Review: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

This book was totally out of my comfort zone -- first of all it was a young adult novel and while I don't totally turn my nose up at these, I usually want a little more "meat" in my books, something a little deeper, if you will. Secondly it is about vampires. Yes, you read it right, vampires. It isn't as if I have never read a vampire book before, over a decade ago I read several in a series of vampire romances by Linda Lael Miller (quite by accident, I had nothing to read in the car but the first book in this series and was stuck in traffic) and found the books quite appealing. That said, I still wasn't crazy about the idea of a novel feature vampires. But I happened to mention online about being in LaPush taking our grandson, Quinn surfing. An online friend (thanks, Tammy!) mentioned that there was this book, Twilight by Stephenie Meyers, that has Quileute Indian legends in it, the Quileute Reservation being in LaPush. I was really surprised and asked where else the book took place and she told me Forks, Washington and said she didn't know whether it was a real place or not. I wrote back that assuring her it was, that we had eaten dinner there the night previously. So I ordered this book and the next book in the series, New Moon. I was ready for a new read and began reading this as soon as it arrived. I was pleasantly surprised at what a fun read it was. There were so many places I recognized and the sexual tension between Edward (the vampire) and Bella (who isn't) was almost palpable. The climactic scene (which takes place in the Phoenix area) was very exciting, so much so I couldn't put the book down. Although I needed to take a break from vampires before reading the next book in the series, I will be reading New Moon soon and plan on buying the third in the series, Eclipse, which comes out the first week in August.

Home Grown Tomatoes

“Home grown tomatoes, home grown tomatoes

What would life be like without homegrown tomatoes

Only two things that money can't buy

That's true love and home grown tomatoes.”

John Denver, 'Home Grown Tomatoes'

(from a song written by Guy Clark)

OK, you may have to look closely -- but there are three tiny green cherry tomatoes in one photo and a small tomato, "Early Girl" variety in another. In the third picture you see six of our seven tomato plants, with dozens of blooms -- we'll have lots of fresh, home-grown tomatoes soon!

Review: What Matters Most by Luanne Rice

I just now finished this fabulous book -- though I must admit I could barely read the last 30 pages I was crying/sobbing so hard!!! Honestly, I couldn't see the pages. I dropped everything else I was reading when this book arrived Thursday but really started reading it voraciously Friday night, read until 2 AM and then have been reading it all day today. This is the story of Sister Bernadette and Tom Kelly from Sandcastles and their trip to Ireland to try to find the son they gave up for adoption 23 years earlier. I will admit to being disappointed by several of Luanne Rice's recent books (although I did enjoy Sandcastles) but this is without a doubt the best Luanne Rice has done in years, even better than the Roses series from a couple years ago. There was a little plot device toward the end that I wish she hadn't used but honestly, I can forgive her for it since the over 330 pages were so fabulous; pulled at the heartstrings so magnificently. Two of the hallmarks of a GREAT book for me --- if it makes me cry/sob and if I can read it straight through without putting it down. This had both. Second only to A Thousand Splendid Suns as the best book I have read all year.

How Does Your Garden Grow????

By Leaps and Bounds!!! Compare these pictures with those taken just two weeks ago. The tomatoes seem to have grown at least another foot! And I am afraid we are cultivating the zucchini that's going to capture Port Townsend - it has already tried to take over the adjacent artichokes, if you look closely you will see a little zucchini at the end of each bud. We've taken out the arugula giving the buttercrunch and romaine more room to grow. As I was taking these pictures I was snacking -- the buttercrunch does melt in your mouth! The corn is waist high and the brussel sprouts are thriving, although not sprouting as yet. The spinach is delicious as well and the basil has made for some wonderful pesto - I plan on making some more for dinner tomorrow night. And I can hardly wait until my peppers mature.

SURF'S UP

Three weeks ago when our 17 year-old grandson, Quinn came up to see us it was the day before he was starting his summer job. He loves surfing and we took him to a new surf shop in the neighboring town of Sequim, surfing becoming quite the popular sport on the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the northern Pacific Coast. He found the exact surfboard he'd been looking for - used at a fraction of the cost it would be new. He was thrilled when the owner said he could put 10% down and pay for it when he got his first paycheck. Well, he got paid this last week and we took him to pick up the surfboard today. He found out the surf was up and the the best place to go today was LaPush/Quileute Indian Reservation. He twisted Grandma and Grandpa's arms and off we went. It was more than worth the 2+ hour drive. The cloudy day in Sequim and Port Townsend made way for beautiful, cloud-free skies and 70 degrees. What an enjoyable afternoon and what a happy young man trying out a new surfboard for his passion of surfing.

A Singer I Can't Seem to Get Enough Of

AMY WINEHOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We can't stop playing her music around our house. This 23-year-old British singer has taken us by storm as she has the rest of the nation. You may have heard her song, "You Think I'm No Good" on Grey's Anatomy. This tattooed, beehived, singer has the greatest set of lungs on her and quite the style. Is it blues? Is it pop? Is it jazz? Probably a mixture of all three. All I know is that two 50-somethings are absolutely enthralled. We were disappointed to find that her upcoming Seattle show is going to be on a Tuesday and we are getting too old to do middle-of-the-week concerts in Seattle and then get up the next morning. Here's a link to her website where you can sample some of her music: http://www.amywinehouse.co.uk/

Where I Sit

I got the sweetest new secretary for the living room - no more using the laptop on my ottoman and doing further damage to my aging back! We have the desktop in the bedroom we use as an office but more often than not I use the laptop as it is handier, has my photos, iPod files, and most of my favorites now. So this is where I usually write from, email from, blog from, and this morning am having a cup of coffee from.

Nothing but Foghorns

Waking up the past few mornings to the sound of the foghorns on the ferry put me in mind of one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite singers, the genius, Van Morrison.

SO QUIET IN HERE by Van Morrison

Foghorns blowing in the night

Salt sea air in the morning breeze

Driving cars all along the coastline

This must be what it's all about

Oh this must be what it's all about

This must be what paradise is like

So quiet in here, so peaceful in here

So quiet in here, so peaceful in here

The warm look of radiance on your face

And your heart beating close to mine

And the evening fading in the candle glow

This must be what it's all about

Oh this must be what it's all about

This must be what paradise is like

So quiet in here. so peaceful in here

So quiet in here, yeah, so peaceful in here

All my struggling in the world

And so many dreams that don't come true

Step back, put it all away

It don't matter, it don't matter anymore

Oh this must be what paradise is like

This must be what paradise is like

It's so quiet in here, so peaceful in here

It's so quiet in here, so peaceful in here

A glass of wine with some friends

Talking into the wee hours of the dawn

Sit back and relax your mind

This must be, this must be, what it's all about

This must be what paradise is like

Oh this must be what paradise is like

So quiet in here, so peaceful in here

So quiet in here, so peaceful in here

Big ships out in the night

And we're floating across the waves

Sailing for some other shore

Where we can be what we wanna be

Oh this must be what paradise is like

This must be what paradise is like

Baby it's so quiet in here, so peaceful in here

So quiet in here, so peaceful in here

So quiet in here, so peaceful in here

So quiet in here, you can hear, it's so quiet

Movie Review - La Vie En Rose

I just got home from the best movie, LA VIE EN ROSE. French with English subtitles, it's the rather tragic story of French singer Edith Piaf (1915-1963). Abandoned by her mother at a young age while her father was fighting in WWI, and then raised in a brothel run by her paternal grandmother, Edith got her start when she was found singing on the streets of Paris to earn money. An incredible talent, it didn't take her long to rise to the top as a huge star, but her alcohol and drug addictions caused her health to suffer and her career was brought to a rather abrupt end. The movie goes back and forth in a rather confusing manner and although the dates are given at the bottom of the screen it is still hard to tell at times what is going on when. That said the story was wonderful and poignant, especially even after a love affair that ends tragically, she says that love is the most important thing in life and that, as the title of one of her most famous songs goes, she has "No Regrets". The actress playing Edith Piaf certainly should be nominated for all sorts of awards -- she is absolutely flawless.

The Fruit (or Vegetables) of our Labor....

We are finally seeing some tiny vegetables coming from our garden! I saw some tiny zucchini this afternoon and then an even tinier cucumber. Later I looked over at one of the pepper plants in the containers and saw a teeny, tiny green pepper (this one will eventually be orange). It was very exciting to actually see vegetables growing!! Did I mention I am a first-time vegetable gardener???? So this is a VERY BIG DEAL!! My mother is going to be very pleased when she visits. I hope she doesn't faint from the shock.

What John's Reading

John has just started Nelson DeMille's The Gold Coast after I found him a rather ratty used copy after hearing it raved about over at WR. He's thoroughly enjoying it. I expect that we will both be getting a lot of reading done over the next couple of days as we are both enjoying our books so much. Little conversation, lots of reading. Until it comes time to water the garden :-) Oh now he says he is just going to set the sprinker up tonight LOL.

What I'm Reading

I chose a book that's been on my TBR pile (er mountain) for years -- The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton. I've read two of her books, Katherine and Green Darkness and those two books are on my top 10 of all-time favorite reads. At nearly 600 pages this book is going to take me some time to finish. The Winthrop Woman is about John Winthrop's spiritied niece, Elizabeth and begins in England in the early 17th C and then goes to New England. I also brought out a new garden book that I am really loving, You Grow Girl. It describes itself as a "hip, humorous how-to for crafty gals everywhere who are discovering a passion for gardening but lack the know-how to turn their dreams of homegrown tomatoes and fresh-cut flowers into a reality." Along with those two books, for some inspiration I chose Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I just received this from paperbackswap.com and is a book I've been wanting to read for years. Now if I can get off the computer for awhile and get back to my reading . . . .

A Visitor Next Door

Our kitty was making some noise at the fence -- evidently she was trying to make a new friend.... thank goodness we now have tall fences all around -- our garden is safe.

The View from Home

I am catching up on email and my blog out on the patio this afternoon. It's so serene and lovely. As I look up, this is what I see in my back yard, including the pond/water feature adjacent to the patio. The lavender is in full bloom and the bees are busily taking their nourishment from the pollen. We don't even have music playing, instead listening to the soothing sounds generated by the flowing water (that's fairy moss in the pond along with the water lilies). We can hear the ferry sound its horn every once in awhile and there's a rooster nearby that seems to have his mornings and afternoons mixed up. The neighborhood is very quiet, everyone seems to have chosen to take off to the mountains or the beach on this lovely northwest afternoon, whereas we have chosen to just enjoy our little paradise in our own back yard.

The View from Work

I work in a clinic attached to the hospital in Port Townsend. It's a full of caring doctors and nurses and a portion of my work (working as a patient advocate providing prescription medications for patients at little or no cost) is very rewarding. And after a scare a couple of years ago when I didn't know whether I would have a job or not, I am happy to be employed. That said my office has no windows. However my office is MY office and I work alone which means I can play my music, have my own photos and pictures and take breaks and lunch when I want to. In the winter I usually take lunch at my desk. However in the summer I get to take lunch on our clinic's little private patio -- we have a little table with umbrella and four benches. Sometimes I join my coworkers but if I am reading a REALLY good book, I will wait until everyone else is done with lunch and go sit by myself and read. This is my lovely view out Port Townsend Bay where I can watch the ferry come in from Whidbey Island if I am not enthralled in my book. Those are the Cascade Mountains in the background. If I look to the left I can see Mount Baker.

Jake with Kyra

Another picture from Fathers' Day -- Jake with his daughter and pride and joy, Kyra with Bainbridge Island in the background.

Can You Believe They're Twins??

When Jacob and Sarah were born on Easter Sunday in 1981, they weighed 6# 2 oz (Jake) and 5# 5 oz (Sarah). Now that is their heights. Here is a picture taken of the two of them on Fathers Day in the yard of Jake's home on the Poulsbo waterfront near Bainbridge Island.

And John's Pride & Joy - the Pond and Water Feature

John has been working soooo hard on the pond and water feature -- sometimes the raccoons have been getting the upper hand. He's found the pump halfway across the yard (we're on our third) and just when the water lilies were about the bloom, the blooms were destroyed. He's determined not to let the "Terrorist" as he has been dubbed win. So war has been waged. It is lovely and soothing and well worth his efforts. Too bad the pictures don't come with sound.

And we Mustn't Forget the Flowers

More Crops - Tomatoes and Corn and Zucchini - Oh My!

The Lettuce is Growing!!!

Romaine, buttercrunch, and Arugula -- this is a month from the picture below, some of this is a second crop. The blank spot in the argula row is where we're planting more buttercrunch for a fresh crop.

My First Garden

Anyone who knows my mother, a Master Gardener now almost 88 years old, would be amazed to find out that her only daughter has never had a vegetable garden until this year. I have had herb gardens for years but never had the motivation, time, or desire. Last year I did my first major flower garden/landscaping project only to see my work go for naught when we had to move when the landlord decided to sell the house (still vacant after 9 months - there's nothing like Karma). When we found this little cottage, formerly owned by a Master Gardener, the landscaping was complete but in the back yard there were 5 1/2 raised beds - yet at first we had no plans on doing anything with them. The only gardening I thought I would do would be a few containers - herbs and flowers. But then spring came and I saw the seed packets and decided to buy a few. John got the fever and bought a few more and a garden was begun. We now have a flourishing garden where we have been eating salad greens every night (arugula, buttercrunch, romaine, spinach), cucumbers, squash, zucchini, radishes, onions, corn, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, carrots and even artichokes. In containers I have various herbs and basil, peppers, and broccoli.

Book Review: Woman in Red by Eileen Goudge

Rating: B
Setting: San Juan Islands, Present Day and 1940s
Genre: Women's Fiction/Family Drama


I gave this book a B, a 1/2 point off because of the sloppy research about the cardinal being in the San Juans (mentioned more than once) but 1/2 point added due to the setting (a fictionalized Orcas Island, called Gray's Island in the book). Basically it's about Alice Kessler who has just returned to Gray's Island after nine years in prison for attempted murder of the man responsible for the death of her young son. Arriving on the same ferry is Colin McGinty, a 9/11 widower there to settle his grandfather's estate. Alice needs to reconnect with the son she left behind, now a teenager who doesn't seem to want to have much to do with her, and facing ostracization from the community (the man she attempted to murder is now the town's powerful mayor). Interwoven is a poignant story from the 1940s whichjust happens to be about Alice's grandmother and Colin's grandfather.

It's off to Les tomorrow. I think she'll enjoy is as she will be visiting the area soon. But I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys powerful family dramas -- it does get a little melodramatic toward the end and that kept it from being an A read. But overall, I enjoyed it and it was a smooth, quick read and was never dull. Oh and my town even gets a brief mention toward the end!

Concert Review; Norah Jones

Before Norah Jones won her Grammies for her first CD I had tickets to see her at the Moore Theater in Seattle. Unfortunately our link to the rest of the world, The Hood Canal Floating Bridge, malfunctioned that day and was stuck in the open position and I was unable to get to the concert. I was so upset thinking I had missed my chance to ever see her in a small venue again. And while I admit I like her first two CDs and her CD with the Little Willies better than the current CD, when the show for McCaw Hall, which seats around 3000, was announced, I knew I had my chance to see her in an intimate setting.

She sang a variety of songs from all three CDs, and even joined her opening act for several songs. She had a running gag throughout the show at the name of the venue, McCaw hall -- calling out the name like a bird call, Macaw, macaw" several times to the delight of the crowd. She held the crowd in the palm of her hand throughout the 90-minute plus set.

Our group included my husband and three of my co-workers, Elisa, Candace, and Judy. We dined at Palace Kitchen afterwards (and had some yummy strawberry mojitos). We missed the 12:15 ferry so had to take the 1:35 ferry which got us back Port Townsend after 3:00 AM! A very long evening when you consider we left around 4PM. Well worth it though!

I'm Back

After over an over six months absence I have decided it is high time I start blogging again. I enjoy reading so many blogs of my friends and enjoy this way of journaling my reads, reviews and thoughts. So her goes -- let's see if I can keep it up!

Concert Review: Emmylou Harris, Seattle, December 23, 2006

There is only one singer whose career I have been following longer than Emmylou Harris. In the case of Emmylou, I have been following hers pretty much from the beginning and first saw her in concert in 1975. So what a wonderful Holiday gift it was to see her in concert at the fabulous Benaroya Hall in Seattle only two days before Christmas.

As a long-time fan, I started an email group for her at what is now YahooGroups in January of 1999 - a group that now boasts over 600 members. It was wonderful to meet up with several of the members for dinner at the Wild Ginger before the show.

At dinner were John (my dear friend and co-moderator) and his lovely wife Eve (who is just a gem, and it was so wonderful to see her again after many years), Steve who has become an esteemed online friend and his friend the vivacious Linda, and the very friendly and sweet Peggy and my wonderful, kind, fun new buddy Lisa both from the Emmylou list, myself and my husband, John. The dinner was so-so, but the companionship and conversation was first rate.

We walked across the street just in time for the show to start. John scored us the BEST tickets. Linda and Steve sat in front of the rest of us in the second row right in front of Emmylou, the rest of us were in the third row. I all of my years of seeing Emmylou these were the best indoor seats I have ever had. Some concert halls have a space between the front row and the stage. Not so with the Benaroya. If you were in the front row you had limited visability as the stage was just about in your lap. So second and third row were just amazing. Can I say that again? AMAZING!!!

Emmylou was joined by Pam Rose and Mary Ann Kennedy who both did harmony vocals and played various musical instruments as well as David Jacques who played standup bass.

The set list for the evening:

Here I Am
Orphan
Love and Happiness
Red Dirt Girl
Beneath Still Waters
To Know Him Is to Love Him
Strong Hand (for June)
O Evangeline
In My Dreams
Michelangelo
Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Lost Unto this World
Light of the Stable
O Little Town of Bethlehem
First Noel
Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
After the Goldrush
The Pearl
Bright Morning Stars
Encore:
Boulder to Birmingham
Save the Last Dance for Me

I think my favorites wereBeneath Still Waters (didn't think I'd ever hear her sing that inconcert again) and the a cappella verson of The First Noel - it was sung on an acoustic mike at this acoustically perfect venue. This is where the Seattle Symphony plays, after all. I was glad I had readthe set list thanks to having Gmail on my cell phone so I wasn'tobsessing about not hearing Boulder to Birmingham (my #1 favoriteEmmylou song) because I was pretty certain she'd do that as an encore as she had the night before, which she did. I just enjoyed each and every song for their individual qualities that makes them such a pure delight to hear coming from that voice we know and love so much. I did have to comment at the end of the show that I was glad she finally had gotten Spyboy out of her system as I enjoyed this incarnation so much more than the Spyboy years.

I have been seeing Emmylou in concert now for over 30 years (hard tobelieve!) and have lost count at the number of times I have seen her but I believe it to be somewhere between 15 and 20. Each one has been so different from the other. So special in its own way. She never fails to inspire and amaze me after all this time. I never tire of hearing her. She may not have the high energy she did in the years she was playing with the Hot Band but she is such a class act how can one complain? My younger daughter had called me Friday night and I told her what I was doing Saturday and even she remarked on my longevity of being an Emmylou fan. She's 25 so obviously I have been a fan as long as she'sbeen alive. Anyway she thought it was really cool (her words) that I have been going to see one artist for that long. There is only one singer I have been seeing longer (by a couple of years) and that is Kris Kristofferson but since didn't tour for many years I haven't seen him in concert as many times. I don't know when my next Emmylou concert will be but it probably isn't too far off. And to have other fans get together to attend a concert is just the best experience.

Concert Review: Joan Baez - Tacoma, WA - November 18, 2006

What a wonderful concert! We saw Joan Baez at the ~1100-seat Pantages theater in Tacoma, WA. We had great seats, 4th row just to the left. She was accompanied by a bass player and a fellow who played dobro, guitar, mandolin, lap steel and a few other instruments. This was the first time I have had the pleasure of seeing her in concert and I hope it isn't the last. It is the first time I can remember an audience member yelling out a request and then a singer doing that song -- on the spot (Freedom Now).

She told stories and jokes and even recited a recent poem she wrote: Rumpty Dumpty sat on a fall, Rumpty Dumpty had a great fall. She had several comments on the recent elections but that we now have a lot of work to do. All in all she played for nearly 2 hours, and did two encores - although it seemed only one was planned.

I didn't make a set list as we went a long so these songs are from memory and I may be missing some but among those she sang (and I am listing my favorites first):


Scarlet Tide (very nice rendition, although of course not as wonderful as the Emmylou/Elvis Costello version), very nicely received by the audience most of whom I doubt was familiar with the song
Christmastime in Washington
Jerusalem
Carrickfergus
Joe Hill
Deportee
Long Black Veil
Jesse
Diamonds and Rust (second encore)
There But for Fortune
Freedom Now
Sing Me Back Home (told a story about Merle Haggard and how she was wondering about his politics and upon finding he couldn't stand G Bush Sr, said she thought he was a Reagan man, discoverd he said, "that's because he pardoned me"
Caleb Meyer (very nice version of the Gillian Welch song)
Sweet Sir Galahad (told the story of writing this for her sister)
With God on our Side
Wildwood Flower
Lily of the West
Neighbors - a "ditty" she called it written by the aforementioned dobro, etc player in her band
Coconuts - a rather humorous tune

Van Fans - Seattle Meet-Up - November 4, 2006

And a good time was had by all -- Here are some Van Fans meeting at the Pyramid Ale House before the Van Morrison Concert in Seattle. Most are members of an internet mailing list for Van Morrison fans and had planned the gathering via emails. Some had met each other before but others had not. A great way to start the evening!