What veils can hide

I picked up A Thousand Splendid Suns from the library Wednesday at 2pm. I started reading at approx. 4pm. I closed the book, completely finished, at 11pm. Obviously I could not put it down.

As with Kite Runner, Hosseini weaves a tale enticing the reader into a mysterious world that many only know by news reports. Afghanistan is a country where terror reigns. But under this dismal umbrella of barbaric rule, men and women live desiring love, laughter, friendship, and basic necessities of life.

This is a tale of two women, a generation apart, who are married to the same abusive husband. Their tale of survival, wit, and hope has weaved itself into my mind, replaying over and over. This book was an ugly reminder that the world is broken, but there will always be hope.

When you pick this book up, be mindful that you will be busy for hours. Therefore allow no distractions.

Seven Stuffed Dwarves and white garland

Dad was in charge of lights and garland. White garland. This stuff gently laid upon the boughs, giving the illusion of a winter wonderland. That garland lasted for years and years and still may reside at my parent's abode. Along with the garland, were the seven stuffed clothe dwarves that my mother had sewn. We hung these on the bottom boughs so that we could lay under the tree and play with them. The added bonus was when our cat would attack, knock one off the tree, and we would have to find the missing dwarf. Unfortunately, only one dwarf has survived and resides on the bottom of my tree.

"Let me help!"

Perched upon a worn, brown leather barstool I would watch. With legs swinging to and fro and the plea of "let me help" on my lips, I would sit mesmerized by the taffy. For years, days prior to Christmas, Nanny and Aunt Susie would spend hours pulling taffy. The white gooey concoction was a testament to precision of ingredients and endurance of the maker. Every once in a while I would get a chunk to pull, but seconds into the situation it would turn to a garbled lump of sugar and alum.



Fast forward to last year. I decided to recreate this tradition at my house. Donned in Starbucks aprons, Lisa To and I stood side by side trying to figure out the secret. To make a hilarious long story short, we never got taffy--just a ziplock bag full of alum and sugar.



So, this Christmas memory has a distinct aura of mystery. Kudos to Nanny and Aunt Susie for figuring out the secret taffy code. It does have a mind of its own.



Then as a side note, as I was reading "The Dangerous Book for Boys" I realized Alum has many uses: tanning hides, making batteries, dying clothes, just to name a few. I cannot help but wonder how on earth such an agent ended up in taffy!

"Man your stations!"

I realize I am a bit behind in my 12 days of memories. So I may have to double up a few days!

However, day two involves hours in the kitchen. Around the holidays, baking was huge for our family. My mother, in her motherly way, designated three work stations--one for each child. Ironically, these stations were etched in stone for years and years. The stations and inhabitants were:

1. Amanda: The counter bend beside the stove

2. Jennie: The island

3. Stephen: The cabinet beside the microwave

Each time mom declared war on baking, we donned our aprons (which hung on the pantry door), and manned our station. Not only were the stations designated, each station had a specialty item. Every once in a while, more than one station would work on a project but rarely. Specialties were:

1: Sugar Cookies

2. Peanut Butter Cookies

3. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Obviously, we kneaded, folded, mixed, and created many more baked goods beyond cookies, but I vividly remember the cookie days.

The beginning of my love for kitchen gadgets

One of my earliest childhood Christmas memories pertains to a three piece Rainbow Brite kitchen set. I remember the packages being HUGE to my 2.5 foot height. Oh the glee when I yanked the paper away to reveal my very own kitchen! I had a fridge, stove/oven, and sink! I vividly remember the feel of opening the oven door and the screech it made as it opened. Yes, I lived in the days when metal was used for toys. Ironically we did not kill ourselves, but it seems a new generation must be bubble wrapped. Oops...soapbox. Anywho. I received that gem of a present in Moundsville, WV and remember having it in Kentucky--many moves later. I think it finally rusted apart, plus I came to the age where I could play with the real kitchen gadgets.

I am sure my mom has archived pictures of this memory, but they are not in my reach. Therefore I googled Rainbow Brite kitchen set and found this site: http://www.80stoysale.com/rainbow3.html. I could not save the pictures, but if you scroll down you can see the kitchen set that let me inner chef take flight.

So that is how it happened!

The Elyon Series has been a pleasant surprise into my reading repetoire. I randomly ran across the first one and was instantly hooked. This series has the typical good vs. evil, but the auther portrays the storyline as the small piece to a bigger picture. There are some fantastic, thought provoking quotes woven throughout.

So, having read the previous three, I was elated to see another one was out. Into the Mist delves into the past of the Warvold brothers and how their story elapses with current events. It is a great read with many to come.

Home to Holly Springs

I picked this book up with mixed emotions. The Mitford series is truly one of my favorite series, but Home to Holly Springs was to be set outside of the cozy town I have come to love. It was a good read, however the first book is not endeared to me. At times I felt all over the place trying to follow the story line. It was the typical going-home-to-your-roots-find-friends novel. Plus I am a bit perplexed how this story will further develop into the "Father Tim" series.

Back in the saddle

Thanks to my husband for picking books by their cover, I have been sucked into an Australian book series, The Rangers Apprentice. Also, I thank Australia for not being pathetically slow in distribution like the United States. Nonetheless, Book 7 has been thoroughly read and enjoyed. The book's storyline falls between books four and five. It was well written in that he sucked me in, making me forget that I already knew the outcome to many of the storylines. So, I now sit in anticipation of Book 8, coming in November 2008.

Twelve Days of Memories

The sights and sounds of the season are upon us. I love Christmas! It is my favorite time of year. Being away from family during the season, it makes me rely on the memories. Therefore, being inspired by a friend counting down to the celebration of turning 50, this month will be a month speckled with the Twelve Days of Memories. May you laugh and be cozy as I pluck my memory for those Christmases long ago...