Valerie Frankel's book, I Take This Man, skillfully mixes comedy and tragedy in the lives of her characters. You may start the book thinking it is about the bride Penny - but it really develops into the relationship between Penny and her mother Esther. And how they need to deal the past history and "baggage" of their lives before they can move on to future happiness. And if the bride gets dumped at the altar and the mother knocks out the groom, and kidnaps him, and holds him hostage until he writes all the thank you notes for the soon to be returned gifts, well these things can happen in the best of families.
She is able to blend the wackiness of life with the revelation that it is who you have in your life what matters most. Watching Penny and Bram's relationship change to a deeper one, and seeing Esther take a chance on having man in her life again, the groom's widowed dad - none the less, makes the reader stay up late, and want to see how this is all going to end. Frankel manages to create great characters that we can relate to and cheer for when they finally find their way.
A great read!
Flowers and bee
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Flower Confidential
Be careful the next time you buy that cheap floral bouquet. Do you know where your flowers have been? And what they have been dipped in? You might want to read Amy Stewart's book about the floral industry - Flower Confidential. This is a well written book that takes the reader through the international market of cut flowers.
Some fun facts:
- Europeans buy more flowers per capita than folks in the United States - especially Germany and Switzerland.
-The United States' consumers may pay less for flowers than other countries - but there is a reason those flowers are cheap: they are not top quality and do not last as long.
- Most U.S. grocery stores have their floral areas in the worst possible place - near the produce area where the riping fruit and veggies produce ethylene. Ethylene - "which will cause downward bending of flower foliage, failure of buds to open, or open flowers to close or fall off. Florist greens will yellow, and leaves and berries will bend downward or fall off in the presence of ethylene. Damaged or diseased plant material also give off ethylene. " (from the USDA website) (Costco supposedly does a better job with their floral area than most!)
- Some foreign growers use pesticides that are banned in the United States. But try telling which flowers are which...
Stewart takes you to rose growers in Ecuador, the Miami airport's inspection area for cut flowers - where most of them are dipped in fungicide - remember that next time you take a sniff from cut flowers (most of which do not smell anyway), and the frenzied Dutch Flower auction which sets prices for most of Europe's flowers. She also writes about the growing movement for organic certification (most of Europe is already there) for flowers in the U.S.
This book is definitely worth a look if you are a flower lover. It will make you want to buy a bouquet - or run outside and cut your own. But be careful where and what you are buying.
Some fun facts:
- Europeans buy more flowers per capita than folks in the United States - especially Germany and Switzerland.
-The United States' consumers may pay less for flowers than other countries - but there is a reason those flowers are cheap: they are not top quality and do not last as long.
- Most U.S. grocery stores have their floral areas in the worst possible place - near the produce area where the riping fruit and veggies produce ethylene. Ethylene - "which will cause downward bending of flower foliage, failure of buds to open, or open flowers to close or fall off. Florist greens will yellow, and leaves and berries will bend downward or fall off in the presence of ethylene. Damaged or diseased plant material also give off ethylene. " (from the USDA website) (Costco supposedly does a better job with their floral area than most!)
- Some foreign growers use pesticides that are banned in the United States. But try telling which flowers are which...
Stewart takes you to rose growers in Ecuador, the Miami airport's inspection area for cut flowers - where most of them are dipped in fungicide - remember that next time you take a sniff from cut flowers (most of which do not smell anyway), and the frenzied Dutch Flower auction which sets prices for most of Europe's flowers. She also writes about the growing movement for organic certification (most of Europe is already there) for flowers in the U.S.
This book is definitely worth a look if you are a flower lover. It will make you want to buy a bouquet - or run outside and cut your own. But be careful where and what you are buying.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Defiant Gardens
Defiant Gardens : Making Gardens in Wartime by Kenneth I. Helphand, is a good book to read in the spring when the desire to garden and dig about in the dirt is very strong after a long winter. He studies very specific periods of history where gardening not only helped with physical survival, but helped people mentally survive.
He looks into the gardens that were created and documented in wartime. He starts with the trenches during World War I, proceeds to the horrors of the Jewish ghettos in WWII, and informs us about the gardens of prisoner of war camps in Europe as well as the civilian war camps in Asia. He ends with a chapter about the Japanese-American camps in the U.S. And in a final chapter mentions more recent wars in Serbia, Africa and in Iraq.
He explains the conditions of the war, the situations that these people found themselves in or were forced into. He goes into the documentation of the gardens - photographs and writings to show how these gardens sustained the people around them. And in some cases, he can tell us whether these gardeners survived their war.
This ended up being one of my favorite passages:
"In an extreme situation beyond an individual's control, such as is common during war, the manifestation of the human ability to wield power over something is a potent reminder of our ability to withstand emotional despair and the forces of chaos. Gardens domesticate and humanize dehumanized situations. They offer a way to reject suffering, an inherent affirmation and sign of human perseverance. In contrast to war, gardens assert the dignity of life, human and nonhuman, and celebrate it."
A very powerful book about a little known area of history. For serious gardeners and students of history.
He looks into the gardens that were created and documented in wartime. He starts with the trenches during World War I, proceeds to the horrors of the Jewish ghettos in WWII, and informs us about the gardens of prisoner of war camps in Europe as well as the civilian war camps in Asia. He ends with a chapter about the Japanese-American camps in the U.S. And in a final chapter mentions more recent wars in Serbia, Africa and in Iraq.
He explains the conditions of the war, the situations that these people found themselves in or were forced into. He goes into the documentation of the gardens - photographs and writings to show how these gardens sustained the people around them. And in some cases, he can tell us whether these gardeners survived their war.
This ended up being one of my favorite passages:
"In an extreme situation beyond an individual's control, such as is common during war, the manifestation of the human ability to wield power over something is a potent reminder of our ability to withstand emotional despair and the forces of chaos. Gardens domesticate and humanize dehumanized situations. They offer a way to reject suffering, an inherent affirmation and sign of human perseverance. In contrast to war, gardens assert the dignity of life, human and nonhuman, and celebrate it."
A very powerful book about a little known area of history. For serious gardeners and students of history.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Reading While Sick - Getting Through the Books
Reading while your are home being sick, is a great way to get through your book pile - if your cold medication will let you stay up for a few hours.
Bachelor on the Prowl by Kasey Michaels
When the financial side of the fashion house has to run the big fashion show, Holly Hollis is in a panic cause she is missing male model for her finale. She grabs a guy back stage - who she assumes is the model - surprise ! Colin Rafferty is a bit surprised when he visits his cousin's fashion designer wife's show backstage and some female orders him to drop his pants and get into a tux. And the romance of errors starts there. A fun short contemporary romance.
Bookmarked to Die by Jo Dereske
Miss Helma Zukas is turning 42. She is not having a good time. Her boss, the library director, wants her to attend group counseling sessions. She has a younger perky co-worker who is flirting with her longtime admirer Police Chief Wayne (who has not noticed her birthday). Her cat, Boy Cat Zukas is missing. Her idea to start a local author's collection, has brought every writer (bad and good) in her district - and 2 of them end up murdered after the first start up meeting. After her free spirited best friend arrives in town, they hunt for her cat, mess up counseling sessions galore, and start looking for the murderers. Lost of fun and she portrays library land very well! A series.
Too Darn Hot by Sandra Scoppettone - Faye Quick and her usual band of helpers - her scrappy secretary, her buddy at the precinct, and the losers at the tobacco shop; solve another mystery in the midst of World War II era New York City. But this time she's trying to find a beauty's missing army beau. When she goes to his hotel room - all she finds is a body who may or may not be the missing guy. Lots of atmosphere and a great character to watch.
Bachelor on the Prowl by Kasey Michaels
When the financial side of the fashion house has to run the big fashion show, Holly Hollis is in a panic cause she is missing male model for her finale. She grabs a guy back stage - who she assumes is the model - surprise ! Colin Rafferty is a bit surprised when he visits his cousin's fashion designer wife's show backstage and some female orders him to drop his pants and get into a tux. And the romance of errors starts there. A fun short contemporary romance.
Bookmarked to Die by Jo Dereske
Miss Helma Zukas is turning 42. She is not having a good time. Her boss, the library director, wants her to attend group counseling sessions. She has a younger perky co-worker who is flirting with her longtime admirer Police Chief Wayne (who has not noticed her birthday). Her cat, Boy Cat Zukas is missing. Her idea to start a local author's collection, has brought every writer (bad and good) in her district - and 2 of them end up murdered after the first start up meeting. After her free spirited best friend arrives in town, they hunt for her cat, mess up counseling sessions galore, and start looking for the murderers. Lost of fun and she portrays library land very well! A series.
Too Darn Hot by Sandra Scoppettone - Faye Quick and her usual band of helpers - her scrappy secretary, her buddy at the precinct, and the losers at the tobacco shop; solve another mystery in the midst of World War II era New York City. But this time she's trying to find a beauty's missing army beau. When she goes to his hotel room - all she finds is a body who may or may not be the missing guy. Lots of atmosphere and a great character to watch.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Wine, Women and...
Alpana Pours: About Being a Woman, Loving Wine, and Having Great Relationships by Alpana Singh
Alpana is the sommelier who also hosts the Chicago version of Check Please! on PBS. She has written a very accessible book on wine. She is serious about her topic but lightheartedly will suggest great wine for junk food. She writes a lot about women's relationship to wine, and offers great suggestions on learning more about what to try and what wine goes with what. She makes choosing wine seem very easy and fun to do. A great read and a great resource. Let's go wine shopping! Wine and cheese party anyone?
Alpana is the sommelier who also hosts the Chicago version of Check Please! on PBS. She has written a very accessible book on wine. She is serious about her topic but lightheartedly will suggest great wine for junk food. She writes a lot about women's relationship to wine, and offers great suggestions on learning more about what to try and what wine goes with what. She makes choosing wine seem very easy and fun to do. A great read and a great resource. Let's go wine shopping! Wine and cheese party anyone?
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