Hi everyone!
We had a lovely walk yesterday with Barb, Christie, Jan, Irma joining me at the Grillo Center Labyrinth and then walking west on the Boulder Creek Path just a bit past Eben Fine Park and then back over to the Boulder Bookstore Cafe where Mary and Chris joined us for coffee.
It was kind of bon voyage get together - Barb and Jan are off to Cozumel today for a dive trip and Christie leaves on Tuesday for her trip to Italy.
Book Report:
Barb has started and is enjoying her book group selection of Mr. Pip by Lloyd Jones. There is a connection to Charles Dickens' Great Expectations so some members of the book group are also reading that wonderful classic. Check them both out!
From Publishers Weekly - Mr. Pip
A promising though ultimately overwrought portrayal of the small rebellions and crises of disillusionment that constitute a young narrator's coming-of-age unfolds against an ominous backdrop of war in Jones's latest. When the conflict between the natives and the invading redskin soldiers erupts on an unnamed tropical island in the early 1990s, 13-year-old Matilda Laimo and her mother, Dolores, are unified with the rest of their village in their efforts for survival. Amid the chaos, Mr. Watts, the only white local (he is married to a native), offers to fill in as the children's schoolteacher and teaches from Dickens's Great Expectations. The precocious Matilda, who forms a strong attachment to the novel's hero, Pip, uses the teachings as escapism, which rankles Dolores, who considers her daughter's fixation blasphemous. With a mixture of thrill and unease, Matilda discovers independent thought, and Jones captures the intricate, emotionally loaded evolution of the mother-daughter relationship. Jones (The Book of Fame; Biografi) presents a carefully laid groundwork in the tense interactions between Matilda, Dolores and Mr. Watts, but the extreme violence toward the end of the novel doesn't quite work. Jones's prose is faultless, however, and the story is innovative enough to overcome the misplayed tragedy
Product Description - of Great Expectations
A terrifying encounter with an escaped convict in a graveyard on the wild Kent marshes; a summons to meet the bitter, decaying Miss Havisham and her beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella; the sudden generosity of a mysterious benefactor - these form a series of events that change the orphaned Pip's life forever, and he eagerly abandons his humble origins to begin a new life as a gentleman. Dickens' haunting late novel depicts Pip's education and development through adversity as he discovers the true nature of his 'great expectations'.
Barb also specifically recommended The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone to Christie as she sets off to Rome. This is a biographical novel of Michelangelo.
Product Description
Fictional depiction of Michelangelo. Includes bibliography, glossary and a list of the artist's works
Chris mentioned a very special magazine that might interest some of you - Where Women Create -
http://www.stampington.com/html/awc_10032008_wwc.html
And according to Jan, the film version of The Secret Life of Bees is as good as the book - can't wait to see it!
http://www.foxsearchlight.com/thesecretlifeofbees/
Website of the Week - another good gift-buying site - http://www.buildanest.com/productlist.asp?categorynumber=6 - heard about this on Jumping Monkeys podcast -
"Nest is a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of women in developing countries. The mission of Nest is to support women artists and artisans in the developing world by helping them create sustainable entrepreneurial businesses. To do this, Nest provides micro-credit loans to be used for the purchase of the supplies and materials necessary to begin and/or maintain art or craft-based businesses.
The funds for these loans are generated by selling a unique line of clothing, accessories and merchandise for the home produced exclusively for Nest by a group of artists and designers. The Nest line also includes ceramic pottery, women’s clothing and other items with the Nest logo. In addition to these exclusive items created by well-known designers, the recipients of Nest loans in developing countries also make their crafts available to Nest as repayment for the micro-credit loans. These items, too, are incorporated into the Nest line of merchandise. In this way, Nest draws together artists from across the globe into a cooperative network with a shared vision of mutual support.
When you buy from Nest, you have not only have purchased a unique and beautiful item for yourself or your home, you have participated in a proven effort to better the lives of women all across the globe. Through our work, and your participation, women all over the world are able to plant their roots in a refuge filled with warmth, solace, comfort and joy. It is our sincere hope that Nest can help you create a home, both for yourself and women the world over, filled with energy, beauty and peace."
Podcast of the Week - President-Elect Barack Obama's Weekly Radio Address - go to Itunes and do a search for that - it is being presented by ABC News and George Stephanopoulis - www.itunes.com or go to ABC News Podcast page http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Podcasting/ and scroll down to the audio podcast for President -Elect Barack Obama to listen on the computer.
Vocabulary Word of the Week - vituperative - I heard this used on one of the cable talk shows - they ought to know the meaning of this word!!
Main Entry:
vi·tu·per·a·tive
Pronunciation:
\vi-'tü-p(?-)r?-tiv, -p?-?ra-\
Function:
adjective
Date:
1727
: uttering or given to censure : containing or characterized by verbal abuse
— vi·tu·per·a·tive·ly adverb
Cooking and Dining Report:
I have been baking a lot this week - taking advantage of Jack's being out of town to get a head start on my holiday treats of rugelach and chocolate chip anise biscotti.
The rugelach is from Ina Garten - you can find the recipe at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/rugelach-recipe/index.html - it is a bit labor-intensive but well worth it.
The biscotti is from Giada de Laurentiis - you can find the recipe at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/rugelach-recipe/index.html
These are from my two favorites cooks on the Food Network. They both freeze very well, so they're great to make ahead.
I did find a very nice chicken parmigiana recipe that we had last night - from Bobby Flay on the Food Network - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/chicken-parmigiana-recipe/index.html - I did cheat and use my favorite jarred marinara sauce from Rao's.
Tonight I'm making a favorite roasted mussel dish for Jack and me -from Gourmet Magazine - Mussels with Parsley and Garlic - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mussels-with-Parsley -and-Garlic-103175 - thanks to Chris for reminding me about this recipe.
Quote of the Week - from an unknown blogger
"Rosa sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Barack could run. Barack is running so our children can fly."
Have a terrific week ahead!
Love,
Susan
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