HEIRS OF THE GREEK CATASTROPHE * LAST NIGHT AT THE LOBSTER

Heirs of the Greek Catastrophe The Social Life of Asia Minor Refuges in Piraeus by Renee Hirschon - In 1972, Renee Hirschon lived in a village in Piraeus that had been settled by Asia Minor Refugees in the early 1920s. We visited our relatives in the village outside Salonika in 1971, so I'm reading this book, and it's like a flashback to my life and the ideas, mores and way of viewing the world that I grew up with, and then experienced firsthand that summer in the village. The author discusses it all with kindness and neutrality, respect and justification. She really got inside the mindset and the only thing that isn't here is a comparison to the mainland Greeks' ideas, mores, and way of viewing the world. There is a great discussion of arranged marriages, and throughout the book, she gives the original Greek words and phrasing, which is word for word what I heard growing up from my mother and grandmother. And she even tries to explain how sometimes there is no direct and correct translation for a certain phrase in Greek. It just doesn't convey the idea in the way that one can envision it in a modern world. I'm so happy to have this book in my Asia Minor library.

Last Night at the Lobster - by Seward O'Nan - I think if we read all my book reviews, we might find this one written up here ages ago. However, I saw it on the book club shelf at the library, and because it's such a sweet little thing, I thought I'd read it anyway. I sort of remember reading it, but maybe I'm thinking of The Tender Bar. Anyway, it's about the last night of a Red Lobster on a snowy Connecticut night; the manager, Manny is bittersweet about closing his restaurant, and this is a complete short story, and a great little read.

So now it's Tuesday, it's after noon, and I'm going to finish up that ironing, and finish making my black and white skirt, and finish that area around the foot of my bed, and maybe even get to the back bedroom, and also the desk work. I want to post after pictures of those last two areas today. I'm a little sad for myself because it's a beautiful warm day outside, and it's my own fault that I have to stay in here and finish these tasks. But I will. I hope.