Sylvia's Simple Shots

My Ghosts by Mary Swan  I did not finish this book.

In My Ghosts, with an uncanny eye for the telling detail, Mary Swan brings to vivid life a household of Scottish orphans trying to make their way in Toronto in 1879. The youngest, Clare, has rheumatic fever; the oldest brother has run away. The fate of them all rests on the responsible Ben, the irrepressible Charlie and the two middle sisters: Kez, sarcastic with big ears and a kind heart, and Nan, benignly round but with a hidden talent for larceny and mischief. Fascinating lives spool out from these siblings: a cast of indelible strivers and schemers, spinsters and unhappy spouses, star-crossed lovers and hidden adulterers, victims of war and of suicide--proof of how eventful the lives of "ordinary families" can be.
Swan leaves us with the contemporary Clare, widowed and moodily packing up her house. She isn't sure what she'll do next, and she knows nothing of her family's past. But we do: we recognize the ghosts and echoes, the genetic patterns and the losses that have shaped her as much as her own choices and heartbreaks.

My Little Eye by Stephanie Marland

Can a group of true crime addicts take on the police to catch a serial killer?

A young woman is found dead in her bedroom surrounded by rose petals - the latest victim of 'The Lover'. Struggling under the weight of an internal investigation, DI Dominic Bell is no closer to discovering the identity of the killer and time is running out.

As the murders escalate, Clementine Starke joins an online true crime group determined to take justice in to their own hands - to catch the killer before the police. Hiding a dark secret, she takes greater risks to find new evidence and infiltrate the group.

As Starke and Bell get closer to cracking the case neither of them realize they're being watched. The killer is closer to them than they think, and he has his next victim - Clementine - firmly in his sights.
 

Being in Balance by Dr. Wayne Dyer.

With my life right now this was a good read.  

I will keep it and read it again.

9 Principles for Creating Habits to Match your Desires Dr. Wayne W. Dyer shows you how to restore balance in your life by offering nine principles for realigning your thoughts so that they correspond to your highest desires. This book is dedicated to the idea that we're a vital component of this creative process and have within ourselves the wherewithal to create all that we want if we recognize and revise out-of-balance thoughts.

Choir of Angels - Debbie Macomber Angels are all around us—especially at Christmas!Three classic stories of hope and seasonal cheer.

Shirley, Goodness and Mercy
Greg Bennett hates Christmas. Divorced, almost friendless and about to lose his business, he has no time for what he considers sentimental nonsense. But three irrepressible angels are here to follow him—until he learns what Christmas is truly all about.

Those Christmas Angels
The angels come down to earth again to respond to Anne Fletcher’s prayer request. She wants her son, Roy, to meet a special woman and learn what is actually important in life. So the angels contrive to throw Julie Wilcoff in his path—literally.

Where Angels Go
Another Christmas, another angelic rescue. Three heaven-sent messengers reunite a divorced couple, bring peace of mind to an elderly man and grant a little boy’s fondest wish…because bringing joy is in their job description!

Catching Fireflies - Tony Rocca - True story

In Catching Fireflies, Tony and his wife Mira left their jobs as journalist and travel agent in London and moved to Tuscany, Italy.

They purchased an old fixer-up farm and turned it into a small hotel and they entertained and housed guests from all around the world. Their greatest challenge was the bureaucratic red tape, but they stayed with their plan. 

They also grew grapes in their vineyards and produced fine wine during their twelve-year venture. But like the illusive firefly, they knew when it was time to turn out the lights and move on!

The Weight of Water - Anita Shreve

Plot: The story alternates between two different timelines over a century apart.

The Historical Timeline (1873): It is a fictionalized account of a real double murder on Smuttynose Island off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine, where two Norwegian immigrant women (Karen and Anethe Christensen) were killed, told through the perspective of survivor Maren Hontvedt.

The Modern Timeline: A contemporary photographer named Jean Janes travels to the island in a small sailboat with her husband, her brother-in-law, and his girlfriend to research the crime for a magazine article. As Jean investigates the historic murders, tensions rise, and her own marriage begins to crumble amid suspected infidelity.

I am having trouble finding wood studs in the walls to hang my curtains.

I finally just went out and bought 10lb Command hooks onto which I could hang my curtain rod.

One set for the office/craft room and the other for my bedroom.

The windows have blinds but the room feels finished with curtains.

My aunt and I attended the reception for this show. I am a little closer now.

Form Function and Fun.

Eunju Park - Eunju Park grew up in South Korea and after living in St. Albert, Canada for a decade, she started to feel disconnected from her heritage. She began to explore traditional artifacts in an attempt to reconnect with her Korean roots, discovering hanji art. Hanji is a traditional handmade paper produced from paper mulberry trees and often used to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional art. Eunju carefully tears the paper into abstracted shapes crafting positive messaging in Korean characters and images.
“The process of creating hanji art is extremely therapeutic for me and I have an invigorated passion to share this centuries old vibrant paper with the modern world.”

Marcel Thibodeau works in sculptures from recycled metal.

Slow Stitching - July 2025 - Week 5

With most of my social groups represented and an extra week in July I decided to add seed stitching to the background of this piece.

I used white floss so it only adds texture with not much visual presence to this piece.

It was a lot of work but slow stitching is always so enjoyable.

I have done this month's piece in advance because of the move with took place recently.

It adds some substance to the piece as well.

Upon reflection there a Flickr photography community that I have forgotten to include in this piece.

It has been a valuable experience to remind myself of these wonderful communities.

World Embroidery Day - Fabric Collage

World Embroidery Day 2025 is July 29th.

Only found out yesterday when Sarah Homfray mentioned it.

I decided to make a piece slow stitch art.

I chose blue and green fabrics on a foundartion layer with a bit of batting/wadding.

I practiced a few stitches I have not done for a while.  I moved recently and unpacking has been the priority.

I am happy with the piece and I am not sure how I will use but that is not the point.

It was a nice slow day.

 

Slow Stitching - July 2025 - Week 4

I continue with my social group themed stitching piece as part of the Comfort Coverlet hosted by Kathryn at K3N Cloth Tales. 

I have added a few more groups. I belonged to a card making group on line for many years. There were challenges and exchange groups. I made cards and mailed them away every month for years.

I belong to a sewing group at church before the pandemic and has been reborn after. I belong to the slow stitching community through my participation with K3N's projects on You Tube.

I belong to an art group. I participate in art shows, regular meetings and social events.  Those have been curtailed due to moving but I look forward to getting back into it later this summer.

Slow Stitching - July 2025 - Week 3

I have belonged to bible study groups as a participant and a leader.

I was a leader in women's ministries at church for many years. This lead to organizing events, contributing at meetings, offering creative and practical help to create community for women.

I attended night school for many years and full time studies for a year where I met new people every year and made friends.

I organized a women's group which met in our homes to create community and support for women. It was called Welcome to my Kitchen.  It was a wonderful time. The pandemic put it on hold and it has not returned in that form.I loved it.

Slow Stitching - July 2025 - Week 2

I continued with my social groups on this piece.

This week I have added stitching the represent the neighbours I lived near over the years.  Some I have known well and others just enough to say Hi in passing.

I have taught many classes over the years - card making, paper making, and a few others. I have taken art classes.

I have belonged to several worshiping communities over the years. Some were places to connect on Sunday, others become places I made wonderful friends and I participated in activities at different levels. 

I remember many Tupperware parties, Stampin Up parties, and Pampered Chef parties and a few jewellery parties which all great fun. I just thought of these now so they are not represented in the stitching.

It has been fun to recall the group and then come up with an icon which will remind me of those folks I hung around with at that time.

Slow Stitching - July 2025 - Week 1

My theme for the slow stitching piece for July is Social Groups. It represents the groups to which I have belonged over the years that created community for me. I participated wholeheartedly, contributed to the vibe of the group, and enjoyed those folks who shared the journey with me. Following K3NCloth Tales.

I chose a piece of white on white printed fabric and dyed it with Rangers Distress stains in various colors. I let it dry then rinsed it out to leave the mottled pattern you see.

Being on the volleyball team in high school was a big deal for me. Going on the bus for away games, have my favorite snack (Coffee Crisp), and a uniform which meant I belonged.

I was also in the church choir and I remember practicing from September to be ready for the Christmas concert.

I belonged to calligraphy group for many years. Attending monthly meetings, sitting on committees, taking classes, giving classes, and having social events at Christmas and in the summer.