Hi everyone!
Saturday morning Mary, Laila, Barb, Jan and I met at the labyrinth and then headed out to Eben Fine Park and then back along the creek to Vic's for coffee. It was a gorgeous morning and we ended it together at the Farmers Market, shopping for Colorado corn, tomatoes, peaches, beets and garlic.
Book Report:
Susan is reading a book that Lynn recommended recently - The Tricky Part by Martin Moran. It is a memoir dealing with the sexual abuse suffered by Moran as a young Catholic boy growing up in Denver. The story is certainly disturbing but he is an outstanding writer.
From Publishers Weekly
To everyone else in the Denver neighborhood where he grew up in the '70s, Moran was a studious Catholic boy. No one knew he carried a secret that would fester for 30 years and lead to extreme anxiety, sexual compulsion and suicide attempts. At age 12 he met Bob, a church camp counselor in his 30s who, for several years, took Moran hiking and camping, and had sex with him. Moran painfully recounts the inner workings of a lonely, insecure adolescent who, out of a desperate need for friendship and acceptance, continued a sexual relationship with a man 20 years his senior. Feeling guilty and shameful regarding the affair and his homosexuality, Moran lived a life in which the erotic and the illicit fused, and compulsive sex became a means of self-punishment. Over the years, Moran, now a writer and actor, managed to glean bits of guidance and self-acceptance from his aunt, a contemplative nun; a New Age music teacher; friends; and eventually, recovery groups and therapy. Moran's Catholic-American gothic differs from other abuse/recovery/coming-out memoirs in that it examines a uniquely gay mind/body split as it subtly reflects on a gay man's spiritual quest for self-determination and love.
Cass recommends The Omnivore's Dilemna by Michael Pollan. I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago - Sounds like a revealing look at the food we eat.
From Publishers Weekly
[Signature]Reviewed by Pamela KaufmanPollan (The Botany of Desire) examines what he calls "our national eating disorder" (the Atkins craze, the precipitous rise in obesity) in this remarkably clearheaded book. It's a fascinating journey up and down the food chain, one that might change the way you read the label on a frozen dinner, dig into a steak or decide whether to buy organic eggs. You'll certainly never look at a Chicken McNugget the same way again.Pollan approaches his mission not as an activist but as a naturalist: "The way we eat represents our most profound engagement with the natural world." All food, he points out, originates with plants, animals and fungi. "[E]ven the deathless Twinkie is constructed out of... well, precisely what I don't know offhand, but ultimately some sort of formerly living creature, i.e., a species. We haven't yet begun to synthesize our foods from petroleum, at least not directly."Pollan's narrative strategy is simple: he traces four meals back to their ur-species. He starts with a McDonald's lunch, which he and his family gobble up in their car. Surprise: the origin of this meal is a cornfield in Iowa. Corn feeds the steer that turns into the burgers, becomes the oil that cooks the fries and the syrup that sweetens the shakes and the sodas, and makes up 13 of the 38 ingredients (yikes) in the Chicken McNuggets.Indeed, one of the many eye-openers in the book is the prevalence of corn in the American diet; of the 45,000 items in a supermarket, more than a quarter contain corn. Pollan meditates on the freakishly protean nature of the corn plant and looks at how the food industry has exploited it, to the detriment of everyone from farmers to fat-and-getting-fatter Americans. Besides Stephen King, few other writers have made a corn field seem so sinister.Later, Pollan prepares a dinner with items from Whole Foods, investigating the flaws in the world of "big organic"; cooks a meal with ingredients from a small, utopian Virginia farm; and assembles a feast from things he's foraged and hunted.This may sound earnest, but Pollan isn't preachy: he's too thoughtful a writer, and too dogged a researcher, to let ideology take over. He's also funny and adventurous. He bounces around on an old International Harvester tractor, gets down on his belly to examine a pasture from a cow's-eye view, shoots a wild pig and otherwise throws himself into the making of his meals. I'm not convinced I'd want to go hunting with Pollan, but I'm sure I'd enjoy having dinner with him. Just as long as we could eat at a table, not in a Toyota. (Apr.)Pamela Kaufman is executive editor at Food & Wine magazine.
Website of the Week: http://www.greendimes.com/ - reduce your junk mail and have trees planted on your behalf.
Podcast of the Week: http://grammar.qdnow.com/ - quick and dirty tips for better writing.
Vocabulary Word of the Week: laconic
laconic \luh-KON-ik\, adjective:
Using or marked by the use of a minimum of words; brief and pithy; brusque.
Readers' reports range from the laconic to the verbose.
-- Bernard Stamler, "A Brooklyncentric View of Life", New York Times, February 28, 1999
In the laconic language of the sheriff department's report,there was "no visible sign of life."
-- David Wise, Cassidy's Run
There was one tiny photograph of him at a YMCA camp plus a few laconic and uninformative entries in a soldier's log from the war year, 1917-18.
-- Edward W. Said, Out of Place: A Memoir
Laconic comes, via Latin, from Greek Lakonikos, "of or relating to a Laconian or Spartan," hence "terse," in the manner of the Laconians.
Quote of the Week: The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.” from Thich Nhat Hanh - Vietnamese Buddhist Monk
Cooking and Food Report:
From The 150 Best American Recipes Cookbook:
Spaghetti with Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan Cheese from The Tomato Festival Cookbook - Serves 4
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more (about 1/4 cup) for roasting
1 large white onion, cut into 1/2 inch dice
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
18 fresh basil leaves, plus 1/4 cup cut into thin ribbons
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 heaping pints ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, rinsed and patted dry
3 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pound spaghetti
2 cups loosely packed arugula
1/2 cup finely grated Pamesan cheese for serving
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Heat the 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the whole basil leaves and red pepper flakes and stir well.
Toss the tomatoes with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the sugar and place in a roasting pan. The pan should be large enough to hold them in a single layer. Spoon the onion mixture over the tomatoes. Add enough oil to come halfway up the tomatoes. Roast until the tomatoes are tender but not falling apart, about 3 hours. Stir once, gently, during the roasting. You can roast the tomatoes up to 6 hours ahead of serving.
Bring a large pot of water with the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil. Add the spaghetti and stir constantly until the water returns to a boil. Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the tomatoes and onion in a large saucepan over low heat. When the pasta is done, drain and transfer to the saucepan with the tomatoes. Add the arugula. Toss well. Add the basil ribbons and toss again.
Serve immediately in warm shallow bowls with Parmesan sprinkled over the top.
From Lucinda and The Silver Palate Cookbook - Summer Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Brie - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=231&topic_id=497&mesg_id=6922
From Susan and Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa - Breakfast Bread Pudding - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36124,00.html - next time, I might slice the bread a bit thinner than the recommended 1".
That's all for now - have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Saturday Morning Walkers - August 19, 2007
Hi everyone!
Thanks to Andrea for planning such a lovely walk out in Gunbarrel at Twin Lakes. Jan, Laila, Christie, Mary and I joined her there and we had the special treat of seeing lots of hot air balloons. Chris joined us for coffee at Page Two Cafe.
Some Labyrinth news - I'm so excited to tell you that Jack and I stopped over at the Grillo Center Labyrinth yesterday afternoon. What a delight to discover that a wedding ceremony had just been celebrated on the labyrinth. We missed the actual ceremony but were able to take some photos and speak to some of the guests. See phot above.
Book Report:
I re-read a book that I read many years ago and was reminded of recently. I found a copy at the Longmont library and read it in one day! The Resort by Sol Stein is a novel that is frightening and hard to put down.
From the Back In Print Book Store
The resort
by Sol Stein
About this title: Cliffhaven--Magnificent new resort near Big Sur. Surrounded by redwoods. Guarded by Oceanside cliffs. Protected from prying eyes. By reservation only. Cliffhaven--Founded by a man with very special interests, catering to a very special clientele. Margaret and Henry Brown, vacationing New Yorkers innocently driving down the sea-washed coast of California, are just the right sort of people. Cliffhaven--It has a spectacular entrance, a three-star restaurant, lavish accommodations--and no exit! "This novel should do for California vacation retreats what jaws did for swimming in the Atlantic."--"Los Angeles Times" Book Review "A thrilling nightmare...A Dante's "Inferno..".more than fulfills the remark "I read it all in one nail-biting session."--Eli Wallach "Not only a thriller...a parable and a warning to all who say 'It can't happen here.'"--"Jewish Post and Opinion"
Andrea is reading Ann Patchett's Magician's Assistant. I have that on my shelf of "to reads". Patchett's novel, Bel Canto was one of my favorites reads.
Amazon.com
The Magician's Assistant sustains author Ann Patchett's proven penchant for crafting colorful characters and marrying the ordinary with the fantastic. When Parsifal, Sabine's husband of more than 20 years and the magician of the title, suddenly dies, she begins to discover how she's glimpsed him only through smoke and mirrors. He has managed to keep hidden the existence of a family in Nebraska--his mother, two sisters, and two nephews. Sabine approaches them hungrily, as if they are a bridge to her beloved husband and a key to the mysteries he left behind
Chris is reading The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka. It sounds like this book provides an opportunity to examine how your living spaces reflect the way you live and to consider how you can scale-down and simplify your life.
From Library Journal
Architect Susanka believes that the large homes being built today place too much emphasis on square footage rather than on current lifestyles. Here she shows how homes can be designed to feature "adaptable spaces open to one another, designed for everyday use." She describes how to examine occupants' lifestyles, how to incorporate the kitchen as the focal point of the home, how to give the illusion of space, and how, with storage, lighting, and furniture arrangement, a smaller home can be comfortably livable. Photographs of contemporary homes as well as those by Frank Lloyd Wright and other modern architects illustrate Susanka's ideas and show the timelessness of the style she advocates. This thought-provoking book will be a good addition to architectural and interior design collections.
Laila recommends Doc Susie by Virginia Cornell.
Diane Donovan, The Bookwatch
Doctor Susan Anderson was a rare women, indeed: a female frontier doctor who searched for health, success and romance in the wild western lands of the Colorado Rockies. Her true experiences are recounted by Cornell, who met the elderly Doc Susie when Cornell was a young girl. Three years of research have contributed to a biography which reads like an adventure novel.
Jan is listening to the audio of The Lay of the Land by Richard Ford. She's loving listening to it but doesn't think it would be a great read.
After more than a decade, Richard Ford revives Frank Bascombe, the beloved protagonist from The Sportswriter and Independence Day. Fans will be scrambling for The Lay of the Land, a novel that finds Bascombe contending with health, marital, and familial issues wake of the 2000 presidential election.
Website of the Week: http://www.laptoplunches.com/ - cool site for those of you wanting to be more environmentally conscious when sending kids back to school or packing your own lunches to take to work.
Podcast of the Week: http://www.newyorker.com/online/2007/06/11/070611on_audio_danticat
Quote of the Week: contributed by Mandy -
"No one gossips about other people's secret virtues."
- Bertrand Russell
Vocabulary Word of the Week - contributed by Barb -
She "stumbled on this one re-reading a portion of Loren Eisley's, "The Immense Journey.":
"Once..on a memorable autumn afternoon I discovered a sunning blacksnake brooding amomg the leaves like the very simulacrum of old night."
simulacrum \sim-yuh-LAY-kruhm; -LAK-ruhm\, noun;
plural simulacra \sim-yuh-LAY-kruh; -LAK-ruh\:
1. An image; a representation.
2. An insubstantial, superficial, or vague likeness or semblance.
Cooking and Food Report:
Saturday night's dinner was Brisket a la Carbonnade - I found the recipe in a wonderful cookbook called The 150 Best American Recipes - It is originally from Ruth Reichl's Gourmet Cookbook and appears online at http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2004-09-30-gourmet-recipe_x.htm - it was absolutely delicious. I was a bit disappointed that a bit too much of the yummy liquid evaporated - I would recommend covering the pot with aluminum foil before covering with the lid to make it tighter seal.
Sunday night's dinner was Amazing 5 hour Roast Duck - another recipe from The 150 Best American Recipes - It is originally from Eli Zabar's Vinegar Factory newsletter and appears online at http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/special/2006/150best/roast-duck.html. It is a unique method for roasting duck and produces a very crispy skin and tender meat. Jack loved it but next time we'll try it with a glaze and sauce.
I served an interesting salad with the duck. Jack didn't love it but I thought it was very good. Roasted Greens Panzanella Salad from Giada de Laurentiis featuring red chard, kale, sun-dried tomatoes, and ciabatta bread cubes with a simple oil and balsamic vinegar dressing - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_37317,00.html
That's it for now - have a lovely week!
Love,
Susan
Saturday Morning Walkers - August 13, 2007
Hi everyone!
Sorry this is so late but I just got back from Los Angeles and our cruise.
Jexy, Joe, Jacob and I joined, Joe's mom Barbara and extended family on a family reunion cruise to Mexico. We had a great time - it was my first cruise and Jacob was my "stateroom mate". Thanks again to Barbara and all the Bloom relatives for making me feel so welcome.
Book Report:
I finished Pete Hamill's new novel, North River. Jack and I have both enjoyed Hamill's earlier books like, Snow in August, Forever and Downtown. He is a classic New Yorker who writes novels and non-fiction books which capture the essence of New York and its history.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The North River is what real New Yorkers call the Hudson. Two blocks from its shore, Dr. James Finbar Delaney lives on Horatio Street in Greenwich Village. He is a GP, servicing the indigent poor. A wounded veteran of World War I, he is despondent that his wife, Molly, has deserted him and that his only child, Grace, has left her son, two-year-old Carlito, in his care. In the dead of winter in the Depression year of 1934, Dr. Delaney knows the cause of death was always life. Delaney is numb from the war and the abandonment of his family. When he saves the life of gangster friend Eddie Corso, Italian hood Frankie Botts is not happy. Delaney can feel the threat to him and his grandson in his bones. To further complicate matters, the FBI shows up looking for Grace.
If there's any consolation for Delaney in the chaos that has become his life, it's Carlito and Rose, his Sicilian illegal alien housekeeper, who has become little Carlito's surrogate mother—and Delaney's lov er. Soon the North River comes to symbolize Delaney's tormented life, as enemies and loved ones float in it, and Grace, on a liner, returns to New York to further complicate Delaney's new, delicate household. Hamill (Forever; A Drinking Life) has crafted a beautiful novel, rich in New York City detail and ambience, that showcases the power of human goodness and how love, in its many forms, can prevail in an unfair world.
Other books people were reading on the ship:
Joe's sister Lauren had just started, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan. Pollan also wrote The Botany of Desire which Lauren liked very much.
From Publishers Weekly
[Signature]Reviewed by Pamela KaufmanPollan (The Botany of Desire) examines what he calls "our national eating disorder" (the Atkins craze, the precipitous rise in obesity) in this remarkably clearheaded book. It's a fascinating journey up and down the food chain, one that might change the way you read the label on a frozen dinner, dig into a steak or decide whether to buy organic eggs. You'll certainly never look at a Chicken McNugget the same way again.Pollan approaches his mission not as an activist but as a naturalist: "The way we eat represents our most profound engagement with the natural world." All food, he points out, originates with plants, animals and fungi. "[E]ven the deathless Twinkie is constructed out of... well, precisely what I don't know offhand, but ultimately some sort of formerly living creature, i.e., a species. We haven't yet begun to synthesize our foods from petroleum, at least not directly."Pollan's narrative strategy is simple: he traces four meals back to their ur-species. He starts with a McDonald's lunch, which he and his family gobble up in their car. Surprise: the origin of this meal is a cornfield in Iowa. Corn feeds the steer that turns into the burgers, becomes the oil that cooks the fries and the syrup that sweetens the shakes and the sodas, and makes up 13 of the 38 ingredients (yikes) in the Chicken McNuggets.Indeed, one of the many eye-openers in the book is the prevalence of corn in the American diet; of the 45,000 items in a supermarket, more than a quarter contain corn. Pollan meditates on the freakishly protean nature of the corn plant and looks at how the food industry has exploited it, to the detriment of everyone from farmers to fat-and-getting-fatter Americans. Besides Stephen King, few other writers have made a corn field seem so sinister.Later, Pollan prepares a dinner with items from Whole Foods, investigating the flaws in the world of "big organic"; cooks a meal with ingredients from a small, utopian Virgin ia farm; and assembles a feast from things he's foraged and hunted.This may sound earnest, but Pollan isn't preachy: he's too thoughtful a writer, and too dogged a researcher, to let ideology take over. He's also funny and adventurous.
He bounces around on an old International Harvester tractor, gets down on his belly to examine a pasture from a cow's-eye view, shoots a wild pig and otherwise throws himself into the making of his meals. I'm not convinced I'd want to go hunting with Pollan, but I'm sure I'd enjoy having dinner with him.
Just as long as we could eat at a table, not i
Joe's mom Barbara read (not on the cruise) and recommends Carolyn See's memoir called Dreaming. She is the mother of Lisa See who wrote Snow Flower and Secret Fan, On Gold Mountain and most recently, Peony in Love.
From Publishers Weekly
Award-winning novelist (Golden Days; Making History) and book critic See has a pungent, earthily feminine style that has never been put to better use than in this saga of her clamorous, perpetually inebriated family. Daughter of a hard-drinking, charming show-business hanger-on and an equally hard-drinking hellion of a mother, See also went through two chaotic marriages, countless gallons of tequila and white wine and enough mind-altering substances to knock her sideways for most of a decade before settling down, with two miraculously surviving and equable daughters and her elderly English professor companion, to become the quirkily admirable writer she is today. Her sister Rose, enmeshed for years in a life of petty crime, drug-dealing and appalling men, was not so lucky. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, in-laws, all seemed somehow to be disappointed at what American (mostly Californian) life had to offer, and retreated into bottles, needles and pills. It all makes for wonderfully liv ely reading, but See's thesis that this is life for much of America's aspiring underclass doesn't quite ring true (perhaps it's simply that a preponderance of these goofily hope-addicted people wind up in California). And in the midst of all See's hard-headed, courageous and humorous observation, it is jarring to come across a paean to some of the more banal and outre of New Age gurus. What is lacking in the book, despite its many anecdotal pleasures and galloping readability, is any sense of a cultural context to Americans beyond a search for ways to feel better about themselves.
Website of the Week: Teach for America - http://www.teachforamerica.org/ - thought I'd share this site with you since this is how Jexy got into teaching right out of college. It really is a remarkable organization that has now been in existence since 1990. You can hear more about on the Satellite Sisters podcast that will be broadcast on Wednesday, August 15. They will be interviewing founder, Wendy Koop.
Podcast of the Week: Jack listened to this show about Ralph Nader on Pacifica, a public radio show out of LA and just thought it was amazing. "While I was sitting in LA traffic today I caught a program on Pacifica radio about Ralph Nader. It was a compilation of interviews and testimony he has given during his career, from his start in the 60s through an interview with Amy Goodman last month. I always thought well of Nader, but really didn't know much about him and was also annoyed that he "interfered" with possible Democratic wins in recent presidential elections.
After listening to this program, I was so impressed by the work and commitment of this remarkable person that I wanted to pass it on to you all."
You can listen or download a podcast at:
http://www.kpfk.org/index.php?option=com_content
Vocabulary Word of the Week - I've chosen this Jewish word in honor of my relationship with Joe's mom, Barbara and my soon-to-be son-in-law, David's mom, Cora.
machatonista
child's mother-in-law
Cooking and Food Report:
Before the cruise, Jexy, Jacob and I went to one of the many new hip and trendy restaurant/bars opening up in her neighborhood of Highland Park. It is called The York - http://www.theyorkonyork.com/. Here's a review from Eating L.A. - http://eatingla.blogspot.com/2007/07/york-rocks-highland-park.html
As you might expect, the food on Royal Carribean's Monarch of the Sea was plentiful. The meals were fine - what was really outstanding was the level of service from the waitstaff and the entire crew. I was very impressed. The crew of 1600 men and women represent 60 different countries. They spend 8 months on board and then are off for 4 months.
That's it for now. I need to settle back home after my exciting trip. Have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Sorry this is so late but I just got back from Los Angeles and our cruise.
Jexy, Joe, Jacob and I joined, Joe's mom Barbara and extended family on a family reunion cruise to Mexico. We had a great time - it was my first cruise and Jacob was my "stateroom mate". Thanks again to Barbara and all the Bloom relatives for making me feel so welcome.
Book Report:
I finished Pete Hamill's new novel, North River. Jack and I have both enjoyed Hamill's earlier books like, Snow in August, Forever and Downtown. He is a classic New Yorker who writes novels and non-fiction books which capture the essence of New York and its history.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The North River is what real New Yorkers call the Hudson. Two blocks from its shore, Dr. James Finbar Delaney lives on Horatio Street in Greenwich Village. He is a GP, servicing the indigent poor. A wounded veteran of World War I, he is despondent that his wife, Molly, has deserted him and that his only child, Grace, has left her son, two-year-old Carlito, in his care. In the dead of winter in the Depression year of 1934, Dr. Delaney knows the cause of death was always life. Delaney is numb from the war and the abandonment of his family. When he saves the life of gangster friend Eddie Corso, Italian hood Frankie Botts is not happy. Delaney can feel the threat to him and his grandson in his bones. To further complicate matters, the FBI shows up looking for Grace.
If there's any consolation for Delaney in the chaos that has become his life, it's Carlito and Rose, his Sicilian illegal alien housekeeper, who has become little Carlito's surrogate mother—and Delaney's lov er. Soon the North River comes to symbolize Delaney's tormented life, as enemies and loved ones float in it, and Grace, on a liner, returns to New York to further complicate Delaney's new, delicate household. Hamill (Forever; A Drinking Life) has crafted a beautiful novel, rich in New York City detail and ambience, that showcases the power of human goodness and how love, in its many forms, can prevail in an unfair world.
Other books people were reading on the ship:
Joe's sister Lauren had just started, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan. Pollan also wrote The Botany of Desire which Lauren liked very much.
From Publishers Weekly
[Signature]Reviewed by Pamela KaufmanPollan (The Botany of Desire) examines what he calls "our national eating disorder" (the Atkins craze, the precipitous rise in obesity) in this remarkably clearheaded book. It's a fascinating journey up and down the food chain, one that might change the way you read the label on a frozen dinner, dig into a steak or decide whether to buy organic eggs. You'll certainly never look at a Chicken McNugget the same way again.Pollan approaches his mission not as an activist but as a naturalist: "The way we eat represents our most profound engagement with the natural world." All food, he points out, originates with plants, animals and fungi. "[E]ven the deathless Twinkie is constructed out of... well, precisely what I don't know offhand, but ultimately some sort of formerly living creature, i.e., a species. We haven't yet begun to synthesize our foods from petroleum, at least not directly."Pollan's narrative strategy is simple: he traces four meals back to their ur-species. He starts with a McDonald's lunch, which he and his family gobble up in their car. Surprise: the origin of this meal is a cornfield in Iowa. Corn feeds the steer that turns into the burgers, becomes the oil that cooks the fries and the syrup that sweetens the shakes and the sodas, and makes up 13 of the 38 ingredients (yikes) in the Chicken McNuggets.Indeed, one of the many eye-openers in the book is the prevalence of corn in the American diet; of the 45,000 items in a supermarket, more than a quarter contain corn. Pollan meditates on the freakishly protean nature of the corn plant and looks at how the food industry has exploited it, to the detriment of everyone from farmers to fat-and-getting-fatter Americans. Besides Stephen King, few other writers have made a corn field seem so sinister.Later, Pollan prepares a dinner with items from Whole Foods, investigating the flaws in the world of "big organic"; cooks a meal with ingredients from a small, utopian Virgin ia farm; and assembles a feast from things he's foraged and hunted.This may sound earnest, but Pollan isn't preachy: he's too thoughtful a writer, and too dogged a researcher, to let ideology take over. He's also funny and adventurous.
He bounces around on an old International Harvester tractor, gets down on his belly to examine a pasture from a cow's-eye view, shoots a wild pig and otherwise throws himself into the making of his meals. I'm not convinced I'd want to go hunting with Pollan, but I'm sure I'd enjoy having dinner with him.
Just as long as we could eat at a table, not i
Joe's mom Barbara read (not on the cruise) and recommends Carolyn See's memoir called Dreaming. She is the mother of Lisa See who wrote Snow Flower and Secret Fan, On Gold Mountain and most recently, Peony in Love.
From Publishers Weekly
Award-winning novelist (Golden Days; Making History) and book critic See has a pungent, earthily feminine style that has never been put to better use than in this saga of her clamorous, perpetually inebriated family. Daughter of a hard-drinking, charming show-business hanger-on and an equally hard-drinking hellion of a mother, See also went through two chaotic marriages, countless gallons of tequila and white wine and enough mind-altering substances to knock her sideways for most of a decade before settling down, with two miraculously surviving and equable daughters and her elderly English professor companion, to become the quirkily admirable writer she is today. Her sister Rose, enmeshed for years in a life of petty crime, drug-dealing and appalling men, was not so lucky. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, in-laws, all seemed somehow to be disappointed at what American (mostly Californian) life had to offer, and retreated into bottles, needles and pills. It all makes for wonderfully liv ely reading, but See's thesis that this is life for much of America's aspiring underclass doesn't quite ring true (perhaps it's simply that a preponderance of these goofily hope-addicted people wind up in California). And in the midst of all See's hard-headed, courageous and humorous observation, it is jarring to come across a paean to some of the more banal and outre of New Age gurus. What is lacking in the book, despite its many anecdotal pleasures and galloping readability, is any sense of a cultural context to Americans beyond a search for ways to feel better about themselves.
Website of the Week: Teach for America - http://www.teachforamerica.org/ - thought I'd share this site with you since this is how Jexy got into teaching right out of college. It really is a remarkable organization that has now been in existence since 1990. You can hear more about on the Satellite Sisters podcast that will be broadcast on Wednesday, August 15. They will be interviewing founder, Wendy Koop.
Podcast of the Week: Jack listened to this show about Ralph Nader on Pacifica, a public radio show out of LA and just thought it was amazing. "While I was sitting in LA traffic today I caught a program on Pacifica radio about Ralph Nader. It was a compilation of interviews and testimony he has given during his career, from his start in the 60s through an interview with Amy Goodman last month. I always thought well of Nader, but really didn't know much about him and was also annoyed that he "interfered" with possible Democratic wins in recent presidential elections.
After listening to this program, I was so impressed by the work and commitment of this remarkable person that I wanted to pass it on to you all."
You can listen or download a podcast at:
http://www.kpfk.org/index.php?option=com_content
Vocabulary Word of the Week - I've chosen this Jewish word in honor of my relationship with Joe's mom, Barbara and my soon-to-be son-in-law, David's mom, Cora.
machatonista
child's mother-in-law
Cooking and Food Report:
Before the cruise, Jexy, Jacob and I went to one of the many new hip and trendy restaurant/bars opening up in her neighborhood of Highland Park. It is called The York - http://www.theyorkonyork.com/. Here's a review from Eating L.A. - http://eatingla.blogspot.com/2007/07/york-rocks-highland-park.html
As you might expect, the food on Royal Carribean's Monarch of the Sea was plentiful. The meals were fine - what was really outstanding was the level of service from the waitstaff and the entire crew. I was very impressed. The crew of 1600 men and women represent 60 different countries. They spend 8 months on board and then are off for 4 months.
That's it for now. I need to settle back home after my exciting trip. Have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Saturday Morning Walkers - August 4, 2007
Hi everyone!
Sorry I missed the walk this morning but I did catch up with Barb, Cass and Mary for coffee at Caffe Sole. From there, I headed down to Lakewood for a meeting with a group of women who have created a referral agency for doulas and postpartum doulas, called With Women http://www.with-women.com/. It was definitely worthwhile and will certainly pursue that as a way of connnecting with clients.
Book Report: it is a short one this week. I just finished Michael Chabon's Yiddish Policemen's Union which Jack highly recommended a couple of weeks ago. It was slow getting into it for me, a bit confusing, but I'm glad I stuck with it. It definitely became a "page-turning" mystery and detective story with the most interesting background of a fictional Jewish district in Alaska.
I'm just beginning Ireland by Frank Delaney. He's one of our presenters for the upcoming Literary Sojourn in October and I think this will be a wonderful read.
From Publishers Weekly
BBC reporter Delaney's fictionalized history of his native country, an Irish bestseller, is a sprawling, riveting read, a book of stories melding into a novel wrapped up in an Irish history text. In 1951, when Ronan O'Mara is nine, he meets the aging itinerant Storyteller, who emerges out a "silver veil" of Irish mist, hoping to trade a yarn for a hot meal. Welcomed inside, the Storyteller lights his pipe and begins, telling of the architect of Newgrange, who built "a marvelous, immortal structure... before Stonehenge in England, before the pyramids of Egypt," and the dentally challenged King Conor of Ulster, who tried, and failed, to outsmart his wife. The stories utterly captivate the young Ronan ("This is the best thing that ever, ever happened"), and they'll draw readers in, too, with their warriors and kings, drinkers and devils, all rendered cleanly and without undue sentimentality. When Ronan's mother banishes the Storyteller for telling a blasphemous tale, Ronan vows to find him. He also becomes fascinated by Irish myth and legend, and, as the years pass, he discovers his own gift for storytelling. Eventually, he sets off, traversing Ireland on foot to find his mentor. Past and present weave together as Delaney entwines the lives of the Storyteller and Ronan in this rich and satisfying book.
Rae read and recommends Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
In this ambitious fourth novel from Whitbread winner Atkinson (Behind the Scenes at the Museum), private detective Jackson Brodie—ex-cop, ex-husband and weekend dad—takes on three cases involving past crimes that occurred in and around London. The first case introduces two middle-aged sisters who, after the death of their vile, distant father, look again into the disappearance of their beloved sister Olivia, last seen at three years old, while they were camping under the stars during an oppressive heat wave. A retired lawyer who lives only on the fumes of possible justice next enlists Jackson's aid in solving the brutal killing of his grown daughter 10 years earlier. In the third dog-eared case file, the sibling of an infamous ax-bludgeoner seeks a reunion with her niece, who as a baby was a witness to murder. Jackson's reluctant persistence heats up these cold cases and by happenstance leads him to reassess his own painful history. The humility of the extraordinary, unabashed characters is skillfully revealed with humor and surprise. Atkinson contrasts the inevitable results of family dysfunction with random fate, gracefully weaving the three stories into a denouement that taps into collective wishful thinking and suggests that warmth and safety may be found in the aftermath of blood and abandonment. Atkinson's meaty, satisfying prose will attract many eager readers.
Website of the Week - found by Rae - www.results.org - a website of a grassroots lobbying organization - "RESULTS: creating the public and political will to end hunger and the worst aspects of poverty" - Rae just joined the local group in Washington, D.C - we all need to be empowered to make real change in our own communities!
Podcast of the Week - Seder on Sunday - http://www.am1090seattle.com/pages/84914.php?contentType=34&contentId=1199 - from Seattle's progressive radio - until recently, Sam Seder co-hosted a show on Air America with Janeane Garafalo.
Vocabulary Word of the Week - from Mandy - I came across this word in a Salon.com letter to the editor. I had never heard it before--thought the word origin was particularly
interesting:
Shibboleth [shib-uh-lith, -leth]
–noun
1. a peculiarity of pronunciation, behavior, mode of dress, etc., that
distinguishes a particular class or set of persons.
2. a slogan; catchword.
3. a common saying or belief with little current meaning or truth.
[Origin: < Heb shibboleth lit., freshet, a word used by the Gileadites as a test to detect the fleeing Ephraimites, who could not pronounce the sound sh (Judges 12:4–6)]
Cooking and Food Report: I did some cooking this week - here goes!
Spaghetti all Amatriciana from Michael Chiarello of the Food Network - I used whole wheat spaghetti which works real well with this hearty sauce.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_35291,00.html
Grilled Steak Salad with Green Beans and Blue Cheese - from Epicurious.com by way of the Culinary School of the Rockies - a great source of recipes - check them out online - www.culinaryschoolrockies.com
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/105157 - I cut this in 1/2 for the two of us and used one strip steak (about 3/4 lb) which I sliced very thin. I also used just a tiny bit of blue cheese - a little goes a long way.
Dry Rub Ribs by Dave Leiberman of the Food Network and Balsamic Barbecue Sauce from Giada de Laurentiis - I wrote these up several weeks ago but they deserve another mention. They are so easy to do and absolutely yummy - the ribs cook very slowly in the oven so make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get them in before you're ready to eat.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_36115,00.html?rsrc=search
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36958,00.html
A Great Baby Shower Gift Idea - if you know anyone in your life ( a friend, co-worker, relative) that is expecting a baby and you have a shower gift to get, consider giving the services of a postpartum doula. It is a great idea for several friends or relatives to share the cost.
That's it for this week - I leave on Wednesday for Los Angeles. I'm joining Jex, Joe and Jacob for a 3 night cruise out of LA with Joe's extended family. Joe's mom, Barbara, graciously invited me along for this family reunion and I am really looking forward to it. It will be my first cruise and of course, my cabinmate is the one and only Jacob Milo Rowland! I return on Tuesday the 14th - my blog email may be late or non-existent next week - we'll see how things go!
Love,
Susan
Sorry I missed the walk this morning but I did catch up with Barb, Cass and Mary for coffee at Caffe Sole. From there, I headed down to Lakewood for a meeting with a group of women who have created a referral agency for doulas and postpartum doulas, called With Women http://www.with-women.com/. It was definitely worthwhile and will certainly pursue that as a way of connnecting with clients.
Book Report: it is a short one this week. I just finished Michael Chabon's Yiddish Policemen's Union which Jack highly recommended a couple of weeks ago. It was slow getting into it for me, a bit confusing, but I'm glad I stuck with it. It definitely became a "page-turning" mystery and detective story with the most interesting background of a fictional Jewish district in Alaska.
I'm just beginning Ireland by Frank Delaney. He's one of our presenters for the upcoming Literary Sojourn in October and I think this will be a wonderful read.
From Publishers Weekly
BBC reporter Delaney's fictionalized history of his native country, an Irish bestseller, is a sprawling, riveting read, a book of stories melding into a novel wrapped up in an Irish history text. In 1951, when Ronan O'Mara is nine, he meets the aging itinerant Storyteller, who emerges out a "silver veil" of Irish mist, hoping to trade a yarn for a hot meal. Welcomed inside, the Storyteller lights his pipe and begins, telling of the architect of Newgrange, who built "a marvelous, immortal structure... before Stonehenge in England, before the pyramids of Egypt," and the dentally challenged King Conor of Ulster, who tried, and failed, to outsmart his wife. The stories utterly captivate the young Ronan ("This is the best thing that ever, ever happened"), and they'll draw readers in, too, with their warriors and kings, drinkers and devils, all rendered cleanly and without undue sentimentality. When Ronan's mother banishes the Storyteller for telling a blasphemous tale, Ronan vows to find him. He also becomes fascinated by Irish myth and legend, and, as the years pass, he discovers his own gift for storytelling. Eventually, he sets off, traversing Ireland on foot to find his mentor. Past and present weave together as Delaney entwines the lives of the Storyteller and Ronan in this rich and satisfying book.
Rae read and recommends Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
In this ambitious fourth novel from Whitbread winner Atkinson (Behind the Scenes at the Museum), private detective Jackson Brodie—ex-cop, ex-husband and weekend dad—takes on three cases involving past crimes that occurred in and around London. The first case introduces two middle-aged sisters who, after the death of their vile, distant father, look again into the disappearance of their beloved sister Olivia, last seen at three years old, while they were camping under the stars during an oppressive heat wave. A retired lawyer who lives only on the fumes of possible justice next enlists Jackson's aid in solving the brutal killing of his grown daughter 10 years earlier. In the third dog-eared case file, the sibling of an infamous ax-bludgeoner seeks a reunion with her niece, who as a baby was a witness to murder. Jackson's reluctant persistence heats up these cold cases and by happenstance leads him to reassess his own painful history. The humility of the extraordinary, unabashed characters is skillfully revealed with humor and surprise. Atkinson contrasts the inevitable results of family dysfunction with random fate, gracefully weaving the three stories into a denouement that taps into collective wishful thinking and suggests that warmth and safety may be found in the aftermath of blood and abandonment. Atkinson's meaty, satisfying prose will attract many eager readers.
Website of the Week - found by Rae - www.results.org - a website of a grassroots lobbying organization - "RESULTS: creating the public and political will to end hunger and the worst aspects of poverty" - Rae just joined the local group in Washington, D.C - we all need to be empowered to make real change in our own communities!
Podcast of the Week - Seder on Sunday - http://www.am1090seattle.com/pages/84914.php?contentType=34&contentId=1199 - from Seattle's progressive radio - until recently, Sam Seder co-hosted a show on Air America with Janeane Garafalo.
Vocabulary Word of the Week - from Mandy - I came across this word in a Salon.com letter to the editor. I had never heard it before--thought the word origin was particularly
interesting:
Shibboleth [shib-uh-lith, -leth]
–noun
1. a peculiarity of pronunciation, behavior, mode of dress, etc., that
distinguishes a particular class or set of persons.
2. a slogan; catchword.
3. a common saying or belief with little current meaning or truth.
[Origin: < Heb shibboleth lit., freshet, a word used by the Gileadites as a test to detect the fleeing Ephraimites, who could not pronounce the sound sh (Judges 12:4–6)]
Cooking and Food Report: I did some cooking this week - here goes!
Spaghetti all Amatriciana from Michael Chiarello of the Food Network - I used whole wheat spaghetti which works real well with this hearty sauce.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_35291,00.html
Grilled Steak Salad with Green Beans and Blue Cheese - from Epicurious.com by way of the Culinary School of the Rockies - a great source of recipes - check them out online - www.culinaryschoolrockies.com
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/105157 - I cut this in 1/2 for the two of us and used one strip steak (about 3/4 lb) which I sliced very thin. I also used just a tiny bit of blue cheese - a little goes a long way.
Dry Rub Ribs by Dave Leiberman of the Food Network and Balsamic Barbecue Sauce from Giada de Laurentiis - I wrote these up several weeks ago but they deserve another mention. They are so easy to do and absolutely yummy - the ribs cook very slowly in the oven so make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get them in before you're ready to eat.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_36115,00.html?rsrc=search
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36958,00.html
A Great Baby Shower Gift Idea - if you know anyone in your life ( a friend, co-worker, relative) that is expecting a baby and you have a shower gift to get, consider giving the services of a postpartum doula. It is a great idea for several friends or relatives to share the cost.
That's it for this week - I leave on Wednesday for Los Angeles. I'm joining Jex, Joe and Jacob for a 3 night cruise out of LA with Joe's extended family. Joe's mom, Barbara, graciously invited me along for this family reunion and I am really looking forward to it. It will be my first cruise and of course, my cabinmate is the one and only Jacob Milo Rowland! I return on Tuesday the 14th - my blog email may be late or non-existent next week - we'll see how things go!
Love,
Susan
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Saturday Morning Walkers - July 21, 2007
Hi everyone,
Hope you're all managing to stay cool - it is broiling out here in Colorado! Thanks to Mary, we had an early and relatively cool walk on Saturday morning - we started at Scott Carpenter Park and then took the bike path, cut through Research Park (remember those good old training days!) over Foothills Parkway and back up the bike path back to the park and then over to Starbucks at 30th and Arapahoe.
Book Report:
Barb, Jan and Susan attended a Democratic Women of Boulder event the other night where we heard Michael Isakoff of Newsweek talk about his book Hubris, co-authored by David Corn. He was a dynamic speaker and presented pretty compelling evidence for how the current administration marketed and sold the war in Iraq. We are all looking forward to reading the book.
Review
"Indispensable ... There have been many books about the Iraq War, and there will be many others before we are through. This one, however, pulls together with unusually shocking clarity the multiple failures of process and statecraft."
—WASHINGTON POST
"The most comprehensive account of the White House's political machinations ... fascinating reading."
—THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
"A bold and provocative book."
—TOM BROKAW
Jack is enjoying reading Pete Hamill's new book, North River: A Novel. Pete Hamill is a favorite of ours - most often writes about New York City, both fiction and non-fiction. We loved Snow in August, Forever and Downtown. Very much a "real" New Yorker, he expresses so well the unique energy and life of the inhabitants of that city.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The North River is what real New Yorkers call the Hudson. Two blocks from its shore, Dr. James Finbar Delaney lives on Horatio Street in Greenwich Village. He is a GP, servicing the indigent poor. A wounded veteran of World War I, he is despondent that his wife, Molly, has deserted him and that his only child, Grace, has left her son, two-year-old Carlito, in his care. In the dead of winter in the Depression year of 1934, Dr. Delaney knows the cause of death was always life. Delaney is numb from the war and the abandonment of his family. When he saves the life of gangster friend Eddie Corso, Italian hood Frankie Botts is not happy. Delaney can feel the threat to him and his grandson in his bones. To further complicate matters, the FBI shows up looking for Grace. If there's any consolation for Delaney in the chaos that has become his life, it's Carlito and Rose, his Sicilian illegal alien housekeeper, who has become little Carlito's surrogate mother—and Delaney's lover. Soon the North River comes to symbolize Delaney's tormented life, as enemies and loved ones float in it, and Grace, on a liner, returns to New York to further complicate Delaney's new, delicate household. Hamill (Forever; A Drinking Life) has crafted a beautiful novel, rich in New York City detail and ambience, that showcases the power of human goodness and how love, in its many forms, can prevail in an unfair world
Website of the Week - http://www.rootsofempathy.org/ -
Roots of Empathy (ROE) is an award winning, evidence-based classroom program that has shown dramatic effect in reducing levels of aggression and violence among school children while raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy. The program reaches children from Kindergarten to Grade 8 across Canada, in English and French, in rural, urban, remote and Aboriginal communities both on and off reserve and is being piloted internationally in Australia and New Zealand.
At the heart of the program are a neighbourhood infant and parent who visit the classroom every three weeks over the school year. A trained ROE Instructor coaches students to observe the baby’s development and to label the baby’s feelings. In this experiential learning, the baby is the “Teacher” and a lever, which the instructor uses to help children identify and reflect on their own feelings and the feelings of others. This “emotional literacy” taught in the program lays the foundation for more safe and caring classrooms, where children are the “Changers”. They are more competent in understanding their own feelings and the feelings of others (empathy) and are therefore less likely to physically, psychologically and emotionally hurt each other through bullying and other cruelties. In the ROE program children learn how to challenge cruelty and injustice. Messages of social inclusion and activities that are consensus building contribute to a culture of caring that changes the tone of the classroom. The ROE Instructor also visits before and after each family visit to prepare and reinforce teachings using a specialized lesson plan for each visit. Research results from national and international evaluations of ROE indicate significant reductions in aggression and increases in pro-social behaviour.
Podcast of the Week - Jumping Monkeys - http://www.jumpingmonkeys.com/jumpingmonkeys/podcast/index.html - a podcast dedicated to child-raising and technology - interesting duo of Megan Morrone and Leo Laporte best known from Tech TV.
Word of the Week - Labyrinth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the mazelike structure from Greek mythology. For other uses, see Labyrinth (disambiguation).
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (Gk. λαβύρινθος labyrinthos) was an elaborate structure constructed for King Minos of Crete and designed by the legendary artificer Daedalus to hold the Minotaur, a creature that was half man and half bull and which was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus. Daedalus had made the Labyrinth so cunningly that he himself could barely escape it after he built it.[1] Theseus was aided by Ariadne, who provided him with a fateful thread, literally the "clew," or "clue," to wind his way back again.
The term labyrinth is often used interchangeably with maze, but modern scholars of the subject use a stricter definition. For them, a maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage with choices of path and direction; while a single-path ("unicursal") labyrinth has only a single Eulerian path to the center. A labyrinth has an unambiguous through-route to the center and back and is not designed to be difficult to navigate.
This unicursal design was wide-spread in artistic depictions of the Minotaur's Labyrinth even though both logic and literary descriptions of it make it clear that the Minotaur was trapped in a multicursal maze.[2]
A labyrinth can be represented both symbolically and/or physically. Symbolically it is represented in art or designs on pottery, as body art, etched on walls of caves, etc. Physical representations are common throughout the world, and are generally constructed on the ground so they may be walked along from entry point to center and back again. They have historically been used in both group ritual and for private meditation.
Cooking and Food Report:
This week we're featuring brunch recipes:
Terri's Baked Hash Browns
Baked Hash Browns
2 lbs frozen hash browns (use the cubed potato kind.)
1/2 C melted margarine
1 tsp salt
(pepper)
1/2 C chopped onion
1 pt sour cream (I use light)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C grated cheese
2 C crushed corn flakes
Mix together 1/4 C margarine, salt, (pepper), onion, sour cream, soup and cheese. Blend well. Grease 9x13 pan and put hash browns in the bottom. Pour sour cream mixture over the potatoes. Mix crushed corm flakes with remaining 1/4 C margarine and put on top. Bake at 350 for 40 - 50 minutes.
Barb's Chili's Relleno Casserole from her friend Sue Alt:
7 oz. canned whole green chilies - split, rinse, de-seed, pat dry (next time I'd double the chilies)
1/2 # each grated Jack and sharp cheddar (I bought the bag of already mixed)
2/3 # spicy sausage - fried & crumbled (I used 1/2 spicy and 1/2 mild and closer to 1 #, doubled)
3 eggs
2 1/4 C milk
1 C Bisquick
Seasoned salt (I didn't add salt - indgrediants were salty enough)
Preheat oven to 325.
Put chilies in bottom of 8 x 11 baking dish.
Top with cheese, then sausage on top. (I might try 2 layers of chilies, cheese, chilies, cheese)
Beat eggs. Blend in milk and Bisquick and pour over all.
Bake 50-55 minutes. Can be done the night before and even frozen before cooking - or after.
Recipe says it serves 6-8. I doubled it and we only ate about 1/3rd of it. Of course, we had so much that everyone was taking small amounts of each dish.
Susan's Fourteener's Granola from the River Run Inn in Salida, Colorado: http://www.lanierbb.com/recipes/data/2197.html
I usually serve with this with yogurt, berries and sometimes my favorite chocolate chips.
That's all for now - have a great week ahead. I may actually do some cooking this week and try out some new recipes that I can share with you.
Love,
Susan
Hope you're all managing to stay cool - it is broiling out here in Colorado! Thanks to Mary, we had an early and relatively cool walk on Saturday morning - we started at Scott Carpenter Park and then took the bike path, cut through Research Park (remember those good old training days!) over Foothills Parkway and back up the bike path back to the park and then over to Starbucks at 30th and Arapahoe.
Book Report:
Barb, Jan and Susan attended a Democratic Women of Boulder event the other night where we heard Michael Isakoff of Newsweek talk about his book Hubris, co-authored by David Corn. He was a dynamic speaker and presented pretty compelling evidence for how the current administration marketed and sold the war in Iraq. We are all looking forward to reading the book.
Review
"Indispensable ... There have been many books about the Iraq War, and there will be many others before we are through. This one, however, pulls together with unusually shocking clarity the multiple failures of process and statecraft."
—WASHINGTON POST
"The most comprehensive account of the White House's political machinations ... fascinating reading."
—THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
"A bold and provocative book."
—TOM BROKAW
Jack is enjoying reading Pete Hamill's new book, North River: A Novel. Pete Hamill is a favorite of ours - most often writes about New York City, both fiction and non-fiction. We loved Snow in August, Forever and Downtown. Very much a "real" New Yorker, he expresses so well the unique energy and life of the inhabitants of that city.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The North River is what real New Yorkers call the Hudson. Two blocks from its shore, Dr. James Finbar Delaney lives on Horatio Street in Greenwich Village. He is a GP, servicing the indigent poor. A wounded veteran of World War I, he is despondent that his wife, Molly, has deserted him and that his only child, Grace, has left her son, two-year-old Carlito, in his care. In the dead of winter in the Depression year of 1934, Dr. Delaney knows the cause of death was always life. Delaney is numb from the war and the abandonment of his family. When he saves the life of gangster friend Eddie Corso, Italian hood Frankie Botts is not happy. Delaney can feel the threat to him and his grandson in his bones. To further complicate matters, the FBI shows up looking for Grace. If there's any consolation for Delaney in the chaos that has become his life, it's Carlito and Rose, his Sicilian illegal alien housekeeper, who has become little Carlito's surrogate mother—and Delaney's lover. Soon the North River comes to symbolize Delaney's tormented life, as enemies and loved ones float in it, and Grace, on a liner, returns to New York to further complicate Delaney's new, delicate household. Hamill (Forever; A Drinking Life) has crafted a beautiful novel, rich in New York City detail and ambience, that showcases the power of human goodness and how love, in its many forms, can prevail in an unfair world
Website of the Week - http://www.rootsofempathy.org/ -
Roots of Empathy (ROE) is an award winning, evidence-based classroom program that has shown dramatic effect in reducing levels of aggression and violence among school children while raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy. The program reaches children from Kindergarten to Grade 8 across Canada, in English and French, in rural, urban, remote and Aboriginal communities both on and off reserve and is being piloted internationally in Australia and New Zealand.
At the heart of the program are a neighbourhood infant and parent who visit the classroom every three weeks over the school year. A trained ROE Instructor coaches students to observe the baby’s development and to label the baby’s feelings. In this experiential learning, the baby is the “Teacher” and a lever, which the instructor uses to help children identify and reflect on their own feelings and the feelings of others. This “emotional literacy” taught in the program lays the foundation for more safe and caring classrooms, where children are the “Changers”. They are more competent in understanding their own feelings and the feelings of others (empathy) and are therefore less likely to physically, psychologically and emotionally hurt each other through bullying and other cruelties. In the ROE program children learn how to challenge cruelty and injustice. Messages of social inclusion and activities that are consensus building contribute to a culture of caring that changes the tone of the classroom. The ROE Instructor also visits before and after each family visit to prepare and reinforce teachings using a specialized lesson plan for each visit. Research results from national and international evaluations of ROE indicate significant reductions in aggression and increases in pro-social behaviour.
Podcast of the Week - Jumping Monkeys - http://www.jumpingmonkeys.com/jumpingmonkeys/podcast/index.html - a podcast dedicated to child-raising and technology - interesting duo of Megan Morrone and Leo Laporte best known from Tech TV.
Word of the Week - Labyrinth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the mazelike structure from Greek mythology. For other uses, see Labyrinth (disambiguation).
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (Gk. λαβύρινθος labyrinthos) was an elaborate structure constructed for King Minos of Crete and designed by the legendary artificer Daedalus to hold the Minotaur, a creature that was half man and half bull and which was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus. Daedalus had made the Labyrinth so cunningly that he himself could barely escape it after he built it.[1] Theseus was aided by Ariadne, who provided him with a fateful thread, literally the "clew," or "clue," to wind his way back again.
The term labyrinth is often used interchangeably with maze, but modern scholars of the subject use a stricter definition. For them, a maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage with choices of path and direction; while a single-path ("unicursal") labyrinth has only a single Eulerian path to the center. A labyrinth has an unambiguous through-route to the center and back and is not designed to be difficult to navigate.
This unicursal design was wide-spread in artistic depictions of the Minotaur's Labyrinth even though both logic and literary descriptions of it make it clear that the Minotaur was trapped in a multicursal maze.[2]
A labyrinth can be represented both symbolically and/or physically. Symbolically it is represented in art or designs on pottery, as body art, etched on walls of caves, etc. Physical representations are common throughout the world, and are generally constructed on the ground so they may be walked along from entry point to center and back again. They have historically been used in both group ritual and for private meditation.
Cooking and Food Report:
This week we're featuring brunch recipes:
Terri's Baked Hash Browns
Baked Hash Browns
2 lbs frozen hash browns (use the cubed potato kind.)
1/2 C melted margarine
1 tsp salt
(pepper)
1/2 C chopped onion
1 pt sour cream (I use light)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C grated cheese
2 C crushed corn flakes
Mix together 1/4 C margarine, salt, (pepper), onion, sour cream, soup and cheese. Blend well. Grease 9x13 pan and put hash browns in the bottom. Pour sour cream mixture over the potatoes. Mix crushed corm flakes with remaining 1/4 C margarine and put on top. Bake at 350 for 40 - 50 minutes.
Barb's Chili's Relleno Casserole from her friend Sue Alt:
7 oz. canned whole green chilies - split, rinse, de-seed, pat dry (next time I'd double the chilies)
1/2 # each grated Jack and sharp cheddar (I bought the bag of already mixed)
2/3 # spicy sausage - fried & crumbled (I used 1/2 spicy and 1/2 mild and closer to 1 #, doubled)
3 eggs
2 1/4 C milk
1 C Bisquick
Seasoned salt (I didn't add salt - indgrediants were salty enough)
Preheat oven to 325.
Put chilies in bottom of 8 x 11 baking dish.
Top with cheese, then sausage on top. (I might try 2 layers of chilies, cheese, chilies, cheese)
Beat eggs. Blend in milk and Bisquick and pour over all.
Bake 50-55 minutes. Can be done the night before and even frozen before cooking - or after.
Recipe says it serves 6-8. I doubled it and we only ate about 1/3rd of it. Of course, we had so much that everyone was taking small amounts of each dish.
Susan's Fourteener's Granola from the River Run Inn in Salida, Colorado: http://www.lanierbb.com/recipes/data/2197.html
I usually serve with this with yogurt, berries and sometimes my favorite chocolate chips.
That's all for now - have a great week ahead. I may actually do some cooking this week and try out some new recipes that I can share with you.
Love,
Susan
Saturday Morning Walkers - July 14, 2007
Hi everyone!
Wow - it has been an event and food-filled week! Not sure I can get it all into one e-mail but here goes.....
The food week started for me last Monday evening with Book Group. Rae was here and she and I put together a pretty terrific meal - what fun for us to cook together - we're a great team! Check out some of the recipes in the Food and Cooking Report below.
We were a small group yesterday morning but had a lovely walk planned by Barb. Barb, Laila, Christie and I met at 29th Street and then headed out to the Cottonwood Trailhead on Independence (just off the Diagonal). It was a nice shady walk along the creek and then we headed back for coffee and egg souffles at Panera.
Sunday morning brought 9 of us wonderful walkers together to celebrate Christie's graduation from the RN to BS program at Regis University. We celebrated her huge success with a brunch hosted by Barb and "catered" by all of us. Needless to say, we had some amazing food - I've put out a call for some of the recipes which I'll probably share next week.
Sunday evening, George, Melanie and I hosted a "thank you" party for the many volunteers who helped build the Grillo Center Labyrinth. We had a terrific turnout - it was so gratifying to celebrate with so many of the people who helped to make this a reality. We shared great food, did an amazing group walk and took lots of pictures. I'll share them as soon as we get them downloaded.
Book Report:
Barb and Susan are both reading books by writers that will be at the Literary Sojourn in October.
Barb is reading one of Frank Delaney's non-fiction books, Simple Courage: A True Story of Peril on the Sea. She says it is a real page-turner - sounds like a very exciting and compelling story.
From Publishers Weekly
Crippled by two monstrous waves during a 1951 North Atlantic hurricane, the freighter Flying Enterprise was left wallowing on its side and looking as if it would sink at any minute. The subsequent rescue, in mountainous seas, of 10 passengers and 40 crew by lifeboats from responding ships was indeed harrowing—and it's over by page 92 of this overblown maritime-distress yarn. The rest of the book is about the Enterprise's captain, Kurt Carlsen, who insisted on staying aboard to await a tugboat to tow the floundering ship to harbor. Carlsen certainly went beyond the call of duty, but heroism is measured by the stakes involved, which in this case were neither lives nor justice but merely the ship owner's investment. Delaney embellishes the tale with glances at Carlsen's family's anxiety, soggy reminiscences of his own family following the story on the radio and fulsome tributes to the Danish skipper's flinty Nordic resolve (which are rather undercut by the knowledge that Carlsen could have transferred at any time to one of the ships babysitting the hulk). Carlsen's story generated a lot of breathless press hoopla at the time, and it still has the feel of a trumped-up media sensation. Photos not seen by PW.
Susan is reading a first novel by Amanda Eyre Ward, Sleep Toward Heaven. I was immediately drawn in to the stories and the characters.
From Publishers Weekly
How do we forgive the unforgivable? First-time novelist Ward explores this question with a delicate blend of compassion, humor and realism. Three women whose lives converge during a stifling Texas summer have followed completely different paths in their 29 years. The horrendous childhood of death row inmate Karen Lowens led her to prostitution, drug abuse and finally murder. She now longs to find peace before her scheduled execution in the Gatestown, Tex., prison. She resists friendship, as "any connection, any tiny strand, will bind her to this world" from which she so wants to be freed. Franny Wren, Karen's prison doctor, is just as afraid to befriend Karen, knowing that she can't save her. She is fragile, having recently run out on her fiance and her life in New York City after the death of one of her cancer patients, a young girl, left her guilt-ridden and emotionally drained. Franny has returned to her childhood home in Gatestown, where she was raised by an uncle after her parents were killed by a drunk driver. Meanwhile, in Austin, Celia Mills, the only first-person narrator of the three, is the widow of Karen's final victim. She has been sleepwalking through life since the murder, and her stabs at joining the living are touching and funny ("Although my mother disagrees, I have moved forward with my life. For example, I've bought a new bikini"). Ward's celebration of human resilience never becomes preachy, sentimental or politically heavy-handed. Her spare but psychologically rich portraits are utterly convincing.
Website of the Week: recommended by Jackie and Cass - www.sparknotes.com - this is an online Cliffnotes (remember those?) - this could be a valuable resource when you want to check out the next book to read.
Podcast of the Week - heard about this on This American Life - http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/ - this is a local show broadcast on New York City's Public Radio station - very similar to This American Life.
Vocabulary Word of the Week - trompe-l'oeil -
Trompe-l'œil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Trompe-l'œil is an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects really exist, instead of being mere, two-dimensional paintings. The name is derived from French for "trick the eye", from tromper - to deceive and l'œil - the eye; IPA pronunciation [tʁɔ̃plœj].
Cooking and Food Report:
Susan's Book Group menu from Fine Cooking Magazine - recipes for dishes from Northeast Spain
Chicken Thighs Baked with Lemon, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes/chicken_thighs_lemon_herbs.aspx
Catalan Mushrooms with Garlic and Parsley
http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes/catalan_mushrooms.aspx
Green Salad with Olives, Manchego and Romesco Saucehttp://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes/green_salad_olives_manchego_romesco.aspx
Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisinshttp://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes/green_salad_olives_manchego_romesco.aspx
Dessert was that amazing Chocolate Bread Pudding from Gail Gand that Libby introduced us to - couldn't be easier and it sure was easy to eat! Libby actually did a variation of it with friends she was visiting with last week - they used chocolate filled croissants and instead of melting the chocolate with the cream and half and half (yes, both!), they mixed in chocolate chunks.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_27065,00.html?rsrc=search
My appetizer was a bit of "cheat" - I made crostinis using baguette bread (sliced by the grocery store - a real time-saver) - just place them on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes. I made them ahead and stored them in plastic bags - just before serving I topped them with Blue Moose Olive Tapenade and Red Pepper Pesto - thanks to Costco!
Random Tip of the Week - from Christie for any of you mom's or grandmom's who do grocery shopping with young children. When Christie's two daughters, Molly and Heather, were little, Christie used to give each of them coupons for things they needed to buy and it was their "mission" to search for those items which were pictured on the coupons. It gave them a job to do in the store and turned those boring and frustrating trips to the grocery store into a bit more of an adventure.
Have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Wow - it has been an event and food-filled week! Not sure I can get it all into one e-mail but here goes.....
The food week started for me last Monday evening with Book Group. Rae was here and she and I put together a pretty terrific meal - what fun for us to cook together - we're a great team! Check out some of the recipes in the Food and Cooking Report below.
We were a small group yesterday morning but had a lovely walk planned by Barb. Barb, Laila, Christie and I met at 29th Street and then headed out to the Cottonwood Trailhead on Independence (just off the Diagonal). It was a nice shady walk along the creek and then we headed back for coffee and egg souffles at Panera.
Sunday morning brought 9 of us wonderful walkers together to celebrate Christie's graduation from the RN to BS program at Regis University. We celebrated her huge success with a brunch hosted by Barb and "catered" by all of us. Needless to say, we had some amazing food - I've put out a call for some of the recipes which I'll probably share next week.
Sunday evening, George, Melanie and I hosted a "thank you" party for the many volunteers who helped build the Grillo Center Labyrinth. We had a terrific turnout - it was so gratifying to celebrate with so many of the people who helped to make this a reality. We shared great food, did an amazing group walk and took lots of pictures. I'll share them as soon as we get them downloaded.
Book Report:
Barb and Susan are both reading books by writers that will be at the Literary Sojourn in October.
Barb is reading one of Frank Delaney's non-fiction books, Simple Courage: A True Story of Peril on the Sea. She says it is a real page-turner - sounds like a very exciting and compelling story.
From Publishers Weekly
Crippled by two monstrous waves during a 1951 North Atlantic hurricane, the freighter Flying Enterprise was left wallowing on its side and looking as if it would sink at any minute. The subsequent rescue, in mountainous seas, of 10 passengers and 40 crew by lifeboats from responding ships was indeed harrowing—and it's over by page 92 of this overblown maritime-distress yarn. The rest of the book is about the Enterprise's captain, Kurt Carlsen, who insisted on staying aboard to await a tugboat to tow the floundering ship to harbor. Carlsen certainly went beyond the call of duty, but heroism is measured by the stakes involved, which in this case were neither lives nor justice but merely the ship owner's investment. Delaney embellishes the tale with glances at Carlsen's family's anxiety, soggy reminiscences of his own family following the story on the radio and fulsome tributes to the Danish skipper's flinty Nordic resolve (which are rather undercut by the knowledge that Carlsen could have transferred at any time to one of the ships babysitting the hulk). Carlsen's story generated a lot of breathless press hoopla at the time, and it still has the feel of a trumped-up media sensation. Photos not seen by PW.
Susan is reading a first novel by Amanda Eyre Ward, Sleep Toward Heaven. I was immediately drawn in to the stories and the characters.
From Publishers Weekly
How do we forgive the unforgivable? First-time novelist Ward explores this question with a delicate blend of compassion, humor and realism. Three women whose lives converge during a stifling Texas summer have followed completely different paths in their 29 years. The horrendous childhood of death row inmate Karen Lowens led her to prostitution, drug abuse and finally murder. She now longs to find peace before her scheduled execution in the Gatestown, Tex., prison. She resists friendship, as "any connection, any tiny strand, will bind her to this world" from which she so wants to be freed. Franny Wren, Karen's prison doctor, is just as afraid to befriend Karen, knowing that she can't save her. She is fragile, having recently run out on her fiance and her life in New York City after the death of one of her cancer patients, a young girl, left her guilt-ridden and emotionally drained. Franny has returned to her childhood home in Gatestown, where she was raised by an uncle after her parents were killed by a drunk driver. Meanwhile, in Austin, Celia Mills, the only first-person narrator of the three, is the widow of Karen's final victim. She has been sleepwalking through life since the murder, and her stabs at joining the living are touching and funny ("Although my mother disagrees, I have moved forward with my life. For example, I've bought a new bikini"). Ward's celebration of human resilience never becomes preachy, sentimental or politically heavy-handed. Her spare but psychologically rich portraits are utterly convincing.
Website of the Week: recommended by Jackie and Cass - www.sparknotes.com - this is an online Cliffnotes (remember those?) - this could be a valuable resource when you want to check out the next book to read.
Podcast of the Week - heard about this on This American Life - http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/ - this is a local show broadcast on New York City's Public Radio station - very similar to This American Life.
Vocabulary Word of the Week - trompe-l'oeil -
Trompe-l'œil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Trompe-l'œil is an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects really exist, instead of being mere, two-dimensional paintings. The name is derived from French for "trick the eye", from tromper - to deceive and l'œil - the eye; IPA pronunciation [tʁɔ̃plœj].
Cooking and Food Report:
Susan's Book Group menu from Fine Cooking Magazine - recipes for dishes from Northeast Spain
Chicken Thighs Baked with Lemon, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes/chicken_thighs_lemon_herbs.aspx
Catalan Mushrooms with Garlic and Parsley
http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes/catalan_mushrooms.aspx
Green Salad with Olives, Manchego and Romesco Saucehttp://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes/green_salad_olives_manchego_romesco.aspx
Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisinshttp://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes/green_salad_olives_manchego_romesco.aspx
Dessert was that amazing Chocolate Bread Pudding from Gail Gand that Libby introduced us to - couldn't be easier and it sure was easy to eat! Libby actually did a variation of it with friends she was visiting with last week - they used chocolate filled croissants and instead of melting the chocolate with the cream and half and half (yes, both!), they mixed in chocolate chunks.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_27065,00.html?rsrc=search
My appetizer was a bit of "cheat" - I made crostinis using baguette bread (sliced by the grocery store - a real time-saver) - just place them on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes. I made them ahead and stored them in plastic bags - just before serving I topped them with Blue Moose Olive Tapenade and Red Pepper Pesto - thanks to Costco!
Random Tip of the Week - from Christie for any of you mom's or grandmom's who do grocery shopping with young children. When Christie's two daughters, Molly and Heather, were little, Christie used to give each of them coupons for things they needed to buy and it was their "mission" to search for those items which were pictured on the coupons. It gave them a job to do in the store and turned those boring and frustrating trips to the grocery store into a bit more of an adventure.
Have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Saturday Morning Walkers - July 7, 2007
Hi everyone!
Lots to tell you about! I'm so excited that Rae has been here visiting this weekend and will be staying for book group at my house tomorrow night. We've been doing lots of walking, talking and cooking!
Saturday morning we had a quick cup of coffee with Barb, Mary and Jan before they headed out to the Renaissance Festival. We then headed off for a walk on the labyrinth and then a beautiful walk along Boulder Creek before it got too hot. In the afternoon, we "cruised" along the east end of Pearl Street, had some Glacier Ice Cream (so good!) - check out their website http://www.glacierhomemadeicecream.com/ - apparently they've branched out from our very own local place to Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Also, wanted to tell you about a great new shop we discovered at 1625 Pearl Street - Momentum http://www.ourmomentum.com/ . they just opened up last week and sell only fair trade products and has a strong committment to sustainable business practices. It is a very attractive store with some wonderful handmade products. Check it out and support another of our locally-owned businesses!
We did talk about some books at coffee yesterday morning:
Barb strongly recommends a non-fiction book by Luis Alberto Urrea called The Devil's Highway. It is an important and timely book about the history of Mexican immigration.
From Publishers Weekly
In May 2001, 26 Mexican men scrambled across the border and into an area of the Arizona desert known as the Devil's Highway. Only 12 made it safely across. American Book Awardâ€"winning writer and poet Urrea (Across the Wire; Six Kinds of Sky; etc.), who was born in Tijuana and now lives outside Chicago, tracks the paths those men took from their home state of Veracruz all the way norte. Their enemies were many: the U.S. Border Patrol ("La Migra"); gung-ho gringo vigilantes bent on taking the law into their own hands; the Mexican Federales; rattlesnakes; severe hypothermia and the remorseless sun, a "110 degree nightmare" that dried their bodies and pounded their brains. In artful yet uncomplicated prose, Urrea captivatingly tells how a dozen men squeezed by to safety, and how 14 othersâ€"whom the media labeled the Yuma 14â€"did not. But while many point to the group's smugglers (known as coyotes) as the prime villains of the tragedy, Urrea unloads on, in the words of one Mexican consul, "the politics of stupidity that rules both sides of the border." Mexican and U.S. border policy is backward, Urrea finds, and it does little to stem the flow of immigrants. Since the policy results in Mexicans making the crossing in increasingly forbidding areas, it contributes to the conditions that kill those who attempt it. Confident and full of righteous rage, Urrea's story is a well-crafted mélange of first-person testimony, geographic history, cultural and economic analysis, poetry and an indictment of immigration policy. It may not directly influence the forces behind the U.S.'s southern border travesties, but it does give names and identities to the faceless and maligned "wetbacks" and "pollos," and highlights the brutality and unsustainable nature of the many walls separating the two countries.
Jan read and recommends Crow Lake by Mary Lawson. This is a first novel and it does sound intriguing.
Amazon.com
Canadian writer Mary Lawson's debut novel is a beautifully crafted and shimmering tale of love, death, and redemption. The story, narrated by 26-year-old Kate Morrison, is set in the eponymous Crow Lake, an isolated rural community where time has stood still. The reader dives in and out of a year's worth of Kate's childhood memories--when she was 7 and her parents were killed in an automobile accident that left Kate, her younger sister Bo, and two older brothers, Matt and Luke, orphaned. When Kate, the successful zoologist and professor who is accustomed to dissecting everything through a microscope, receives an invitation to Matt's son's 18th birthday party, she must suddenly analyze her own relationship and come to terms with her past before she forsakes a future with the man she loves. Kate is still in turmoil over the events of that fateful summer and winter 20 years ago when the tragedy of another local family, the Pyes, spilled over into their lives with earth-shattering consequences. But does the tragedy really lie in the past or the present? Lawson's narrative flows effortlessly in ever-increasing circles, swirling impressions in the reader's mind until form takes shape and the reader is left to reflect on the whole. Crow Lake is a wonderful achievement that will ripple in and out of the reader's consciousness long after the last page is turned.
Jan is currently listening to and enjoying Swimming to Catalina, a suspense/mystery by Stuart Woods
From Publishers Weekly
Formerly a cop and now a lawyer, Stone Barrington is plummeting to the bottom of the ocean with an anchor chained to his waist at the start of Woods's 17th novel (after Dead in the Water, 1997), a smoothly presented if slight thriller that ambles pleasurably through a kidnapping plot involving Barrington's ex-lover (improbably named Arrington). Her husband, actor Vance Calder, flies Barrington out to Hollywood to help find her. In L.A., Barrington goes from flavor-of-the-minute to persona non grata in less time than it takes a flop to disappear from a multiplex. Naturally he's suspicious, so he starts investigating on his own and finds links aplenty among Calder, a mobster named Onofrio Ippolito (head of the Safe Harbor Bank) and labor fixer David Sturmach. The plot moves quickly and is full of dialogue and genial if unsurprising gibes at self-centered stars. Unsurprising is the key word here. Neither the mystery nor the romantic subplot contributes much in the way of suspense to this pleasant, inoffensive airplane read
Rae read and recommends two books:
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky - this two-part novel was written in WWII France and has only recently been found and published.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Celebrated in pre-WWII France for her bestselling fiction, the Jewish Russian-born Némirovsky was shipped to Auschwitz in the summer of 1942, months after this long-lost masterwork was composed. Némirovsky, a convert to Catholicism, began a planned five-novel cycle as Nazi forces overran northern France in 1940. This gripping "suite," collecting the first two unpolished but wondrously literary sections of a work cut short, have surfaced more than six decades after her death. The first, "Storm in June," chronicles the connecting lives of a disparate clutch of Parisians, among them a snobbish author, a venal banker, a noble priest shepherding churlish orphans, a foppish aesthete and a loving lower-class couple, all fleeing city comforts for the chaotic countryside, mere hours ahead of the advancing Germans. The second, "Dolce," set in 1941 in a farming village under German occupation, tells how peasant farmers, their pretty daughters and petit bourgeois collaborationists coexisted with their Nazi rulers. In a workbook entry penned just weeks before her arrest, Némirovsky noted that her goal was to describe "daily life, the emotional life and especially the comedy it provides." This heroic work does just that, by focusing—with compassion and clarity—on individual human dramas
The Mighty Heart by Marianne Pearl - Daniel Pearl's wife's account of her husband's kidnapping and murder in Pakistan.
From Publishers Weekly
When Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002, his very pregnant wife, Mariane, was left to try to manage the search effort. In this memoir of the month between Pearl's kidnapping and news of his death, she is unflinching, revealing every emotional detail with such honesty that to call the book heart-wrenching is to minimize its power. A journalist herself, Mariane is adept at detail and pacing, letting the events unfold as they happened, complete with their frustrating dead-ends and the tangle of Karachi's bureaucracy. She weaves in memories and thoughts about Danny, which give the book a keen poignancy. She describes how they first met at a party of her mother's, where he looked like "an elegant extra-terrestrial casting a delighted but somewhat perplexed glance at the earthly specimens." Later, after they were married and Mariane got pregnant, he would lean close to her growing belly and talk to the baby in a made-up language he was sure the baby would learn post-birth. After the kidnapping, as she searched his computer for clues, Mariane stumbled upon quirky lists he made, like "Things I Love About Mariane." Such insight into Pearl's personality make the tragedy of his death even sharper. As Mariane deals with his murder and faces the birth of their son alone, she acts with the same sincerity and grace that brought her through the ordeal of the kidnapping. It's not difficult to see why, on the list of things he loved about her, Pearl included: "Has incredible ability to see herself and others with clear perspective."
Website of the Week - www.more.com - this is the website of the magazine More - "celebrating women of over 40" (that's most of us!). I've recently read some interesting articles on this site - one was by Suzanne Braun Levine and is called "Rewriting the Terms of Endearment in a Long-Term Marriage" and the other was "Love and Money: Breadwinner Wives" by Sandy Hingston. You can find these articles and lots more on the website.
Podcast of the Week - http://www.more.com/more/category.jsp?categoryid=/templatedata/more/category/data/1175264522535.xml - this is the podcast from More Magazine that is hosted by Katherine Lanpher - interesting topics and good interviews.
Vocabulary Word of the Week - another one from Rae is "querulous":
querulous \KWER-uh-luhs; -yuh\, adjective:
1. Apt to find fault; habitually complaining.
2. Expressing complaint; fretful; whining.
Querulous Oscar rattles on, never more or less than himself, but never much more than the content of his grumpy rattling.
-- Sven Birkerts, "A Frolic of His Own", New Republic, February 7, 1994
Mam is a tragic figure when transported to New York by her successful sons -- querulous, unable to get a decent cup of tea.
-- Maureen Howard, "McCourt's New World", New York Times, September 19, 1999
Men who feel strong in the justice of their cause, or confident in their powers, do not waste breath in childish boasts of their own superiority and querulous depreciation of their antagonists.
-- James Russell Lowell, "The Pickens-and-Stealin's Rebellion", The Atlantic, June 1861
Querulous comes from Latin querulus, from queri, "to complain."
Cooking and Food Report:
Although I have reported on this restaurant before, it does deserve another mention and that is Radda, a trattoria located next to the Ideal Market on Alpine Avenue. It has become a favorite of mine and Jack's and the food is consistently outstanding. Even though it can get a bit crowded and the noise level gets a little high, it is still worth a visit. We went there on Friday evening after Rae arrived and had 3 excellent meals. Jack had pasta with a wild boar ragu. Rae had gnocchi bolognese and I had seared tuna with grilled asparagus.
While we were waiting for our table at Radda, Judy and Joe Kurtz were leaving after their dinner there. Joe told us about his favorite restaurant located in Lyons - The Gateway Cafe - http://www.gatewaycafe.com/ - it appears that they're only open dinner. The menu looks fantastic - we'll definitely give it a try! Thanks, Joe!
Rae, Jack and I had a great breakfast at The Walnut Cafe yesterday - another favorite breakfast spot of ours, it is located on Walnut in the shopping center at the northeast corner of 30th and Walnut. http://www.walnutcafe.com/walnutcafe.htm. They have a great breakfast and lunch menu with lots of "healthy" alternatives but the best thing about the Walnut Cafe are their pies. I have often gotten them for holiday dinners. The owner and pie baker is Dana Derichsweiler. If you happen to be in South Boulder (SOBO!), check out the South Side Walnut Cafe in the Table Mesa Shopping Center - great space!
I did do some cooking this weekend - I made a lovely Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup for our lunch yesterday. Once again, a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_35961,00.html - it was velvety and smooth, not too thick and great with grilled bread on the side. We actually discovered a new bread yesterday at Udi's stand - www.udisfood.com at the Farmer's Market. It looked like Ciabatta but was called Filone - http://www.puratos.ca/news_events/latest_news/list/filone.aspx. They make this with a combination of white flour, whole wheat flour and spelt. Apparently the spelt helps form a great crust and we were assured that the filone lasts longer than ciabatta.
Dinner last night was Classic Spaghetti Carbonara from Emeril Lagasse. Really simple to make and I like that it doesn't use cream (practically a diet meal - not!) We served it with a simple salad of sliced tomatoes, avocado and chopped scallions. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_10210,00.html
Breakfast this morning, after our walk and "smudging" on the labyrinth, was Giada's Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes - so light and delicious! http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_31908,00.html
We had a great afternoon - we took a drive up to Allenspark to see Linn and Susan's fabulous new kitchen, then headed over to Peaceful Valley Ranch http://www.peacefulvalley.com/to say hi to Linn who is working there now. Pretty cool place! On Linn's recommendation we headed over to Mary's Lake Lodge in Estes Park for lunch. We were pretty impressed. It is a lovely place with a great restaurant. The menu is extensive - Jack had a "well-stocked" seafood bisque and a wonderful reuben sandwich with homemade potato chips; Rae had a creamy roasted red pepper soup that was so well seasoned. I had a huge caesar salad and then Rae and I shared chicken pot pie with a puff pastry crust - mmmmmm-good. Real comfort food. Thanks, Linn for the suggestion! http://www.maryslakelodge.com/.Back home in Boulder, we had our final treat - hot fudge sundaes at The Cheesecake Factory on Pearl Street - pretty decadent but we were able to "clean our plates".
Well, no dinner for us tonight - I'm so happy that Rae is here until Tuesday morning. She and I will be preparing for book group at my house tomorrow evening. I have a pretty wonderful menu planned. The Northeast Spain menu is straight from Fine Cooking Magazine http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/menus/dinner-from-northeast-spain.aspx - I'll have a detailed report on the results next week. I can tell you now that our dessert has already been tested by Libby - it is Chocolate Bread Pudding from Gale Gand of the Food Network http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_27065,00.html
Have a great week everyone!
Love,
Susan
Lots to tell you about! I'm so excited that Rae has been here visiting this weekend and will be staying for book group at my house tomorrow night. We've been doing lots of walking, talking and cooking!
Saturday morning we had a quick cup of coffee with Barb, Mary and Jan before they headed out to the Renaissance Festival. We then headed off for a walk on the labyrinth and then a beautiful walk along Boulder Creek before it got too hot. In the afternoon, we "cruised" along the east end of Pearl Street, had some Glacier Ice Cream (so good!) - check out their website http://www.glacierhomemadeicecream.com/ - apparently they've branched out from our very own local place to Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Also, wanted to tell you about a great new shop we discovered at 1625 Pearl Street - Momentum http://www.ourmomentum.com/ . they just opened up last week and sell only fair trade products and has a strong committment to sustainable business practices. It is a very attractive store with some wonderful handmade products. Check it out and support another of our locally-owned businesses!
We did talk about some books at coffee yesterday morning:
Barb strongly recommends a non-fiction book by Luis Alberto Urrea called The Devil's Highway. It is an important and timely book about the history of Mexican immigration.
From Publishers Weekly
In May 2001, 26 Mexican men scrambled across the border and into an area of the Arizona desert known as the Devil's Highway. Only 12 made it safely across. American Book Awardâ€"winning writer and poet Urrea (Across the Wire; Six Kinds of Sky; etc.), who was born in Tijuana and now lives outside Chicago, tracks the paths those men took from their home state of Veracruz all the way norte. Their enemies were many: the U.S. Border Patrol ("La Migra"); gung-ho gringo vigilantes bent on taking the law into their own hands; the Mexican Federales; rattlesnakes; severe hypothermia and the remorseless sun, a "110 degree nightmare" that dried their bodies and pounded their brains. In artful yet uncomplicated prose, Urrea captivatingly tells how a dozen men squeezed by to safety, and how 14 othersâ€"whom the media labeled the Yuma 14â€"did not. But while many point to the group's smugglers (known as coyotes) as the prime villains of the tragedy, Urrea unloads on, in the words of one Mexican consul, "the politics of stupidity that rules both sides of the border." Mexican and U.S. border policy is backward, Urrea finds, and it does little to stem the flow of immigrants. Since the policy results in Mexicans making the crossing in increasingly forbidding areas, it contributes to the conditions that kill those who attempt it. Confident and full of righteous rage, Urrea's story is a well-crafted mélange of first-person testimony, geographic history, cultural and economic analysis, poetry and an indictment of immigration policy. It may not directly influence the forces behind the U.S.'s southern border travesties, but it does give names and identities to the faceless and maligned "wetbacks" and "pollos," and highlights the brutality and unsustainable nature of the many walls separating the two countries.
Jan read and recommends Crow Lake by Mary Lawson. This is a first novel and it does sound intriguing.
Amazon.com
Canadian writer Mary Lawson's debut novel is a beautifully crafted and shimmering tale of love, death, and redemption. The story, narrated by 26-year-old Kate Morrison, is set in the eponymous Crow Lake, an isolated rural community where time has stood still. The reader dives in and out of a year's worth of Kate's childhood memories--when she was 7 and her parents were killed in an automobile accident that left Kate, her younger sister Bo, and two older brothers, Matt and Luke, orphaned. When Kate, the successful zoologist and professor who is accustomed to dissecting everything through a microscope, receives an invitation to Matt's son's 18th birthday party, she must suddenly analyze her own relationship and come to terms with her past before she forsakes a future with the man she loves. Kate is still in turmoil over the events of that fateful summer and winter 20 years ago when the tragedy of another local family, the Pyes, spilled over into their lives with earth-shattering consequences. But does the tragedy really lie in the past or the present? Lawson's narrative flows effortlessly in ever-increasing circles, swirling impressions in the reader's mind until form takes shape and the reader is left to reflect on the whole. Crow Lake is a wonderful achievement that will ripple in and out of the reader's consciousness long after the last page is turned.
Jan is currently listening to and enjoying Swimming to Catalina, a suspense/mystery by Stuart Woods
From Publishers Weekly
Formerly a cop and now a lawyer, Stone Barrington is plummeting to the bottom of the ocean with an anchor chained to his waist at the start of Woods's 17th novel (after Dead in the Water, 1997), a smoothly presented if slight thriller that ambles pleasurably through a kidnapping plot involving Barrington's ex-lover (improbably named Arrington). Her husband, actor Vance Calder, flies Barrington out to Hollywood to help find her. In L.A., Barrington goes from flavor-of-the-minute to persona non grata in less time than it takes a flop to disappear from a multiplex. Naturally he's suspicious, so he starts investigating on his own and finds links aplenty among Calder, a mobster named Onofrio Ippolito (head of the Safe Harbor Bank) and labor fixer David Sturmach. The plot moves quickly and is full of dialogue and genial if unsurprising gibes at self-centered stars. Unsurprising is the key word here. Neither the mystery nor the romantic subplot contributes much in the way of suspense to this pleasant, inoffensive airplane read
Rae read and recommends two books:
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky - this two-part novel was written in WWII France and has only recently been found and published.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Celebrated in pre-WWII France for her bestselling fiction, the Jewish Russian-born Némirovsky was shipped to Auschwitz in the summer of 1942, months after this long-lost masterwork was composed. Némirovsky, a convert to Catholicism, began a planned five-novel cycle as Nazi forces overran northern France in 1940. This gripping "suite," collecting the first two unpolished but wondrously literary sections of a work cut short, have surfaced more than six decades after her death. The first, "Storm in June," chronicles the connecting lives of a disparate clutch of Parisians, among them a snobbish author, a venal banker, a noble priest shepherding churlish orphans, a foppish aesthete and a loving lower-class couple, all fleeing city comforts for the chaotic countryside, mere hours ahead of the advancing Germans. The second, "Dolce," set in 1941 in a farming village under German occupation, tells how peasant farmers, their pretty daughters and petit bourgeois collaborationists coexisted with their Nazi rulers. In a workbook entry penned just weeks before her arrest, Némirovsky noted that her goal was to describe "daily life, the emotional life and especially the comedy it provides." This heroic work does just that, by focusing—with compassion and clarity—on individual human dramas
The Mighty Heart by Marianne Pearl - Daniel Pearl's wife's account of her husband's kidnapping and murder in Pakistan.
From Publishers Weekly
When Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002, his very pregnant wife, Mariane, was left to try to manage the search effort. In this memoir of the month between Pearl's kidnapping and news of his death, she is unflinching, revealing every emotional detail with such honesty that to call the book heart-wrenching is to minimize its power. A journalist herself, Mariane is adept at detail and pacing, letting the events unfold as they happened, complete with their frustrating dead-ends and the tangle of Karachi's bureaucracy. She weaves in memories and thoughts about Danny, which give the book a keen poignancy. She describes how they first met at a party of her mother's, where he looked like "an elegant extra-terrestrial casting a delighted but somewhat perplexed glance at the earthly specimens." Later, after they were married and Mariane got pregnant, he would lean close to her growing belly and talk to the baby in a made-up language he was sure the baby would learn post-birth. After the kidnapping, as she searched his computer for clues, Mariane stumbled upon quirky lists he made, like "Things I Love About Mariane." Such insight into Pearl's personality make the tragedy of his death even sharper. As Mariane deals with his murder and faces the birth of their son alone, she acts with the same sincerity and grace that brought her through the ordeal of the kidnapping. It's not difficult to see why, on the list of things he loved about her, Pearl included: "Has incredible ability to see herself and others with clear perspective."
Website of the Week - www.more.com - this is the website of the magazine More - "celebrating women of over 40" (that's most of us!). I've recently read some interesting articles on this site - one was by Suzanne Braun Levine and is called "Rewriting the Terms of Endearment in a Long-Term Marriage" and the other was "Love and Money: Breadwinner Wives" by Sandy Hingston. You can find these articles and lots more on the website.
Podcast of the Week - http://www.more.com/more/category.jsp?categoryid=/templatedata/more/category/data/1175264522535.xml - this is the podcast from More Magazine that is hosted by Katherine Lanpher - interesting topics and good interviews.
Vocabulary Word of the Week - another one from Rae is "querulous":
querulous \KWER-uh-luhs; -yuh\, adjective:
1. Apt to find fault; habitually complaining.
2. Expressing complaint; fretful; whining.
Querulous Oscar rattles on, never more or less than himself, but never much more than the content of his grumpy rattling.
-- Sven Birkerts, "A Frolic of His Own", New Republic, February 7, 1994
Mam is a tragic figure when transported to New York by her successful sons -- querulous, unable to get a decent cup of tea.
-- Maureen Howard, "McCourt's New World", New York Times, September 19, 1999
Men who feel strong in the justice of their cause, or confident in their powers, do not waste breath in childish boasts of their own superiority and querulous depreciation of their antagonists.
-- James Russell Lowell, "The Pickens-and-Stealin's Rebellion", The Atlantic, June 1861
Querulous comes from Latin querulus, from queri, "to complain."
Cooking and Food Report:
Although I have reported on this restaurant before, it does deserve another mention and that is Radda, a trattoria located next to the Ideal Market on Alpine Avenue. It has become a favorite of mine and Jack's and the food is consistently outstanding. Even though it can get a bit crowded and the noise level gets a little high, it is still worth a visit. We went there on Friday evening after Rae arrived and had 3 excellent meals. Jack had pasta with a wild boar ragu. Rae had gnocchi bolognese and I had seared tuna with grilled asparagus.
While we were waiting for our table at Radda, Judy and Joe Kurtz were leaving after their dinner there. Joe told us about his favorite restaurant located in Lyons - The Gateway Cafe - http://www.gatewaycafe.com/ - it appears that they're only open dinner. The menu looks fantastic - we'll definitely give it a try! Thanks, Joe!
Rae, Jack and I had a great breakfast at The Walnut Cafe yesterday - another favorite breakfast spot of ours, it is located on Walnut in the shopping center at the northeast corner of 30th and Walnut. http://www.walnutcafe.com/walnutcafe.htm. They have a great breakfast and lunch menu with lots of "healthy" alternatives but the best thing about the Walnut Cafe are their pies. I have often gotten them for holiday dinners. The owner and pie baker is Dana Derichsweiler. If you happen to be in South Boulder (SOBO!), check out the South Side Walnut Cafe in the Table Mesa Shopping Center - great space!
I did do some cooking this weekend - I made a lovely Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup for our lunch yesterday. Once again, a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_35961,00.html - it was velvety and smooth, not too thick and great with grilled bread on the side. We actually discovered a new bread yesterday at Udi's stand - www.udisfood.com at the Farmer's Market. It looked like Ciabatta but was called Filone - http://www.puratos.ca/news_events/latest_news/list/filone.aspx. They make this with a combination of white flour, whole wheat flour and spelt. Apparently the spelt helps form a great crust and we were assured that the filone lasts longer than ciabatta.
Dinner last night was Classic Spaghetti Carbonara from Emeril Lagasse. Really simple to make and I like that it doesn't use cream (practically a diet meal - not!) We served it with a simple salad of sliced tomatoes, avocado and chopped scallions. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_10210,00.html
Breakfast this morning, after our walk and "smudging" on the labyrinth, was Giada's Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes - so light and delicious! http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_31908,00.html
We had a great afternoon - we took a drive up to Allenspark to see Linn and Susan's fabulous new kitchen, then headed over to Peaceful Valley Ranch http://www.peacefulvalley.com/to say hi to Linn who is working there now. Pretty cool place! On Linn's recommendation we headed over to Mary's Lake Lodge in Estes Park for lunch. We were pretty impressed. It is a lovely place with a great restaurant. The menu is extensive - Jack had a "well-stocked" seafood bisque and a wonderful reuben sandwich with homemade potato chips; Rae had a creamy roasted red pepper soup that was so well seasoned. I had a huge caesar salad and then Rae and I shared chicken pot pie with a puff pastry crust - mmmmmm-good. Real comfort food. Thanks, Linn for the suggestion! http://www.maryslakelodge.com/.Back home in Boulder, we had our final treat - hot fudge sundaes at The Cheesecake Factory on Pearl Street - pretty decadent but we were able to "clean our plates".
Well, no dinner for us tonight - I'm so happy that Rae is here until Tuesday morning. She and I will be preparing for book group at my house tomorrow evening. I have a pretty wonderful menu planned. The Northeast Spain menu is straight from Fine Cooking Magazine http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/menus/dinner-from-northeast-spain.aspx - I'll have a detailed report on the results next week. I can tell you now that our dessert has already been tested by Libby - it is Chocolate Bread Pudding from Gale Gand of the Food Network http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_27065,00.html
Have a great week everyone!
Love,
Susan
Saturday Morning Walkers - June 30, 2007
Hi everyone,
Well, it has been a pretty busy and exciting week around here - Jexy and Jacob came back with us from Los Angeles. Jacob had a great time at CU's Wild and Wonderful Day Camp at Chautauqua Park.
And as most of you know by now, The Grillo Center Labyrinth is complete and open to the public. Although it has taken almost 8 years to make this happen, it ended up taking less than 3 weeks to build, thanks to so many enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers.
We also had a wonderful visit on Wednesday with Rae's daughter and son-in-law Wendy and Jon, and grandkids, Jack and Calla. They were in Boulder briefly before heading up to Winter Park for a wedding.
Book Report:
Jexy is reading the memoir The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - see http://cookinandbookin.blogspot.com/search?q=glass+castle for an earlier review.
Jacob is enjoying a somewhat controversial The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden. The controversy is two-fold - feminists may object to the fact that this is a book designed for boys; and they are teaching certain activities which you might not want your child to know about - Jex will be reading it very selectively.
Amazon.comEqual parts droll and gorgeous nostalgia book and heartfelt plea for a renewed sense of adventure in the lives of boys and men, Conn and Hal Iggulden's The Dangerous Book for Boys became a mammoth bestseller in the United Kingdom in 2006. Adapted, in moderation, for American customs in this edition (cricket is gone, rugby remains; conkers are out, Navajo Code Talkers in), The Dangerous Book is a guide book for dads as well as their sons, as a reminder of lore and technique that have not yet been completely lost to the digital age. Recall the adventures of Scott of the Antarctic and the Battle of the Somme, relearn how to palm a coin, tan a skin, and, most charmingly, wrap a package in brown paper and string. The book's ambitions are both modest and winningly optimistic: you get the sense that by learning how to place a splint or write in invisible ink, a boy might be prepared for anything, even girls (which warrant a small but wise chapter of their own).
Susan is going to make a valiant effort to get into our upcoming book club selection - book club is at my house next week! The selection is The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea. Urrea is one of the writers who will be at The Literary Sojourn this October in Steamboat Springs - www.literarysojourn.org
From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. "Her powers were growing now, like her body. No one knew where the strange things came from. Some said they sprang up in her after the desert sojourn with Huila. Some said they came from somewhere else, some deep inner landscape no one could touch. That they had been there all along." Teresita, the real-life "Saint of Cabora," was born in 1873 to a 14-year-old Indian girl impregnated by a prosperous rancher near the Mexico-Arizona border. Raised in dire poverty by an abusive aunt, the little girl still learned music and horsemanship and even to read: she was a "chosen child," showing such remarkable healing powers that the ranch's medicine woman took her as an apprentice, and the rancher, Don Tomás Urrea, took her—barefoot and dirty—into his own household. At 16, Teresita was raped, lapsed into a coma and apparently died. At her wake, though, she sat up in her coffin and declared that it was not for her. Pilgrims came to her by the thousands, even as the Catholic Church denounced her as a heretic; she was also accused of fomenting an Indian uprising against Mexico and, at 19, sentenced to be shot. From this already tumultuous tale of his great-aunt Teresa, American Book Award–winner Urrea (The Devil's Highway) fashions an astonishing novel set against the guerrilla violence of post–Civil War southwestern border disputes and incipient revolution. His brilliant prose is saturated with the cadences and insights of Latin-American magical realism and tempered by his exacting reporter's eye and extensive historical investigation. The book is wildly romantic, sweeping in its effect, employing the techniques of Catholic hagiography, Western fairy tale, Indian legend and everyday family folklore against the gritty historical realities of war, poverty, prejudice, lawlessness, torture and genocide. Urrea effortlessly links Teresita's supernatural calling to the turmoil of the times, concealing substantial intellectual content behind effervescent storytelling and considerable humor.
Jexy gave me a lovely book on Labyrinths - The Complete Guide to Labyrinths by Cassandra Eason - it is a great addition to my growing library on labyrinths!
Book Description
A universal symbol of transformation, the labyrinth was created in ancient times to represent humankind’s search for the core of divinity. Unlike a maze, which may have a confusion of circuitous tracks leading in all directions, a labyrinth has a single, winding pathway composed of 7, 11, or 12 circuits that spiral inward to a center. In THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO LABYRINTHS, renowned British psychic and folklorist Cassandra Eason explores the mystery of this sacred symbol and explains how to harness its power for personal transformation, protection, healing, and enlightenment. Featuring rituals to honor grief or loss, nourish fertility, confront and resolve conflicts, and celebrate new beginnings, LABYRINTHS is a deeply spiritual guide to the meditative, intuitive, and creative power of this age-old symbol.
Website of the Week: www.gocitykids.com - a great guide for finding out what's happening for kids in cities all over the country - perhaps you're expecting out of town guests with kids this summer and would like to find out about all the fun things going on around town.
Podcast of the Week: Filmweek with Larry Mantle - http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/filmweek.html - FilmWeek is a locally-produced show, hosted by AirTalk's Larry Mantle, which offers up a mix of entertainment and film related live interviews and call-in discussions. Each show ends with reviews of new films and video releases from critics Peter Rainer of the Christian Science Monitor; Jean Oppenheimer of Village Voice Media; Lael Loewenstein of Variety; Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com; Andy Klein, film editor and chief critic of CityBeat; and Charles Solomon, animation critic for amazon.com.
Vocabulary Word of the Week (from the Dangerous Book For Boys): Latin phrase every boy should know - iacta alea est -
Alea iacta est (also seen as alea jacta est) is Latin for "The die has been cast".
Actually quoted by Suetonius as iacta alea est [ˈjakta ˈaːlɛa ɛst], it is what Julius Caesar is reported to have said on January 10, 49 BC as he led his army across the River Rubicon in northern Italy. With this step, he entered Italy at the head of his army in defiance of the Roman Senate and began his long civil war against Pompey and the Optimates.
The phrase is still used today to mean that events have passed a point of no return, that something inevitable will happen, i.e., he cannot take back what he has done, much like the gambler who has wagered everything on a throw of the dice. Caesar was said to have borrowed the phrase from Menander, his favorite Greek writer of comedy. Plutarch refers that this words were said in Greek language:
Ἑλληνιστὶ πρὸς τοὺς παρόντας ἐκβοήσας, "Ἀνερρίφθω κύβος," [anerriphtho kybos] διεβίβαζε τὸν στρατόν.
He [Caesar] declared in Greek with loud voice to those who were present 'The die has been cast' and led the army across.
– Plutarch, 'Life of Pompey, Ch. 60'
By some accounts, Caesar used the imperative "iace" rather than the passive "iacta est" ("Cast the die!").[citation needed] In another context, "iacta est" could be translated as "was cast, i.e., as a "simple past." It is generally assumed, e.g. by Shakespeare, that Caesar here meant "The die has been cast" i.e., "The die is now cast" and not "The die was cast."
[edit] References in Popular Culture
In each edition of the enormously popular French comic book Asterix, once Asterix sinks the pirates' ship, the first mate says to the captain, "Alea jacta est."
In the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, there is an episode by this very name, instead it references the crossing of a joint Cardassian-Romulan fleet entering the Gamma Quadrant.
Alea Iacta Est is the password of Alpha Omega Theta Fraternity Inc, chosen by the fraternity's founder John Stefano in 1946. "Alea Iacta Est, The Die is Cast, Once it's Started it Can Never End." link AlphaOmegaTheta.com
The phrase is displayed on one of the opening screens to the Playstation puzzle game Devil Dice.
"Alea jacta est" is the subject of a classroom lecture in the 2002 film, The Emperor's Club.
Cooking and Food Report - a couple of recipes worth mentioning
From Epicurious. com, we made Spaghetti and Mussels,Tomatoes and Oregano - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/104150 - it is a keeper.
From Rachel Rays 30 Minute Meals for Kids - Cooking Rocks, Jacob made Purple Burping Cows - Jacob says, "I would never, ever, ever make them again. They were the worst thing on earth" - so there you have it - start with one 12oz. can of grape soda, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and topped with mini-marshmallows. It sounded better than it tasted!
We had a lovely brunch with Wendy, Jon and kids while they were here - it is a favorite menu of ours for brunch:
Scrambled eggs garnished with chopped scallions
Bagels, cream cheese and lox
Tomatoes and red onions
Caperberries (capers on speed!)
Cantalope and figs with proscuitto
Rugulah
That's it for now! Have a lovely week, stay cool and visit the Grillo Center Labyrinth!
Love,
Susan
Well, it has been a pretty busy and exciting week around here - Jexy and Jacob came back with us from Los Angeles. Jacob had a great time at CU's Wild and Wonderful Day Camp at Chautauqua Park.
And as most of you know by now, The Grillo Center Labyrinth is complete and open to the public. Although it has taken almost 8 years to make this happen, it ended up taking less than 3 weeks to build, thanks to so many enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers.
We also had a wonderful visit on Wednesday with Rae's daughter and son-in-law Wendy and Jon, and grandkids, Jack and Calla. They were in Boulder briefly before heading up to Winter Park for a wedding.
Book Report:
Jexy is reading the memoir The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - see http://cookinandbookin.blogspot.com/search?q=glass+castle for an earlier review.
Jacob is enjoying a somewhat controversial The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden. The controversy is two-fold - feminists may object to the fact that this is a book designed for boys; and they are teaching certain activities which you might not want your child to know about - Jex will be reading it very selectively.
Amazon.comEqual parts droll and gorgeous nostalgia book and heartfelt plea for a renewed sense of adventure in the lives of boys and men, Conn and Hal Iggulden's The Dangerous Book for Boys became a mammoth bestseller in the United Kingdom in 2006. Adapted, in moderation, for American customs in this edition (cricket is gone, rugby remains; conkers are out, Navajo Code Talkers in), The Dangerous Book is a guide book for dads as well as their sons, as a reminder of lore and technique that have not yet been completely lost to the digital age. Recall the adventures of Scott of the Antarctic and the Battle of the Somme, relearn how to palm a coin, tan a skin, and, most charmingly, wrap a package in brown paper and string. The book's ambitions are both modest and winningly optimistic: you get the sense that by learning how to place a splint or write in invisible ink, a boy might be prepared for anything, even girls (which warrant a small but wise chapter of their own).
Susan is going to make a valiant effort to get into our upcoming book club selection - book club is at my house next week! The selection is The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea. Urrea is one of the writers who will be at The Literary Sojourn this October in Steamboat Springs - www.literarysojourn.org
From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. "Her powers were growing now, like her body. No one knew where the strange things came from. Some said they sprang up in her after the desert sojourn with Huila. Some said they came from somewhere else, some deep inner landscape no one could touch. That they had been there all along." Teresita, the real-life "Saint of Cabora," was born in 1873 to a 14-year-old Indian girl impregnated by a prosperous rancher near the Mexico-Arizona border. Raised in dire poverty by an abusive aunt, the little girl still learned music and horsemanship and even to read: she was a "chosen child," showing such remarkable healing powers that the ranch's medicine woman took her as an apprentice, and the rancher, Don Tomás Urrea, took her—barefoot and dirty—into his own household. At 16, Teresita was raped, lapsed into a coma and apparently died. At her wake, though, she sat up in her coffin and declared that it was not for her. Pilgrims came to her by the thousands, even as the Catholic Church denounced her as a heretic; she was also accused of fomenting an Indian uprising against Mexico and, at 19, sentenced to be shot. From this already tumultuous tale of his great-aunt Teresa, American Book Award–winner Urrea (The Devil's Highway) fashions an astonishing novel set against the guerrilla violence of post–Civil War southwestern border disputes and incipient revolution. His brilliant prose is saturated with the cadences and insights of Latin-American magical realism and tempered by his exacting reporter's eye and extensive historical investigation. The book is wildly romantic, sweeping in its effect, employing the techniques of Catholic hagiography, Western fairy tale, Indian legend and everyday family folklore against the gritty historical realities of war, poverty, prejudice, lawlessness, torture and genocide. Urrea effortlessly links Teresita's supernatural calling to the turmoil of the times, concealing substantial intellectual content behind effervescent storytelling and considerable humor.
Jexy gave me a lovely book on Labyrinths - The Complete Guide to Labyrinths by Cassandra Eason - it is a great addition to my growing library on labyrinths!
Book Description
A universal symbol of transformation, the labyrinth was created in ancient times to represent humankind’s search for the core of divinity. Unlike a maze, which may have a confusion of circuitous tracks leading in all directions, a labyrinth has a single, winding pathway composed of 7, 11, or 12 circuits that spiral inward to a center. In THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO LABYRINTHS, renowned British psychic and folklorist Cassandra Eason explores the mystery of this sacred symbol and explains how to harness its power for personal transformation, protection, healing, and enlightenment. Featuring rituals to honor grief or loss, nourish fertility, confront and resolve conflicts, and celebrate new beginnings, LABYRINTHS is a deeply spiritual guide to the meditative, intuitive, and creative power of this age-old symbol.
Website of the Week: www.gocitykids.com - a great guide for finding out what's happening for kids in cities all over the country - perhaps you're expecting out of town guests with kids this summer and would like to find out about all the fun things going on around town.
Podcast of the Week: Filmweek with Larry Mantle - http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/filmweek.html - FilmWeek is a locally-produced show, hosted by AirTalk's Larry Mantle, which offers up a mix of entertainment and film related live interviews and call-in discussions. Each show ends with reviews of new films and video releases from critics Peter Rainer of the Christian Science Monitor; Jean Oppenheimer of Village Voice Media; Lael Loewenstein of Variety; Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com; Andy Klein, film editor and chief critic of CityBeat; and Charles Solomon, animation critic for amazon.com.
Vocabulary Word of the Week (from the Dangerous Book For Boys): Latin phrase every boy should know - iacta alea est -
Alea iacta est (also seen as alea jacta est) is Latin for "The die has been cast".
Actually quoted by Suetonius as iacta alea est [ˈjakta ˈaːlɛa ɛst], it is what Julius Caesar is reported to have said on January 10, 49 BC as he led his army across the River Rubicon in northern Italy. With this step, he entered Italy at the head of his army in defiance of the Roman Senate and began his long civil war against Pompey and the Optimates.
The phrase is still used today to mean that events have passed a point of no return, that something inevitable will happen, i.e., he cannot take back what he has done, much like the gambler who has wagered everything on a throw of the dice. Caesar was said to have borrowed the phrase from Menander, his favorite Greek writer of comedy. Plutarch refers that this words were said in Greek language:
Ἑλληνιστὶ πρὸς τοὺς παρόντας ἐκβοήσας, "Ἀνερρίφθω κύβος," [anerriphtho kybos] διεβίβαζε τὸν στρατόν.
He [Caesar] declared in Greek with loud voice to those who were present 'The die has been cast' and led the army across.
– Plutarch, 'Life of Pompey, Ch. 60'
By some accounts, Caesar used the imperative "iace" rather than the passive "iacta est" ("Cast the die!").[citation needed] In another context, "iacta est" could be translated as "was cast, i.e., as a "simple past." It is generally assumed, e.g. by Shakespeare, that Caesar here meant "The die has been cast" i.e., "The die is now cast" and not "The die was cast."
[edit] References in Popular Culture
In each edition of the enormously popular French comic book Asterix, once Asterix sinks the pirates' ship, the first mate says to the captain, "Alea jacta est."
In the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, there is an episode by this very name, instead it references the crossing of a joint Cardassian-Romulan fleet entering the Gamma Quadrant.
Alea Iacta Est is the password of Alpha Omega Theta Fraternity Inc, chosen by the fraternity's founder John Stefano in 1946. "Alea Iacta Est, The Die is Cast, Once it's Started it Can Never End." link AlphaOmegaTheta.com
The phrase is displayed on one of the opening screens to the Playstation puzzle game Devil Dice.
"Alea jacta est" is the subject of a classroom lecture in the 2002 film, The Emperor's Club.
Cooking and Food Report - a couple of recipes worth mentioning
From Epicurious. com, we made Spaghetti and Mussels,Tomatoes and Oregano - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/104150 - it is a keeper.
From Rachel Rays 30 Minute Meals for Kids - Cooking Rocks, Jacob made Purple Burping Cows - Jacob says, "I would never, ever, ever make them again. They were the worst thing on earth" - so there you have it - start with one 12oz. can of grape soda, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and topped with mini-marshmallows. It sounded better than it tasted!
We had a lovely brunch with Wendy, Jon and kids while they were here - it is a favorite menu of ours for brunch:
Scrambled eggs garnished with chopped scallions
Bagels, cream cheese and lox
Tomatoes and red onions
Caperberries (capers on speed!)
Cantalope and figs with proscuitto
Rugulah
That's it for now! Have a lovely week, stay cool and visit the Grillo Center Labyrinth!
Love,
Susan
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Saturday Morning Walkers - June 16, 2007
Hi everyone,
Sure missed you all yesterday but I did have Barb's company early in the morning at the Farmers Market where we had a table to promote the labyrinth. Janet and Katie were with me for the afternoon - thanks!
Hope your walk and breakfast at Chautauqua was great!
Book Report:
Needless to say I haven't gotten much reading in this week but I do want to tell you that I heard an interview with Khaled Hosseini talking about his latest book (He wrote The Kite Runner), A Thousand Splendid Suns. It sounds like another amazing story and I can't wait to read it.
Amazon.com
It's difficult to imagine a harder first act to follow than The Kite Runner: a debut novel by an unknown writer about a country many readers knew little about that has gone on to have over four million copies in print worldwide. But when preview copies of Khaled Hosseini's second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, started circulating at Amazon.com, readers reacted with a unanimous enthusiasm that few of us could remember seeing before. As special as The Kite Runner was, those readers said, A Thousand Splendid Suns is more so, bringing Hosseini's compassionate storytelling and his sense of personal and national tragedy to a tale of two women that is weighted equally with despair and grave hope.
Website of the Week: http://www.imow.org/ - International Museum of Women featuring an online exhibit called The Motherhood Project -
The Motherhood Project
Entries from more than 30 countries from women in their 20s and 30s compose our online exhibit dedicated to the sometimes joyous, sometimes mysterious, and sometimes complicated realities of modern motherhood.
The exhibit runs March 8 through June 30, 2007 and will include contributions from journalists Lisa Ling and Marianne Pearl, Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, author Rebecca Walker, activist Hafsat Abiola, comedienne Jenny McCarthy, actress Julie Delpy and Karenna Gore-Schiff.
View what young women are saying through art and the written word and participate in the dialogue.
Podcast of the Week: NPR's Driveway Moments - some of the most compelling stories from NPR - great to listen to anytime you want - http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=5183216
Vocabulary Word of the Week: insalubrious
in·sa·lu·bri·ous (ĭn'sə-lū'brē-əs)
adj.
Not promoting health; unwholesome: an insalubrious environment.
insalubriously in'sa·lu'bri·ous·ly adv.
insalubrity in'sa·lu'bri·ty n.
Cooking and Food Report: Nothing new from Susan's kitchen but we have recipes from Mary and Rae
From Mary a great summery citrus chicken:
Boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/2 Paul Newman's Lite Lime Vinaigrette
1/2 Premixed Margarita!
Marinate 2-3 hours, allow to drain then grill the chicken. The lime flavor is very light
but it cooks beautifully tender and a hint of the citrus! Lovely!
I served it (to myself) on greens with chopped tomato, guacamole and chips on the side!
With a Margarita, of course!
From Rae a Szechuan Carrot Soup that sounds terrific:
Szechuan Carrot Soup
2 medium onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2t. veg. oil
2 lbs. carrots, cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2 piece of fresh ginger root, peeled, sliced thinly
1/4" t. dried hot pepper flakes
6 c. chicken broth
2 T. soy sauce
3 T. cramy peanut butter
2 t. sugar
2 t. Asian sesame oil
2 c. skim milk
Garnish with 1/2 c. sour cram mixed with 4 T. heavy cream or just use plain yogurt (I don't think I did either but I think either would be good) and drizzle this on top.
In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in the oil over low heat until onion is soft. Add carrots, ginger, pepper flakes and broth. Simmer 45 minutes until carrots are tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. In blender, mix soup in batches until smooth. Return to pan and reheat. Serve with sour cream or yogurt garnish, if desired. Enjoy!
That's it for now - I've got a short, busy week then we head out to Los Angeles for Jacob's pre-school graduation - pretty exciting! We'll be back on Sunday along with Jexy and Jacob for the week. If you get a chance, go over and check out the progress at the Grillo Center Labyrinth - join the volunteer crew, bring us food and drink or just cheer us on!
Have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Sure missed you all yesterday but I did have Barb's company early in the morning at the Farmers Market where we had a table to promote the labyrinth. Janet and Katie were with me for the afternoon - thanks!
Hope your walk and breakfast at Chautauqua was great!
Book Report:
Needless to say I haven't gotten much reading in this week but I do want to tell you that I heard an interview with Khaled Hosseini talking about his latest book (He wrote The Kite Runner), A Thousand Splendid Suns. It sounds like another amazing story and I can't wait to read it.
Amazon.com
It's difficult to imagine a harder first act to follow than The Kite Runner: a debut novel by an unknown writer about a country many readers knew little about that has gone on to have over four million copies in print worldwide. But when preview copies of Khaled Hosseini's second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, started circulating at Amazon.com, readers reacted with a unanimous enthusiasm that few of us could remember seeing before. As special as The Kite Runner was, those readers said, A Thousand Splendid Suns is more so, bringing Hosseini's compassionate storytelling and his sense of personal and national tragedy to a tale of two women that is weighted equally with despair and grave hope.
Website of the Week: http://www.imow.org/ - International Museum of Women featuring an online exhibit called The Motherhood Project -
The Motherhood Project
Entries from more than 30 countries from women in their 20s and 30s compose our online exhibit dedicated to the sometimes joyous, sometimes mysterious, and sometimes complicated realities of modern motherhood.
The exhibit runs March 8 through June 30, 2007 and will include contributions from journalists Lisa Ling and Marianne Pearl, Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, author Rebecca Walker, activist Hafsat Abiola, comedienne Jenny McCarthy, actress Julie Delpy and Karenna Gore-Schiff.
View what young women are saying through art and the written word and participate in the dialogue.
Podcast of the Week: NPR's Driveway Moments - some of the most compelling stories from NPR - great to listen to anytime you want - http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=5183216
Vocabulary Word of the Week: insalubrious
in·sa·lu·bri·ous (ĭn'sə-lū'brē-əs)
adj.
Not promoting health; unwholesome: an insalubrious environment.
insalubriously in'sa·lu'bri·ous·ly adv.
insalubrity in'sa·lu'bri·ty n.
Cooking and Food Report: Nothing new from Susan's kitchen but we have recipes from Mary and Rae
From Mary a great summery citrus chicken:
Boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/2 Paul Newman's Lite Lime Vinaigrette
1/2 Premixed Margarita!
Marinate 2-3 hours, allow to drain then grill the chicken. The lime flavor is very light
but it cooks beautifully tender and a hint of the citrus! Lovely!
I served it (to myself) on greens with chopped tomato, guacamole and chips on the side!
With a Margarita, of course!
From Rae a Szechuan Carrot Soup that sounds terrific:
Szechuan Carrot Soup
2 medium onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2t. veg. oil
2 lbs. carrots, cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2 piece of fresh ginger root, peeled, sliced thinly
1/4" t. dried hot pepper flakes
6 c. chicken broth
2 T. soy sauce
3 T. cramy peanut butter
2 t. sugar
2 t. Asian sesame oil
2 c. skim milk
Garnish with 1/2 c. sour cram mixed with 4 T. heavy cream or just use plain yogurt (I don't think I did either but I think either would be good) and drizzle this on top.
In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in the oil over low heat until onion is soft. Add carrots, ginger, pepper flakes and broth. Simmer 45 minutes until carrots are tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. In blender, mix soup in batches until smooth. Return to pan and reheat. Serve with sour cream or yogurt garnish, if desired. Enjoy!
That's it for now - I've got a short, busy week then we head out to Los Angeles for Jacob's pre-school graduation - pretty exciting! We'll be back on Sunday along with Jexy and Jacob for the week. If you get a chance, go over and check out the progress at the Grillo Center Labyrinth - join the volunteer crew, bring us food and drink or just cheer us on!
Have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Saturday Morning Walkers - June 9, 2007
Hi everyone!
Cass, Mary, Jackie, Christie, Terrie, Laila and I had a wonderful walk along the Bobolink Trail (Baseline just west of Cherryvale). It is a lovely tree-lined walk along the creek - pretty crowded with runners though.
We had coffee at the Brewing Market at Basemar Shopping Center.
I'm excited to remind you that we start work on the PERMANENT Grillo Center Labyrinth tomorrow!! As many of you know, this has been a dream of mine for almost 10 years. I'm quite preoccupied with this right now and I do apologize for any lack of attentiveness and focus for just about anything else. I will keep you updated on our progress and hopefully share some pictures as we go along.
Book Report:
Cass is reading the classic One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. .
Amazon.com
"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."
It is typical of Gabriel García Márquez that it will be many pages before his narrative circles back to the ice, and many chapters before the hero of One Hundred Years of Solitude, Buendía, stands before the firing squad. In between, he recounts such wonders as an entire town struck with insomnia, a woman who ascends to heaven while hanging laundry, and a suicide that defies the laws of physics:
A trickle of blood came out under the door, crossed the living room, went out into the street, continued on in a straight line across the uneven terraces, went down steps and climbed over curbs, passed along the Street of the Turks, turned a corner to the right and another to the left, made a right angle at the Buendía house, went in under the closed door, crossed through the parlor, hugging the walls so as not to stain the rugs, went on to the other living room, made a wide curve to avoid the dining-room table, went along the porch with the begonias, and passed without being seen under Amaranta's chair as she gave an arithmetic lesson to Aureliano José, and went through the pantry and came out in the kitchen, where Úrsula was getting ready to crack thirty-six eggs to make bread.
"Holy Mother of God!" Úrsula shouted.
The story follows 100 years in the life of Macondo, a village founded by José Arcadio Buendía and occupied by descendants all sporting variations on their progenitor's name: his sons, José Arcadio and Aureliano, and grandsons, Aureliano José, Aureliano Segundo, and José Arcadio Segundo. Then there are the women--the two Úrsulas, a handful of Remedios, Fernanda, and Pilar--who struggle to remain grounded even as their menfolk build castles in the air. If it is possible for a novel to be highly comic and deeply tragic at the same time, then One Hundred Years of Solitude does the trick. Civil war rages throughout, hearts break, dreams shatter, and lives are lost, yet the effect is literary pentimento, with sorrow's outlines bleeding through the vibrant colors of García Márquez's magical realism. Consider, for example, the ghost of Prudencio Aguilar, whom José Arcadio Buendía has killed in a fight. So lonely is the man's shade that it haunts Buendía's house, searching anxiously for water with which to clean its wound. Buendía's wife, Úrsula, is so moved that "the next time she saw the dead man uncovering the pots on the stove she understood what he was looking for, and from then on she placed water jugs all about the house."
Another recommendation from Cass is One Big Damn Puzzler by John Harding.
From Publishers WeeklySet on a fictional South Pacific island inhabited by black bantam pigs and a clan of nearly-naked eccentrics, this excessively zany British import has a raging conscience and a muted heart. Managua, a one-legged tribesman (most of his fellow inhabitants are missing limbs), is obsessed with transcribing Hamlet into island pidgin and finds his unconventional paradise disturbed when William Hardt, a white American lawyer, arrives to arrange reparations for natives whose limbs have been blown off by the landmines left behind years ago by the American military. Hardt soon witnesses a staggering array of peculiarities: the "the shitting beach" where villagers empty their bowels every morning; transvestite men forced into dressing in drag by parents who wanted girls; vision quests brought on by consuming "kassa," a red hallucinogenic paste. A few years after his departure from the island, Hardt's successful mission has drastic consequences for the island. Journalist Harding (While the Sun Shines) is an equal opportunity and brutally sharp lampooner, though he sometimes misses (notably in his invocation of 9/11 as a parallel to corporate America's exploitation of the island). Folly, silliness and cultural sucker punches come at full speed in this ribald, imaginative farce. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Jackie read and recommended:
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Amazon.comOne of Chinua Achebe's many achievements in his acclaimed first novel, Things Fall Apart, is his relentlessly unsentimental rendering of Nigerian tribal life before and after the coming of colonialism. First published in 1958, just two years before Nigeria declared independence from Great Britain, the book eschews the obvious temptation of depicting pre-colonial life as a kind of Eden. Instead, Achebe sketches a world in which violence, war, and suffering exist, but are balanced by a strong sense of tradition, ritual, and social coherence. His Ibo protagonist, Okonkwo, is a self-made man. The son of a charming ne'er-do-well, he has worked all his life to overcome his father's weakness and has arrived, finally, at great prosperity and even greater reputation among his fellows in the village of Umuofia. Okonkwo is a champion wrestler, a prosperous farmer, husband to three wives and father to several children. He is also a man who exhibits flaws well-known in Greek tragedy:
Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children. Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness. It was deeper and more intimate than the fear of evil and capricious gods and of magic, the fear of the forest, and of the forces of nature, malevolent, red in tooth and claw. Okonkwo's fear was greater than these. It was not external but lay deep within himself. It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father.
And yet Achebe manages to make this cruel man deeply sympathetic. He is fond of his eldest daughter, and also of Ikemefuna, a young boy sent from another village as compensation for the wrongful death of a young woman from Umuofia. He even begins to feel pride in his eldest son, in whom he has too often seen his own father. Unfortunately, a series of tragic events tests the mettle of this strong man, and it is his fear of weakness that ultimately undoes him.
Walking on Eggshells: Navigating the Delicate Relationship Between Adult Children and Parents by Jane Isay
Guest Reviewer: Po Bronson
Po Bronson is the author of the brilliant bestseller What Should I Do with My Life?, the powerful and poignant Why Do I Love These People?, a hilarious novel called The Bombadiers, and The Nudist on the Late Shift, a collection of "true stories" about Silicon Valley.
When we tell family stories, we so often focus on the beginning and the end. The beginning is the two decades of our childhood and adolescence, and it's been the favorite narrative arc ever since Freud. What happens in your childhood does not stay in your childhood--it haunts the rest of your life. In the last decade, we've suddenly heard more stories of the end--narratives constructed around a parent's death, and often the year spent caring for that parent on their deathbed.
Because these are the conventional narratives, they often distract our attention from the many decades in between. We barely even have a terminology for these years--and the terms we employ sound like oxymorons: "Adult Children," "Parents of Adults." There's an old saying: you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family. In the beginning this is true--we're in the care of our parents, like it or not. And in the ending this is also true--they're in our care, like it or not. But in the long middle, this isn't so true. The middle is a period where both child and parent can keep their distance, if they prefer. And often do, harboring resentment. We too often accept that this is just the way it is. "She's never going to change" is a common, fatalist refrain.
In Walking on Eggshells, Jane Isay shines a much-needed light on these years. With a graceful respect for the families she investigates, she tells their stories--how they lost their love, and how they regained it. Isay covers the many ways families develop resentment, and the many techniques they employed to make peace. She shows that small changes in routine can go a long way to restoring goodwill. But it's not a self-help book; it's more of a literary contemplation, and we learn more by inspiration than by emulation.
Though this book addresses the parents directly, I suspect it will be passed back and forth, between generations, in many a family. --Po Bronson
Website of the Week: I heard about this site on Satellite Sisters - http://www.arzurugs.org/ - ARZU, meaning hope in Dari, is a not-for-profit organization that aims to provide sustainable income to Afghan women by sourcing and selling the carpets they weave. It really is an inspiring project and worth reading about.
Podcast of the Week: Barnes and Noble's Meet the Writers - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/writers/writers_cds2.asp?PID=12289&z=y&cds2Pid=1302&linkid=726996 - great interviews with writers
Vocabulary Word of the Week - avuncular:
avuncular \uh-VUHNG-kyuh-luhr\, adjective:
1. Of or pertaining to an uncle.
2. Resembling an uncle, especially in kindness or indulgence.
Both uncle Frank and uncle Stephen Austen had made it a point of principle to be rigorously unsentimental in the discharge of their avuncular obligations.
-- David Nokes, Jane Austen: A Life
Thornton's reputation was that of a soft-hearted and avuncular veterinarian known for getting teary-eyed while listening to even slightly sentimental stories
-- Vicki Croke, "New leader of the MSPCA moves to tame budget woes", Boston Globe, September 20, 2003
A man with such a nice, avuncular personality would not blow up the world.
-- William Schneider, "The New Shape of American Politics", The Atlantic, January 1987
Avuncular comes from Latin avunculus, "maternal uncle."
Cooking and Food Report:
Only one meal worth reporting on this week and that was our Soprano night Italian dinner that we had tonight. The last show was disappointing but the dinner was great!
We started with Proscuitto and Melon - what a great combination! Next was one of our favorites - Caesar Salad - I do cheat on this - I use the whole romaine leaves and place them on a long rectangular plate, I shaved Parmigianno Reggiano on top along with croutons, then I drizzled on bottled Caesar dressing. Usually I use Paul Newmans but tonight I tried Whole Foods' brand - pretty good.
Dinner was Linguine with Red Clam Sauce from Food and Wine Magazine - http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/linguine-with-red-clam-sauce
Jack took care of dessert and he outdid himself - Blackout Cake from The Cheesecake Factory - this is an old favorite that I used to have as a little girl in New York. It is a rich dark chocolate layer cake with a pudding like filling. Blackout Cake originated at the Ebinger Bakery in Brooklyn and then was taken over by the more well-known Entenmans. I don't think they make it anymore. Here's a bit of the history and a recipe if you're ambitious and want to try it home - http://www.recipelink.com/cookbooks/1999/0609604201_2.html!
That's it for now - have a great week - come help us out at the Labyrinth!
Love,
Susan
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Saturday Morning Walkers - June 2, 2007
Hi everyone,
We had a fantastic walk yesterday, courtesy of Barb. She mapped out a whole new route in South Boulder - it is hard to imagine that our group of walkers hadn't covered every square mile of that area during our training for the 3-Day but this was new to all of us - Barb, Mary, Christie, Laila and me! Of course, we followed up with our monthly planning meeting and coffee date. I'll be leading next week (more on that later in the week), Christie is taking June 16, Jan is taking June 23 and Laila may take June 30.
BOOK REPORT
Laila: reported on two books this week -
One is Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald - this is a memoir about Ms Macdonald's time spent in India - Laila loved the book but has taken India off her list of "must -go-to" places!
From Publishers Weekly
Australian radio correspondent Macdonald's rollicking memoir recounts the two years she spent in India when her boyfriend, Jonathan, a TV news correspondent, was assigned to New Delhi. Leaving behind her own budding career, she spends her sabbatical traveling around the country, sampling India's "spiritual smorgasbord": attending a silent retreat for Vipassana meditation, seeking out a Sikh Ayurvedic "miracle healer," bathing in the Ganges with Hindus, studying Buddhism in Dharamsala, dabbling in Judaism with Israeli tourists, dipping into Parsi practices in Mumbai, visiting an ashram in Kerala, attending a Christian festival in Velangani and singing with Sufis. Paralleling Macdonald's spiritual journey is her evolution as a writer; she trades her sometimes glib remarks ("I've always thought it hilarious that Indian people chose the most boring, domesticated, compliant and stupidest animal on earth to adore") and 1980s song title references (e.g., "Karma Chameleon") for a more sensitive tone and a sober understanding that neither mocks nor romanticizes Indian culture and the Western visitors who embrace it. The book ends on a serious note, when September 11 shakes Macdonald's faith and Jonathan, now her husband, is sent to cover the war in Afghanistan. Macdonald is less compelling when writing about herself, her career and her relationship than when she is describing spiritual centers, New Delhi nightclubs and Bollywood cinema. Still, she brings a reporter's curiosity, interviewing skills and eye for detail to everything she encounters, and winningly captures "[t]he drama, the dharma, the innocent exuberance of the festivals, the intensity of the living, the piety in playfulness and the embrace of living day by day..--he drama, the dharma, the innocent exuberance of the festivals, the intensity of the living, the piety in playfulness and the embrace of living day by day."
Laila's other recommendation is Love Without End by Glenda Green
Book Description
For almost two thousand years devoted believers, mystics, innocents, and even non-believers have reported to have near-to-life, fully perceptual, visitations with Jesus Christ. In 1992 He appeared to Glenda Green and spoke with her daily for almost four months. The expressed purpose of their visit was to paint His portrait, but nothing in the history of her career as an artist or university professor had prepared her for the life transformation that was about to take place. During this time, they spoke…as friends do, of many wonderful things—both miraculous and practical. Nothing would ever be the same. Her penetrating report of this experience is sincere, unbiased, and free of religious contrivance. In many ways her perceptions provide a bridge to the new millennium.
Never before has language or a state of consciousness been present to examine the nature of such a miraculous occurrence as well as to develop the profound implications of it. Here is a brilliant glimpse of eternity, rich with practical applications to life. These messages are sparkling and direct with great contemporary relevance, Imparting in every way the impact of Divinity in communion with a thoughtful and well educated woman of our generation. Amazing answers are given to more than 300 penetrating questions.
Rae just finished The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud - she really liked this one and recommends it highly
From Publishers Weekly
Marina Thwaite, Danielle Minkoff and Julian Clarke were buddies at Brown, certain that they would soon do something important in the world. But as all near 30, Danielle is struggling as a TV documentary maker, and Julius is barely surviving financially as a freelance critic. Marina, the startlingly beautiful daughter of celebrated social activist, journalist and hob-nobber Murray Thwaite, is living with her parents on the Upper West Side, unable to finish her book"titled The Emperor's Children Have No Clothes (on how changing fashions in children's clothes mirror changes in society). Two arrivals upset the group stasis: Ludovic, a fiercely ambitious Aussie who woos Marina to gain entrée into society (meanwhile planning to destroy Murray's reputation), and Murray's nephew, Frederick "Bootie" Tubb, an immature, idealistic college dropout and autodidact who is determined to live the life of a New York intellectual. The group orbits around the post"September 11 city with disconcerting entitlement"and around Murray, who is, in a sense, the emperor. Messud, in her fourth novel, remains wickedly observant of pretensions"intellectual, sexual, class and gender. Her writing is so fluid, and her plot so cleverly constructed, that events seem inevitable, yet the narrative is ultimately surprising and masterful as a contemporary comedy of manners.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK - this is the site that Barb and I have used to map out our walks - it is really well done and fun to use - www.mapmyrun.com
PODCAST OF THE WEEK - Broadcasts of talks at the New York City 92nd Street Y - it is an amazingly dynamic place that draws highly regarded and diverse speakers and programs - http://www.92y.org/content/direct.asp?adsource=hpcolumn_direct -
Here's a brief history and description of the 92nd Y from their website -
http://www.92y.org/content/about_the_y.asp
VOCABULARY WORD OF THE WEEK offered by Rae -
atavism \AT-uh-viz-uhm\, noun:1. The reappearance in an organism of characteristics of some remote ancestor after several generations of absence.2. One that exhibits atavism; a throwback.3. Reversion to an earlier behavior, outlook, or approach.
Occasionally a modern whale is born having sprouted a leg or two -- a genetic throwback known as an atavism.-- Douglas H. Chadwick, "Evolution of whales", National Geographic, November 2001
Read avidly in Europe and the United States in the 1890s, The Female Offender argues that women criminals are atavisms or throwbacks to earlier evolutionary stages, marked by physical anomalies such as coarse features.-- Nicole Rafter, "Breaking the Codes: Female Criminality in Fin-de-Siecle Paris", The Women's Review of Books, October 1, 1997
COOKING AND FOOD REPORT
A few good recipes this week:
Panino di Proscuitto e Fontina from Giada di Laurentiis - great for a lunch or light dinner - I served it with tomato soup (out of a can!) but it would be good with a salad - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_25162,00.html?rsrc=search
Chicken Parmigiana from Bobby Flay - (time-saver tip - ask the butcher in the meat department to flatten the boneless breasts for you - should be a free service and one less hassle for you!)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_25162,00.html?rsrc=search - (another tip, I have been known to use a favorite jarred marinara sauce instead of making it myself - Rao's is a bit pricey but oh so good!
Balsamic Barbeque Sauce from Giada di Laurentiis - I made this to accompany the ribs below - great combination
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36958,00.html
Dry Rub Ribs - Memphis Style from Dave Lieberman
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_36115,00.html?rsrc=search
Have a great week!
Love,
Susan
We had a fantastic walk yesterday, courtesy of Barb. She mapped out a whole new route in South Boulder - it is hard to imagine that our group of walkers hadn't covered every square mile of that area during our training for the 3-Day but this was new to all of us - Barb, Mary, Christie, Laila and me! Of course, we followed up with our monthly planning meeting and coffee date. I'll be leading next week (more on that later in the week), Christie is taking June 16, Jan is taking June 23 and Laila may take June 30.
BOOK REPORT
Laila: reported on two books this week -
One is Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald - this is a memoir about Ms Macdonald's time spent in India - Laila loved the book but has taken India off her list of "must -go-to" places!
From Publishers Weekly
Australian radio correspondent Macdonald's rollicking memoir recounts the two years she spent in India when her boyfriend, Jonathan, a TV news correspondent, was assigned to New Delhi. Leaving behind her own budding career, she spends her sabbatical traveling around the country, sampling India's "spiritual smorgasbord": attending a silent retreat for Vipassana meditation, seeking out a Sikh Ayurvedic "miracle healer," bathing in the Ganges with Hindus, studying Buddhism in Dharamsala, dabbling in Judaism with Israeli tourists, dipping into Parsi practices in Mumbai, visiting an ashram in Kerala, attending a Christian festival in Velangani and singing with Sufis. Paralleling Macdonald's spiritual journey is her evolution as a writer; she trades her sometimes glib remarks ("I've always thought it hilarious that Indian people chose the most boring, domesticated, compliant and stupidest animal on earth to adore") and 1980s song title references (e.g., "Karma Chameleon") for a more sensitive tone and a sober understanding that neither mocks nor romanticizes Indian culture and the Western visitors who embrace it. The book ends on a serious note, when September 11 shakes Macdonald's faith and Jonathan, now her husband, is sent to cover the war in Afghanistan. Macdonald is less compelling when writing about herself, her career and her relationship than when she is describing spiritual centers, New Delhi nightclubs and Bollywood cinema. Still, she brings a reporter's curiosity, interviewing skills and eye for detail to everything she encounters, and winningly captures "[t]he drama, the dharma, the innocent exuberance of the festivals, the intensity of the living, the piety in playfulness and the embrace of living day by day..--he drama, the dharma, the innocent exuberance of the festivals, the intensity of the living, the piety in playfulness and the embrace of living day by day."
Laila's other recommendation is Love Without End by Glenda Green
Book Description
For almost two thousand years devoted believers, mystics, innocents, and even non-believers have reported to have near-to-life, fully perceptual, visitations with Jesus Christ. In 1992 He appeared to Glenda Green and spoke with her daily for almost four months. The expressed purpose of their visit was to paint His portrait, but nothing in the history of her career as an artist or university professor had prepared her for the life transformation that was about to take place. During this time, they spoke…as friends do, of many wonderful things—both miraculous and practical. Nothing would ever be the same. Her penetrating report of this experience is sincere, unbiased, and free of religious contrivance. In many ways her perceptions provide a bridge to the new millennium.
Never before has language or a state of consciousness been present to examine the nature of such a miraculous occurrence as well as to develop the profound implications of it. Here is a brilliant glimpse of eternity, rich with practical applications to life. These messages are sparkling and direct with great contemporary relevance, Imparting in every way the impact of Divinity in communion with a thoughtful and well educated woman of our generation. Amazing answers are given to more than 300 penetrating questions.
Rae just finished The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud - she really liked this one and recommends it highly
From Publishers Weekly
Marina Thwaite, Danielle Minkoff and Julian Clarke were buddies at Brown, certain that they would soon do something important in the world. But as all near 30, Danielle is struggling as a TV documentary maker, and Julius is barely surviving financially as a freelance critic. Marina, the startlingly beautiful daughter of celebrated social activist, journalist and hob-nobber Murray Thwaite, is living with her parents on the Upper West Side, unable to finish her book"titled The Emperor's Children Have No Clothes (on how changing fashions in children's clothes mirror changes in society). Two arrivals upset the group stasis: Ludovic, a fiercely ambitious Aussie who woos Marina to gain entrée into society (meanwhile planning to destroy Murray's reputation), and Murray's nephew, Frederick "Bootie" Tubb, an immature, idealistic college dropout and autodidact who is determined to live the life of a New York intellectual. The group orbits around the post"September 11 city with disconcerting entitlement"and around Murray, who is, in a sense, the emperor. Messud, in her fourth novel, remains wickedly observant of pretensions"intellectual, sexual, class and gender. Her writing is so fluid, and her plot so cleverly constructed, that events seem inevitable, yet the narrative is ultimately surprising and masterful as a contemporary comedy of manners.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK - this is the site that Barb and I have used to map out our walks - it is really well done and fun to use - www.mapmyrun.com
PODCAST OF THE WEEK - Broadcasts of talks at the New York City 92nd Street Y - it is an amazingly dynamic place that draws highly regarded and diverse speakers and programs - http://www.92y.org/content/direct.asp?adsource=hpcolumn_direct -
Here's a brief history and description of the 92nd Y from their website -
http://www.92y.org/content/about_the_y.asp
VOCABULARY WORD OF THE WEEK offered by Rae -
atavism \AT-uh-viz-uhm\, noun:1. The reappearance in an organism of characteristics of some remote ancestor after several generations of absence.2. One that exhibits atavism; a throwback.3. Reversion to an earlier behavior, outlook, or approach.
Occasionally a modern whale is born having sprouted a leg or two -- a genetic throwback known as an atavism.-- Douglas H. Chadwick, "Evolution of whales", National Geographic, November 2001
Read avidly in Europe and the United States in the 1890s, The Female Offender argues that women criminals are atavisms or throwbacks to earlier evolutionary stages, marked by physical anomalies such as coarse features.-- Nicole Rafter, "Breaking the Codes: Female Criminality in Fin-de-Siecle Paris", The Women's Review of Books, October 1, 1997
COOKING AND FOOD REPORT
A few good recipes this week:
Panino di Proscuitto e Fontina from Giada di Laurentiis - great for a lunch or light dinner - I served it with tomato soup (out of a can!) but it would be good with a salad - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_25162,00.html?rsrc=search
Chicken Parmigiana from Bobby Flay - (time-saver tip - ask the butcher in the meat department to flatten the boneless breasts for you - should be a free service and one less hassle for you!)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_25162,00.html?rsrc=search - (another tip, I have been known to use a favorite jarred marinara sauce instead of making it myself - Rao's is a bit pricey but oh so good!
Balsamic Barbeque Sauce from Giada di Laurentiis - I made this to accompany the ribs below - great combination
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36958,00.html
Dry Rub Ribs - Memphis Style from Dave Lieberman
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_36115,00.html?rsrc=search
Have a great week!
Love,
Susan
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