and would you recommend it? thanks again!
kathy
Can’t remember offhand. Look at Simon’s post and you’ll see what he used. When I can look at my copy, I’ll let you know.
The one I used kept the original French that may Russians spoke before the war as well as a translation of the French on the same page. I didn’t want to read an edition where it had been removed. xo
thank you very much! going to check it out on simon’s page.
xo,
kathy
xo
Another cold, gray morning here. Chloe looks darling in her helmet… keeping her warm! Your Poirot puzzle looks so detailed, bet it’ll be fun to read more about the characters. I did a little grocery shopping very early this morning, while it was still very dark. It was nice seeing so many homes out up with Christmas lights… I’ll miss them!
I wish we had lights up all year round!
Stay safe, Barrie.
Hope that Don’s gig goes well today. I don’t need to wait until my birthday next week as my brother bought me the Hercule Poirot jigsaw for Christmas!
I remember that you mentioned the Wolf Hall readalong previously and I have found Simon’s website. I might read at my own pace as I usually have a few books on the go but I got a copy of Wolf Hall in a charity shop recently.
I do know a great deal about Tudor history and its characters already but it will be interesting to see from a new perspective.
As Jeanie mentioned the BBC production with Mark Rylance is excellent.
Happy Saturday
Hurrah! Have fun with the puzzle, Dee Dee.
Yes, working with Shakespeare most of my life, I also know a lot about the Tudors. You have to have done research when you are coaching actors in the text. I confess I don’t know a whole lot about Cromwell, other than the basic facts, so this will be interesting.
Stay safe!
Hoping Don thoroughly enjoys his gig tonite, and all goes well.
When we retired, we made a couple of ground rules….one was don’t go shopping for groceries or anything on the weekend lol. Yesterday was bad enough with the crowds…can’t imagine today.
Your book read along sounds interesting…hope it’s as enjoyable as War and Peace. And, Chloe looks adorable in her helmet and sweater….snowflakes are winter, so I think she’s good.
January is my declutter and organize month as well. The ornaments and bows will come down today, and we will just enjoy the lighted tree for a few more days. I took the Christmas out of the kitchen….and it feels lighter in there.
Enjoy your day! ;)
Actually there was hardly anyone in the store! No problem whatsoever.
Stay safe, Donnamae!
I’m also in a decluttering mood. It started up fiercely about two weeks ago when I had a secret sewing project and was frustrated by the mess in my sewing room, mainly piles on the cutting table. I’ve since started going through the piles, putting things away and de Luo what I no longer wanted or needed. I’ll continue this weekend and I to January.
There’s some sun today after two bouts of rain. Most of the rain fell in the late afternoon and at night so we weren’t inconvenienced by wet weather. I noticed some trees in the neighborhood were co fused, already producing leaf buds while existing leaves were turning and dropping. That can’t be good for the health of the tree. They need a rest break.
We had a minute or two of sun, and more rain. I’m so tired of rain. We had forsythias starting to bloom around here, several months too early!
Stay safe, Wendy.
Chloe looks so sweet, warm and cozy, in her new helmet and red and white snowflake sweater. I have a friend in Nova Scotia whose sister nade her Blythe doll a bean bag chair. So cute. My friend and her sister are planning on opening an Etsy shop in the new year. Can’t wait. Hope Don’s gig goes well. Enjoy your book. It’s certainly the right weather for curling up and reading or doing jigsaw puzzles. Stay warm and cozy. Oh, and leave your tree up as long as you need to. We keep ours up right into the second week of January. And..we keep our porch Christmas lights up all winter. They are so cheerful and hopeful. And if the Christmas light police come knocking I say bah humbug to them, lol. Hugs, Elaine
Oh, how cute a chair like that would be!
Thank you, Elaine!
Stay safe.
Happy New Year to you and Don! May it be filled with fun adventures, good health, and much love!
Happy New Year, Ellen!
Stay safe.
That trilogy has also been on my TBR list for quite a while now. Where do you find out about these read-alongs?
After days and days of gloom, yesterday was a full day of sunshine! Today we’re back to the gloom. We were antsy to get out into the sun so, with our main bathroom reno happening by the end of January, we took a drive up to Kohler to visit the huge Kohler Showroom and look at faucets and shower head options. Saw a lot of bathrooms dreams are made of for sure. I love that little town and it’s only half an hour away. It was my first getting out of the house event since the Friday before Christmas!!
Wishing you and Don a Very Happy New Year!
Kay
On Instagram, of course! Everything is there. Just search for “footnotesandtangents” which is the account of the man who is running the readalongs.
I envy you your sunshine! We long for some, but so far – only a peek every now and then.
Stay safe, Kay!
One of my favorite PBS performances; Mark Rylance as Cromwell. I am so looking forward to the final book they are filming right now. They were a great read too!! I loved them and re-read them after Wolf Hall came out and as soon as the final one in the trilogy was completed I read it immediately. I totally agree with Jeannie on those! And Love that Poirot puzzle. And HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and Don!
I like Mark Rylance, but you know my rule: I don’t watch adaptations of novels I’m reading or have read. The only exceptions being Jane Austen and Dickens.
Happy New Year, Dawn!