Movies - 10/13/2026

Hey, Y'all. I think movie season is about to heat up, but I haven’t researched the Oscar buzz yet. I have, however, watched a flick here and there in the last few weeks. 

Project Hail Mary - with Ryan Gossling - an astronaut awakens on a spaceship not remembering why he is there. He finds his crew members have died. Eventually, he realizes the mission is to prevent a catastrophic event. With the help of an alien on board, he attempts to finish the quest. Cute.

Voicemails for Isabelle - when her sister dies, a woman continues to leave voicemails on her old phone number. She doesn’t know it’s been reassigned. The actual recipient of the calls, who happens to be male, develops feelings for her. It’s a pretty predictable chick flick. Not bad.

Moving On - starring Jane Fonda and Lilly Tomlinson - two old friends reconnect at a funeral. The widower had hurt one of them in the past; so, they decide the path was cleared to get him back. It was entertaining.

Practical Magic - rewatch - I’d like to see Practical Magic 2, but it had been a while since I had seen the first one. I needed to refresh my memory. Two orphaned sisters are raised by their aunts while fighting against the family curse. I loved it all OVER again.

Streamers:

The Four Seasons Season 2 - Netflix - very good

Ted Lasso, Season 4, the Final, Final Season? - Apple - very, very good

I’m hoping to see an acclaimed documentary this week. You’ll be hearing about it.

MK out.

FO Friday - 10/9/2026

 Y'all, I finally blocked the neck thing that I finished in AUGUST. 

I like the way the yarn and pattern played together. The pattern is Bring Me Sunshine. I used Buffalo Wool Company Tracks Sock in Miskinish.

I have a hat OTN currently, but I need to cast on another shawl for #yearofshawls.

MK out.

Book Chat - 9/26/2026

I know today is not Thursday, but I’m going to talk about books anyway. 

Y’all! The Birthday season has begun, but it hasn’t been altogether celebratory yet. We had gone out of town for the month leading up to the Birthday Season. It was a great trip - a month on the British Isle - England, Scotland AND Wales. And then, we came home and found a water leak that had done a bit of damage to the tile and the wood floors upstairs.

For the first couple of weeks of the Birthday Season, there have been wet towels, fans, demolition of floors and walls. The jackhammer the other day added such a flair to the whole shebang.

I suppose I can celebrate that there are less noisy fans today than there were yesterday…

On to happier topics, here are the books I read in August:

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Kline

In Book 2 in the Cerulean Chronicles, we hear Arthur’s story. It was good.

Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

In the little town of Troy, Georgia, Lula Dean is on a mission to remove inappropriately books from all the public libraries. She sets up a tiny library in front of her house and fills it with the books that made her a proper, Southern lady. The townspeople borrow the books and learn more than they bargain for. It was very good.

Famous Once by Jane Green

Astrid Lane, who used to be married to a famous rock star. Her daughter starts working on a retrospective about her dad. Before long, mother and daughter band together to unearth some family secrets. It was good.

The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones by Daven McQueen

A biracial teen is sent to a small town in Alabama by his father to spend the summer. Luckily, the town oddball with a big heart befriends him. Together, they navigate life in a town that does not accept them. It was very good.

The I Hate to Cook Book: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition by Peg Braken

Originally written in the 1960s by a woman who hated to cook. The book has easy, fast recipes that allow you to get to the important stuff you’d rather be doing, whatever they are. Most of the meals reminded me of the types one can find in the midcentury editions of the Betty Crocker Cookbook. I enjoyed reading the introductory blurbs before each recipe.

The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich 

I really like reading just about anything Louise Erdrich writes. Her characters are everyday people. The central characters are involved in a love triangle. Kismet Poe is loved by two young men. It’s interesting to see with whom she ends up. I liked the book very much.

That’s it. That’s the list!

MK out.

 

Book Chat - 8/20/2026

Wowzers, People! I thought I was caught up with everybody on my book reading, and I have another LIST again. I read the following books in June and July.

Before I start, I have to give a shout out: Happy Birthday to Robert Plant!!! (Because he reads my blog, of course.)

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

This book keeps you guessing till the end. You have to keep reading just-one-more-page, because you want to know what is really happening. Two women come together in a seemingly benign way. As more of the story unfolds, it gets darker and more layered. It was good.

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

This author also wrote The Help - a great story with great characters. I have to say that this book is as good. Two sisters, with different economic circumstances, join forces with others (awesome characters all) to try to save two family homes, and a little girl who was left at an orphanage. Oh my! It’s the second five star book for me this year.

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins, Reid

The story is set in the late 70s, early 80s about women pioneers in the space program. I think TJR is a very good writer, and this book did not disappoint. It’s definitely a page turner, and it being set just up the road from my hometown made it more endearing to me. I loved it.

Kin by Tayari Jones

In this book, we watched two girls and their paths to adulthood after being left by their respective mothers. One goes on to be a people pleaser to the life she should. The other sets out to find her mother, no matter the cost. It was very good, although the story ended rather suddenly and subtly for my taste. 

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

A young girl suffers a trauma right before her freshman year in high school. We watch her heal as she navigates high school and all the indignities that come with it. It was good.

Wrecked by Catherine Newman

This book is the sequel to Sandwich. We pick up with Rocky and her family a few years down the road. They are still life-ing. It was good.

It’s already into August and I might have begun another list…

MK out.

WIP Wednesday - 8/12/2026

I am still working on this shawl. It might get finished soon.

That’s it.

MK out.

WIP Wednesday - 7/1/2026

I’m still not ready to show y’all what I’m trying to make with the blue and white yarn, but I started something else.  

I wasn’t ready to give up on this pattern:

I looked in the yarn vault and found this yarn:

I haven’t gotten very far, but I’m thinking this combination will stick.

MK out.

FO Friday - 6/26/2026

When I saw this fabric collection, I knew I had to make something with some of the prints. It’s called Hydrangeas in the Garden by Jennifer Bosworth for Riley Blake. 

I do love me some hydrangeas. I decided I would make pillowcases because, who doesn’t like a pillowcase? I change mine at least every other day, sometimes daily. Plus, I have so many quilts on deck - I didn’t need fabric for yet another quilt, mocking me from the corner.

I couldn’t decide which color way I liked best - the pink or the purple.

I got both.

MK out.