Saturday, March 19, 2011

DAY AFTER NIGHT

I know that I am probably the last person in the world to read Day After Night.  That being said, I am now sharing the shame of that fact and telling you to buy this on your kindle, on Amazon, get it at the library.  



As enthralling as The Red Tent was, Anita Diamant's lastest book will carry you away again to a different period of history.  I was a little reluctant because I really did not like her "Last Days of Dogtown" book at all, but this is remarkable.  Just a few pages into Day After Night and you feel as though you can smell the ocean, and feel the lumps in the pillow. 

Here is a review:
Just as she gave voice to the silent women of the Old Testament in The Red Tent, Anita Diamant creates a cast of breathtakingly vivid characters -- young women who escaped to Israel from Nazi Europe -- in this intensely dramatic novel.
Day After Night is based on the extraordinary true story of the October 1945 rescue of more than two hundred prisoners from the Atlit internment camp, a prison for "illegal" immigrants run by the British military near the Mediterranean coast south of Haifa. The story is told through the eyes of four young women at the camp with profoundly different stories. All of them survived the Holocaust: Shayndel, a Polish Zionist; Leonie, a Parisian beauty; Tedi, a hidden Dutch Jew; and Zorah, a concentration camp survivor. Haunted by unspeakable memories and losses, afraid to begin to hope, Shayndel, Leonie, Tedi, and Zorah find salvation in the bonds of friendship and shared experience even as they confront the challenge of re-creating themselves in a strange new country.
This is an unforgettable story of tragedy and redemption, a novel that reimagines a moment in history with such stunning eloquence that we are haunted and moved by every devastating detail. Day After Night is a triumphant work of fiction. 

Read and enjoy!!

Monday, February 28, 2011

HURRICANE SEASON

Hurricane season will have a whole new meaning this Fall!!  Cliff was just admitted to the University of Miami School of Law.



We could not be more proud!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS...

I have been doing my best to avoid meat lately...well except for the occasional Philly Cheesesteak from Jersey Mike's (is that a contradiction in terms).

Tonight when I got home from a rainy drive to South Coast Plaza, Henry said that he had gotten some stuff for dinner.  I had been thinking I would have my usual Whole Wheat toast with Earth Balance and Peanut Butter.  

Went to take the nightly bath and play my hour of DS and all I could think about was Henry saying there was a London Broil in the cold cut section of the refrigerator.  I could only think of that sandwich!!!

The last episode of Ramsay's Restaurant was on and I was going to have a great sammie, some Sake...num-o.

I reach into the top drawer of the refrigerator, spot the aluminum foil packet with the meat, grab it, pull it out...

picture...Carrie

"juice" everywhere
on me
throughout the fridge
on the floor
aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!
I am trying to clean the floor while Denny is busy trying to lick all the "juice" out of my robe.

Back to a meat free existence ... the sammie was good, now that I am writing about it ... not so much.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

BIGGEST LOSER WANTS ME

Don't get too excited...not the TV show...the Men's Department.

Yup...the Men's Department is organizing "The Biggest Loser."  Instead of a week at the ranch with Jillian or Bob.  We pay $2 to play, the winner of % weight lost each week wins $5.  The bottom three people play $10.  At the end of the period of time allowed--which I forgot, gets the kitty.  Oh, and if you gain back the weight you lost you pay $1 per pound.

I, of course, asked what the opt out price was...

Wish me luck!!

Friday, January 7, 2011

DID BRAZIL GET ITS NAME FROM THE BRAZIL NUT???

Did Brazil get its name from the Nut?
Did India get its name from the Ink?
Did Oroville get its name from Oroweat?

Why do I ask?

Because Cliff graduates from college in May and there are no rooms at the Inns--literally.  Not one room in the lovely little town of Chico...not one!!  No amount of wheedling, whining, begging, asserting, will get us a room, much less two rooms.

We are staying in Oroville, CA. Where you ask??  I certainly did.  This is a picture of historic downtown Oroville.
 The population of Oroville was 13,000 in 2000.  The fourth largest employer is Walmart, number eight is Home Depot.  Oroweat not in sight.

We will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express for Cliff's graduation.  
If we were to stay here this weekend the room would be $86 a night...for graduation weekend it is $195 per night.


It must be near a highway, because I think we are getting robbed.


Oh, BTW, the answers to the questions are...no, no, and no!




I just did some checking to make sure that Oroweat really is not based in Oroville.  Come to find out it is a division of Bimbo Bakeries CA a division of Bimbo Bakeries Mexico...I am not even going there...

I'm just sayin'...





Monday, January 3, 2011

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS CIRCA 2011

My blog began as a method for keeping me in touch with my resolutions.  It is only fair a few years later to re-visit my resolutions and update them.  They are posted at the side of my blog...but I think that I am too busy writing to read them (stating the obvious here).

1. Only buy things that I really need.
  • We all absolutely need new shoes--right?
2. Pay my credit cards off.
  • Slow start, I have been in maintenance, but I am reneweing my vow.
3. Eat less.
  • I will start with fewer times a day.
 4. Exercise more (anything would be more, let’s face it)
  • I will reactivate my gym membership in February (hate to join in the January rush)
5. Finish projects.
  • I will finish them as soon as I find them.
6. EBay what I don’t need.
  • I'm on it!!
7. Donate what I can’t eBay.
  • Ditto!
8. Divest myself of all my unnecessary objects.
  • Starting with unnecessary FAT!!
 9. Open my mind up to being more creative.
  • Yup!
10. Paint.
  • Something I need to find to be able to do.
11. Photograph
  • Always a love.
12. Write
  • Easy!
13. Finish my works in progress
  • Repeat of 5 and I never noticed.
14. Use what I have
  • Back to finding it to use it!
15. Create
  • A clean work environment.
Wish me luck!!!!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

NEW YEARS 2010

Happy New Year 2010!!!

In a repeat of last year, we had a wonderful feast at our friends Sonny and Melinda.  

The season is best begun and ended with very good friends



great food



champagne


and children.  

Sonny, Melinda, Clifford, and Amy








 and then topped it off with 30th Anniversary Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory

and finished it off with the traditional puzzle (although I can say "Go Fish")
It was a wonderful evening.
As one of my friends said...we get a chance to do it over and do it right this time.
Happy New Year!!!