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Reading the Norton Anthology

I recently began re-reading the The Norton Anthology of English Literature -- for fun.  Okay, I know that sounds strange, but I was looking for a good challenge. 

So far I've only read The Dream of the Rood and Beowulf -- so we're talking Old English here.  Back in college I took an advanced course in the Old English language (I was just an undergrad, but I'm a sucker for dead languages so I took the course with my teacher's approval).  Old English is a Germanic language brought to Britain by the Anglo-Saxon invaders (loose dates to set the stage -- 450AD-1066AD).  This was the age of the bard in which the heroic ideal reigned.  Family led tribes ruled and the religion of the region was Christianity.

The old version of the Norton Anthology that I have has a rather dull translation of Beowulf, so I decided to read the Seamus Heaney verse translation -- which actually appears in the newer edition of the NA.  I love it because it keeps alive the rhythm and alliteration of the original and in addition the original Old English appears on the facing pages.  Haney's translation is quite impressive.

The last work in Old English is the Battle of Maldon and then I'm already into Middle English and the Canterbury Tales.  More updates to follow.

Driving in the mountains is just like playing Mario Kart

As we were driving through the mountains last week, Maddie kept commenting how it was just like playing Mario Kart on the Wii -- which was my Mother's Day gift (along with some very pretty roses that Maddie picked out for me).

I am a gamer -- I've had every Nintendo system that ever came out (except a few of the weird GameBoy variations) and I play Nintendo DS every day.  Maddie is following in my footsteps, but Pete was never really into these things until the Wii entered our home.  (My Christmas gift the year it came out -- Yes, Pete stood in lines and tried to get one for me.  Poor guy!)  Now we all play together and I think that Mario Kart has been the best game so far for family fun.  I highly recommend it for the gamers and non-gamers in your family as it is so much more interactive than having your kids sitting around playing game by themselves and it's not violent (yeah for non-violent video games!)

Anyone tried the Wii Fit?  I'm so curious as it seem like something that would be right up my alley if it functions well.

Back from the Beach

We're back from Hilton Head Island and pretty much exhausted.  The weather was gorgeous and we spent most of our time swimming, walking on the beach, reading on the balcony, eating and drinking margaritas.  We got lucky with the weather this year (last year we were there during a very early pre-hurricane storm) and the only rain fell at night.

This year we drove down to SC instead of flying for a couple of reasons -- first being cost.  We just couldn't justify spending nearly half of the vacation funds on airfare.  And secondly, it appears that it is better for the environment to drive (at least when you have 3 people in the car).  To tell you the truth, I didn't mind the driving.  We were able to drive through the mountains -- the Appalachian Mountain Range and specifically the Great Smoky Mountains -- which were beautiful.  In addition, this gave us the opportunity to stay overnight, both on the way there and back, in Asheville, NC.  It's a wonderful city filled with restaurants, coffee shops and artists nestled in a mountain valley.  While we didn't have a lot of time to explore since it was basically a place for us to crash at night, we did get enough of a taste that we would like to go back there for a vacation in the future.

Knitting was accomplished -- somewhat -- and the stripy Noro Silk Garden scarf has grown a bit.  I tend to get carsick though, so I tried to drive as much as possible and the rest of the time I had to look straight ahead to avoid queasiness.  The one color of Noro kept splitting, so that slowed me down.  I didn't even start the socks, but probably will now that I'm home -- I'm trying out the Opal since it's new to me -- perhaps later today since thunderstorms are in the forecast.  

I've Got Knitting Fever!

I just finished up this pair of socks for Maddie using Trekking in color 48 -- her favorite color is blue.  These are just knit using my generic sock pattern that is a combination of my sock formula in my head aided by the Yankee Knitter Designs sock pattern which I bought years ago.  It's nice because it gives you a starting point for any size socks knit with almost any weight of yarn.  A handy reference to keep in the sock knitting basket!

But before I even Kitchenered the toe on Maddie's socks I got the itch to start a new project and after surfing around Ravelry a bit, I stumbled upon the Noro Striped Scarf which I've been wanting to make for a while.  Since I'm trying to knit from the stash, I am using the only 2 colors of Noro Silk garden that I had on hand.  I'm still not sure about how they are working together, but I'm enjoying the actual knitting -- so who cares?

And I always like to have a pair of socks on the needles -- plus we have a long car trip coming up -- so I have a decision to make.  First up is Regia in my favorite colors -- orange & brown -- colorway 5757.  I love knitting with and wearing Regia socks, so it's probably the leading contender.  Next is STR Mediumweight in color Crazy Lace Agate.  I knit up a little swatch of this and it is so pretty!  Plus the gauge was right on -- 7.5 st/in.  I kind of want to do something a little special with this yarn and it is a little more difficult to knit with since it's not a stretchy as most sock yarns.  Not the ideal car knitting, I think -- but so pretty!  Finally there is Opal in colorway 1073 -- mostly grey with a bit of yellow and purple.  I've never actually knit a pair of socks with Opal, believe it or not.  It feels soft and fluffy, and the colors are more spring-y (as opposed to the autumn-ish Regia).  Hmmmm. . .

Spring Woods Walk

This past Sunday Pete, Maddie & I went to Pilcher Park for a nice little walk in the woods.  I used to go for walks here as a little girl with my dad and sisters (and probably my mom too, but I think more often we went with my dad), so I enjoy going there now with my family.  It's a really lovely piece of land situated along Hickory Creek and it includes plenty of hiking trails.  We did the "Trail of Oaks" loop which took us through meadows, over creeks and through the forest.  A nice easy hike to get us geared up for the Spring.

As a kid, I remember my dad dragging us girls down into these creeks to dam them up (yes, he was a trouble maker, but he was fun).  There were these pretty blueish flowers in bloom all over the woods. 

And here is a view down Hickory Creek -- what a nice way to spend the afternoon!

In love with Philip Pullman

I've been reading a lot lately and need to get caught up on my book reviews.  Since I've read 3 Philip Pullman books, I'll write about all these together first.  And first up is Once Upon a Time in the North which is another side story in the Dark Materials universe.  It's a nice little story concerning the first meeting of Iorek Byrnison (the king of the bears) and Lee Scoresby (the Texan balloonist).  I loved it just as I loved Lyra's Oxford -- another side story.  These are pretty little books with woodblock prints and little extras thrown in -- like the board game in the back of Once Upon a Time in the North.  A must have for fans of the Dark Materials trilogy.

I also read the next two Sally Lockhart mysteries -- or perhaps a better word is devoured.  They were both excellent and I think everyone should give them a try.  I just love Sally and really enjoyed being back with her for a little while. 

And while I'm on the subject of Philip Pullman... I recently listened to an excellent podcast from The Guardian in which Philip Pullman speaks and answers questions concerning the Dark Materials trilogy.   After hearing him, I like him even more!

I really want to get a copy of Milton's Paradise Lost which includes commentary by Philip Pullman as well as engravings from the 1688 illustrated manuscript.  Wow!