Tag: books

Little Free Library

    I saw this on FB the other day, and I loved the idea so much I asked if this could be my b-day present. The Mr. said yes. Soooo… I’ve ordered one, and it will soon be out in front of This Old House, next to the vegetable cart we are apparently resurrecting this summer.  If you’re a local and you know where I live, feel free to borrow, keep or donate a book any time. I’ve been such an avid reader over the years, I have hundreds of books.  What a great way to share!… and even though there is a library here in town, encouraging the practice of reading, unplugging from our gadgets,…. it can’t be a bad thing.   My Little Free Library will be located  on the road at the second driveway  (brown barn entrance). Help yourself!

“Little Free Library was started in 2009 by Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, who decided that giving away books from his private collection would serve as a fitting tribute to his mother, a teacher. With the help of a community outreach expert, Bol was able to spread the concept. Now there are almost 18,000 library stewards as Bol calls them, who have registered their own Little Free Libraries in 45 states and dozens of countries. Each owner pays a $25 to the nonprofit organization to get a sign and a number, and to be on the locator map at    http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/

It’s a beautiful thing

Still shocking after all these years

      I’ve always been fascinated by the Kennedy Clan and my biggest celebrity crush was John F. Kennedy Jr. –  Growing up just across the water from his beloved Manhattan, we got frequent footage of his whereabouts.  Love them or hate them, no one can deny the Kennedy’s  are an extraordinary family who in recent history have held incredible power, ambition, and wealth.  They also knew crushing loss.. time and time again.
I was horrified when the events of John, Carolyn and her sister Lorin’s death were broadcast – how could this possibly be?  We were scheduled to vacation on Martha’s Vineyard two weeks after they were discovered submerged just off the coast of the island…when we arrived there were memorials  erected everywhere along the beaches and rustic seaside roads John had walked, biked and kayaked hundreds of times.  It didn’t seem real, that someone who appeared larger than life…was taken in such an unnecessary and avoidable way.
 Why am I bringing this up now?  Over the years I’ve devoured most of the books on the Kennedy’s, and in particular those that involved Jackie and her family, especially John. Christina Haag, a woman he grew up with in the Big Apple and came to love.. has written a book about their five year relationship.  At first I wouldn’t even pick it up at the store, because I was annoyed that a former flame would exploit yet another dead celebrity for money.  I didn’t want to read sordid crap, things that were really no ones business, by a jilted ex lover.   I couldn’t have been more wrong about this one.  Ms. Haag has written a touching and honest story of their love for each other in a time of unrest for both of them… John was trying to figure out who he was going to be – juggling his family’s political history and aspirations with his own desires in the world of theatre, which sadly were never realized. His magazine GEORGE seemed to be a compromise between the two… I had hoped it would take off for him.   We all know  this was a genuine struggle.  Ms. Haag was an aspiring theatre actress who loved her craft.. and loved him dearly too.  They tried to meld their worlds together, and one gets the sense of a real and  genuine love between them.   I’m no critic, but in my opinion Ms. Haag is a talented writer… as a reader you can feel the anguish, the love, the struggle to maintain a relationship with a persona of this magnitude.  It’s also clear that to love John Kennedy, Jr..  you had to give quite a bit of yourself over to his way of life.
  We also learn what it was like to grow up in NYC among the wealthy in private school settings. Google Sacred Heart of the Convent.. ..I love the history of some of the old buildings in the city. This is one I wasn’t familiar with until reading the book.   We also learn his first trip to Cumberland Island in Georgia, and the very church he was married in… was with Christina.  What an incredible place… I want to make that our next vacation. Google that too ~
   There is no disrespect to the Kennedy family in this book, with some insight into Mrs. Onassis and her love for her son, family, life itself…. her kindness toward others.. a picture we don’t always get to see.  If you’re a Kennedy fan, as I have been (especially John Jr.)… this is an honest, enjoyable and insightful read.  And still… so sad, because we know how it ends.

Why ever not

There will always be something that needs doing.
Always the chores – whatever yours may be….
 the deadlines, the paperwork
the wood splitting, the dusting, the vacuuming, the dishwashing and laundry..
the picking up and dropping off and despositing and withdrawing
the garbage removal,  the lawn mowing, the leaf raking
 the 9-5 grind..
The commute, the coffee run, the..(fill in the remaining blanks)
But is this all there is to life?
Absolutely not, I mean, what would be the point? 
So why is it hard to allow ourselves the time to just sit ..and be. 
Why is it “wasting time” if you’re doing nothing in particular?
Yesterday, after having been at Dog Days for three days…
and a teenage sleepover..
my house was a mess and I needed to get it back in some order. 
It was so warm and inviting out on the porch around 2pm 
that I decided to go out for a half hour and finish a great book. 
Why was I hoping no one would catch me – just sitting– in the middle of the day?

I loved this book – great read! I miss the characters already.


The Paris Wife

 This book surprised me. I thought I knew all I really wanted to know about Ernest Hemingway, but author Paula Mclain has written an  intriquing, heartbreakingly honest, beautifully written take on his deeply complex relationship and early Paris life (another world entirely!)  with first wife Hadley Richardson.

  What I noticed immediately was that Mr. Hemingways’ artistic genius and cerebral torment were evident early on.  The story is told through Hadley, a truly  remarkable woman who stoicly supported the man  and his madness through the lean years as he struggled to make a name for himself.  Ernest’s first novel  – The Sun Also Rises  – was based on their experiences together during those years, although Hadley was left out of the book entirely. 

  Great read –

Water For Elephants

 I love a good book. One of my favorites this year has been Water For Elephants, and I’m looking forward to the movie, due out April 22nd.  The cast, in my readers opinion, is perfect to portray the main characters.  To read a New York Times Review of the book, click here….

 I’ve admitted before that this 45 year old woman is a Twilight fan. Robert Pattinson (Edward for Twi-hards) will play the lead roll  in the movie adaption and from what I can see in the trailer and photos – he’s perfect for the part.  He may be a nimwit in interviews  (dude, get your hands out of your hair)  but he’s actually quite good when the director shouts ACTION.  Talk about eye candy… in that british sort of way. 

Six Week Pickles

  AS IF.. I needed another cookbook.  I am a sucker for a good one – especially if it’s got decent photos to go with the recipes.  Trisha Yearwoods newest is terrific, and I’m  not being paid to say that.  You know how sometimes you’ll buy one that looks great but ultimately there are only two or three recipes you’ll actually use?   This book is chock full of home-spun recipes that aren’t complicated and are very family friendly. There is plenty of her family in there too – including an introduction by Garth.

 Today I  started a batch of Six Week Pickles from Trisha’s book… I’ll let you know how they turn out.  In about six weeks.

I used whole cloves and cinnamon instead of the oils.

Twilight

   Do I admit that I am a fan of Stephenie Meyers Twilight Series?  And do I throw my sister and my good friend Joey under the bus and tell you they’re just as bad as I am?  Heck yeah, I’m not going it alone 🙂 

  I have ALWAYS been a Vampire fan, and I find True Blood to be a bit campy and cheap and I just don’t watch it.  I’m in it for the gorgeous scenery and the romance, and maybe even the anquish, because there is plenty of that to go around.

  I read all four Twilight novels in nine days… couldn’t put them down.  Joey and I along with a few other mid-lifers went to see each of the movies as they came out with the exception of the most recent one, “Eclipse”. Matinee hours,  to be less conspicuous.  We were not alone. There were plenty of mid-life-wifes there and each of us gasped in unison at the appropriate moments.  

 The DVD  for Eclipse has just come out and I grabbed a copy today. I need the Closed Caption now a days to really enjoy a movie, even though the scenery in it is worthy without sound.  There will be a private showing tonight in my home and there might  just be chocolate wine, guacamole and chips involved.

  Go ahead and laugh if you will, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

Shutter Island

   I haven’t seen the movie yet, but the book is mind-bendin. If you’re looking for a page turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat, this is it.  I also read Mystic River by the same author, Dennis Lehane.   A good read, but not quite like this.   What surprises me is that the movie has already come and gone in  theatres without a huge amount of fanfare.  The book is often better than the movie and this might be the case with Shutter Island.. however I’m finding that hard to believe. The cast seems a perfect fit  and the mood created by Martin Scorsese is legendary.