Map Addict: A Tale of Obsession, Fudge & the Ordnance Survey by Mike Parker

This book had me excited as soon as I laid eyes on the cover. Orange contour lines sketched on the surface of the hills, topographic symbols appropriately scattered, just a promise of what the book held inside.

Having studied mapping at university and having worked at several mapping positions I felt I was fated to read this book. I don't sit with a dictionary at my side when reading, rather I have my favourite atlas at hand, and a larger scale one nearby should that level of detail be needed.

It was quickly obvious that the author knows and loves maps. His early experiences with the British Ordnance Surveys maps and the Paris "Little Red Book: only whet his appetite for further explorations. I loved his story of when he is 12 and of finding a unique feature on a map and pestering his uncle to take him to see the location in real life. It's the Stott Hall Farm where the M62 veers around both sides of the farm.

Mr. Parker shares quite a bit of British map history including that of John Bartholomew who was the first to add shading to represent elevation or depth, Henry Beck for his map of the London Underground (which was simplified to provide only the required details) as well as Alfred Wainwright who is re known for his maps of the Lake District. The greatest amount of attention is given to the Ordnance Survey maps. While they were originally made for the military, they appear to have become the favourite for anyone wanting to find their way around Britain. I wish that Mr. Parker had included part of one of these maps within the book as I have never seen one and being on the other side of the ocean, its not likely I'll come across one, so much of what he was referring to I'll have to take on faith. You can visit the Ordnance Survey website for further details.

I enjoyed the discussion of how maps have been used through history as political tools. since they are but a representation of reality, they can be modified to show what ever is needed or to hide what you don't want to show, such as military installations, safe harbours etc. The influence of Religion on mapping has been apparent with Jerusalem appearing at the centre of some of the earliest maps.

I didn't really understand the section that talked about women and maps. Who is it that thinks women don't understand maps? The majority of the students in my university level mapping courses were women, they sure knew what they were talking about. I worked with lots of women in my mapping jobs, several of which were my bosses.

One of the final topics covered is the future of mapping. Will paper maps survive the onslaught of the GPS unit. As Mr. Parker points out, satellite navigation does have its limits, but as I have found out, you can go to a distant country, pull your GPS out of your luggage, turn it on and away you go. My family travelled around New Zealand for 10 days using our GPS and a small paper map (and driving on the wrong side of the road) and rarely had to make any directional corrections.

I knew from the start that I was going to enjoy this book and I was not mistaken. It was a fun but also informative read. There was new information for me as well as interesting stories. I'll be putting this book on the shelf beside my favourite atlases.

If you can't wait to get started to reading you can find "Map Addict" at the 'Browse Inside' feature on the HarperCollins website.

Needlework Tuesday

After cleaning off the dining room table last week, I decided to stay focused and only brought the bird quilt back out. I am going to try and keep to it and work on the sashing. Each block gets a unique treatment, almost like doing 12 little quilts and then butting them all together.

The chickadee was quite straight forward and I needed that to make me feel like I had accomplished something. I cut strips 1 1/4 inch wide of both the blue (which was the background from one of the other blocks) and the light (which is really 3 different mostly white/cream prints). The strips when then sewn together and re cut to 1 1/4 x 2 3/4 inch bits that were sewn together to make the two sashing units. Then I had to add a 1 inch strip of the dark mottled looking print to make the measurement for the final unit fit.

The cardinal block is next. The 3 trees and the 2 little cardinals were paper pieced using scraps from the bird blocks. The sashing to the left and to the bottom will feature holly leaves and berries. These will overlap with the neighbouring blocks. For now all you can see are their embroiders vines/branches. I have the holly leaves basted to freezer paper and have pinned them in place and am ready to start the hand applique. Will show you my progress next week.

Tomorrow I meet with my local bee for stitching and coffee. I'll update them on this project. I showed them the blocks last month and they really enjoyed them.

Summer Reading Prospects

Summer reading time. I have a bunch lined up already and expect to add more over the next few weeks. Have a Bookcrossing meeting next week and usually come home with a few.

I finished "Afraid" by Jack Kilborn yesterday and will post a review in the next few days. Also finished "Map Addict" by Mike Parker and was writing that this evening, though it needs work.

I am also listening to "The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson.

I did view a Nova program the other evening that looked at the Musicophilia book by Oliver Sacks and I realized that I had read his earlier book "Island of the Colourblind" and had really enjoyed it.

Be sure to check back for my progress on this stack of books. Let me know what you're planning to read this summer as I am always curious to learn what others are reading.

Needlework Tuesday

I hate to admit it, but I didn't sew a thing in the past week. As we were entertaining on Friday, I had to clear off the dining room table where I had been sewing. I took the chance to put supplies and project pieces back where they belonged. Wow, that took ages. I had too many projects on the go and didn't seem to be getting anywhere on them. They are now all away with only the bird project back on the table.

Actually the birds are on the design wall and I have been reviewing the instructions for finishing it. Hard to decide what fabrics to use in the background. I need a light but not too light or it will look funny. As I mentioned previously, I don't like all the sections, too many checkerboards and whats with the chevron braid??? It came to me one evening that I could embroider footprints from birds on several of the sashing pieces along with the bird names. I will do some research as at present I couldn't identify a single print other than saying its from a bird.

I will keep on with the updates as I make the sashing units. Oh yeah, some of the birds are still missing feet and eyes, but I will get to those, eventually.

Thanks for sticking in with me while I have worked on this project. I have really enjoyed sharing it with you.

bye for now

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

This is a first novel in a collection called 'Women of the Otherworld'.

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Most werewolves are male and the result of the mating of a male werewolf with a human female. Elena joined the ranks after being bitten and amazingly surviving the transformation. She seems to be the only female werewolf in North America that her pack is aware of. Lucky for her, she has been adopted in a pack lead by the Alpha, Jeremy Danvers, who live near Syracuse, New York.

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From the day of her 'bite' Elena has rebelled against being a werewolf and having to live within its confines. She desperately wants back her human life with all the details of love, family and job. She finds this increasing hard to do when Jeremy calls and says its urgent she return to the pack. They need her help.

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Its interesting to meet the pack members and learn their histories, specially that of Clayton who was found as a child living alone in a swamp in Florida many years earlier. The pack functions together as a family with a very big secret that must be maintained at all costs. What is different is that they all defer to the Alpha and would never questions him, well, with the exception of Elena who was not raised in the pack.

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I loved reading how Elena struggled to maintain her human ties while distancing herself from the pack. She still wanted the 'family' she hadn't had since her parents died when she was quite young. She kept being drawn back to the pack by her werewolf nature and to ensure her survival and ultimately that of the pack, she had to discover her true self.

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The subtitle may be "Women of the Otherworld" but the majority of the novel is filled with totally ripped men, OK, they are werewolves but don't let that interfere with your enjoyment.

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Canadian Author Kelley Armstrong has created a world in which werewolves and human live side by side. This could be peaceful except for a number of 'mutts' who wantonly continue to kill humans. Shame that there is always someone who wants to spoil it for everyone else.

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This world continues throughout the 'Women of the Otherworld' series as well as the 'Darkest Powers' series. It seems that new characters appear in each book. I'll have to read more to find out for sure. Be sure to visit Kelley's website for full details on each book and how the series interact with each other.

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This is my 25Th and final read for the 'Canadian Book Challenge'. John will be announcing the 3rd version of the challenge after Canada Day on July 1st.

Needlework Tuesday

I have had a few more envelopes land in my mail box. The challenge is winding down with only a few more blocks on their way.

This first by Mary Sue from Ontario. I don't know the pattern name, but clearly it's a 'Tic Tac Toe' game.

The second block is by Susan from Ontario. Love the outer deep pink heart surrounding the inner heart motif.

You still have a few days to enter my contest to win a piece of this lovely challenge fabric. Enter contest to win challenge Fabric.

Yesterday I was working on 'Double Necktie' blocks for my online group. Pattern is from the Quilter's Cache website. The finished blocks are 9 inches. They went together very quickly and turned out lovely. Other than a million unfinished projects it would be fun to make enough of these for a bed quilt.

9 blocks were submitted this month. I chose this layout for their picture as I like the way they make rounded off and squared blocks from the light part.

This week I plan to finish the binding for the black and bright colour quilt I was working on last week. My son brought it home from school today. Once I figure out which is the top then I'll put on a hanging sleeve.

I'll be back next week with more updates. Please leave a comment and let me know what you're working on.

Broken Wing by Judith James

Abandoned as a child into the dubious care of Madame Etienne, owner of a Parisian brothel, Gabriel St. Croix has grown up without even a modicum of love or parental concern. When 5 year old Jamie arrives at the brothel, Gabriel vows to protect him from the depravity that he himself has grown up in.

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Suspecting there is more to his abduction, Lady Sarah Munroe and her half brother Lord Ross Huntington have spent the last 5 years searching for Jamie. When Bow Street Runners locate Jamie, it brings Gabriel to the attention of the unconventional Sarah. Since Jamie insists that Gabriel come home with him to England, Ross offers him a position as companion for the next year.

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Both Sarah and Ros can see beyond Gabriel's previous employment to the good person that he is, and they set themselves the task of proving it to him.

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There seems to be a mutual and immediate attraction between Sarah and Gabriel which Ms. James slowly develops. Gabriel is seriously handicapped in his ability to develop a meaningful relationship and Sarah wisely finds ways to show her trust and acceptance of Gabriel.

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I love all the twists and turns of the story that test their relationship. Even though we don't get to know them as well, the characters of Ross and Davey serve to confirm the good character of Gabriel. They both offer unconditional support of Sarah's connection with Gabe.

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Yes, this is a romance, but it goes much further in character development and in story line than most I have read. Sarah and Gabriel are portrayed as real people, warts and all. They both have to deal with negative public opinion which can have wide reaching impacts. The only character we don't learn much about is little Jamie, the one at the core of the whole story, but I didn't really miss him. He makes a few cameo appearances and that seems enough for me.

Judith James website