Wherein the Kitchen Turns Fourteen

Ye goddesses and little fishes! Fourteen kitchen threads!

Off to go eat leftovers.

Post-Thanksgiving Kitchen must be exhausted, poor thing.

somebody around here must talk a lot.

>4 mckait: o.O

:PPPPPPPPPPPPT

*gasp* Kath! Don't you realize Richard has feelings! You must be careful what you say to him, it is simply cruel be so rude.

Richard dear, the Kitchen doesn't fill so quickly because you talk to much, ok?

It fills so quickly because you eat so much.

*Pats Richard's balding head* There there now...

:P

You can't do that! You only have 1 eye, remember?

foursquare post

nearly at Stephens no longer snowy driveway

Hi all!

Grant gave me 50 dollars today as an "early Christmas present" and said I could spend it on books. . (This coming from a woman who went on a 50 dollar spree and a subsequent 75 dollar spree with a couple of little shopping excursions in between.)

All this talk of food makes me hungry!

#10: Let me know where it is, will you, Kath?

#11: I am jealous!

Good morning kitchen dwellers. I am having an early cup of tea after a trip to the airport to deliver my mother for her flight home. Think I'll go back to bed for an hour after this - the world is a snowy waste outside and it's too early to be up and about.

#14: Sounds to cold to be up and about too, Genny!

I am also having an early cup of tea :)

sure will stas.
:)
snow.. shudder. No snow, but it is plenty cold here!

It is cold here too. Right now about 30, dropping to about 16 before it warms up.

I like it to be nice and cool for sleeping/working etc. But for sitting.. doing nothing but reading or laptop..
a little sun on my back is nice. I am getting old... sigh.
I opened the blinds behind my chair yesterday for Morgan.. so she could lie in the sun.. she then felt very nice and warm against my neck..lol

Brrrrrr!

...cold...well, it's better than heat I guess.

I took my kids to see Tangled yesterday. It was a lot of fun. I recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind an animated musical a la Disney.

Tangled is definitely on my list of movies to see in the near future! I might drag a family member or two tomorrow afternoon to a matinee. :)

My daughter made her first pavlova today - it is already all gone, demolished in seconds. My portion was laden with fresh whipped cream and strawberries. Lovely summer treat to go along with the great weather.

mmmm! I made a gingered-peach pavlova this summer, and it, too was gone in seconds.

In case anyone is interested, BookCloseouts is having a sale:

Black Friday & Cyber Monday SALE EVENT on right now!

50,000 titles have been discounted by an additional 50%. This is a onetime sale event so take advantage of these even lower prices now before it’s all over. Sale event ends Tuesday November 30th at Midnight.

www.BookCloseouts.com

#22 and #23 Yum to the pavlovas!

Making coffee in my shiny new (5 years old but new to us) Nespresso machine while the kids play Super Mario and I read...it snowed here the last 2 days and looks gorgeous, but it is definitely a stay-inside-with-a-book day.

I dare not even look at that site.
No more books.. until I find homes for the ones stacked next to me..
and catch up on my' have to' reads. I have a have to but want to sitting next to me to begin when it gets light out.

24: *sticks fingers in ears* I can't hear you lalalalalalala!

*Realizes too late that sticking fingers in ears and making loud noises doesn't inhibit him from reading the post...

... *grumble*

You've got me dying here! What is a pavlova? Any recipes?

Mmmmm, pavlova. Yum.

#28 Pavlova recipe and the history of the pavlova.

New thread for discussing this year's group and what we might want to do for next year.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/103437

RE: Pavlova: Drool. Same reaction to Peach Melba. Double Drool.

Thank heavens, I missed the Book Closeouts sale announcement until the sale was over! ;)

I had an amazing dinner last night at a restaurant in Cambridge called 'Upstairs on the Square'... it didn't hurt that our waiter was a really cute guy too.... well, at least I noticed. The hubster was oblivious to his charms and winning smiles. Deliciously cold, not too sweet and a little tangy pomegranate martinis (yes, plural because they were so good), sweet corn & lobster chowder that was to die for, superbly tender pomegranate (i love this fruit, what can I say?) roast duck over parsnips, and a glass of Calvados with a sublime butterscotch pudding, with a side of shortbread sandwiches filled with quince.

Briefly, please:

Nook vs. Kindle?

Anyone?

I love my Kindle and have had no problems with it. I've been able to put all the free ebooks I've downloaded from various websites on it and it reads every single one of them.

I love the progress bar at the bottom that shows the percentage read.

I like that you can now put your books into collections on the main menu screen (I have a group called "classics", another is "mysteries", etc.)

I love the battery life.

And with a faux leather cover that folds over it, it feels like a real book to me when I hold it, which is great!

I love the e-paper technology - the screen really looks like a piece of paper (It's not backlit, so you still need a book light if you read in the dark) and there's no eyestrain.

I love that I can adjust the font to whatever size I want, whenever I want! (I need a bigger font when I try to read while on the treadmill)

The Kindle will read out loud to you, but it's just a computer voice so I wouldn't recommend it. You can also browse a few websites, but only those that are primarily text based. I haven't had trouble with the signal, and I live in the "sticks" where AT&T doesn't usually come in. But my Kindle always works at home.

I know it plays mp3 files, but I haven't used that feature.

Amazon is offering free and low cost word games to play on the Kindle, which has come in handy when I'm trapped in the car with restless pre-teens.

So...overall I love it! My only big complaint is the Kindle does NOT show page numbers! It gives percentage read and Kindle "locations" but nary a single page number - unless you are reading a pdf file. It's very frustrating to hear someone on LT talk about a great quote on page ___ and not have any idea where that is in my book!

That's my quick Kindle impressions. I've never used the other two so I can't give reviews of them. I've heard good things about the Nook. I was tempted to buy a Kobo (due to price) but at the time they were brand new and I always shy away from technology that's just come out. I wait until some of the bugs are worked out, lol...I decided in favor of the Kindle when the new Kindle software was finally able to read pdf files, and when the Kindle finally started dropping in price.

Hope this helps!

I have a Kindle. Love all the features Angela mentioned.
Fast downloading... easy on the eyes...great for traveling
huge selection of books
I will like it better when they get color and it is not so fragile.
Amazon help desk people are great...very helpful!
I have not tried other brands. Can't compare.

Two quotes from Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

"...I was walking in the park, enjoying the threefold luxury of solitude, a book, and pleasant weather..."

"Reading is my favorite occupation, when I have leisure for it and books to read."

Roast duck over parsnips...hmmm...*begins stealing recipe for a roast chicken dinner*

Shrimp pad thai and duck curry....mmmm....

Stasia

I rec'd. an email regarding the Bookcloseouts sale. I went to the website and quickly closed the link. I'm trying so darn hard to read some of the books on my shelf before adding more....Like any addiction, I handle the obsession day at a time.

Caroline...How I love Cambridge. When my son-in-law went to Tufts for his Engineering Masters degree, my daughter taught fifth grade in the Boxboro/Acton school district. They lived in Waltham. I traveled there once-twice a month. It is a 7.5 - 8 hour drive. There are some great restaurants in Lexington/Concord.

Concord is one of my favorite places in the US! Visiting Salem, MA during Halloween weekend is a blast!

LT was down this morning.. stole some of my morning time.
Sad.

I love Salem! Love it! Danvers is beautiful~
Do NOT like Marblehead.

Too much food talk for so early :PPPP

I'm just sucking Nutella off a spoon. That's where I'm at this morning.

Who was it that made Monkey Bread around Thanksgiving? This just appeared in my Google Reader and looks both easy and scrumptious.
Individual Monkey Bread Servings

I'm hungry now.

Mmmmm, Pass the coffee and hand wipes please : )

Nutella and banana *dripdrool*

43 genius! Love that idea!

Did someone say Nutella and banana?! Mmmmm... my favorite combination in a crepe.

I am in heaven .... I had snow crabs for dinner! Yummy!

43> That was me! And, oh my!

I saw on the site where I got my recipe another one for "mini monkey bread" that used the muffin tin, too, but that link has ingredients closer to what I actually did (the vanilla, yanno).

Also, omg, monkey bread with banana and nutella spread on top (no cinnamon in this one)... Richard, I am going to blame that on you when I make it for Christmas brunch.

>41 mckait:: I grew up in Danvers and lived there for 23 years. It was much more beautiful then; not as much commercial development; I walked everywhere and was consequently thin as a rail (those days are gone, alas). We were last there about 7 years ago; seeing parts of the town brought tears to my eyes. I love New England, particularly the old colonial towns and the coast. Sadly I now live far away from any salt water (sob), something that has been very hard to adjust to for the last 3.5 years...but who's counting?

If someone around here has or can point me to a shrimp pad thai recipeI would be most grateful.

>34 nittnut:: I love the nook. Lots and lots of reasonably-priced books; almost all the features of the Kindle, except the voice read. It now has a color edition, but I've not tried it. A real pleasure is lying in bed toward midnight and shopping the nook store (must have wireless in the house or nearby for that). I also have a leather cover, for the same reason mentioned above. It will never replace real books, especially those with footnotes (they are hard to access on any e-reader, no matter what anyone says), but it's just been a real pleasure.

I just got home from my recipe club. We all brought our favorite holiday dishes. My favorite was the tomato basil tart, YUM. When I get the recipe, I'll share. I made ebelskivers, some with Nutella and some with lingonberry jam in the middle.

I'm getting the feeling that there's not a huge dif between Nook and Kindle. I may just have to go play with them a bit. I hear Office Max is carrying Kindle now. Thanks for input everyone!

>48 keristars: You're welcome, I'm sure...and "blame" might be more like "credit" in this case!

>49 Matke: AHA! Now I know why I always think of Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca when you're around, Gail!

>50 nittnut: Oh. My. Goodness. That tart sounds superb!

If someone around here has or can point me to a shrimp pad thai recipeI would be most grateful.

See if this link works:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Shrimp-Pad-Thai/Detail.aspx

No, I haven't tried this recipe so I can't vouch for it, but I've found good things on the website. And the page has links to other related recipes.

>50 nittnut:: Ebelskivers? Anything with nutella or lingonberries is good, though.

>51 richardderus:: Richard, you stinker! I've yet to burn down a house, but perhaps...

>52 tymfos:: Thanks for that link! The recipe looks good, and I see it has my favorite off-the-wall ingredient: nuc mam (fish sauce).

This is the pad thai recipe I use:

http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/recipes/Pad_Thai.htm

It has good pictures and details on how to make it. I've used the recipe 6 or 7 times, once quintupling it to feed 10 people.

Ebelskivers = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86bleskiver
It's like a doughnut and a pancake. Traditionally served plain with applesauce, but my kids, being gourmets, prefer Nutella and lingonberries.
And no matter what wikipedia says, we're spelling it the way we spell it.

Facebook does have good uses. I got this Flannery O'Connor quote there today:

"The two worst sins of bad taste in fiction are pornography and sentimentality. One is too much sex and the other too much sentiment. You have to have enough of either to prove your point but no more. - letter 3/10/56"

I love pad thai, so have bookmarked both these recipes. I love a bit of cilantro in mine, along with the crushed peanuts and bean sprouts!

Love the thai table site! Yum!

Peanuts cause cancer? Please tell me that the research isn't complete on that one.

Gail, living causes cancer. Scare stuff like that is so irritating to me.

Hey, I spent about 5 minutes and put together a quick wiki page as a test of the concept for managing group info in next year's group. looks like it'll work pretty well.

http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Groups:75booksin2010

I'd do a cleaner, more organized design for next year, but it looks like we can do a "phone book" list of peoples' threads so folks can find each other.

Great quote Richard. I completely agree with Ms. O'Connor.

#60: Jim, I hate to break it to you, but I can probably fill up a 'phone book' with my threads all by myself :(

Stasia needs her own wiki page :)

I'm sure you all are way ahead of me on this, but I recently discovered Adagio Teas (http://www.adagio.com) and am so pleased with it. There's currently a holiday promotion of free gift-wrapping and free shipping for orders of $25+, but also! Holidays flavour tea!

Also, they have this thing where you do a tweet advertising the site which has a code active for the next 24 hours that offers $5 off for anyone who wants it: Yummy treat! Here is a $5 gift certificate to Adagio Teas: 1110137363. Expires in 24 hours. (I just got that one, so you've 24 hours from the timestamp on this post.)

#64: I love Adagio Teas!

Hi Kitcheners! Just in case you are interested, one of my Etsy teams is hosting a blog hop starting tomorrow. People are sharing recipes and crafts. About 25 bloggers are participating. If it sounds fun to you, start here: www.etsymom.blogspot.com.

Again, it starts Sunday morning. Enjoy!

Quick, check the hot reviews wherein you will see that all ten are from 75 challenge group members!

Woot! Hooray for 75ers!

We are just one 'Hot' group! Congrats to everyone!

65> Somehow, I guessed you might be one who knows all about Adagio Teas, Stasia!

I got the black tea sampler early in November (the 6 loose teas one, not the current with only 4), and for the amount and the price, I was an instant convert. I'm trying to decide what my next order will be - and which of the 6 teas I want to make my regular, now that teavana has discontinued the Himalayan Majestic that I love (and I don't like any of the black teas currently in the store, except the ones that are also carried at Adagio).

#70: I have been ordering teas from Adagio for a while now. My daughter Catey has made 3 different blends there. She has a good time doing that.

Will try again... I could not see my message no matter how many times I tried above. :P One more time. I demand to be heard! Whatever....

#67-69 Hot Dang! What an awesome group!

Stopping in the kitchen to offer you all some Waldorf Salad (homemade, of course, and topped with bright red, dried cranberries) before I head out the door.

I'm going to our annual Bookcrossing holiday party. We do this fun book swap in which we wrap gently used books in holiday gift wrap, write the first line of the book on the outside of the wrapping (I type mine so it looks pretty). Then we give away the books to whoever likes the book (based on its first line) and requests it. One person (usually dressed in a Santa hat) reads those lines.

I thought I'd share this idea with you because it makes for a fun (an inexpensive) party idea for bibliophiles during the holiday season.

Happy Chanukah to those who celebrate it (along with me). Our friend's Chanukah party was last night. What can I say? For it, I made lotsa latkes! :D

Later...

latkes!...food of the goddess!

Love, love, love latkes! So Madeline...we're coming to Gaithersburg for the shindig in May...latkes? *pleading puppydog eyes* Pleeeeeeeeeze?

No latkes until next December. They take too long to make!



Have some now...while there are still a few left!

*drool*

I'll take a latke if there's one lingering around here...

I re-watched a Nigella episode earlier this afternoon wherein she made a jointed ham by simmering it in gingerale for 4 hours and then slapped on some kind of a ginger preserve/mustard glaze and baked it. Anyone tried this or something like it? Seems easy enough to do with very little potential for screw-ups.

OOOOOOOOOO

latkes *drool* soooo preeetty

Oh, yum! I love latkes! Yours look soooo good.

The latkes look incredible!

Quote for the day from Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer:

"There were her books, too, to put on their shelf; and there was the new diary that her mother had bough her and that she had promised to write in often. The books she handled and put in their places with loving care. They filled a large portion of her inner world - a sanctuary built securely to keep out the Aunt Emilys and French governesses."

(posted to my thread too)

a sanctuary built securely to keep out the Aunt Emilys and French governesses

Oh yeah! What books are best at...backing us up in the struggle to overcome the French governesses of the world!

#84: I thought so too, Richard!

Oh, was your French governess as snooty and unkind as mine was? Didn't know that....

XD

ETA typo

#86: She probably would have been had I had one! Doesn't 'snooty' go with the territory of French governesses?

Dunno, never had one; suspect you're right, though.

Twisted my ankle this morning due to an overeager dog's need for speed, and *now* it chooses to play up. Pain meds not doing as much as I'd expected, but then again, I have to twist my ankle to sleep...catch-22.

#88: Wondered what you were doing up so late. Sorry about the ankle!

It's no biggie, really, just annoying enough that sleep eludes me. How do you do it? I mean, you sleep 59sec a week, and still manage to spread kindness and caring far and wide. I miss one night and I'm a mean old yard dog.

#90: I sleep more than 59 secs a week or I would be a mean old yard dog too!

love the quote and agree... books = sanctuary.

Sorry about the ankle rd. I have ankle pain too.. but from arthritis..
at least I can use ibuprofen which helps..

One of my favorite quotes:

"To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all of the miseries of life." ...W. Somerset Maugham

>91 alcottacre: Uh-huh. Okay. *goes along with fiction that Stasia isn't a cyborg*

>92 mckait: *smooch* Tylenol works just fine for me, blessed be.

>93 ronincats: WONDERFUL. Very Maugham-y.

#77 latkes....*moan*

#93: I am stealing that one to post on my profile page!

Quote for the day from My Reading Life by Pat Conroy:

"Now, when I pick up a book, the prayer that rises out of me is that it changes me utterly and that I am not the man who first selected that book from a well-stocked shelf. Here's what I love: when a great writer turns me into a Jew from Chicago, a lesbian out of South Carolina, or a black woman moving into a subway entrance in Harlem. Turn me into something else, writers of the world. Make me Muslim, heretic, hermaphrodite. Put me into a crusader's armor, a cardinal's vestments. Let me feel the pygmy's heartbeat, the queen's breast, the torturer's pleasure, the Nile's taste, or the nomad's thirst. Tell me everything I must know. Hold nothing back."

That is why I read! To be someone I am not. Love that quote.

(posted to my thread too)

Awesome quote, Stasia. That's why I throw myself into books too!

Man, I've got to get my hands on a copy of that book. He certainly nails it, doesn't he?

#98: Yep, me too.

#99: Yes, he does! I hope you get a copy soon, Linda.

http://www.booksamillion.com/bargains?id=4917791935939

Oh, me, oh my! When I was in Beavercreek, Ohio my lovely daughter took me to this wonderful, wonderful bookstore. With the exception of The Strand in NYC, this was one of the most incredible bookstores I've visited.

#88 RD, I sympathize about your ankle. I have a bad ankle -- it was feeling a little better lately, then walking to work Monday in the snow, I turned it on an uneven spot in the sidewalk I couldn't see under the newly-fallen snow . . . went sprawling . . . not really hurt, except since then the stupid ankle is aching . . .

#101 There is a Books a Million in Morgantown (W Va.) that I visit sometimes. I enjoy going there.

> 97

I love the Pat Conroy quote, Stasia.

When I recently read Conroy's South of Broad, I really felt as if I were "Toad" trying to help my (odd assortment of) friends. What I didn't like about that book was saying good-bye to them when the book ended. Conroy writes that way...

97- Love the quote.

That could be one reason why we all get along so well here in the 75ers...we love to read about people who are different from us, so we are less judgmental in real life - hopefully!

>102 tymfos: Ooo owwwwwwwww

Feeling better today? I've still got a bit of swelling, but nothing awful.

#102 He's trying to be brave, poor soldier.

Stasia - Love the quote! I think I may need to check out that book. And I also need to ask my MIL if she still has her copy of South of Broad so I can borrow it.

Hey Richard, not to be a bugbear, but last Dec. I twisted my ankle, thought it was a sprain, dealt with the swelling, etc. and went back to normal activity. After several months of recurring pain and problems I finally went to the doctor. It turned out that I had actually broken it - in a really odd place: 8 weeks in a boot. So, perhaps have the doctor take a look if you have a moment.

we love to read about people who are different from us, so we are less judgmental in real life - hopefully!

I think that there is much truth in that.

109: So true, for me.

>108 nittnut: Excellent advice, Jenn, and I will. Auntie's podiatrist makes house calls, and I show him my owies when he comes. If he looks at it and says, "get thee to the ER," thence shall I go with speed and alacrity. Thanks for reminding me!

Folks, I don't know how many of you watched the TV series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" last year, but it was a very good show and while violent (it's about gladiators!), it showed something most other shows haven't made very much effort to: A loving gay couple. The new season starts in January, this time a prequel to the first show because the actor playing Spartacus has a nasty form of cancer and they wanted to keep the series alive in peoples' minds without replacing him (!! these are TV EXECS that's just shocking!!).

The prequel will feature many of the actors and characters who made the show so fabulously interesting last year. Back again will be our gay gladiator, this time in love with a major hunka-hunka burnin' love called Auctus (actor Josef Brown):



And here's the man himself, Barca, as played by Maori actor Antonio Te Maioha:



No fuss is ever made over the character's sexual desire for other men. It's simply shown, never commented on or discussed. It's one big reason I like the series so much!

ye gods richard...

Here's Lucy Lawless as Lucretia in the series:



How anyone could not drool over this gorgeous, talented, smart, gorgeous, fearless, gorgeous actress is beyond my comprehension.

I could not agree more.

Can you not make the photos any bigger?

Possibly I could...but heck, I don't want to see their pores *clearly*!

Quote of the day from Mario Vargas Llosa's Nobel Prize acceptance speech:

"Good literature erects bridges between different peoples, and by having us enjoy, suffer, or feel surprise, unites us beneath the languages, beliefs, habits, customs, and prejudices that separate us."

The more I read, the more I believe the key to overcoming prejudices is education.

(posted to my thread too)

*Jaw drop*

...The Kitchen just got tastier...

Yes, I agree, Stephen! The Vargas Llosa quote is excellent.

That WAS what you referred to, right?

There was a quote?

*Scrolls back up to pictures and looks for lolcat-like text*

Re: Sparticus
We just started watching it last night. I have only seen the first two episodes. I am enjoying the show, though I did have to look away a couple of times when the blood seemed like it was going to land on me. I do have to say it was pretty close to soft-core porn too. The O-faces were a little much. But the story and the acting was good. I think I may like the show Rome better, but this seems very solid. We are definately going to watch the rest of the episodes.
And the guy that plays Barca is H*O*T!

I have some very sad news to relay about one of our 75ers. I received the following message a short time ago from Sandy McCreary in Lee's Summit, MO (KC suburb). Just a little over a week ago we were talking and laughing together in Joplin, MO at our LT meet up. And now this...

Donna - we got terrible news this afternoon. Our son Bill was walking along St Louis street, only a couple of blocks from home, when he was hit by a car and died. We don't know any more than that and are in shock. Will you save the newspaper write-up, if there is one, for me? I don't know if I'll really want to look at it later, but right now I'm starved for information.

If you want to share the news with LT friends, that is OK with me. I'll pass along more news when we know it.

Please keep us in your prayers - and call your sons tonight to tell then you love them.

Sandy

Sandy's profile page can be found here. I'm sure she would appreciate notes of condolence.

Sandy's page

I should add that Bill died in my city of Springfield, MO where he was living with his brother while they attended Missouri State University. I have offered to do what I can locally for Sandy if she needs anything.

Donna, and Stasia who just hung up...thank you both for being sure we can offer love and support to Sandy and her family.

How very, very sad. Thanks for letting us know.

Donna, thanks for letting us know. I left Sandy a message on her profile. What a terrible accident.

Poor Sandy. It's horrible, simply horrible. I'm in shock by this.

I saw the news report/photos. Her son was walking on the sidewalk when the out of control car hit him.

You never know. You just don't. Another reminder to tell your loved ones, often, how much you love them.

I just watched the local news coverage of the accident that took Sandy's son Bill's life today. It's a pretty graphic story. An out-of-control car and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Life is precious...and often way too short.

http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=368956

The description of what happened IS very graphic.

It actually said he was walking "along" the sidewalk. (On? Near?) But the description of what happened next is pretty horrific. Not sure if Sandy and fam want to know this.

I have no words. I'm so sorry. Thank you Donna.

I saw the coverage as well (although a different station). It breaks my heart.

Add my condolences to Sandy and her family. What a bitter tragedy.

I'm crying as I write. This is the nightmare of every parent. There are no words that can convey the feelings Sandy and her family are feeling tonight.

Does anyone have her address? I'd like to send a card to her.

#132: Linda, I do not have Sandy's address. Perhaps someone else in the group does.

Oh, I am just heartsick. Thank you for letting us know, Donna. I'd send a card as well.

I'm overwhelmed. Thank you for all the prayers and words of condolence. My husband just got back from fetching our other son home from Springfield. Our daughter came home earlier from her college. I've got everyone back under one roof. We had a parade of friends all evening, including our closest friends who brought food for everyone and stayed with me until the guys got home - after midnight. Right now I'm not ready to see, but my husband played the news reports so I heard the descriptions of the accident. I will never feel the same again when I hear news of a traffic fatality. I am numb, and I am dreading the time when the pain gets through my defenses. My parents are coming tomorrow and will stay until after all the services are over.

This is truly a wonderful community that provides such support to a single member in time of need. Thanks - and big hugs - to each of you.

Sandy, thank you for taking the time to stop by and let us know how you and yours are doing.

How awful. Sandy, I am so sorry.

There really are no adequate words for this, are there? I am so very sorry for your loss, Sandy. I'm wishing your whole family the strength to deal with this, and to come to some kind of peaceful acceptance in time.

(((Sandy and Family))))

I'm so so sorry. :*(

Isn't that just like Sandy to reach out to us when she is hurting? I'm so glad to know this courageous woman. The image of the severed utility pole hanging in the sky is haunting me.

Linda, I will PM Sandy's address to you and to anyone else who wishes to send Sandy a card. Please let me know on my profile page. I will be traveling part of the day tomorrow to attend my grandson's 3rd birthday party in (ironically) Kansas City.

Sandy

I continue to hold you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

I just got an email from Sandy. As you would expect, she is really hurting.

More than anything right now, she and her family need our prayers. I do have her address, however, if you want to send a card.

I don't have any kids but, to me, this is unimaginable. Absolutely heartbreaking.

{{{Sandy and family}}}

Unimaginable indeed. I too will hold Sandy and family in my prayers.

Also holding Sandy and her family in my prayers.

My heart stopped when I read this. I am so sorry for Sandy and her family. I can't begin to imagine what they are going through.

Linda

What a great friend you are to Sandy..Please do let her know we are thinking of her and surrounding her with love.

Thanks!

Sandy and her family are being surrounded by family and friends. She said that those who have suffered similar losses are particularly comforting to her. Here is a small part of her message. Most of it is too painful to share...

I have gotten so many wonderful comments from LT folks all day - even folks I don't know. I am amazed. Periodically during the day I would open them up and re-read them. It just gave me such a warm, reassuring feeling that I wasn't alone.

I'd like to encourage you to post even more messages on Sandy's profile. I know it makes me feel better to see the outpouring of care from LT members, especially those here on the 75-Book Challenge, and it seems to be helping Sandy as well.

Quote for the day from A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly:

"There were dozens of names I didn't know. Eliot. Zola. Whitman. Yeats. Sand. Dickinson. Goethe. And all those were just in one stack! There were lives in those books, and deaths. Families and friends and lovers and enemies. Joy and despair, jealousy, envy, madness, and rage. All there. I reached out and touched the cover of one called The Earth. I could almost hear the characters inside, murmuring and jostling, impatient for me to open the cover and let them out."

(posted to my thread too)

Ok ... I have a question. My sister is thinking of asking for a kindle... or a nook for christmas. We are going to go and look at nook today. I have seen/held both.. but not used them. Can y'all give me your thoughts on which and why? Please and thank you :)

#150: Kath, I have a Nook, which I love, but having never tried a Kindle I cannot give you any comparisons.

can you only download from B&N? or can yo download from Amazon too?

#152: As far as I know, I can only download from B&N.

I found this :

http://calibre-ebook.com/download

after looking on Google for this answer..

I told her that I would ask my ereader using friends for thoughts ..

I know that Calibre can be used for keeping track of your download library. I do not know, however, if you can download for the Nook using Amazon or the Kindle using B&N.

I struggled with this dilemna too - last year.

I have and love the Kindle - but know nothng really about the Nook.
You might want to compare battery life.
Kindle is very good.
Also, Amazon's help line is great.
I've had to use it a few times cuz I am so unsavvy about hi-tech stuff.

The Kindle has some ability to access the internet...
does the Nook do the same? Not a big feature for me.
I don't really use that, but some might.

I have no complaints after using the Kindle for a year now.
It's not a real book (nothing can ever replace a real live book)... but it has the great advantage of portability of a whole library for traveling.
It also makes a marvelous bookcase - taking up so little room!
When I take it out to travel or doc's offices, etc. no one knows what I am reading! :P

#156: Yes, the Nook has some ability to access the internet.

Kath, I spoke to a very helpful woman at Barnes and Noble who convinced me to get a Nook. As she said, if something happens to your kindle, or you have a question...good luck talking to someone in India. If you have a problem with the Nook, there are hundreds of Barnes and Noble stores with employees ready and willing to help you in person!

Donna

Many thanks for keeping us posted regarding Sandy. I told my wonderfully sensitive partner who expressed his concern for Sandy and her family.

Sandy, if you read this today, please know that I am thinking of you throughout the day and evening. I'm so sorry this happened to you and your family, especially during the holiday season. I hope you continue to feel all the love and support that this group has for you.

hmmm... I just want to say... I did NOT talk to anyone in India when I called Kindle's help line (more than once). That would have turned me off big time!

However, it's looking like you can't go wrong with either option.
People seem to love both.
The devices must be about the same since there is such stiff competition.
Decisions, decisions!

This is a decnt comparison of the various readers: http://news.cnet.com/kindle-vs-nook-vs-ipad-which-e-book-reader-should-you-buy

The message I got is that the kindle and nook are essentially running neck and neck feature-wise and book-selection-wise. There's a bit of a problem in that publishers seem to be doing exclusive deals with one or the other for the most popular books, but eventually they all wind up in both stores.

If your friend likes older books, the nook reads books in e-pub format and the kindle doesn't. This is a format often used by places on the net like project gutenberg and such where public domain book are archived - thousands and thousands of them. There are ways to work around this, so it's only a marginal difference.

The choice may come down to who do you like better - Amazon or B&N! :)

Claudia..

Aha, I've been fooled by an eager Barnes and Noble sales lady.

Or, Linda, I was extrememly lucky every time.
Not usually my luck though to avoid India with any other company. :P

I have always found Amazon to be service oriented about all their products... and I am not a special customer in any way. I don't do "Prime" or "Vine" or whatever else they have.

I would guess B&N would have great customer service also.

Kath/Linda, my eyebrows are up about the "good luck getting help from someone in India" comment. I've had Kindles of all three generations for 2.5 years now. Yes, occasionally you run into problems, mainly with the eInk (which is the same technology that the Nook uses.) My experience with Amazon has been stellar, to put it mildly. I describe the problem, they put a new Kindle into the mail the same day; it arrives in 24 hours, and I package up the defunct one and send it back. No cost within the first year of life. No niggling or haggling. No one in India (unless they are hiring Americans who happen to live in India) has that pristine an accent. On the one occasion when I expressed displeasure about getting a refurbished unit, they caved almost immediately, and promised me a new unit, although it would take longer because it was out of stock (this was the K2). Later that same day, the release of the K3 was announced and I ended up the proud owner of a brand new K3, rather than a refurbished K2. You'll have to think about whether the extended warranty makes sense or not; to me, it doesn't given the rate at which costs are coming down.

On to the fundamental differences... When you look at the devices, be aware that either or both, when they make claims about the # of books available, can be disingenuous. You'll want to ask whether the # they claim includes public domain books, which can inflate that # significantly. My understanding is that Amazon's doesn't. The best way is to check the B&N site and the Amazon site for different books that fall into your giftee's interest area, and put a check beside the one that has the widest array of options.

Book pricing is likely to be indistinguishable, as more and more publishers are setting the prices. And I imagine any magazine publisher that makes a subscription available via Kindle will do so via Nook as well, if that is technically possible.

The biggest plus of the Kindle, to me, is the screen. I don't like touch screens at all, and prefer even a tiny keyboard on the device rather than slightly missing the right angle to hit the right letter on the touch keyboard. I also don't like the strip of promotional "buy this book now" stuff along the bottom of the nook, although it does disappear after a brief interval. What I do like about the Nook is that you can "lend" books in your library to other people, under certain terms and conditions. I understand Amazon is planning to do the same thing, but it's not ready yet. Nook is probably good if someone is shopping in a Barnes & Noble and wants to buy a book instantly -- I have found that they are now blocking my Kindle wi-fi access in B&N stores, which is annoying. A big plus for me is that the Kindle works globally now -- I downloaded a book while I was in France. There is Internet capability -- no images, but I can check my e-mail, albeit slowly & in basic HTML. Both offer the ability to sort your books by creating "shelves".

The bottom line is that I really haven't felt tempted to switch to or add Nook. I like my Kindle, and don't want to be without it. In terms of technical specs, I'd check out discussion boards on Amazon, where fans of both engage in debate, but I'd also note that these devices are still so early (like cell phones in the mid/late 90s) that what we have today is going to appear v. rudimentary in a few years' time. So in some way, either device is going to be fine for the next year or two, accomplishing more or less the same thing, and whoever gets it is going to be replacing it in a few years' time as new features debut.

A wild card issue: Amazon is a widely-held public company that seems v. financially healthy. B&N is a bit more questionable -- bricks & mortar bookselling isn't as easy, even for a behemoth, and Len Riggio, the CEO, is trying to take it private. This very likely won't be a real issue for eReader owners, but it's something to ponder.

Bottom line questions to ask:
- What books are available for each?
- How do I download them, where can I download them, and is there a fee?
- What about the interface? Is it easy/clunky to download books? To search for them?
- What is the weight? the size? the range of covers or shells or whatever, and their price? Battery life? (Discount the official claims of both; the more rapidly you turn pages or if you leave on the wi-fi, the battery life will drain quickly. It's erratic. I can last 5 days -- or 2 days. I think I once went 8 days. If I don't turn it on at all, probably a charge would hold for 2 weeks. Claims on battery life are inflated by BOTH.
-- How many books? Again, figures are inflated. I maxed out my gen 2 Kindle space when I hit about 850 books, although the official figure was 1500. True, those books included Gibbons' Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire....
-- How easily can books be moved around from cloud cyberspace to the device?
-- Can you make use of the eReader on other devices? Kindle content can be read on iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC, etc. (I wouldn't, because of the backlighting, but some folks might like it.)
-- Look at the features -- typeface size changes, the ability to change orientation of the text, the detail with which it reproduces graphics/maps. (I find that good on the larger Kindle DX; so far it's so-so on the K3.)

You can check out the Nook in stores; there's also a feature on Amazon where you can connect with users in your area to get a glimpse of the Kindle (which is also being sold at Target stores.)

Happy hunting!

Wow Suzanne - having had the same question in the last month or so, that was extremely helpful to me. Thanks!

Kath,

I have a Nook and bought for two big reasons...

1. I can use it to interface with my library downloads and listen to books or read PDFs from the library reducing my expenditures for purchased books.

2. Nook also has the ability to Lend my NookBooks to another person's Nook (my sister Tutu is getting a Nook from Santa Child and we will be able to exchange electronically.)

One of the other things I like about the Nook is that B&N actually has free books frequently ( Classics, new releases, etc.) so I keep an eye for those everyweek.

There are also Sony ereaders and Kobos.

My sister seemed quite taken by the Nook. The color version.
I played with it as well, and it is rather nice..

I have to say .. I have started thinking that the whole Debbie wants a Nook thing may be a ruse. Or, at least.. she is trying to talk me into getting one instead or also.

I made sure to tell Dan recently that I do not want an ereader of any kind. No nook. No kindle. I told him I want to wait a year and get an iPad. I told him this when he made some comment about christmas money.

I tried to make it clear to my sister today that I do not want a Nook or a Kindle right now.. but that I thought she should have one if she wants one. I showed her how easy it was to use the Nook ( color) and how to do this and that. It is very Apple like in its simplicity of use. She is very tech challenged, but had no problems with Nook. I offered to let her husband know how much she liked it ..

I don't know. I may be wrong, but I sort of smell a rat. I do not want to be difficult, but a gift card for Ammy would be wonderful from Dan.. Not an ereader :P

As for Amazon.. I would take their customer service over almost anyone's. They have never let me down. IF I were to someday cave, and get an ereader, I would probably prefer to deal with Amazon. I have gone to B&N customer service in the past and been VERY unsatisfied. I like the color that the Nook has, but I think I heard that kindle would have color soon.. so..

But right now I just do not need or want one. So I hope I am wrong.

The reasons you all have so generously shared with me, are good ones. I can see why you made the choices that you have. I also read something on CNet about Nook vs Kindle.. I will share the info with my sister and hope she is being straight with me.

Kath's getting an eReader, Kath's getting an eReader, Kath's getting an eReader!

ye gods I hope not, Lynda..

lol

For one thing I would feel like I was cheating. For another.. I want to be able to SHARE books with my friends. I love slipping a book into a packet and sending it away to a new home, so it can visit Oslo someday .

:PPPPPPP

Going back to an earlier post, I've downloaded books from project gutenberg and I could SWEAR that they have an option to download the mobi file of the book, which works on a Kindle.

I've downloaded books from multiple websites, including gutenberg, and they have all worked on my Kindle.

(A few times I've downloaded a book format that didn't work, so I've just copied the text and pasted it into a .txt file and put it on the Kindle. Took 2 minutes and worked like a charm!)

I'm sure Barnes and Noble books wouldn't work on my Kindle, but everything else has.

I'm also of the opinion that Kindle and Nook are about equal. I hope Kindle gets the "sharing" feature soon. Oh, and page numbers. Real page numbers would be great. Hopefully on a future software upgrade...

I'm very happy with my Kindle and have had no problems with it since I bought it last year.

I'm with Suz regarding Amazon and my Kindle. I've had fewer problems but Amazon has just about the best customer service out there, as far as I'm concerned. The comment about "good luck getting help from India" is totally, unequivocably 100 percent off-base. I'm extremely disappointed to hear anyone from B&N even suggest anything to the contrary about Amazon.

Note, however, that I have had numerous bad experiences (slow shipping, orders never arriving etc) with B&N and so, not only do I not shop at B&N stores, I also don't order from them online anymore. I never even considered a nook.

Many friends do have nooks and are quite happy with them, however.

A good friend has another kind. Sony e-reader I think it is. When we've travelled together, her only disappointment is that it's so much easier to order books with a Kindle. otoh, once you've got your book, it's really quite similar.

Thanks to all for these wonderful conversations re. Nook and Kindle..Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

I prefer dead tree books too Kath. I've started to bring the hubster's Kindle with me when I travel only so that I don't have lug 6 - 8 books with me each time, weighing down my luggage, but I will still bring about 3 books and then the Kindle. But I'm only downloading on the Kindle free books, and currently mainly ones I've already read but that I enjoy re-reading, e.g. the entire Sherlock Holmes collection, Austen's works but the reading experience is different and while convenient, I still prefer thumbing through the pages rather than reading them electronically. The one advantage though to reading an e-book is that it's way more convenient when you're at a restaurant and reading while you eat since you don't have to fiddle with pages flipping over when you're trying to cut your meat. I can more easily prop it against the sugar bowl while I eat.

I will choose a dead tree book over a Nook book any day of the week! I am using my Nook to fill in shortcomings of my local library and for copies of books that I prefer not to have in my permanent library at home. For traveling, I found the Nook to be a wonderful companion, but if I had to read exclusively from it without a hardcover book in my hands, I would wither on the vine.

I didn't move to the Kindle until I won a prize that had a bit of $ attached to it. I had just seen someone on a train reading the Kindle, and it seemed intriguing, so I got it. I was far more hooked than I expected to be. Books are cheaper, I don't need to worry about storage, and the device does kind of "disappear". That said, I will still buy DTB (dead tree book) versions of works with a lot of illustrations, ones that I want to be able to pull off the shelf at a second's notice, and skim through, or ones where I expect to be using footnotes & an index a lot. But for fiction/mysteries, it's great. And for travel, it's amazing. I've actually got duplicates of some of my DTBs on my Kindle in case my plane gets hijacked or an Icelandic volcano blows. I am now confident that I will NEVER run out of books. Gone are the days of needing to travel with two dozen books for a ten-day trip -- and still worrying about having enough to read, finding porters in train stations for surreally heavy bags, etc.

I was thinking about the Nook vs. Kindle question again, and I think one way to think about this is that Nook tends to be faster than Amazon about pushing out innovations (lending, book shelves, color) but also, according to comments I've seen, those innovations have been a bit buggier.

Happily, there's so much info out there comparing the options that ultimately it will come down to preference.

Even if I get an iPad one of these decades, I don't expect to do much reading on it. Backlighting strains my eyes and gives me migraines.

That's exactly how I feel. I am so tired of bringing 15 lbs of books on a trip, and then still not having enough to read. That's why I want the ereader. I am leaning toward Kindle.

I love my Kindle but I'm always paranoid that I'm going to drain the battery or drop it so, on a trip, I always bring along a real life book, too. (The fact that I've never done either of these things is irrelevant.)

The worst thing that's happened is that I didn't pack the recharging cord correctly in my luggage and it cracked and got frayed around the edge. Fortunately, my sister (who also owns a Kindle) was on that trip and I just borrowed hers.

>178 lindapanzo:: One of the nice things about the Kindle is that they used a standard micro-USB connector, unlike...say...Apple. I ruined my cord on a trip, also, so I just used the one for my camera.

yeah... I prefer "real" books too. I don't travel. I don't dare take an ereader to work as the placed is filled with thieves. ( seriously) So the point would be?
My sister on the other hand, does travel a little more.. and doesn't really share books with anyone .. She reads books that only she is interested in . . . She does not work. It is good for her. I am trying to encourage her.. and still make it very clear that it is not something that is useful to me.

I've been considering a reader, though I really like good old-fasioned dead tree books. If I did, I'd want one compatible with our library system downloads. The Kindle is not an option for that. But I'm a member of Borders Preferred Readers (through our area Waldenbooks) and neither Kindle nor Nook will work for them. They don't have their own reader -- the give a chart of readers that work with their books, two of which will work with our library system -- Kobo and Sony. Can anyone comment further on either of those?

I'd recommend going to cnet for reviews. I found them very helpful. My impression of the Sony reader was that it was expensive for what it could do, and that Kobo just didn't cut it. Also, up around post 164, Suzanne gives a very nice and concise review of her own on Kindles.

http://reviews.cnet.com/best-ebook-readers/

I'm back to just share a cautionary tale. Not only should we not clean our 12 year old's rooms on principle, but I broke my toe making his bed. I kicked the middle support beam (serious home-made bed) and broke my middle toe. The entire thing is purple. I'm not kidding. Really purple. So purple my daughter even noticed, "Mom! Your toe is the same color as my curtains!" LOL. So, all you crazy moms out there, just stop right now. Do not make your children's beds, even if your in-laws are coming, you might get hurt. On the bright side - my toenail isn't broken - hooray for that pedicure!

#183: Ouch, Jenn!

Quote for the day from The Joy of Snow by Elizabeth Goudge:

"After God, his deepest love was for his books. They proliferated. My father's books proliferated too but he had a plan by which when he bought six new books, he sold six old ones, thus keeping the tide down and slightly salving his conscience over the expense of the new books. But Dr. Jenkins could not have parted with a book to save his life. A multitude flowed into his house but none flowed out. When every bookcase in the study was full they stood in piles of varying heights all over the floor so that the room looked like a wood where the trees had all been cut down."

Dr. Jenkins and I have a lot in common!

(posted to my thread too)

I found Sandy's son Bill's obituary online here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansascity/obituary.aspx?n=william-mccreary-bil...

As a memorial has been set up in his name at the Children's Miracle Network, I think it would be wonderful if we could all contribute.

Nice quote stasia :)
ty for the link...

#187: No problem, Kath.

Jenni, ouch, wince, pain, hopping in sympathy/empathy.

Loving the Goudge quote.

Yes, forgot about the lack of library compatibility re Kindles; I suspect there either is or will be a way around that. Still, for the most part, I have no probs just getting a DTB (dead tree book) from the library.

I always still take at least one DTB with me for the reasons you give, Linda. I'm a suspicious individual, and I have fears of my Kindle freezing or dying. Actually, now that I have two Kindles, I could just take a backup Kindle?! On going to France (two flights; three nights there) I packed the Kindle and about seven books. I know, I know -- excessive.

My biggest peeve Kindle-wise is that I'm still stymied by the copyright laws from using it to get books from the UK. They make up about 1/2 my reading, and I'm stuck with ordering and paying high prices and shipping. I don't use book depository because of ENDLESS problems with "sorry, your item isn't available", cancelled orders, etc. -- only to find them offering the same item at a higher price via Amazon! (either they have it or they don't -- it seems they don't want to sell to me at the agreed-on price, so cancel the order to avoid honoring that price. I'm up to 8 instances of that in 18 mos... or about 1/5 of all orders.)

>186 alcottacre:: Thank you for posting that link, Stasia. I meant to do it but things have been a little wild around here in K.C. with a newly turned 3-year-old "fixing" everything in sight. Can we please take the batteries out of his new tool set? It has been good medicine for me to be around my grandkids the past few days.

I am driving the 40 minutes over to Lee's Summit tonight to attend the visitation at Sandy's church. My hug will have to be a big one to include all the love and support from LTers. I'll do my best.

Stasia, thanks for posting the link.

Donna, please give Sandy a hug from me tonight. I'll be thinking about her.

As for "fixing things" my nephew is now 7. His favorite line, for years, remains "if I had my toolbox, I could fix that for you." The thing is, he probably could. Even at age 7, he is quite handy.

Just saw the NOOK/Kindle discussion so I may be too late. For me NOOK wins hands down because it will handle the downloadable ebooks from Overdrive that our library features. Thus I can "borrow" a library book for my Nook. I cannot (as in it will not, cannot, not gonna discuss it) use this feature on the Kindle due to DRM rights. I was at a library conference last month, and our IT people said that Amazon had declared they were not interested in that model since they considered libraries their primary competition. Other than that, there's very little difference between the two devices.

If I were to get a device .. I am pretty sure it would be a kindle, because I appreciate Ammy's customer service. I do not plan on doing so any time soon.. but this is a fascinating discussion :) as well as enlightening.

>122 Donna828:: I just got back to my daughter's house after the visitation at Sandy's church. I have never seen so many people at a visitation. The parking lot was full and the line was long. I waited over an hour for a 2-minute visit, but it was worth it to deliver a long hug in person and extend the heartfelt sympathy from this group.

Sandy had written a very poignant story about Bill's childhood teddy bear named Growl E. Bear. The short version is that for several years he warded off the monsters that many children fear. The well-worn and well-loved stuffed bear will be buried with Bill in Kansas on Wednesday.

Sandy and Chris, her husband, are holding up well. This is an ordeal no parent should have to go through. I met Mark, the son who lived with Bill in Springfield. After their trip to Kansas, they will go down to Springfield to bring Bill's possessions home. What a long, sad week the McCreary family is having to endure.

#190: I knew you were out of town visiting grandkids, so I figured I would go ahead and take care of posting it.

#194: I am glad so many people were there for Sandy and her family. I wish I could have been one of them. Thanks for sharing extra big hugs from the 75ers group, Donna.

>194 Donna828:: thanks for sharing, Donna, and for conveying all of our sympathy in that hug.

Donna, thanks for letting us know about the wake. What an ordeal for Sandy and her family.

In cheerier news, Tina just heard that Cheli's surgery went well today. She should be released from the hospital on Wed.

Linda, it's nice to have some good news in here.

I came in to say that the 2011 group is up - I just found it by accident! I think Jim is still setting it up but it's there waiting for everyone to join!

#198 Someone started a 75 books group but it's not the Jim group in which we participate.

#199 - Yes, but now the actual Jim group is up and running, just...

And the new Kitchen is all food-baptized and everything! It's over here.

Really? Squee!

(Darn it, I was *supposed* to be studying this evening.)

#200 Genny, do you have a link? All I'm seeing is the group "75 books in 2011" which isn't his group.

Linda, here it is.

#204 Thanks, Richard. Why is it not showing up when I search groups for it?

Oh well, at least I now know where to go. Feels like the first day of school. Such anticipation.

It takes a bit to show up in search, but it's on the Group tab under New Groups. Or, you can just link here:

http://www.librarything.com/groups/75booksin20111

Want to give a foodie book lover something unique? Check out these cookbooks: http://www.healthcastle.com/holiday_foodie_books_2010.shtml

Open message to all LT friends from me:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/97808&newpost=1#lastmsg (post #185)

#208 Here's a direct link to the specific message.

Quote for the day from The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt, which Peggy and I are reading together:

"She thought about the relation between readers and writers. A writer made an incantation, calling the reader into the magic circle of the world of the book. With subtle words, a writer enticed a reader to feel his or her skin prickle, his or her lips open, his or her blood race."

I am glad I get to spend time in the magic circle world of the book!

BTW - Next year, there is a dedicated thread for quotes. I do hope that you will use that thread to share what you are reading in 2011!

(posted to my thread too)

If anyone is interested in hearing the Colorado Children's Chorale, Colorado Public Radio will broadcast our Christmas concert tomorrow night (18 December) from 5:00-7:00 pm mountain time.

http://www.cpr.org/#load_article|CPR_Christmas_2010

#211: Cool beans! Thanks, Anne.

Oops, posted this in the wrong kitchen!

Just dropped in to show what I have been doing instead of reading the last few days! Nothing like diamonds, of course.

http://tinyurl.com/2c3qor9

"Meowy" Christmas, Roni. Absolutely delightful. Richard, do not click on that link!

*choo*sneeerrrk* Too lade, Dodda, but thagks fer thnkn uv be.

Bless you.

I'm trying to think of some new munchies this Christmas. Usually I make spiced nuts and marinated olives, but I'd like to consider something different this year. Anyone with ideas ...that aren't too complicated?

Caroline - I usually buy a magazine that's out this time of year called Holiday Appetizers. It might be BHG, not sure. Anyway, they have lots of great appetizers and munchies, as well as drinks. Perhaps try that?

Quote for the day from Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy:

" 'Here are your friends,' said Edith, indicating one of the cases, and as my eye glanced over the names on the backs of the volumes, Shakespeare, Milton, Wordworth, Shelley, Tennyson, Defoe, Dickens, Thackeray, Hugo, Hawthorne, Irving, and a score of other great writers of my time and all time, I understood her meaning. She had indeed made good her promise in a sense compared with which its literal fulfillment would have been a disappointment. . . Their spirit was as high, their wit as keen, their laughter and their tears as contagious, as when their speech had whiled away the hours of the former century. Lonely I was not and could not be more, with this goodly companionship."

(posted to my thread too)

Love it Stasia! What a great quote to start the week.

I've given up. Since I can't even load my own thread, it's time to get a new one: twenty-first thread is over here!

#220: Glad you like it, Jenn!

I've just cooked up 'Henry's Favourite Shooting Lunch', which is good quality sausages cooked slowly in a thick sauce that contains apples, onions, curry powder, sultanas, vinegar and sugar. Sounds weird but really works.

I acquired the recipe from the wife of the Bishop of Lincoln about 10 years ago, when she cooked it for large numbers of hungry people from my church who had walked 25 miles over 2 days, ending up at her house in Lincoln. She in turn apparently got it from the Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, who is the 'Henry' in the recipe title. I'm not sure what he was shooting though.

Feeding it to some Canadian friends who have been staying with me for a few days.

That does sound good, Gen. Curry adds so much to English cuisine. I wonder if it works with good veggie sausages?

Worth a try, I'd say.

#223: Sounds wonderful, Genny!

One of my aunts in London made curried sausages every New Year's Eve. Her butcher used to make up some extra large pork and veal sausages with thyme for her. I loved it.

Genny, that sounds outrageously good! Will you share the recipe? I'm an old hand at metric conversion...and I think that sounds about perfect for New Year's Day dinner. Pleeeeeeeze?

Me too! Me too!

Very unusual, and very delicious, I'm sure. I'll chip in for the recipe too. *plonks 2 cents on the table*

I've abided (abidden? abode?) by the terms of the Early Reviewers agreement and reviewed Popular Hits of the Showa Era by Ryu Murakami in my thread...post #35.

Ack! I just realized that I completely forgot to get my baby brother a present. I was thinking of doing the new Mark Twain Autobiography, but it's way more than I can afford (I'm thinking $15 at most, with Amazon's Prime shipping).

Help me find something for him?

He's 20 and a photojournalism major, with a minor in Arabic language. The last book he asked me for (other than the autobiography and also the Mark Twain Complete Humorous Sketches and Tales - he's a big Twain fan) was the DMZ graphic novels. He's interested in politics and recent history, particularly in the Middle East (afaik, he wants to do photojournalism out of there, and also humanitarian aid work in the region).

We used to read a lot of the same kinds of books, but as we've gone in different directions at university, our interests have diverged a bit, and I just don't know what's good that would fit his recent reading preferences. (In case it isn't obvious, I'm super proud of him and think he's an awesome guy. I'm like robin redbreast with the thought that I taught him to love to read/learn. I'd say that I taught him to read, but that's not strictly true. :P)

#232 I have been recommending Pat Conroy's My Reading Life to anyone who'll listen. Only $12.50 at Amazon.

As for books in those exact areas, I have no clue. Sorry.

I don't know if he'd like the female point of view, but Geraldine Brooks has a couple of interesting books. Nine Parts of Desire is a great one and has a lot about her experience working as a journalist in the middle east. Another good one by her is Foreign Correspondence - blurb here - http://www.geraldinebrooks.com/foreign.html

I have no idea if those are in your price range. Just something I've read that might fit. I have 4 brothers, and they are all tough to buy for.

#232: Bernard Lewis is a Middle East expert and has published several books on the subject. You might try his books for your brother, Keri.

Perhaps one of Greg MOrtenson's books, Three Cups of Tea or Stones into Schools, if he hasn't read those? The first one has been around a while, and is probably available for much less than $15.

Thanks so much, you guys! He's staying in town for a few days in order to attend the funeral for our grandmother, so I'll try to see if he might be interested in these tomorrow. I suspect he already has read some of the Bernard Lewis, Stasia, because one of the titles on the author page looks really similar to one he was reading when we went to our cousin's wedding in May.

But the suggestions are definitely helpful, and even if I don't choose one of them, I'll give him the list to look up himself - I think Nine Parts of Desire would be a great addition to the more political spectrumy/military history I've seen him reading. (Plus I'm interested in reading that one.)

I DID ask if there was a book he's particularly interested in, and he said "I don't know the name, but there's this French photographer who staged that famous kiss in front of a Paris hotel..." and he's been trying to find a copy of one of the photographer's art books for a while. He also told me that it's probably definitely beyond my $15 limit!

But thanks again! I really appreciate the help!

 
ETA: That dork! He just got in and I said "hey, do you know Geraldine Brooks and Bernard Lewis? would you suggest reading them?" and he says "oh, yeah, especially Lewis - he's really good." and when I tried to find out what he already has, on the pretense of borrowing, he told me that he doesn't buy books unless they're fiction. "Even for a present?" "No, I'd rather get fiction."

I keep telling him he needs to get an LT account so I can pick book presents for him better, since his books are now 4 hours away, but he keeps refusing. :(

Oh, well. I guess I'll give him an IOU for the new Twain autobiography, due on his birthday in April.

I bought the Twain autobiography for my brother for Christmas and his birthday (December 26th)---he's a Twain fanatic too. I hope he doesn't try to read it in the bathtub (one of his favorite reading places)---I'm afraid it will end up in the water; it's a mighty heavy tome.

Keri, is this the image he means?



Because if it is, the guy's name is Alfred Eisenstaedt, and his 1969 book The Eye of Eisenstaedt is available for a few bucks plus shipping, so long as brother-man doesn't need a perfect copy.

That's the one from NYC in Times Square, isn't it? The one he means IIRC doesn't have many other people in and is more of a vertical orientation (and also used in lots of posters). AHA. I should look at allposters.com and see if I can find it/the photographer's name there.

It might be this one:



Robert Doisneau

This image is the most famous Parisian kiss:



That's by Robert Doisneau. More like it?

Aha, yes, I think it is Robert Doisneau. I just edited my post to say as much, without refreshing the page to see that you'd posted. :D

(Ooh, nice! this photobook is only $9.99, though it's maybe not the exact one he wants)

He was a wonderful, wonderful photographer, Doisneau. Good taste on brother man's part! *smooch*

Good taste on brother man's part!

Oh dear lord! I read that as "Good taste on brother's man parts" the first time. *Sigh* Richard, I think you are having a bad influence on me.

NOw Stephen...really...joking's fine, but in your thread, my thread, etc...not here in the Kitchen. Too many people we don't know well enough to kid around with come here, and we can't afford to offend the tender. *smack on the paddys* Now promise Pops you won't do it again!

Hey hey, then how come it is okay for people to talk about *blech* ONIONS! I'm tender and can be offended too. :(

Yes, that's true...but the sign on the door says "KITCHEN" and that's where onions *belong* as even the poor mental defectives who don't like them have to admit.

Yes, but the Kitchen has turned 14...isn't that the legal age of consent in some places?

If you like Doisneau, another Parisian photographer I find fun is Paul Almasy. This is one of my favorites of his...it's just so exuberant.

>248 Ape: That is knowledge I deem to dangerous to your moral and spiritual well-being to confirm or deny.

>249 TadAD: Wonderful! I love candids like this, especially of people having fun. Thanks, Tad!

dangerous to your moral and spiritual well-being

Richard, dear, this whole thing started because of my moral ill-being, remember? ;)

But thank you for the moral support. (Groan, I know...) I'll keep all dirty thoughts to myself...errr, on my thread I mean. :)

Looks like the rain is finally moving out here. I fixed a cabbage and kielbasa soup to counter the dampness.

Rain like from the Bible rain, Roni! Wow! Poor Laguna Beach. What a weird system and its siblings are marching right behind it. I hope you're on high ground and have the instruction manual for an ark handy.

Alright kids, I've got a little problem and I could really use your help.

I just found out that I will be going to a friends house for Christmas Eve (a 20-year tradition that didn't happen last year and that I thought wasn't going to happen this year). I'd like to bring a dish/appetizer/desert and am totally stumped for what to bring! All of my standbys (hot spinach and artichoke dip, beer bread and dip, Elizabeth's Apple Cake, Cherry Stuff, taco dip) will already be there either in the original form or some variation, and I'm so stunned by the fact that I need to figure out a dish AND to buy 6 gifts in under 48 hours that my brain won't work.

Anything easy that doesn't need to be served hot (they already have lots of crock pots plugged in) would be perfect. Thanks in advance!

Laura - if you want to make dessert - I have a great recipe for fudge. It takes about 5 minutes and has 6 ingredients. Very easy.

http://mylavenderave.blogspot.com/2010/12/holly-days-blog-hop-delicious-fudge.ht...

OR

A favorite and easy thing we do is take a brick of cream cheese and a jar of some kind of pepper jelly (mango, raspberry) and pour the jelly over the cream cheese and serve with wheat thins or something like that. Fast, no cooking, and so delicious.

Good luck. Gifts? Go for the gift card section :)

I rarely cook but I like to bring cheese logs--cream cheese rolled in a log and then rolled in Good Seasons Italian dressing mix, served with crackers. So easy that even I can do it. Somewhat garlicky but tasty.

Lots of grocery stores and Walgreens have gift card sections. Plenty left.

In those circumstances, I choose super ease: Go to the liquor store and buy two chilled bottles of Freixenet sparkling wine. They're at most $8 each. Go to the grocery store and buy a large cranberry juice cocktail bottle. Keep all three cold; when party time arrives, open the cranberry juice, pour champagne glasses half full of juice and top with the wine. It's a poinsettia, like OJ makes a mimosa. Add a sploop of Chambord and it's a poinsettia royale.

Totally down with the gift cards idea. Does your area have a Simon mall? They sell generic Simon giftcards redeemable anywhere that takes VISA, which saves even one neuron from having to fire deciding where to give the giftcard TO!

All great ideas, thank you so much! I've got a grocery list going for all suggestions above, and will choose whatever seems manageable when I'm at the store tomorrow.

Giftcards are what's happening, that's for sure! We do have a Simon mall nearby, but now the question is do I face the hordes at the mall the day before Christmas, or do I go to the nearest Walgreens/Target? Maybe if I go to the mall right away tomorrow morning it would be manageable.

Seeing as it's actually "tomorrow" already, perhaps some sleep would help me out. Good night all, and see you back here in a few hours. Sleep tight!

Quote for the day from Christmas at The Mysterious Book Shop edited by Otto Penzler:

"In the years of Saturdays Veronica had spent behind the register, she'd come to divide humanity into those who read good books and those who read bad ones. As for Harry, he topped the list of readers who seemed to have no sense of what a book was for, that it could pull you deeper into life, direct your concentration toward things that really mattered, give voice to longing, prepare you for death. As no time during the ten years of her stewardship had Harry ever bought a hardback book. He had rarely even risen to the level of literature that had at least been briefly housed between hard covers. No, Harry was not only a reader of bad books, he was a reader of paperback originals, a reader of works so entirely without merit, so utterly devoid of any enduring quality of style or story or idea, that even the work's publisher had opted to present it in a form doomed to vanish at the first approach of mold." from The Lesson of the Season by Thomas H. Cook

Too bad Harry did not know about LT! I bet we would have fixed his problem!

(posted to my thread too)

Wow Laura. Good luck!

>259 alcottacre: LMAO

Hey, is it A Telling Sign that the hideous, disfiguring Popular Hits of the Showa Era is a paperback original?

The cream cheese block with the red and green pepper jellies poured over it with crackers is ALWAYS a BIG hit, totally delicious, and no prep at all to speak of. Highly recommended!

How do I add a photo to a post? I have it in my gallery, I think.

Help!!

Rather than type an answer, I'll link you to the answer! Much more efficient!

Thanks, Richard. Works great, once I figured out the sizing issues. I'm making that a keeper.

I know, that thread has kept me from any amount of hair loss! The 2011 forum has one just like it.

I always wondered how people put those little book covers in their reviews. Now I know.

A note for any historical fiction fans with Kindles or Nooks -- copies of The Traitor's Wife by Susan Higginbotham are now available for free. This is a book to which I'd give about 3.6 stars; I discovered it before she even had a publishing deal (one of only two occasions when I've found a good self-published book.) Hey, and it's free....

#228-230 Sorry, I've been absent from the kitchen for a few days. Here is the recipe for the sausage dish mentioned above (#223). This is as given to me - if serving a large number of people I tend to cut up the sausages to make them go a bit further and double the amount of apple/onion and other sauce ingredients.

Henry's Favourite Shooting Lunch (adapted) - tbs = tablespoon

2 lbs plump lincolnshire sausages (not chipolatas)
1 tbs flour
1 tbs tomato puree/sauce
1 tbs apple chutney or 1 chopped apple
3/4 pt stock (or 1 pt)
1 tbs sultanas
1 chopped onion
2 tbs curry powder
1 tbs vinegar
1 tbs brown sugar

Fry chopped onion until golden brown.
Add curry powder and flour, and cook for 1-2 minutes
Add the stock, vinegar and other sauce ingredients.
Fry or grill the sausages.
Add to sauce and cook slowly.
It improves with long cooking and sits happily waiting in the oven.

edited because I am an idiot - sorry!

Stasia - I just finished that exact same book! Great minds think alike, I guess. I hope you liked it as much as I did.

Thank you for posting the recipe!

OOO Genny I suspect that's destined to become a favorite dinner chez moi!

It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.
– Oscar Wilde

#269: Looks wonderful, Genny! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

#271: I hope so too, Denise!

I definitely have to try that sausage recipe sometime soon. Sounds like just the thing for a cold day. Thanks, Genny.

To anyone whose thread I have missed..
Sorry.. I just have to start my day..

But I would like to wish all of my LT friends a very happy Christmas !!
You have all made my life so much nicer this year, I do appreciate you.

Merry Christmas to all here. And a peaceful, healthy New Year as well.

I am bound to have missed several threads that I meant to post Christmas greetings on, so to anyone everyone I have missed:

Merry Christmas!

Thanks for the Shooting lunch! We will give it a try next week.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Merry Christmas to all.

Ooooh, pretty.

gorgeous gifs....

Happy happy holidays, people!

I hardly got to anyone's threads with my Christmas greetings, and my schedule is all crazy the next few days.

I don't have any pretty gifs to share (there are very nice ones here!) but I want to wish everyone a peaceful, happy, and safe Christmas/holiday season!

glitter-graphics.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL my wonderful LT friends!

Claudia

241,etc> Thanks so much, Richard! Doisneau is exactly the one my brother wanted, and the $9.99 book appears to be just as good as the $50 one. :D (Thanks to Amazon Prime for Students, it arrived about 30min ago, just in time!)

 

Also, I'm super excited. My other brother is bringing his girlfriend's son over for the feast tonight, and I'm making the apple dumplings with Mountain Dew for dessert that I made for my dad on Thanksgiving. I think I'm gonna have Elijah pour on the sodapop at the end...he's 5 years old and it's so much fun to have kids that age help with this kind of thing. Especially when the carbonation meets the hot, melted butter and makes the sugar crystals. :D

Wishing one and all who celebrate, a very very merry and blessed Christmas.

#286: Love that one Caro! I wish everyone the same - a beautiful, blessed Christmas!

If you are so inclined, could you please say a prayer for a lovely lady I met yesterday.

I've been haunted all day today by 90 year old Edna Jones.

When in the parking lot of the grocery store yesterday, as I was placing bags in the trunk, I looked over to see a little lady who could barely reach the steering wheel pull into a handicap parking space crookedly.

As I watched, I saw that she was struggling to get out of her car. I went over to help her and discovered that she was using her cane to try to propel herself to get up so that she could obtain her walker that was in the back seat of the car.

I helped her obtain the walker, placed her purse in the front and then realized there was no way she could navigate her frail body using her walker in the parking lot in the bitter cold.

As I gently took her arm to help her cross the lot, I felt the brittle bones and noticed that she was struggling to breathe with every tiny step she took.

We finally got into the store and she told me she had pneumonia and needed to obtain prescriptions. Luckily, the pharmacist is a friend of mine who told me that Edna struggles and has limited financial and emotional support. Edna has a nephew who reluctantly assists sporadically.

As I sat with her while her prescriptions were filled, she told me, with a smile, that she was "one of the Jones girls" and she has a 86 year old sister who helps her sometimes.

I asked her to stay on the bench and told her I would pay for her prescriptions; she refused.

As we trekked out the store into the parking lot, she was coughing and didn't have the strength to push her walker. She was so stooped over that she could not see to direct the walker as she headed for a grate wherein the cart would have been stuck.

Finally, I got her to the car and as she struggled to differentiate between the gas and the brake, I realized that there was no way this woman should be driving. I wanted to ask her for the keys and then get some help, but by then the door was closed and she had the car in reverse.

I quickly asked a passerby to please go in the store to call 911. Edna put the car in drive and immediately slammed into a parked car.

I then made sure she was ok and gently took the keys from her. I went back to the pharmacy and asked my friend to call the police.

I waited with her, met with the people whose car she damaged and then asked the police to please help her. I asked if she could be taken to the hospital because I didn't want her to go home alone.

I left when the ambulance arrived. I came home, sat down at the dining room table and cried. I live in a safe neighborhood, still, Edna was a prime target for anyone who wanted to rob or harm her.

I hope that she can stay in the hospital until she is well, but then what? Does she go back home alone?

Maybe the hospital can help provide a social worker. I want to follow up but I'm not sure how to do so. I'm not a relative so the hospital cannot provide information.

Who helps the Edna's? What will become of her?

Oh dear, Linda. That's a sad tale indeed. I hope Edna gets the care she so obviously needs.

Linda.. you were her angel yesterday..

Even if you are not a relative.. maybe between a hospital visit and
the pharmacist who might be willing to help??

Bless you Linda, for helping where you could.

Here's a Christmas miracle I got in my e-mail yesterday. I thought you would all enjoy...
http://www.blogher.com/bloggess-and-her-christmas-miracle

#292: Thanks for sharing that uplifting story, Jenn!

To all my Christian friends out there, I hope you had the merriest and most blessed of Christmases, as we celebrate the birth upon Earth of that most perfect Love. To all my friends of other faiths and of unfaith, let us celebrate together as the Earth turns from darkness and death back toward life and rebirth. In our love for each other, the divine speaks out and is made flesh, and it is in love and compassion that I think this group excels. Merry Christmas, my friends.

#288 Linda, what a heartbreaking story. I'm so glad you were there to help Edna. I hope you can find a way to check on her condition later. Keeping both of you in my praryers.

#292 Thanks for the reminder about how generous people really can be. A great story.

#294 Merry Christmas, Roni - and everyone. A day late, but the love and compassion in this group (as I have had reason to experience personally of late) is too much to be contained to a single day.

#288: Linda, what a sad, sad story, but how kind you were to help her. One way to help might be to check if your state/city has any services for the aged. Most places do have some sort of help through the local government. Of course, you might not be able to contact anyone until tomorrow. This situation will haunt us all, I know. I'm proud to know such a kind person as yourself.

Christmas Greetings to all in the Kitchen!

This afternoon I caught on BBC Radio4 the programme Open Book, which was an interview with Australian comedian Barry Humphries who, it turns out, is also an avid book collector and self-confessed bibliomaniac, with a personal library of over 25,000 volumes. He tells the story of why he cannot bring himself to part with any books - ever since he came home aged 10 to find that his mother had donated all his books to the Salvation Army! You can listen again or dowload podcasts of this or other episodes Open Book here - I keep meaning to tune in more regularly, they do an interesting range of author interviews etc on this weekly show.

#288 Who helps the Edna's? Well, clearly, YOU do, Linda. Can you visit her in the hospital? Maybe one of her relatives might be there and you could offer some assistance through them? In any case, you did so much for that fragile lady that I'd say you definitely earned your wings.

This is a picture of Linda's heart.......


glitter-graphics.com

Oh Linda, how wonderful what you did is...and you aren't any shining Monadnock of health yourself! And still the first thing that occurs to you is to help someone whose life is less good than your own is, not to parse how many painful steps out of your way you went for some old lady stranger.

As long as there are Lindas, the Ednas of the world will be okay.

Posting this message in both 2010 and 2011 kitchens:

I LOVE YOU ALL, but if I haven't gotten to your 2010 thread, please don't look for me there. I purposedly avoided the 2011 until the new year, and I have officially abandoned any more 2010. So if there's something I really, really really need to know, send me a PM please.

I'm now concentrating on reading, with a short/small/skimming/lurking roll through the threads for one hour a day.

Repeat, kisses, smooches, prayers, blessings and happy reading to all of you. May your aunties, hubbies, kids, cats, dogs and hamsters bring you peace love and joy.

May your books bring you even more.