Choosing The Right Book For a Holiday and Just CrossStitch News

Somebody asked why I chose The Luckiest Girl Alive to read on a trip.  And there is a special reason for it which I think I wrote about before.  The thought is giving me a deja vu moment, blog-wise.  Anyway, the reason is this.
  I once saved a 'good' book for my second (and last) trip to Florida.  Hefty in size and serious in nature, I thought Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky with its fantastic reviews would be wonderful to take me through my holiday.

I began reading it the first morning after settling down on a bright blue cabana on the beach, happy to have left the snow and cold so far behind me, if only for a few days.

 This book begins with the story of the Parisian family having to evacuate their home ahead of the Nazi German invasion during World War II. It was well written and I immediately felt drawn into the direst of circumstances a family could face.

 From time to time I would glance up from the page to look at the pelicans rising up and down from the ocean or to look at a child happily shouting or to smile back at the smiling people strolling the beach.

 It wasn't long before I couldn't continue Suite Francaise.  It is somber, very somber.  I began to feel badly that here was I sitting on a beach on a lovely little holiday while there were people who had actually lived through these horrific events. It was definitely not the book for me to read on holiday.

 There was no way I could get another book so I was a bit lost without one.  At one point I thought of canvassing the fellow vacationers to see if anyone had a book I could read.  LOL
Anyway, since then, I do not take a 'heavy' book on vacation.
Has anything like that happened to you?

Meanwhile, in other happier news, Christmas in July was happening all over the stitching internet.  Almost passed me by completely this year but I did get to follow a couple of lovely projects and ogle the results.  I love Christmas so would love the idea of working something Christmasy in the summer time.

The annual Just CrossStitch special Christmas Ornaments issues have become collectors' items.  They always offer the most beautiful little Christmas/holiday designs.  There is something for everyone of all skill levels amongst the 70 projects.  You can preorder your copy from Annie's Craft store for $9.99 US.  That link is HERE.  It will be on the stands the end of August.

I notice Prim like designs are sneaking in there.  I love all these you can see on the cover.  Amazing how there can still be fresh variations on the same themes yet there always are.

Stitchers' creativity is a wonderful, inspiring thing...always.