What Octavia Spencer and I Have in Common

by Carol12 Comments
So, you're probably wondering what Octavia Spencer and I do have in common, right? And Morgan Freeman and Tina Fey, too. Chocolate. David brought home a few chocolates from work yesterday for Amber and me - two each. And they were delicious. I don't know what flavors Amber had, but I had a vanilla cupcake one and a peanut butter and jelly one. They were rich, decadent, melt-in-your mouth goodness. And simply gorgeous to look at.  Definitely candy for grown-ups. So I had to do a little research today. Turns out they were from Norman Love Confections. And guess what was in some of the gift bags given out at the Academy Awards- boxes of  Norman Love chocolates. Granted, they are far from cheap, but for a special occasion a box of these would be heavenly. And if I ever happen to be in Fort Meyers, Florida, you can bet the Chocolate Salon will be on my list of places to visit....
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Review: Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh

by Carol5 Comments
Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh is a great little mystery. Set at a resort build around natural hot mud pools in New Zealand, the setting is unique, at least in my experience, and the characters range from quirky to downright sleazy. I listened to this one on audio, by the way, so can't really share any quotes. First published in 1943, Colour Scheme takes place right in the midst of WW2. An odd collection of people are gathered at the poorly managed Wai-ata-Tapu spa. The spa is owned by a retired British colonel who is rather bumbling and hard of hearing. His family is made up of his gentler demure wife, ne'er-do-well son and the daughter, Barbara, who is sweet, but seems fairly stuck in her life. The problem is the Colonel owes money to Questing, a shady business man who is confident that he is about to seize control of the resort. Enter the famous Shakespearean actor who is lured to the spa...
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Movie Review: Moneyball (2011)

by Carol10 Comments
As most of you know, the Academy Awards are tomorrow. No, I won't be watching, but this year I have actually seen a couple of the movies up for Best Picture, The Help and Moneyball. The Help I saw in the theater when it came out and loved it. I had already read the book though, so knew what to expect. David and I just watched Moneyball last weekend. I had heard it was very good, and I wanted to see it, but my expectations weren't really too. Really, it's about baseball and stats, and even though I like Brad Pitt, he's not reason enough for me to watch a movie. I really enjoyed it though. The movie is based on the bestseller of the same name by Michael Lewis. It tells the story of the 2002 Oakland A's, a team with a low budget and a larger than life manager in Billy Beane. He takes a chance, looks at the numbers...
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Flash Fiction: At the Pool

by Carol6 Comments
"At the Pool" Steam rose from the pool. She tossed in several lavender bouquets and inhaled the fragrance. Slowly she slipped the silk robe from her shoulders, laying it on the bench, and stepped down into the bath. As she sank into the water, she felt the stress of the day melt away, replaced by the soothing warmth. The afternoon had been long and tedious, but the formal dinner that followed was interminable. Finally she had escaped, pleading a blinding headache. She lowered herself into the water, sat on the stone stairs, and closed her eyes, allowing her thoughts drift away from the trade negotiations that had occupied her earlier. She heard a deep, rumbling purr from the bank. She looked up to see a huge tiger standing on the bank, staring at her. Its amber eyes reflected the moonlight and he growled, a low menacing sound, and padded into the surrounding trees. Moments passed, she heard nothing, and the moon couldn't...
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Thursday’s Tale: Tony’s Bread by Tomie dePaola

by Carol4 Comments
  Several legends have grown around the Italian bread, panettone. It's a type of sweet bread loaf originally from Milan, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year, and is one of the symbols of the city of Milan. One tale goes back to 15th-century Milan. A nobleman loved the daughter of a poor baker named Toni and wished to marry her. To win her father's approval, the nobleman disguised himself as a baker and invented a rich bread to which he added flour and yeast, butter, eggs, dried raisins, and candied lemon and orange peel. It's this tale that dePaola retells for pre-schoolers and early elementary kids in Tony's Bread, admitting that he has taken "great liberties" with the story. Tony is a baker in a small town who dreams of opening a bakery in Milan and become famous. Tony has a daughter, Serafina, whom he loves and treats like a princess. Serafina wants to get married, but Tony doesn't...
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Top Ten Books I’d Save If My House Was Going To Be Abducted By Aliens

by Carol13 Comments
The Top Ten Tuesday topic for yesterday was Top Ten Books You Would Save If Disaster Struck. It got me thinking. It's not about your favorite books or the books you love to read. It's about which books you own that are irreplaceable. I was looking around my house last night thinking about which books I would save and came up with this list. Most of them are gifts I've received over the years. A Broadman Hymnal from 1940 - It was a gift and I do love hymns. Good Bones and Simple Murders by Margaret Atwood - It's a great collection, has a signed bookplate, and was a gift from my parents. The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall - First, it's an awesome story about staying true to yourself. Second, it was  a gift from my favorite teacher of all time. The Baker Street Dozen edited by P. J. Doyle and E. W. McDiarmid  - I think this was my first Sherlock Holmes...
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