American Christmas Traditions

In the US, there is only one day of Christmas, and much emphasis is placed on the evening before Christmas-- Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is a time of family gatherings and going to church. Americans are still largely a church-going people (even if it's only C & E!), and Christmas Eve church services are quite special

The day after Christmas is a nightmare for stores and anyone who wants to retain some festive holiday spirit avoids going to the mall at all costs! Hoards of people line up to return or exchange gifts, each one with a story as to why he/she deserves a full refund without being able to produce a receipt for the purchase!

Another Christmas tradition is to decorate the front door with a wreath. Some people really make elaborate wreaths and wrap them in little lights, but we have opted for the basic wreath-- it gets the job done and the dog doesn't care what the wreath looks like. She just knows the front door is home.

The Polar Express: The Beauty of Steam Locomotives

While running Christmas errands a few days ago, I saw one of the local steam locomotives appear through the trees along the creek. Decorated with Christmas wreaths, garlands, and red bows on the front of the engine, it reminded me of the train in the Christmans story The Polar Express. The sight was so exciting that I raced ahead in my car so that I could pull off the road and snap these photos. I don't know what it is about these steam locomotives, but they certainly draw a lot of attention and encourage the imagination!
Merry Christmas Everyone!

Uncovering the Secrets of Life

The weather's turned cold and my boots have come out of the closet. One of the challenges wearing boots is wearing socks that don't fall down in the boot-- you know, that wrinkled feeling as you realize that your socks are falling down and sinking to the bottom of your boot! Or-- when taking off your boots your socks stay in the boot.

I've solved the problem and have labelled it one of the secrets of life-- MEN'S SOCKS!

When I wear men's dress socks in my tall boots, the socks stay on my feet and legs and don't fall down into the boot.

For really snowy days I wear a sturdier boot with which I wear men's construction boot socks-- they are warm and have a great foot cushion!

Who knew men had it so good?

Rediscovering Old Cookbooks and Soups

Traditionally, in our house the weekend after the Thanksgiving holiday is the weekend to decorate the house for Christmas. Decorating the house for Christmas is not an easy task. After years of collecting Christmas decorations and sorting them into plastic tubs for storage, we never seem to have what we need at the moment we need it. Up come the rubber tubs from the basement-- filled with decorations-- but they're usually the wrong ones! Usually, I find that the extensions cords that I see all over the house during the rest of the year now seem lost, and this calls for a trip to the store. Then, after hanging a green pine garland on the stair railing we find out the lights don't work, so that means it has to be taken down, and after another trip to the store we finally hang a beautful pine green garland decorated with tiny white lights and gold bows. It always takes longer to decorate the house than I think it will!

Spending time and energy decorating the house usually puts me in a domestic diva mood, so even though time was tight, I knew that hungry mouths would be asking about dinner later in the day. Even with everyone running around doing their holiday shopping, we still like to sit down as a family for dinner. However, after so much feasting this Thanksgiving holiday, it was finally time to wind down the eating and simplify... and my answer to simple eating is always a great soup.

On a whim, I reached for one of my older cookbooks looking for a soup recipe... and I found the perfect one in the Moosewood Cookbook. It was a gift from my friend Bernie in 1980. I settled on making a Broccoli Soup which made the vegetarians in the family very happy. The soup turned out well, except that the next time I would whip in the sour cream to make it a bit thicker. Cooking this soup from this cookbook brought back lots of memories... back to my "earth-mother" days and cooking everything from scratch. I remember Bernie and I cooking recipes from this cookbook and sharing our successes and failures! In then end, rediscovering the Moosewood Cookbook and broccoli soup reminds me that rediscovered things from the past can become a new tradition in the future.

Thanksgiving

Thankgiving holiday is my favorite of all holidays. It's so completely American; takes place on the fourth Thursday of November, which also means most workers take the Friday after off. That makes for a wonderfully long holiday weekend! What makes Thanksgiving so wonderful is that it's all about the food and coming home... the point is to have a huge feast with friends and family. It doesn't involve the stress of gift giving or a round of parties to build up to the day, it's simply about having Thanksgiving dinner at home. Every person has a cooking assignment: I always make the jello salads (again, a very American thing!), and Ed has made the turkey for over 30 years! He's perfected it with our favorite oyster stuffing, and everyone in the family, including our German shepherd Fawn, loves it! Phil makes the potatoes and pumpkin pie, Sophia makes the apple pie, and Lili makes a green bean casserole. Michael makes a Southwestern corn casserole, and so on. I love to get up early and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on TV-- that's a memory from long ago when my Mom and I used to watch it together when I was growing up.

Of course, the day after Thanksgiving is when life changes-- the frenzied shopping begins and mall road rage reaches a peak. Some of the stores and shopping centers are opening up as early as 4 AM this year, offering special sales between opening and noon, all in an effort to draw in a crowd of shoppers. I think I'll pass on all of that and just enjoy staying at home :)

Sherlock Holmes Movie

I seldom watch movies a second time, just like I do not read books for the second time (except readings for my doctoral studies-- I read those many times!), but the new version of the movie Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law is one that I am watching for the second time.

This is a movie in which one needs to pay attention. The dialogue is full of nuance, and missing any of the dialogue would make it more difficult to understand the character's motives and details of the plot of the story. Besides being an example of really great acting, the editing of the movie and its use of flashback techniques make this movie well-worth watching!

Opera, Holidays, and Mall Parking Lot Rage

Last weekend's evening at the opera was a wonderful time with family and celebrating a birthday. Every time I go to the opera I like it even more! Supposedly, music changes the brain and listening to music is good for you. I am now searching for a CD of opera arias-- good road music :)


The holidays are here, and even though the shopping rush usually begins after Thanksgiving, my visit to the mall this weekend before Thanksgiving showed that the whole world has already started Christmas shopping! Parking lots were filled and so the ritual of stalking for parking spaces has begun. Parking rage has taken over the minds of even the most reasonable persons! Time and again I saw cars cut in front of other cars waiting for a parking space, or angrily driving around a car patiently waiting for a parking space. Whatever happened to Mom's lessons of minding your manners and being considerate of others?

Crisp Fall Days

It's amazing how one can live in a place for many years and yet not experience one of its finest spots-- yesterday we took the dog for a walk in a park near the reservoir. It was an oasis from suburban life-- rolling hills, a stream with small waterfalls, stone walls designed to create outdoor seating areas, and a meandering path dipping down into a valley among a canopy of trees. It used to be part of a wealthy estate, and was donated to the citizens to enjoy. Fawn loves it! Although- as a walking dog goes she doesn't do so well... walking with Fawn means letting her take the lead and stopping and sniffing when she sees fit. However, she loved it and so did we, and I can just imagine walking there when snow covers the ground.


I love Autumn and the crisp air, but this Autumn seemed to have gone abruptly from warm weather to very cool. Overnight leaves have fallen, and I guess it will be just one more brisk wind before all the leaves have fallen from the trees. While talking my brisk exercise walk this afternoon I noticed that it's time to do a final grasscutting before the mower is stored until Spring, and since we've had several frosts already, I could see that the hardy mums are starting to look dilapidated. This afternoon's grey skies and crisp air are reminders that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. One of the joys of living in the US is Thanksgiving, a very American holiday. It's a time for families to gather and feast together. It's my favorite holiday since it revolves around food and family rather than gifts.

So-- where am I going with these rambling thoughts? I'm on the verge of finishing "reading" A Farewell to Arms. I'm sorry to have it end-- this book has made my walking so much more pleasurable. The characters have become so real, and John Slattery's reading of this book has brought WW I into the present. I shall miss it!

Obama's Wars

Slowly working my way through Obama's Wars. It's a challenge just to keep up with which General or politician is promoting which course of action-- but in the end, the book does provide deep insights into the political structures behind the 2 wars we're now fighting. My greatest insight has been in reading how the President's inner circle has kept significant Generals or military reports at bay from the President-- guess you could call that a little turf protection. It really shouldn't be surprising that a new administration, finding itself engaged in two war fronts, doesn't quite understand what's going on. I'm reading this book hoping that I will come to a greater understanding of how Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan fit together in the bigger puzzle of war in the Middle East. I am also curious to see if anyone in the administration understands the depth of the differences between the mindsets of US and Middle Eastern societies. Most disturbing is reading about the depth of Karzai's corruption. I can't help but feel somewhat pessimistic... if we are to really work at winning the war in Afghanistan we'd better plan on 20 or 30 years in that country. Do we have the capability for sustaining that action?

Stephanie and the Opera

Stephanie is one of my wine sisters... together we have enjoyed many bottles of wine through the years. Stephanie has also been my social secretary-- and if it hadn't been for her, I would not be the well-rounded person I am today!!! ;)

There's more to life than work, right? So Stephanie sees to it that we get season tickets to the opera each year. Today we saw Verdi's Otello. Love, suspicion, evil, and death. Typical opera storyline but not your typical opera. The set and costumes were amazing!

Of course, the whole experience was preceded by having lunch at Estia, a great little Greek restaurant across the street from the opera house.

The season has begun... and I'm already looking forward to Romeo & Juliet in February.

End of September at the Beach

The end of September marks the last of summer... it's also my favorite time of the year at the beach.

This week I was downstate on work related business, and took advantage of taking a walk on the beach just as the waves were churning up a froth ahead of a storm. I wasn't the only person wlking on the beach-- there must be something in the human spirit that seeks out the sea. For me, walking on the beach has the same effect as doing yoga-- everything leaves my mind and I can let go and just "be."

My favorite place to go is Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. There's something refreshing about wind and waves-- ever notice how a storm has a cleansing effect on the air and how the sky seems crisp and clean afterwards?

Just Finished...

Just finished reading A Year in Provence... entertaining, humorous, and culturally insightful! Makes me want to spend a year in Provence just to have the experience of living the French country life! Of course, the author of this book has already made his fortune, so he and his wife could live comfortably. However, I am intrigued by the Mistral winds-- weird as it sounds-- and would actually like to experience living in southern France for that reason.

Favorite Breakfast Place

Yesterday morning, on one of those perfect mid-September days, Judy came back to town to have breakfast at our favorite place: Sinclair's Sunrise Cafe in Kennett Square. Judy moved to Georgia earlier this year and came back for a combined-business- pleasure trip. We go through gallons of coffee as we talk about everything!

On the menu is a great breakfast burrito-- my favorite! Their flavored coffees are also great and Judy loves their homemade pancake mix!

This was one of those "enjoying the simple pleasures of life" moments-- good conversation with a dear friend, and always encouraging each other in whatever we're doing, no matter how challenging, hairbrained, or fantastic the thought.

Sunflower Interlude

Every once in a while I have to take a break-- like seeing the fields of sunflowers planted at Longwood Gardens this year.

This is my peaceful tribute to 9/11.

Waiting, waiting, and waiting...

This morning I had the maddening experience of getting in my car, turned the key, slight crank, and then dead battery! Luckily everyone was at home so I had no problem getting a jump start. Off to the Sears garage I went-- the man behind the counter: "New battery? No problem! 45 minutes." The waiting room was filled with all sorts of people over the age of 70. One poor lady had been there for hours and it seemed as though every 45 minutes the mechanics would come in to tell her that yet another thing was wrong with her car! She got pretty smart though because she walked right into the garage and stood there watching them work. As for me? Two and a half hours later, I had still not been pulled into the garage! Finally, after another 20 minutes I was free to leave. The worst part about all this? I didn't have my Nook with me, nor anything else interesting to read. Lesson learned? ALWAYS take the Nook or a book!!!

Knowing When to Quit

Remember my post about Freedom? It was one of my "obligatory" reads? Well, I've decided my time is better spent reading something I want to read-- something I like to read... so I've given up on Freedom after I heard a public radio review of the book. It appears as though Franzen has received critical acclaim for this book. Why I don't know. Critics have hailed it as one of the best works of American fiction. Many have argued that if this book, a fictional portrait of a middle-class American family falling apart, had been written by a woman, it might not have received so much attention. I don't know-- but to me, this book is one of those "forgettable" reads... I'm moving on to something else... time is my only non-renewable resource...

Discovering What the Rest of the World Already Knows

Honestly, how is it that I never knew about Corona and lime? We discovered a local Mexican restaurant and I ordered a beer. I know! It's not wine...but seemed to fit the place and menu better than wine. So I ordered a Corona and it came with a wedge of lime. I felt like I'd discovered something new but then my kids proceeded to let me know that the "rest of the world had already discovered this" eons ago...hmmm... it wasn't too long ago that I was teaching my kids how to cross the street and look out for traffic...

Oh well-- I do like Corona with lime, even if, according to my offspring, it's sooo "done", "over with", and not cool anymore because it tastes awful. I don't care-- sometimes you just have to stick with what you like because you really like it, even if the "rest" of the world has already tossed it aside.

Honestly "living" life is so much like marching to your own drum beat, and mine seems to have a different beat from most others'! Here's to beer and lime wedges everywhere :)

"Obligatory" Reading

Every once in a while I start reading what I think I "should" read, and that's usually something that may not have caught my attention in the first place. It may be a book that I feel I "should" read because "everyone" is reading, or perhaps because The President is reading it-- and I feel that I should read the same so as to know what words, ideas, and stories that are filling his mind. That's what's going on with me right now as I try to muddle through Jonathan Franzen's Freedom. I'm only in Chapter 2, so I should reserve judgment. The saving grace is that I'm reading it on my Nook-- that nifty little e-reader from Barnes & Noble (honestly, this is NOT a paid advertisement!). Sophia got me hooked on it as we shopped around before she went on her 100 mile hike. City girl that she is, she could sleep in the wild but needed her Nook for nightly reading while bears, and other wildlife, I'm sure were watching from afar! I didn't think I would ever like e-readers, but honestly, I love it! I've loaded several books on it waiting to be read, and I carry it around in my bag. It's great for travelling, and I've even loaded tons of pdf files (required reading for the dissertation). I'm hooked on the Nook-- so even if the Franzen book takes a while to read, at least I can "Nook-it!"

Belgium in Manhattan

Today we discovered a really neat little Belgian restaurant on the corner of 20th Street and 1st Avenue in Manhattan-- it's called Petite Abeille. We needed to take Sophia back to the city as she starts teaching Friday. On the menu was Croque Madame, which I have been dreaming about for the last few weeks and haven't had since Paris 2007! How random is that! My other accomplishment for the day was successful parallel parking on the streets of Manhattan without accidentally bumping any other cars! Life can be sweet... :)

Ice Cream & Contented Cows

Tonight was one of those wonderful, perfect summer evenings that we remember and long for in the dead of winter. While the day was hot and humid, the temperature dropped when the sun went down leaving that faint glow of daylight and summer day warmth. It was a perfect summer evening to go for an ice cream at Woodside Farms, a local ice creamery situated on a historic farm. Next to the historic farm house is a small ice cream house where customers line up to get their favorite ice creams. Mine is always the same: coconut and cappuchino crunch. I've tried other flavors, but these two are my favorites!

Fawn always loves going for an ice cream—and banana is her favorite! As soon as we ask "Do you want to go get an ice cream?" she bolts out the door and waits by the car. When we cross over onto Brackenville Road, and then over Limestone Road, she hangs her head out the window sniffing the air as if to follow the trail to the ice cream farm.

Tonight was a special treat because the cows were out in the field, and Fawn got up close to see them. After a thoughtful close look and sniff, she was ready to wait in line for her ice cream.

Global 21st Century Women

Global Woman Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy edited by Barbara Ehrenreich and Arlie Russell Hochschild (2002) is a thought-provoking collection of essays describing the lives of third world women, and how the globalization and the changing lifestyles and economies of the first world have changed these women’s lives, families, and communities. Easy to read, this book is not fiction but based in scholarly research conducted primarily through interviews with men and women throughout Asia. These personalized stories include those of women who left their own babies to go abroad to work as nannies or maids for well-to-do families. For most women, this was a way to get ahead and better their own family lives. They worked 14 -16 hours days, enduring indignities imposed on them by their employers, saved as much money as they could to send home, and went without seeing their own children for years at a time. Many women experienced arriving home only to find their husbands had spent all the sent remittances on drink and gambling. The book also chronicles the emotional attachments the nannies formed with their charges, and the tensions this creates between the child’s mother and the nanny. Ultimately, nannies are expendable, and frequently discharged with little notice. Globalization has also created a sex-worker service economy, and the women who work as sex workers are often kidnapped or sold by their families into the slavery of this form of service work. The sex industry has truly become an "industry" specializing in human trafficking across border. Sex-workers have become a tourist attraction, and often the governments in which sex-tourism is most prevalent turn the other way. Besides the first-hand accounts of what many Third World women endure as they become a different kind of global traveler-- that of the expendable nanny, maid, or sex-worker, the book also provides explanations of the cultural phenomena that contribute to having these women become the primary bread-winners for their families. This book reads like fiction, but is totally based on fact! First and foremost, this book should be read by everyone interested in developing knowledge of the state of women acrss the globe. It would also make an interesting supplement for college level courses in women’s studies, globalization, as well as poverty and welfare.

Destiny Day

My trailblazing, mountain climbing daughter has returned—she got within 2400 feet of the summit on Mt. Ranier and had to opt out of climbing the summit because her knee was not capable of going any further. After a successful 92 mile hike on the Wonderland Trail, not reaching the summit on this first attempt was her destiny, and she was wise in making her choice. The mountain will still be there next year!
Yesterday was destiny day for quite a few of us—as I met 2 wonderful women at the 10:30 round table session on Innovative Research Methodologies (I’m at the ASA conference in Atlanta). At the table were Marianne and Karla, both dynamic young women who reported on two very different but very interesting research studies! Marianne, whose research paper presentation was about aid workers fatalities, works for a think tank organization and travels all over the world! She had just flown in from Germany to attend the conference. Talk about a world class citizen! Karla is also international—she is Colombian and married to a Russian. Although she’s a statistician, her doctoral research work is a qualitative study based on the dynamism of food and our intimacy with food. Karla is interested in food because she, through personal experience, has found that our processes foods can make you seriously sick and compromise your immune system. Since Karla ‘s research is about food and people’s relationship to food, she suggestion we go out to lunch at a place where the food “is touched by human hands.” That’s how we had the most divine meal touched by human hands at La Pietra Cucina in Peachtree Center! We ordered the Prosciutto di Parma appetizer, and then shared the Black Spaghetti, Gabby’s Fettucini, and Mezze Penne al Pomodoro for the entrée. Our wine was Enzo Di Sotte Rue Primitivo 2008, which was a soft, light red – the perfect complement to our meal! After lunch we searched for Karla’s favorite dessert place, a little donut place where all the donuts are personally made by the owner, a CIA educated turned donut shop owner, but given that this was a Monday, the little donut place was closed. It was now time for Karla to pick up her kids from school, and for Marianne and I to tour the textbook exhibit and part ways, as so many strangers do when they meet in a strange place and bond over a meal. As Marianne said, “We were destined to meet today,” hence this was our Destiny Day. There’s something about having a meal with people you’ve just met that forges immediate bonds! Good people, good food, good wine, good time and sharing our adventures with strangers. Destiny.

Teeth Whitening in Atlanta

Lately I've developed a practice of purchasing any toiletries I may need (other than the hotel-provided ones) at my destination. That way I can avoid the hassles with going through security and making sure my little bag of stuff doesn't get lost (as happened in London one time), bottles don't leak, etc. Well, I am now at the ASA annual meeting in Atlanta, and needed to secure my toiletries. It turns out that I had to walk 3+ miles, roundtrip, in 94 degree heat and high humidity, uphill all the way, and in full sun, to find a drugstore! You might ask why I was so driven to find a drugstore rather than simply use the hotel-provided toiletries… besides not having my favorite Aveeno moisturizer, I just had to have teeth whitening stuff and take advantage of being away from home to set myself on a strict teeth whitening regimen! I’ve noticed that so many people have beautiful white teeth… and while I’ve never had gorgeous teeth to begin with, mine have never been movie-star-quality-sparkling white. They’ve never been so white that you could see my smile a mile away. Oh, I know that tooth color varies in shades from white to off-white, to creamy white—but with so many people whitening their teeth artificially these days, I was just driven enough to try—hard enough to warrant walking uphill 3+ miles in 94 degree heat and high humidity in… Atlanta in August! Each day I work on whitening my teeth—we’ll see how it all turns out in a day or so… in the meantime, I find myself in obsessive-compulsive mode--frantically rushing back to the hotel room to brush my teeth after I’ve had a cup of coffee…

Sustainable Wine Growing

Well, since last night I've had a chance to search the Parducci winery online (http://www.parducci.com/), and it looks like this wine grower really does run a sustainable operation! They mention everything from the inks used on the labels, reducing the use of fossil fuels, to a strategic plan for reducing its carbon footprint and battling climate change. A simple google search for wine growing practices and the environmental impact of growing wine revealed that LOTS of water is used in growing wine, and it's really helpful if the water can be recycled. ative environmental impacts of wine dustry include the carbon footprint creaed by transportation, as well as the packaging. Another quick internet search showed that Frog's Leap wine, in California rates the highest in "green" ratings. When you think about it, growing grapes takes up lots of land, and the ultimate result of wine production creates a product that uses packaging including glass bottles and foils. Most of the time these bottles are added to the trash heap. Truthfully, I never really thought about the impact of producing wine... after discovering Parducci it really makes me think about this so much more! This wine grower really does practice being "sustainable"! I can't wait to try their other wines and visit this winery, and I'm also going to be more conscientious about the wines I buy and will look for more wines grown closer to home so as to reduce my wine carbon footprint!

Finally, The Wine!

OK- so this blog is called "The Wine Sisters Book Club" and so far my posts have been about books, so you might ask what about the wine? Tonight I'm in Atlanta getting ready for 4 days of intense conference gatherings and session attending! I picked up one of those small (meant as wine for 2 glasses) bottles of Parducci Chardonnay Vintage 2008 from the Mendocino, CA vinyards. From the label I see that this is a "family owned" label with a "sustainable winegrowing" mark on the label. Not sure what that means... The back of the label lists the qualities that, I guess, explain what sustainable winegrowing is. The list includes * locally owned and operated; * grapes from family farms; * sustainable farming practices; * 100% green power; * earth friendly packaging; and * carbon neutral. OK- all noble I'm sure but the wine still comes in a bottle with a metal screw cap (to make it user friendly for hotel guests), so by my count it still contributes to the waste system, right?

I really don't know a thing about wines except there are reds and there are whites. Some are heavy and some are light. Then there is the dry factor, and I'm finding that I like dry wines over sweeter ones.

OK- now for the taste test-- nice aroma... I sense a touch of sweetness in this chardonnay and I'm not sure that I like it. However, it will not go to waste!

Frenzied Reading

My daughters (and my son) are impressive readers! they have read War and Peace, Anna Karenina, or Pride and Prejudice...all those impressive books I have not read. I read shorter works because I don't have the attention span or the discipline to read those tomes. I tend to be an obsessive-compulsive reader-- when I begin a book it's hard for me to stop reading until it's done. Reading a book interferes with my life because I stop doing what I should be doing, and simply read and read and read... it's as though I can't go on with my normal life until I've finished the book! That's why I'm enjoying Eat, Pray, Love because the author is also obsessive-compulsive like me, but she's taken a year out of her life to travel and find herself. Right now I'm on the part where she's in the Ashram in India-- a community of yoga practitioners who meditate, perform selfless service, and experience getting to know themselves. Having just started yoga as a form of exercise, I can only imagine what that experience must be like. Some people can savor a book and make it last longer. It provides that escape into another world. I can't-- my reading style tends to be to devour a book, to consume it until it is over and done. Perhaps someday I'll develop the discipline to go more slowly and relish the tale... but for now, I am driven to a frenzy to read, read, read!

Catching Up

Whew! Times flies as they say-- and the last few weeks have flown like dandelion puffs in the wind! I joined a gym, worried about my daughter hiking 100 miles in the wilderness around Mt Ranier, and bought an e-reader (Nook). The gym has made me fall in love with yoga and water, the daughter has safely survived her 100 mile trek, and I am just now using my e-reader to read Eat, Pray, Love before the movie comes out. It's already a fun read and pure escape from what has become, sad to say, the drudgery of doctoral work readings! I loaded up my Nook with several other books this evening and each involves some sort of true-life travel story. Think I'll promise myself a magnificent trip once the dissertation is done!

A Different Way of Reading...

Almost finished with Hemingway's Farewell to Arms... "reading" an audio book has been my salvation to continuing walking as my daily exercise routine. After 20+ years of walking the same streets, roads, paths, etc-- I've run out of new and different places to walk. Last year I began to understand what those poor little experimental rodents walking in their circular wire cages must have felt like! I quit walking and how quickly a few pounds crept into this body!!! I needed enthusiasm, and I required support because my will was lacking. Not that I have much more of those right now, but at least looking forward to the next chapter provides some incentive! This old classic book, (the version read by John Slattery) has made walking worthwhile-- as the story is set in a simpler time-- WWI. It's a classic story line-- soldier gets injured, meets English nurse, falls in love, and they run away together. Even though the story line is not unusual (after all, wasn't it Aristotle who said there were really only 7 storylines in the human condition?)it's the details in the descriptions of scenes and characters that carry the reader along. There is no such thing as rushing through this book to get to the bottom line-- it's one to be savored and reflected upon.

Tales of A Female Nomad

This is one I read just a few weeks ago-- accidentally came across this book (and opened up a whole new genre of book reading-- travel books!) while spending some quality time with my daughter in a Barnes and Noble sipping cappuchino. Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman was a wonderful respite from my own busy life. The book chronicles a real-life story of a 48 year old woman who decided to embark on an adventure and wound up backpacking through Mexico and Central America. She originally intended this adventure to be only several months long; instead this became an 8 year lifestyle in which she lived in Bali, Indonesia, New Guinea, etc. Oh- and no surpise here-- she also wound up divorced in the process. Her descriptions of learning to adapt to life in other cultures are priceless. At one point she became the advisor and confidante of a king (real life- no kidding!!!) of a small tribe in Bali. However, be forewarned-- for anyone contemplating this lifestyle just know that she had plenty of money from both her previous lifestyle and her income from the children's books she has been writing over the years. Alas, those of us who must duke it out on a day to day basis must enjoy exploring the world vicariously (with a nice cool glass of chardonnay!)...

Just Finished Reading...

Lunch+in+Paris.jpg">Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard. OK- honesty check here-- this was really my daughter's find and I stole it from her long enough to read it. Who doesn't love Paris? Even if you've never been there it's fun to imagine being in Paris. This book was a lovely trip to Paris through the eyes of an American who fell in love with a Frenchman and French food. This book is a combination love story and recipe book. It's an easy read and a fun escape-- now I'm ready to try my hand at a few of those recipes... which inspired me to make brownies out of a box (oh sacre blue!) but it's all I had in the cabinet. Besides, in an effort to clean out the pantry (the youngest child moved back home after graduating from college with more food staples than I moved half-way across the country after she was born!!) I made brownies last night but the husband thought they were too "chocolatty." Those were Ghiradello. Tonight I made the Hershey triple chocolate brownies. The verdict? Husband likes Hershey's brownies better. And me? I've concluded that don't even like brownies!