Half Way Update on 2016 Bookish Resolutions.

               

It has been a good idea to look at the goals mid-year and see where I am with them and what I need to do to hurry some up a bit. While writing the post it made me get back to the quilt I had left to the side. I like the new addition of the rules mid year that allow us to delete and tweak according to the number of goals. I think this is good because goals do need to be checked and adapted usually.

Reading

• make headway with the J. D. Robb series so that I am almost caught up by the end of the year. At present I have completed #25, so by end of 2016 would like to be at somewhere around #38-40.
• Complete the reading challenges I have signed up for in the 2016 year.
• Read ten books by New Zealand authors. Ten books - not ten authors! Review the books I read for this.

Reading Update.

• At this point I have read up to and completed #32 in the J. D. Robb series so on track. Partial completion and on track.
• Reading Challenges are on track, see side bar. Some may be challenging to complete by end of year.  Partial completion and on track.
• So far I have read five of the ten books by New Zealand authors. Partial completion and on track.    Nicky Pellegrino, Nalini Singh, Jenni Ogden, Maria Lewis, Judith Marillier

Blogging

• take part in the April A - Z blogging challenge with my WordPress blog, Discovering Daisies. The sign up for that is 25th Jan. I also plan to have my posts prepared for the most before April.
• learn a little more html and css via Lorelle's WordPress and the links she suggests. Study something each month and make adjustments to either my WordPress or Blogger blog as appropriate.
• Visit reviews/posts linked to the reading challenges I host on Book Date blog. 

Blogging Update

• I completed the April A-Z blogging challenge on my WordPress blog and so completed.
• I spent some time learning some html and css on Lorelle's WordPress and also did another online course. Satisfied with what I learned.  Completed.
• I haven't visited blogs of the challenges I host for awhile so much and in fact this was an OTT goal. Not completed.   ***Change to this goal for second half of year, as per the new rules and because it was way over the top I am deleting.

Personal

• make one quilt from beginning to end - a Quatre Foil Quilt, that I already have the material for. It will only be the second quilt ever, but larger than the first one I made.
• participate in the Fitreaders challenge again and meet my goal set for weekly steps - at this point 55 000.
• Initiate some home updates e.g. painting interior - curtains - possibly kitchen too. I won't be doing the painting though, but need to see the process through.

Personal Goals Update.

• Quilt - finished the blocks but got sidetracked with other quilt tops. I will endeavour to do something to the quatre foil quilt each month from now on to advance it along! Next year I will still be making goals around quilting but a little differently. So at the beginning of the month I had the twelve blocks completed. This month I did the sashing and now next are the borders. Partial completion and on track.

• I am still keeping up with my Fitreaders challenge.  Partial completion and on track.   I have got out there most days and if not walking some other form of exercise.  This goal has been tweaked to 50 000 steps per week which is better for me at present.
• While I did get the kitchen, lounge, painted things have stalled since. I did have a whole lot of trees cut down outside too which makes a big difference to sunshine coming inside. Love privacy but love sunshine more!  So partial completion. Next need to get bookshelf built, see about curtains and some new furniture.
  Colour before painting. Excuse the mess! 
  
  

        

As one of my friends said "Kathryn that is so much more you!" Even though the pink was a light colour I disliked it but took almost 15 years to change it!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 6th June

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It's a great post to organise yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog   and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit – join them!

And another Monday comes round. This week I was feeling a bit blah so on Tuesday I went to see the New Zealand movie Hunt For the Wilderpeople. Lots of my family had been and enjoyed it so off I went. Well I sure laughed and chuckled my way through it. It was a comedy,  some a little over the top but the straight dour character played by Sam Neill kept it balanced. I am not much of a movie goer, always have good intentions but never quite get my act together usually.

While it has been released in Australia and about to be in the USA I suspect it will not play in a theatre near you! But in case it does, go!

My teddy bear block from my quilting class was returned. Someone else had taken it home!

I also won a $50 gift voucher from our local library because I was drawn from those who answered an online survey about their Axis 360 programme.  The librarian told me that most people in the survey had asked for more audiobooks on it so I guess that has to be good. It has such a limited number that I don't bother with it much. I spent some of the money on a box that looks like books to house my quilt blocks while they are being assembled.

I added it to the box I had bought earlier in the week to house the blocks of  another quilt I am doing.

I love bookie things!!

Are you still with me? Okay then you will learn that this week because it is the beginning of summer for many and the beginning of winter for a few, I am giving away a $15 Amazon USA voucher or a choice of a book to be sent to you. One person will be drawn from all those who link with their It's Monday! What Are You Reading? post this week. I'll do the draw later in the week - like Thursday NZ time and let you know next week. 

What I read last week:

What I am reading at present:

Listening on my iPod:

Really disappointed with the narration of this one. The narrator received many good reviews, but I am just enduring. One voice - her own for all the characters.

Also listening to a library CD pack of: 

I am reading from the review pile:

Up next:

From my TBR pile .... 

From the review pile.... to be decided!

Posts from the last week:

The Thing Is    Kathleen Gerard

May month in review

When We Were Sisters   Emilie Richards.

2016 Bookish Resolutions. April Check In.

The New Year: 2016 Bookish Resolutions Challenge hosted by Laura @ trips down imagination road and Michelle @Because Reading. 

My original goals post.

Books: 
Read one J. D. Robb book. Two NZ authors read this month.
On track with the J. D. Robb books. Now read 3/10 NZ authors.
Reading Challenges are on track, just need to read more of the books I buy!

Blogging:  I participated in the #AtoZ Challenge for April on my  Discovering Daisies blog. They were basic posts but I completed it! 


Personal

• Getting lots of quilting done and still enjoying The Splendid Sampler two blocks a week. Plus started another one of the same blocks in children's fabric and still working on a fusible applique quilt. 
• No more done on the house as yet, after the intial flurry of painting.
• I've cut my goal back to 50 000 steps a month now as winter approaches. Didn't make that goal any week in April though, more in the 30 000 to 40 000 realm.