Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome is a classic British comedy, very P.G. Wodehouse in style. Set in the late 1800's, it is the comical story of J. and his friends Harris and George who decide they need a vacation. So they go boating on the Thames. J. has his boisterous dog along too. J. is very Bertie Wooster like in his take on the world which makes for many silly situations. Lots of laugh out loud moments. The book is also a bit of a travelogue as the characters boat from town to town from London to Oxford (I think that was the final town). I don't have much of a familiarity with boating terms but I got to know what sculls and weirs were among other terms.
A very enjoyable and light read. Since I am dealing with a hurting back and this dreadful election period, it was nice to read something so humorous and diverting.
Two thumbs up! For more book reviews go to 52 Books.
BTW, I read this for free on my Kindle!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
The Egypt Game - Book 45
When I was Becky's age (eleven) or so my favorite author was Zilpha Keatley Snyder. I read a bunch of her books. Looking up the author on on the internet and seeing a list of all her books, she wrote a lot more after I moved out of the particular phase. Anyway, I got The Egypt Game for myself to reread after these many decades, but Becky spied it and asked if I'd read it aloud to her. So we did. She loved it!
The Egypt Game is mainly about two girls in 6th grade who become friends and develop a fantasy game in the fenced in backlot behind a store in their neighborhood; a game based on their fascination with Egypt. It is a little bit spooky, but also full of friendships, heartache and resolution. A story especially of the girl April coming to terms with life. The characters are wonderfully sketched in a rather sparse but still warm and gentle style. I enjoy the show not tell style, and the plot is wonderfully crafted. A very enjoyable book.
For more reviews see 52 Books.
The Egypt Game is mainly about two girls in 6th grade who become friends and develop a fantasy game in the fenced in backlot behind a store in their neighborhood; a game based on their fascination with Egypt. It is a little bit spooky, but also full of friendships, heartache and resolution. A story especially of the girl April coming to terms with life. The characters are wonderfully sketched in a rather sparse but still warm and gentle style. I enjoy the show not tell style, and the plot is wonderfully crafted. A very enjoyable book.
For more reviews see 52 Books.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Week in Review - 10/19/12
Monday - Becky and I went off to Aquinas Learning. Sean and Josh met with their math tutor. In the afternoon, Josh studied for his next Physics exam and Sean worked on math homework and Life Science. In the evening Sean translated a paragraph in Wheelock. Rick left around 4 to go to the airport - business trip to CA.
Tuesday - The teen that studies Gov't with Josh came over at 8:30 a.m. Since Rick wasn't here, he'd downloaded a lecture course from the Teach. Co for them to watch. He thought they would be able to watch 3 if they took short breaks. However, I think they took long breaks because they only watched 2. They were just beginning to watch the 3rd one when the mom arrived. Oops! I think the only thing that Becky did school-wise was listen to me read another chapter of Manners and Morals and then she did the end of the book practice test on Fractions. My goodness that girl doesn't like math! Sean watched a couple of Logic lectures from The Art of Argument dvd. We are really enjoying these. He read some of Hittite Warrior, his new assigned reading. He did a lesson in math and took a catechism quiz on line. I helped his study a bit for his Latin quiz. Josh went to Physics class and took his test. Sean watched the whole pres. debate. I watched bits and pieces. Josh was no where to be found even though he's the one studying Gov't. Sigh.
Wednesday - Math tutor came in the a.m. Everything seems to be going well in that department for the boys. Becky is practicing her math facts for the rest of the week. Our printer was broken so I couldn't print out any Aquinas Learning worksheets for her. Sean studied for his Latin quiz, read Hittite Warrior, and I can't remember what else! Both kids complained about going to historical swordsmanship. They do not like the two handed swords and since this was the last class, I weakly let them skip it. My back has been killing me all week and I just don't have any gumption right now! Rick came home and fixed the printer! Josh went to his CLC on Wed. night.
Thursday - Sean went off to Aquinas Learning. Becky studied some math facts and then baked some cookies. She did three of her Aquinas Learning worksheets. We finally got the AL visual aids posted on our kitchen wall of learning. Then I had to take Josh to the courthouse to get his official permanent license (they do that here in Virginia). Becky got to have a playdate with a friend who happens to live near the courthouse. Then Josh and I went and picked up Sean, then back again to pick up Becky all in rush hour traffic. By that time it was 6 o'clock already, so we wound up eating a quick dinner out. My back was killing me from all the driving. Josh got an email from the Physics teacher. He got a 92 on his test.
Friday - this day was taken up with dentist and doctor appointments and not much else! I think some reading, some videogame playing and some movie making went on as well. I am going out in a few minutes to a Mother's Night Out with the Aquinas Learning Center Becky is in (and I help run). I am not staying for long though. My back is still killing me and I just want to lie in bed and read my new book Three Men and A Boat.
Tuesday - The teen that studies Gov't with Josh came over at 8:30 a.m. Since Rick wasn't here, he'd downloaded a lecture course from the Teach. Co for them to watch. He thought they would be able to watch 3 if they took short breaks. However, I think they took long breaks because they only watched 2. They were just beginning to watch the 3rd one when the mom arrived. Oops! I think the only thing that Becky did school-wise was listen to me read another chapter of Manners and Morals and then she did the end of the book practice test on Fractions. My goodness that girl doesn't like math! Sean watched a couple of Logic lectures from The Art of Argument dvd. We are really enjoying these. He read some of Hittite Warrior, his new assigned reading. He did a lesson in math and took a catechism quiz on line. I helped his study a bit for his Latin quiz. Josh went to Physics class and took his test. Sean watched the whole pres. debate. I watched bits and pieces. Josh was no where to be found even though he's the one studying Gov't. Sigh.
Wednesday - Math tutor came in the a.m. Everything seems to be going well in that department for the boys. Becky is practicing her math facts for the rest of the week. Our printer was broken so I couldn't print out any Aquinas Learning worksheets for her. Sean studied for his Latin quiz, read Hittite Warrior, and I can't remember what else! Both kids complained about going to historical swordsmanship. They do not like the two handed swords and since this was the last class, I weakly let them skip it. My back has been killing me all week and I just don't have any gumption right now! Rick came home and fixed the printer! Josh went to his CLC on Wed. night.
Thursday - Sean went off to Aquinas Learning. Becky studied some math facts and then baked some cookies. She did three of her Aquinas Learning worksheets. We finally got the AL visual aids posted on our kitchen wall of learning. Then I had to take Josh to the courthouse to get his official permanent license (they do that here in Virginia). Becky got to have a playdate with a friend who happens to live near the courthouse. Then Josh and I went and picked up Sean, then back again to pick up Becky all in rush hour traffic. By that time it was 6 o'clock already, so we wound up eating a quick dinner out. My back was killing me from all the driving. Josh got an email from the Physics teacher. He got a 92 on his test.
Friday - this day was taken up with dentist and doctor appointments and not much else! I think some reading, some videogame playing and some movie making went on as well. I am going out in a few minutes to a Mother's Night Out with the Aquinas Learning Center Becky is in (and I help run). I am not staying for long though. My back is still killing me and I just want to lie in bed and read my new book Three Men and A Boat.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
{pretty, happy, funny, real}
{pretty}
 |
| Becky spotted this cardinal through the window and ran to show me. |
{happy}
This might better be categorized as 'goofy' rather than happy. Sean about to go off to his Aquinas Learning Center.
{funny)
Funny - Becky does about 100 handstands a day!
{real}
My house is so horribly messy right now. I need a bulldozer. Here's the lovely state of our dining room table.
For more {pretty, happy, funny, real} go here.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Sense and Sensibility - Book 44
This was a reread, except I cheated and listened to it on audio*.. I think I last read Sense & Sensibility about 8 years or so ago. This was my third time through the book. The first time, I was still in the throes of my love affair with Pride and Prejudice and was just expanding my reading of Austen. S&S did not satisfy me at all. I thought Edward was dull and Willoughby a phony. I liked the movie better. Then I reread it a couple years later and just loved it! My favorite scene in the whole book is when Willoughby comes by during Marianne's illness and begs Elinor's forgiveness. It is a shame they cut that scene out of the movie (the Emma Thompson one is the movie I am referring to. I haven't seen the new BBC Sense and Sensibility). But I still am not completely satisfied with the ending. I think Austen spends too much time in the denouement of the book, tying up loose ends and yet the biggest problem I have is with Marinane marrying Col. Brandon. I just am not satisfied that she will really be happy. I feel like she gets pushed into marrying him almost like she is prize everyone thinks he deserves. And she, properly chastened, meekly goes along with it.
My favorite character, besides Elinor herself, is Mrs. Jennings. She is so kind and clueless. I also really like the portrayal of John Dashwood. What a spineless milquetoast. Austen's use of vocabulary and precision in expressing the slightest nuance of character and feeling is so fantastic. I just revel in her turn of phrase, sentence after delightful sentence.
This time around I listened to the book on audio while driving kids hither and fro. The reader, Donada Peters, was excellent. She did all the character voices perfectly. This was an audio CD set that I got from my local library. Now I am without a 'car read.' I am thinking that I might listen to Moby Dick next and then perhaps the whole Lord of the Rings Trilogy after that. How luscious audio books make driving around in traffic! Really, I think they are a godsend!
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
* This is not the version I listened to but I bet Juliet Stevenson is pitch perfect at reading it! I love that actress!
My favorite character, besides Elinor herself, is Mrs. Jennings. She is so kind and clueless. I also really like the portrayal of John Dashwood. What a spineless milquetoast. Austen's use of vocabulary and precision in expressing the slightest nuance of character and feeling is so fantastic. I just revel in her turn of phrase, sentence after delightful sentence.
This time around I listened to the book on audio while driving kids hither and fro. The reader, Donada Peters, was excellent. She did all the character voices perfectly. This was an audio CD set that I got from my local library. Now I am without a 'car read.' I am thinking that I might listen to Moby Dick next and then perhaps the whole Lord of the Rings Trilogy after that. How luscious audio books make driving around in traffic! Really, I think they are a godsend!
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
* This is not the version I listened to but I bet Juliet Stevenson is pitch perfect at reading it! I love that actress!
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Waging Heavy Peace - Book 43
Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young is the singer-songwriter's recently released memoirs. Neil Young has been a presence in my life since childhood. My older brother had the Buffalo Springfield Again album. In my teen and college years, I listened to Young's albums After the Gold Rush, Harvest and Rust Never Sleeps over and over again. I remember one winter afternoon listening to the song Pocahontas again and again. "Aurora Borealis, the icy sky at night. . . " I love that song! I went to a CS&N concert once and I remember thinking that my favorite one, Y, wasn't there! I missed him. I never have seen Young in concert.
I didn't really keep up with Neil. I wasn't a groupie or anything. I just loved his music, whether it was acoustic or electric. He just was so creative and classy somehow. I had read an article one time about him and then at another time seen a bit of a movie about him, where they mentioned his disabled sons and how he'd invented something for them. But I really only knew bits and pieces of his life story. So when I somehow stumbled upon this book (cruising the internets somewhere) I immediately was curious and thanks to the wonders of the Kindle was able to download it right away.
I enjoyed this read. At first Young's writing struck me as childlike. He seemed like an old rocker who was stuck in the 1970's or something and had never grown up. I think I either had to get use to his voice or he actually began to write better as the book went on, because the simplicity of his writing style grew on me and I think it got more nuanced too. He's no intellect, and in a way he's stuck in that sex, drugs and rock n roll worldview because that's what he was in the thick of in his formative years. So he seems a bit arrested in his maturity in a way. However, not everyone has to be an intellect (I'm not!) and this isn't to say that he doesn't come across as intelligent, sensitive and passionate. I quite liked him. And his writing style, which is very direct and like he is breezily chatting with you, has an air of intimacy which makes it absorbing. And at times he is very funny too! I was a bit sad, though, that so much of that great music was a result of being stoned. That kind of took away some of my pleasure in it. However, Young, the man, is full of projects, reflections, memories, questions, creativity, gratitude and love as he looks back on his life and that made for really compelling reading. In a way this book reminded me of extended liner notes they used to put on album sleeves. He is so thankful to everyone who worked with him over the years. He has an uncanny memory for names and wonderfully describes little vignettes of people and places, cars and guitars, recording sessions and travel that he has known or experienced over the years. He loves his wife and kids, his music, his home in Northern CA and in Hawaii, and his current projects which are myriad.
He is working on two big projects: creating something initially called PureTone but subsequently changed to Pono because of copyright issues. This is something that will give music from ipods and itunes studio sound quality. Young is a true artist and the quality of the sound is very important to him. This struck a chord (pun!) with me because my own son, Will, who is studying guitar and composition at Berklee College of Music was blown away the first time he listened to music off an album on his father's old stereo system. The sound is just so much better than a CD and the sound is further corrupted via ipods and itune downloads. So Young is grappling with embracing new technology and at the same time being true to the aesthetic value of music. Young is also working on an electric/biomass car. He loves big old cars from the 50's but also is an environmentalist who wants to cut down on pollution and make our country energy independent. I thought that was really interesting and admirable.
He also has other ongoing projects like finishing up films he started long ago, finishing albums, organizing his archives, rebuilding cars, doing fundraising for The Bridge School and Farm Aid. At the beginning of the book Young talks about the fact that he's given up drinking and weed under doctor's orders. His own father suffered from dementia and the doctor has seen some anomaly on Young's brain scan that has him frighten. Young has a lot of lovely memories he shares about his childhood in Canada. He also has witnessed the deaths of many friends and had his own struggles with health, epilepsy, his sons' cerebral palsy, etc. The last chapter of the book is bittersweet.
I enjoyed this book very much. And now I want to download all the old Neil Young albums on my new ipod. Ironic! But I promise to get Pono the minute it is available!
For more book reviews go to 52 Books.
I didn't really keep up with Neil. I wasn't a groupie or anything. I just loved his music, whether it was acoustic or electric. He just was so creative and classy somehow. I had read an article one time about him and then at another time seen a bit of a movie about him, where they mentioned his disabled sons and how he'd invented something for them. But I really only knew bits and pieces of his life story. So when I somehow stumbled upon this book (cruising the internets somewhere) I immediately was curious and thanks to the wonders of the Kindle was able to download it right away.
I enjoyed this read. At first Young's writing struck me as childlike. He seemed like an old rocker who was stuck in the 1970's or something and had never grown up. I think I either had to get use to his voice or he actually began to write better as the book went on, because the simplicity of his writing style grew on me and I think it got more nuanced too. He's no intellect, and in a way he's stuck in that sex, drugs and rock n roll worldview because that's what he was in the thick of in his formative years. So he seems a bit arrested in his maturity in a way. However, not everyone has to be an intellect (I'm not!) and this isn't to say that he doesn't come across as intelligent, sensitive and passionate. I quite liked him. And his writing style, which is very direct and like he is breezily chatting with you, has an air of intimacy which makes it absorbing. And at times he is very funny too! I was a bit sad, though, that so much of that great music was a result of being stoned. That kind of took away some of my pleasure in it. However, Young, the man, is full of projects, reflections, memories, questions, creativity, gratitude and love as he looks back on his life and that made for really compelling reading. In a way this book reminded me of extended liner notes they used to put on album sleeves. He is so thankful to everyone who worked with him over the years. He has an uncanny memory for names and wonderfully describes little vignettes of people and places, cars and guitars, recording sessions and travel that he has known or experienced over the years. He loves his wife and kids, his music, his home in Northern CA and in Hawaii, and his current projects which are myriad.
He is working on two big projects: creating something initially called PureTone but subsequently changed to Pono because of copyright issues. This is something that will give music from ipods and itunes studio sound quality. Young is a true artist and the quality of the sound is very important to him. This struck a chord (pun!) with me because my own son, Will, who is studying guitar and composition at Berklee College of Music was blown away the first time he listened to music off an album on his father's old stereo system. The sound is just so much better than a CD and the sound is further corrupted via ipods and itune downloads. So Young is grappling with embracing new technology and at the same time being true to the aesthetic value of music. Young is also working on an electric/biomass car. He loves big old cars from the 50's but also is an environmentalist who wants to cut down on pollution and make our country energy independent. I thought that was really interesting and admirable.
He also has other ongoing projects like finishing up films he started long ago, finishing albums, organizing his archives, rebuilding cars, doing fundraising for The Bridge School and Farm Aid. At the beginning of the book Young talks about the fact that he's given up drinking and weed under doctor's orders. His own father suffered from dementia and the doctor has seen some anomaly on Young's brain scan that has him frighten. Young has a lot of lovely memories he shares about his childhood in Canada. He also has witnessed the deaths of many friends and had his own struggles with health, epilepsy, his sons' cerebral palsy, etc. The last chapter of the book is bittersweet.
I enjoyed this book very much. And now I want to download all the old Neil Young albums on my new ipod. Ironic! But I promise to get Pono the minute it is available!
For more book reviews go to 52 Books.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Week in Review - 10/12/12
 |
| We had just sung him Happy Birthday! |
I wasn't able to post about this before because sometimes my dear husband reads my blog! But on Saturday we had a big surprise 50th birthday party for him. Since the beginning of the academic year a lot of my emotional energy has been distracted by this event. It went well and I feel a sense of relief! Our two college age kids flew in from their respective schools. My son brought along two classmates. Together the trio provided music for the party which was at a lovely restaurant located on a farm. The food was delicious and the weather was perfect so we could have our party out on their beautiful big patio. We had 60 plus people. We had 4 distinct groups of people: his extended family, my side of the family, people from his work and homeschooling/church families we've known for some years. (I didn't include photos of them because some are not happy about being on the internet, so I'm playing it safe.) In truth, I don't have a lot of pictures to begin with. Hannah took some, but not as many as I thought she would. My niece, Cindy, who is always the official picture taker at every family event because she's so into it, took lots of photos but she hasn't sent them to me yet. So here's one of Rick with the music trio. Will is on guitar, Grant on sax and Mason on cello/bass.
 |
| Rick listening to the trio. Our son Will (or Eli as he prefers - his middle name is Elijah) and his two buddies. |
Whew! So that's over!
I spent Sunday and Monday recovering. I was exhausted because in addition to getting ready for this party, my stomach and my back have been really giving me problems. My back has been killing me! I spent a large portion of this week lying down and helping Sean with his Aquinas work from a reclining position. When I wasn't lying down, I was cooking!
Due to Columbus Day, we didn't have Becky's Aquinas Learning, so we just gently plugged away at finishing up Week 3 work. I've been reading The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder out loud to Becky this week (while I am lying in bed). I loved this author when I was her age. She likes the book too. It is a great trip down memory lane for me. Becky has had a very hard time focusing on math this week. I just wish I could find a way to inspire her math-wise. Her eyes glaze over the minute we start on the subject. Her brain shuts down. I just need to engage her in a better way. Today, Saturday, Becky sat down and did her IEW work. Last year, we struggled so much with IEW and really disliked it, but this year, things have been going just fine with it.
Sean had to do his first oral presentation at his Aquinas Learning Center on Thursday. He was nervous, but he said it went well. He did it on Pangaea, something he's been really intrigued with for a while. He knew his stuff, so mostly it was nerves getting in the way. He is working so well. One day this week I walked by the dining room and he was in there quietly working away on his math. Last year he would spend almost all day struggling through one lesson. He would daydream and pace and stall for hours. Now he just sits down and does it. It struck me anew just how different things are this year. Miraculous!
It has been a lighter week for Josh because they had no math on Monday and he had no Physics on Tuesday. He did have Government on Tuesday morning with Rick. Josh went to the 9:15 Mass on Friday and then afterwards we met to watch a history lecture on Benjamin Franklin. He didn't get his composition or grammar done Friday, so he's working on it today (Saturday). Even though he had a slower week academically, Josh has been so much help this week with my back being so troublesome. He's done lots of stooping and lifting for me as well as run lots and lots of errands.
I popped some Advil and took myself to my first Scripture study at church Thursday evening. I haven't participated in a group study like this in a couple of decades. It's on the book of Wisdom and I think it is going to be really interesting. This weekend I have to plan for my Religious Ed class as well as Aquinas Learning on Monday.
Sean's homework this week for his logic class was to watch the VP debate. He really enjoyed it. He watched with Rick. Rick, however, was despairing over the state of politics in this country. I personally am trying not to think about it too much! Poor Rick's despair continues because both the Nationals and the Orioles lost and won't go on to the World series. Poor dear.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Monday Meals - 10/8/12 - Towards GAPS
So on Sunday, I'm posting about a book on serving the poor but on Monday I'm thinking about trendy First world obsessions like organic non-GMO food and what to do about my IBS that has really gotten out of control. I was feeling guilty about it once it dawned on me that those two things issues probably conflict. I should be so grateful for the sheer abundance of food, really overwhelming abundance, and how easily accessible it is. But then I thought some more. I really have struggled with my sensitive tummy since I was a teenager. I've largely ignored it and just put up with it but as I age I am getting more and more discomfort. I want to be vibrant and healthy but frankly most of the time I am tired, feeling under the weather and achey. I think simplifying and getting to a place where I have the energy to think clearly, volunteer, etc, means honing in on my diet issues. If I get more into traditional diets and healthy homemade food, I think it will make me more intentional about food issues and cooking. And also I think in the long run I will save money on food and that money could go to buying chickens and such for the poor.
So I think I am going to try a new regular post on Mondays focusing on meals. I probably won't be able to do every Monday. Mondays are busy. But maybe a couple times a month I could post something about efforts to eat better and all the repercussion from that. I really have been feeling so poorly for the last two weeks. I've been soldiering through but I collapse and have to rest for an hour or two every afternoon plus I'm going to bed very early in the evenings. I am always trying to go more natural/traditional/organic and always getting overwhelmed and backsliding. Blogging does help me be a bit more systematic. Now I am looking at the GAPS diet. (here's a blog post I stumbled on that inspired me) I have the book. I think I got it a year ago, got overwhelmed and then put it aside. But since I have been rather miserable for the last two weeks, it has caught my eye again.
I am not ready to do the extreme Intro to GAPS diet. And I don't even know how pure I'll be about the regular GAPS but I do want to move towards the diet. I've decided to devote the rest of October to getting more GAPS friendly. Right now I am making more chicken broth. I got 6 free range chickens from the farm where we get our beef. They are tasty chickens but they are big and boney. For how big they are you really don't get so much meat off them. Usually, when I am making chicken broth I roast a chicken first and then use the carcass to make chicken broth. Today I decided I'd just cook the whole big, boney chicken and use whatever meat is on it for soup.
One problem is that I stick the jars of broth in the fridge and then never clean off the shelves so the jars get pushed to the back and forgotten after a day or two. Fresh chicken broth really needs to be frozen after a couple days or used. It goes bad pretty fast. This made me think that the first step to keeping myself on track for this kind of diet is keeping my fridge fairly cleaned out. I have got to just attend to it for a couple of minutes every day, just to remember what's in there. I am so ADD.
Anyway, I cleaned my fridge out and then I cleaned out one side of the pantry too. I went shopping at Trader Joe's to get all the good stuff I need to get started. Since to go on the GAPS diet you really needs lots and lots of homemade chicken and beef broth, in addition to making chicken broth straight from one of the farm chickens, I bought an Empire kosher organic chicken today and I'm going to roast it for dinner as well as roast up some potatoes, red pepper, leeks and mushrooms for dinner. Yummy. So I'll have lots of chicken meat that I can freeze to make soups with. And tomorrow I'll make more chicken broth with the roast chicken's carcass.
Tomorrow, also I'm going into town in the afternoon so I plan to stop at the Whole Foods (I'll call them in the a.m.) and pick up some beef bones. I'll make beef broth on Wednesday or Thursday.
So the focus right now is: 1) keep fridge relatively organized 2) Make lots and lots of chicken and beef broth.
So I think I am going to try a new regular post on Mondays focusing on meals. I probably won't be able to do every Monday. Mondays are busy. But maybe a couple times a month I could post something about efforts to eat better and all the repercussion from that. I really have been feeling so poorly for the last two weeks. I've been soldiering through but I collapse and have to rest for an hour or two every afternoon plus I'm going to bed very early in the evenings. I am always trying to go more natural/traditional/organic and always getting overwhelmed and backsliding. Blogging does help me be a bit more systematic. Now I am looking at the GAPS diet. (here's a blog post I stumbled on that inspired me) I have the book. I think I got it a year ago, got overwhelmed and then put it aside. But since I have been rather miserable for the last two weeks, it has caught my eye again.
I am not ready to do the extreme Intro to GAPS diet. And I don't even know how pure I'll be about the regular GAPS but I do want to move towards the diet. I've decided to devote the rest of October to getting more GAPS friendly. Right now I am making more chicken broth. I got 6 free range chickens from the farm where we get our beef. They are tasty chickens but they are big and boney. For how big they are you really don't get so much meat off them. Usually, when I am making chicken broth I roast a chicken first and then use the carcass to make chicken broth. Today I decided I'd just cook the whole big, boney chicken and use whatever meat is on it for soup.
One problem is that I stick the jars of broth in the fridge and then never clean off the shelves so the jars get pushed to the back and forgotten after a day or two. Fresh chicken broth really needs to be frozen after a couple days or used. It goes bad pretty fast. This made me think that the first step to keeping myself on track for this kind of diet is keeping my fridge fairly cleaned out. I have got to just attend to it for a couple of minutes every day, just to remember what's in there. I am so ADD.
Anyway, I cleaned my fridge out and then I cleaned out one side of the pantry too. I went shopping at Trader Joe's to get all the good stuff I need to get started. Since to go on the GAPS diet you really needs lots and lots of homemade chicken and beef broth, in addition to making chicken broth straight from one of the farm chickens, I bought an Empire kosher organic chicken today and I'm going to roast it for dinner as well as roast up some potatoes, red pepper, leeks and mushrooms for dinner. Yummy. So I'll have lots of chicken meat that I can freeze to make soups with. And tomorrow I'll make more chicken broth with the roast chicken's carcass.
Tomorrow, also I'm going into town in the afternoon so I plan to stop at the Whole Foods (I'll call them in the a.m.) and pick up some beef bones. I'll make beef broth on Wednesday or Thursday.
So the focus right now is: 1) keep fridge relatively organized 2) Make lots and lots of chicken and beef broth.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Mountains Beyond Mountains - Book 42
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder tells the story of Dr. Paul Farmer, who through his brilliant, compassionate work in Haiti and other places stricken by poverty has changed the way much of the global health community works with impoverished nations. He co-founded Partners in Health while still a med student.
Farmer grew up in a trailer park or living on a fishing boat with his big family. He was always smart in school and marched to his own beat. He got a full scholarship to Duke University where he studied Anthropology. He wanted to focus on Medical Anthropology so he applied to Harvard and Case Western, the only schools that had such program. He got into Harvard. He visited Haiti to get a feel for the kind of career he was dreaming of and wound up pretty much living there and starting a clinic in one of the poorest areas of a very poor country. He actually spent most of his time in Haiti during medical school, studying in between serving patients and only showing up for exams. He graduated near the top of his class. He now teaches at Harvard as well as speaks around the world on global health issues. And he still serves patients one on one.
The author, Kidder, follows Farmer around, walking 7 hours to visit two patients for instance, or flying with him to Boston, Peru, Cuba and Russia to help establish clinics there (or in the case of Cuba to note how well they have controlled TB/AIDS and seek expert help from them). Farmer wrestles with all kinds of issues; how to work with the poor, how to fund raise to make his dream happen, how to deal with the World Health Organization and politics, how to cope with death, the needless death and misery of the poor, and the complexity of living in both the 1st and 3rd world and trying to make moral decisions constantly. Kidder obviously deeply admires Farmer, who is a lovable genius who can't quite buy into the cost-benefit analysis approach to healthcare - every patient in front of him deserves the best care he can give him or her. He loves being a doctor and well, doctoring.
This book was hard to put down. Kidder is an excellent writer (see my review of Strength in What Remains) and Farmer is such an interesting and admirable man. I don't know much about the issues covered in this book, but I should! I want to read books by Farmer, especially the one entitled Haiti after the Earthquake. The whole time I was reading about Farmer I kept thinking that he has got to be one of the 36 righteous men who save the world. Dr. Farmer and his lifework are both complex and compelling. Kidder does a good job of portraying that complexity. Farmer is constantly torn, between serving the poor of the world and seeing his wife and child, berating his co-worker for wanting to sightsee in Russia while working there, but having his (Farmer's) own pretty fishpond in clinical compound in Haiti, trying to decide if it is right to spend $28,000 to save one dying boy in Haiti or should that money be better spent getting medicine to a lot of people? Kidder himself gets pulled into this guilt-ridden tension, sheepishly worrying about his own health in the midst of witnessing the horrific misery of the poorest of the poor. And the book introduces the reader to many of the people who helped Farmer, Ophelia Dahl (daughter of Roald Dahl) and Jim Kim - cofounders of Partner's in Health and others who have devoted their lives to serving the poor.
All this made me reflect on my own attitude toward the poor. At one point in the book when Farmer is yet again begging for desperately needed money, he says something like: if only I had all the money Americans spend grooming their dogs! It made me think of that gospel story of Rich Lazarus and Poor Lazarus, poor Lazarus not even getting the scraps fed to the dogs. Farmer is definitely influenced by the gospel and the often Catholic impulse to serve the poor. He takes it very seriously even though he has problems with aspects of Catholicism. Partners in Health takes the Catholic concept, made famous in Liberation Theology, of the preferential option for the poor as their moral imperative. I feel Kidder is mostly objective in his telling of Farmer's story, and I trust most of his narrative, but I did get a bit of anti-Catholic feeling from him at times (and also in the previous book). For instance, Kidder tells of Mother Teresa's visit to Haiti. Farmer got hot under the collar about the sister visiting Mrs. Baby Doc Duvalier and complimenting her on her work with the poor. I can see why Farmer would find that unjust. I am sure Mother Teresa blundered at times and had different strategies to awaken a sense of duty and compassion to the poor, some more effective than others. But the whole incident felt very taken out of context. When I got to the end the book, the only bibliographical resource cited for Mother Teresa was Christopher Hutchin's awful and terribly biased book on her. Huh? Kidder does often note that many nuns and priests help Farmer and that many of those who are involved in his projects are religious but he never elucidates on that. But it really is a huge and complex story with many characters so I am not really too disturbed by this. I just noted it as I read this eye-opening book.
This book made me feel ashamed of my own luxurious, self-centered lifestyle. I am now compelled to ask myself, where is my preferential option for the poor? What have I done for the least of my brethren? How have I loved my neighbor as myself? Farmer is really Christ-like in his whole life-long embrace of the poor. And I haven't even gone into the bulk of the second half of the book which tells how Farmer saved the world from drug-resistant tuberculous, which began to be rampant in poor areas of the world due to the WHO's incomplete understanding of how best to administer medicine to those living in abject poverty.
I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone in the first world who needs to be jolted out of their complacency. And who doesn't? Go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks for more book reviews.
Farmer grew up in a trailer park or living on a fishing boat with his big family. He was always smart in school and marched to his own beat. He got a full scholarship to Duke University where he studied Anthropology. He wanted to focus on Medical Anthropology so he applied to Harvard and Case Western, the only schools that had such program. He got into Harvard. He visited Haiti to get a feel for the kind of career he was dreaming of and wound up pretty much living there and starting a clinic in one of the poorest areas of a very poor country. He actually spent most of his time in Haiti during medical school, studying in between serving patients and only showing up for exams. He graduated near the top of his class. He now teaches at Harvard as well as speaks around the world on global health issues. And he still serves patients one on one.
The author, Kidder, follows Farmer around, walking 7 hours to visit two patients for instance, or flying with him to Boston, Peru, Cuba and Russia to help establish clinics there (or in the case of Cuba to note how well they have controlled TB/AIDS and seek expert help from them). Farmer wrestles with all kinds of issues; how to work with the poor, how to fund raise to make his dream happen, how to deal with the World Health Organization and politics, how to cope with death, the needless death and misery of the poor, and the complexity of living in both the 1st and 3rd world and trying to make moral decisions constantly. Kidder obviously deeply admires Farmer, who is a lovable genius who can't quite buy into the cost-benefit analysis approach to healthcare - every patient in front of him deserves the best care he can give him or her. He loves being a doctor and well, doctoring.
This book was hard to put down. Kidder is an excellent writer (see my review of Strength in What Remains) and Farmer is such an interesting and admirable man. I don't know much about the issues covered in this book, but I should! I want to read books by Farmer, especially the one entitled Haiti after the Earthquake. The whole time I was reading about Farmer I kept thinking that he has got to be one of the 36 righteous men who save the world. Dr. Farmer and his lifework are both complex and compelling. Kidder does a good job of portraying that complexity. Farmer is constantly torn, between serving the poor of the world and seeing his wife and child, berating his co-worker for wanting to sightsee in Russia while working there, but having his (Farmer's) own pretty fishpond in clinical compound in Haiti, trying to decide if it is right to spend $28,000 to save one dying boy in Haiti or should that money be better spent getting medicine to a lot of people? Kidder himself gets pulled into this guilt-ridden tension, sheepishly worrying about his own health in the midst of witnessing the horrific misery of the poorest of the poor. And the book introduces the reader to many of the people who helped Farmer, Ophelia Dahl (daughter of Roald Dahl) and Jim Kim - cofounders of Partner's in Health and others who have devoted their lives to serving the poor.
All this made me reflect on my own attitude toward the poor. At one point in the book when Farmer is yet again begging for desperately needed money, he says something like: if only I had all the money Americans spend grooming their dogs! It made me think of that gospel story of Rich Lazarus and Poor Lazarus, poor Lazarus not even getting the scraps fed to the dogs. Farmer is definitely influenced by the gospel and the often Catholic impulse to serve the poor. He takes it very seriously even though he has problems with aspects of Catholicism. Partners in Health takes the Catholic concept, made famous in Liberation Theology, of the preferential option for the poor as their moral imperative. I feel Kidder is mostly objective in his telling of Farmer's story, and I trust most of his narrative, but I did get a bit of anti-Catholic feeling from him at times (and also in the previous book). For instance, Kidder tells of Mother Teresa's visit to Haiti. Farmer got hot under the collar about the sister visiting Mrs. Baby Doc Duvalier and complimenting her on her work with the poor. I can see why Farmer would find that unjust. I am sure Mother Teresa blundered at times and had different strategies to awaken a sense of duty and compassion to the poor, some more effective than others. But the whole incident felt very taken out of context. When I got to the end the book, the only bibliographical resource cited for Mother Teresa was Christopher Hutchin's awful and terribly biased book on her. Huh? Kidder does often note that many nuns and priests help Farmer and that many of those who are involved in his projects are religious but he never elucidates on that. But it really is a huge and complex story with many characters so I am not really too disturbed by this. I just noted it as I read this eye-opening book.
This book made me feel ashamed of my own luxurious, self-centered lifestyle. I am now compelled to ask myself, where is my preferential option for the poor? What have I done for the least of my brethren? How have I loved my neighbor as myself? Farmer is really Christ-like in his whole life-long embrace of the poor. And I haven't even gone into the bulk of the second half of the book which tells how Farmer saved the world from drug-resistant tuberculous, which began to be rampant in poor areas of the world due to the WHO's incomplete understanding of how best to administer medicine to those living in abject poverty.
I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone in the first world who needs to be jolted out of their complacency. And who doesn't? Go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks for more book reviews.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)