February Books

This month my book group read Stephen King's 11/22/63.  Two of us were old enough to remember the Kennedy assassination and the other two were
infants. (I bought this in ebook format--1,002 pages on my iPad.  The photo is from www.Amazon.com.)

This is the first book by Stephen King that I've ever read.  The first 100 or so pages were pretty entertaining--what one would expect from a very successful and prolific author.  The premise was interesting too--what if someone could go back in time and make sure that Kennedy wasn't assassinated?  The middle of the book dragged, but the pace picked up again nearer 11/22/63.  I'll be curious to find out what the rest of the group thought about it when we meet tomorrow.

My opinion?  While I'm glad that Stephen King writes books that keep people reading in this day and age, he's not an author I would be interested to read again.  Pretty ordinary stuff actually...literature lite.  I was disappointed to read in the Afterword that King had a researcher help him--no wonder he churns out a book or two per year! 

Peony in Love was quite different than the other books by Lisa See that I've read recently.  Carefully researched, the story centers around a 1598 Chinese opera, The Peony Pavilion, whose heroine starves herself to death so her spirit can be with the man she loves.  The girl Peony in this book does the same and the story is told by her ghost.  I'm sure it's a cultural thing, but I had a difficult time with this concept--I just don't believe in ghosts making people do all sorts of things, unless ghosts inhabit our subconscious...

In my line of work, I found this passage from the Author's Note very interesting:

No one knows for sure what killed the lovesick maidens, but it may have been self-starvation.  We tend to think of anorexia as a modern problem, but it isn't.  Whether it was female saints in the Middle Ages, lovesick maidens in 17th century China, or adolescent girls today, women have had a need for some small measure of autonomy...by starving themselves young women are able to shift the contest from the outer world--in which they have no control over their fates and face seemingly sure defeat--to an inner struggle to achieve mastery over themselves and their bodily urges.

Personally, I prefer Lisa See's stories about Chinese people in more recent events.

Happy Leap Day!  Be careful, all you men out there--today's the day women do the proposing!    ;-)

A New Lunch Spot

Dorine and I got together today for lunch and she recommended a place in Canton called Flatbread Company.  It's in a corner of the Shoppes at Farmington Valley but I never noticed it before!

Mmmmm...wood-fired brick-oven pizza...fun decor...casual and relaxing atmosphere--we were able to talk to our hearts' content.  Dorine had the Jimmy's Free-Range Chicken Flatbread which looked absolutely delicious, and I had the veggie Canton Community Flatbread, which was delicious.  We topped it off with the warm Homemade Brownie Sundae.  With several vegetarian options, I think it's a place that Malima and Ross will enjoy.

I'm off to walk with Kita while the sun is still shining.  We might be getting some snow tomorrow!

"The Sartorialist" Stories

I have been following street fashion photographer The Sartorialist for a couple of years now, and even better than his photos are the comments from other readers.  Some of the fashions he posts can be pretty bizarre, and some comments are what I call the "kiss-ass" variety:  Oooh, Scott, she looks fabulous in her sandals, miniskirt, bare legs, and fur jacket--you're a genius for showing us this look! while some are pretty realistic:  Works as a concept but not practical. 

Recently some commenters have remarked that Scott's work has changed.  I've noticed this too, especially as he now has several corporate sponsors and is invited to all the big fashion shows.  Originally he prided himself on being a fashion outsider photographing interesting looks he found on the street--now, not so much.  Lately I realized that I make up stories about what I read into his photos:



This is Lapo Elkann, manager of brand promotion for Fiat. Scott oftens photographs him. Many commenters raved about this photo/person.  I took a closer look after reading the comments and here's the story I've woven around this photo:

Mr. Elkann has been burning the candle at both ends lately--or has just come off one hell of a bender.  The lapels of his jacket are filthy--surely he has minions who could bring this to a good dry cleaner.  Some have wondered if this is a suit--the pants look to be a lighter weight material than the jacket and the colors don't quite match.  Is that rumpled white blob supposed to be a pocket square or is it a used Kleenex?  And the long stubble--did he lose his razor somewhere along with a couple of days? I know Americans are overly fastidious about personal hygiene, but something about this photo makes me wonder if he smells unwashed--either like a dirty old man or like someone struggling with his personal demons (substance abuse maybe?).  He trying hard to look casually elegant--everything is fine, no, really!--but something's not quite right.

Teehee, I bet you didn't know I could be Queen of Mean!  And just when I started to feel guilty about making up such a snarky story, I looked up his age--he's only 34!  I thought he was easily 54!!!  Maybe my fiction is isn't so farfetched...

Thursday Already!

Yesterday I had a wonderful lunch made by my dear friend Dorine.  I am in awe of people who can really cook and whose food is always delicious.  Dorine is one of those people.

Here we are--all looking very happy--after eating our fill of lobster crabcakes, salad, fresh mozzarella with tomatoes and basil, and a walnut streusel poundcake. I was also very happy to meet one of her friends from Southern CT (on the left).  We had a fabulous time!

It's official!  I'm a Hill-Stead guide (again--after a hiatus of 15+ years).  Last Friday I took Sharon around on a tour (the exam) and had my first shift today.  I gave two tours--one to 3 women and the next to a couple.  It was the perfect way to ease back into guiding because large groups can be more challenging to move around the house.

This covered area connects the original stables to the servants' part of the house and overlooks the property's barns.  Spring is in the air today with temperatures in the mid-50s.  Must be the New Englander in me but I don't think it'll last.  Kita and I will go for a nice long walk this afternoon.

Tuesday Travels

What a great way to start my day--I met my good friend Ann for coffee and a doughnut at "our" Dunkin Donuts before she went to work.  We caught up on each other's news and gabbed, gabbed, gabbed--such fun!

Since I am home during the day, Mark has entrusted me with the responsibility of watering all his plants in the greenhouse on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.  I actually enjoy the chore because I'm noticing what's in bloom and what's coming into bud.  When we first moved into the house, I would go into the greenhouse quite often--to take care of the guinea pigs when we had them, or in the winter when the kids would get into their bathing suits and want me to spray them with warm water from the hose.  As the years passed, I rarely went into the greenhouse--since growing orchids and tillandsias is Mark's hobby, I would wait for him to bring a nice specimen into the house to show me.

Today I remembered to take photos before I watered. This orchid, Colmanara Wildcat "Yellow Butterfly", has flowers that are 2" across.

This Dendrobium species is massive--the plant is approximately 2 feet in diameter and has been blooming for ages.

This is one of the orchids that Mark bought in Malaysia on that trip to the 2011 World Orchid Conference.  We're so excited that it's in bud!  (OK, it's actually a really little bud right now, less than 1 inch long.)

After watering the plants, I headed off the CVS to buy a card and then to the Post Office, stopping at the library to pick up a book I reserved.  Then I went home for lunch, did some laundry, and headed to the reservoir with Kita for a nice long walk.  And then I got started on the job I hate the most:  taxes!

That was my Tuesday--hope you had a great day!

Birthday Luncheon

To celebrate LR's birthday, book group got together yesterday and took her out to lunch at Rizzuto's.

The birthday gal is holding flowers in this photo.  The waiter kindly obliged when I asked him to take our picture.

Isn't the candle cute?  We shared "bombolini" for dessert. They're like big round doughnut "holes" rolled in sugar and cinnamon and served with cream and chocolate sauce.  Delicious!

Bloomin' Wednesday

As I watered in the greenhouse today, I noticed more plants are blooming.

This orchid has sprays of 1-inch blooms that spread over the surrounding plants.

I think most epiphytes have blooms that look like they come from an alien world.  Actually I think the plants themselves often look otherworldly.

These orchids have intense color and a velvety texture.  There are four 3" blooms each on two sprays.

These delicate blossoms face downwards.  I wonder if the blooms will open more as they mature because they look droopy right now--definitely not a spectacular presentation as far as orchids go.

I'm not sure that I like seeing water droplets on the flowers.  Maybe next time I'll take photos before watering.



Happy Valentine's Day!

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Sugar is sweet

And so are you!

Thinking of my family and friends with love on this special day, especially those who are far away...I'm hoping those of you in time zones ahead of mine get to see this first thing in the morning!

Stuffed Cabbage and Other Things

Since it is pretty cold today, I decided to make a nice hearty dinner of stuffed cabbage (golabki).

Although the recipe has several steps, it's not difficult to follow.

Best of all, it makes a large batch so we can have some tomorrow too and then I'll freeze the rest.

The deer have been coming through our yard every day around sunset.  When I took this photo yesterday, 3 of them ran across the road but  another one turned and ran back through our yard.  (You'll notice that the several inches of snow that were forecast never materialized.)  This group is pretty skittish--some years I can get fairly close with the camera before the deer scatter.

This afternoon we took a  ride out to Litchfield since I have an interview for a long-term sub job tomorrow at the high school.  It takes 45 minutes with no traffic, but it is a pleasant drive.  I'll just have to wait and see...

Free Electricity!

That is not a mistake!  This month we not only do not owe any money on our electric bill but we also have a credit for $2.39!  How did this miracle happen?

Remember the October 29th snowstorm?  After huge public outcry over their lack of emergency preparedness and subsequent lengthy power outages, our local utility company announced that it would credit the accounts of customers who had been without power for more than 7 days.  They were vague as to the amount of the credit, only saying it would be based upon typical usage and the length of time without power.  I'd have to check our receipts, but I think our credit actually might cover the cost of the gasoline we needed to run the generator while we were without electricity!

On Wednesday I took Kita for a walk around Spring Lake at Fisher Meadows.  Canada geese in our area no longer migrate during the winter, and our walk was serenaded by honking.  There are a couple of small islands which provide safe nesting places.

This is a lovely path and I would take Kita here more often, but one step off the trail in summer in most areas and you'll be knee-deep in the healthiest poison ivy I have ever seen. 

Today we walked along the section of the East Coast Greenway that follows the Farmington River.  That's the Heublein Tower up on the hill.  The forecast for tomorrow is snow so I think we'll be housebound.

Happy weekend to everyone!

Winter Doldrums

Saturday was the official midpoint between the first day of Winter and the first day of Spring.  While our daytime temperatures have been milder than usual lately, highs in the 40s with a stiff wind still feels cold. The sun is getting stronger and the days are noticeably longer, but we have a long way to go until the weather is consistently pleasant.

I am bored walking Kita in the reservoir--everything looks pretty much the same for the past few weeks.  We'll have to check the rails-to-trails paths to see if more of them have been cleared and ready for walkers after that October snowstorm.  I forced myself to look for different things to photograph today.

I'm not sure of this round building's purpose, but the stonework is beautiful.  It's behind the tall faux "wrought iron" fences that were installed after 9/11 to protect the water supply so I can't get closer to it.

I used my camera's maximum telephoto setting to get a picture of these two cuties and blurred it anyway.

This horse came over to see what Kita and I were doing near the fence.  These two properties are along paths that adjoin the main paved road in the reservoir. Horseback riding is allowed too, but I rarely see anyone riding--they probably stay on the unpaved trails.

Happy trails to you!  (Even if you're just headed out for groceries or whatever!)

It's Groundhog Day!

This morning Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, thereby forecasting 6 more weeks of winter according to tradition.  This is big news because...not much else happens at the beginning of February!  Of course, if the winter continues the way it's been, 6 more weeks won't be bad at all.  Yesterday the high was 61 degrees.  In January 2011 we got 54 inches of snow; this January we got 7 inches--not so rough!

A local author self-published this book when Dawn was little and it definitely became a big success in our area.  The author appeared at libraries and schools to read the story and sell (ooops, I meant sign) her books for eager children. It's good for elementary school--kids learn about hibernating animals, shadows, folklore surrounding Groundhog Day, and the history of Punxsutawney Phil, the famous Pennsylvania groundhog.

Typically February 2nd is cold and dreary, Spring seems far away, and everyone has sniffles and coughs--a perfect time for some fun!

Happy Groundhog Day to all!