Love and Hate and Authors

This week's Booking through Thursday question: Which is worse? Finding a book you love and then hating everything else you try by that author, or reading a completely disappointing book by an author that you love?

For me, the answer is easy. The second one. I will usually drop an author quickly if his or her books don't keep meeting my expectations. If I've come to love an author, though, it's hard to let go. I find this to be particularly true of authors who have been writing for a while and who begin to earn enough money that their editors stop editing and just push to get the books to market. It's disappointing all the way around.

The example that comes to mind is the later Elizabeth Peter novels. I actually threw one of them against the wall one summer - a signed hard copy, mind you - because I was so angry with what she'd done. I must admit that I did buy at least one or two more after that, but I know that there have been later releases that I haven't.

National Library Week

This week is the ALA sponsored National Library Week. In honor of this, Booking Through Thursday, a weekly meme about books and reading, asks: How often do you use your public library and how do you use it? Has the coffeehouse/bookstore replaced the library? Did you go to the library as a child? Do you have any particular memories of the library? Do you like sleek, modern, active libraries or the older, darker, quiet, cozy libraries?

Unfortunately, I don't use the public library as often as I should. Mostly I use it to check out books on tape or to stock up on light reading when I'm going on vacation. The last time I used it, I checked out some baby name books.

I don't believe the coffeehouse or bookstore has replaced the library. They offer different services than libraries do. Most coffeehouses don't offer books, for instance. I've seen articles recently showing that usage of public libraries is up due to the economy. As people continue to look for ways to cut costs, I think being able to obtain books and access to the Internet for free will continue to draw patrons into their local libraries.

As a child I used my school library a lot. I don't think I went to a public library regularly until I was in middle school. Once I conquered reading and really began zooming through books, my local public library became my favorite place to go. I used it a lot through middle and high school.

I prefer well-lit traditional libraries, with comfy chairs and all of that. I'm not one who ever really studied in the library, unless I was doing something with a group, so I also don't think that they need to be as quiet as a tomb, either. I'm really excited about this project at my alma mater and hope that they will obtain the funds needed to complete the transformation from stark office space back to cozy reading room, especially since the existing "reading room" is now used almost exclusively as a lecture space.

Finally, as someone who is trained as a librarian, I'd like to mention the librarians who influenced me over the years. I think meeting Mrs. Miller, the school librarian, when I was in 4th grade put me on course to going to library school many years later. She probably more than anyone else influenced me to become a reader. She was followed by Ms. Blair in middle school and Mrs. K. (Kelter? Keltzer?) in high school. Nearly everyone remembers Bruce at my alma mater, the most amazing reference librarian I've ever met. And then Margery, the college archivist who hired me one summer. I worked for her for 3.5 years and then went off eventually to library school so I could follow in her footsteps.

How have libraries and librarians influenced your life?

Happy Easter

We've been sick here. Both the girls and I have had bronchial infections. It's been a miserable few days. Fortunately, before we all got sick, I was able to make these. I'm not sure why this one looks so tilted; it isn't really. Of course, they still haven't been mailed. Maybe tonight, since we're all starting to feel a bit better.

I hope you all have a Happy Easter.

6 Things

Lee tagged me a while ago to list the 6 Things that make me Happy. I was hoping to track down more pictures, but time has gotten away from me. So here they are:

My daughters

My hubby

My friends

The yellow flowers of spring - daffodils, forsythia, etc.

Good chocolate

Crafting - stitching, stamping, etc.

I was going to tag some folks, but given my delinquency, I won't.

Firsts

Borrowed from Geggie.

1. Who was your FIRST prom date?
Dan. Who was also my date to the wedding where I met DH.

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?
Nope. (Who?)

3. What was your FIRST alcoholic drink?
Beer.

4. What was your FIRST job?
Girl Scout Camp Counselor

5. What was your FIRST car?
1983 Ford Escort

6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?
Don't text.

7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?
The babies

8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?
I had 2 of them: Mrs. McNaboo and Miss Persons.

9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?
My first ride was from Buffalo to Atlanta, but I had several more flights until I reached my destination, Rio de Janeiro.

10. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk?
Jen Keller. Yes. She's a godmother to DDA.

11. Where was your FIRST sleep over?
Family: grandparents Friend: Jen

12. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?
DH

13. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time?
Lisa and Frank's, where I took Dan as my date and met Paul

14. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?
Looked at the clock

15. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to?
Sheila E., the Oak Ridge Boys, and Kenny Rogers.

16. FIRST tattoo?
None, thank you.

17. FIRST piercing?
In fourth grade, my ears.

18. FIRST foreign country you visited?
Canada - it was less than an hour away.

19. FIRST movie you remember seeing?
Bambi.

20. When was your FIRST detention?
7th grade. First and only.

21. What was the FIRST state you lived in?
New York.

22. Who was your FIRST roommate?
My sister

23. If you had one wish. What would it be?
To have my grandparents meet their great-granddaughters.

24. What is something you would learn if you had the chance?
To play the piano.

25. Who do you think will be the next person to post this?
Brave Astronaut

Two Finishes

I promised you that when Lee received her package that I would share photos of my February finishes with you. She has, so here they are.

I finally found a teapot design I liked for the Bride's Tree SAL in a pattern book that a friend sent me this fall. When I went looking for a scrap of fabric to stitch on, I found the pre-finished jar cozies in my stash. Perfect, except, of course, that they're not ornaments. Oh well.

I only kept the general shape of the teapot from the original pattern. (It was blue, with a heart motif.) I chose the colors to go with the fabric, and I designed the poinsettia motif myself, based on some other patterns I had.

Here's Lee's gift. I included a chocolate bar, 6 different teas, 6 hand-made cards with envelopes, a card folio, and (not shown) a piece of ~8"x10" archival mat board, as well as the cozy.

In other news, I've started stitching my rose pattern for the SAL. I'm determined to get these done this year. To recap, I finished stitching January through July last year. I've started the November angel. I've now finished the September teapot and am working on the August rose. I have the October pinecone pattern ready to go, which leaves me with figuring out a December Santa. Both the October and November patterns are a bit intricate, so they may take me a while.

Stitchy Fingers

I've been stitching again. I started on two small projects two Sundays ago. They are essentially the same project done twice. One's for me, and the other's for Lee's gift. I knew I had to do them in tandem or I'd never finish the second one. I finished them last night. It's been so good to be stitching again. So good!

I'll post pictures when Lee receives her package.