Butternut Squash lasagna on the menu; pics tomorrow

The first year I decided to brine the turkey….I made the brine and poured the hot liquid into a glass bowl….shattered hot liquid and glass all over me and the floor

Every year I was a vegetarian somebody had to give me shit about tofu, tofurkeys and “what was I going to eat?”  As if there’s not enough to eat aside from the turkey and gravy???  I made myself sick on pie and soda alone one year….

Thanksgiving in Maine, kids all around, hanging with the family, comatose from the woodstove and overeating, cranberry frappe with an adult twist, trips to Bean’s, Italian sandwiches and Whoopie pies, Fig freaking cookies, Old Port pubs and of course lobster at home and DeMillo’s

Growing up, Thanksgiving at Great Aunt and Uncle’s Victorian home, so many people it was sheer beautiful ordered chaos, butler’s pantry soda bar, Grandma’s extra special pies – pumpkin, mince, apple, cherry – Alice’s Restaurant upstairs in Cousin’s suite of rooms, adults and adult beverages, air hockey and Space Invaders, Grand piano and hide and seek – who’s afraid of the attic?  Me and everyone else

The year my mom was sick with the flu and uncle picked up my sisters and me and drove us to family dinner in Jersey…mom had pb&j for dinner, dad was away on for work, felt bad for mom all on her own

My great aunt and uncle, two of the world’s best people, cooking and entertaining us all every Thanksgiving, opening their beautiful home to the whole family and letting the kids run rampant throughout the house…no limits!

First year husband and I were apart the year we met, had an early Thanksgiving together the week before, the day of Thanksgiving I was depressed, got drunk, cried and threw up in that particular order

First year daughter became a vegetarian I bought her a tofurkey all for herself and allowed nobody to give her shit about it!  And actually, they do taste damn good, just not like a turkey. 

Sad Thanksgiving:  The first year we couldn’t go to Great Aunt and Uncle’s because of a family fight….but things change and life goes on.

Making pies with my Grandma, the sweetest lady in the world and a world class pie/pastry maker and cook….she always let me make my own little pie…and from the scraps we rolled them in butter and cinnamon sugar twists – “doughkies”  I love you Grandma

Hanging with my sisters as adults, drinking wine and just loving them so much….

Waking up to my Mom sautéing the celery, onions, garlic and herbs for the turkey stuffing, knowing all is right with the world….

Dad and later my husband carving the turkey…again, all is right with the world….

This year husband and I are apart, but not in spirit….it’s not the same but Keira and I will have a good day cooking together.  George and I will talk on Skype and he has a line on a turkey dinner at a great restaurant in Imatra.  Next year we’ll make our own new tradition.  Life changes and goes on, and I’m always thankful for my family and friends and good fortune.

Sarah Palin’s new book, Going Rogue, is out and selling very well. Of course, the library has copies and people are waiting in line for those, including me. I think people are interested in it for various reasons: they liked her vice-presidential campaign and are wondering about a potential 2012 presidential bid, curiosity about a very public figure, or as one person quoted to me, “keep your friends close but your enemies closer.”  I just want to see all of the 68 photos that I read are included – that’s a lot of pictures!

— Julie

P.S. Was looking up “rogue” in the dictionary to make sure my spelling of roguish was correct…

Oxford Reference Online

Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary

A Report from Winter
ISBN 1590212355
Author: Wayne Courtois, waynewrite@gmail.com 
Website: www.reportfromwinter.com 
Publisher: Steve Berman
Lethe Press, www.lethepressbooks.com

(Press Release) Kansas City, MO July 20, 2009 – In his new memoir AReport from Winter, Kansas City author Wayne Courtois returns to his Maine roots and delivers a no-holds-barred account of death in a dysfunctional family. 

But the book is more than a personal account of traveling home and losing a parent—in this case, Courtois’s mother, Jennie. It’s also a tribute to the support of a life partner. The contrast between traditional family bonds and the nurturing relationship between Courtois and his mate is as sharp as the wind sweeping in from the sea. 

Scott Heim, author of Mysterious Skin and We Disappear, noted in his advance review of the book that “Courtois is a smart and gifted writer, shrewd and compassionate, with a godlike eye for detail. A Report from Winter is filled with beautiful sentences from beginning to end. It’s a stunning book.” 

Jerry Wheeler offered similar praise in his review for the Out in Print book blog: “Courtois has an incredible eye for detail, and an impeccable intuition about which detail is the most telling. He can break your heart and do so in a way that also brings a smile to your face. And the writing is just so damn good.” 

Published by Lethe Press, Winter is available in Kindle format as well as paperback.  

A Report from Winter by Wayne Courtois – a review by author Dan Stone (Posted with permission) 

Words like `pathos’ are sometimes tossed about rather indiscriminately, but when a book like Wayne Courtois’s A Report from Winter comes along, there are only certain words that fully capture the apparent intention and achieved effect. In this extraordinarily compelling and bittersweet account of the author’s return to the wintry Maine landscape of his childhood and his experience at the bedside of his terminally ill mother, Courtois pulls back the curtain on a chilly, troubled New England family, offering a jumble of uncomfortable images as scattered and chaotic as the disorderly drawers full of photographs in his mother’s uninhabited house–and an uneasy reflection on the awkward ties that still bind him to his kin. 

He also adeptly contrasts this relatively bleak family portrait with the surprisingly warm and loving relationship he has found with his partner, Ralph, who, if not the prototypical knight in shining armor, nonetheless provides an emotional foundation that grounds and warms this intensely personally memoir and that offers welcome hopefulness to the somewhat grim telling of the author’s story. 

A Report from Winter is not an easy book to read. It hurts at times to get this close to the wounded and to feel such freely offered angst and doubt. But it’s not all wintry gloom. There are welcome glints of humor that illuminate the somber skies of this story. And despite the often sinking feeling this book invites us to share, it still manages to rise to the occasion of suggesting that no matter how unlikely or late in the game, peaceful endings are still possible–and that good things can still come to those who wait.

Wayne Courtois was born in Portland, Maine, and currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri with his husband-in-every-sense-but-legal, Ralph Seligman. In January 2009 they celebrated 20 years together.

A graduate of the MFA Program at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Wayne is author of the novels My Name Is Rand, published by Suspect Thoughts Press, and the forthcoming A Pardoner’s Tale. His short fiction has appeared in journals including The Greensboro Review and Harrington Gay Men’s Literary Quarterly; in the webzines suspect thoughts: a journal of subversive writing and Velvet Mafia; and in anthologies such as Of the Flesh, Love Under Foot, Best Gay Erotica, Out of Control, and Country Boys. Nonfiction work has appeared in I Do/I Don’t: Queers on Marriage; Walking Higher: Gay Men Write about the Deaths of Their Mothers; and the forthcoming The Lost Library: Gay Fiction Rediscovered.

Wayne has served on his local Ryan White Planning Council, and as a grantwriter in the not-for-profit sector he has helped to raise millions for HIV/AIDS services, hospice care, and the arts. Currently he is working on a book-length work of speculative fiction. Please visit www.reportfromwinter.com and write to waynewrite@gmail.com.

By Chuck Klosterman

In this day in age of instant media and social communicating it feels like we as a society should really be burned out after listening to opinion after opinion about the same song or movie or book or whatever, but I don’t when it comes to Chuck Klosterman. He has peened commentaries and original thoughts in numerous magazines and three of his six books showcase this. His latest Eating the Dinosaur is honestly the best yet.

If you haven’t read any of Klosterman’s work, I don’t suggest you start out with Dinosaur, but with Sex, Drugs and Coco Puffs before diving into this quintessential Klosterman masterpiece. It’s somewhat confusing at first because the book has no real plot or theme, but more of a collective of random musings on subjects such as, “How does it feel when journalists have the tables turned and they are the interviewee?” and “Does the recording of Nirvana’s ‘In Utero’ and the mass suicide of the Branch Davidians in Waco have anything in common?”

It’s the randomness and intriguing points he makes that makes Dinosaur really great. Not since his memoir Killing Yourself to Live have I enjoyed reading him so much.

Click to enlarge and read Jelena’s story. For context, she is responding to an article entitled “How to Tell if a Guy Likes You, Five Signs He’s Interested.” I don’t think he’s interested, Jelena.

Leaving the House down our Road

Scenes From Airports….

Travelling to Finland – long and tiring.  Daughter’s first trip out of the country – exciting!  First use of passport in Atlanta to Amsterdam flight – priceless!

Husband meeting us at Helsinki airport! sweet!  Train ride in business class – sweeter!  Finally seeing my new home and cuddling with husband – sweetest!

 Saying goodbye to my husband in Helsinki, daughter telling me how gross we are to kiss in public.  Missing him already.

 At the gate and on the plane, everything in Finnish and English, but the Finnish takes twice as long to say because of all the vowels….breakfast sandwiches not nearly as good as the lunch ones on the way over.  Still hungry.

 In Amsterdam, a woman pushing a baby stroller, screaming psychotically at her husband as they walk furiously through the airport, hitting him on the arm, berating him in a language I don’t understand, but I definitely know the meaning….

Enjoying all the shops in Amsterdam airport, not much time to shop but pick up some sweet handpaited clog earrings and keychains.  They scan the Euros!

 On the longest flight from Amsterdam to Atl, found reasons to like people again.  The man who sat next to a woman with a toddler in her lap and was kind and patient.  That baby was better behaved than some adults! Same man also helped several people load and unload their carry-ons – myself included.  Woman next to me was so sweet, spent a long Rhine cruise with her mother-in-law who wanted to help her through grief over her mother’s death. 

 Flight announcement that they need a medical person to come forward..then as we land announce that EMT’s have to come on to attend to injured flight attendant before we get up. 

 Seeing the passport/customs line in ATL – not fun.  Passing through security three times in one day, not fun.  Having to board the plane to U.S. two hours early in order to get through security – not fucking fun.

 Frustrated traveler man after customs in the U.S., cursing “fucking shit” as he walks by my daughter and me….we get it…

 At the gate in  Atlanta, wanna be rock star in black and white, matching streaky and spiky long hair, black jeans, boots and sunglasses…no entourage, so definitely a wanna be….

 Started to feel a bit crazed by the end of the longest flight….my body isn’t used to that inactivity.

 The last leg at the very end, my skin tingled and I felt ready to jump out of it – like I was a bit crazed – never felt that way before. 

 Friend picking us up at the airport – sweet.  Getting home, showering, settling in – sweeter.  Missing husband and knowing all the work ahead – bittersweet.

Written by the two journalists who uncovered the Watergate scandal, All the President’s Men is part detective story, part political thriller and part first-draft of history.  Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein ended up on the Watergate story by accident, stayed on it despite personal difference, and ultimately uncovered one of the greatest political scandals the US has ever known, which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

The book was written and published before the full story of Watergate was known, and so it’s sometimes a bit confusing.  It’s slow to start with, the significance of events and people are not clear, and the two journalists seem to uncover a lot of information that doesn’t make sense. There are a lot of names to remember, and many of these characters don’t appear again.  However, these are all natural consequences of the book being an account of real events, rather than fiction.  Once it becomes clear to the journalists who the major players are, the story begins to make more sense and the pace picks up.

The journalists are like detectives in the way they collect and assemble information, but unlike detectives, they can’t compel anyone to talk to them, which makes their job harder and the story more frustrating.  Everything they publish has to be verified by at least three sources, and many times it’s ‘obvious’ what is going on but the story can’t advance until things are verified.  The journalist’s frustration at times like these is evident.

Because the book ends before the full extent of the Watergate scandal is known, the end is a bit ambiguous and unsatisfying, I suppose because we now know what happened, and because the thread of events now looks clearer than it would have at the time.

What I found most interesting about this book was the background it gives about American politics and political institutions.  To someone from a country that is at best ambiguous and at worst deeply cynical and government and institutions, the reverence that Americans (even investigative journalists) have for the office of President seems strange. For a reader used to the Westminster system, the executive system of government looks opaque and ripe for cronyism.

The other interesting aspect of the book is the window it gives onto the world of investigative journalism and news in the days before computers, mobile phones, and internet.  The journalists meet with sources in person, they use ingenious things like reverse telephone directories to track down people, and records (both the journalists’ and those of their investigative subjects) are all single-copy paper documents that can disappear quite easily.  On the other hand, their sources in government are happy to talk on the phone from their offices – obviously the days of manual switchboards, untraceable calls, and office doors rather than open plan layouts made it safer.

All the President’s Men is a good read, and highly recommended.  I’m keen to see the movie and perhaps read Woodward and Bernstein’s other Watergate book, The Final Days.

All the President’s Men
Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
Bloomsbury, 1974

I’ve recently finished reading a fascinating book, Joanna Richardson’s The Courtesans, a history of the twelve greatest women of pleasure in the Demi-Monde. These women were a far cry away from the typical modern perception of prostitutes as victims. They used their sexual allure and their sharp wits to accumulate a vast amount of power and wealth, far greater than many of their ‘respectable’ contemporaries. Reading about these remarkable women, I could see clear parallels with the ‘femme fatale’ that the Decadents were so fond of. I enjoyed the book very much, and thought I’d make a quick note of the grande horizontales whom Richardson covers.

1. Blanche d’Antigny (1840-74)

Blanche (born Marie-Ernestine Antigny), is widely believed to have been the inspiration for Emile Zola’s infamous courtesan, Nana. She certainly met Nana’s physical description, burnt through money at the same rate, and died a similar death to the heroine at the young age of 33. A part-time actress, she could list a Russian prince, Maharajahs and French bankers amongst her conquests. She kept a magnificent set of rooms in Paris, draped with turquoise satin and populated by liveried footmen, where she threw extravagant parties for her friends. She is infamous for appearing in public draped in diamonds.

Blanche posing as the penitent Magdalene

2. La Barucci (1837[?]-70/1)

La Barucci (Giulia Beneni) won favour through her Italian looks, her indefatigable determination to win the lover of her choice, and her charming, child-like spontaneity. She would proudly show off her jewellery cabinet to her visitor, the contents of which were said to be worth millions, and she kept her visiting cards in a china bowl by her fireplace – cards which bore the names of nearly every name in high society at the time. When meeting the Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII), she was told to behave with decorum. Upon being introduced, she promptly let her dress fall to the ground, without a word of warning. When she was reprimanded, she exclaimed, “What, did you not tell me to behave properly to His Royal Highness? I showed him the best I have, and it was free!”

3. Cora Pearl (1835-86)

Cora Pearl (Eliza Emma Crouch), an English emigrant, was infamous for being the most unfeeling of the great courtesans, only loving men for what they could give her. However, given that her initiation into sexual activity was in the form of a rape, one cannot help but sympathise with her desire to exact revenge on mankind, ruining them with her charms, then leaving them when she had got all she could. She quickly progressed through the European aristocracy, and had an affair with Prince Napoleon that lasted for many years. She used her vast accumulation of wealth to purchase luxurious apartments in the rue de Chaillot, fitted with a bath of rose marble, her initials inlaid in the bottom with gold. She was a keen sportswoman, and was said to bestow far more affection on her horses than her dejected lovers. She once appeared on the Paris stage wearing boots with buttons made from huge diamonds, the soles also incrusted with the precious stones. The Prince once sent her a van-load of rare orchids, and she threw a party where she danced the hornpipe, dressed as a sailor, over the valuable flowers. One lover sent her a box of marrons glaces, each one wrapped in a thousand franc note. Unfortunately for Cora, the life of luxury did not last. The fall of the Second Empire brought an end to her power, and she died in poverty.

Cora Pearl

4. Esther Guimond (d. 1876)

Esther Guimond was one of the courtesans who had the most influence on the Press and politics of her time. Once she had established herself with a selection of wealthy lovers, her apartments regularly entertained distinguished writers and politicians, who were won over by her sharp wit and amusing anecdotes. She managed to retain her influence even as age set in, and entertained influential men at her dinner parties well into her old age.

5. La Paiva (1819-84)

La Paiva clawed her way up from the Moscow ghetto to unbelievable wealth, first as a Marquise and then a Countess. She is also the most unpleasant of the courtesans discussed by Richardson, carelessly leaving a trail of men behind her as she used up their resources, and showing no regret at the death of her child.  She had an almost supernatural belief in the power of the human will to achieve certain ends, and it certainly seems to have worked for her. Her luxurious hotel on the Champs Elysees stands to this day as a testament of her obscene wealth. The staircase was made from real alabaster, and the salon had a magnificent ceiling, designed by Baudry, depicting day chasing away the night. She could only consider the value of something in the terms of how much it cost. She was also known to be cruel – she shot a horse which threw her, and was a hard mistress to her many servants, unforgiving of the slightest error. La Paiva ended her days at the castle of her last husband, Henckel von Donnersmarck, who was unfailingly devoted to her. There was a legend that Donnersmarck’s second wife, well-born and youthful, unlocked a room in the castle that her husband kept carefully closed up, finding the body of La Paiva, preserved in alcohol. An attractive legend, albeit one that seems to have wandered straight out of the pages of a Perrault fairytale.

Adolphe Montecelli - Une Soiree Chez La Paiva

6. Mademoiselle Maximum (1842-94)

Mademoiselle Maximum (Leonide Leblanc) earned her nickname through her great hunger for luxury and excess. Naturally capricious, she abandoned her burgeoning career as an actress in order to go travelling, before returning to Paris and the stage. Her personal charms seem to have earned her forgiveness for her flightiness. She courted publicity, and also seems to have been a compulsive liar. She had many generous lovers, but was unable to hold onto any of them for long. She was similarly careless with her material wealth – as much as she loved her luxuries, she often speculated unwisely, and was eventually forced to live more modestly. In spite of this, she continued to be admired until her death.

Leonide Leblanc

7. Marguerite Bellanger (1840-86)

Marguerite was often criticised for her rustic, tomboyish manners, but it was this unaffected quality in her that attracted the attentions of Napoleon III, who became so infatuated with the courtesan that the Empress eventually had to intervene in order to avoid a public scandal.

8. Caroline Letessier (dates unknown)

Caroline was a woman who disappeared back into the obscurity from whence she came, after spending a few glittering years as one of the stars of la garde. She appeared at parties in elaborate gowns, strewn with jewels, and once danced so much that her dress was nearly torn to shreds. She claimed to ‘deal in Grand Dukes’, and defiantly appeared in public alongside ‘respectable’ women, not afraid to reply insolently to anyone who dared to disparage her.

9. Alice Ozy (1820-93)

Alice Ozy (Julie-Justine Pilloy) was renowned for her charm, wit and financial intelligence. She started  – as did many courtesans – in the theatre, where she stole the heart of the young Duc d’Aumale. It was an affair that was to establish her, although she did not return his loyalty, and moved on to a series of conquests, including Theophile Gautier, who seems to have been positively tormented by her. Her financial acumen meant that she could retire in wealth, but her old age seems to have been haunted by loneliness, and a regret for the days that had gone.

Alice Ozy by Amaury Duval

10. Marie Duplessis (1824-47)

Marie Duplessis would win immortality as the inspiration for Dumas’ La Dame aux Camelias. She was always fragile, and seemed to have known that she would not live long judging by how fiercely she lived in the small time allotted to her. She was passionate about the theatre, and hated to miss a performance of any new play. Her charm and sense of decorum meant that she was accepted into respectable society – a rare thing for a courtesan. She won the heart of Franz Liszt, who gave her piano lessons, and would remember her wistfully years later. When she died at the age of just twenty-three, her belongings were sold to fashionable ladies, clamouring for a souvenir of this charming courtesan.

Marie Duplessis

11. Apollonie Sabatier (1822-89)

Madame Sabatier, often referred to as ‘La Presidente’ was the hostess of the most culturally rich salon in Paris, and is famously the inspiration for Charles Baudelaire’s ‘white Venus’ poems. A great patron of the arts, Apollonie seems to have been the most endearing and respected of the courtesans – evidence of her tender-heartedness can be found in her personal letters to Baudelaire. She won the admiration of Flaubert, Gautier and Jean-Baptiste Clesinger amongst many others.

12. Mogador (1824-1909)

Mogador (La Comtesse de Chabrillan) is a tragic figure amongst her more frivolous contemporaries, due to her desire to be a respectable woman. Winning fame for her ability to dance magnificently, she had entered prostitution through a belief that there was nothing else for her, and she would always regret it. She eventually married a respectable nobleman whom she loved very much, but his family refused to accept her. The couple were forced to leave for Australia in order to keep afloat financially, where Mogador initiated a successful career as a writer. However, she soon had to return to Paris for the sake of her health, and after just a few years together her husband died. She committed her life to giving lectures and to charitable causes, but she never gained the respectability she so dearly desired. She is something of a pathetic figure compared to her more ruthless, morally lax, contemporaries, suffering acutely because she hadn’t the heart (or lack thereof) to be a true courtesan.

Mogador

Didn’t realise this would be quite such a long post – sorry about that!

I am not a wine girl, with the exceptions of champagne, riesling, and the ’semi-sweet’ red wine my Russian host family always got me (I can’t find a US equivalent anywhere). I used to really enjoy beer, from microbreweries or overseas, but now that I have a gluten allergy, when I’m out and about I usually just stick with a vodka sour. However, Dewey (who was a oenophile) wrote a marvelous review of Red, White, and Drunk All Over: a Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass by Natalie Clean, and it’s been on my radar ever since. I finally ended up reading it for the Spice of Life Challenge, now that I’ve upgraded to the feast level (note to self: review cookbooks soon! lol).

I’m so glad that I did! This book is wonderful: while McClean is obviously very knowledgeable about wine, she’s not a snob at all (I strongly, strongly dislike people who are snobs about anything). And there are so many different things packed inside the book, from travel to France, to profiles of wine shop owneries, to a discussion of wine in restaurants, to chapters of advice for those of us at home (how to host a wine tasting party, how to pair wine with tricky food, etc.). I never got bored, because there was always something new and fascinating to discover!

Throughout the book, McClean’s absolute love of wine really shines through. She’s even convinced me that maybe I should start trying some non-sweet wines (I got a Pinot Grigio the other day, and I didn’t hate it, which is progress). More importantly, since most of the ‘troublesome’ food she offers wine pairings for are the only things I eat (vegetarian, spicy, non-European stuff), and she happens to suggest champagne/sparkling wine and Riesling for many of those entrees, she convinced me that wine can be as everyday as a bottle of beer. Of course, the problem is that I don’t have any desire to drink on a regular basis, so what do I do after I’ve opened the bottle and had my glass? I’m not a fan of that tipsy/fuzzy feeling that two glasses in one night brings on, and my body and skin are happier when I don’t have a glass two days in a row. (Can you tell I’m not a big drinker? I think it’d be neat to have alcohol-free wine, so I could try the tastes w/o the other issues.) I wish upscale wine came in six-packs like upscale beer.

Um, I’m obviously rambling a bit. Sorry about that-I swear I’ve had my caffeine! I slept 11 hours, though, so maybe my brain isn’t quite functioning yet. Back to the book. McClean has an easygoing writing style that keeps the book light and readable-I was definitely in the upper end of my ‘pages per hour’ rate with this one. So if nonfiction makes you a bit nervous, this would be a great book for you! I was a bit worried about spacing out while reading it, simply because of my lack of interest in wine, but that never happened. McClean’s interest is so strong she’ll pull you along with her.

I don’t think I’m fully portraying the amount of gushiness I feel over this book. I want to say:

Read it now! It’s fascinating! And funny! And informing! You will love it, I promise!

I wish I could link to Dewey’s review, since then y’all would be convinced, but her blog was taken down. Let’s just say that for me, reading this book was also like having Dewey back for a bit (I finished up the Dewey’s Books Challenge several months ago, so it’s been awhile since I’ve had that feeling) and closing it made me miss her all over again. I think I want to read a book every other month or so that Dewey read and reviewed, just for that feeling.

I must have a bit of fibro brain, since this post isn’t much of a review at all. Sorry about that-this is why I usually steer clear of my blog when I’m feeling weird!

Everyone stood around in the kitchen enjoying the warmth of the oven and the company of others. Mom lowered the door to the oven to check on the mighty bird, and give it a few squirts of melted butter from the foil covered pan, in which it rested. She closed the door with a gentle metallic clank, and turned to announce that Tom would be ready in about 10 minutes. She reached over an smacked the back of my brothers hand as he tried to sneak a finger into the already mashed potatoes being kept warm on the stove top. They were keeping company there, by the corn, beans and two other pans that were covered and bubbling quietly above a gentle flame.

The smaller of the children were given the responsibility to set the place settings in the dining room from the small pile of dishes, silverware and napkins left there earlier for this annual ceremony. They took to their task with glee, happy to help, and carefully laid out the plates, napkins and eatery. With so many settings to set, it was almost preordained that Uncle Joey ended up eating with two forks and Aunt Sue became a two-fisted soup taster.

The bird finally escaped from the oven, and the electric knife was plugged up and handed off to me. No one in the family, as far as I knew, had ever cut an appendage off with the thing, yet, when it was time to use it, everyone backed off, and pushed me forward to do the carving task. I cut and sliced, hacked and carved, and managed to strip the turkey down to his bare bones, and two large, largely untouched legs. The serving plate located nearby, was heaped over with still steaming slices of white meat, and was descended upon by those who’s fear of the mechanical blade resting nearby, seemed to have abated.

Food was heaped from pots and pans, and placed into serving bowls and plates, and brought to the table amid exclaims of approval, and smiles all around. Calls into the living room where most of the men were huddled around the television screen, screaming at a fumbled ball, or cheering that one had been caught, brought back responses of “I’ll be right in!”, but time for their journey was measured in completed plays, rather than minutes.

Everyone jostled for chairs, and moved to their traditional places at the table, where they had been sitting for years. The smaller ones, relegated to the table in the kitchen, waited until time would pare down our clan and make room for their inclusion at the dining room table. Last calls for drinks is made as well as the final details that always seem to slip everyone’s mind. Mom is bringing in a knife for the butter, a pepper shaker, the rolls that, DAMN! are still in the oven! and a host of other minutia.

We finally all sit down, with heaping plates in front of us. A blessed bounty for my family. We start numerous conversations at once, and my father frowns while he cocks his head to one side, trying to hear over the cacophony of the conversation, which team just missed another field goal.

Sequel to “The Circuit” (which I haven’t read)

My husband picked out this book for me- and I have to say, I wasn’t exactly attracted to the cover and probably wouldn’t have picked it out for myself, but I’m so glad he picked it, because I really enjoyed reading it. A biographical history of the amazing author of La Mariposa (one of my original reviews), Breaking Through documents the struggles of Fransisco’s family as they are deported and then readmitted to America. The humiliation of being taken out of school by immigration officials and the discomfort of the long journey to the border were palpable.

Jimenez documents his experiences as an immigrant, first illegal and finally legal. Fransisco and his brother face prejudice and hard work with determination. When told that he could easily pass for white, or say he is from Spain and thus escape the difficulties of being treated as a Mexican, Fransisco courageously replies that he is proud to be Mexican and has no reason to hide his heritage. The story reminded me of the stories of many people I met while we lived in Quincy, Washington- a small farming town with a large immigrant-worker population. Jimenez truly broke out of the poverty cycle and has done amazing things for himself, his family, and his friends. Have you ever put off reading a book because of the cover? Thank goodness I can’t resist a good book put right in front of me, because this one is worth the time and effort, even though I don’t like the cover.

“Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney” by Lee Cockerell ISBN 9780385523868

This book was an excellent resource and a very enjoyable read.  I think this book should be required reading for so many people from high school students to CEO’s of major companies.  Why?  Because we all know how we want to be treated and it makes common sense to treat people with respect and dignity — but sometimes we fail.  When I was first employed full-time after college – my supervisors (I worked for 2 different departments) were the most amazing bosses a person could ask for anywhere.  They treated me with respect and looked out for my well being by helping me with classes and making sure I had the books and resources to learn what I needed to do my job well.  I feel that because of the examples of these men I can strive to emulate them in my own interactions with staff.

This book is well written and light — it is an easy read even though it talks about some pretty intense issues.  It is common sense — though we all know that common sense isn’t as common as we would like to it to be. 

From Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Magic-Common-Leadership-Strategies/dp/0385523866/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259087103&sr=1-1#noop
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly

On his way up the career ladder to become Executive Vice President of Operations at Walt Disney World Resort, Cockerell freely admits he was such an autocratic young hotel and restaurant manager that he was hit over the head with a beer bottle by an employee he’d treated poorly. This and other incidents (including a bashing with a clipboard) convinced Cockerell to study leadership, which he proceeded to do with gusto throughout his stellar career, ultimately creating the Disney Great Leaders strategies. The author’s engaging storytelling brings life and infectious energy to this entertaining and inspiring book, which outlines the processes and rationale behind Disney’s employee-driven ethos. Each chapter expounds on the Disney Formula for Success, which Cockerell sums up as “great leadership leads to employee excellence, which leads to customer satisfaction and strong business results.” Cockerell’s willingness to use his management gaffes as examples not only makes him a likeable narrator but also a credible leader, offering up a mesmerizing view of a career devoted to excellence in customer service, employee empowerment, organizational improvement and responsive leadership.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

We Two: Victoria & Albert ♥ ♥ ♥
Read by Rosalyn Landor
15 discs

This is a revolutionary portrait of a queen and her prince, revealing at once both an intimate but far-from-idyllic relationship that succeeded against all odds as the strong, feisty queen and the brilliant, fragile prince worked together to build a family based on support, trust, and fidelity.

Yep, Sarah’s 2012 presidential tour showed up here yesterday in the form of a book signing. People came to Orlando and  The Villages, a ’senior’ village where the conservative fires are stoked for their flame — Savior Sarah.
I can only express that the guy in the picture says it all, and I won’t blame the seniors having senior moments, (heck, I’m one), but, it’s anyone younger than 55 – don’t they even recall how they felt when Bush was the conservative they were all waiting for? He gave them Promises Promises, torture, debt, recession and going to war with God’s blessings – why are these conservatives so mesmerized by lack of substance in another empty $150,000 suit?

Self help books don’t usually fall under the BookSexy umbrella.  Occasionally, though, I recognize that a little guidance can be helpful.   Which is why Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning (so much more than a self-help book) has had a place on my nightstand for the last 10 years.

Frankl was sent, with his wife and parents, to Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in 1942.  He was liberated from Türkheim (near Dachau) in 1945.  A psychiatrist before the war, he survived his time in the camps attempting to treat fellow prisoners and mentally re-writing the manuscript that was taken from him on his imprisonment, incorporating his camp experiences into it.   The result has since been dubbed the “Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy”:  Logotherapy.

Man’s search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life and not a “secondary rationalization” of instinctual drives.  This meaning is unique and specific in that it must and can be fulfilled by him alone; only then does it achieve a significance which will satisfy his own will to meaning.  There are some authors who contend that meaning and values are “nothing but defense mechanisms, reaction formations and sublimations.”  But as for myself, I would not be willing to live merely for the sake of my “defense mechanisms,” now would I be ready to die merely for the sake of my “reaction formations.”  Man, however, is able to live and even to die for the sake of his ideals and values!

What does this mean?  Frankl had discovered that those prisoners who had meaning in their life were more likely to survive their time in the concentration camps.   The key lay in finding  something in the future to live for – be it their next meal, a reunion with family, a task to be completed or, in his case, a manuscript to publish.  Without this will to meaning, the prisoner often gave up and death was almost inevitable.  (Of course, the difficulty often lay in pin-pointing what gave meaning to each individual).

Man’s Search for Meaning is divided into two parts . Part One: Experiences in a Concentration Camp is Frankl relating his personal story, while at the same time analyzing the dynamics of the camp and its’ impact on those within.  Frankl explores the three stages of a prisoner’s life – transport & arrival into the camp, daily camp life, and liberation & re-entrance into the world.  This exploration is not limited to the inmates, but extends to include guards, Capos, even the SS Commander in charge.  Parenthesis mine.

It was found after the liberation – only the camp doctor, a prisoner himself, had known of it previously – the (the commander of the camp) had paid no small sum of money from his own pocket in order to purchase medicines for his prisoners from the nearest market town.  But the senior camp warden, a prisoner himself, was harder than any of the SS Guards.  He beat the other prisoners at every slightest opportunity…

It is apparent that the mere knowledge that a man was a camp guard or a prisoner tells us almost nothing.  Human kindness can be found in all groups, even those which as a whole it would be easy to condemn.  The boundaries between groups overlapped and we must not try to simplify matters by saying that these men were angels and those were devils.

Frankl writes of his experiences and observations in a deadpan prose style.  His ability to analyze what must have been the darkest period of his life, and to do so without judgment, bitterness or bias is extraordinary.  In the Preface he states that Man’s Search for Meaning “is not concerned with the great horrors, which have already been described often enough (though less often believed), but with the multiple of small torments… Most events described here did not take place in the large and famous camps, but in the small ones where most of the real extermination took place.”   After reading his account it’s difficult to see the distinguishing line between the small torments and the great horrors…  but Frankl is not interested in that.  For him the Concentration Camp has become a set a circumstances.  His interest is in how man  reacts and rises above those circumstances.  (In later interviews he would discuss the freedom of choice and how it relates to our response to situation which are out of our control).  Yet despite his ability to remain detached in setting down this portion of his life, there are still moments of poignancy that creep in (more startling in their scarcity).

… there was a sort of self-selecting process going on the whole time among all of the prisoners.  On the average, only those prisoners could keep alive who, after years of trekking from camp to camp, had lost all scruples in their fight for existence; they were prepared to use every means, honest and otherwise, even brutal force, theft, and betrayal of friends, in order to save themselves.  We who have come back, by the aid of many lucky chances or miracles – whatever one may choose to call them – we know:  the best of us did not return.

Books about the Holocaust often have a voyeuristic quality that distresses me,  as do true crime books and documentaries on the lives of serial killers.  It seems wrong to focus that kind of morbid (since how can it really be anything else?) curiosity on actual horrors, versus those created for t.v. on shows like Criminal Minds & CSI (which I find a bit creepy as well).   Man’s Search for Meaning is a fascinating story, dealing with the horrors and atrocities of the WWII Holocaust, but it is a story that is told within a greater context.  Frankl has attempted to apply what he has learned to the world outside of a Concentration Camp in order to address what he described as man’s existential dilemma.

The second part of Man’s Search for Meaning is called  Logotherapy in a Nutshell. The title is pretty much self explanatory.  When asked by reporters how he felt about the book selling millions of copies, Frankl stated that he sees it as “an expression of the misery of our time:  if hundreds of thousands of people reach out for a book whose very title promises to deal with the question of a meaning of life, it must be a question that burns under their fingernails.”   Here he discusses how modern man has focused too much on happiness, when he should be focusing on the meaning in his life.   Similar to Kennedy’s famous quote “Ask not what your country can do for you…”, Frankl would point out that the question was not what you expected from life… but what does life expect of you?  Happiness is a result, not a reason.

This portion of the book is a bit more technical, dealing with neurosis and motivations and what can seem to some like so much psychoanalytical mumbo-jumbo that has long since passed out of fashion.  But it also contains a great deal of common sense.  The reader who can approach Logotherapy with an open mind, perhaps as lessons from a man who has gleaned some wisdom out of his life experiences, will be rewarded.  Not least by the realization that Viktor Frankl was a compassionate man, who made the choice to use his suffering to find a way to help others.

I’ve come across two books by Peter Grose, both of them myth-busters.  An Awkward Truth is the story of the Japanese raid on Darwin during World War II in 1942, and A Very Rude Awakening is about the three midget submarines that entered Sydney Harbour on May 31st 1942, and sank HMAS Kuttabul, a converted ferry which was moored at Garden Island. 

Both these books show just how unprepared Australia was for war.  Having relied on the British Navy for security since settlement, Australia had not long realigned its foreign policy towards the US, but was still shocked by the Fall of Singapore on February 15th, 1942.  However government censorship meant that civilians didn’t know much about the subsequent bombing of Darwin on February 19th and according to Grose, the war still seemed remote and there was no rush to enlist in Australia’s defence.

Grose painstakingly recounts the catalogue of errors that enabled three Japanese midget submarines sneaked through the harbour defences.  Past indicator loops, navy patrols and an anti-submarine net across the entrance.  When the subs were finally observed and a report was brought to the attention of the navy, it was ignored.  Grose’s argument is, and it seems hard to refute, that the only reason there was so little loss of life that night was sheer luck.  Although there were instances of courage, there was also crass stupidity, laziness and incompetence, and the damage that could have been done to Allied shipping should give everyone pause for thought.  The 27 men who died, should not have;  heads should have rolled, and didn’t.

Unfortunately Grose’s scorn sometimes gets the better of him, and it makes me wonder a bit about his objectivity.

If you are interested in learning more about the attack, Australia’s War 1939-1945 is an excellent site with maps, images, animations and video.

Author: Peter Grose

Title: A Very Rude Awakening:  the night the Japanese midget subs came to Sydney Harbour, read by James Wright.

Publisher: Louis Braille Audio, 2007

ISBN: 978 0 7320 3349 1

I first heard about this book on Twitter. I had mixed impressions about the book based on the title and author alone: “Your Own Jesus” by Casting Crowns’ Mark Hall. I thought, “Your Own Jesus?” We don’t get to determine who Jesus is. He is who He is, whether we like it or not. The author is Mark Hall, singer of Casting Crowns. I like a handful of their songs . In fact, they are some of my favorite songs, but as a whole, I think they’re a little too “pop-corny” for me.

Recently, my church displayed the book in the “New Media” section. I figured that it wouldn’t hurt to read it. I noticed the subtitle: “A God Insistent on Making it Personal”. I then understood the whole title.

As I read the introduction, Mark Hall asks these questions: “Is your walk with Jesus Christ characterized by personal faith, personal prayer, personal study, and personal disciplines? Or do you get by with the overflow from more mature Christians? Do you have your own Jesus?” I then realized there may be more meat in this book than I had thought.

The book is personal, easy to read, applicable, and relatable. He includes Scripture and recounts different times in his life when he finds his faith or when there was growth in his spiritual life. He also includes stories of other people who are find their own personal relationship with Christ. I’m not sure if Hall wrote all of the stories, but some of them were written with drama and some surprise elements (which were very good!). Because of some of the subject matter in the book, I would recommend this book for mature teens.

He brings up the fact that one cannot be saved and live a life that isn’t God-honoring. Even though works don’t get a person to Heaven, a Christian must bear fruit as proof of their salvation. However, he uses the parable of the prodigal son in a wrong way. The prodigal son isn’t meant to represent a “carnal Christian” (there’s no such thing!) (See Romans 6:1-23, 15-16; I John 3:8-10). The prodigal son is a picture of the unsaved. Yes, Christians can/will fall, but their lives shouldn’t be characterized by sin.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised and I enjoyed the book. I’d recommend this book for individual and group studies.

Overall: 4/5

Theology: 4/5

Family-Friendliness: 4/5

Anne Lyken-Garner has spent four years of active research uncovering well-kept secrets which will help the average family spend less on food shopping, household bills, entertainment, large purchases and arbitrary outgoings. She’s acid-proofed all the examples given in this book so you don’t have to do any of the hard work.

How to Spend Less is available to download in several formats on Smashwords. You can also purchase a hard copy from Lulu here.

Anne has been publishing on the internet for many years. Her specialties include lifestyle, frugal living, parenting and relationships. She a co-founder of the Writer’s co-operative, ‘Year Zero Writers’ and also manages three blogs:  The Relationship Supermarket.com,  A Blogger’s Books and Sunday’s Child Lives at Annie’s House.

First, she’s a freelance writer, then a part-time youth worker. She also works as a television supporting artist with shows like Torchwood, Mistresses (UK’s Desperate Housewives), Skins (with Slumdog Millionaire’s, Dev Patel), Casualty, Being Human etc. And maybe if you look carefully, you’ll see her as one of the Time Lords in Dr Who. In the past, she’s been a Stage Actress and played at the National Cultural Centre, the national playhouse in the capital city, Georgetown. She’s also been a model and even a missionary in her home country of Guyana in South America, and has also had her own call-in radio show.

Anne’s next book is expected to be launched shortly. It’s called A Model’s Guide to Losing Weight Without Dieting and is written from the basis of expert, first-hand knowledge based on Anne’s catwalk modeling career.

While many people look forward to the holiday catalogs that have already been stuffing mailboxes, or the seed catalogs that start arriving shortly after the new year, I look forward to the book catalogs that come every few months.

The latest from the University of Nebraska Press contains the regular inclusion of baseball titles that should be sure to follow the publisher’s suit of strong, well-researched products.

They include:

• Joe Cronin: A Life in Baseball, by Mark Armour. Cronin was one of those baseball lifers, beginning his career as a player before becoming a team executive and finally president of the American League. I may be wrong, but I can’t immediately recall another major bio on him in recent years, although Robert Gorman published a book in 2007 through Baldwin Books, which, if I’m not mistaken, is a self-publishing outfit. Cronin, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame,  spanned several generations of ballplayers, so I’m quite interested in seeing how he’s portrayed. (Due in April.)
• 1921: The Yankees, the Giants, and the Battle for Baseball Supremacy in New York, by Lyle Spatz and Steve Steinberg. Yet another in a seemingly endless universe of New York-centric baseball books. I’m always fascinated with the huge popularity of baseball during the years before other entertainments — TV, talking movies, football — began pulling fans away. (April, although this one might be better suited for an October release, a la The First Fall Classic, The Machine, and Game Six, which all did well around World Series time this year.)
• Final Innings: A Documentary History of Baseball, 1972-2008, Dean Sullivan. If you haven’t read the first three in this series, do so. Sullivan goes through the arduous process of picking through all the highlights of the eras to find the most interesting, not just in terms of the sports stories, but in pop culture and even American history. The editor includes not just portraits of players and events, but documents (and there are thousands of them floating along behind the scenes) that are just as important as box scores. Not quite a scrapbook, not quite a straight narrative, but always entertaining. (June)
• UNP is also publishing what basically amounts to two reprints: On a Clear Day They Could see Seventh Place: Baseball’s Worst Teams, by George Robinson and Charles Salzbeger, and The Imperfect Diamond: A History of Baseball’s Labor Wars, by Lee Lowenfish. Both feature new introductions, and the latter a new epilogue. Imperfect should include more, in my opinion, since it was first published more than 25 years ago. There’s so much more to consider that such a book deserves more than a quick overview in a postscript.