Book Review

The Ties That Bind: A Memoir of Race, Memory, and Redemption by Bertice Berry


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Relating the story of her family's past, Bertice Berry realized that she did not fully understand of what that past consisted. It was only at the end of her mother's life that she finally began to listen to the stories told of good white people who owned the farm where her ancestors lived and worked. Before this time she believed her people to be slaves. Her previous novel had castigated the supposed slave owner of her family and with this book she seeks to redeem herself for her misinformation.




Growing up in the 60's as one of seven children, all of different fathers, Ms. Berry tells her family story, attempting to weave the times of slavery into the fabric of the current day. Her life is a crusade of encouraging people of all colors to come to grips with where they have come from and above all, to love and help others in their lives.




A positive reflection of thoughtful writing.




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Book Review

The Bottle Factory Outing by Beryl Bainbridge


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Rather distressing, but funny story of two English girls who work at an Italian-run bottling factory. One is being chased by one of the workers that she has no interest in and the other is chasing a worker who is not interested in her. The plot thickens when a long awaited OUTING planned for the workers occurs, with serious consequences resulting.




This book caught my eye at the library as an author I had not read and the story line sounded appealing. It is funny, but sadly so.




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Book Review

An Irish Christmas: Stories by John Brendan Keane


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Do all Irish stories have to include lots of hoisting of drinks and curates who, if not drinkers themselves, implore those who are to curtail their overindulgence?




I'm not sure of the answer, but in this book, lots of both occurs and all set either at or near the Christmas holiday. Although I did enjoy the writing style, it did not fill the bill for wanting a nice comforting book of Christmas short stories.




You certainly have to hand it to the Irish though. Most surely do know how to tip a few pints and also to tell you just exactly how they feel on a subject.




A couple of these tales were fun and bittersweet. Several were strange and some were downright sad.


Words to make you think. One of the points of reading, be ye Irish or not.




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Book Review

The Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Quirky and so very funny as only the Brits can be, this book remains as fresh as when it was first written by two brothers in 1892.


Charles Pooter lives a well ordered life, or at least he attempts to, as we travel through his days reading his diary. He does not see in himself the pettiness of others and therein lies the humor. He strives to live dignified days of social acceptance, but pitfalls lurk at every corner. His wife and friends are always there to confound his sense of propriety. His best laid plans often turn to chaos.


A very entertaining read highly recommended.




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Book Review

The Faithful Servants by Margery Sharp


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An old scamp of 80, Jacob Arbuthnot, leaves his estate to be set up as The Copstock Foundation, to benefit faithful servants who can apply for charity only on two days a year. The solicitors in charge of administering this fund are taken in by many who make their appeals.




Although the fund is to be accorded to those of later years who have served well and have been sponsored with papers from either their employer or their vicar, there are many who find their way around such details.




Margery Sharp has a delightful comic way of drawing out the story in her wonderful British style. This story is so entertaining and insightful as well, into the times of 1860-1960 England.




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Book Review

The Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Medicine, Madness & the Murder of a President by Candice Millard


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Imagine a man who does not desire it, not only receiving the nomination of his party, but being elected to the position of President of the United States without having given even one speech or spending one day on the campaign trail. Such was the case in 1880 when James Garfield of Ohio was elected.




Tragically, the lasting mark of his presidency was stolen from us after only 4 months by a deranged man, Charles Guiteau, who said that God wanted him to kill the President.




Were it not for the doctors who used unsanitary and old-fashioned methods of care, he would, no doubt have survived his attack. Joseph Lister, who in England was gaining great success with his methods of antisepsis, and who tried to convince the American medical community of the fact of "invisible germs", was most sadly ignored.




Alexander Graham Bell also figures into this period of history with his invention of a device intended to discover the site of a bullet in the body.




I was amazed to learn that Garfield was a general in the Civil War, afterword elected to Congress and was a dedicated opponent to slavery. He was a devoted family man who had come from poverty and lived his life with great joy.




Oh, to have a Garfield among us today. This book is an amazing account of a time in history that has not been widely taught and I highly recommend it.




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Book Review

A Death in the Family by James Agee


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I hardly even know what to say about this incredible book. Although about death and all the sadness for so many people, it is so profound in the way it describes so much of what is felt and said and experienced. I felt at times that I had almost written the words myself.




In the first part we get to know the man who will die and his son and their relationship. Also, that of he and his wife. The second part deals with his death and how his family is told of the news. The last part is the funeral and the feelings and thoughts especially of his two young children. Their mother is a woman of great faith and continues to look to God for his peace.


Others in the family do not hold with faith and it is so interesting to see how they each handle the ordeal.




Ironically, Mr. Agee died at a young age  and so we were not given the gift of more of his books. This was a tiring book to read, emotionally, but I recommend it for all.




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Grammy is a Cheap Date

 Yes, it does not take too much to make me kinda happy. Like bringing home these 3 little bits from the local antique/flea market mall. And, all for just a total of $3.49 too!!! My dear husband spied the cool red level. I hung it in that tiny little wall space between kitchen and dining room.

                                                            

Much as I adore cream and black and white, I also love RED!

                     
Little bits to remember this day  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book Review

Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Harrowing story with lots of violence, casual sex and heartbreak; all the stuff of life for some. I cannot say I really "liked" this book, but felt compelled by the story to read it.




Margo is a teenage girl with a mother who has left town and a father who is killed, leaving her alone and desperate to make a life for herself. Having grown up on the river and knowing how to fish and hunt, she makes plans to continue life on the river.




Her next two years involve relationships with several men, more violence and being led to care for an elderly man who is dying.




The journey her life takes is an amazing one that is hard to comprehend. The many passages about her killing and skinning animals was a bit much for me.




I read not only to learn and to be entertained, but also to better understand other personalities and human conditions. This book gives the reader a definite idea of a young, rough life with a determination to get through each day the best way she can.




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Book Review

The Innocents by Margery Sharp

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Antoinette is an "innocent", a retarded child, left with an older woman in a small English town after her parents are forced back to New York at the beginning of World War II.



She does not speak but slowly says a very few words as she develops a closeness with her foster mother. After the war her mother arrives, to what she calls, "collect" the child. She has never understood her daughter to be retarded and in her social whirl, does not have time to consider it, believing that she can make necessary changes for her through speech therapy and psychoanalysis.



The foster mother is helpless to prevent the real mother from taking her, but circumstances intervene to change things in other ways.



A poignant, insightful look into how this topic was viewed in 1940's England.



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Book Review

Nightwoods by Charles Frazier


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Intense story with a small cast of rather rough characters in North Carolina of the '60's. Luce is alone, living in a huge lakeside lodge and just trying to get through the day, when her life is forever changed by the evilness of another.




Told through each character, we see the tough resilience of Luce, the distorted mind of her brother-in-law Bud, the wisdom and concern shown by nearby neighbor, Maddie........... and Stubblefield, the man who intervenes at the right time.




Frazier has the gift of laying out the words for us like a carpet, leading us to feel emotions as we take the path along with his characters. We Feel the weather, we See the changing Fall colors of nature, we are Smitten with the fear felt by innocent people.




Not your "happily ever after" type story, but a more down to earth one that gives us hope that we can survive the bad and get through to another day.




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Book Review

The Life All Around Me By Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I Loved this book!




As the follow up to her first book "Ellen Foster", Gibbons continues to show us Ellen's life as a teenager. I cheered her on as she struggled to deal with her mother's death and subsequent horrid treatment by other relatives. The characters surrounding her are each experiencing their own challenges and their effect on one another is sweet and thoughtful.




In Laura she finds not only a replacement mother, but also one with great wisdom and skill at living. Ellen is quite intelligent and aspires to attend Harvard and Laura is her encourager along the way. They both find in one another what they need.




What a gift to read passages that give both laughter and a twinge of angst. It is written in the way a young mind thinks and speaks, and I had to re-read some sections to understand the meaning.




Ellen is someone you know will succeed due to her focus and motivation to make more of her life. I can only be inspired by her.




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HandSewing, Button Swap and Gluebook Pages Swap

Starting with a piece of cream wool from my stash, I hand sewed a bunch of bits and pieces of needlework in whites and creams, adding black stitching and black seam binding. Of course, I had to add some pearl buttons at the top and some very old black glass ones in a row. After all, what is a project without buttons? Unless it is a gluebook? :)  I sewed the piece onto a piece of heavy felt, adding a pocket at the top for a dowel, which I finished off with more seam binding in bows and for a hanger.

Above is my Button project made for Tami's Creative Button Swap. My swap partner was Laurie at Indulge My Shelf. I used an old book cover as the bas, added the reproduction note card behind an old photo card then used lots and lots of very old china buttons, dating from the 1880's or so. Finished it off with some great needlework edging.



I am SO EXCITED waiting on my Vintage GlueBook Swap from Mary to arrive hopefully this week! Here are my 7 pages for the swap.   (I realized after I uploaded them that they are not cropped)

OH, MY STARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

STARS on buttons are a fave of mine and here are some of my sweetest ones,although there are a few that would not be thought of as stars in the strictest sense.  I tend to be a purist, so,  for me,  that means 5 Point Stars, but in the World of Buttons, there are Stars with points numbering into the 20s.

Here you can find Glass, Steel, Brass, Tin,  plastic, Bakelite, Celluloid, Fabric, Composition, Pearl, Glass Set into Metal, Enamel and Wood.

Hope you shine like a STAR today!

Book Review

The End by Lemony Snicket


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Fun to read a children's book once in awhile and this series is a very good one. After randomly choosing number 4 to read and enjoying it, I decided to read the first and last in the series of 13 to get an idea of the whole story.




Although agonizingly sad that the 3 children are orphans from the very first "unfortunate event" that causes their home to burn and their parents to perish, the author fortifies each child with abilities which make them equal to the task of continuing to persevere in the face of more and more events. Violet is superb at inventing things, Klaus is the accomplished reader and Sunny, although when young tends to specialize in biting, later becomes adept at cooking.




With evil Count Olaf as their guardian who only wants their inheritance, the children, indeed, have to overcome major obstacles on a daily basis just to stay alive.




This last book finds them washed ashore on an island with Count Olaf. They meet many strange people there with quite strange customs. Circumstances force them to use their resources to deal with it all.




What I find most appealing in these books is not only the humor employed within such devastating story lines, but also the way the author educates the reader to new words and their use, explaining meanings in a fun way. Life is indeed full of "Unfortunate Events" and banding together as family is oftentimes the best way to help us through them.




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Book Review

The Small Hand by Susan Hill


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Susan Hill has the ability to take the reader down a road, with various stops along the way, increasing the mystery of her story, but letting us come to our own conclusion at the end. Her theme of the supernatural is brought to earth through Adam, a dealer in rare books, who stumbles onto a derelict property called the White House. His experience there of feeling a small hand in his, leads him to investigate the history of the house and the fact that a small child had drowned there years earlier. He continues to feel the small hand in several other situations and is driven to great anxiety attacks.




Without giving too much away, I will say that the mystery is solved with a devastating ending that will keep me wondering at the ways that the supernatural might be used in a way to bring justice.










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Book Review

Passers-by by Anthony Partridge


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Reading a book published one hundred years ago, I am taken on a needed trip to a time when more proprieties were at hand and relationships more defined. Set in both England and France, not much of the plot can be spoken of or the ending themes would be spoiled.




A young beautiful girl sings on the street with a dwarf who plays a small piano. They are joined by a monkey, who holds his tray for those small coins given by those who pass by. This little scene forms the basis for mystery of how they came to be and all those who are part of their lives and much deeper mysteries.




This book was written by an author who was a master of his craft and boasted of a huge following, who also wrote under the name of E. Phillips Oppenheim. It was said at the time of 1910 that no man of his generation had so much facility of expression or so fine a power of narration. It is indeed well written and enjoyable.




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Book Review

If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book speaks to me so much as it is the way I often feel about things. At it's beginning, we know that something of huge import will happen in the story as we see and hear from the wide variety of people in a neighborhood. We see and hear their interaction with one another as well as hear their own thoughts. Several of the characters are dealt with more in depth by revealing happenings in their lives prior to just the one day the book entails.




Several times the writer has us on the edge, ready for an apparent scene of tragedy or turmoil, only to be relieved that it does not happen yet. His writing leads us to surmise upcoming events, all the while leaving us in suspense as to what the final outcome will bring. When the big event does occur, he brings together all the various thoughts and actions of all those we have come to know in this story.




His title reminds us that every single thing that happens each day is remarkable in it's own way and that it is our place to see each thing and make them ours by really knowing them. A bird flying high, a child at play, the street sounds, the rain, the interactions among people, all are profound in the hands of McGregor.




So many things are happening all the time all around us. We are encouraged to step out of our own circle and see those remarkable things.




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October Collage Challange

Mary Green continues to offer us fun with her monthly challenges, providing 3 images that at least some of each must be used. 

My collage shows the story of Ludmila, who has been waiting so very long to hear of her love, Ivan.   He finally appears in  a message brought by his trusty dog Igor, (a real sissy in that bonnet)  who has travailed over the snowy and icy terrain to make this delivery.  The tag on the key shows the number 360, which both Ludmila and Ivan believe to show that they have weathered the storm and come full circle in their love and understanding of one another. Her answer to him is a definite "Yes",  but she hopes he will appear in person soon and leave the dog at home.

(Ok, either start laughing or upchuck, whichever you feel right now :)  )

There is still time to participate in this challenge and you might even be chosen at random to win a little prize offered by Mary.

Book Review

Candleford Green by Flora Thompson


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


For documenting the period of the 1890's small village life in England, this book and it's sister books are fabulous. Details of daily life, including occupations, customs and habits of the village, homes and their decor, clothing fashions and the nature of the land are all here.




Laura is a young girl from Lark Rise, who goes to the nearby town of Candleford Green to become an apprentice to the Post Mistress Dorcas Lane. Her situation there affords her access to new friends and experiences.




The books in this series are used as a base for the BBC series "Lark Rise to Candleford", but only in a very loose sense. Both stand alone to be thoroughly enjoyed.




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Book Review

The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Imposter by Mark Seal


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Amazing true story of what has been called "the 1000 piece puzzle" of the life (or lives) of a man most recently known as Clark Rockefeller, ending with the kidnapping of his young daughter during a supervised visit, and his subsequent prison sentence.



Born in Germany, Christian Gerhartsreiter immigrated to the U.S. and began a series of charades, befriending those who could advance his twisted ideas of a perfect life. His persuasive ways led many to give him money and provide him with the means to ingratiate his way into their lives.



This is a story that leaves you shaking your head at the fabrications of a narcissistic man who lied his way through one alias after another, finally hitting upon the name Rockefeller as the one who could help him most.



Currently serving time for kidnapping, he now faces charges of a murder in California.



Makes you glad to be just little old "you", whoever you are. A worthy read to see inside this calculating mind.








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Book Review

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Unbearably sad account of a relatively unknown, or at least, not well-known, period of French history of the roundup of Jewish French in 1942.


Sarah is taken with her parents and thousands of others, by the French Police. Sarah had locked her younger brother into a secret closet in their home, telling him she will be back for him and to stay quiet. She had no idea that the forced evacuation from their home would be permanent.

The consequence of that action, as played out in the lives of so many others is heart-wrenching.

The story reverts from 1942 to current day, with a French journalist uncovering the story and determining to discover all the facts of what happened to Sarah and her family.

The reader can almost feel a bit of the anguish at the evil actions wrought on these poor souls. Although this book is fiction, the facts of the roundup of July 1942 are true.

There will never be enough books written or words spoken to convey the utter travesty of this terrible period in our worlds' history. As this book says; Never Again!"



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Book Review

Over to Candleford by Flora Thompson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have been reading this in tandem with watching episodes of the BBC series. The book is full of endearing scenes of village life for Laura and her family in the hamlet of 1880's Lark Rise, as well as the nearby town of Candleford.



I discovered that the expression "a pretty kettle of fish" comes from the fact of having a lovely oval pan used for cooking fish, NOT that the fish were pretty!



We meet Dorcus Lane, postmistress of the Candleford Post Office who offers Laura the opportunity to work for her there as an apprentice.



This book serves as a sweet record of a time of simple village life that has long since passed but should be remembered. A time when families enjoyed each day despite how little they sometimes had.









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Book Review

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Incredible stories from the lives of those who lived in the miserable Dust Bowl years in half of Kansas and parts of Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and Nebraska.




The years leading up to the Dust Bowl of 1933-1938 were ones of obsessive conversion of native grasslands by farmers planting wheat and other crops. Having cleared millions of acres and with crops decimated by weather conditons, people were assailed by tons of dust on a daily basis. No amount of prevention could keep it out of their homes. Many were afficted with "dust pneumonia" and many suffered cruel deaths. Some left their homes behind to move on, but most stayed and tried to wait it out. With no income, their homes and lands mortgaged, many felt forced to stay. Added to this, rainfall was nearly non-existant and grasshoppers plagued the land as well.




Mr. Egan interviewed survivors from this time period as well as devoured records and diaries to tell the stories of many in one book. Their lives are not only a record of what people can and did endure, but also a tale of how much of what happened was due to naive destruction of their land.




This book certainly makes evident what man's actions have done to change a part of our country for many years to come.




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Book Review

A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Continuing to read books in a series means returning to characters that you have come to love, or, in this case, really dislike. Appealing Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is, for me, a teddy bear of a man, a father figure, who leads his underlings in solving crime while endearing himself to many.  Several recurring characters are either very annoying or just not like able.


Set in Three Pines in Canada, a small village unknown to most, the story revolves around an artist who is finally being given recognition through the larger art world. The murder of someone from her past at her home brings Gamache and his crew to investigate.


Penney revels in intricate characterizations and the psychology of relationships. Some of her characters are unlikable in the extreme, as people are in real life.


The case is solved, but leaving several threads loose for the next book to weave.




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Falling for Fall

In the night, while we sleep, nature turns itself into fall, my most favorite season.  Changed up my look just a bit to reflect a small way to celebrate.

Grammy's Playful Weekend~~~~~3 Fun Projects !

Sometimes the smallest ideas turn out best;  or at least I think so........................

I got this idea for something new for Fall (YES!) for my front door.  I love wheat so wanted to use that...........Bought a 12 inch letter "K" at Joanns', painted it black and  made little bunches of wheat to glue on........... tied it off with some yummy black ribbon. Simple, but I love it.  I took the pic of it hanging on an over sized yardstick that I used for hanging artwork, but it now lives on the front door.

And, since Joanns' had a special "Seniors Day" with an extra 20% off, (I CAN NOT believe I really qualify!) and since the Fiskars punches were already 30% off, I got this great new "Puzzle" punch  for half price. Grammy does love a bargain!  An old 25 cent clipboard that I recently picked up at a garage sale with a bunch of black and white paper cutouts is now a cute little altered bit of love.

AND, my Favorite thing of all..........................I have a bunch of very old photo negatives that were from my grandparents.  I have used them some in mixed media art and just love looking at them. I used one that shows my grandmother and my father when he would have been about 7, so that would have been around 1928.  I glued it onto this great old jar/water container, then tied some crocheted work around the top and added the tatting that my grandmother actually made.  Also added a horseshoe ephemera and a tiny metal horseshoe that I recently was given by Laurie of Indulge My Shelf. I LOVE this and it makes me happy.  My great-grandfather was a champion at horseshoe pitching, so the horseshoes make it even more special. I'm gonna make more of these!

Book Review

Jane and the Genius of the Place by Stephanie Barron


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As the 4th in a series of mysteries involving Jane Austen as a lady sleuth, we are treated to a delicious taste of the proprieties of life in 1800 England. Written with a clear eye for the historically accurate, we discover more and more about the Jane that so many of us love.




The mystery lies in the death of a French woman during an English horse race at the time when Bonaparte lies in wait to do war against England. Jane assists her brother, who is the local appointed man of the law, in solving the murder, all the while educating us in the ways of society of the time. Descriptions of their clothing and surroundings are stunning.




Delightful escape while pursuing the well written word.




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The GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY.............. PINTEREST !!!

For a girl who loves to organize, Pinterest is like falling in love.................The GOOD is that there are an amazing array of images waiting to be chosen and  pinned onto your own bulletin boards, naming them just as you please. The BAD is that a girl could waste a lot of time there, perusing and pinning and letting other things go.  The UGLY could be letting all that is there entice you to wanting more and more, or in my case, seeing all the yummy sweets recipes and making and eating too many of them ! :(

Used in moderation, Pinterest is a great resource to find groups of images that interest you or help others see what you are all about.  It is also easy to "Pin" images onto the site from other web sites.

If you have not seen it yet, give Pinterest a look. Sounds like I am doing a commercial, but no, I do not work for them. And, if you would like to see a few things that I like, click on the red Pinterest button on the right.

Happy Wednesday Night!

Book Review

The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin


My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Vinnie Warren was the diminutive woman promoted by P.T. Barnum who became a celebrity and married Charles Stratton, a.k.a. Tom Thumb.



Although fiction, this book is based on historical fact. Born in 1841, Vinnie was encouraged by her family to remain reclusive on her family farm, due to her petite size. She, however, found a great need to leave her mark in life and strived for notoiriety. She found it first on the riverboat with Colonel Wood, a crude huckster, who's mistreatment only ended when the Civil War sent the group to their homes. She later contacted P.T. Barnum and was totally charmed by his personality and promotion.



Her condition, as well as that of a younger sister, Minnie, was a form of "Proportionate Dwarfism". probably cased by a pituitary disorder. Today, such a condition would be given growth hormones.



Although her life was quite fascinating, I found that I did not like Vinnie. She seemed to possess an arrogance of spirit that caused her to mistreat those around her, wrongly assisgning guilt to others as well as herself. As a person of such petite dimensions, she did overcome many obstacles, which is to be admired.



Historical events are only touched upon, such as Vinnies' meeting with General Grant and his family and of she and her husbands' stay at the Lincoln White House.



Vinnie died in 1919.




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September Collage Challange at Green Paper

Got a little silly with the collage for September.....................I printed off the images in various sizes; at one time, I had the woman in white looking like the gal in that old movie, "The Fifty Foot Woman!".  Anyhow, the girl is "hot", the mother, teary but glad and the guy more than a little bit timid.

Thanks Mary for the images!

Book Review

So Many Ways to Begin by Jon McGregor

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As the title says, there would be so many ways to describe this story. A young English boy is infatuated with museums and collecting and dreaming of owning his own museum some day. He collects and learns and does begin work in a museum after his school graduation. He meets a girl from Scotland who has an abusive mother and they marry, having a daughter. He finds out a very disturbing fact about his past that causes him to begin a quest to find the truth.



The author writes with such an understanding of the depth of emotion we feel as parents, as we watch our children grow and change. As with all stories, people live their lives, grow older, discover and deal with events that either change them for the better or for the worse. In this story, David comes full circle, having partially fulfilled his goal, but dealing with defeat, some due to his own choices, and comes to terms with his life and what he possesses.



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Neutral Bits and Pieces Collage

What fun I have had the past couple of days assembling this collage. I began with a 12  X  12 piece of stretched canvas, measured off in 16 squares, then painted the squares. I added some pieces of old, worn note paper, strips of music to divide the squares and lots of lace, crochet and needlework. Topped each square off with bits and pieces of found objects in neutral shades. 

I am so pleased with it and now want to do one in all black and white.