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If you're familiar with any of the above titles, then you know why I haven't been very inspired lately! Reading has been less than so-so, and movies have been somewhat blah as well. It's a good thing TV is great this season. Curb Your Enthusiasm is at a whole new level, and the others are keeping me engaged as well. I'm reading Oprah's latest recommendation which is a collection of short stories about life in Africa, so things are looking up.
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff is a story and a history about two 19th wives. You've 
guessed now that this is about plural marriage and fundamental mormanism. The modern day story is a murder mystery, narrated by the son of a 19th wife. He was left by the side of the road outside his compound when he was 12 years old. The elders in charge didn't need any boys to compete for the girls. In plural marriage, it's necessary for the women to outnumber the men. Every other chapter is a history chapter, outlining the origins of mormonism and the visions that became the doctrines that encouraged plural marriage. They evolve into the story of Ann Eliza Young, 19th wife of Brigham Young, (who may have had more than 50 "wives"). I wish I had read this book before watching Big Love, because it's all so clear now. Read it or not. It's much better than Under the Banner of Heaven which I reviewed a few weeks ago.
The Class - This was a subtitled French Movie which had the best reviews of a group of DVDs that no one in the movie group had seen. It's about a middle school on the outskirts of Paris, in particular a French Class with a group of average students and a teacher who respects them. Many of them are children of immigrants who have escaped their native countries' political regimes. It's tough out there for the first generation. A good classroom drama.
Away We
Go - I liked this quirky movie about a couple who are expecting a baby. They travel to different cities to decide where they want to settle down to raise their child. It's sweet and thoughtful, and their parents and friends are all very nutty and funny and deep. There are many recognizable faces giving wonderful performances. See it as a surprise to yourself. It's a treat.
Loitering With Intent by Muriel Spark - I was halfway through 
this book when I realized that I wasn't enjoying it, hadn't cared to read it in the mornings, and only kept reading because the author knows how to turn a phrase. It takes place in England and is about a poor but happy writer living in a bedsit after the war. She goes to work for an eccentric older man and then she writes a book fictionalizing the man and his friends who gather to write their autobiographies. I skipped to the end, and skipped through the chapters to figure out whether said older man was blackmailing the friends, but it was difficult because of the funny colorful prose. Love the title, though.
I just went to find the book I was going to review, and it was nowhere to be seen on my now-messy-again desktop. Where could it be? It was just there yesterday, and it's due back to the library in a day or so. I started putting things away, opened the file drawer to put away my address book, and there was the library book neatly in the spot for the address book. How did that happen? And when would I have discovered it? This recurring theme in my life lately is the most annoying thing about not being organized and perfect to within an inch of my life. I miss being that person! It's important and I'm going to work with intent to get back there. It's important and worth the battle.
The Power of One - by Jane A. Adams is a murder mystery set in a sweet town in Dorset in the UK; Rina Martin is a widow who owns a little boarding house and solves mysteries much to the annoyance and appreciation of the local constabulary. The picture on the cover is nothing like I pictured the setting in my imagination. If you like mysteries where even the bad guys are not so bad, then this book is for you. I probably won't be reading any more Rina Martin mysteries. It has short chapters.
The title has a little something to do with the story, but it's nowhere near as powerful as it sounds.
First of all, click on this link for some background music to your blog reading today: Background Music
It's Julie De
lpy singing this beautiful song in the movieBefore Sunset - that we watched last night. It was a lovely little movie set in Paris 9 years after Before Sunrise. I remember watching Before Sunrise years ago, and just reserved it at the library so that I could see it again. It's one long conversation between the characters who met 9 years before, and had plans to meet again 6 months later. Here's where we find out what happened. Ethan Hawke is still boyish, and Julie Delpy is beautiful. Basically I could listen to the song over and over again, and as I'm writing I'm doing just that.
What do I do in my spare time? You know, that spare time I don't ever have? It's taken me a couple of weeks of minutes here and there, but one of my dirty little secrets is that I love to do jigsaw puzzles. The only requirement is that I like the picture. My favorites are good old fashioned Big Ben puzzles, although the pictures are never as alluring. Big Bens consist of 4 sided interlocking pieces with a set number of variations. This picture is one of those puzzles with funny shapes that take a while to get used to, including some really huge funny curvy pieces. Once you get used to the funny shapes, it's fairly straight forward. How pretty is this?
And now for the big news of the weekend. I found a Yellow Bowl! You never know where your most precious treasures will be found. At a little garage sale in Wilmette, where things were overpriced (it turns out that the person used to own a retail store, and was pricing based on a great sale at a store rather than garage sale prices. It also turned out that she doesn't go to garage sales, and doesn't know garage sale pricing). Anyway, I'm looking at all this nice and very clean new looking stuff, and on the last table, I spot it.
The Yellow Bowl. If you recall, last year I'd broken the yellow bowl from my Pyrex nesting bowl set, and was very upset. I hoped that I'd find one at a sale someday. You can buy them on ebay, but I wanted to discover one on my own. And I did. Priced at $4.00, and I got it for 3. It's in similar condition and color to the one I had. I couldn't be happier.
To add icing to the cake of this little story, later that afternoon, after going to Peter's cross country meet, I had a decision to make: bounce around Lincolnwood and Skoke with Nancy L. to some garage sales and a house sale for what Nancy S. calls sloppy seconds, or go with Nancy S. to a small exclusive sounding Condo Sale in Highland Park. I chose exclusivity, figuring that I'd also get home sooner and maybe get something done. (I did, too. I got the puzzle done). In a kitchen cupboard of the condo sale were guess what? Not one, but two yellow bowls. Yup. And priced at $4.00 each (basically the cheapest things in that condo) but not in as nice condition as the one I'd already bought.
Here are my Pyrex Bowls....All's well in the cupboard.
Are you enjoying the Julie Delpy background music?
The G
ift of an Ordinary Day - by Katrina Kenison is a sweet memoir about a family who encounter changes in their lives as their two sons grow up and prepare for college. The author craved a simple life for she and her family, and achieved it with a seeming amount of grace and courage. It's difficult to raise your children then watch them spread their wings for places far away, and this is a great book to read for anyone who is on that journey. For me it was a bit slow going, but I stuck with it for the good message and to see what happened, since there is a bit of suspense toward the end of the book.
The Good Earth - by Pearl S. Buck won the Pulitzer Prize in 1935. I read this book as an avid grade school reader, and I now see that the whole story was quite over my head. Reading it as an adult was a treat. It started a bit slow for me, as did the lives of the characters; as their lives progress, so does the story. It's an amazing story of a poor chinese farmer, Wang Lung, and all that befalls him in his life. The writing is almost biblical, but it is written with great beauty and sensitivity. I'm so happy that my sister in law gave this book to my son some years ago, and that I discovered it on our shelf and decided to read it once again. I can't wait to see the movie, and just reserved a copy of the DVD at the library.
I still want to write about the Gelato and Linens in Florence.
However...
Today Steve and I had Double Chocolate Fudge Milkshakes from Steak 'n Shake when we passed it on our way from Elk Grove Village, which was going to be on our way to Buffalo Grove for a Cross Country Meet which was cancelled. So we get to Steak 'n Shake and I see that the Double Chocolate Fudge flavor is called a "Sippable Sundae". Yeah. Yum. I couldn't wait, and could only imagine how good it would be. A few minutes later, I found out. Good. My only suggestion for an improvement would be to supply one of those spoon straws with it rather than a regular straw. They give the spoon straws at Taco Bell with the Fruitistas, and they work really well. But I digress. The Steak 'n Shake Double Chocolate Fudge Sippable Sundae (I love writing that-Double Chocolate Fudge Sippable Sundae) is wonderful. If you've got a choice of whether to read Under the Banner blah blah blah or Fordlandia or have a Double Chocolate Fudge Sippable Sundae, I'd strongly recommend that you go for the chocolate.
Now....having said all that, would I choose a small Chocolate Cherry Liquer Gelato at Gelato de Neri in Florence, or a Steak 'n Shake Double Chocolate Fudge Sippable Sundae? The gelato every time. If it was that flavor, it wouldn't even have to be in Florence. I'd go to a gym or workout place for it even. (That's the very worst place I can think of to go - I like going almost anywhere else). I might even go to a cold and snowy place for it. Might. When I originally wrote this entry, these paragraphs followed the book reviews, but right now I'm going to do some revising and put these paragraphs at the top of the blog, and those lousy books can go at the bottom. I just saved you time from having to read the reviews today, didn't I?
One of my friends has been after me to read this book for years. Well, at least since we'd been discussing Big Love at bead group.
Under the Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer - The book turned up at a yard sale for 50 cents, so I bought it and just finished it in a mad burst of let's get this over with. No. Just no. It's about Mormon fundamentalists and gives the history of Mormonism, talks about some awful murders and crimes that have been committed by fundamentalist zealots, and in general repeats itself over and over again. But hey, some people like to read this stuff.
Fordlandia by Greg Grandin - Oops. This is a very detailed book about Henry Ford's failed experiment to grow rubber trees in the Amazon rain forest in the 1930s. I found the Wikipedia entry more entertaining than this book. Did I mention it was very detailed? I do read to learn, but usually the newspaper, not a huge book with every last painful detail repeated over and over. Reading is my passion, and I like to read for entertainment. I like to read a story. I like to read a memoir. I like to not know what's on the next page.
I hope that whatever is lined up on my nightstand to read next is better than these last two books. I'm open to suggestions. You know what I like to read. I need something I can't put down. Call me or comment.
Back home watching and reading and trying to get things done.
Bewitched - I'd DVRd this one a while ago, and finally watched it the other night. What a charming little movie. I'd hesitated because I don't love remakes if I've loved the original, and Bewitched holds some special childhood memories. I should have known that with Will Farrell you can rarely go wrong. The movie is about making a modern day remake of Bewitched and it's funny and engaging.
Teddy In His Own Words - This was an HBO Documentary about Ted Kennedy that aired a few months before his death. He narrates his life story never mincing on any of what must have been very very low moments. He was resilient and a survivor. He never stopped caring.
I Love You Man - This is the movie I watched on the flight over to Italy. It's sweet, but don't pay for it.
Where Did You Sleep Last Night? - by Danzy Senna - I liked the cover and title, brought it home, and read it next. (There is a small pile of to be read books on my night table). It's Danzy's story about her heritage. As the child of a white mother from a notable Boston family and black father with a largely unknown background, she sets out to find her father's people. So many of us crave to know who we are and where we are from and why we are the way we are. I'm one of the people with a thirst to unlock the mysterious past of my ancestors, but others don't care at all. Ultimately the non- carers have an easier time of it, and maybe they enjoy life more in the moment than we who have one foot in the past. Danzy found most of her answers. Will I?
I took the picture of the flowers on our green shamrock (Oxalis) with my new camera. I couldn't take it in black and white. With the Nikon S60, one has to take the photo in color, then use edit tools in the camera to put the photo in black and white. In this case, I used the iPhoto edit tool to go black and white. My S1 would let me shoot in black and white, and I think I preferred doing that, then doing the additional in camera editing which is more work, and seems less honest. So now I have to find a new old stock S1.
I'm home from Florence, Italy, still sorting through my experiences there, and not quite all back home yet. Just taking it easy, reading, figuring out how to catch up on a myriad of must-dos and want-to-dos. Slept on my new Italian sheets last night and slept like a baby, if I do say so. Nothing like beautiful new sheets. When I can, I'll take a picture of them and continue my Florence best linens and best Gelato recommendations. Here's my self portrait in front of the Ponte Vecchio, taken shortly before my camera died.
The Pen/O.Henry Prize Stories The Best Short Stories of the Year 2009 - I've always loved short stories. So compact, so wrapped up, so different page to page, and yet they flow. I imagine compiling a collection of short stories must be like lining up the music on an album. This collection is wonderful. There are lots of stories set in different countries, and lots of stories about characters from different countries. That might be the theme. One of the stories is entitled Twenty-Two Stories; and it is composed of 22 different shorter stories in a group. I flew through these stories from place to place as I flew through the air from Europe to Chicago the other day. Enjoy.
The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan - I enjoy this author and the way she entices me into the world of Chinese immigrants. They have their own ways and customs - an ingrained culture that she generously shares. In some ways these customs are similar to the ones I grew up with as a child with immigrant grandparents. In others they are so different and more about the human condition - beliefs and craziness. This is a story about sisters, ghosts, personal histories and love. Sometimes it was too long as the narrator selfishly concentrated on her feelings and reactions. Not as good as some of Amy Tan's other works, but a decent read nevertheless.
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie - This is a chick lit beach read that I took for the sleepy 8 hour night plane ride to Munich, stopping point on the way to Florence. It's about a larged boned chick named Minerva who tries not to fall for a hunk named Cal. You know the rest. But I liked it, and read it into the jet lagged night until finished. Thanks to my friend Susan for the fun read. It was perfect for the occasion.
I'm here now, and it's the best of times and worst of times. The best is absolutely everything about this wonderful vacation. The worst is that my camera screen in shooting mode is on the blink. I'm unable to take any more pictures! I'll add some or do a new post of the pictures I took on the first two days when I return home. I've just been searching the interweb all night, googling my heart out in a quest for the most beautiful bed linens. They are probably to be found in Italy, and in fact I might have found them yesterday. But they are very pricey. They are my colors, though, and the quality is unbelievable, comparable to the sheets that I purchased in Milano 9 years ago. I know, I know, you want your guide to sheets. Here's what I've got so far:
King Sheets - I only buy King Size Sheets, and when you buy a good set in Italy, you generally get a 4 piece set that includes a top sheet with flanges or embroidery, 2 king size pillow shams with the matching flanges or embroidery (flanges are wide bands of a contrasting fabric, often attached to the main part of the sheet with hemstitching which is open stitching, formerly done by hand, now often done with a zig zag stitch or twin needle stitching on newer machines. The last sheet is your bottom, plain with no flange or embroidery, and it will not have elasticized corners. When I bought them in the past, that bottom sheet didn't tuck under the mattress very securely, so plan on possibly using a matching bottom sheet that you already own. My mattress is a 15" thick pillow top, so the bottom sheet might work better for you if your mattress isn't as bulky as mine.
Thread Count: Italians do not go by thread count. They don't have to. These sheets are lovely and soft and you can often tell that the thread count is high by the density of the cotton. And yet, it's still so soft. It's about the quality of the cotton, not the quantity of the threads. It's nice to find a shop that specializes in sheets and linens, where they tell you the sheets are made in their own small workshop.
Stores:
TAF : Stands for Tablecloths Artisans Florence - This store is located on the main street north of the River from Ponte Veccio. There are two stores across the street from each other at 17r and 22r Por S. Maria. They are known for their Embroidered hand made linens. One store carries linens for children and babies, the other carries the tablecloths and bed linens. The bed linens are located on the second floor, and the sales person will show you the current selections of sheets in your size. Yesterday, I saw beautiful embroidered, white on white, and pastel pink/blue/yellow small flower embroidery king sheets, 4 piece sets for 160 Euros/set. This translates to about $230. The sheets are very soft almost a sateen finish. They also carry a line of sheets made of not-as-soft cotton which are 85 Euros for a 3 piece set with top sheet and matching shams. The designs were one color embroideries, not as intricate on the pillowcases, but very pretty considering the price. They also carred real linen sheet sets - anywhere from 400-600 Euros/set. They have a few intricately embroidered coverlets as well as a couple of metalesse coverlets upwards of 400 Euros, but they are not going to be making them anymore, so you may do better with the price on those items. There was also at least one sale sheet set in a discontinued design. A good stop, but nothing for me today.
Pratisi - Frette - Bellora - These are all carried in their own stores here, and there are sales this month, but I haven't priced them yet. I prefer something not carried in the US which is why I'm sharing my sheet-shopping-in-Florence research. You can price these high end designer linen lines at home and online, and they will be expensive and gorgeous. I'm going with something made by a small atelier...something that can only be found here in Italy.
Gelato - There is quite a bit about Gelato on the world wide web, and this is a very subjective topic. Tonight we tried Grom near the Duomo.
Grom is loved by many, and I must say the texture was really creamy and good. I had flavor-of-the-month which was Sour Cherry coupled with Fondante which is dark chocolate gelato. The Fondante was tasty and rich; the Sour Cherry had very little flavor. Three in our group enjoyed their Pistachio, but the children were not impressed with their vanillas, and my sister in law didn't think there was anything special about the coffee flavor. My brother's mint and lemon were light and refreshing. I think people love it because it's natural, and that creamy texture is more like ice cream than gelato. Somehow it's not sweet enough for me. My brother finished all the vanillas, and we took the little ones down the road to the
Festival de Gelato which is always hopping, and which is the Baskin Robbins of Gelato in Florence with it's 48 flavors. Festival is popular with young people - I think it's a Florentine fad just now.
Corona - is just a stone's throw from Festival, and really really good. Corona will only give you one flavor in the Piccolo size, and the Fondante was yummy. My sister in law LOVED her coconut gelato from Corona, though, and pronounced it her current favorite.
La Carraia - This is where we had gelato on our first night. It's near Santa Croce at Via de'dBenci 24/r. Definitely my favorite so far. Much better than Grom. The Ciocollino and Fondante were wonderful wonderful. That same night we discovered a lovely little geleteria on Via De'Neri just around the corner, and I'm looking forward to going back to that one before the trip is over.
Borso - This is on that main drag north of the river after Ponte Vecchio, and their smallest size is like a large. The Fondante isn't that hot, and the Creme Caramel flavor should have been much richer.
I still want to try Vivoli and Perche No and Caribe, but will continue to seek out something new and different. Each gelatafficianado has a way that they choose a gelato place, and mine is to look for one that has been in business since the beginning of gelato creation in a rich looking shop with dark wood and fancy lettering. And yet, my favorite so far was very understated and kind of new looking!
Stay tuned for more on linen shopping in Florence, as well as the best in Gelato.
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn - My wonderful garage saling friend, Debby, found this one at a sale and stated that she used to only want to be friends with people who loved this book. So that's why we get along so well! This is one to go into with no preconceived ideas - just know that it's a different kind of a story about a different kind of people with accordingly different kinds of lives.
I'll say that I long to see Arty as the writer saw him. I mean with my eyes, what he looks like. As you'll find out, you will see and know Arty soon enough. I did get to see Olympia somehow - and I saw the love. So, just read it. And let me know if you like it, 'cause although our friendship isn't riding on this one, I'll know a little more about you depending on what you thought of Geek Love.
I'm off to Italy after a week of heavy nightly partying with The Posse in sad celebrations of Pam's moving out of state. We did have fun. And now without our tireless leader and inspiration, we are left to carry the social torch of parties, supper clubs, exciting events and girls' nights out all by ourselves. Even the sky cried rain as she pulled away in her suburban off into the Chicago traffic. Her new neighbors and friends have no idea of the fun they are in for when she hits their town. 
Brilliant
For all you Woody Allen and Larry David fans, there's a new movie in town. It's got the un-Woody title of
Whatever Works, and it's about all the things I told my son it might be about as we drove over to the Wilmette Theatre this aftenoon and he asked what it was about. I like to know nothing more than the title and that certain friends loved a movie before seeing it, so I explained that Woody Allen was originally a stand-up comic who I saw in Las Vegas at Caesar's Palace (I'm pretty sure) when I was 10 years old. I remember that he was really funny. The show was free, but you had to buy dinner for everyone at the table, so my dad was on the hook for three steak dinners for his hotdog-eating young family. Woody was a small bespeckled (probably very young) guy with a soft voice. The headliner at the show that night was the dancer George Chakiris, who had starred in West Side Story. We were there because George was greek and so were we, and because my dad loved comedians. After the show my dad wangled our way backstage to meet our fellow countryman. He couldn't have been nicer and signed a few menus that my mom probably still has, but that I haven't seen in years. But I digress.I told Peter that a Woody Allen movie was usually funny and witty, but not always a comedy. Larry David was sure to make this one enjoyable for us no matter what the story which would maybe be about relationships or a romance, and most likely be set in New York City.
Brilliant
Woody:
George:
guessed now that this is about plural marriage and fundamental mormanism. The modern day story is a murder mystery, narrated by the son of a 19th wife. He was left by the side of the road outside his compound when he was 12 years old. The elders in charge didn't need any boys to compete for the girls. In plural marriage, it's necessary for the women to outnumber the men. Every other chapter is a history chapter, outlining the origins of mormonism and the visions that became the doctrines that encouraged plural marriage. They evolve into the story of Ann Eliza Young, 19th wife of Brigham Young, (who may have had more than 50 "wives"). I wish I had read this book before watching Big Love, because it's all so clear now. Read it or not. It's much better than Under the Banner of Heaven which I reviewed a few weeks ago.
Go - I liked this quirky movie about a couple who are expecting a baby. They travel to different cities to decide where they want to settle down to raise their child. It's sweet and thoughtful, and their parents and friends are all very nutty and funny and deep. There are many recognizable faces giving wonderful performances. See it as a surprise to yourself. It's a treat.
