Book ~ "What Makes a Family" (2017) Colleen Faulkner

From Goodreads ~ Nestled in the Chesapeake Bay, Brodie Island is charming, remote and slow to change. For three hundred years, Abby Brodie's farming family has prospered there. Now, years after leaving to make her way on her own terms, Abby is coming home to see her ailing grandmother, with her teenage daughter and a wealth of memories in tow. Yet as family members gather at the old farmhouse, Abby realizes this visit offers more than a chance to say goodbye.

After decades of feeling she was a disappointment as a daughter, Abby is beginning to see that her mother, too, has struggled to feel a sense of belonging within the Brodie family. Celeste, Abby's self-centered sister, is far from the successful actress she pretends to be, and needs help that only Abby and their half-brother, Joseph, can give. But most surprising of all is the secret that Grandmother Brodie has been carrying - one that will make each woman question her identity and the sacrifices she's willing to make to gain acceptance.

Sarah Agnes, the family matriarch, is on her deathbed at the home she shares with Joe, her son, and Birdie, his wife (and also Sarah Agnes' adopted daughter). Abby and Celeste, Joe and Birdie's daughters, along with Sarah, Abby's daughter, and Joseph, Joe's illegitimate son, have gathered to say their good-byes. Abby is in a happy marriage with Drum and Celeste is a has-been actress looking to mooch off whoever she can. Birdie is a cold mother who does what she has to do in taking care of her family.

 

I wasn't crazy about this book. It's really drawn out and draggy so by the end, I really didn't care. The story is told in first person perspective in Abby, Sarah Agnes, Birdie and Celeste's voices (the chapters are labelled). I found Abby boring, Birdie was cold (it would have been nice to know why she was the way she was) and Celeste was too unrealistically self-centred. I was more into Sarah Agnes' story of when she was younger and it was interesting as Sarah, her great granddaughter, dug and learned more about her.

Blaze Pizza, Toronto, ON (Dundas E)

Gord, Trish and I had supper at Blaze Pizza (at Yonge Street/Dundas Street E) ... it's been a while since I've been there.

You can order one of their signature pizzas or build your own ... I built my own.  There are lots of ingredients to choose from. That's my pizza ... with regular sauce, extra mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, ham, bacon and tomatoes.  It was good!

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles. The colours are black and orange.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Iberostar Selection Holguin, Holguin, Cuba

When Sunwing cancelled our vacation to Punta Cana the day we arrived at the airport, Anne, Franca and I scampered to rebook another vacation ASAP. Franca and Anne work so didn't have the flexibility to not take the planned week off. After three hours of going online and calling other providers, the best we could do was the 4 star Sol Turquesa Beach in Holguin (via Air Transat) leaving on Sunday. When we arrived at there late Sunday night, where was everyone?! There are over 500 rooms but apparently only 80 guests. Because of that, a lot of things are closed down and not happening ... no entertainment, no activities, nothing. 

Monday afternoon we spoke with Pablo, the Air Transat rep on site, and asked him to move us. For another $458 each, he moved us the next day to the 5 star Iberostar Selection. We had to pay for the cab to get us there ($25US).

Adele and his '41 Chevy

A much better resort and worth the move! Though it wasn't at capacity, there were lots of guests so there was energy and people to talk with. At night, the animation team put on shows. 

We had a fun time here. My only complaint about the resort is that their WIFI sucked. It was free throughout the resort, including the rooms. When we arrived, we were given a temporary login and then picked up our permanent login info later that day. I wasn't able to get access on my phone at all so used roaming from my provider at home (I'm not looking forward to seeing that charge!). My iPad and laptop were hit and miss ... sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, sometimes it was speedy. Once we inputted our login info that should have been it for the week but I found I was often asked to input it on a daily basis. That was annoying.

These carts drove around often and you could hop on
and head to the main building, the snack bar, the beach,
back to your room, etc.

My room was a five minute walk to the main building and the pool (in the other direction). It had a mini fridge, giant fan above the bed, a/c, etc.

Book ~ "Beverlee Beaz meets Lowree Louise, the Blue Burmese" (2025) Regan W. H. Macaulay and Wei Lu

From Mirror World Publishing ~ Beverlee Beaz, the brown Burmese, longs to share her creative adventures with someone special. When she meets her new sister, Lowree Louise, the blue Burmese, she knows she has found a true friend with whom to play imagination games ... if only she can teach the little kitty how. 

Join Beverlee in her latest tale as she mentors her sister in the ways of imagination.

Beverlee Beaz is a brown Burmese cat with a very active imagination.  Her world is perfect except she realizes that something is missing in her life. Her human parents coincidentally surprise her with a new sister named Lowree Louise, a blue Burmese cat. Beverlee is really excited because now she has someone she can play with and mentor. And so begins the adventures of Beverlee Beaz teaching Lowree Louise the best game in the world, which is using their imaginations.

This is a story for young children and not only is it cute but it also encourages children to use their own imagination. So instead of just seeing a red cardinal, imagine that it's a fire breathing dragon! The illustrations are gorgeous and colourful. At the end of the book, there are a couple activities ... colouring a picture of Lance the white stallion as a pegasus and a word scramble.

Book ~ "The Five Year Lie" (2024) Sarina Bowen

From Goodreads ~ She thought it was love. Then he vanished.

On an ordinary Monday morning, Ariel Cafferty's phone buzzes with a disturbing text message. "Something’s happened. I need to see you. Meet me under the candelabra tree ASAP." The words would be jarring from anyone but the sender is the only man she ever loved. And it's been several years since she learned he died.

Seeing Drew’s name pop up is heart-stopping. Ariel’s gut says it can’t be real. But she goes to the tree anyway. She has to.

Nobody shows. But the text upends everything she thought she knew about the day he left her. The more questions she asks, the more sinister the answers get. Only two things are clear: everything she was told five years ago is wrong and someone is still lying to her.

The truth has to be out there somewhere. To safeguard herself - and her son - she’ll have to find it before it finds her. And with it, the answer to what became of Drew.

Arial has had a mindless job for the last five years working for the company her uncle and late father set up.  It allows her to do what she really wants to do, which is glass blowing. Arial is a single mom to four-year-old Buzz and she hasn't seen Drew, his father, since he took off before she realized she was pregnant. She'd done some digging and discovered from Drew's obituary that he had passed away not long after he left her.

One day she receives a text from Drew out of the blue asking her to meet him ASAP. Though Drew has been dead for five years, she still goes to the meeting place and no one  shows up. This prompts her to start reinvestigating Drew and as she does, she discovers he may not be who he said he was and she's determined to find out the truth.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I thought it was okay. It was a bit convoluted and confusing at times. It's written in first person perspective in Ariel's voice and third person perspective in Drew's voice. It jumps back in time from today to five years ago (the chapters are labeled). Slowly we discover what Drew was up to and why he had to vanish. The ending comes rather quickly with a happy ending. I wasn't really digging the characters and didn't find them overly likable. I usually find young children annoying in stories but Buzz (who names their son Buzz?!) wasn't too bad. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Sol Turquesa Beach Hotel, Holguin, Cuba

In November, Franca, Anne and I had booked a Sunwing vacation for an all-inclusive week in Punta Cana. We were supposed to leave last Wednesday. When we arrived at the airport, we discovered that our flight and our vacation were cancelled and would not be rebooked ... we'd get an automatic refund within 21 days (happily but surprisingly the refund arrived on my VISA this morning). 

Needless to say, we were shocked, disappointed and unhappy. We stayed at the airport and right away started trying to book a vacation elsewhere ASAP but everything was either sold out or so expensive. After three hours of going online and calling other providers, we ended up calling a last minute vacation company. The best she said we could do was the 4 star Sol Turquesa Beach in Holguin (via Air Transat) leaving on Sunday. Right on! So we headed home and met up again at the airport on Sunday.

We arrived at the Sol Turquesa late Sunday night. The lobby bar is open 24/7 and it was empty. Huh?! Usually lobby bars are busy. We headed to the 24/7 snack bar to get a bite to eat and we were the only ones there (when I asked the server about the disco she said this was the disco!). Where was everyone?! There are over 500 rooms here but apparently only 80 guests. Because of that, many things are closed down and not happening ... no entertainment, no activities, nothing. 

Franca and Anne work hard and were looking for a relaxing vacation but not like this. So yesterday we spoke with Pablo, our Air Transat rep, and asked him to move us to another resort. We're definitely not getting our money's worth at this one. This resort has the potential to be awesome but they should either close completely (apparently they were closed for three years and reopened in December 2023) or open to full capacity and provide what they promise. 

We each paid about $2,500 for this vacation (so it wasn't cheap!) and this is more like a $1,700 property given the deficiencies. Melia, the owner of the property, should be ashamed and embarrassed for charging so much and Air Transat should be sending booking reps here to check out the property to ensure their clients aren't getting ripped off like we were.

PROS

The resort - The property itself is lovely. There are lots of pools. The beach is nearby.

The room - We each had our own room and they were huge. But it's obvious there was furniture missing from mine, though, as I had a big corner that is empty. I had two larger twin beds that were pushed together and the bed was comfortable.

Book ~ "The Solemate" (2022) Sally Hepworth

From Goodreads ~ Picture a lovely cottage on a cliff, with sloping lawns, walking paths and beautiful flowers. It’s Gabe and Pippa Gerard’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Over the past several months, Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge.

Until one day, he doesn’t. When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral. Did the victim jump? Was she pushed? And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate ... lie? As the perfect façade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel. Because sometimes, the most convincing lies are the ones we tell ourselves.

Pippa and Gabe had recently bought a cottage that sits next to a cliff and thought they'd found their dream home for them and their young daughters. Then they realized that people used the cliff as a spot to jump off and commit suicide. So they kept an eye on the cliff. When they would see looking like they are contemplating suicide at the cliff, Gabe would rush out and talk them down. He became famous and respected locally for doing this. One woman wasn't so lucky. Gabe ran out and talked to her and then she was flying over the cliff. The police investigate. Pippa realizes that the woman wasn't a stranger to either of them and starts to wonder if the woman truly jumped or was pushed (and why).

I've read a few books by this author and wasn't all that crazy about it. There was so much going on ... infidelity, money laundering, mental illnesses and more. And with each thing (everything is revealed slowly), it kept getting more unrealistic to me. It's written in first person perspective in Pippa and Amanda's (the dead woman who went over the cliff) voices (the chapters are labeled). As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "The Family Next Door" (2018) Sally Hepworth

From Goodreads ~ The small suburb of Pleasant Court lives up to its name. It's the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbours and children play in the street.

Isabelle Heatherington doesn't fit into this picture of family paradise. Husbandless and childless, she soon catches the attention of three Pleasant Court mothers.

But Ange, Fran and Essie have their own secrets to hide. Like the reason behind Ange's compulsion to control every aspect of her life. Or why Fran won't let her sweet gentle husband near her new baby. Or why, three years ago, Essie took her daughter to the park - and returned home without her.

As their obsession with their new neighbour grows, the secrets of these three women begin to spread - and they'll soon find out that when you look at something too closely, you see things you never wanted to see.

Ange, Fran and Essie are moms with young children who live in the family-oriented suburb of Pleasant Court. Outwardly the mothers are neighbourly but each has issues they are hiding. Then they are distracted when Isabelle moves into the neighbourhood ... why would a single rumored-to-be-a-lesbian rent a house there? Each wants to find out more about her but Essie becomes especially obsessed.

This is the third book I've read by this author ... though I enjoyed the other two, I wasn't crazy about this one. I didn't like Ange, Fran or Essie so didn't care what happened with or to them. The book plodded along and then the twist happened around the 80% mark. I knew something had to be coming ... why else did Isabelle suddenly appear in their neighbourhood? And it was an unrealistic and ridiculous twist and I thought, "Seriously?!" Up until this point, there were no indications so it was a shock and I wasn't buying it. And everything got happily resolved at the end. No way! It's written in third person perspective and as a head's up, there is swearing.

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles. The colours are black and cornflower.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Happy Family Day!

Today is Family Day, a statutory holiday in Ontario.

Enjoy and spend some time with your family!

Book ~ "Further Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman" (2012) J.B. Lynn

From Goodreads ~ Knocking off a drug kingpin was the last thing on Maggie Lee's to-do list but when a tragic accident leaves her beloved niece orphaned and in the hospital, Maggie will go to desperate lengths to land the money needed for her care.

But the drug kingpin is the least of her worries. Maggie's aunts are driving her crazy, her best friend's turned into a bridezilla ... and a knock on the head has given Maggie Dr. Dolittle abilities - she can talk to animals. Unfortunately, they talk back.

It's just another day in the life of this neurotic hitwoman,

Maggie was recently in a car accident and her sister and brother-in-law were killed and Katie, her three-year-old niece and goddaughter, was left in a coma. Maggie works in the call centre of an insurance company and doesn't have the kind of money it takes to keep Katie in the high end hospital she needs to be in. When she was approached by a mob boss to kill his son-in-law, she took the job as it paid off well. The mob boss offers Maggie another job ... to kill a drug dealer. At first, Maggie doesn't want to do it but changes her mind when she finds out the drug dealer had supplied the drugs to the driver who had caused the car accident that killed her sister. On top of this, Alice, her best friend, is getting married soon and Maggie is the maid of honour.

This is the second in the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series and I liked it. It can be read as a stand alone but you should read the first one as there are many references in this one that will make more sense and you'll have the background. I had my doubts about this series when I discovered Maggie can now carry on conversations with Godzilla aka God, Katie's tiny lizard, who Maggie takes care of until Katie recovers, and Doomsday, a dog she took in when she killed her owner ... it sounded dumb but they are amusing and good friends and confidents to Maggie. Maggie has a crazy assortment of relatives around her. Her mother is in the "looney bin" and Maggie has chosen to have no contact with her. Her father is in prison for robbery and murder. Her mother's sisters (aka the witches) are quirky in different ways. Maggie was one of four daughters and is the only one left ... but she recently discovered that her sister, Marlene, who had run away years ago and was presumed dead, is actually alive.

It's written in first person perspective in Maggie's voice and was humourous at times ... she hates her job (her boss keeps hitting on her) but has to keep it to appear "normal". But it's also heartwarming as she is dealing with so much from her past and the present. I look forward to reading the others in the series.

"Love Letters", Red Sandcastle Theatre, Toronto, ON

Gord and I saw Zippy Said Production's Love Letters at the Red Sandcastle Theatre on Queen Street E.

Deborah Shaw and David Agro return to the Red Sandcastle in a unique theatrical event. Deceptively simple, devastatingly revealing, A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters traces the 50 year hand-written correspondence between two people whose relationship - whose very lives - come to depend on this now-lost-art.

The Roy Public House, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had supper this evening at The Roy Public House in Leslieville.

Gord had Fish’n’Chips (Crispy beer-battered 8 oz. North Atlantic Cod filet. Served with coleslaw & tarter sauce). He said it was very good.

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles. The colours are black and cornflower.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Book ~ "Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman" (2012) J.B. Lynn

From Goodreads ~ Maggie Lee is not your average hitwoman. For one thing, she's never killed anyone. For another, after hitting her head in the car accident that killed her sister, her new best friend is a talking lizard - a picky eater, obsessed with Wheel of Fortune, that only Maggie can hear.

Maggie, who can barely take care of herself, is desperate to help her injured and orphaned niece get the best medical care possible so she reluctantly accepts a mobster's lucrative job offer: major cash to kill his monstrous son-in-law.

Paired with Patrick Mulligan, a charming murder mentor (who happens to moonlight as a police detective), Maggie stumbles down her new career path, contending with self-doubt, three meddling aunts, a semi-psychic friend predicting her doom, and a day job she hates. Oh and let's not forget about Paul Kowalski, the sexy beat cop who could throw her ass in jail if he finds out what she's up to.

Training has never been so complicated! And, this time, Maggie has to get the job done. Because if she doesn't ... she's the mob's next target.

Maggie was recently in a car accident and her sister and brother-in-law were killed and Katie, her three-year-old niece and goddaughter, was left in a coma. Unless Maggie can come up with a lot of money to pay for Katie's care in a topnotch hospital, Katie will be moved and probably will get lesser care. Maggie works in the call centre of an insurance company so doesn't have that kind of money. When she is approached by a mob boss to kill his son-in-law for $100,000, she doesn't have a lot of choice. Luckily and suprisingly he offers to have Patrick, a police officer and contract hit man, to train her.

This is the first in the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series and I liked it. I had my doubts about this book when I discovered Maggie can now carry on a conversation with Godzilla aka God, Katie's tiny lizard, who Maggie has to take care of until Katie recovers ... it sounded dumb but God was actually amusing and a good friend and confident to Maggie. Maggie has a crazy assortment of relatives around her. Her mother is in the "looney bin" and Maggie has chosen to have no contact with her. Her father is in prison for robbery and murder. Her mother's sisters (aka the witches) are quirky in different ways. Maggie was one of four daughters and is the only one left ... Theresa was killed in the car accident, Darlene was abducted years ago and murdered and Marlene, Darlene's twin, ran away from home a long time ago.

It's written in first person perspective in Maggie's voice and was humourous at times ... she hates her job and is floundering as she learns how to become an assassin. But it's also heartwarming as she is dealing with so much from her past and the present. I look forward to reading the others in the series. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Book ~ "Julia's Daughters" (2017) Colleen Faulkner

From Goodreads ~ Julia Maxton can’t imagine anything worse than losing one of her three daughters - until the day seventeen-year-old Haley runs a stop sign, killing her younger sister, Caitlin. Six weeks after the crash, the family is falling apart. Julia struggles not to show hostility toward Haley but her deep-rooted anger won’t go away. Her husband, Ben, has drifted away emotionally. Their youngest daughter, Izzy, is lost in the shuffle. And despite Haley’s insistence that she’s fine, her actions scream otherwise.

Fearing that she’s about to lose a second child, Julia decides to take Haley on a cross-country drive. Maybe somewhere between Nevada and Maine they can bridge the gulf between them. But first there will be painful questions to face - is Julia a good mother? Did she secretly love responsible, respectful Caitlin more than defiant Haley? Can Haley ever find peace with her mother - and herself - again?

Haley is 17 and was driving Caitlin, one of her younger sisters, home one night when she ran through a stop sign. Haley wasn't hurt but Caitlin flew through the windshield and was killed. Six weeks later, Julia, their mother, hasn't left her bed and is crying all the time; Ben, their father, is working all the time or spending time with his mother and brothers; Haley feels guilty and is acting up (why didn't they get her help right away to deal with the accident?!); and 10-year-old Izzy hasn't spoken to her sister since "she killed Caitlin".

Once Julia realizes how out of control Haley has become, she figures the only way to straighten her out is to go on road trip with her ... drive across the country and spend some time with Laney, her best friend, who lives in Maine. Ben doesn't agree but Julia feels this is best for her and Haley. And off they go. 

It's not a happy topic (I can't imagine what it would be like to lose a child in an accident) but I thought this story was okay. It is written in first person perspective in Julia, Haley and Izzy's voices (the chapters are labeled). The ending was a bit of a surprise but I was okay with it ... it was the best way to end the story. As a head's up, there is swearing and self-harming.

There is a confusing timeline posted at the beginning of each chapter ... the story moves forward without jumping back and forth but the timeline posted didn't make sense to me. For example, the first chapter is "47 days" which I assumed was 47 days since the accident. But chapter two, in which the action happens right after the first chapter is "46 days, 13 hours". Chapter three is "still 47 days" and chapter four is "3 years,  months" but is happening right after the preceding chapters. Huh?!

I liked Julia and surprisingly Haley. I felt nothing for Ben ... he was barely there physically and emotionally and provided zero support to his wife and daughters. I really disliked Izzy ... she was annoying and I cringed when I read her chapters.

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles. The colours are black and butter.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Mill Street Brew Pub, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had supper at Mill Street Brew Pub in the Distillery District.

Gord had two Chili Shrimp Tacos (pineapple salsa, jalapeño, lime crema).