Journal to a Muse

Binges at Borders

The Borders store at which I used to be a barrista (!) is being shut down. Everything in the store was 25% or 50% off. I couldn't help myself. (Perhaps I should have made a list. I think the delayed gratification of Amazon would have saved me enough money to buy one more.) But I also would hate it if there were NO bricks and mortar book stores. It is bad enough that the independents are starving.

Coming to Our Senses by Jon Kabat Zinn

From what I've read recently, Mindfulness is better than prayer or meditation for lowering bloodpressure, corticosteroids and general crabbiness. I am hoping that it will help prevent a recurrance of cancer, too. His writing is straightforward, intelligent and encouraging. It is a really really long book, though, and I've only just started.


The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Sometimes I am wary of first novels. Ms. Jacobs seems to have exactly the right mix of plausability, surprise and knitterly wisdom in her novel about a single mom, her teen daughter and assorted people who are entwined by their affection for good yarns and knitting.


Knitters Circle by Ann Hood
Borders was SO clever to put both of these fiction books on the end cap by the knitting books! Couldn't resist. and this one I read in 1.25 sittings. These knitters knit because they have huge losses and only the semi-mindless concentration of knitting helps them get through... and the loving kindness of their fellow knitters of course. At times the drama was a bit over the top (although nothing compared to 24, American Idol, or what passes for entertainment on TV.) As I said, I read it quickly and all the way to the end.

The New Creative Artist by Nida Leland.
The visual beauty of the examples is what drew me to this at first. I didn't especially like the over-ly full layout. But considering the price, you get LOTS of suggestions and inspiration. Balm for the creative spirit, indeed. I could probably work for months just from the pages on Abstraction.




Morehouse Farm Merino Knits.
It was the "mola-style" mittens that made me purchas this book. I'd never have thought of apliqueing critters or symbols to mittens. There are some lovely lace pieces, hats and WILD pillows, too.



Jean Frost Jackets
I'd been eyeing this book for quite some time. Although you wouldn't know it from the cover, the stitch textures are partly what make these patterns so perfect for jackets. I hope that moving to a land of decreased temperatures will concide with decreased girth.