Friday’s Tale: Mike Fink

by Carol1 Comment
Image Source We met Mike Fink briefly last week. He's another tall tale character, although in this case the legends are based on a real man who was born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania around 1770 or 1780. In addition to the exaggerated and imagined feats that make up his story, it may have been woven from the stories of two or more men with the same name. Be that as it may, I read his story in American Tall Tales by Adrien Stoutenburg. The story starts with Mike Fink growing up in the woods around Pittsburgh, shooting wolves, bobcats, bugs, anything really. He was tough and bragged a lot, but always backed up his bragging with a show of his skill. He entered a shooting contest and beat out all the soldiers, hunters, Indian scouts, and boatmen, all the best shots in the country, even though he was just a child. He was too young to fight in the American Revolution, but when...
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On vacation!

by Carol6 Comments
Today we left for vacation. We're heading down to the Outer Banks, North Carolina for a week. We're staying at Carol's Castle on Hatteras Island. And look at the gorgeous view of the sound from the deck. So, when you don't see me around much this week, just know that I'm relaxing on the beach or sitting on the deck....
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Comments: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

by Carol7 Comments
I listened to Shakespeare's Hamlet performed by Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I'll grant you, it's not the same as seeing the actual play, but it's closer than just reading it would be, though I do wish I had had a print copy to refer to at times. Most of us know the basic plot line. Hamlet's father, the King of Denmark is dead. His uncle, Claudius, has taken the thrown, and the queen, and to top it off, the ghost of Hamlet's father claims that Claudius killed him. Hamlet swears to the ghost to avenge his death and suggests that he will act crazy to divert suspicion. We've also got Ophelia, who he was courting but now has more or less turned his back on. She may or may not be pregnant. So, Hamlet's going crazy or at least pretending to, and also wanting to make sure that Claudius is guilty before killing him. He ends up accidentally killing Ophelia's dad and she...
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Teaser from Breaking Up with God

by Carol9 Comments
I don't go to church, but I do go to the covered stalls of the farmers' market on Saturday mornings—wildflower honey, olive oil, butter lettuce, collard greens, arugula, Swiss chard, beets, snap peas, artichokes, fava beans, haricots verts, strawberries, peaches, oranges, orchids, ranunculus, butternut squash, avocados, heirloom tomatoes, lemons, lavender, basil, thyme—a place in which I can believe. I buy eggs from Varden, a farmer from Nipomo who wears overalls and shows me pictures of hens—my girls, he calls them—and they are not in cages. He talks about his girlfriend, lends me books about soil, makes compost tea, and asks, every week, What's for show and tell? (Tuesday Teaser from pg. 212 (ARC) of Breaking Up with God: A Love Story by Sarah Sentilles)...
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Review: “The Hoosegow Strangler” by Camille LaGuire

by Carol13 Comments
Right now, my problem is that I'm in the middle of Empire Falls by Richard Russo, a great book, but a slow read for me for some reason. Anyway, one day I forgot it, but had my Kindle with me  and had picked up Have Gun, Will Play by Camille LaGuire, so I started it, and I'm really getting a kick out of it, but want to finish Empire Falls first. The point is, the LaGuire book is about a couple of gun-slingers in the Old West, Mick and his young wife, Casey, great characters, so when I found "The Hoosegow Strangler" the first story featuring the couple, I had to read it. At heart, it's a locked room mystery. Mick and Casey had been hired to guard a witness, Albert Wilkins, who ends up dead. The only way into the room is through a locked door and the hallway and stairs are being guarded by Mick and Casey. They don't...
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