Thursday’s Tale: The Merchant of Seri

by Carol2 Comments
I thought I'd feature another of the Jataka Tales retold by Ellen C. Babbitt, 1912. As I learned last week, the Jataka Tales are Hindu. The Jatakas form one of the sacred books of the Buddhists and relate to the adventures of the Buddha in his former existences, the best character in any story being identified with the Master. In the "The Merchant of Seri," there merchant travels from town to town with another man, each selling brass and tinware. They get to a town and split the roads. The other man is greedy, always trying to get as much as he can while giving away as little as possible. This greedy man comes to the house of a widow and young girl. All they have to offer in trade is a bowl, one that holds sentimental value for them but they don't realize is actually made of gold. The greedy merchant scratches it, realizes it is gold, but throws it on the...
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Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

by Carol4 Comments
Title: Midnight Crossroad (Midnight, Texas #1) Author: Charlaine Harris Read by: Susan Bennett Category: Mystery, Paranormal Audio published: May 6, 2014 by Recorded Books Rating: 3 out of 5 stars Add: Goodreads Purchase: Audible | Amazon | Book Depository Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and Davy Road. It’s a pretty standard dried-up western town. There’s a pawnshop (someone lives in the basement and is seen only at night). There’s a diner (people who are just passing through tend not to linger). And there’s new resident Manfred Bernardo, who thinks he’s found the perfect place to work in private (and who has secrets of his own). Stop at the one traffic light in town, and everything looks normal. Stay awhile, and learn the truth... I am not a die-hard Charlaine Harris fan. I got bored of her Sookie books and read maybe one in her Aurora Teagarden series. I picked up midnight Crossroad because it sounded fun enough...
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Saturday Snapshot

by Carol6 Comments
I thought I'd share a couple of pictures from my week. Amber's last middle school concert was Thursday - next year she's a freshman. Afterwards, a bunch of the kids and some of the parents headed over to Tim Hortons for donuts and ice cream. I have to image the staff hates to see us coming. Amber's the one sitting down in the black sweatshirt. Earlier today we went garage sale-ing up at the lake. Poor Scrappy got a little worn out. In this photo, we're waiting on a corner for David to come with the car and pick us up. Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at West Metro Mommy Reads....
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Friday 5

by Carol10 Comments
1. A breakfast sandwich is typically made with some kind of bread with egg, cheese, and some kind of breakfast meat. What’s the best variation on this theme you’ve tried, or what variation would you like to try? I like the simple scrambled eggs and cheddar on a bagel. I prefer them without meat, please. 2. A sandwich cookie is typically made with two thin cookies with some kind of sweet, creamy filling. What’s the best variation on this theme you have tried, or what variation would you like to try? Oreos are my favorite. Do they have mint ones, because those would be perfect. 3. A melt sandwich (such as a tuna melt) is typically some kind of bread with some kind of filling plus some kind of cheese, grilled or fried until the cheese is melted. What’s the best variation on this sandwich you’ve tried, or what variation would you like to try? I'm not a sandwich person really, but I have...
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Thursday’s Tale: The Measure of Rice

by Carol3 Comments
"The Measure of Rice" is a Jataka Tale. The version I read was retold by Ellen C. Babbitt in 1912 that I found on SurLaLunefairytales.com. I have never read a Jataka Tale before, but they are Hindu in origin. Apparently the Jatakas, or Birth-stories, form one of the sacred books of the Buddhists and relate to the adventures of the Buddha in his former existences, the best character in any story being identified with the Master. These legends were continually introduced into the religious discourses of the Buddhist teachers to illustrate the doctrines of their faith or to magnify the glory and sanctity of the Buddha. Quaint humor and gentle earnestness distinguish these legends and they teach many wholesome lessons, among them the duty of kindness to animals. In the "Measure of Rice," a dishonest king has a Valuer in his court. I assume the honest, good Valuer is the character associated with Buddha. The Valuer set the price that should be paid...
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Guest Post: Ron Parsons, author of The Sense of Touch

by CarolNo Comments
I'm happy to welcome Ron Parsons, author of The Sense of Touch, to my notebook today talking about the story behind his collection. The Story Behind The Sense of Touch by Ron Parsons When I was attending the University of Minnesota, a friend of mine loaned me copies of two short story collections: “Like Life” by Lorrie Moore and “The Watch” by Rick Bass.  I think I read both books on consecutive nights.  I thought they were truly perfect – collections of small, brilliant gems – and I resolved that someday I would publish a short story collection of my own. The road to transforming that resolution to reality was long and filled with curves.  I started by taking fiction writing classes and was lucky to be placed in a seminar taught by Alexs Pate, now an award-winning novelist and playwright.  I’m sure he has no recollection of me, but his class had a lasting impact.  He was working on his first novel...
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