Nineteen for 50 - Mostly weeding and reading

Time spent in the garden increases this time of year. Maintaining the beds that we re-hauled last year, weeding and thinning plants in the other areas, installing edging and re-establishing the borders between gardens and lawn, pruning shrubs and trees, preparing the soil in the vegetable raised bed, picking out and then planting veggies. E helps with jobs requiring a shovel, edger, or any heavy lifting.  He hauls mulch, compost and dirt. He built a fortress around the veggies to help them stay out of the mouths of deer. He mows and mows, trims and waters. Much of the yard is starting to look great again, after a few years of minimal work completed in it. 

West side - cleaned up last year

Front garden by sidewalk

ground covers run amuck in the "stump garden"

Tomatoes safe from the jaws of deer

The cabin is 'under contract' so hopefully the closing and transfer to the buyers will go smoothly. There are a few things at the cabin that we'll bring home and store for now but it is for the most part cleaned out and awaiting the new owners creating their own memories there.

Work is, well, work. A lot of days I struggle to figure out how to get all the things done. Other days I say, "Screw it. I'm going outside." And then I wake up at 2am thinking about all the things that still need to get done.

I am preparing to go on a scrapbooking retreat later this week. This is about half the group that usually goes but when planning, we were still just getting first vaccines and made the decision we would feel more comfortable with a fully vaccinated group, keeping it small and paying a bit more. I usually go with this group 3 times a year and now it has been 16 months since last there.  I am slightly anxious and at the same time excited about it.  Planning what project I will work on, I decided to go way back in time and work with photos I have on hand, from high school and college days.

Since last blog post, I haven't completed any books or tried any new recipes, but do have 2 recipes and 3 books in reserve.  We had recipes last time so I'll start with the books

Books 19, 20, and 21

Book 19 was a book club pick and we'll be discussing it tonight. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens was one I was only mildly interested in and didn't anticipate liking it much. It seems there was a lot of hype about this one and EVERYONE was reading it. Sometimes when things get overhyped, they greatly disappoint me, if I even end up reading them at all.  This one did not - I read it quickly and would pick it up eagerly to see what was going to happen. It is a novel that is part environmental science of the North Carolina marsh (not nearly as boring as that phrase makes it sound), part coming of age story of Kya the "Marsh Girl" (one of my favorite descriptions of her was "a tangled-haired, barefoot mussel-monger who lived in a shack") and part murder mystery of Chase - "the best quarterback this town ever saw".  It tells Kya's story chronologically, from the time she is a young girl until she is an older woman. Chase's story starts with his body being found. It was engaging and well-written, especially for an over-hyped book.  One of the lines that stood out to me (and doesn't give away any part of the story but resonated with me), after one of the characters asked if Kya could forgive him: "Why should the injured, the still bleeding, bear the onus of forgiveness?"

It took me a full 4 months to read book 20, but considering that I first remember hearing about the book (and about the subject) 30 years ago, that seems like hardly any time at all.  Chaos: Making a New Science by James Gleick is probably not a book you are going to read. Chaos theory is most likely not your idea of interesting reading and this book, though accessible to beginners, is not exactly a beach and margarita read. As a math major many years ago, I attended a talk on chaos (symposium? is that what they called those?). Honestly most of it went over my head. A friend who took a class on fractals mostly annoyed me by pointing out fractals and non-fractals in the cafeteria (strawberry - fractal, caf tray - not a fractal) without telling me what the heck a fractal was. A fractal is a shape that is infinitely complex - think of a hill. For you and me, a hill is relatively smooth and we can walk over little differences in terrain. For a cat or dog, there may be more differences in surface to navigate. For something smaller, say an ant, it becomes even more complex. The closer we get to the surface, the more complex it is. I only explain this because I didn't want to be like the person in the cafeteria. Probably the most familiar part of chaos theory is the Butterfly Effect.  This book told how chaos theory became to be a new science and how many different disciplines were all studying it at the same time - meteorologists, biologists studying population growth, physicists looking at turbulence, and so on. Like I say, I thought it was interesting but the audience for this one may be limited.

Finally, the most recent book finished was one I first read probably 25 years ago and it immediately went on my list of my favorite books. Surfacing by Margaret Atwood is one of her first novels, written in the '70s, and I have always struggled to describe the book and why it affected me so much. The blurb on Goodreads seems particularly misleading to me - "part detective novel, part psychological thriller".  If you are looking for either of those things, you will be sorely disappointed, I think. Certainly there is an element of mystery to it - the unnamed narrator goes with her boyfriend and another couple to an isolated cabin in Quebec to look for her father who seems to have disappeared - but that storyline seems very secondary to her introspection and to the story she is telling herself and her friends vs. her reality, her coming to terms with reality and escape back to nature through madness.  As a twenty-something, I scribbled many quotes from this book in my journal.  Re-reading it as a 50-year-old, I felt myself wanting to scribble them again and then scribble some more. I think it hit me differently than it did a quarter-century ago, but it really hit me this time too. Atwood is poet as well as a novelist and this novel definitely has a poetry to it. A few of my favorite lines:

“We battled in secret, undeclared, and after a while I no longer fought back because I never won. The only defense was flight, invisibility.”

“From any rational point of view I am absurd; but there are no longer any rational points of view.”

“'Do you love me, that's all,' he said. 'That's the only thing that matters.'

It was the language again, I couldn't use it because it wasn't mine. He must have known what he meant but it was an imprecise word; the Eskimos had fifty-two names for snow because it was important to them, there ought to be as many for love.”

Until we weed again,

Hallie

Fifty for 50 Tally

Books completed – 21 (5 more in progress)

Recipes tried – 20

Blog posts published– 19

Miles walked in June - 8.09

            Miles walked in May - 52.42

             Miles walked year-to-date –234.48

Scrap book pages completed –19

Hats donated – 20

Hours volunteered – 0

Back in the Bloggin' Saddle

Time to get back in the saddle and resume "normal" blogging.  You may be wondering what else I was doing during the A-Z Challenge, since those posts were made to fit in the alphabet.  I was reading as usual, cooking and eating (though I don't think we tried any new recipes), doing a little knitting, and planning for an annual all-day seminar for the organization for which I am the now the vice president (was secretary but as of yesterday morning, I am now VP - you may address me as Madame VP, if you wish).  I compare preparing for this seminar, and for the other 3 evening meetings we also hold each year, as hosting a wedding reception, for 125-150 people every couple of months. Booking venue, choosing the food, sending the invitations and managing the RSVPs, all while arranging for different speakers for each of these events (one for each of the evening meetings and 4 for the all day seminar).  Truthfully, it is exhausting but worthwhile work which I enjoy, but am glad when it is over.  Kind of like my wedding, really - Glad I did it, and enjoyed the planning and the event, but glad when it was over.  So in addition to that...

Reading: In April I read 3 books and have read another 2 books so far in May.  First was a re-read of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg.  Many people are more familiar with the movie (Fried Green Tomatoes) but this is a delightful book as well.  Such strong, interesting women characters and really just so much going on in this story - some classic scenes where I found myself cheering for the women as they took on some people we all know in real life.  I read it last about 15 years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it again this time.  Even if the book club referred to the characters as "Jessica Tandy" and "Kathy Bates" for the actresses who played some of the main characters in the movie. 

On April 21st I finished the book club selection (Sunday night book club) Room by Emma Donahugue.  I'll admit I had to force myself to read this one at first, but I ended up really liking it.  The story is told from the point of view of five-year-old Jack, who has never seen outside the 11'x11' room he and his mother live in.  To him Room is the world, but to his mother, it is the prison where she has been held for 7 years by a man Jack refers to as Old Nick.  Sounds terrific and uplifting, right?  It is actually an amazing story of the love of a mother and child and of survival despite the depressing situation.  Great discussion for book club.

My "easy" read for April, Miss Pickerell to the Earthquake Rescue by Ellen MacGregor.  This is one I have had since I was a child, but don't remember reading it all the way through before.  Miss Pickerell was a character in an entire series which had her not only going to the rescue in an earthquake but also going to the moon, Mars, the Arctic and on many other adventures.  She is a very no-nonsense lady who knits and drives a model-T hauling a trailer with her cow and cat in it.  Fun story and made me curious about earthquakes.

The next book for discussion at Sunday night book club is another one that I didn't anticipate liking, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall.  I dislike running (anyone who knows me has heard me say that the only reason to run is if you are being chased by something that you don't want to catch you), and am possibly even less interested in reading about running than I am in actually running.  That being said, I actually enjoyed this book.  Mr. McDougall tells a captivating story and gives so many interesting back stories and side stories that all lead up to this one amazing race, that I found myself actually caring about some of the runners and cheering for them.  If you are a runner and have suffered injuries (as you very likely have), I would think you would be interested to hear what he has to say.  And if you are not a runner, you may be inspired to start.  Not that I am.  I still find the idea of running tedious.  Give me 2 wheels and pedals, please.

Most recently I finished a book called Everything by Kevin Canty.  This one I read in nearly record time, starting it one day and finishing during the middle of the night a day later (a bit of insomnia which was NOT cured by this book - darn those interesting books!).  Mr. Canty is a Montana author, and the story takes place in the western part of the state, specifically in the Bitterroot Valley, which is where my grandparents, aunts, etc., live.  I think the Amazon description captures it best and I highly recommend this novel.

"In taut, exquisite prose, Kevin Canty explores the largest themes of life—work, love, death, destruction, rebirth—in the middle of the everyday.
On the fifth of July, RL and June go down to the river with a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red to commemorate Taylor’s fiftieth and last birthday. Taylor was RL’s boyhood friend and June’s husband, but after eleven years, June, a childless hospice worker, finally declares she’s “nobody’s widow anymore.” Anxious for a new beginning, June considers selling her beloved house. RL, a divorced empty-nester, faces a major change, too, when he agrees to lodge his college girlfriend, Betsy, while she undergoes chemotherapy. Caught between Betsy’s anguish and June’s hope, the cynical RL is brought face-to-face with his own sense of futility, and the longing to experience the kind of love that “knocks you down.”

Set in Montana, reflecting the beauty of its landscape and the independence of its people, Everything is a shimmering novel about unexpected redemption by a writer of deep empathy and prodigious talents." - Amazon.com

So there are 5 books for you to check out.  Tonight, Friday night book club is discussing The Testament by John Grisham which I read about 13 years ago and will try to dredge up my memories of it to discuss tonight.  It wasn't my favorite book then and I just didn't get around to re-reading it.  I would feel bad about that but since the discussion will last approximately 5 minutes, I am not too worried about it.  This book club is actually more about the gathering and the food.

Weeding: Tomorrow morning is the annual plant exchange arranged by the city.  I have gone, 2-3 times before and have gotten some good plants.  It is fun - fast and furious negotiating and trading and then hauling home the treasures.  I took today off from work, mainly to recuperate from the all-day seminar, but also to get my plants ready for the swap.  This is what I am bringing this year: lamb's ear, penstemon, monarda (aka bee balm), coreopsis, and balloon flower.  In the process of digging up some coreopsis, I disturbed a particularly large ant colony.  The ants were all over my feet and legs, some of them biting.  It reminded me of the scene from one of the Indiana Jones movies where the ants carry the bad guy away.  I took a break to read Catching Fire, eat lunch and smell the lilacs, and will divide more coreopsis once I figure out how to do it without stirring up the ants again.

Monarda (bee not included in plant swap)

Threadleaf coreopsis (apparently thrives near ants)

Penstemon (bird not included)

Balloon flower (look closely for the little "balloons")



Lovely lamb's ear, growing near hardy geranium

Until we read, and weed, again,
Hallie

Ghosts, Recipes and Battles Against Hunger

Reading: I have read a bit since I posted last.  Yes, I know it has been awhile.
My easy read this month was another from A. A. Milne, when I revisited the delightful poems of Now We Are Six.  I may be a dork but I found it best to read these out loud.  I like the way they sound.  There is such a sweet innocence to Mr. Milne's writing, whether it be about Pooh and the gang or a poem.  I encourage you to re-read some of your childhood favorites, try to recapture some of that joy you experienced when first reading or hearing them.

Friday dinner book club met last night for some tasty food at Brasa in Minneapolis.  This is the book club that doesn't discuss the book much.  It is a small group, 5 at the most, and we have had gatherings of just 2.  Last night there were 3 of us and we briefly discussed The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry, which we all enjoyed.  This is a first novel for Ms. McHenry and was well-written and interesting.  The main character, Ginny, who has Asperger's, is suddenly living alone after the unexpected death of her parents.  She has always taken comfort in cooking, so turns to her recipes in her grief.  As she makes one of her grandmother's recipes, the ghost of her 'Nonna' appears and delivers a message which Ginny doesn't know how to interpret.  As she battles with her sister to assert her independence and sifts through a houseful of objects and memories, she encounters other ghosts through cooking, learns about herself and her family, and about life and love.  I really enjoyed this book, and not just for the recipes that start most chapters! 

Sunday night book club started me down the Hunger Games trail.  I have been interested in the series for a few months, though, as always, hesitant to buy into the hype. As you may remember from my rant about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, there are some books I don't want to read, simply because everyone else is reading them.  Well, I liked Hunger Games. You can add it to the "Harry Potter" pile for me instead of the "Twilight/Tattoo" pile.  It is well-written, interesting and made me want to keep reading.  I plan to also read the rest of the trilogy sometime.  In case you live under a rock or on another planet and have not heard of the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, here's my synopsis.  In the probably not-too-distant future, in a part of the world formerly known as North America, there is a country called Panem.  Each year, one boy and one girl from each of 12 districts is chosen in a lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, a battle of survival in which only one can emerge alive.  The story is told by Katniss, a 16-year-old girl from the coal mining District 12, as she uses her already-well-developed survival knowledge to fight to stay alive.  I think there is some interesting social commentary in here, as with any good dystopian society, so it is not just the survival and the apparently obligatory love story.  It is a disturbing premise, and there is obviously some intense violence, so I can't imagine younger kids reading this or seeing the movie.  But what do I know?  I don't have kids.

Eating: Speaking of hunger, how about a recipe?  As promised in a previous post, here is a pork chop recipe.  Dinner is not always all about chicken, right?  This recipe came from my mom, who, it appears from the recipe card, got it from her friend Nancy.

Pork Chop Bake
6 pork chops
1 can cream of celery or cream of chicken soup
1/2 C milk
1/2 C sour cream
24 oz bag of frozen hash browns (the shredded ones, not "southern style" cubes)
1 C french-fried onions
4 oz shredded cheddar

Season and brown pork chops (we like the Hormel Always Tender), either in a skillet or broil.
Combine soup, milk, sour cream, hash browns and 1/2 of the french fried onions and cheese.  Spread the hash brown mixture in a 9x13 pan and arrange chops on top.  Cover.  Bake 40 mins at 350.  Sprinkle remaining cheese and onions on top.  Return uncovered to oven and bake another 5 mins.  Serve with your favorite veggies or salad.

To make it a little lower in fat, we trim chops of all visible fat, use skim milk, healthy-request soup, fat-free sour cream and cut the cheese and onion amounts in half and only put them on top (not stirred in with hash brown mixture).

Enjoy!  I am working on my ideas for the A to Z blog challenge, starting on April 1st.  I am planning a mix of food, authors/books, flowers/plants, and creative pursuits throughout the challenge.  Some letters are proving a bit difficult, and not necessarily the ones you would think!  If you think of topics for the letters I, N, O, R, W or X relating to reading, eating, gardening or creating, feel free to leave a comment - I may use your ideas!

Until we eat again,
Hallie

Reading: Currently in the "active" reading pile are: Undaunted Courage, A Painted House, and Foundations of Customer Service. Undauted Courage is excellent. I am completely sucked into it. I am awed by the courage and tenacity of the explorers. They are paddling and pulling heavily packed boats UPSTREAM! They have no medications (even though they have all picked up venereal diseases from the friendly Indians who share their wives), they are working hard all day everyday and need to consume 9-10 pounds of meat each day to keep their energy. I don't eat that much meat in 2 weeks! This book doesn't have a lot to say about Sacagewea but she really amazes me. She is 15 years old, just had a baby, is the only woman in the group and is hauling her baby on her back over the plains (they are not yet to the mountains). I think I will read about her next.

A Painted House is by John Grisham and I would not have picked it up if it weren't for Mom insisting. It is very good, so far! I generally don't read Grisham because once you have read one, you have read them all. This one is different, though. Not a lawyer in sight. It takes place in the 50's, in rural Arkansas, on a cotton farm. The narrator is a 7 year old boy, son of farmers who rent their land and therefore do not have a painted house. It makes me glad I am not a cotton farmer or a Mexican or "hill person" hired to pick the cotton.

Foundations of Customer Service is one I am reading for work. It is boring. I get $50 if I pass the test after reading it. (I wish I got $50 for every boring book I pulled myself through)

Eating: I don't think I have written about Enchilada Casserole yet but I can't remember the whole recipe so I will come back to that one. We had chicken fajitas last night. I use the Schilling season packet to make them. Not too difficult.

This weekend I hope to go strawberry picking. The berries should be ripe. Last year, the berries at Bauer Berry Farm were absolutely beautiful. Big, juicy and sweet! I froze a bunch of them on cookie sheets and then packed them in freezer bags so I could have a few at a time. The smoothies I made were delicious. I keep a big tub of vanilla yogurt in the fridge so they are a breeze to make. A couple big spoonsful of yogurt, a splash of whatever juice available, a handful of frozen strawberries, another of frozen blueberries (also from Bauer Berry) or half a frozen banana or a kiwi. Puree until smooth. The frozen fruit is easier on your blender than ice and the smoothies don't get watered down.

I also would like to go to the Minneapolis Farmer's Market. Besides all the good fresh produce, there is a stand there that has excellent tortillas in a variety of flavors (garlic, herb, tomato, etc.) and in a couple different sizes. I think I may have missed asparagus season but there is always something in season. My rule at the Farmer's Market is to avoid the stands where they sell pineapple. They are not selling local products and if I wanted California produce, I would go to the grocery store.

Gardening: On my day off on Friday (I work 80 hours in 9 days and get every other Friday off), I finished planting my shade garden. Finally! I only had a dozen or so plants left to put in--polka dot plants, begonias and coleus--and then I finished mulching the area. It looks lovely, if I do say so myself. I don't think I will ever be DONE but I am done with the plants I had already purchased. Saturday I planted my long-planned sunflower hedge and got a sunburn on my neck and shoulders. When will I learn?!