First Reads for January

January is another 2-book month.  However, the choices are skimpy for me this month. 

1. Psych thriller - When I Was You
2. Contemporary Fiction - The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock
3. Suspense - Thief River Falls
4. Domestic Suspense - Last Day
5. Non-fiction - The Future of Feeling
6. Thriller - The Names of the Dead
7. Historical Fiction - In a Field of Blue
8. Picture Book - Bird Hugs

I'm not a fan of thrillers or suspense, so that knocks half the books out right there.  The non-fic doesn't look interesting (subtitle: "Building empathy in a tech-obsessed world"), and picture books don't do well on a Kindle.  So, one Contemporary Fic, one Hist Fic.  

More decluttering - CDs

Spent the weekend in the office, trying to rearrange to make room for an endtable and the old stereo.  That's so I can buy the gizmo to connect the stereo to the computer and transfer some cassettes to MP3. 

Which led to sorting AAAALLLLLLLL the CDs, and now there's a big box and bag of CDs at the front door to go Away.  And the Breyers in boxes are not piled in front of the CD racks anymore, which looks better, but now there's more crap piled around the computer. 

Deck chairs on the Titanic?  And there's a card catalog at the MU Surplus Auction on Wednesday, but I have no place for it.  Was stupid enough to mention it on Facebook, so now Mom and Sister are nagging me to hell and back about it.  "Can't you find a dozen little things to get rid of, to make room?"  Well, NO.  What do you think I've been doing??

New year, new decluttering

For 2020, one of my returning goals is decluttering.  I don't seem to have much luck.  Two generations of borderline hoarders is working against me.  This year, I've started a list of what I've gotten rid of. 

Over the weekend, I  cleaned out a bit of the fridge (a stupid amount of moldy grapes is composting now.  Also, a watermelon.), and a couple of cabinets.  Tossed 10 packs of Tim Tams from 5+ years ago.  A ten year old half-bottle of karo syrup that was mostly solid.  A few pounds of sunflower seeds that had gone rancid. 

Otherwise, 20 cheap tote bags are going away.  Took construction paper and crayons to the library for the kid programs.  Took a bunch of series books that haven't sold and donated them to the Friends.  Four magazines to Upscale. 

More mending

After buying 3 packs (11 total) of denim needles, I spent another afternoon sewing belt loops and pocket corners.  Managed to only break one more needle, and it was a hand-sweing needle, while fixing a belt loop.

Next up, I still need to fix the straps on one tote bag, since they're unraveling at the edges, and try to fix my Friends of the Library tote that had an unfortunate run-in.  I managed to get tangled in the strap and trip, and my weight managed to put a 5-inch or so tear down the middle of one side.  It's a nasty tear, so there will have to be muslin backing to make up for the now-missing fabric that came unraveled along the tear.  Yay. I did find matching thread at Jo-Ann Fabrics, but also came out with 3 yards of fabric and about 6 remnants.  It would be faster and cheaper if I just did all my Jo-Ann shopping online.

2020 mending

My goal for New Year's Day was to work on the pile of mending.  Because apparently that's where all Chris' jeans were - 5 pairs.  And other things.

Behold, Mount Denim

I managed to fix the strap on the soda cooler, which required picking out all of the old attempt to fix it, and the hole in D's hoodie. 

 first attempt

 after picking out the old attempt

Patch #2, reinforced on both sides

 The holey hoodie

 Many, many jeans with pocket holes

 Oops

But the jeans were not a rousing success.  I managed to break all three denim needles on two pairs of jeans. 

And, possibly my biggest accomplishment of the year, I managed to somehow sew the darning foot to the jeans.  Before breaking another needle.

And now I've got 11 more denim needles (6 Singer, 5 Schmertz).  I hope they last long enough to fix another 6 or so pairs of jeans, if I don't run out of patch-denim before that.  Had to sacrifice a leg from a pair of jeans I made into shorts. 

December's First Reads

Eight books again

1. Suspense - Unspeakable Things
2. Contemporary Fiction - Beginner's Guide to Free Fall
3. Psychological Thriller - I Choose You
4.  Crime Fiction - Lost Hills
5. Historical Fiction - Toward the Midnight Sun
6. Family Drama - This is Not How It Ends
7. Nonfiction - We Will Rise
8. Children's picture book - Naughty Ninja Takes a Bath

The suspense sounds dark and icky.  Contemporary fiction is another family drama, sounds blah.  Psych thriller is all abduction and murder.  Crime fiction also sounds abduction and murder.  Historical fiction is the Klondike gold rush, so not another WWII book. "Family drama" seems to mean a will-they/won't-they romance. The non-fiction is basically the basketball version of "We Are Marshall" but heavy on the sports information.

Looks like the historical fiction is it for this month.

November's First Reads

Eight choices again this month.

• Thriller - Nine Elms by Bryndza
• Suspense - Home Truths by Seskis
• Contemporary fiction - Holly Banks Full of Angst
• Historical fiction - Once Night Falls
• Suspense - In the Dark by White
• True crime - If You Tell by Olsen
• Picture book - This Book is Gray by Ward
• Non-fiction - That Wild Country by Kenyon

I'm not a fan of thrillers, suspense, or true crime, so that knocks my options down a lot.  Once Night Falls is about Nazi-occupied Italy, and I'm kind of over WWII historical fiction.  Holly Banks Full of Angst sounds too fluffy.  That Wild Country actually looks interesting anyway, so I guess that's the one.