This was a sad year in our little town of about 1500. Both our only bookstore and our only fabric store closed. Now we have to drive at least 30 miles for a fabric store and about 90 miles for the nearest book store.
Of course, one can always order from Am*z*n but I generally try to avoid doing that and purpose instead to shop locally. I know there are many bloggers that fund their blogs through Am*z*n and while I have no quarrel with that at all, my choices are generally local. Of course, I avoid shopping at all costs - I cannot be depended on to keep a blog or a local shop in business.
Those two closures prompted me to challenge myself to use what I have on hand - for sewing and for reading.
A few years ago, when I was going to be traveling I downloaded a bunch of iBooks. And buy a bunch, I mean 130. I didn't pay for any of them, they are all part of the public domain. They are books I would not have ordered or bought from my local bookstore but checked out from the library.
Here are some examples:
I have read about 30 of the iBooks so that leaves 100 to go.
We have about 150 books on our shelves here at home, not counting reference books, cookbooks and Bibles. I have read probably 3/4 of those.
These bitter cold winter days are perfect for reading.. A cup of tea, a good book - count me in. When I'm not at the sewing machine - you'll find me on the couch with a book in one hand and a cuppa something in the other. Trying to read all the books.
And speaking of sewing:
I made some good progress in stash busting yesterday. I pieced together 5 Christmas stocking tops. 
How about you? Are you setting any goals or challenges for yourself in the new year?
