A Spark!

Rather unexpectedly, our trial did not finish today, but court won't reconvene until next week, so my late-night assistance wasn't required tonight--yay! Instead, I was able to enjoy a dinner out with Hubby and friends at the Cheesecake Factory--do you have one in your area? We've only eaten there a couple times and it's awfully noisy inside, but the food is pretty good, and we managed to be seated in a section that was a little quieter--accoustics or something, I suppose. But really, no matter where you go or what you eat, spending time with people you care about is the best, isn't it?

After dinner, I had to stop by the grocery store, where I came across this--

Have you seen it yet? Now that I'm familiar with so many designers in Blogland, I find I pay more attention to who designs quilt projects for magazines than I used to, and I suspect many of you do too. And, of course, there were a few familiar names in this one. But the best thing was that in looking through the magazine, I felt a flicker of excitement that nearly--oh so nearly--spurred me on and into the Sweat Shop. Not quite, though, and I'll tell you why.

First, I looked at the clock and it was just past 9:30 p.m. That seemed a bit late to wander into the Sweat Shop and start something. I knew I'd probably just sit in there and look around and do nothing productive--because that's pretty much what I've done the last couple times I've gone in there. I need more time. Hopefully tomorrow night will be a good time to sew.

But the other reason I didn't head into the Sweat Shop was that I just felt like being lazy and reading this evening. When I mentioned reading yesterday, there were a couple comments asking what I was reading. Well, I'm reading one of the series of Kate Shugak books by Dana Stabenow, Whisper to the Blood. The series takes place in Alaska and the stories are somewhat suspenseful mysteries. The unusual thing about Dana Stabenow is that she's not afraid to kill off characters you wouldn't expect, so the books are anything but predictable.

Last week I read the new Jennifer Chiaverini book, The Union Quilters. My friend Julie-Julia was reading it around the same time, and we talked just a bit about it while we were reading. Both of us found the book a little bit slow. I love all the Elm Creek Quilters books and this one is no exception, but I didn't find myself caring much about these characters for some reason; in fact, I kept getting a little confused about who was who and what their relationships were to the others. The book just didn't seem to grab my attention quite as much as the previous books, but maybe that was just me. Have you read it yet? What did you think?

I like to buy a lot of my books used through Amazon, and I indulged in a little book-buying spree a month or so ago, so I have lots and lots of promising books to read. I'm sure I'll regain my balance, though, between quilting and reading before too long. In the meantime, I think I'll go take a bath and then head to bed with the Kate Shugak book. What have you read lately?