MLO Knitting

Archive for June, 2010

Lil Marchette continues to attract all sorts of trouble.  Somehow she ends up in Texas with her human and pregnant sister-in-law, mother, and best friend.  Her mother is, of course, trying to rid herself of her human daughter-in-law, her best friend is trying to hide from true love with Lil’s brother, and her sister-in-law is clueless as to what is going on.

Did I mention that Lil is trying to track down her missing client, Esther?  It seems that there is a rogue warlock who wants to use Esther in some nefarious plot that hell – and Merlin, yes that Merlin – know all about but won’t let Lil stop! 

Does Lil care that hell says no to getting involved? She wouldn’t be Lil Marchette if she did. And between staying alive, she even finds new clients.

Sucker for Love: A Dead-End Dating Novel (Dead-End Dating Novels) by Kimberly Raye is a great beach read.  No brain cells need apply while reading.  I really enjoy the misadventures of Lil as she tries to escape her father’s copying and office supply business with her own venture.  She really is a likeable, if a dense character.

Continuing the style used so well in The Mask of Cthulhu, The Trail of Cthulhu takes the reader on a journey with those working to prevent the return of The Old Ones. Presented as monographs from those who have been involved in the battle, we learn how each man came to be involved with the mysterious Professor Laban Shrewsbury.

The first monograph, The House on Curwen Street, tells of how a new graduate comes to be in the employ of Dr. Shrewsbury due to his lack of imagination. Andrew Phelan is a man who deals only in the here and now. Strangely, he finds himself on what, at first, can only be interpreted as wildly fantastical dreams of flying bat things and faraway islands filled with ancient ruins. Soon he discovers that those dreams may be more than they appear.

The second monograph, The Watcher from the Sky, tells how Abel Keane finds Andrew Phelan in his boarding room house waiting upon his return. Abel is a student of theology – especially in that which is evil. He finds himself enthralled by what Andrew is doing and soon follows him in his work towards ending the ability of The Old Ones’ to return upon our plain.

The third monograph, The Gorge Beyond Salapunco, tells of Claiborne Boyle. Sole inheritor of the manuscripts and collection of his Great Uncle Asaph Gilman, he finds himself pursued by strange, ichthyc men pursuing his uncle’s collection. Dr. Shrewsbury appears to him as he has set out to South America in pursuit of his uncle’s studies. Soon he finds himself following the same path of those before him.

In the fourth monograph, The Keeper of the Key, Nayland Colum, novelist of The Old Ones, finds himself visited by Dr. Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury warns him that that which he had envisioned as fiction has come too close to truth and those who would keep these things hidden have set their designs upon him. Nayland finds himself taken up in the pursuit of prevention that has preceded him. That pursuit taking him to ancient and forbidden lands in the Arabic peninsula.

The last monograph, The Black Island, finds Horvath Blayne née Waite, investigating the South Pacific legends of Ponape and their worship of fish gods of old. Horvath Blayne finds not only Dr. Shrewsbury, but Abel Keane, Andrew Phelan, Claiborne Boyle, and Nayland Colum have come to see him. And they have brought a high level military man with them. Shrewsbury lays out the plans they have made, and thought Horvath Blayne believes what they plan is necessary, he has strange forebodings about the proceedings as if torn between two competing interests.

The Trail of Cthulhu is a winding tale of horror and foreboding. It is very much a product of its times but, in that, it makes for appealing reading on a gloomy summer’s night. Derleth would have made Lovecraft proud with these entries into the mythos.

Living on a lake brings certain advantages and disadvantages. Today was filled with the advantages. The sky was a brilliant blue with a warm breeze causing the waves to steadily hit the beach as SMR and I strolled along. (SMR is very insistent on getting his “walkie-walks” after all.)

We are lucky that our lake is a small sports lake. Though we have speedboats and water skiers, they are few and the lake remains uncrowded. Well, except for when it starts raining gently and the fisherman all want to catch something. It is even safe to take a small paddleboat out – if it were cleaned of scum from being under the deck for the winter. (It seems I must find the power washer before actually using it.)

DH had been out for the day with some of his friends playing a game of some sort and I was annoyed with him because my oven has stopped working properly.  (Please only need recalibration!)  In this state, we took SMR for his final walk of the night.

The moon was full and red hanging low in the sky.  At least 3 quiet parties seemed to be happening. DH and I started talking as we do when walking His Majesty, SMR.

Me: “I’m surprised. I just realized how close the 4th of July is.”

DH: “Don’t say it!”

Me: “Well, it is kind of nice that the fireworks haven’t started going off yet.”

DH: “I’m blaming you if they start tonight.”

The first chords of Evil Ways by Santana being covered by a nearby band came ringing through the night just as the first firecracker of the season was heard. I started laughing. For some reason DH was giving me an odd look.