Book ~ "Why My Cat Is More Impressive Than Your Baby" (2019) Matthew Inman

From Goodreads ~ "Why My Cat Is More Impressive Than Your Baby" is chockfull of comics about cats, babies, dogs, lasers, selfies and pigeons! 

This book contains a vast wealth of never-before-seen comics, including informative guides, such as: 

• How to comfortably sleep next to your cat 
• 10 ways to befriend a misanthropic cat 
• How to hold a baby when you are not used to holding babies 
• A dog’s guide to walking a human being 
• How to cuddle like you mean it

If you are a cat lover like me, you'll find this book funny.

It's a quick read as it's just colourful and black and white graphics.

Some of the topics include:

• How to tell if your cat thinks you're not that big of a deal
• Cat vs baby: tactical analysis
• How to cuddle like you mean it
• Diary entries of cats versus babies

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate ... the colours are black and periwinkle.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

"Rainbow Dreams", Luminato Festival, Toronto, ON

Luminato Festival started today. I had signed up to spend the afternoon volunteering at Rainbow Wheel, which is part of Rainbow Dreams, at Brookfield Place. 

The Experience

Amid the rush of the day, find a moment to pause, play, and reconnect. Three vibrant, site-specific environments—each infused with Hiromi Tango's signature rainbow aesthetic—invite you to explore pathways toward well-being. These installations are designed to spark joy, movement, and reflection, reminding us that mental health is an active, creative practice.

Internationally acclaimed artist Hiromi Tango brings her transformative vision to Toronto for the first time in North America. Drawing from her extensive body of work, these environments feature designs uniquely inspired by Toronto's striking glass towers and dynamic energy, offering spaces of color, playfulness, and mindfulness. In collaboration with neuroscientist Dr. Emma Burrows, Tango transforms the rainbow into more than just a symbol—it becomes a practice, nurturing the most valuable space we own: the one square foot between our ears.

There are three parts to Rainbow Dreams and I checked out the first one before my shift.

WONDER with Rainbow Garden at Bay Adelaide Centre: Immerse yourself in Garden, a whimsical landscape of oversized rainbow flowers and interactive elements. This gentle wonderland invites you to embrace playfulness as a source of joy and renewal.

I headed to Brookfield Place and started my shift at Rainbow Wheel.

Book ~ "Believe Me" (2018) J.P. Delaney

From Goodreads ~ A struggling actor, a Brit in America without a green card, Claire needs work and money to survive. Then she gets both. But nothing like she expected.

Claire agrees to become a decoy for a firm of divorce lawyers. Hired to entrap straying husbands, she must catch them on tape with their seductive propositions. The rules? Never hit on the mark directly. Make it clear you’re available but he has to proposition you, not the other way around. The firm is after evidence, not coercion. The innocent have nothing to hide.

Then the game changes.

When the wife of one of Claire’s targets is violently murdered, the cops are sure the husband is to blame. Desperate to catch him before he kills again, they enlist Claire to lure him into a confession.

Claire can do this. She’s brilliant at assuming a voice and an identity. For a woman who’s mastered the art of manipulation, how difficult could it be to tempt a killer into a trap? But who is the decoy ... and who is the prey?

Claire is a Brit, living in New York and taking acting classes. Because she doesn't have a green card, she can't legally work so she works for cash for a law firm. She uses her acting ability to trick cheating husbands into making passes at her and bring the evidence back to the spouse who hired the law firm. After one encounter when a husband rebuffs her advances, his wife is found murdered and Patrick, the husband, is the prime suspect. Claire is approached by the police to go undercover and get close to Patrick and get him to confess.

Up until this point, I was enjoying the story. Then it got weird and confusing and unbelievable and went in so many strange directions ... I wasn't digging it anymore and I wasn't sure what was real. Had I known where it was going to go at times, I wouldn't have read it as it's just not something I'm into.

In the beginning, I liked the writing style. It was written in first person perspective in Claire's voice and third person perspective with other characters. It was interesting when it switched to screenplay mode with dialogue and stage directions, considering Claire is an actress. Patrick was a translator of the works of a 17th century poet and there was a lot of the verses of his poems ... zzzzz. As a head's up, there was swearing and adult activity.