Faking Sanity

Freedom to Read Week 2012

Posted by mtlaise - 27/02/12 at 09:02:37 am

This is Freedom to Read Week in Canada. As long as books have been written, there have been people who objected to some of them. Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Have you read any of the books that have been challenged over the years? You might be surprised. Of Mice and Men, which was required school reading for me, was challenged for blasphemy and profanity. Anne Boleyn, a history book about Anne Boleyn’s life, was contested for immorality. Call me crazy (many people do), but contesting a history book because the person it is about was immoral is ridiculous. How can we learn about and from the past if half of it has been censored out? Many books that I read as a child, or as part of my schooling have been challenged. Looking back, I can understand why some people are offended by the content of some of these books, but we each have a choice to read them or not. I don’t think banning Little House on the Prairie or the Tintin comics and preventing me from reading them as a child would have made me a better person in any way.

I found a couple of quotes related to this topic, recently, that I found very à propos:

“Don’t join the book burners. Don’t think you’re going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don’t be afraid to go in your library and read every book.” Dwight Eisenhower

“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.” Oscar Wilde

I think my favourite, though, is this quote from Ray Bradbury:

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them”.

Big Needles! And more…

Posted by mtlaise - 16/02/12 at 05:02:44 pm

We got in another shipment today! We now have DPNs and 16″ fixed circulars in larger sizes (up to US11 / 8mm), and a restock on all our other Knit Picks needle tips and DPNs. Oh, we also have more ball winders and swifts for winding up all your pretty yarn faster than a speeding bullet, so you can start your knitting that much faster!

Crochet Hook Sets!

Posted by mtlaise - 14/02/12 at 11:02:54 am

Pop in to check out the new Dreamz Symphonie Wood Interchangeable/Tunisian Crochet Hook set:

and the gorgeous Dreamz Symphonie Wood Crochet Hook set:

Namaste!

Posted by mtlaise - 01/02/12 at 02:02:09 pm

Do you love the Namaste knitting bags and purses we’ve had in? Another shipment just came in today, so we’re restocked on the little hip holsters, the large Hermosa, and more of the mid-size Monroe and Mini-Messenger bags, too. Come have a peek!

A New Month, A New Sale!

Posted by mtlaise - 30/01/12 at 10:01:05 am

Everybody loves a sale, right? We’ve switched up the sale table and filled it with romances… and all those romance books are 50% off! So, if romance is your thing, pop in and get a great deal on your reading.

We’ve also switched up our little cut out area to feature books about relationships. It may not be all the typical relationship fare you see leading up to Valentines day, though… There are several books about friendships, several humourous titles, such as I Used To Miss Him, But My Aim Is Improving, and of course some classics, like Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus.

Come check it all out!

Coffee House Cancelled This Month

Posted by mtlaise - 27/01/12 at 01:01:02 pm

Just a quick post to let you all know that tomorrow evening’s coffee house is being cancelled due to illness.

The Peace River Songwriter’s Association will be back, healthy and strong, for next month, though!

Restock!

Posted by mtlaise - 26/01/12 at 10:01:49 am

We thought we’d let all our crafty friends know that we’re now restocked on Malabrigo yarn (new colours too), and several knitting/crochet notions, such as locking or split ring stitch markers, mini measuring tapes, bent tip tapestry needles, etc…If you like large needles, we’ve brought in a few more of the larger sized 16″ circulars and interchangeable tips in both wood and nickel – up to US size 17 (12 mm).

We’re also gauging interest on a few larger tools, so we’ve got a couple ball winders and swifts available now, too.

Great Books

Posted by mtlaise - 19/01/12 at 06:01:26 pm

Have you ever come across a book and knew you had to read it? It happens to me all the time… but then life gets in the way and time runs out, and the list of my “must reads” is way longer than I could ever possibly read in 3 lifetimes. A while ago, though, we got in a copy of A.J. Jacobs’ book The Year of Living Biblically, and I knew I had to read it.

The premise is intriguing. The author is an atheist who was raised in a secular Jewish home, and decided to investigate religion by diving into it head-first. What would it be like to live a year obeying all of the Bible’s rules? Not just the well known ones, like the Ten Commandments, but the lesser known ones as well, like wearing tassels on your garments, or not wearing clothes of mixed fibers. That’s the premise upon which he lived a year of his life and wrote this book.

It’s a very unique approach and A.J.’s style of writing is refreshing and amusing. It’s very interesting to see the journey A.J. – or Jacob, as he calls his biblical year’s alter ego – takes over the course of the year. And I laughed out loud more than once as he recounted scenes between he and his wife over the course of this year.

I loved it. If you’re up for something a little different to read, I highly recommend it! And I hope you’ll love it too!

We’ve got Hand Knits!

Posted by mtlaise - 07/01/12 at 03:01:51 pm

You know this warm spell won’t last forever… It’s ok, though; we’ve got exactly what you need!

We just got in a small supply of hand knit and felted mittens with a cozy fleece liner by local artisan Sherry Reynard. Here’s a sample pair:

Happy New Year!

Posted by mtlaise - 03/01/12 at 11:01:24 am

Happy New Year from us to you! We’re open again, and back to regular store hours. We’ve also got an entirely new selection of books on our sale table if you’re looking for some good, cheap reads: $0.50 each or 4 for $1.

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