Knitted Scarf

I knitted another scarf to donate.

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Merry Maximus) and 6.5mm needles. 

I cast on 24 stitches.

• Row 1: knit
• Row 2: Knit 3, purl 4, knit 1, purl 1, knit 1, purl 4, knit 3
• Repeat Row 1 and 2 until it's the length you want
• Bind off

Book ~ "Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond" (2026) Eve Plumb

From Goodreads ~ It’s finally time for Jan, Jan, Jan!

As Jan Brady, America’s most memorable middle child on the beloved TV sitcom, "The Brady Bunch", Eve Plumb has been an enduring icon of American pop culture for over 60 years. Now in an engaging, intimate memoir, she shares the behind-the-scenes story of her colorful and impressively versatile Hollywood career and revelatory recollections of her off-camera life along the way - complete with many photos from her private archives.

Recognized world-wide as Jan Brady, the wonderfully misunderstood middle sister on television’s "The Brady Bunch", actress Eve Plumb has embraced the association that seemed destined at age 10 when she was cast on "The Brady Bunch". The iconic 1970s TV series has been in perpetual reruns for five decades and is well known by three generations of children and adults. Her engaging memoir reveals that her stint on "The Brady Bunch" was only the beginning of her TV career, a young lady with the confidence and spunk that her on-screen character often humorously lacked.

Today, Eve is a talented visual artist, with thirty-five years of experience, whose oil paintings have been displayed and sold in galleries here in the U.S. and Europe. Chock-full of Brady Bunch nostalgia and the skinny on countless classic TV shows with recollections straight from the set, this is Eve Plumb as you’ve never seen her.

Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond is a memoir by Eve Plumb, best known for portraying Jan Brady on the television series The Brady Bunch. This book traces her life from childhood through her acting career and later creative pursuits. Plumb describes her early entry into the entertainment industry, including auditions, commercials and the process that led to her casting on The Brady Bunch. She explains the production of the show, her experiences working with fellow cast members and the impact the series had on her public identity. The memoir also addresses the challenges of being closely associated with a well-known role and the limitations it created in securing later acting work. 

Beyond her television career, Plumb outlines her efforts to expand into other areas including stage acting and visual art. She discusses her training, exhibitions and the development of her painting practice. The book also touches on aspects of her personal life including relationships and decisions that influenced her career path. Throughout the memoir, Plumb situates her experiences within the broader context of the entertainment industry, describing changes over time and the realities of maintaining a long-term career in the public eye.

I wasn't a fan of this show but like reading bios/autobios. I didn't know a lot about Plumb so it was interesting to learn more about her, her family and her career. And it was fun to learn more about the celebrities she'd worked with. I liked the writing style ... it was at a high level with not a lot of fluff and detail. There are apparently many pictures from her private archives in the book ... I read an advanced copy and there were none (it would have been nice to see them).

Happy birthday, Crumpet!

Happy 15th birthday to our fiesty girl, Crumpet!

Toronto Blue Jays 5 ~ Colorado Rockies 1, Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON

To celebrate Gord's birthday, we went to the Toronto Blue Jays game.

Here we are!

Our seats were in the 100 level near first base. It's still too cold to have the roof open.

Ruby Soho Bar, Toronto, ON

To celebrate Gord’s birthday, we had supper this evening at Ruby Soho (on King Street W at Portland Street). 

Gord had a wagu burger and fries. It's the first time he's had wagu beef and he said it was good.

Happy birthday, Gord!

Happy birthday to my hunny, Gord!

Boyfriend Knitted Scarf

I knitted a Boyfriend Scarf to donate. I found the pattern on Absolute Knits' Ravelry site.

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Merry Maximus) and 6.5mm needles. 

I cast on 24 stitches.

• Row 1: slip first stitch purlwise with yarn in front, *p2k2. Repeat from * to last 3 sts: p2 k1
• Row 2: slip first stitch purlwise with yarn in front, then knit to end of row 
• Repeat Row 1 and 2 until it's the length you want
• Bind off loosely in pattern

Book ~ "Liberty Street" (2026) Heather Marshall

From Goodreads ~ 1961: Emily Radcliffe works as an editorial assistant at Chatelaine magazine, surrounded by the best female reporters in the country, whose articles tackle the controversial topics no other women's publication dares to touch. When a bombshell letter from an inmate at the notorious Mercer Women's Prison lands on Emily's desk, she sees the scoop of a lifetime - one that could launch her career as a journalist. But after going undercover to investigate the inmate's shocking claims, Emily discovers that getting into the prison is the easy part; the real challenge will be getting back out.

1996: Unidentified female remains are discovered in an unmarked grave in a small-town Ontario cemetery and Detective Rachel Mackenzie is tasked with unraveling the mystery. But when the investigation leads her to the now-shuttered Mercer Women's Prison, the family trauma she's kept buried for years threatens to surface.

In 1961, Emily Radcliffe works as an editorial assistant at Chatelaine magazine in Toronto. After receiving a letter from an inmate at the Mercer Women’s Prison describing conditions inside, she arranges to go undercover in the institution to investigate. Her experience inside the prison is her story as she encounters the realities faced by the incarcerated women who were placed there because of criminal offences, "moral" offences, mental health issues or being "incorrible" (that's why she was admitted by her father).

In 1996, a separate storyline follows Rachel Mackenzie, a detective in rural Ontario assigned to investigate human remains discovered in an unmarked grave. Her investigation leads her to the now-closed Mercer Women’s Prison, possibly connecting her case to events from the earlier timeline. 

This book was interesting, not just the story but also the history, especially since I live just north of where Mercer Women's Prison used to be (it was closed and demolished in 1969 and there is a stadium there now). I knew some of its history and it was interesting to learn more (the author obviously did a lot of research). At the end of the book, the author includes historical info related to the treatment of women in institutional settings, including mental health and incarceration practices in mid-20th-century Canada. Some of the characters are real or based on real people.

It is written in third person perspective in Emily and Rachel's voices in their time periods (the chapters are labeled) and how the past and present are connect. The treatment of women in Mercer Women's Prison is heavy and not light reading. Though I did find it interesting, I found the book long and draggy at times. Emily and Rachel's stories were interesting but I could have done without Rachel's detailed backstory. I didn't think it impacted Emily's story, which to me was the point of the book, and could stand alone as its own book. As a head’s up, there is swearing and disturbing situations.

Happy birthday, Muffin!

Happy 9th birthday to our furry girl, Muffin!

Andalusian Stitch Knitted Scarf

I knitted another scarf to donate using an andausian stitch I found on Snufflebean Yarn's site.

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Merry Maximus) and 6.5mm needles. 

I cast on 23 stitches (cast on odd number of stitches).

• Knit 4 rows
• Row 1 (RS): k all stitches 
• Row 2: k3, p to last 3 stitches, k3
• Row 3: k3, k1 *p1, k1* repeat from *to* to the last 3 stitches, k3
• Row 4: k3, p to last 3 stitches, k3
• When it gets to the length you want, repeat row 1
• Knit 4 rows
• Bind off knitwise

"Julie", Tarragon Theatre, Toronto, ON

I saw Julie this afternoon at the Tarragon Theatre on Bridgman Avenue. 

It was good but intense.

A seductive dance of power and pain unfolds when Julie leaves her late-night party with London’s elite, opting instead to spend the night with her father’s driver. What follows is a savage fight for survival. Vicious and unrelentingly relevant, ‘Julie’ is Polly Stenham’s critically acclaimed 2018 adaptation of Strindberg’s 1888 classic Miss Julie, reframed for today’s world.

Diagonal Seed Stitch Knitted Scarf

I knitted a scarf to donate using a diagonal seed stitch baby blanket pattern I converted to a scarf. I found it on LeeLee Knit's site.

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Merry Maximus) and 6.5mm needles. 

I cast on 24 stitches.

Bottom border

• Row 1: *K1, p1; repeat from * to end of row. 
• Row 2: *P1, k1; repeat from * to end of row. 
• Row 3: *K1, p1; repeat from * to end of row. 
• Row 4: *P1, k1; repeat from * to end of row. 

Body

• Row 1: (K1, p1) twice, *k3, (p1, k1) three times, p1, k6; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (k1, p1) twice. 
• Row 2: (P1, k1) twice, *p5, (k1, p1) three times, k1, p4; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (p1, k1) twice.
• Row 3: (K1, p1) twice, *k5, (p1, k1) three times, p1, k4; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (k1, p1) twice.
• Row 4: (P1, k1) twice, *p3, (k1, p1) three times, k1, p6; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (p1, k1) twice.
• Row 5: (K1, p1) twice, *k7, (p1, k1) three times, p1, k2; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (k1, p1) twice.
• Row 6: (P1, k1) twice, *(p1, k1) four times, p8; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (p1, k1) twice. 
• Row 7: (K1, p1) twice, *k9, (p1, k1) three times, p1; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (k1, p1) twice.
• Row 8: (P1, k1) twice, *(p1, k1) three times, p9, k1; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (p1, k1) twice.
• Row 9: (K1, p1) twice, *k1, p1, k9, (p1, k1) twice, p1; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (k1, p1) twice.
• Row 10: (P1, k1) twice, *(p1, k1) twice, p9, k1, p1, k1; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (p1, k1) twice.
• Row 11: (K1, p1) twice, *(k1, p1) twice, k9, p1, k1, p1; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (k1, p1) twice.
• Row 12: (P1, k1) twice, *p1, k1, p9, (k1, p1) twice, k1; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (p1, k1) twice.
• Row 13: (K1, p1) twice, *(k1, p1) three times, k9, p1; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (k1, p1) twice.
• Row 14: (P1, k1) twice, *p9, (k1, p1) three times, k1; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (p1, k1) twice.
• Row 15: (K1, p1) twice, *(k1, p1) four times, k8; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (k1, p1) twice.
• Row 16: (P1, k1) twice, *p7, (k1, p1) three times, k1, p2; repeat from * to last 4 sts, (p1, k1) twice. 

Top Border

• Row 1: *K1, p1; repeat from * to end of row. 
• Row 2: *P1, k1; repeat from * to end of row. 
• Row 3: *K1, p1; repeat from * to end of row. 
• Row 4: *P1, k1; repeat from * to end of row. 

Bind off

Book ~ "Movie Night Murder" (2016) Leslie Langtry

From Goodreads ~ Merry Wrath has seen dangers galore in her former job as a CIA field agent. But nothing has prepared her for this - an overnight Mommy and Me lock-in with her Girl Scout troop, complete with movies, dodgeball, four cats, a baby … and a dead body. 

When the mysterious corpse’s identity is revealed, Merry and her former handler, Riley, realize they might have a domestic terrorist situation on their hands ... one that needs diffused quickly before any more dead bodies appear. Merry once again calls on her former professional skills to track down a killer. Between a new, hottie female medical examiner - who seems a bit too interested in Merry’s boyfriend, Rex - the President of the United States, the world’s 2nd largest snail collection and an incident with pink hair dye, Merry has her work cut out for her. 

Can she stop an attack before it begins? Or will this be one Movie Night without a happy ending?

Merry is a former CIA agent who loved her job and was very good at it. But when her identity is exposed, she’s forced into early retirement, given a severance package and told to start over somewhere new. After changing her appearance, she returns to her small hometown in Iowa, where her best friend, Kelly, still lives. Together they run a Girl Scout troop while Merry tries to adjust to a much quieter life.

Merry and Kelly organize a girls’ night with their Girl Scouts and the girls’ mothers. Merry brings along her cat, Philby, and her three kittens, while Kelly brings her baby. The evening starts off fun with food, movies, and games until it takes a dark turn when Merry opens a door and a dead body falls into the room. The shocking discovery draws in the police investigation, which the Girl Scouts find thrilling.

Things get more complicated when the victim is identified and Riley, Merry’s former handler, soon shows up, intent on stealing the body and trying to recruit Merry into helping. But those plans quickly fall apart when the corpse is stolen by someone else.

Meanwhile, Soo Jin, a striking coroner newly arrived from San Francisco, arrives into tow. Merry becomes fixated on the idea that Soo Jin is interested in both her boyfriend, Rex, a police officer, and Riley, with whom Merry shares a past. I found Merry’s jealousy annoying and immature, especially since Rex has never given her any reason to doubt him. This same dynamic played out in the previous book with another woman.

I had issues with how the cats were handled. Bringing them along for an overnight and free to roam around seemed irresponsible ... what if they escaped? They weren’t supervised and she didn't bring a litter box or and there was no mention regular feeding. At one point in the story, Riley feeds the cats meatballs covered in tomato sauce, they would probably wouldn't eat and if they did, it wouldn't be a good thing. It often seemed like the author treated the cats more like dogs. On top of that, I had an issue with Merry considering getting the cats declawed!!

This is the fourth in the Merry Wrath mystery series (there are currently 36) and for the most part liked it. It can be read as a stand alone but it's fun to read them in order. It's written in first person perspective in Merry's voice so we can to hear her thoughts (and she has a lot!). I liked the writing style ... it was conversational as if Merry was speaking to us. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to continuing on with the series.