Lightbulbs

While I was recuperating, I read The Mists of Avalon which is apparently the classic feminist Arthurian epic. Somewhat of a narrowly defined genre, but there we go. I liked it, although I started to lose steam somewhere around page 950. Of 1008 (at least in the edition I was reading). I considered giving up, but decided that abandoning at the 950 page mark would be like running a marathon to mile 25 and then stopping because I was bored. Overall, it was enjoyable, and it was much appreciated while I was too zonked to do anything besides sleep and read (couch...bed...couch...chair...bed...etc). I'm not sure I'm going to embark on the rest of the series, though.

 

When I checked in to the hospital, I was in the middle of the latest instalment of the 44 Scotland Street books by Alexander McCall Smith, The Unbearable Lightness of Scones. It was PERFECT for reading in the hospital - short, choppy chapters, not too much to ponder, enough witty McCallSmithisims to make me chuckle. I even read it at 3am while having antibiotics delivered through an I.V. drip (I couldn't sleep). 

 

The only problem was that I finished it mid-morning and was left with nothing to read. I went down to the hospital bookstore and bought a Maeve Binchy Christmas Short Story Extravaganza (I didn't realize it was a Christmas-themed collection of short stories - I thought it was just a normal potboiler. It was syrupy and dreadful.) and a Kate Atkinson book. Before I realized that I HATED the last Kate Atkinson I read. EPIC FAIL. Blame my weakened state. Both books were...er...donated to the hospital when I left.

Since getting out of the hospital, I've done lots of ringing: last night I rang another quarter peal (my third - WOOT!) at Earl Stonham. On the treble again - I think I'm going to be 'blowing behind' for my next QP attempt and then after that I'll move to the great lands of Ringing Inside. I am also the proud owner of a Suffolk Guild of Ringer badge. I have to figure out where to pin it - I'm afraid if I put it on my coat that I'll lose it. Tonight there were only 8 of us at Old Newton, so I got to ring some Bob Doubles, have my first go at calling Bob Doubles, and have another stab at St. Simons. Two methods down, thousands more to go. Speaking of, a few bell ringers have reported that they've 'discovered' the blog, while googling for "Buxhall church" and "ringing". Yep, that'll bring you here...hi guys!!

My sweater is coming along - there was a bit of unravelling to be done after I realized I'd messed up part of the pattern. "Count stitches, place marker, purl, etc..." 

"Hmm, that's funny," I thought. "Wonder what that's for. Oh well, I'll just carry on." And then I looked at the picture. ::Lightbulb:: "Ooooohhh...that's what I was supposed to be doing. Bother!" ::Epic unwinding::  It's all sorted now, although the back panel which was finished is now not. Front left is sorted, though.