I always describe myself as Olive Oil when I am pulled this way and that. (All you youngsters out there, Popeye and Bluto used to yank Olive Oil one on each arm as they tried to win her affection…) But right now it is a good Olive Oil-ness since I am having a blast.
- We’re planning a trip to Morelia and Patzcuaro in mid December. I’ve been checking in with people for information on yarn shops and hope to be able to connect with Cristina (Mexico Cooks) and possibly even son Adam and his family if they could pop up from Mexico City.
- I have been knitting knitting knitting and have finished a dress for Consuelo and a felted purse for myself. The purse was because I wanted a bag that was just large enough for my camera, cell phone, coin purse, and keys. It is drying right now but it is going to be exactly what I wanted! Yay! I listened to a couple of audio books while I knitted – Bill Bryson’s The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid was his hilarious recounting of his Midwestern childhood in the 50’s. I also read Malcolm Gladwell’s What the Dog Saw – I absolutely love his perspective on a variety of topics.
- I’ve been helping a friend with a new business, and enjoying what feels like real work even though it is just playtime for me.
- I cut Henry the schnoodle’s fur, and he really looks like Harry the Dirty Dog now. I think he was grateful for a bye this time from going to the groomer, but next time he’ll have to get a pro job for sure!
- I bought a Kindle, and if my luck holds it will be delivered Thursday. (that is three days for delivery!) I have been downloading books like crazy from all over the internet, getting ready to have a gigantic library at my fingertips. I’ve been all over bit torrent sites, free books sites, public domain sites, and everything in between. Then I downloaded an open-source program called Calibre that will convert e-books in various formats into the format of whatever reader you own. I was in a frenzy all day today getting all my files organized. I had to laugh because it is exactly what I would do if I was given 20 boxes of books – spend the day opening them all and organizing them and checking for duplicates and planning what I’d read first.
- I decided to start up a group for English speaking knitters in Mexico on Ravelry for social networking but also to create a list of nice yarn stores in Mexico. It is growing slowly but I am happy with how it is going so far. (Link in left menu bar)
It is Thanksgiving tomorrow and we are going to eat at Pizza Moreno with friends. They always do a nice holiday meal, and even though I don’t eat the turkey the rest of the meal is delicious. I will be thankful for a lot this year. Our good health. Our wonderful family. Our interesting and delightful friends both near and far. Our generous blog readers, and of course the internet, that makes so much closeness possible, shrinking this big old world to a manageable size.
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November 26th, 2009 at 6:54 am
Actually Nancy, it is Olive OYLE…but I get the message. Remember her fluttering her eyelashes and holding her clasped hands under her chin muttering “ohhh, Popeyeeeee”.
It’s great to hear you so excited about your Kindle ‘cuz I have felt that way from the git go and I am ever so anxious for you to teach me about different downloadings. Maybe after this holiday week and after your get yours, I am hoping.
Have a lovely day today and I am going to start getting my myriad vegetables prepped as I have everything from eggplant to beets and all in between! Gobble, gobble.
November 26th, 2009 at 7:58 am
Gee, I thought I had been busy, but I have decided that you get the prize instead!
I will be eager to hear where the yarn shops are. I am not a knitter, but I love to crochet and honestly, the yarn supply here in Alamos is just okay.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Paul! Linda and Bill
November 26th, 2009 at 11:48 am
I love the idea of Calibre. I have an original Kindle which I love, but every once in awhile I come across a book that is not in Kindle format. I downloaded and donated to boot.
Thanks for the recommendation.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Zoe, I think it will be fun to be Kindle Pals. When I get it and do some of these conversions I’ll share what I have with you, too.
Linda, Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving to you and Bill, too. You should join the group at Ravelry, it is for both knitters and crocheters, we all need nice yarn, after all!
Mike, I have been converting some books and it seems to work great.
November 27th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
You have indeed been busy, but the fun kind, not the stressful kind! We are about to buy a Kindle for ourselves and appreciate the tip on Calibre! If you have a favorite “free book” site, we’d love to know it!
November 28th, 2009 at 6:29 am
Recently found out about the Morelia Film Festival, which is beginning to make a name for itself. Definitely want to attend next year as we missed it this year by one month. I heard Tarrantino discussing it on the tellebishun last night. Sounds like a nice trip for December.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Chris, I love the Kindle, am about to do a post about it. Here are a few links:
http://www.free-ebooks.net/
http://www.fullbooks.com/
http://books.google.com/books
http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/
…but most of mine have come from bit torrent sites that are not really available to you in the US. Sorry about that!
Zoe, Yes, I read about that, too. Also in November there is a great market in Patzcuaro (read Mexico Cooks for info). Plus of course the butterflies. We are going to explore the cities, not taking the time for the butterflies right now. This is part of our “scouting for a cooler spot for 6 weeks in the summer” project.