Hopeful, & Lucky

Living in Northern NJ has been a challenge for all.  Thankfully no one in my family was hurt. Everyone I know lost power for about at least a week. I apologize for not posting something sooner but we've been kind of busy. Some still do not have power.  Most people have some damage.  Everyone knows a few people who have major loses.  We had some damage but overall were lucky.   Our area has been doing drives for the local flooding victims.  Everyone in my area has been effected in some way.   Many of the simple things which were taken for granted have made doing daily things challenging.  It took my co-worker 4.5 hours to get to work this Monday.  The lines of gas also can take hours and you might not even get the gas because stations run out.  Thankfully the gas problem is expected to improve shortly.  Tempers are short because people are tired so I am hopeful.  I voted & I am happy that all the politicking  is over so that we can get on with the important stuff of healing the horrific damage this storm has had on so many lives.

Summer is Flying By

Greeting on this hot summer day. My Summer Reading List Continues...

I had finished up the George R.R. Martin Series (Game of Thrones books)  in the spring.  I loved book 5 and I am waiting for book 6.  I have a few of his other books but I haven't picked those up.  After reading those huge meaty books I have switched to some lighter stuff.

I read a wonderful book called Home to Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani which I loved.  I was happy to find that this book is part of a series.  I have to add her others in this series to my reading list.  It was touching, sweet & funny.

I also read Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks which was a good romance thriller novel.  This was my first novel by him. 

Love in a Nutshell was given to me by a fellow commuter and I enjoyed it so much that I had to look up Janet Evanovich's other work.  I started her Stephanie Plum series and now I am totally hooked.  These novels are sometimes called the numbers series because most of the books have numbers in the title.  I have made a good dent in the 19 or so books in this series they are like popcorn.  This summer I have read:
 One to Get Ready (they made a movie out of this one, skip the movie)
Two for the Dough (Grandma is in danger)
Three to Get Deadly (Uncle Mo's Candy store)
Four to Score (Sweet Sally first appears)
High Five (Uncle Fred goes missing)
Hot Six (Bob the dog enters & Ranger is wanted)
Seven Up (Mooner & Dougie)
Hard Eight (killer Rabbit)
To the Nines (Vegas trip)
Ten Big Ones (Junkman killer)
Eleven on Top (Kan Klean Dry Cleaners)
Twelve Sharp (more Sweet Sally )
Lean Mean Thirteen (Dickie goes m.i.a)
Finger Lickin' Fifteen (BBQ cook off)

Visions of Sugar Plums (Diesel first appears)
Plum Lovin' (more of Diesel)
Plum Lucky (a visit to AC)

On the home front, we added two little kittens to our family in May.  Heddy & Murphy join Amy & Sammy so our fur babies now out number people.

In June I was able to take some vacation time and I attended the ILCS Retreat in Colorado.  This was the first 2 week get away trip that my husband & I took without our son since before he was born.  We've done long weekends but never more than a few days.  I had a nice time and increased my stash in leaps and bounds.  I got to meet a few on line friends & catch up.  We got to see those wild fires first hand and it was sad to witness the damage to that lovely area,

On the work front, things are going well.  I completed a major milestone on my project this Friday so that was a nice end to a stressful week.  The timing was pretty good because reviews are being done this month and this is my first half year review at this job.

My stitching mojo sort of sizzled out in this summer heat.  I do have a few photos I can share but they are things completed in the Spring or Winter.

Mare

Over Due Update

When I last posted I was in love with The George RR Martin Book series which I discovered from watching the HBO show, A Game of Thrones.  Well I am still hooked and I am reading the 5th book.  Santa came though with a Amazon Kindle for Christmas so luck for me I don't need to carry these monster books around.  I have read a few other books in between like Elin Hilderbrand, A Summer Affair and a couple of others.  I love my new Kindle

This fall and winter were crazy.  We had a bunch of plumbing problems and ending up having to have our bathroom re-done because of the water damage caused by a leak from the apartment upstairs,  The kitchen ceiling also needs to be replaced alone with the floor but that will wait until warmer weather so that if they end up ripping up the entire kitchen at least we will be able to grill outside. 

I finished up one job with people I loved working with after almost 2 years.  Because of a referral and a recommendation I got an another job in a different group working in the same building. After a 10 minute interview with the new project manager I had a new job I just had to work out the details with the agency.  This made our holiday much merrier because being unemployed around Christmas is never fun.    As luck would have it I still get to work with the area I left.  The new job is with a new agency but I was hired permanently so I have benefits through the agency.    My interview process with this new agency was rather long but I passed the mustard with all 5 of the people I spoke to.  We had a gap of a month before our new insurance kicked in and I am so grateful we didn't have any issues.  It is all working out.  My new job is intense and I am extremely busy but it is going well.   There is a good group of seasoned people on the new project but the time lines are tight.  I had my first official project feed back review this Friday and everyone was pleased with my performance.  I knew I was doing well but it is still nice to hear and have your efforts acknowledged.

For my birthday in February we went for a visit to see our niece and her family in Vermont.  We had a nice visit and I was given some great mugs from the Bennington Pottery in a light blue splatter design like these below.  I love the 16oz size and when I sip my cup of tea I think of the great visit we had.  I have the brownie baking pan also.  Since my niece discovered that I am a fan of her local pottery it makes shopping for gifts a lot easier for her.  They have these very cool heart bowls that I need to remember to hint that I like for the next holiday.


 Stitch update to follow. 

Mare