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Out My Kitchen Window 11/16/2017

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Domestic Goddess: Pollock Fillets seasoned with Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper, Bush's Best Brown Sugar Hickory Baked Beans, Green Grapes and Chocolate Chip Cookies that my husband prepared.  Sorry about the previous type error with my last post.

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Domestic Goddess: Pollock Fillets seasoned with Mrs. Dash

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Domestic Goddess: Is this correct, if one would like to post/share a recipe, we do so here?  If so, was searching to see if there were separate recipe categories?

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Library Bookshelf

Started by Marilyne, March 29, 2016, 03:20:53 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

CallieOK

Marilyne, neighbor and I have teased about learning Morse code so we could communicate through the wall.  However, her bedroom/closet are on the north side and mine are on the south - so we're not next to each other.

The official advice is, that if you don't have an underground shelter, the safest place is the most interior room of your house with as many walls as possible between you and windows.  Bathrooms are considered "safe", also. 
A corner of my closet is right behind my shower and that's where I keep some pillows, a down throw and a battery radio 'stashed" during "tornado season" (usually April, May and a bit into June). 
I also have a small basket with a bottle of water, some crackers and one of my husband's old referee whistles because I read somewhere to put a whistle in with your "supplies" so you could signal without yelling if anything blows on top of you.

Better to be safe than sorry.

I'm trying to finish the paperback "Sally Hemings" but it's one that requires paying attention to details and that's hard to do with one eye/ear on the t.v. weather reports. 
Last evening and today have been gorgeous so I've manage to get a few chapters read.  Interesting story. 

MarsGal

I just saw last night that The Goldfinch was made into a movie. I don't care for that kind of book and I am not likely to see the movie, but I know the book was popular when it came out. Another new movie, The Nightingale, is not Kristen Hannah's book; it is an Australian movie, a thriller, a story of revenge, set in 1825 in what is now Tasmania. The movie will be released August 2.

maryc

Oh CallieOK,  I'm happy to hear you came through that last round of storms in OK.  We shouldn't complain about our rainy spring when we see the weather destruction across the country.
Marilyne,  I read the review of Riding the Bus with My Sister.  It has a very familiar ring to it.  Was there a movie some time ago with a similar story line?
Mary C

Marilyne

I'm giving a high recommendation to Kristin Hannah's latest novel - The Great Unknown.  The story takes place in Alaska, in the 1970's, just after the  Vietnam War has ended.  Ernt, comes home from the war, to his wife and daughter in Seattle, and finds out he has inherited a cabin in AK, from an  Army buddy who was killed in the War.  The family moves to this remote area, off the grid, and the story begins. 
It's the best book that I've read by Hannah. Interesting characters and plenty of drama, which she is famous for. A hard book to put down! I read most of the day yesterday, and had not quite finished when I went to bed.  Woke up at 2:00 AM, and couldn't stop thinking about what the ending was going to be, so I finally got up and read until I finished it!  This book is not going to win any Pulitzers, but I do believe it will eventually be made into an award winning movie!  I hope I'm still around to see it, when that finally happens.

MarsGal - I ordered The Goldfinch, in large print from the library, and was truly surprised when I went to get it!  It's three inches thick, with 1238 pages! Needless to say, it's very heavy, and I'm having my doubts as to whether I'll able to hold and handle it!  If I can't, I'll probably order it for my Kindle . . . or maybe not? 

Mary - I don't think Riding The Bus With My Sister, was made into a movie?  I don't remember that we ever talked about it here in this discussion, but maybe so?  The first I had heard about it, was from MarsGal.

Callie - you do sound well prepared for a possible tornado!  We are constantly being warned here, about the high probability of a big earthquake. (long overdue). We're supposed to have two weeks supply of food and water, amongst a long list of other things.  Nobody I know, including us, is prepared. :-[

MarsGal

This is my current read. Garden of Eternal Mists by Tan Twan Eng  https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/aug/24/garden-evening-mists-tan-twan-eng-review Responding to the reviewer's last comment, sometimes bland is good. This is one of them .  So far, I have not found the presence of the Pretorius family "awkward" nor the characters overall "unappealing" as another reviewer asserted. And here I find that HBO is making it into a movie. https://bookstr.com/article/hbo-to-adapt-malaysian-novel-the-garden-of-evening-mists/

Riding the Bus with My Sister was made into the movie (2005). I didn't see it. Rosie O'Donnell and Andi McDowell played the lead roles. I don't think it got very good ratings.

CallieOK

#1805
Marilyne,  Oklahoma has had a lot of earthquakes during the past few years...some of them large enough to damage buildings. I've felt a few rumbles but son/dil who live on the other side of town had so many small quakes that they took some china items off of shelves because they were afraid they'd be jiggled off and break.

 Oil and gas well "fracking" was determined to be the cause and has been outlawed (definition of fracking:  the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc. so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas.  We now occasionally hear about a small one here and there - but it's been a long time since there was major damage.

 I remember reading about the movie "Riding The Bus With My Sister".   Rosie O'Donnell would have been o.k. but Andi McDowell has always seemed "insipid".....which is probably why I didn't watch it.

I've put "The Great Unknown" on my e-book Wish List.

MarsGal

I finished Garden of Evening Mists yesterday evening. The ending was a bit different than I would have guessed. It was a good ending, still leaving one to wonder what might have happened. The book was so interesing that it kept me from flip-flopping back and forth between it another SciFi. Now I am going to have to read Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng's first novel, The Gift of Rain. Both novels are set in Malaysia before, during, and after the Japanese invasion and occupation.

MarsGal

Now on to The Gardens of Versailles by Alain Baraton who is Gardener-In-Chief of the Versailles Gardens. He is a regular on France's public radio station, France Inter, and also produces show for them.

He starts his narrative by describing the devastation created by the huge storm of 1999. The kind of storm, he says, that is very unusual for France. He reports that a total of 18,000 trees (including some around or over 300 years old) were outright destroyed (around 10,000) or were too damaged to save. I don't remember this.  Do any of you?  Unfortunately, the book has no photos or illustrations of the the gardens. But fear not, there are plenty on the net, including pix of the storm devastation (Getty Images, IMO, has the best shots). In some places, it looks like all the trees were completely flattened. The next few chapters go back to his childhood and then goes on to his being hired and so on. I am just now starting Chapter 3.

CallieOK

Marilyne, I'm about 2/3 of the way through "The Great Alone", the Kristin Hanna book about Alaska.
I'll finish it but suspect a movie would be way too graphic about the abuse, hunting and injuries for me
Kristin Hanna is speaking at the local college in September. It's an evening event so I hope I'll know someone who's going who will give me a ride.

Marilyne

Callie - I'm glad you're sticking with The Great Alone.  The basic storyline is good, and the characters are interesting, but the constant drama is exhausting! That's Kristin Hannah's writing style, and that's why her books are so popular, and why she pulls me in every time.  I hope you get to see her at your local college. Maybe she is on tour, and will also be speaking at one of the colleges near me.  If so, I think my dil might be interested in going with me. 

MarsGal - That's very interesting, about the monumental storm, that ravaged the Versailles Gardens.  I never heard anything about it either!  That does seem strange that it wasn't reported here, considering the incredible amount of damage.  I'm going to check out the Getty Images you suggested, as well as other sources on line, to get an idea of what it looked like.

I had no idea that Riding the Bus With My Sister, was made into a  movie. I wonder why I've never heard of it until now, as I'm always interested in any movie, that is adapted from a book. Maryc, said she mentioned it here in this folder, but I guess it went right past me at he time. I can definitely picture Rosie O'Donnell, as Beth, but can't see Andi McDowell as Rachel.   I do plan to check my, On Demand movies, and see if it's playing, and if so, I would like to watch it.

FlaJean

I can't remember if it is Callie or Phillis that likes the China Bayles series written by Susan Wittig Albert? But in case you didn't know——her latest book is out, A Plain Vanilla Mystery.

MaryTX

FlaJean, I'm the one who likes the China Bayles books. 

I stayed up until close to midnight Saturday night to finish "A Plain Vanilla Mystery" and I felt the lack of sleep yesterday :).  She always starts each chapter with interesting and informative information on whatever herb, spice and/or plant the book is about. This book was about vanilla and orchids.  I love orchids but my green thumb doesn't extend to either orchids or miniature roses! I do well with big roses but my thumb turns black when I even look at an orchid or a miniature rose.  I won't mention how many of both have turned up their toes in my care ;D.

Mary 

 

Click for Arlington, TexasForecast

FlaJean

MaryTX, I have the book on Hold at the library so don't know how soon I'll be reading it.  Yes, that info she puts at the beginning of each chapter about herbs, is really interesting,  Now she is writing a series of "novellas" about Ruby called the Crystal Cave Series.  I bought the first two "NoBODY', "Some BODY Else".  The third one is coming out this month "Out if BODY".  They cost 3.99 on iBooks or Amazon for the Kindle.  I don't read much on my iPad since having trouble with my eyes, but I am buying the latest when it comes out this month.  They are quick reads.  Ruby is such an unusual character. I'm not into that new age stuff but Albert must have been getting lots of requests about Ruby so finally giving that character a story of her own.

MaryTX


FlaJean, thanks for the info on the "Ruby" novellas.  I'm not into that stuff either but Ruby is a character.  I'll have to order them. 

I prefer books and still have a "Hold" list at the library, but because of arthritis in my hands, it's getting harder to hold a book, as well as the print seems to be getting smaller or my eyes think so :).  I can increase the size of the print on the iPad so it's easier to read.

Mary

Click for Arlington, TexasForecast

Marilyne

Mary TX and Jean - You've both sparked my interest in the China Bayles Mysteries.  I'll have to take a look, so will be adding them to my ever-expanding list. Jean, the one you mentioned today called the Crystal Cave Series, sounds especially good. 

I took a short reading break, after finishing The Great Alone, which I sometimes do, when I've finished a long emotional novel.  So yesterday I was ready to begin reading, The Goldfinch.  As I said a couple of days ago - the large print library book that I have, is unwieldy, to say the least! It's three inches thick, with 1238 pages, hard cover. Needless to say, it very heavy, and extremely awkward to handle, and painful for my arthritic hands.  Sitting in a chair with a support pillow under the book, was not enough, so I gave up on it.  However, I did get through the first chapter, and I could tell it's going to be a good story, so I'm anxious to read more.  I've ordered the regular print book from the library, and if that doesn't work, I'll try the Kindle version.

Maryc - We haven't heard from you for a while?  I hope you're okay, and just busy working in your garden?

MarsGal

I have two books to pick up from the library today. One is a book about the Lusitania and the other is a SciFi short story anthology. The Lusitania might be my last book in the year long challenge I am doing. I've just got too many other books I want to read. Unfortunately, the subject matter of this challenge is not really helping me to reduce the number of books I already have on my bookshelf that I want to read, believe it or not. But the main reason is that Barb, the only other one on SeniorLearn that is doing the challenge has been out of commission for the last four or six weeks with eye problems.

Okay, so now I have just started listening to Carthage Must Be Destroyed by Richard Miles, and the Great Courses audio book on Einstein's Theory of Relativity and Quantum physics. The other physics Great Courses book, I returned for credit. I just couldn't get used to the professor's manor of speech, not to mention the chapters I picked through all seemed to be stuff I already knew. This other one, by a different professor, is likely to do a lot of historical background that I already know, and he speaks in a very rushed way, but I think I can handle it.

I also returned Hyperion. The reader was good, but I could tell I was going to get very confused about who was who and what was what by the strange way of referring to various things and people. This is considered a classic, so if I still want to read it, I will get an e-book or print version so I can more easily stop and think about or go back and double-check things.

One of the nice benefits of AudioBook is that you have a year to return any audio book you don't like for full credit. I don't know if they set a limit on how many you can return. At any rate, I am pleased. I turned around an used my credit from the physics course for another Great Books lecture series, this time it is Food: A Cultural Culinary History.

Marilyne, have you tried any of the lap-readers and book stands? Some of them are real simple and others include adjustable heights and angles, and page holders.

Marilyne

MarsGal - Thanks for the reminder, regarding the lap readers.  I've seen them displayed at Barnes & Noble, in the past, but never thought about buying one. I'll plan on checking them out, to see what styles would be the most comfortable for me. Good for you, for sticking with the SeniorLearn challenge!  However, I can see that it would prevent you from exploring other books of interest.  There are only so many hours in a day! 

So now have both copies of The Goldfinch . . . the regular print, and I still have the humongous large print volume.  This novel won The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and I can understand why!  It is a wonderful story - with fascinating and detailed descriptions, and both likable and hateful characters.  It's not a quick read.  It's a long book, and although I've been reading for a couple of days, I'm only a third of the way into it.  You can't skim this book, or skip parts of it . . . it has to be read in full, to get the full impact of the story. I've had to go back a couple of times to the first chapters, to check on names and situations.       

PatH2

MarsGal, if your Lusitania book is Erik Larson's Dead Wake, we read it on SeniorLearn 4 years ago, led by Ella and JoanK.  It's a very good read, but not short.

FlaJean

Just finished Albert's "A Plain Vanilla Mystery".  Very good!

MarsGal

PatH, it is Lusitania: triumph, tragedy, and the end of the Edwardian age by Greg King and Penny Wilson. I forgot about Larson's book..

maryc

MaryC checking in.   It has been a very busy few weeks.   Deb and I had a yard sale last weekend.  It was a community wide sale with each person having their own individual sale.  Lots of people out and it was nice weather.   We didn't get rich but had some fun and got rid of some things....left overs going to  Goodwill. :thumbup:   Also there has been lots of catching up in the garden due to the very rainy month of May.   I had advertised that I was splitting perennial  plants and had quite a few responses to that so was trying to get those dug and it led me to doing other things in the garden. :)
    I finished Caroline a few days ago.   I enjoyed her story.  Those settlers were such hard workers and dedicated to claiming their plots of land.    I have another book going now that I found on Amazon.   They send a letter each month advertising books and occasionally I find one that catches my eye. The title of this is Along the Broken Bay by Flora J. Solomon.   The story is about  Manilla and the resistance movement among the Filipinos and  American's and others living there in the 40's.   I've never run across a story about the resistance in the  Pacific war front before.
   I found the movie Riding the Bus With My Sister on a movie channel I get with the Firestick.  The name of the channel if IMDb TV.   Some movies on there has commercials but thats ok....I can ignore them.
Mary C

JeanneP

Don't like to do yard sales but for past 2 weeks I have been clearing lots out of my our. I am embarrassed to say but some stuff was  at least 50 years old, Never thought of myself a a herder but I really was. Got that my cupboards. every where I could put things were overloaded. I put such as all the toys, games and children books I put on the porch with a sign out saying Free please take. Had from all my GC. And some GGS. games going back to 1971. 50 of them. Someone took them in a hour. Next day I put all my kitchen items not used anymore. They vanished also. Put a big MW cabinet and cupboard out next day. Must have been taken overnight.. I then took a large leaf bag and put in at least a hundred books and took out to Salt and light charity shop. On a roll and so emptied all kitchen cabinets of pans, dishes glassed filling another leaf bag. Took to same place. So all in all I filled 4 large leaf bags with stuff. I have another bag with old invoices . bank stuff, Health reports going back again 40 years. These will have to be shredded. I am still not done. Have redone my walk in pantry and tosses out every thing that was over 3 months Wash all the jars and containers and labeled Now have to replace spices and things. Looks nice now. Only thing is I now need to do a lot of cleaning to what is showing. All carpets need cleaning.
It is pouring down today so think will just read a book. Promising never again to let things pile up so bad. :idiot2:     
JeanneP

maryz

Great job, Jeanne!  Downsizing is really hard work, and you have to be brutal.  Enjoy your new spaces!
"When someone you love dies, you never quite get over it.  You just learn how to go on without them. But always keep them safely tucked in your heart."

Marilyne

JeanneP - I'm so impressed!  You are truly an inspiration to me.  We've lived in this house for almost 50 years, so we also have a huge accumulation of things. Now is the time to get rid of everything! :thumbup: 

FlaJean

Good for you Jeanne.  We also got rid of lots of stuff when we downsized and moved here close to our daughter.  We still have a few boxes we need to go through out in the garage.

MaryC, you sound like you have been busy.  I can't work out in the yard anymore because of my back, but I sure wish I could.

MarsGal

Last night I started reading The Song of Achilles (finally). Unlike Madeline Miller's Circe where the narrator is Circe, this story is seen through the eyes of Patroclus who is Achilles' good friend and companion who was killed during the Trojan War. It will be interesting to see how the ending is treated since he died before Achilles did.

I decided to return the book on the Lusitania and just bring home the SciFi short story anthology. So much for the challenge.

maryc

Jeanne P,  Very nice work in getting so many things taken care of.  You were smart to just set them out "for free".  I did just put many thing out by my mailbox close to garbage day.  If they didn't get picked up by a person the G.Men took them.  We have a pretty active group of people who watch the curbside for "finds".  Isn't it nice to see some empty shelf and closet space???
Mary C

MarsGal

Hunger Games fans, rejoice. Suzanne Collins is writing a prequel which is to be released in May of next year. The Hunger Games trilogy has sold over 100 million copies so far, according to Publisher's Weekly.

Marilyne

maryc - Good to see you checking back into this folder! It's great that you and Debby keep yourselves busy doing lots of productive things, like the garage/yard sale. That's a great way to get rid of items you no longer want or need, and also make some spending money.  We used to participate every October, when our town set aside one Saturday as Garage Sale Day.  It was lots of work, but also lots of fun. Unfortunately, the town no longer sponsors the sale. Seems that everyone in this area, now prefers Craig's List or on-line "garage sales", for that type of buying. 

MarsGal - I did read the first book in the Hunger Games series.  I know that the books and movies are extremely popular, but they're just not for me.  I love drama, but I want it to be realistic . . . a story that could actually happen today, or did actually happen in the past . . . such as WWII or Civil War drama, etc.   

We had company all weekend - our daughter and gr-daughter from out of town, were here for Father's Day.  I know I wouldn't have time to spend reading, so I put The Goldfinch, on the shelf until they left yesterday.  It is SUCH a good book, and I'm anxious to get back to it today.  I can understand/appreciate that it won the Pulitzer for fiction.  What a fabulous story!

MarsGal

You did better than me, Marilyne. I haven't read any of the Hunger Games series.

The Song of Achilles is interesting, and while I am enjoying it, I don't think it is as compelling as listening to Circe. It is possible that the narrator of Circe spoiled me a bit with her sultry, breathless telling. I do hope she writes a few more about mythological figures.