A Murder in Mesopotamia

#10 in the Classics Challenge is a classic set in a place you'd like to visit.  I think Mesopotamia is fascinating, and I would love to go (when it's not the middle of the heat of summer), but since Iraq and Kuwait aren't exactly the most stable of countries I think this book is probably the closest I'm going to get to visiting there. 

I took a bit of a circuitous route to reading this book for the challenge.  I had never read anything by Agatha Christie before, but of course, being a Masterpiece theater lover, I had seen all of the Miss Marple mysteries.  I decided I wanted to read from her Hercule Poirot series.  Murder is Mesopotamia is #14, so I felt it advisable to read #1 to get the setup of the whole series.  The Mysterious Affair at Styles sucked me in right from the beginning.  I could tell right away why she's the best-selling author of all time.  I loved Hercule Poirot from the very first sentence he appears.  It was the first time I'd read a book where I really had no idea how it was going to end.  I loved the book and was surprised by the ending. 

I had heard that it's recommended to read #10 Murder on the Orient Express before reading Murder in Mesopotamia, so I read that one next.  I also wanted to read it before the movie comes out this Fall.  This one was probably my favorite of the three.  I was seriously amazed at the wittiness and detail in this book, and the ending was a shock to me. 

This led me to then read the book that I needed for the actual challenge.  Murder in Mesopotamia takes place at an archeological dig, and was very entertaining as well, but I confess that I probably liked it the least out of the three I read.  I also figured out who the murderer was fairly early, so the ending wasn't quite as dramatic for me as the other two.  There was still a side event that surprised me, and let's be honest, Hercule Poirot is such a lovable personality that I still really enjoyed the book.  I still can't figure out why you have to read #10 first.  It mentions the Orient Express on the very last page of the book, but it doesn't give away anything.  Oh well.  I loved that book so much that I won't complain. 

A Little Landscaping

We have a friend who has started a landscaping business.  She actually stages front yards for realtors.  She helped us create an island around our tree in the front yard.  We had enough stone leftover that we actually could line the back flower beds, so we were really happy.

You can also see by the color of the grass that we've had a scorcher week of triple digits.  The heat has been intense.  It perhaps was not the best week to be working on the project, but it's not like it's going to get any cooler around here anytime soon.

Flowers and Butterflies

It took quite a while, but I finally finished this quilt.  My youngest brother and his wife are welcoming their first child into their family this September, and it's going to be a girl!

 The quilting is loopy line and flowers with butterflies in the border.  It's inspired by the back flannel.

Burning Books

I'd be in trouble if Fahrenheit 451 was based on real life, because we have A LOT of books in our house.  It's hard to believe that Bradbury's book is now considered a classic, because it was originally published in 1953.  It was an option on my summer reading list for 10th grade American Lit, but back then dystopian books didn't interest me, so I read a different book.  Little did I know what a popular genre it would become.  I thought this challenge would be the perfect excuse to go back and read what I missed in high school.  This is for #8: A classic with a number in its title.

The interesting thing is that if I had read this book 20 years ago it would have felt a bit far fetched, but now I feel like our society is set up in a way that this is almost possible.  Houses have multiple TVs in their home.  We have instant access to the internet on our phones.  Some people are connected to media 24/7.  All you would have to do is ban books and this book would be a reality.  I think that is one of the reasons why this book is so good.  It makes you think and feel, and it definitely transcends time.  It's interesting that a book written in 1953 feels so applicable to 2017. 

HST Quilt Top

I finished a baby girl quilt top yesterday using everything from my fabric stash.  It always makes me like it a little bit more when I use what I have.  😁  I like a good Half Triangle Square, so this quilt top was fun to make. 

Oklahoma wind continues to be uncooperative though.

Throwback Thursday

Here's a great picture of my hubby from high school.  He (in the middle) and Jen (pictured in front) played in marching band together and went to the same church.  She later married my husband's cousin, so now we're all related by marriage.  Oddly enough, we all live in Oklahoma as well.

Houses All in a Row

This month's block for do.Good Stitches is a lot quicker and easier than the previous month.  May gets busier and busier for me, so I decided to make my Neighborhood Charm blocks right away.  I think this is going to be a very cute quilt with everyone's little houses. 

Seeing Stripes

This month's block for do.Good Stitches is a zebra!  I put it off for a bit when I saw how many tiny pieces are in the block, but since it's the last week of the month I knew my days were numbered.  It took an hour just to cut out all the pieces, but the final product is worth it!  It's pretty cute!  I'm excited to see this quilt when it's all done.