Tall Tales from Kansas

something wholesome and sweet

I do not believe I have ever used the word "wholesome" in a book I am telling you about.  Until now.  But it is the perfect descriptor for The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg.  It's a sweet story about a town in Missouri whose founders come from Sweden and start a dairy.  

If something wholesome and sweet appeals to you, I am going to recommend it as the book you take with you for reading over the Thanksgiving holiday.  The perfect antidote for stressful travel, a family spat, or any unpleasantness that may arise.  As you know it will, at least once, over a long weekend, with the people you love.  

going to have to insist that you give it a listen

Thank you to the Prairie Trails Public Library in Burbank Illinois for seeing fit to lend me the 3rd installment of the Jackson Lamb "Slow Horse" series. 

I love getting to know more about this group of MI5 operatives who have each done something that got them reassigned to their current "remedial" job.  Mostly wrongly of course, them being the ones who always save the day.  

I can not say enough good things about this series and I am going to have to insist that you give it a listen.  Clever writing without being overly wordy, British accents and phrases, a truly interesting and unusual cast of characters.  Very high recommendation. 

I am likely not someone who could survive a long winter of darkness

This past Sunday morning, on a stroll through the neighborhood, I finished the very last chapter of The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah.  If you haven't read/listened to it yet, I can highly recommend it.  

This is the story of a family who move up to Alaska in search of a new beginning.  It's a bit of a hard read in places.  But a good story nonetheless. 

I loved the descriptions of the land, water, trees, and wildlife.  It made me want to get in the car and head north.  Just for a glimpse of the wildness.  Knowing full well, that I am likely not someone who could survive a long winter of darkness, but then again... maybe reading, cooking, needlework, sewing, painting, and thinking would be enough to take my mind away from all the dark?  I wonder?  I would love to hear from someone who has lived that experience.   

the same strategy for listening to these books as I used in my younger days for eating Halloween candy

Thanks Olathe public library for participating in the interlibrary loan program and agreeing to let me listen to your copy of I am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley.  It was just as delightful as were the first 3 tales in the Flavia de Luce series.  

I am employing the same strategy for listening to these books as I used in my younger days for eating Halloween candy.  Stretch it out and make it last as long as you can because the thought of having more in the months to come is better than binging right now.  If you can help it.  Which I sometimes could not.  My will power level fluctuates wildly depending on whatever else is going on in my life.  You understand I am sure.  

This series is captivating without wearing you out because you know that Flavia is going to come out on top in the end.  If there is any book in this series that I have not read yet, in which she does not, please DON'T tell me.  

...central to the story is the concept of the "whole" versus individual members

You are going to want to get out a piece of paper and a pencil for this.  Or open the "notes" app on your phone.  Go ahead.  I'll just wait here for you.  

On my drive home from work tonight I finished listening to a really excellent book.  The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown.  Across the board I am going to recommend this book to anyone who likes to read.  

 

I can't think of anyone who wouldn't like it.   It's the true story of a group of "boys" from the University of Washington and their journey to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.  It's told from the perspective of one main character, but includes parts of the stories of the other members of the crew, as well as the coaches.  I knew nothing about crewing prior to reading this.  I got it based on a recommendation from my friend Joan.  I wanted something different after finishing the book about the search for the Golden State Killer.  

It's about the boys in the boat and their struggles, while also including elements of history, and in particular the rise of the Nazi party and the role propaganda played in that.  A core element, central to the story, is the concept of the "whole" versus individual members, and how this is what makes them an extraordinary team.   I am going to say nothing more to try and sell you on this book.  Except that I plan to look up everything else Daniel James Brown has written.  His writing is engaging and educational without ever becoming tiring or preachy.  

Brother, Dottie, Sister, and Marti Huff - I especially recommend it to each of you.  

 

an excellent recounting of a dogged pursuit by dedicated investigators

I just finished listening to I'll be Gone in the Dark, which details the search for the "Golden State Killer".   While always drawn to "true crime" stories, as I get older, my ability to tolerate gruesome details or moments of terror, on the screen or in a book has lessened.  What was interesting about this book, is that it is almost "clinical".  A view from a distance, that does not put the reader right there in the moment, but still gives you a sense of those involved.   

It provides an excellent recounting of a dogged pursuit by dedicated investigators over the course of many years.   In this age of advanced forensic technology, it's hard to remember that not so long ago, these tools were not available.  Definitely recommended.    

the guy you want on the job if you have been wronged

If you are a Harry Bosch fan, you've probably already read the latest installment of the series.  But, if you are like me, and read/listen at a more leisurely pace, and still have a day job, which limits your reading hours, maybe you haven't gotten to it yet.  In which case, add it to your list.  

I always like to catch up with what is happening with Detective Bosch.  He's the guy you want on the job if you have been wronged by someone.  Several old partners make an appearance in this book as well as his half brother Mickey Haller.  I will not divulge any plot lines, suffice it to say, it's a decent whodunnit and there is some foreshadowing about a cold case he will be working in the future.  Recommended.  

Except for this one part, which I won’t tell you about

It was good to be back in Norway with my friend, Harry Hole, these last few weeks.  He is the dedicated, yet greatly flawed Inspector, with the Norwegian Crime Squad in Oslo. 

There were many twists and turns in the plot of The Redeemer, where there are bad guys who have some decent qualities, along with guys you think are good that have done bad things.  It kept me on my toes.  One of the things I love best about all the Jo Nesbø books is listening to the narrator tell me all the places where things are happening.  There are no street or city names in Norway that can in any way be confused with anyplace else on earth.  Which I adore.   There is something quite enjoyable about getting lost in a novel that takes place in another part of the world.  

If you have read The Bat, The Snowman, The Leopard, or any others you will probably like this one.  It’s not quite as terrifying as the previous Joe Nesbø novels I have read.  Well, except for this one part, which I won’t tell you about.  Definitely recommended.  

in my vacation life I do

I finished Britt-Marie Was Here on the flight back from Munich.  I would call this a great little vacation read.  Nothing too heavy.  Just a story about a person trying to figure out how to live their life.  Same as the rest of us.  

There was a really comfy oversized chair at our house in Wallgau that we turned around to face the windows, to better take advantage of the view.  Perfect for reading in.  Knitting too.  Dozing as well for that matter.  This is not a great photo, but you get the idea.

I also took the book to the park one day for a little stroll, so I could sit on a bench and read.  Taking books to parks is something I just don't do enough of in my regular life.  But in my vacation life, I do.  

On my walk home from the park I spotted this place that would have also been nice to stop for a reading break.   Imagine if there had been a cat on that cushion waiting for me to pet while I read.   

Sister did a masterpiece of me reading at the table one night.  Be watching for that for sure when she posts her journal pages on her blog.

We spotted this nice lady knitting and reading in between eating her cake and drinking her coffee at a bäckerei in Mittenwald one day.  

I wished I had brought mine so I would have eaten my carrot cake a bit slower.  However, I did have my travel journal with me and made note of what a good idea this was, for the next time we are on the type of vacation where it is important to stop for a sweet and coffee in the middle of the afternoon.   

you can't ask for more than that from a book

This fits the bill for a perfect summer read.  It includes a cat, a Scottish accent, quirky characters, and a sweet friendship. 

You can't ask for more than that from a book.  Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is highly recommended.

saints on skates!

Flavia de Luce has quickly become one of my all time favorite literary characters.  We recently concluded a weeklong visit in which she once again was able to assist Inspector Hewitt in untangling who did what to whom and why.   In addition, I picked up this bit of wisdom that some of you may also find helpful.  "...there's no better way to mask a lie, or at least a glaring omission, than to wrap it in an emotional outpouring of truth".  Not that any of us ever have occasion to bend the truth, but it never hurts to be prepared.   For example, if you happen to drink all but the last swallow of milk and put the container back in the refrigerator knowing full well that someone will need more than that for their cereal in the morning but you do it anyway.  And deny deny deny if questioned about any involvement in the disappearance.    

During this entertaining read, I learned a bit more about Flavia's mother Harriet, and of the course the elaborate schemes, designed to irritate and extract revenge on her sisters Daphne and Ophelia continued as in the first two books in the series.

That Alan Bradley does know how to turn a phrase.   Why just say "oh crap!" when exasperated, if you can instead say "saints on skates!"  Promise me you will try to work this into regular conversation before the month is out.  

A Red Herring Without Mustard - Very Highly Recommended.

he turned around exactly three times

When I went to the bookstore to select a book to take on vacation I had a list with me.  To prevent me from becoming distracted by covers.  I am quite easily led astray by colors and fonts and a catchy title.  Which is perfectly acceptable of course, but not when you only want to carry one book with you on a plane.  

I had just picked out these three and sat down to do the "does the first line draw you in" test, when the most marvelous thing happened.  A smallish black cat came right over, twined around my legs a few times, looked me straight in the eye, and leapt onto my lap.  He turned around exactly three times, found just the right position, and proceeded to settle in.  On my lap.  Approximately 7 pounds of purring warmth.  I melted.  Into a pile of goo.  Right there in the bookstore.

I bought all three books.  Of course.  

Because Chrissy said I should and she is RIGHT

Kudos AGAIN to the fabulous Lawrence Public Library for obtaining (all the way from Schaumburg Township District Library in Schaumburg Illinois) another requested book for me via inter-library loan.  That's north of Chicago!  A total of 563 miles from Tall Tales Headquarters.  How great is that? 

Dead Lions by Mick Herron is #2 in the Jackson Lamb series.  I listened to Slow Horses first, on the recommendation of Chrissy West, who has never led me astray with her selections.  Once again, we find ourselves plopped down in the middle of the MI5 rejects,  who, under the direction of Jackson Lamb, still manage to get into the middle of the action.  Dealing with sleeper cells of Russian agents from the cold war and the like.

This series is highly recommended.  You MUST listen if possible.  Because Chrissy said I should, and she is RIGHT. 

in the brightest floral pattern we can get our hands on

If you like color, patterns, paint, flowers, cats, yarn, pottery, and sheep.  You will want to check out this book.

I am thoroughly enjoying flipping through the pages, reading about the kernels of ideas that sparked the explosions of color and patterns in the home of the amazing Kristin Nicholas. 

It makes me feel bold. Adventurous.  Like there needs to be a trip to the paint store scheduled.  Soon.    

Right before I drift off to sleep I find myself reaching for this book.  Such pleasant images to start my dreams.  Rubbing my hands across the wonderful paper that this book is printed on is a bonus. I don't know why my hands have to get involved in the experience.  But they do.   

If you need this in your library, order it directly from Kristin.  Because we need to support the creative people who inspire us, with our dollars in addition to our praise and appreciation.  Here is the link if you are so inclined Kristin Nicholas Designs.

P.S  Joan when are you coming to help me recover the chair in my art room in the brightest floral pattern we can get our hands on?

in a charming cottage with a garden and drink cups of tea

Friday morning at 5:47am I finished the last chapter of The Shell Seekers.  It's hard to fully describe the immense sense of well being experienced while listening to this story.  A thoroughly satisfying experience.  All my senses were fully engaged as I listened.

It absolutely confirmed the need for Sister and I to go to the Cotswolds.  To stay in a charming cottage with a garden and drink cups of tea, and listen to the church bells, and see sheep, and make scones, and gather flowers that we will arrange loosely in old pitchers that will be placed  outside on tables where we will sit.  I need to tell Sister to please find a cottage with a Mrs. Plackett who will ride over on her trusty bicycle and polish the furniture, hoover the rugs, and make fruit cake for us.  

This book is most highly recommended.  If you can listen that's all the better.  It's going on my list of all time favorite's. 

a moment of perfect contentment

She (one of the shrewd local librarians) found it!  And within a week or so of my request. High marks to the Lawrence public library. 

Which means I have been introduced to Penelope, Nancy, Olivia, and Cosmo.   I am not at all sure about that Nancy, or her seemingly worthless children and husband George.  But it's early on and I shall keep an open mind.  All of this means that I will be strolling through the Cotswalds, with the occasional train trip to London, and a short jaunt to Ibiza this weekend.  All from the comfort of my home, where we have gray skies and a steady gentle drizzle. 

I do also intend to plant pansies, make banana bread, and be available to supervise Chris as he prepares a brisket and coleslaw for supper. 

And one more thing.  While I am rambling on... yesterday after attending a class and having a most excellent Bloody Mary with a friend (at The Webster House in Kansas City - if you live near you should try one), I jumped in the car to head home and This is Love by Mary Chapin Carpenter was on the radio.  I turned it up full blast, opened the sun roof, and recognized that I was experiencing a moment of perfect contentment.  I love it when I can appreciate (when it's happening) these simple joys.  Happy Sunday.  

 

she was the type that would leave no stone unturned

Today, I was very sad to reach the conclusion of Winter Solstice.  I shall miss Oscar Blondell and Elfrida Phipps,  watching their futures unfold together, seeing what happens to Carrie and Lucy and Sam.  And yet, I have a sense of overall contentment.

Because Rosamunde Pilcher provided clues, breadcrumbs along the way, so I can work out in my own mind how things are likely going over there in Scotland.   That should not be construed to mean that I have had enough of Rosamunde Pilcher and her characters.  No siree.  I marched right into the library with my return today and went straight to the help desk.   I requested they go on a quest for me.  Searching high and low in the library systems across the mid-west to see if they could find The Shell Seekers on CD for me.  I also asked them to search for the next book in the Jackson Lamb series.  The first one was outstanding, so while they were at it...  it made sense to search for both.  I am extremely confident.  The woman who helped me was quite efficient.  Her fingers flew across the keys as she entered the information into the computer system.  Her eyes were sharp.  I could tell she was the type that would leave no stone unturned. 

feeling very "bakerish"

If you decide to read this...

Do not be one bit surprised if you find you have to do this...

Which will leave you winding up with this...

Which is not a bad thing.  Not at all. 

This is the second time I have made this bread.  It turned out great both times.  I agree with several who left comments on Martha's site about it being too salty .  This time I cut the salt from 2 tablespoons to 1.  Feeling very "bakerish" I am now ready to move on to a different bread recipe. Send me your favorites please. 

P.S.  Sourdough by Robin Sloan is a delightful little read.  It's about Lois.  And how she comes into a "starter" and how it changes her life. 

warning: highly contagious

It's hard to decide if the red sunset maple out front, or Harvey rolling around in the garden out back was the best part of the weekend. 

Happily there was ample time for enjoying both.  Which is exactly and precisely what weekends were made for.

Smack dab in the middle of the front yard and the back yard, I also found time to sit in the front room with my feet up and listen to Winter Soltice.  Yes.  Following my sister's lead, I have also been bitten by the Rosamunde Pilcher bug.  Warning:  highly contagious. 

a deep dive into jicama

Plans for new computer investigations and meeting a friend for coffee were foiled by ice today.  Sharp, daggers of ice.  Actually those were not as much of an issue as the ice on our alpine downhill ski-slope of a driveway. 

Warm spices were the remedy.

Cooking, sandwiched in between ice removal, was plan B. 

Do you know about How Not to Die?  Fascinating book about the role of nutrition in disease prevention and reversal.  Well, there is a cookbook now.  

Which was delivered to my house the other night. 

One can always use a new way to eat Brussels sprouts. 

I also made a batch of collard greens with onions and cherries.  An old standby, generally reserved for farmers market greens, but it seems pretty perfect for right NOW. 

The birdbath was also refilled.  That heater thing I bought has worked like a charm, so far. There is some kind of fungus growing on the underneath side of the bowl.  I will worry about that later. 

Angie and Sister bought this plastic butterfly for me 15-20 years ago at some garden place around Harrison Arkansas.  It has held up quite well through the years despite the loss of it's antennae in some previous weather related injury. Every time I see it I smile thinking about them deciding I needed it.  And how right they were. 

Today I also began a deep dive into jicama.  Whether or not it's good.  How to peel it without cutting a finger off.  If I should eat it raw or do something else with it.  You know, just the usual.

Do let me know if you have the insiders scoop on it.   

thanks for telling me about it Cheryl Jean

I finished listening to The Women in the Castle today.  It is the story of a group of women, whose husbands were involved in a plot to murder Adolf Hitler in 1944, and how their lives unfold after this. 

At first I was not sure I was going to like it, but because I love historical fiction and especially related to WWII, I kept at it and very quickly was drawn in.   The different experiences of each of the women and how they cope with them seemed very real to me.  Definitely worth a read/listen.  Thanks for telling me about it Cheryl Jean!

on the light switch of a lamp

 This weekend's activities included pulling out all the pink/red yarn in the house and looking at it. 

Then after careful consideration, selecting the brightest pink available to make a heart. 

I am using the hearts pattern one of you pointed out to me.  It's by Amanda Berry.

I could not puzzle out exactly how it was going to possibly turn into a heart, so I did what I normally do in these situations. 

I stopped for breakfast.   To be sure my brain was properly fueled.   Steel cut oats, blueberries, apples, toasted almonds, and a little bit of greek yogurt.  Plus a touch of strawberry preserves from the farmers market for extra sweetness. 

And I just kept going. 

Knowing that people who write knitting patterns are pretty smart and it's best not to question their methods.

It's not the neatest thing I have ever knit up.  But it's darn cute and I will probably need to make another.

I also finished reading Long Way Down today.  Oh.  Poetry in the form of a story.  About how a young man decides what the right response is after his brother is murdered.  Jason Reynolds is seriously gifted.  You haven't ready anything like this before.  Trust me. 

After all that I hung up my heart.  On the light switch of a lamp.  Because that's where it wanted to live.   

a book he can refer to for instructions

When I was in Los Angeles recently, Sister and I paid a visit to Descanso Gardens.   She walks there regularly, but I hadn't been for many years. 

They are known for their camellia collection, which were only just beginning to try and bloom when we were there.   This in no way detracted from my delight with what was there. 

In particular, I was attracted to these archways and trellises made from branches and twigs.

It got my mind whirring with possibilities.  I mean how fun would it be to try and make something like this?  So the other day when I was roaming the stacks at the library and saw this book, I snatched it up.

The way I see it, there is no harm in learning a new skill.  That is what I am planning to tell Chris.  Right before I mention that I think the cosmos could really benefit from some supports, and doesn't he think it's great that I found a book he can refer to for instruction. 

you can see how it might entice and yet exhaust

Tonight I finished listening to Lincoln in the Bardo on the way home from work.   It was a hard one for me to stick with, but with a total running time of only 7 1/2 hours, I was able to see it through to the conclusion.  To tell you the truth I am not sure how I feel about it.  For an audio book, it was a very different format, with lots of readers and the citation of of sources included as part of the reading of the story.  It's a little hard to explain but if you decide to give it a try you will see very quickly what I mean.  

I like the premise - and even that seems hard to explain.  Here is my half-ass attempt in one long run-on sentence.  Willie Lincoln dies, his dad goes to visit his son at the cemetery overcome with grief, there are a lot of "spirits" there who don't know they are dead but do know they are not alive, intermittently the spirits are visited by "beings" who try to get them to "move-on" but they resist mightily.  Interspersed in all that are reactions from people who were alive at the time and their thoughts on the death, the war, Lincoln as a president, etc... You can see how it might entice and yet exhaust.  I for one am glad to be done with it.  That said, I didn't hate it either. 

Have any of you read it?  Thoughts? 

despite or perhaps because of, their quirks

Today I finished I finished listening to Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer.  Honestly, I had trouble with it at first.  Listening to it had me feeling unsettled.  Like I had been dropped into the middle of a family reunion, where all the relatives were extreme extroverts, and all I wanted was to find a quiet place.  Just for a bit.  To collect myself.  Alas, I couldn't find any character I could rest with.  

But gradually I began to soften.  Maybe I just got used to how they all used 20 words when 3 would do.  Or perhaps I just grew fond of them, despite or perhaps because of, their quirks.  Bottom line is that in the end I liked this book as much as Everything Is Illuminated and almost as much as I loved Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.  

You know how sometimes you are certain you have read a book, but you can't remember for sure what it was about?  That will never be the case for me with a Jonathan Safran Foer novel.  His stories and characters are very distinctive.  Unique.  Recommended. 

do yours in whatever order you feel is best

Today, for the first time in months, I picked up my Nikon and took some photos. 

Nothing spectacular.

Just house stuff.

Hanging out on a cold day with a brand new candle and some knitting.

Still enjoying the Christmas tree, looking at Oliver Jeffers delightful new book, listening to Tony Bennett and the Count Basie orchestra.

I was so glad the library had this book just in time for me to enjoy on these extra days off over the holiday.

The reason the Nikon hasn't been out for awhile is computer woe's.  As in not working, getting fixed, going out again.  You know the drill.  The truth of the matter is, I wasn't as troubled by it all as I normally might have been.  But, with no computer to hook the camera up to I had no way to get photos from the camera to the blog. 

And there is something different about taking photos with the camera as opposed to the phone.  However... thanks to one of my genius, tech-savvy, nephews, I am at this moment sitting in front of an I-Mac that he cleaned up for me to take out for a test drive.  To be sure this is the model/system that I want to work with, before I write the check.  He said I didn't have to give the keys back if I didn't want to. 

Smart, helpful, generous, nephews and nieces are delightful.  In the knitting arena, I have finished the front of a new poncho, started on the back, and completed a trio of elves. 

I am also winding balls of yarn.  Plum colored yarn from Brooklyn Tweed. 

Old fashioned cocktail recipe experimentation also continues.  These Luxardo Maraschino cherries are insanely delicious.  I like two in my drink.  One to be eaten right after the first sip, and one right before the last sip.  You do yours in whatever order you feel is best.  As long as you don't leave them off.  That would be wrong.   

Happy New Years Eve wherever you are celebrating.  We are staying home.  Eating chili.  Watching a movie.  Keeping warm.  There may be bourbon balls and eggnog involved. 

her landlord, the retired baker, we all secretly love

Tonight, at 6:48, exactly 12 minutes before sitting down for dinner, I finished Y is for Yesterday.  It was 17 delicious hours of listening.  Our favorite Santa Teresa private investigator, Kinsey Milhone, once again answers the call of duty.  

Sue Grafton skillfully crafts a tale that brings back a bad guy, a homeless woman, her cousin Anna, Henry (her landlord, the retired baker, that we all secretly love), and of course Ed, the cat.  All of this while she is working on a new case about murder and extortion.  I stretched this tale out as long as I could.  Knowing full well there is only one letter left in the alphabet.  

Highly recommended for reading, listening, and gift-giving.  

to a kid who is sitting very close to you on a couch

For those times when you need to read a sweet story about a couple of unlikely friends, who happen to be wolves, who like to exercise in trees, and sleep under blankets made of leaves....

... may I recommend you check out Big Wolf & Little Wolf from the library?   If you can read it out loud to a kid, who is sitting very, very close to you on a couch, and might ask you a question or two that's all the better.  But even if you are reading it alone, to yourself, it's still very good.  And, in both cases, you will want to start over again as soon as you finish it. 

P.S. the ART work is beguiling.

the ultimate in escapism, into the English countryside of the 1950's

I have just finished listening to The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag, and can honestly say that my second visit with Flavia de Luce was as completely and utterly satisfying as my first encounter with her.  These books are the ultimate in escapism, into the English countryside of the 1950's. 

I found this clip below that introduces you to the reader of the series, Jayne Entwistle.  In case I haven't enticed you, perhaps listening to her read a small clip will. 

There are to date, 7 other books in the series.  Quietly awaiting me.  Whenever I choose to indulge myself.  Which delights me to no end. 

perfect for bedtime reading

I saw some of the images from The Paper-Flower Tree on Brain Pickings Weekly, I think.   I checked it out from the library so I could examine it more closely

The drawings combined with the use of color and patterns is really lovely, and the story is simple and sweet. 

It's a tale of imagination and creativity that is perfect for bedtime reading.  To yourself or a child.  Highly likely to induce creative, colorful, dreams.  With no harmful side effects. 

smartly written, but not overly clever and trying too hard

Just when I had been fretting about there only being Y and Z left in Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone alphabet chronicles, I discovered not one, but two new series of detective/crime fiction.  Both with slightly unusual sleuths in the starring role.  I already told you about Flavia de Luce, and now, there is Jackson Lamb. 

In this first book, Slow Horses,  you are introduced to a group of people, who for a variety of reasons, have ended up in a unit of the British police where you are assigned when you have screwed something up.  Jackson Lamb is the head of this bunch, who just need a chance at redemption.

If you are looking for a smartly written (but not overly clever and trying too hard, which can be so annoying) book, look no further.  While I was listening to this I felt like I had been transported to England.  Different words and phrases make the dialogue a delight to listen to.  What makes it even sweeter, is there are 3 more books in this series, plus another one set to come out in 2018.   Oh joy.  Thank you Chrissy West, my British literary connection for telling me about this.  

the first sighting of ornamental cabbage

Because of my extremely orderly and regimented nature, I feel compelled to show photos from last week's farmers market before moving on to what I saw today.  I would let it go and forget all about last week's market except there are some important things you need to see.  For example... did you know there was such a thing as an eight ball zucchini?

Or that in addition to genetic code, a key difference between males and females is that boys like to muck around in puddles and girls like to carry umbrellas?  This would likely not be born out in a scientific study or even a questionnaire, but it was so last week in my observation of these two. 

There was also the first sighting of ornamental cabbage. 

And a delightfully orange turban squash.  Who has cooked one?  And how did you do it?  Something this pretty has to be good.  Right?

With my purchases, I made a batch of carrot ginger soup and an apple cake from America's Test kitchen.  If you have never made the soup.  It is a WINNER.  The apple cake was OK.  I can't believe I am going to say this, but it was too dense for me.  I know.  Heresy.  But it was.  That doesn't mean I didn't eat it.  The best thing I learned when making it though was about reducing apple cider.  Which makes a delightful addition to a cocktail. 

In the reading arena while I was away, I read Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf which I did not love like I loved Plainsong and Eventide.  BUT, my friend Mary Joan liked it very much.  It's a fast read and you may like it.  I also worked my way through Dear Mr. You by Mary Louise Parker which had some high points.  Lots of them really.  But it's kind of like living constantly in the fast lane.  Luckily the format of the book is a series of letters.  So you can read one or two and put it down for a bit.    

if you are going to a small island and will be staying in a remote cabin by yourself

 This book (Folly by Laurie R. King) made me very jumpy when I first started reading it.  You know the feeling when there is so much foreshadowing that you think something BAD is going to happen any second and you just can't stand it?   

But one of you recommended it when I got back from Lummi Island because it takes place in the San Juan Islands.    So I stuck with it.  Reading frequently in small doses.  Kind of like a scary movie that you have to watch at home instead of at a theatre so you can get up and walk around every once in a while to break up the tension.  

If you are going to a small island, and will be staying in a remote cabin by yourself, do NOT take this book with you.  Otherwise, if you like a good thriller, you will like it.  Unpredictable ending that I did not see coming.

she is very clever, likes chemistry, has 2 sisters, and a bicycle named Gladys

When I was at the library last week, I walked by The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.  It was on a shelf with selections meant to entice.  Oh and I was.  Enticed that is.  It's been on my list of books to read for a long time but I hadn't gotten around to it yet. 

Purely delightful is how I would describe it.  Flavia de Luce is the central character and you are going to want to make her your friend.  She is very clever, likes chemistry, has 2 sisters, and a bicycle named Gladys.  Imagine how excited I was when I went to look up Alan Bradley and see that he has a whole series of books featuring her.  Hot Damn! 

So here is another thing.  This one is read by Jayne Entwistle and if there is a God in heaven she will be reading all the rest of them too.  The feeling I have about discovering these books equals the pleasure I felt when I first discovered the alphabet series by Sue Grafton.  And that is saying a lot. 

if you are thoroughly confused by this post

Sometime in the last month or so, I read someone's list of young adult books that anyone should read, and selected these two.  

 

For the the life of me, I can not find that list again.  Oh there are lots of similar lists out there.  But of course the one I picked these books from eludes me.   This never happens to you I am sure. 

 

I wanted to point it out to you so you could pick a selection that looked like something you would want to read, but since I can't find it, forget that thought.  

If you like Young Adult books, you will like these.  Just take my word for it.  If haven't read Young Adult fiction and think you might like it.  Try these on for size.   If you don't like Young Adult books you probably have stopped reading.  But if you haven't don't read these.  If you are thoroughly confused by this post, don't worry.  So am I.  Oh one last thing, if you do like Young Adult fiction but are offended by cursing, don't read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.  There is lots of cursing in there.  I actually came across a curse word that is my new favorite.   

the smooth stone that Julia and Caper, the 6 year old's from Canada, that I met on Sunset beach one evening, gave me

The 11.6 pound box of treasures from the beach, that I mailed home from Lummi Island arrived at my doorstep in Kansas at 11:09 am today.  Such perfect timing.   In between unpacking, doing laundry, and sweeping the front porch, I arranged and re-arranged them several times.

Then, because I had this old tin strainer pan outside to gather zinnias in, I put them all in there to be a part of the back deck flower pot area. 

Just until I get something different you understand. 

I was sitting out back for awhile.  Waiting for the Harvey boys to come over so I could tell them about my trip and we could play re-arrange the fishy smelling shells.  But they didn't make an appearance.

That didn't stop me from carefully examining each item.  Touching the smooth stone that Julia and Caper, the 6 year old's from Canada, that I met on Sunset beach one evening, gave me.  "It's really, really, smooth - you can have it" they said. 

If you have a 3 hour plane ride coming up anytime soon, I recommend Everything  I Never Told You for reading on the flight.  I chewed right through it on my trip from Seattle to Kansas City last night.  I was completely engrossed.  Exactly what you want on a plane ride.  Anyone else read it and have an opinion?  Chime in. 

I am looking forward to finishing up my travel journal as dive into Sister's StitchBookery class which starts tomorrow.  Can't wait to to see what everyone creates!

looking at this book and dreaming about gardens will make you happy

Because the proof, as they say, is in the pudding, you must look at these today.

A selection of extremely simple flower arrangements that include the cosmos and zinnias grown from seed this year!  I am so excited that both the zinnias and the cosmos are tall, with long stems, that go so well with the marigolds,  roses, and basil that are old time favorites. 

The inspiration and credit for my cutting garden this year is from Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden that I already told you about.  But something this good deserves a second telling.  I have gotten so many good ideas for how to improve my garden from this book.   Even if you don't have a garden, looking at this book and dreaming about gardens will make you happy.   

they are all so different, and wonderful

I can't recall how I heard about this book.  Maybe on Brain Pickings Weekly?  All I know is I went straight to the public library site and requested it immediately after reading about it.  And now I find myself in the quandary of being on page 133 of 327 with 2 days to go before it's due and unable to renew it because 5 people are waiting for it!  Plus I am leaving on vacation in 3 days.  What to do ... what to do?

So, "the Moth" is a venue where people get up and tell a story about something that happened to them.  True stories.  Told honestly.  By real people putting themselves out there because they have something to say.  About life.  Something you might want to hear.  It seems wrong to try and rush through any story like this.   So I am going to return it to the library tomorrow and check it out again and pick up where I left off... or maybe I'll buy it and download it on my Kindle app so I can read some to sister when we are on Lummi Island.  

I highly recommend this book.  Seventeen stories in, I find it impossible to pick only one to tell you is my favorite so far.  They are all so different, and wonderful. 

pinching back my zinnias

If you like to do this...

and this...

and this...

...then you really NEED this.

Which you have probably already heard about, but in case it slipped up while you were napping, or on a trip to the moon, or working on your new on-line class... I call it to your attention now.  Because it is delightful, and filled with good information for anyone who has ever dreamed of having a cutting garden. 

Which I absolutely have, and this year actually did something about, in the sowing of cosmos and zinnia seeds. 

So far I have learned about pinching back my zinnias to have longer stems, which I knew about marigolds but didn't about zinnias.  The perfect book to look at before bed.  It has me dreaming about gardens.  Gardens without noxious weeds, where friendly cats roam.     

when I was a kid, first discovering the joy of going to the library

Ordinary Grace is a book you can get lost in.  You might find yourself wandering around the side streets of New Bremen Minnesota when you aren't even reading.  The story revolves around two brothers, Frank and Jake, and a series of life changing events that happened one summer.  Frank tells you the story as he looks back 40 years later.

This is the first book I have ready by William Kent Krueger.  It will not be the last.  It's wonderfully well written.  Highly recommended.

My streak of excellent reads in 2017 remains unbroken.   I feel like I did when I was a kid, first discovering the joy of going to the library, and every book was a winner. 

While I sat on the front porch this morning and thought about what to tell you about it, I listened to my fountain.  Four years into owning one, and having successfully replaced the pump twice, the thought of setting it up no longer strikes fear in my heart.

Did you notice my "outdoor candle" by my book?  I love candles.  Why not have one outside too?  Especially if it keeps the bugs away and reminds you of the friend who gave it to you. 

In other news this morning, the first morning glory has bloomed, Harvey is lying in wait amidst the marigolds ready to spring on any unsuspecting passerby, and my cone-flowers are flourishing.  Happy Friday!

books that were whispering to me as I sat in the chair

No vacation packing has been done for the upcoming family trip to Utah, but I can report that vacation reading has been secured.  I ventured out to The Raven in downtown Lawrence over the weekend with a list of 8 potential buys, narrowed down from the 54 potentials on my "books to check out" list on my phone. 

I pulled the three they had on hand and settled in for that "start reading and you will know if you should buy it" trial.  

Only problem is, all three seemed to want to come home with me.  So I went searching for the tie breaker.  My feline helper. 

Who could not be persuaded to leave his post.  He takes his job seriously.  He had his eye on a suspicious character across the street and told me to take a ticket and he would get back to me, if he had time.   I did the sensible thing, and bought all three.  One for family vacation to Utah, one for vacation with sister in July, and one because you should always have a back up. 

I did not allow myself to turn any pages in the animal book, nor in any other books that were whispering to me as I sat in the chair.   Three books can be justified.  Four would take more work. 

Edgar and Lucy

This book.  Oh. This. Book.  When I finished listening today I wanted to pick it up and hold it very close.  Give it a big squeezer hug.  An attempt to imprint it.  I want to carry Edgar with me a bit longer.  After 16 CD's worth of listening its hard to let him go.

This is a story about loss and recovery.  Sadness and joy.  About family, death, love, tragedy, humor, grief... in other words, it's about life.  And it is told by a writer who puts words together in ways that are so right.  This Victor Lodato has made himself a masterpiece, and I for one, intend to investigate everything else he has ever written. 

I could talk plots and character and endings with you.  But sometimes it's better if you start with no ideas.  You'll just have to trust me. 

what causes old people to become poor walkers is poor walking

If you subscribe to the axiom of  Solvitur Ambulando , "it is solved by walking", then you will want to read this book.  One of you told me you were reading it and it sounded good, so I checked it out.  Please identify yourself in the comments so I will pay close attention to any future recommendations you make.  

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney, is the story of an 84 year old woman, on a stroll through her city on New Years Eve, 1984.   As she walks, she tells us the story of her life and we get to meet the people she encounters along the way.  Like the family who invite her to have dinner with them at Delmonico's when she arrives with the plan to have a do-over of a previous experience there from 20 years ago, but has no reservation.   Or Stu Koszinski, the Vietnam veteran security guard she meets at the construction site that is obstructing the clear view she used to have of the Hudson river.  

I enjoyed the inclusion of a map of her route that night, and found myself looking at it off and on while reading.    I hate to even say this out loud, but my streak of superlative reads is continuing in a spectacular manner.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it most highly.  I jotted down a few words of wisdom that I must remember as I get older, including this "Often times, what causes old people to become poor walkers is poor walking.  One must bend ones knees.  One must lift one's feet up.  One must be unceasing.  One mustn't shuffle." 

I am going to start practicing this NOW.  Why wait?

black-hearted thugs

I have somehow lucked into a seriously good run of reading recently.   While I was reading The Rabbit each night, I was listening to Harry Bosch on my way to and from work each day.  This is a book you just want to stay in the car and keep listening to. 

The bad guys in this one are black-hearted thugs and you want Harry to catch them so bad you can't stand it.  It's a nail biter.  Harry's brother Mickey Haller, The Lincoln Lawyer, is featured in this novel as well.  Highly recommended. 

P.S.  Thanks for all the nice comments on the 6th anniversary of the birth of Tall Tales from Kansas.  Each one was like a present to me. 

highly recommended x 10

Rabbit Cake, by Annie Hartnett, is my favorite book of 2017, so far. 

It is the story of Elvis Babbitt, a 5th grader, whose mother was a sleepwalker, who may or may not have committed suicide, possibly drowned accidentally, or had a brain tumor, but nonetheless died while she was swimming while sleepwalking one night.   The book chronicles how Elvis, her sister Lizzie, her dad, her dog Boomer, and Ernest the parrot (whose voice sounds like her mothers') cope with the loss.  It includes things such as baking rabbit cakes, an "ocean Jesus sculpture" made out of clay and other assorted items by an artist named Soda, how Lizzie has to go to St. Cloud hospital when she starts eating while sleepwalking , and in general what Elvis goes through as she works through the death of her mother.  

It is a wonderful story.  Well written.  Honest.  Original.  Highly recommended x 10.  That means you should read it. 

with some very interesting side characters (including Bucky - the troubled troubadour)

Today Will be Different is a glimpse into the life of Eleanor Flood, on what turns out to be a life-changing day. 

Written by Maria Semple, the author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette, who used to be a TV writer, which explains a lot about the fast paced dialogue, which at times felt a bit frenetic.  BUT... that said, if you liked Bernadette (and actually even if you haven't read it and don't know how you feel about it), you will also like this novel.  It's well written with some very interesting side characters (including Bucky - the troubled troubadour) to go along with Eleanor, Joe (her husband) and Timby (her son). 

Highly recommended. 

P.S.  If you are a fellow commuter, do yourself the favor of getting the audio version.  Kathleen Wilhoite really brings Eleanor to life. 

 

it's not too heavy and will hold your interest

One of you told me about this little book.  The story of a lady who is left a home in Sag Harbor by a lady whose home she used to clean, and who became her friend.  There is a lot more to it than that, but you get the gist.  A nice little read.  Something to help pass the time on a plane, or to listen to on a 6 or 7 hour car ride.  It's not too heavy and will hold your interest.   

If that sounds like something you might like - I can recommend it for you.   

the one about how to survive being swallowed alive

If you think you might want to know why Arctic nomads eat organ meats and why they can be classified as both "meat" and "fruit and vegetables" , or that aroma and taste matter in a ratio of 50/50 to cats but 70/30 to dogs, you might want to go to the library and check out Gulp by Mary Roach. 

Only 2 chapters in, I am finding it quite interesting, and I haven't even gotten to the chapter on flatus (gas) yet, or the one about how to survive being swallowed alive.  I am not even kidding one bit about this.  Mary Roach is a great science writer.   Her approach is to take an ordinary topic and tell us the answers to the questions we have always wondered about but didn't know who to ask.  In Gulp she covers the digestive tract.  From beginning to end. 

The plan was to wait until I was completely finished to tell you about this book but I couldn't.   Perfect weekend reading.  Packed with tons of well researched interesting tid-bits the person you live with is going to want to know too.  

go forth and read

How could I have missed that yesterday (March 2, 2017) was World Book Day?  Did I even know there was such a thing as World Book Day?  I don't think I did, but happily Oliver Jeffers rectified the situation with this lovely little video on Instagram.  

Not being one to let a little thing like being a day late stop me, I pulled down a selection of favorites from my bookshelves this morning.

Books that started me on the path of loving books, books that have shaped my guiding principles, books that have taught me lessons. 

One of, if not THE, favorite of all the books I have read.  To date. 

And all these books that continue to inspire, guide, transform, and of course entertain me. 

Franz Kafka said it best, "books are the axe for the frozen sea within us".   Happy belated World Book Day.  Go forth and read.

the lovely phrasing of the language

When I started listening to In the Woods, I was disappointed that the main character was not Cassie Maddox, the female detective from The Likeness.  That was the first book I read (but the second in the series) from the "Dublin Murder Squad" series, by Tana French.    However, I quickly warmed up to the new cast that did include Cassie in a prominent role.  As well as a few more names you will recognize if you, like me, couldn't wait for the first book to be returned to the library and started with the second.  

I am not going to go into great detail describing what the book is about, you can do that by reading the back cover.  Suffice it to say I can highly recommend this "who dunnit" that did in fact, keep my guessing up to the very end.   I will confess right now that one of my favorite parts of these books has been listening to the Irish accents and the lovely phrasing of the language.   I am looking forward, with eager anticipation to finding out more about Detective Frank Mackey, the main character in #3 in the series - Faithful Place.  Who also made an appearance in The Likeness.  I like being introduced to characters and then being given a chance to get to know them more fully.  Good idea.  Good writing.  Great reading.