tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53869724074261711322024-02-19T05:25:49.171-05:00DesmodusJunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-16079702727744152272015-10-08T09:44:00.000-05:002015-10-08T09:44:48.163-05:00BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP<br />
<br />
1 medium onion
<br />1 medium butternut squash (peeled, seeded & cubed)
<br />1 tbsp. ground fenugreek
<br />1 tbsp. garlic powder
<br />1 small carrot (scrubbed)
<br />1 small potato (peeled)
<br />1 thumb-sized nub ginger root (peeled)
<br />1 bunch chopped scallions
<br />Optional: 1 cup diced cooked chicken (I used leftover breasts)
<br />Salt and pepper to taste
<br /><br />Dice the onion and saute in oil in a stock pot. When the onions begin to turn translucent, add fenugreek and toast with the onions on medium heat for about a minute. Add squash and garlic powder, stir to coat squash and add water to cover at least 2" above the squash and allow to cook on medium until squash is fork tender.
<br /><br />Puree the soup with an immersion blender (or in food processor or blender and return to pot) and continue cooking on medium low heat. It should be on the very thin side, but not as thin as broth. Grate the carrot, potato and ginger coarsely with a box grater, add to soup and stir. If you choose to add chicken, it should go in at the same time. Cook an additional 15-20 minutes on medium low heat, salt and pepper to taste. I used white pepper because I had it on hand.
Serve with scallions sprinkled on top.Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-22737354118032851482015-07-03T09:05:00.003-05:002015-07-03T09:06:09.804-05:00City of Stairs by Robert J. Bennett<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20174424-city-of-stairs" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="City of Stairs" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394545220m/20174424.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20174424-city-of-stairs">City of Stairs</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2916869.Robert_Jackson_Bennett">Robert Jackson Bennett</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1324365665">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I read this book on the recommendations of other authors, so I can't pretend to long anticipation (although I did pre-order it). Imagine my delight when the story hooked me thoroughly by the end of the first chapter. The book comes across like an historical mystery set in a mythical world, and the imagery is vivid without taking over the story's narrative. This makes me want to read other works by Bennett. If you're a fan of Paula Volsky and Roger Zelazny, I urge you read this book.
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/20177107-june-weiss">View all my reviews</a>
Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-14861388276407794232014-05-01T07:48:00.000-05:002014-05-01T07:48:51.230-05:00The NBA, Donald SterlingIn part of the Donald Sterling rant tape, he says the following to his girlfriend:<br><br>
“I’ve known [Magic] well and he should be admired … I’m just saying that it’s too bad you can’t admire him privately. Admire him, bring him here, feed him, fuck him, but don’t put [Magic] on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don’t bring him to my games.”<br><br>
Interesting, that above all else that he's concerned about what other people think of his girlfriend's activities, is whining about people calling him to comment. And that he'd rather she schtupp Magic (one of my heroes, personally), who is HIV-positive, than be seen with him in public. What a sad, sorry, pathetic creature this wealthy old man is!Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-8274543027677327622014-04-16T15:11:00.000-05:002014-04-16T15:11:05.560-05:00Hang Wire by Adam Christopher<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17316565-hang-wire" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Hang Wire" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1376494979m/17316565.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17316565-hang-wire">Hang Wire</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/590743.Adam_Christopher">Adam Christopher</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/912077529">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This book was recommended to me by comparing it to a cross between Tim Powers and Erin Morganstern. Well, other than an unorthodox circus being a part of the story I don't see the Erin Morganstern comparison. But the Tim Powers comparison is right on - this book is like Powers-lite. I loved the mystery of whose body Highwire was inhabiting, and not knowing for a while whether he was the killer. The slowly evolving story of Joel, and of "Bob", as well as the contemporary story of the group of friends/co-workers in San Francisco, unfolded gracefully and naturally. A blend of urban fantasy and word mythology, I loved this book and would highly recommend it to any of my circle of reading enthusiasts.
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/20177107-june-weiss">View all my reviews</a>
Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-73074737087201176792014-03-20T14:52:00.003-06:002014-03-20T14:52:51.383-06:00The Color of Light<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18469987-the-color-of-light" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Color of Light" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1378754510m/18469987.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18469987-the-color-of-light">The Color of Light</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5622334.Helen_Maryles_Shankman">Helen Maryles Shankman</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/887076388">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I am torn in my opinion of this book. The characters are immensely compelling and the story is a whopper of a tale with multiple climactic events. But there are problems with the writing: certain aspects of the story are downright implausible and transitions between scenes are often confusing. For example, Rafe (the vampire/love interest of the main character) tells multiple people that a single ray of sunlight will turn him into a pile of ashes. But he frequently attends board meetings during daylight hours without any explanation as to how he avoided destruction. The bond formed between the group of students who become Tessa's (the main character) friends is portrayed as extremely tight, but as they part after graduation there is no discussion of keeping in touch and their farewells seem permanent. And of course, the final nail in the coffin is that the female protagonist gives up her dream and the prize she worked so hard for because her guy won't budge and go to Paris with her but does want to take her traveling around the world. These are only a few of the points with which I took exception, there are many more. But overall I loved the characters, enjoyed the setting and the story, and especially appreciated what I learned about art during the reading of this book.
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/20177107-june-weiss">View all my reviews</a>
Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-63807173052518901962014-03-07T10:29:00.001-06:002014-03-07T10:29:23.058-06:00The Drowning Girl<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11515328-the-drowning-girl" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Drowning Girl" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1389053256m/11515328.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11515328-the-drowning-girl">The Drowning Girl</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4798562.Caitl_n_R_Kiernan">Caitlín R. Kiernan</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/874664896">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This was the most difficult book for me to read maybe ever. So much of the book could have been me in spirit: I had an Abalyn and an Eva in my life. I am mermaid-obsessed. I have struggled with depression and have had crisis events and periods in which my inner dialog, my perception of the world, and my struggle to distinguish fact from truth were much like Imp's. Reading this book was like visiting, as a tourist, a place where I was once held captive. Not only is the writing brilliant, but Caitlin Kiernan is an incredibly brave author to have written this book and I salute her with both hands. I don't think I could record those periods in my life with as much articulate and beautiful prose as she has done here.
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/20177107-june-weiss">View all my reviews</a>
Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-88760093261218646242014-03-01T10:49:00.001-06:002014-03-01T11:08:45.327-06:00Curried Butternut Squash SoupWhole butternut squash<br />
Olive oil<br />
1 medium onion, chopped<br />
2 carrots, diced
<br />
1 rib of celery, diced
<br />
2 tsp. curry powder
<br />
1 tsp. ground fenugreek
<br />
1 tsp. ground ginger
<br />
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
<br />
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
<br />
Salt/Pepper to taste
<br />
<br />
Cut squash in half lengthways, scrape out seeds. Lightly drizzle olive oil over exposed flesh, place on a baking sheet cut side up and roast in oven at 350° for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
<br />
<br />
In a stock pot, sweat onion, carrots and celery in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When they have begun to soften and turn slightly brown, add curry powder, fenugreek and ginger. Continue to cook for about a minute to toast the spices. Add stock and bring to a simmer.
<br />
<br />
Scrape flesh from squash skin, mash with a potato masher or ricer and add to soup pot. I use an immersion blender to make the soup smooth, but it isn't required. If additional liquid is needed to smooth out consistency of soup, add water. When the mixture has begun to simmer again, add garlic, salt and pepper. Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-56517683185232743462014-02-22T16:02:00.001-06:002014-02-22T16:02:51.213-06:00Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13538873-mr-penumbra-s-24-hour-bookstore" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1345089845m/13538873.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13538873-mr-penumbra-s-24-hour-bookstore">Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2960227.Robin_Sloan">Robin Sloan</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/862349591">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I admit, the title alone led me to buy this book. I had just finished reading a book that had me very emotionally invested and I expected this to be a light little romp that I could read as a kind of rebound book and enjoy for what it was worth then forget.<br><br>Man, was I wrong! Maybe its because I know San Francisco and have enjoyed time browsing obscure used-book shops in the Bay area. Maybe it was my adolescent fixation with epic fantasy. Or because I have friends and family among the techie crowd. Or that I can't resist an antiquated secret society. Whatever the alchemical combination, this book was a rare and unforseen treat to read.<br><br>As always, I refrain from spoilers or too much description. But if my recommendations have worked for you in the past, you will love this one!
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/20177107-june-weiss">View all my reviews</a>
Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-43428431570752781582014-01-05T13:59:00.002-06:002014-01-05T13:59:34.555-06:00Baby got Books!(sung to the tune of Baby Got Back)<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://images.oneofakindantiques.com/6505_Lemuel_gulliver_travels_book_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://images.oneofakindantiques.com/6505_Lemuel_gulliver_travels_book_1.jpg" width="243" /></a>I like big books and I cannot
lie, <br />
You other readers can’t deny<br />
When the story opens up and sweeps me away <br />
And I'm reading for the rest of the day <br />
I get hooked!<br />
Wanna devour the rest of that book! <br />
Then you notice it's the first of a series.<br />
Deep in the arc of the story, <br />Twists and turns to glory.<br />
Oh baby, just one more chapter<br />
That’s all I’m after!<br />
My book club tried to warn me<br />
And now I’m caught up in the story!<br />
Ooh, hard or paperback<br />
You say e-books are a sin?<br />
Well amuse me, confuse me<br />
I ain’t your average groupie!<br />
Fantasy or sci-fi, oh<br />
Historical or bio<br />
Challenge my brain, it’s no strain!<br />
TV pulls me down the drain!<br />
I’m tired of blogs and sites<br />
Saying reading is a dead art<br />
Take a person with a brain and inquire<br />
It’s gotta build a world and inspire!<br />
So readers! Readers!<br />
Has your story got the punch? (Hell yeah!)<br />
Then read it, read it, read that epic book!<br />
Baby got books!</div>
Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-90382728109658420552014-01-05T00:59:00.000-06:002014-01-05T00:59:34.003-06:002013 Reading ListThese are the books I read for the first time in 2013. The list doesn't include novellas, short stories, compilations or re-reads. One or two were forgettable and I had to look up the descriptions to recall having read them, but for the most part I chose well and listened to recommendations from the right people.<br />
<br />
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Kevin Hearne</div>
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Kevin Hearne</div>
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Joe Hill</div>
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Codex Born</div>
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Jim C. Hines</div>
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Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-70165497790009046352013-12-07T02:51:00.000-06:002013-12-07T02:51:27.692-06:00Hild by Nicola Griffiths<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17332243-hild" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Hild" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1375931640m/17332243.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17332243-hild">Hild</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/90780.Nicola_Griffith">Nicola Griffith</a><br /><br />My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/704915375">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/20177107-june-weiss">View all my reviews</a><br />
<span id="freeText7039631230746951681">I'm a closet lover of
historical fiction. Closet because I'm so picky - it has to be good,
well researched and authentic. It also has to come alive and wrap me up
in the story and the characters, blanket me in a sense of being there.
Not many authors live up to those criteria, but Nicola Griffith does it
beautifully. You can see a synopsis of any book online, but you have to
rely on fellow readers to tell you whether it tastes good. This book is
delicious.</span>Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-35059484495008860102013-11-18T22:38:00.001-06:002013-11-18T22:38:24.548-06:00Beetnik Sweet Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2 ⅓ cup sugar<br />
4 eggs<br />
3 cups peeled, shredded fresh beets<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";">⅔</span> cup cold
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2 teaspoons vanilla extract</div>
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⅓ cup cocoa powder<br />
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1 ½ teaspoons salt<br />
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1 teaspoon nutmeg<br />
1 cup chopped pecans (other nuts optional)<br />
1 cup chocolate chips</div>
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<br />Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Allow to cool, remove from pan and enjoy.</div>
Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-85809259637191505622013-10-29T12:54:00.000-06:002013-10-29T12:54:28.919-06:00Challenge to my brother Carvin.Since I've been writing more, this children's book keeps nagging at me. Are you up for providing some illustrations?<br />
<br />
********************* <br />
<br />
The bug was alone. Not really lonely, he had friends everywhere and anywhen. But as far as he knew, he was the only one of his kind. He wasn't a god, don't think that for a second. But he had some qualities that none of his friends had. Like detailed memories of things that were going to happen tomorrow. Or next year, or even thousands of years ago. And if he thought about it he could go there and, like television only better, he could touch and smell and taste along with watching and hearing.<br />
<br />
He thought of himself as a bug because when he relaxed and just emptied his brain of being anything or anyone else he became what looked like a crab-like insect about the size of a dinner plate with 12 legs extending all around. He had eye stalks protruding from the center of his body that could look in any direction and a mouth centered under his armored body that could eat, smell and even drink with a long proboscis, although he didn't need to breathe. He didn't need to eat or drink either, for that matter, but he did enjoy doing so. And he could fly and hover without wings or any visible propulsion. He didn't know where he came from, but he could go anywhere, really. When he was relaxing and pondering his own existence, he thought maybe he had evolved over a long, long time and that his abilities were survival mechanisms. Like atomic powered camouflage or something.<br />
<br />
Other creatures seemed to find the bug's natural appearance off-putting, so he could take on any appearance he wanted. It didn't seem to matter what size relative to his natural bug shape. He could be microscopic or gigantic as the need arose. And language had never been a problem because once connected with those around him his mind just sort of absorbed the necessary lingo and all its rules and funny quirks. Oh yes, and so far nothing seemed to be able to kill him. But he did make mistakes and also learned from them.<br />
<br />
So not all powerful, or all knowing, the bug still had impressive abilities. But he wasn't a god and he knew it with a deep knowledge that was almost bone-deep instinct.Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-36234569381777160522013-10-27T15:33:00.000-06:002013-10-27T16:45:25.108-06:00German Chocolate Brownies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We like to take old reliable recipes and fiddle with them. This is
an idea Mitch and I worked up together after I made butterscotch
brownies on Friday, with the thought that you could combine the best of
the pecan and coconut frosting from a German chocolate cake and add
chocolate chips to live up to its name. I finally made them this
afternoon with delicious results.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcq1gEF2u2W2BY6QrlJXmI8kXXn5wYJt_Kghkj1TwvzkPQ9Xd_bMPEz6145gZ2hz3J3E3ssDt4qDv3sX4IEg3BvWW8FxtsfkiD_hAJYSCXroCAdmEKJiaXPvkHUT-FjZemD4aIeWJkuMTf/s1600/DSC00388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcq1gEF2u2W2BY6QrlJXmI8kXXn5wYJt_Kghkj1TwvzkPQ9Xd_bMPEz6145gZ2hz3J3E3ssDt4qDv3sX4IEg3BvWW8FxtsfkiD_hAJYSCXroCAdmEKJiaXPvkHUT-FjZemD4aIeWJkuMTf/s320/DSC00388.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
German Chocolate Brownies<br />
<br />
½ cup coconut flakes<br />
½ cup chopped pecans<br />
½ cup chocolate chips<br />
½ cup butter or stick margarine<br />
2 cups brown sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
1 cup flour<br />
2 tsp. baking powder<br />
½ tsp. salt<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">°. Spread coconut flakes and pecans on a 9" x 12" baking pan, toast in oven for 10 minutes. Remove, allow to cool and set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat. When melted, add brown sugar and beat until there are no lumps and the mixture is a thick consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Add cooled butter/brown sugar mixture and beat smooth. Add dry ingredients and stir until all dry ingredients are incorporated. Mix in coconut and pecans. Last, add chocolate chips. Pour into 9" x 12" baking pan and bake at </span> 350<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">° for 25 minutes. Allow to cool, cut into squares and enjoy.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_5w8DEVCpn4eIjTZuVzx95oNCf_4Ni7TNOHZy-JRvhN7_eYFVGJggEaQbD0LUKpZTvrhmep9_jvJ2UKKF068mN36nYHfXW7rpmXBRY_7Y4HtkN5iHz2qeIv_TfbvPTVo4iHZtZRjZINi/s1600/DSC00391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_5w8DEVCpn4eIjTZuVzx95oNCf_4Ni7TNOHZy-JRvhN7_eYFVGJggEaQbD0LUKpZTvrhmep9_jvJ2UKKF068mN36nYHfXW7rpmXBRY_7Y4HtkN5iHz2qeIv_TfbvPTVo4iHZtZRjZINi/s320/DSC00391.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-27031302790561115272013-09-22T11:43:00.000-05:002013-09-22T11:48:21.720-05:00Book Review - Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17817631-under-the-empyrean-sky" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Under the Empyrean Sky (The Heartland Trilogy, #1)" border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1369037255m/17817631.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17817631-under-the-empyrean-sky">Under the Empyrean Sky</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17152.Chuck_Wendig">Chuck Wendig</a><br />
<br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/725558729">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
<br />
I'm a sucker for a dystopian future tale, I must admit. <br />
<br />
I had followed Chuck Wendig on Twitter for several months and tremendously enjoyed the interactive nature of his blog, <a href="http://terribleminds.com/">terribleminds.com</a> but I was oddly hesitant about reading his work. After all, I had already formed an opinion of this guy based on his online writing and what if I didn't like his work? It's happened before with authors I "met" outside of their published works. I needn't have worried. <i>Under the Empyrean Sky</i> was a terrific read. The characters he created were easy to relate to and engaged in credible dialog. Most importantly he draws you into his created world a bit at a time, enough to allow a sense of that world to emerge in increments rather than throwing too much at you at once, leaving you to figure out what you're looking at. At no point did the writing take me out of the story, it flowed as the best of stories do, and I can't wait for the sequel because now I have to know what happens next!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/20177107-june-weiss">View all my reviews</a>Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-3644226268044404222013-08-20T20:45:00.000-05:002013-09-07T10:19:40.238-05:00Riverside Recipe EntryUPDATE: I won! I was one of the winners of the audiobook <i>The Fall of Kings</i> for this recipe entry!<i></i><br />
<br />
My entry for <a href="http://ellen-kushner.livejournal.com/426241.html" target="_blank">Ellen Kushner's Riverside Cookbook</a>. I am calling this <b>Katie's Country Chicken Noodle Soup</b> and I would like to think that Katherine made it for Richard while out in the country in <i>The Privilege of the Sword</i>.<br />
<br />
<u>Soup</u><br />
Two chicken breasts, skin removed<br />
Two carrots<br />
1 Celery Stalk<br />
1 Onion<br />
1 Tbsp. dill weed<br />
2 scallions<br />
Salt and Pepper<br />
<br />
<u>Noodles</u>:<br />
3/4 cup flour<br />
1 egg<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
1 Tbsp. liquid from soup pot <br />
<br />
Salt and pepper the chicken, put into a large pot and cover with water about an inch deeper than the chicken breasts, then boil until nearly falling off the bone (about 30 minutes give or take). Reserve the liquid, but remove chicken. Remove bones, dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot. Dice carrots, celery and onion and add to pot, return to a boil then reduce to medium heat while making the noodles.<br />
<br />
Combine noodle ingredients, kneading by hand toward the end. Turn out on a floured board and roll thin with a rolling pin. Turn up one edge, then roll the dough like a cinnamon roll. Cut thin strips and drop unrolled noodles into the boiling soup stock. Cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.<br />
<br />
Before serving, uncover and add chopped dill weed and scallions. Stir in and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-33531699129103633892013-08-02T11:17:00.000-05:002013-08-02T11:17:14.830-05:00Flash Fiction Challenge - Four Random Items<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
No doubt about it, going through
Dad’s things after the funeral was awkward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a little like rifling through another woman’s purse or reading
someone else’s journal with small revelations sprinkled throughout like herbs
in a sauce.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I was saving his guitar for the last
thing to pack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those of us who were
closest to him knew that the guitar was the thing most precious to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My brother and I had saved up money from
mowing lawns all summer to buy it on lay-away from a local pawn shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a surprise for his birthday and he had
been almost bashful when we presented it to him like he was receiving a medal
or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he was going to haunt
anything it wouldn’t be the house or the garage, it would be that old Gretsch
Dorado with the birds on the pick guard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I gathered a pocket knife with a
broken blade, some fish hooks, two ragged pieces of chamois and his old
whetstone from his night stand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
were two more knives besides, one 2-bladed folding knife with a pearl handle
and the other a lockback with rough blackened horn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A piece of soft pine with what looked like an
elephant’s trunk and the beginnings of an ear carved into it went into the box next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a long metal cylinder that ended in
a flat oval with a hole through it that I recognized as a cable terminal from
his days working for McDonnell-Douglas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He liked to use those as whistles, like blowing across the top of a
bottle, and my baby brother would definitely want those. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found two more in different sizes under a
dog-eared copy of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dune</i> that he had
loaned to each of us kids in turn, always insisting we give it back when we
were done reading it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last thing I
picked up was an assortment of river rocks with holes all the way through them
strung on a piece of fishing line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
made me smile, remembering all the times he had had a whole pack of offspring,
nieces and nephews scouting the creek for holed stones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
There were a few other books on his
dresser top, including a pair of ancient Fritz Lieber books containing stories
of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser that I set aside for myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew my middle brother would want the full
hardback set of Asimov’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Foundation</i>
series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sister might want the Avon
cologne bottles shaped like a chess piece, a drinking horn and a leaping
dolphin that were still mostly full after all these years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mom bought them for him along with those on
the high shelves around the perimeter of their bedroom more for their esthetic
value than Dad’s need for cologne, which he only wore occasionally to
church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was sure he’d understand if I
sold the rest on eBay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would wrap them
in newspaper and box them separate from the things his children would want to keep.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I meant to leave his clothes to the
boys to go through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t think I
could live with myself if I rifled through Dad’s underwear drawer, and I’m sure
they would enjoy dividing up his luau shirt collection.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I slowly opened the drawer of his
night stand, not sure what to expect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were only three items lying in that shallow drawer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first was the old King James Bible in a
zippered leather cover, with tabs for each book, that he had carried my whole
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had tied a double-row sennit to
the pull tab, and the top stops had fallen off the zipper years ago, replaced
by my careful teenaged stitching with silvery thread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next to the Bible lay an ancient mechanical
pencil and the little black leather binder containing his song lyrics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I clutched the little notebook to my chest
and the scent of old leather drifted into my nose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had bought it when he first joined the
Navy at age 16 so he could write down words to songs as he learned to play
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the pages were typewritten
with guitar chord names written above the double-spaced lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other songs were written in Dad’s hand,
easily identifiable by the Catholic “r” he favored when printing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were not arranged in any particular
order, although he could have popped open the rings and removed them for
alphabetizing, but he seemed to be able to find any song he wanted pretty
quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contained in those pages were
obscure Celtic folk songs, Spanish ballads, popular music he had heard on the
radio and lots of salty sea shanties he wouldn’t let me read until I turned 16.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I started to place the notebook in
the box with the other treasures when a small sealed envelope no bigger than a
thank-you note slipped out with my name written on the front in pencil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat in the old rocking chair and carefully
broke the seal, pulling out a ruled sheet of paper from the little notebook
folded in half.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Dear Slick”, it began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I figure it’ll be your job to get rid of my
junk when I’m gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t care much
about anything else but I do want you to give your oldest brother the Dorado
and for you to keep my Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you
know this little songbook is a piece of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you can find a way to do it each of you kids each need to have a copy
of this notebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love you and I’ll
always be with you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was simply
signed “Dad”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Maybe I bumped it where it rested
against the wall or maybe Dad’s ghost did it, but just as I was folding the
note to go back in the envelope the old Dorado chimed a faint chord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was when I finally broke down and cried,
realizing he was really gone and had known ahead of time that he was going.</div>
Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-67723448429166736932013-07-17T09:43:00.001-05:002013-07-17T09:50:57.668-05:00My take on religionSeeing this linked on Twitter this morning prompted me to get my rant on. Okay, maybe not a rant but a segue-way into expressing my opinion.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/one-hell-of-a-deal-pope-francis-offers-reduced-time-in-purgatory-for-catholics-that-follow-him-on-twitter-8713666.html" target="_blank">Pope Promises Twitter Followers Reduced Sentence in Afterlife</a><br />
<br />
Here's my take on religion/spirituality: Whether or not you believe in God, or what your concept of God might be, is between you and the Creator. Like every other relationship in life, it's between the two people involved and nobody else should interfere.<br />
<br />
I know people like to quote so-called scripture to propound their position on anything. But taken out of context you can derive pretty limitless meanings from things in the Bible, especially good ol' King James' version. And the real secret? Nobody else gets to speak for God, no matter what their credentials.
<br />
<br />
I got no beef with Jesus. He and I were very tight for the first half of my life. It's those who follow him that muddied the waters, especially that guy named Saul who changed his name to Paul because of heat stroke he suffered on his way to Damascus that blinded him temporarily. He had been a Jewish scholar and argues like a Talmudic rabbi in some of his writings. Okay, so he was literate and wrote lots of letters that happened to survive millenia. But he NEVER MET JESUS WHILE HE WAS ON THIS EARTH!
<br />
<br />
Put another way, closer to home, even Moses was punished by God for presuming to speak for Him without His approval. Remember how Moses got to see the Holy Land but wasn't allowed to enter? Yup. Bad boy, no cookie.
<br />
<br />
God gave the Jews, through Moses, His law. That's why we Jews are sometimes referred to as The People of the Book. In every other religion, including Christianity, Islam, etc., human beings presume to speak on behalf of the Almighty. We have the actual, tangible laws He wrote down for us. Everything else is human opinion. What worked for Saint Augustine, Saul of Tarsus or Jerry Falwell may not work for you or for me in terms of having a relationship with God. Because we have to get to know God individually. But we do have concrete rules for behavior that He gave us, the greatest gift He bestowed on humanity after giving us life.
<br />
<br />
Yeah, I know Paul said Christians are freed from the Law by asking for forgiveness and repenting of their sins. Then Paul went on to write down all these NEW laws, even going on for chapters and verses about whether or not to circumcise. I also hear/read Christians saying the Bible isn't a smorgasbord, where you can pick and choose what to follow and what not to. Then they'll cite something about homosexuality and skip over the part about stoning someone to death for wearing clothing of combined linen and wool. Or chow down on pork ribs with a shrimp cocktail appetizer.
<br />
<br />
Even the great Hillel said: That which is abhorrent to you, do not do to others. The rest is commentary. (paraphrasing). The Golden Rule: yes, we Jews had it first. We also have Tikkun Olam which means heal the world. My take on that is to make the world a better place, not to beat other people into submission with your dogma and judge them based on the differences between the life they live and the life you choose to live.
<br />
<br />
And don't even get me started on Christians citing the Hebrew prophets as prognosticators of the coming of Jesus. Prophets, in the Jewish tradition, are preachers - hell-fire-and-brimstone, sometimes itinerant, preachers admonishing the people to return to their worship of God and stop being bad boys and girls. Not prophets in the Western tradition of foretelling the future.<br />
<br />
But back to my original point. Any human, whether it be the Pope (see link above) or Saul of Tarsus or Moses can only write about or advise others from the point of view of their own opinion and, maybe, if they're genuinely concerned for other people, their own relationship with God. I don't presume to speak for God, and I don't trust anyone else who maintains that they have the right to speak on His behalf either.Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-2299400450432802352013-07-15T17:09:00.000-05:002013-07-17T10:09:19.709-05:00III. January 1946 <br />
Seaman First Class Charles Knowles (Damage Control) crouched on deck of the U.S.S. McCord in his dungarees, the ever-present pack of Pall Malls rolled up in his t-shirt sleeve. With his back to a bulkhead he was enjoying sunset over the Pacific. Even after four years in the U.S. Navy, he never got tired of watching the ever-changing courtship dance of ocean and sky, especially at dawn and sunset. With a steaming cup of coffee in a thick Navy watch mug on the deck near his right foot, he was sharpening a pocket knife on a whetstone in his left hand, a lit cigarette dangling precariously from the side of his mouth.
<br />
<br />
Truth be told, he was still slightly hung-over. This was his first day back at sea after a week of shore leave with his brother Jack, a corporal in the army who was fond of both drinking and fighting. Charlie was pretty sure this was the first full day since the beginning of leave that he hadn’t had any alcohol, and the scratches on his hands from the fistfight he had lost to an imposing rosebush outside a tea house had begun to heal. He chuckled to himself, thinking about the dress whites he had to throw out because they were too bloodstained to salvage. At least soldiers’ uniforms were dark; a swabbie had to be more careful of his uniform when wearing his whites.
<br />
<br />
It would have all been just a fun break from his shipboard routine if Jack hadn’t wandered into a bar frequented by a squad of Negro paratroopers and started shouting racial slurs. Sometimes Charlie wondered whether Jack’s enthusiasm for drinking and fighting weren’t a kind of death wish. Just dragging Jack out of that bar in more or less one piece had gotten Charlie a black eye for his troubles. Their combined blood alcohol levels were enough for all of their brothers put together, which would have convinced wiser men to go sleep it off, but nobody would have accused the Knowles boys of wisdom, especially that week. So Charlie suggested the visit to the tea house.
<br />
<br />
Upon entering the elaborate gardens, Jack had turned to the left and said “What was that you said about my brother?” Then Jack took a swing in the general direction he had been looking, missing whatever he was aiming at and falling on his ass in a messy heap. Convinced his big brother was in danger, Charlie came at the rosebush with fists flying, doing some damage to the carefully groomed old growth before realizing he was beating up a rosebush with thorns as hard as teak and as long as his thumbnail. As much as he looked forward to shore leave, he was relieved the most recent one was over and he was back at sea.
<br />
<br />
Charlie wiped the knife blade on the cuff of his dungarees, folded it and put it in his front pocket then tucked the whetstone into a hip pocket. He tossed the spent cigarette butt over the side, polished off the last of the coffee and stood to head back to damage control.
<br />
<br />
He hadn’t gone five steps when a hatch door opened behind him and a familiar voice boomed out “Hey Knowles, come here and make yourself useful!”
<br />
<br />
Charlie turned around to see Smitty, the cook, stick his head and arm through the hatch and motion for him to approach. They had a mutual need for coffee at all hours of the day and night, and having it always available made Smitty a buddy in Charlie’s eyes.
“What you need, Smitty?” He grinned to show his willingness to help.
<br />
<br />
“One of the damned kids left a side of beef out in the pantry and its gone bad. I just came across it and none of them are anywhere to be found. Help me heft it overboard?” The “kids” were Smitty’s mess crew, mostly young recruits who hadn’t gotten through basic training in time to see any action during the war and were pretty universally disappointed not to have had a chance to fight. Charlie turned around and followed Smitty, shaking his head sadly over the waste of meat.
<br />
<br />
* * *
<br />
<br />
Growing up in a small town, the youngest of a bunch of boys whose mother had died when he was only five years old, Charlie had a rough-and-tumble childhood. Although his father remarried a few years later to provide the boys with a mother figure, May wasn’t exactly the warm, maternal type and sometimes seemed more like a tyrant housekeeper. Rumored to be a witch, his father dismissed the whispers about May as superstitious hogwash. But for some reason she had a soft spot for Charlie, often telling him that he was special for being the seventh son of a seventh son. Many afternoons, while his father was busy working, May would send Charlie hunting for frogs and paid him a penny for each one he brought home alive in a big old flour sack reserved for that purpose. He never knew what she used them for, she never cooked frogs legs for dinner, but those pennies allowed him to buy cheap novels that he devoured like other kids ate candy.
<br />
<br />
He never felt especially deprived even though there were other families in town who had more; bigger houses, more food, better clothes. But those families tended to keep company with each other and turn their noses up at the Knowles brood. Being half Indian on both his mother’s side (Cherokee) and his father’s (Sioux) didn’t make them any more socially acceptable either. He met Carl “Junior” Michel in school, the oldest in a family of six kids, and they became friends right away. Junior’s mom took Charlie under her wing and treated him like one of hers. This was the most mother he had since his own had died. Junior’s family also carried Indian blood and Mama Mary looked like a squaw right out of a western novel.
<br />
<br />
He and Junior shared a love of music and reading, and both had big dreams of leaving southwest Missouri and the Great Depression behind. Charlie’s Uncle Jasper, nicknamed Uncle Jap, taught him to play guitar. Junior’s dad played just about any instrument from piano to fiddle and had taught his eldest son to play as well. When the boys got together they’d play the kind of music forbidden at home, tin-pan alley songs and dirty boogies, and talk about the places they’d go and the things they’d see when they grew up.
<br />
<br />
Charlie turned 15 in late November of 1941. A few weeks later the world was shocked by Japan’s attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In a rush of patriotic outrage, he and Junior both enlisted in the military, lying about their age and swearing they were both 18 years old. Junior went into the Army but Charlie knew that the Navy was where he belonged. After all, didn’t the enemy choose its attack on that branch of the Service? Who did they think they were to blow our ships out of the water, to come to our house and start a fight?
<br />
<br />
After basic training, Charlie was sent to school to learn damage control, the Navy’s maintenance and emergency repair specialists. Damage controlmen helped maintain ship stability, learned firefighting, fire prevention, how to repair damage control equipment and how to defend against chemical, biological and radiological attacks, which were new areas of concern as the war progressed. And as the war progressed, Charlie also learned that regardless of his classification a seaman, referred to as a swabbie, was expected to pitch in wherever he was needed. Strictly staying within your job description was a luxury only officers could afford.
<br />
<br />
* * *
<br />
<br />
The smell hit his nose as he followed Smitty through the labyrinth of corridors and into the large pantry. Nauseating and a little sweet, the beef wasn’t as far gone as some of the dead animals he’d smelled as a kid but bad enough that he was glad Smitty wasn’t planning to salvage it. Smitty was built like a small barrel with legs and arms, yet still surprisingly strong and flexible for a portly man.
<br />
<br />
Smitty crouched down and next to a long counter and Charlie followed suit. The stainless steel shelf bolted to the bulkhead a few inches off the floor contained roughly half a cow and the smell intensified. Smitty scratched his sandy-blond head, shoving his cap back in the process, and blew out and exasperated breath.
<br />
<br />
“It’s a good thing we just stocked up or this would be a much bigger problem. Any ideas on how to get this mess out of here without stinking ourselves up?”
<br />
<br />
“Well sir,” Charlie began, “I think the only thing to do is just grab it from either end and get it out of here as quick as we can. We’ll worry about laundry later. Some of the kids are still fighting sea-sickness aren’t they?” Smitty nodded. “Then getting rid of the smell in here is probably more important than trying to keep our fatigues clean.”
<br />
<br />
They reached in at the same time, each grabbing an end of the beef, and hauled it off the shelf. It left a smear of blood, fat and stinky flesh behind, but there’d be time to clean up the mess after the main problem had been handled.
<br />
<br />
Charlie walked backward with his head craned around to look out for obstacles as they awkwardly managed the carcass through the kitchen, the mess hall and the corridor toward the hatch. When they reached the hatch to the deck, Charlie crouched down and rested his end of the meat on his knees, untucked his t-shirt and wiped his hands on it thoroughly enough to get the hatch open without smearing it with gunk. Swinging the carcass, on a count of three, they tossed the side of beef over the rail and into the warm Pacific.
<br />
<br />
“It might be a good night for fishing, Charlie, what with all that chum in the water.” Smitty chuckled at his own wit.
<br />
<br />
“You know, Smitty, you might be right. But first let’s go clean up the rest of your mess and then you owe me a cup of coffee for helping you.” Charlie wiped his hands again on the now dirty t-shirt, then pulled out a cigarette and his Zippo as a reward for his efforts.
Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-21690590300051348472013-06-24T17:25:00.001-05:002013-06-24T17:25:35.453-05:00The Clarion Write-a-Thon has begun - please consider sponsoring me!
http://clarionwriteathon.org/Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-75353565593601079862013-06-16T09:19:00.002-05:002013-07-17T10:07:21.282-05:00II. STORYTELLER <br />
<br />
It was an exceptional bonfire even by his family’s standards, which were high because he had nurtured their appetite for campfires over the years. A storm earlier in the year had vanquished a gnarled old cedar, its root pediment exposed and sprawled out for all the world like an alien creature that had just keeled over. The late cedar had contributed several large branches to the fire and its boughs, seasoned in the relentless summer sun, had been ideal kindling, snapping and popping with ignited resin.
<br />
<br />
He leaned back against their fallen benefactor’s bare feet and worried and worked at a muscular root joint with one of the several knives always in his possession, eyeing his circle thoughtfully, deliberately building anticipation. Fifteen-odd pairs of eyes, aged two to 16, followed his movements patiently, knowing he wouldn’t begin to speak until they were all settled and still. Most of them knew him as “Uncle Charlie”, but to five of he was Daddy. Audience and acolytes, ready to believe, they willingly went where his voice took them. And as their shaman and elder, he felt the weight of his tribe’s trust as a sacred burden, careful to conceal the smoke and mirrors behind a feisty grin. Barely 5’5”, brown has a hazelnut and wiry as a cat, his thin frame was clad in madras plaid shorts, a vivid Hawaiian shirt that was both untucked and unbuttoned, and heavy work boots to protect his tender feet. To his tribe, those were sacramental vestments.
<br />
<br />
The shaman smiled his signature smile. If a facial expression could define the spirit of a person, a state of being or emotion, his grin was mischief incarnate. Without a whisp of malice, intimate with irony but awkward with sarcasm, his grin was his most effective medicine. It was well known that his storytelling was powerful medicine, of course, most often practiced as a group ritual and employed as both diversion and subtle teaching tool It was a healing room entered into by mutual consent and the willing suspension of disbelief. But his smile snuck up on you and made you a co-conspirator. That grin could contain a Cab Calloway tune, your birthday and the prize from the crackerjack box of life when he wanted it to. Or it could contain subtitles to a story that said “I’ll just keep playing out this line until the hook is set, then I’ll reel you in.” His face could dance jigs and reels with no more than the corners of his mouth struggling with a twitch and crinkling, twinkling eyes.
<br />
<br />
Like grandma might label a jar of preserves, his wife had slapped a label on it years before, calling it his “shit-eating grin” long before she succumbed to it. Marrying his friend Junior’s tomboy kid sister “Beanpole” had shocked and startled a lot of people. But by now the years had rounded her to his liking and he figured he would keep her, despite the fact that it made no sense to think someone might grin while consuming bodily waste. He just accepted the label as her way of expressing the difficult to define, and nowadays he only heard the depth of feeling behind it. Just as he accepted so many things about her that puzzled other people.
<br />
<br />
Working at a tricky spot in the wood, a knot into which he was carving a leprechaun’s ear, he covertly surveyed his audience. Nieces and nephews arrayed around the fire with his own children among them, the oldest at age 16 holding the baby who was only four. <br />
<br />
“So what kind of story do you want tonight?” he asked the assembly.<br />
<br />
“Space aliens!” “Robots” “Trains” “Dragons” and “Horses” were among the answers shouted back at him at once. Then his eldest asked for a story about his service in the U.S. Navy.
He leaned back and stuck his legs out in front of the fire, crossed at the ankles, and began “I guess I could tell you about how I ended up in a military mental ward….” and with that the hook was set and he began reeling them in slowly.
Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-51880382802538027792013-06-15T17:58:00.000-05:002013-07-17T10:07:52.004-05:00I. Prologue<h2>
</h2>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BzdAhqdaL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BzdAhqdaL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of this year’s most anticipated books is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inferno</i> by Dan Brown, once again taking
us into the world of Robert Langdon (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Da Vinci Code</i>, among others) and the secret symbolism contained in Dante Alighieri’s
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inferno</i>, a portion of his epic poem <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Divine Comedy, </i>telling of one soul’s
tortured journey through hell, purgatory, and finally paradise guided by the poet
Virgil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t yet read Dan Brown’s
latest, but for those interested in fiction centering on Dante’s master work, I
recommend <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dante Club</i> by Daniel
Pearl.<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Divine Comedy</i>
was first translated into English in the late 1800s by Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow while serving on the faculty of Harvard University. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Dante Club</i> is a fictionalized mystery centering on Longfellow and his real-life
colleagues – Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes (father of the great jurist), poet James
Russell Lowell and publisher J.T. Fields – who are assisting with proofreading
and critiquing his translation process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like academics throughout the ages, they’re up against administrative
bureaucrats who want to dictate the curriculum of the university and are
performing the translation as a labor of love.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When a series of odd deaths begin occurring in the Boston/Cambridge
area, the four friends slowly begin to realize that the deaths are punishments
portrayed in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inferno,</i> retribution
for particular sins that the 19<sup>th</sup> century American victims seem to
have been guilty of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set against a
backdrop of an America rebuilding after the recent Civil War and a
Massachusetts adapting to the influx of both immigrants and former slaves, the
story not only brings aspects of Dante’s work to life but also provides a glimpse
into the growing pains of a great American metropolitan area.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />The story is captivating, well researched, and highly
recommended.</div>
Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-47548433880998319382013-05-06T21:21:00.002-05:002013-05-06T21:21:19.536-05:00My cousin asked me for reading recommendations, having just finished the most recent Anita Blake book by Laurell K. Hamilton and having read <i>The Strain</i> series by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro. Here's what I recommended for her:<br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0].[0]">The
new Sookie Stackhouse book will be released tomorrow. It is the last one of the series (Charlaine Harris
announced that last year) and I've got it on pre-order. If you want
something that will grab you as much as those books mentioned, I can't
recommend highl</span></span><span id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]">y
enough <i>A Discovery of Witches</i> by Deborah Harkness. The first of a
planned trilogy, the second book is also out (<i>Shadow of Night</i>) and the
third is coming out next year, I think. I'm currently reading Joe
Hill's <i>NOS4A2 </i>(Joe Hill is Stephen King's son who doesn't use his last
name because he wanted to make it on his own) and that one has sucked me
in as well in the best possible way.</span><br id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[1]" /><span id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[2]"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[2]">Also, I seriously recommend the <i>Kushiel </i>series - two trilogies beginning with Kushiel's Dart by </span><a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=88015600455&extragetparams=%7B%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/jacquelinecarey.author" id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[3]" target="_blank">Jacqueline Carey</a><span id=".reactRoot[2].[1][4][1]{comment10151352738386467_24857283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[4]">. She never ceases to amaze and impress me.</span></span></span></span></span>Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386972407426171132.post-70872729075697239192013-04-29T23:53:00.002-05:002013-04-30T21:02:42.671-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51zArFVNOPL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51zArFVNOPL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></div>
Tomorrow a book I've been waiting for is released: <i>NOS4A2 </i>by Joe Hill. In honor of that book, I'm going to review another of his works, <i>Heart-Shaped Box</i>.<br />
<br />
It's no secret that I love a well-told horror story. And this one is told extremely well. An aging rocker, along the lines of an Alice Cooper or Ozzy Osborne, adds to his collection of macabre memorabilia by buying a ghost in an online auction. The story starts simply, but the artistry in this book is the way the story, and the characters' back stories, unfold like a multi-tiered flower.<br />
<br />
Just when you begin to think you don't really like Judas Coyne, the protagonist, you realize there's more to him than his impatience and gruff exterior. The ghost, while at first seeming to be on a righteous revenge mission, never becomes a sympathetic character. Jude's girlfriend, annoying in the beginning, becomes his partner in salvation. Telling you much more would give away too much of the plot, and I encourage you to let it unfold for you.<br />
<br />
A book this good doesn't come along very often. And a man with this much talent for writing doesn't either. Take my advice - read this book. While Joe Hill comes from a talented gene pool, his voice is his own and I can't wait to read the new book.Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545346227825337495noreply@blogger.com0