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Summer 2008

I am reading a Jodi Picoult book, Nineteen Minutes. It is very engaging, the story of a community wracked by a school shooting that leaves ten people dead, and the shooter in jail. The author creates an omnipresent view of the effects of the shooting on everyone, examining the community years before and the effects of friendships and relationships gone askew. Jodi Picoult has wide appeal for her character developement and story line.

Learning how to put a link into my blog

I did it with help from a great website that I think I should share and give credit to. tutorial in html

Moving my book comments

I haven't written lately, mainly because I have posted my book notes onto a blogger site that is available through my library website. And the library blogger site needs to relate to the library more than my travel rambles. I really like the fact I could write in my blog on my trip and share with many people all at one, and share my photos instantly. So to get to my new blog about more library things:
my new wedsite

Flower market

The Flower Market in Amsterdam

We had to visit the flower market. It was a rainy morning, but that didn't stop us from checking out the flower stalls and taking a dozen pictures. Amaryllis blooming in March, so big and beautiful. I was so tempted to buy bulbs and have them shipped home, but I couldn't buy everything. Leslie bought her Dutch wooden shoes here. She was told an interesting tidbit about the shoes. The plain ones are for working in the fields, the yellow ones are for church, the red ones for the bride on her wedding day, and the blue ones for the groom on his wedding day. Our Dutch friends said they never heard that about the red and the blue. Sounded good anyways.

Breakfast in Hoorn

Continental breakfast courtesy of the hotel we were staying at in Hoorn. We always took a window seat, which turned out to be a good thing, since Marleen stopped by three times when she noticed us there. I took a picture of the breakfast that was served between 7 and 10 am for the guests of the hotel. Our tablecloth is actually a woven Turkish rug. Our choice of coffee or tea is served with a plate of cold cuts and cheese, a basket of bread and rolls, a soft-boiled egg, and a glass of orange juice, fresh squeezed it seemed. On our last day we find out that in the basket of bread is a delicious gingerbread tasting bread wrapped like a cracker, and we never had tried it before. I'd like to have that recipe.

Amsterdam

One of our last nights in Amsterdam, at last the rain stops and we are able to take some shots with the sun hitting the building along the canal in the city.

The coast along the Atlantic is very rough this day due to the storm. We have had rain every day at some point. We also have experienced hail and snow, so it is a typical spring. Being so close to the coast water is everywhere.

We have come to walk along the beach, here we are being silly imitating the statue. This is along the dike. Many people were out to walk along the beach even though it was windy and cold. We drank hot chocolate after the walk. Leslie and I are joined by Marleen and her father, Nico and her mother, Marjo.

Nico, Marjo, Carolyn and Leslie

Leslie, Marleen, Warner and Carolyn

The wedding day

Well, we prayed for a nice sunny day because the bride, Marleen wanted to be driven by horse carriage to the church on her wedding day. Marleen's hobby is horseback riding, and teaching at the riding school. She loves horses and thought it would be special to have four black horses pulling the carriage. It rained all day, but it was still beautiful. Tradition in the Netherlands is for all the guests to stand outside the church and wait for the bride and groom to approach the church. Bride and groom enter the church first, then all the guests enter the church. The bride and groom sit at the front of the church between the aisle. They had a female celebrant, a lovely woman who performs weddings in the Catholic church. After the service all guests leave the church ahead of the bride and groom so they will not head out into the streets alone. The carriage was waiting to take them to the reception. Behind the guests were about twelve horses from the riding school, with the riders in English riding costume, white pants, navy or black jackets and black riding hats. Before the bride and groom left they released two doves. They then got into the carriage and left, and all the horses and riders followed them to the reception. The first thing they did once everyone was inside and gathered around the tables was to toast the bride and groom with champagne. We all passed the glasses to the back until everyone had a glass of champaign. Marleen has ordered glasses with Warner and Marleen and the date of the wedding printed on the glass, a gift for everyone to take with them. After the toast, they cut the cake, and Leslie and I helped her mother serve the cake to everyone. People then got drinks at the bar, we sat along the wall near the grandmother, everyone went to congratulate the bride and the groom and the family members. It is tradition to kiss cheek, right left right, 3 kisses. And shake hands with everyone. The young people presented a song for Marleen. All the guests also sang to them. I loved it. Slowly most guests left, by seven o'çlock there was a formal meal for the closest family. All very beautiful. I have so much more to tell.

Saturday in Holland

Today we took a bus to Spanbroek, with all our luggage. Was a little bit difficult, but I have to learn to pack lightly. Everyday I am learning more things. Don't believe everything you hear. The desk clerk at the hotel said it would be no problem to change traveler's checks into EU at the bank. No bank in Hoorn would do this. No place in Hoorn would take American Express Traverlers checks in American Dollars, and when we checked out of the hotel, he did not want to take American Express Travelers checks even though he said he would earlier in the week. Visa it is, but if you want to get EU from your Visa, it cannot be done in a bank, only at an ATM, with a pin. I didn't bring my pin, it is not my practice in America to take out a cash advance with my credit card from a machine. And of course I did not bring my debit card with me. So I didn't learn enough before I came. Will I come again with all this extra knowledge?
Also I didn't check all my drawers in the hotel before checking out, and as soon as I got off the bus, I remembered that I left my major purchase in the hotel room It was a purchase of yarn for a sweater. Luckily I was able to call and then go back and pick it up. The father of the bride, Nico, drove us back to Hoorn, but through the back country with a guided tour of some older homes which was very nice. Then we went to the restaurant to pick up the glasses to take to the place where they will have the reception. Warner and Marleen are running all around today to do errands. Leslie, Nico and Warner's father just went off to take a bike ride. We will stay at the aunt's house tonight, Warner also. Tomorrow a horse drawn carriage will pick up Warner, then he will ride over to pick up the bride, and then they will ride in the carriage to the church. I need to get pictures of that.
Another thing I learned, should have bought an I Amsterdam ticket for a Discount, but we were unable to predict how many days we would want to go to Amsterdam. I want to add more pictures but I am having trouble reading things on her computer in Dutch. I am learning a few words in Dutch. Most people can understand what we say, but we can't always find English on the TV. I feel like Madison in Splash trying to learn Dutch from the TV. Thank you sounds like ""Donkeyville" :)

Amsterdam

We spent a couple of days in Amsterdam. My first impression is there are so many canals. Quite beautiful. Had to see the Van Gogh Museum. Tuesday it was the Rijksmuseum Museum where Rembrant's art is located. We read about the Golden Age in Holland. Today we took a bus to Spanbroek. Easy peasy. Tickets 2 EUs. Tonight we go out to dinner with Marleen's family and Warner.

A Day in Hoogwoud

Here is my first pictures of Holland. My sister, Leslie poses here by the canal, then she take a picture of me. We spent the day at the Horseback Riding Stables watching Marleen teach many young people. It was quite windy, but at least the sun came out and we took a walk along the canals. Marleen poses with Ismal the horse after teaching all her lessons. At the grocery on the way home I had to take a picture of the beautiful flower bouquets.

My trip to the Netherlands

Have to bring a book along for my trip and I chose the best one Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I love this book. It is so good, so real so honest and so full of life. Life affirming. Who knew, well, Beth did, she told me I would love it, and my daughter Sara told me to read it too. A spiritual quest and travel and food, I said I was a foodie. There goes all my resolutions after reading the Skinny Bitch, Liz knows how to write about good food, I want that pizza from Naples right now, and yes, I too think Italian is the most beautiful language in the world, and I like to watch Bread and Tulips just to hear the language. Also Life is Beautiful. Must start Italian Lessons now. Was that the name of that movie when the people all learn Italian in Sweden and then travel to Vienna? Gotta get back to my foreign movie mode. Loved Bride and Prejudice and also The Monsoon Wedding. Who knew those Indian movies could be so beautiful. And loved the music. Okay, I love movies as much as I love books. Right after I was graduating from library school my husband and I talked about going to Paris, it didn't happen, but I made him sit through loads of French movies, the second best thing. Is that when I started reading Alan Furst? That's a load of history. And European cities. May even try to post pictures of my trip to Amsterdam and Hoorn Holland. Wow!

Charlie Wilson's War

The movie looked good, always loved Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, win-win, and a good story. The book has so much information, shocking really. Amazing power in Washington, especially if you have an agenda and Charlie Wilson did. He hated communism and he found others like-minded to help with his crusade. Now, my question is, how does a covert operation become a best seller? What is the statue of limitations per se, when does private become public, and does it happen too fast in our world today? 1985 seems like yesterday to me, some of the same charcters are still alive and maybe potentially powerful, is it a good idea to share this with the world? I'm not going to use this information to hurt anyone, but can this hurt people, the USA and how we are perceived around the world? I always hate to think that foreigners are watching Jerry Springer and thinking, that is America. Will they watch this movie and think, that is US Congress? Interesting yes, entertaining yes, helpful, I don't know. I don't like the ending of the movie where there has to be a Hollywood ethic lesson. Anyone else agree or disagree? Tell me.

http://www.patryfrancis.com/patry-bio.htm

Book discussion group

Just finished the book, The Fig Eater by Jody Shields, her first novel. It was a fascinating book. Strong sense of place, providing the reader with a good description of Vienna in 1910. The protagonist is the wife of the Investigator, who has brought her into his case, a murder of an eighteen year young woman in a Volksgarten, I think was the name. Basically it is a city park with statues. His investigation is the basis of the story, but Elizabeth ( I know I spelled it wrong from the book) takes over the story as she draws in more characters to help solve this mystery for her. I believe this strong attraction to her is told in the beginning of the story when she totally engrossed herself in the nursing of one of her servants, whom later died. She has no children, her life revolves around her husband, and this fascination only draws her closer to him, but it seems that she is distancing herself from him through the story. Their marriage is presented in interesting clips, her spying on him, and he likewise. Theirs is a physical relationship, with not too much intellectual intimacy I think. I liked the book, I like descriptive poetic language, but I know that language is the strong draw for me. I found the story interesting, pacing good, finished the first quarter of the book the first evening, and I wanted to get back to it. The turn off for some in our book group perhaps was the sexual content of the book, the perverseness of some characters. I only took this to be an aspect of the Freudian culture of Vienna. I also was captivated by the gypsy lore, and the superstitions of the characters, the tarot cards, and the mutilation of the grave site. Reminds me of the Gothic romances I would read in the 70's. My draw to some books lately is the fascination of other people, other women in differing times or locations. I like just the difference of what it means to be human in our world, today or yesterday.

Distracted by reading

Found the most fun book, Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. Guess I am pretty much a foodie. Love to read about food, but haven't mentioned that, have I? Anyways the book's premise, young married secretary frustrated by her life choices (or the direction her life is going) decides to challenge herself by making all 500+ recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year, and learn to be a better cook in the meantime and save the tuition to cooking school. But, one interesting fact, her husband suggests she blogs her "project". And the world learns that Julie is a writer we want to read. She has quite a few "bleaders"(blog readers) Who knew?

January

I don't want to forget to write down any book I am reading. Some books just get a slight look see by me. Not my full attention. I started off the New Year with a resolution to eat better, grabbed some diet books and decided to do a "Cleanse" as propsed by Mark Hyman in The UltaSimple Diet. Ha! Simple indeed. Stocking up on all he suggests just for the first week kept me busy for awhile. The most helpful suggestion was the UltraBath. "Add 2 cups of Epsom salt, 1 cup baking soda and 10 drops of lavender oil to bathwater as hot as you can stand it. Soak 20 minutes before bed." p. 107 Its great, I sleep much better. Can't seem to eliminate the coffee completely, must be a winter thing. oh, I am going to read The Coffee Trader by David Liss to prepare me for my trip to the Netherlands. That's coming up the end of February and I want to acquaint myself with some history of Amsterdam. I am also reading bits and pieces of travel books, Let's Go Europe by Rick Stevens and Safety and Security For Women Who Travel by Shelia Swan and Peter Laufer. I need to start working on my lists of things not to forget. The wedding announcement came, the town is Hoogwoud. My sister and I are traveling to her son's wedding. How cool is that!!

What I have been up to

Betty Bunny Love is my lastest creation. Not only did I knit this cute little bunny, but I wrote a story for my granddaughter about time with Nana.

Reading about Afghanistan

Finished A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. A great read, and a great audio book. The Reader, Atossa Leoni, who is German-born of Afghan ancestry, was chosen because she could pronounce the Afghan words. I appreciate a book more when it is read to me. It was perhaps slow, but by the middle of the audio book, I transfered to the written word. Sitting down one evening to finish the book. I loved it more than The Kite Runner probably because it was a story of two women, bound together by a infant. It touched my female soul, knowing how much bonding to a baby can be like. Sharing my grandson with my daughter, or rather she shared him with me, only made that time more precious. I especially liked the ending.

January reading

Still reading Isabel's Bed, but I finished another novel in the meantime. Decided to take a paperback book I owned with me on my trip to Washington D.C. So I went to the bookshelf at home and decided to take along Saying Grace by Beth Gutcheon. An interesting book about private schools and people who are in charge of them. Funny, I just read My Latest Grievance by Elinor Lipman and that too was about private schools. Back to the novel by Beth Gutcheon. She writes about a disagreement that a wife has with her husband over her daughter's life choices. Why is it so hard to disagree with the one person you are in love with, especially about the person that you both love? It seems there ought to be a better way of handling disagreements. It divides families. Sometimes I just think it is because women cannot think like men and men cannot think like women. Laura Schlessinger said something really great, at least I think she said it, "Don't let a man define what motherhood means to you." In that sense don't let your husband tell you how you should feel as a mother, how you should behave as a mother, and how you should think as a mother. Mothering is very emotional. Men just don't get it. It's a good book about family problems, which we all have at one time or another.