Ready. Set. Read...and Stitch!

Woohooo... I just have to make it through today to get to the excitement of (possibly) the month -- the Save Our Cozies Readathon.   It's my opportunity to thank some writers who make my life just that little bit better every day and my opportunity to have my disgruntled opinions of their contract choices ignored by Penguin Random House.

In fine compulsive style I've made list after list.  I've gone shopping.  I've checked out library audio books.  I've sorted and piled and re-sorted and re-piled.    Now, I just need to get to the farmers market at lunch today to pick up healthy nosh and I'm ready.   Well, except for I don't know what I'm going to read first.  OMG!   The decisions!!!!  After all there is so much to choose from. :)

And 'lo, I bring you glad tidings of The Official Badger's Short List of Non-Audio Readathon Opps:

I think that might be the order I read them in, but who knows.  I'm a mood-reader in the exact same way I'm a mood-stitcher.  And speaking of stitching.......

I am hoping the mood strikes me to continue work on my flag while enjoying an audio book during Saturday's readathon.   I did several hours last weekend and made decent progress.

What I want to know is why those flipping stars take me FOREVER to stitch.  OMG!  

Last weekend also saw me finish this Painted Pony canvas.... well, maybe finish.  I can't decide if I'm going to stitch around her in a forest green or have her finished  in the shape and size she is.  All of that is further troubled by the fact that I can't figure out how to cord her.   Sigh.  That will be a problem for another weekend.

Have an excellent Friday, be gentle with yourself, think kindly towards the world (#jesuisNice), and maybe drop in to the readathon blog or facebook page and thank an author.

And now -- So. Very. Stupid.

Once again I was exhausted.  Dead tired, I tell you.  So I knew it was a bad idea, but after dinner I had a half a Diet Coke.  OMG  I may be up til dawn!  I knew I needed to pack so I couldn't be passing out in my dinner, but really.   This just proves that when I'm tired, I can't think.  Sigh.

What made me so tired?   Walking 68 miles through the National Botanic Garden -- ok it was single digit mileage but there was humidity, blazing sun, and I wasn't wearing my training shoes --- it was hot, remember -- I wore sandals.  I'll never learn!

But it was beautiful!

These columns used to be on the "back" of the Capitol.

I'd never seen a bonsai bougainvillea -- so cool

This tree, bless its soul, is from 1625 and it survived the bombing of Hiroshima:

Purple peppers -- how cool !

Sure, there's a ton of things to do and see in D.C., but the Botanic Garden is lovely -- definitely bring your GPS and walking shoes though.  It's huge and BADLY SIGNED!!!!!!!!!!   Sheesh-- would a flipping sign at the gate that says "entry" kill someone?

I'll stitch again..... I swear.   Gotta go pack now.  Tomorrow we are spending an early 4th at Mount Vernon who will even be having fireworks!   Fireworks-packing.  Packing-fireworks.  Yup, fireworks won!