The Tenth Gift

I have another wonderful book to tell you about - just finished it last night: The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson. The story links two young women of different eras. Quoting the back cover, "In an expensive London restaurant, Julia Lovat receives a gift that will change her life. At first glance it is a book of exquisite seventeenth-century embroidery patterns belonging to a woman named Catherine Ann Tregenna. Yet in it's margins are the faintest diary entries; they reveal that "Cat" and others were stolen from their Cornish church in 1625 byMuslim pirates and taken on a brutal voyage to Morocco to be auctioned off as slaves. Captivated by this dramatic discovery, Julia sets off to North Africa to determine the authenticity of the book and to uncover more of Cat's mesmerizing story. There, in the company of a charismatic Moroccan guide, amid the sultry heat, the spice markets and the exotic ruins, Julia wil discover buried secrets. And in Morocco, just as Cat did before her- she will lose her heart." This is another "difficult to put down" book.. you keep thinking "just one more chapter"... I highly recommend it... You can read an excerpt here.

Another week has passed, with lots going on. The demolition occupied a lot of time this week; Hubby has now finished up all the outdoor "clean-up"- raking , sweeping the driveway (lots of shattered glass) and so on. He has decided not to seed the area now, as the fill may settle a bit over the winter. We'll wait till next spring. I was looking at tulip bulbs today; I'd like to put in a new bulb bed, but that may wait till next year too depending on the temps and weather in the next week. I'm still dealing with the "piles" - still have a few book piles to deal with; tonight DH assembled a shelving unit in the basement and I loaded it with all the piles of kitchen things... I figure in another year or two, Laura will be going into an apartment and she will be pretty well set, for dishes, pots, pans and basic cooking equipment.

We had planned to go downtown tonight and walk around the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival- it's always a good time with excellent music. However, it's quite cool and rainy, so we decided to stay put. I went up to a nearby farm to get some crabapples tonight, so I can make spiced apple jelly next week. Last year I waited too long and then couldn't get the crabs, so I'm ahead of the game this year! Jelly is a lot of work but sooo worth it!

I can't believe I forgot to take my camera to the KVQG Quilt Show on Wednesday, but if you visit my friend Karen's blog here, you will be able to see her photos of a few of the prizewinners.

Piece,

Linda

Book lovers never go to bed alone.