"Exquisite" Doily

I kind of fell behind on my craft goal. Too many books lately. But last night I finished a doily. It's called "Exquisite" and is an experienced level project. Can't say I'm experienced level myself, but I must say it didn't come out half bad. The only way to get experience is to tackle the hard jobs.

I've got two more almost completed projects so I'm hoping to get another listed as done soon. I have three days off this weekend so my goal is to finish one of my two 600 page plus books and one of the crafts. Here's hoping.

I couldn't find a picture of it, but this is the book it came from. There are some beautiful doilies in this. It won't be long before I'll be trying another.

Republic

"The unexamined life is not worth living."

I finally, finally finished Plato's "Republic". This is the hardest book I've ever read. I don't know if people are sophisticated enough today to already understand the points he was trying to make, or if the whole thing is over my head. Confuscious says "To know what one does not know is characteristic of one who knows." I don't claim to be wise, but I kept up with him. But I'm just not sure where we went.

The book is a dialog. Plato, through the voice of Socrates, leads his audience on a quest to figure out what justice is. Is it better to be a just man perceived as unjust or to be an unjust man perceived as just? In trying to answer the question of who would be happier, Plato builds up a theoretical Republic from the ground up. He covers art, education, religion, politics and family matters and their place in his perfect state. He envisions a state where everyone is happy working with their own talents. Yet he builds in classes.

I was reminded of "Animal Farm."
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.
It's nowhere I would want to live.
Kimmie

Resolution Success

I'm doing well with my resolutions this year. I've finished my brown afghan. The sage afghan just needs to be whip stitched together. I started the towel to go with the Goose Girl picture in the bathroom and I have made a good deal of progress on it. I also gave away a plastic canvas project I don't want to do.
I got behind on the e-mail but I went through 110 yesterday. I caught up with the magazines and I caught up with the book club, although Oprah's site is down this morning so I can't post. I've been kinda doing recipes. I've been adapting with what's on hand. But I gotta say I did not like the fish. I think that's mainly because I don't particularily like fish. It was baked with crushed garlic and lemon-pepper. Nothing too earth shaking there but I threw it all out. But I've got my eye on an asparagus quiche for this weekend. Yum!
I've kept up (mostly) with my diet journal. I've lost three pounds. I only have three pieces of candy in the house. No cookies or ice cream. I don't want to think about that.
I didn't manage to get into reading "The Jungle" for the Barnes and Noble bookclub. I will, however, probably join whatever book discussion Oprah chooses. And I'm going to finish P;ato's Republic if it kills me. Which I think is a real possibilty. Kimmie

Craft Set-backs

Well, I'm trying to get the crafts organized but life isn't helping. I went to Walmart to get the supplies needed for a few projects and had a problem. The were out of one of the cross-stitch colors. And they've either stopped making the green crochet thread or Walmarts is just going to quit carrying it. Either way they've no longer kept the tag up for it. So here's hoping Hobby Lobby or Michael's has it.

Of course, with my luck, the company quit manufactoring the color. That's what happened with Callie's tablecloth. After it hit about 51/2 ft diameter I couldn't get anymore yellow and had to pull out several rows and create my own finish rounds. I must say my solution was just as good as the written instructions anyway.

But, now I have to make mine and I'm doing it in blue. Will the company quit manufactoring that color too? I've got about 1 1/2 ft of it done with about 5 rolls of blue thread waiting in the drawer. Which means I probably need a dozen or so more. If they quit this color I'm truely screwed.

Kimmie

New Year Resolutions

I'm going to spend this year organized. I spent three days getting all my ducks alighned and I'm now ready to face the year. I have gotten my spreadsheet ready for the years budget. I have organized my kitchen. And I have gathered all my started craft projects together and formed a plan to get them finished. My original thought was to finish two projects for everyone started but after getting them together I realized I have 14 jobs started. So I won't be starting anything else for a while. The good news is I'll have three done by the end of the month. That would be the brown wallowing afghan, the green "keepsake doilie" and the leave coasters.

I'm redoing my living room and all of the fall, leafy geegaws are getting put up so I have to finish the leaf coasters so they can go into the box. Is it crazy to do something just to put it out of sight? I have my reasons, but it still seems odd.

Kimmie