January 2019 books

January - 7

1. Little Christmas

by Agnes Sligh Turnbull

fiction  1964 in book form, 1947 in Farm Journal magazine

print

reread

finished 1/6/19 (on Little Christmas)

American writer/American setting

This is such a special book. I wrote about it here.

2. Someday the Rabbi Will Leave - book 9 in the Rabbi Small series
by Harry Kemelman
mystery 1985
Kindle
reread
finished 1/7/19
American writer/American setting

3. One Fine Day the Rabbi Bought a Cross - book 10 in the Rabbi Small series
by Harry Kemelman
mystery 1987
Kindle
reread
finished 1/10/19
American writer/American setting

4. The Day the Rabbi Resigned - book 11 in the Rabbi Small series
by Harry Kemelman
mystery 1992
Kindle
reread
finished 1/14/18
American writer/American setting

5. That Day the Rabbi Left Town - book 12 (and last) in the Rabbi Small series
by Harry Kemelman
mystery 1996
Kindle
reread
finished 1/19/19
American writer/American setting

My beloved Rabbi Small books came to an end with this one. They have a very strong sense of place - Boston and its suburbs. There is a lot of talking, which may put some off, but I love it. I love reading about what it means to be Jewish, I loved reading about Israel, I love the relationship between Rabbi Small and the Irish-Catholic police chief, Lanigan. This was my second-go-round of the books, and I still look forward to reading them all again.

Kemelman's obituary is here. The books were very popular. I love this picture of him. Such a cheerful, pleasant looking fellow, and I believe that spirit comes through in the books.

6. If Morning Ever Comes
by Anne Tyler
fiction 1964
Kindle
library book
finished 1/24/19
American writer/American setting

You may have noticed on the sidebar that I've announced 2019 to be my Anne Tyler year. I got thinking about it in November of last year when I read this. I went to my authors list and saw that I have read only four by her since I began the blog - Back When We Were Grownups, Noah's Compass, A Spool of Blue Thread, and now If Morning Ever Comes. I'm really looking forward to reading/rereading her work.

I borrowed this from my state's downloadable books program. I didn't notice when it was written and was completely astounded to learn after I had finished that this was her first book. What a way to begin! She was only 22, yet the book reads as if it were written by someone much older. I loved every minute of the book. A young man comes back home for a bit from college in New York City. Home is a small town in North Carolina, in a houseful of women - his grandmother, mother, and six sisters. The interactions between them all, the descriptions of their lives, the town and its residents were all so well written. As a reader, I loved being amongst these people. I thought it was a  wonderful book.

7. The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker
by Jenni Keer
fiction 2019
Kindle
finished 1/30/19
English writer/English setting

I loved this book. The author describes her writing as "romantic comedies with a twist", which I think is just perfect. The characters are believable, there is romance, and the interiors are beautifully described - which is very important to me as a reader. I like to know where I am in a book. This book gave me the same kind of feeling as a book I read last year, Frances Garood's Ruth Robinson's Year of Miracles. What a complete pleasure it was to read each of them.

There was a lovely friendship between a 25-year-old woman and a 79-year-old woman. The older woman reminded me of a character in Sarah Orne Jewett's The Country of the Pointed Firs. They are both herbalists, growing herbs in their gardens which they make into remedies for ailments. Her kitchen was "a room that resembled an old-fashioned apothecary, with racks of jars and tins on every wall." There is a wee bit of magic in the book, which I believed in. It was quite, quite perfect for me. Addendum: I meant to say that I first heard of this new book here.

In January I read:

3 fiction
4 mysteries

6 Kindle
1 print

4 by men
3 by women

1 - 1940s (woman)
1 - 1960s (woman)
2 - 1980s (man)
2 - 1990s (man)
1 - 2011-2019 (woman)

6 by American authors
1 by an English author

5 rereads
1 library book
1 new-to-me author

Quote du jour/Susan Branch

I recently brought my desk from the study upstairs to the bedroom.

This is one of the upstairs rooms in the midst of renovation. Right now there is a plywood floor, and paint that has been on the walls and windows since 2004. Yup, you read that right! But I thought this was the place where I'd love to sit down and do desk work. I still pay as many bills as I can with a check, and I still check my account on paper. I write my Christmas cards and letters here. Just out the left window is where the new garden is going, and it will be a treat to look out and see it, and out the right window I'll be able to see the daffodils we planted in the fall. I wanted to get a wall calendar for the room, and decided on the Susan Branch one.

I've gotten hers often over the years, but not for a while, and I am excited for all the words and pictures throughout the months. This month she said:

Feed your soul with silence - that's where dreams are born.

And

Sounds of Silence  Crackling fire, furnace humming, oatmeal bubbling, snow falling, cats purring, dogs snoring, page turning, flickering candlelight, clicking knitting needles, pen scratches on diary pages, stars twinkling, & moon shining. Linger in bed those first dreamy moments after waking & listen to the birds. Rejuvenate yourself in nature - a walk-a-day keeps the doctor away. Cultivate optimism - count your blessings & remember, for better or for worse, nothing lasts forever.

She also writes as the month begins

Let us love winter for it is the spring of genius. Pietro Aretino

Meaning what, do you think? That we need the quiet of winter for the deep thoughts that give us a sort of wisdom in the coming spring?? A bit like planning one's garden?

I have loved Susan Branch's work for a long, long time. Do you know her? If you go here, you may find out about all her work and her life.

Washing dishes redux

In June 2016, I wrote a blog post about washing dishes. I was full of enthusiasm about not using the dishwasher anymore. Of course, I never wrote about starting to use the dishwasher again, and why. And now, I don't remember why. Maybe because it was there. Probably because I was still quite busy with little ones then. Hazel was only 3 1/2, Campbell was just 3, and Indy was about to turn 1.

Well, now 2 1/2 years later, the dishwasher broke down again. I told Tom to give me a week before getting it fixed to see if I might enjoy going back to doing the dishes by hand. At the end of the week, I said I wanted to try another week. And so it has gone on with nary a negative from me. In fact, I kept saying what a relief it was to just wash up the dishes as they were dirty instead of loading and loading the dishwasher and then waiting hours for it to be done. Or waiting an hour for a "quick" load that I can do by hand in 5 minutes! It is a satisfying feeling to do the dishes and have them done rather than "do" them in the dishwasher and wait. And there was a sweet side benefit that I never thought of. I texted my sister-in-law that day and said "can't do this with a dishwasher, can you!!"

It has now been almost three weeks, and all the big dishes have been washed like the crock pot, bread bowl, 9x13 pan. I'm still smiling, and I'm dreaming about just what might go into that space after Tom removes it.

In Anne Tyler's If Morning Ever Comes, a grandmother says that "the only thinking time she has is when she's doing the dishes." Sometimes I listen to music, or a good radio program, and sometimes I just sit and ponder while looking out the window.

Out of the mouths of babes

I got a text from Margaret showing me her Facebook post (because I am not there).

Margaret wrote to me:

So this happened just now --- I told her nana and pop would be so happy and proud.!!!!

Now, I have to tell you that we have never "preached". Occasionally, she will offer us something or it somehow comes up and all we've ever said it that we don't eat meat or fish. We've never said anything about "eating animals" or "animals dying". She probably won't stay with it because her parents and friends aren't vegetarians. But who knows?

Today's poem by Midge Goldberg

North by Northeast

O, come to New Hampshire, my dear Cary Grant,
And pack your tuxedo designed to enchant.

We’ll dance down the aisle at the grocery store,
Buy oysters and caviar, champagne and more,

You’ll laugh and turn backflips, winning my heart;
You’ll swing us around on the grocery cart.

You’ll bow to the bag boy, tipping your hat,
Nod at the checkout girl, fix your cravat.

The limo will come, and we’ll be on our way,
“And where are we going?” you’ll smile and say.

But that is the rub, now where do we go?
To the farm, where “yar” is a yard that you’ll mow?

How are you, Cary, with chickens and chores?
I know you do rooftops, but do you do floors?

You’re the talk of the town in your glamorous scenes,
Will you trade your tuxedo for flannels and jeans?

What about wood stoves and maples to tap,
Sump pumps and snow plows and boiling the sap?

I can’t be the one who gets dirt on that sheen.
Debonair Cary, go back to your screen,

Your taxis and mansions, your princesses true.
You’re sweet but New Hampshire is no place for you.

Midge Goldberg
Snowman's Code

Today's poem by Mary Oliver

If you have read my blog for a while, you'll know that I love Mary Oliver's work. In the poems section (under the blog header photo), there are more poems by her than any other. She has meant so much to so many people. Last evening as I was going down my blog list, blogger after blogger had a piece on her. I've got many books of her poetry but on this sad occasion I knew just the book from which I wanted to choose a poem. Dog Songs.


School


You're like a little wild thing
that was never sent to school.
Sit, I say, and you jump up.
Come, I say, and you go galloping down the sand
to the nearest dead fish
with which you perfume your sweet neck.
It is summer.
How many summers does a little dog have?

Run, run, Percy.
This is our school.

Mary Oliver
1935-2019

The gift of old books

I wrote recently about a cookbook my sister-in-law sent me. That same woman also gave me a big box of old books she had sitting on her shelves. I guess I must be known as a book lover! Anyhow, I was as delighted as could be. This was in October 2017, and I've been meaning to write about them ever since.

These are pictures I took when I first opened the box.

The variety shows the interests of children from Tom's grandmother's childhood, through his mother's, to his sisters'. Mrs. Mike which I noted here was one of the books in the box.

The cover isn't in great shape but it made me love it all the more.

So far, this is the only one I've read, but they sit patiently on the floor of the study waiting for me.

Refrigerator Rolls

I first mentioned this cookbook eight years ago, here. My friend Les gave me the book and I so love it.

On Wednesday I made some soup.

Soak over night in crockpot:

T. each:
cannellini beans
brown rice
moong dal (In India, "dal" is the word for lentils, and "moong dal" is the general term for mung lentils, also known as split yellow mung beans.)
black lentils
and einkorn (info here)
Next day, cook on high until all are soft. Then I added 1 cup of homemade tomato sauce. Delicious, and enough for supper and lunch for two people.

I wanted something to go with it, and decided on rolls. I haven't made rolls that often, and usually when I do it is my regular bread recipe with one of the loaves being rolls. So I went looking around, and came up with this one that didn't sound too hard for a sort of roll novice. 

I'm going to put up pictures of the recipe. You may click to make them bigger. 

You'll see that I made them with "my girls". Hazel had a snow day and they walked up and both helped with the rolls.

And then when they left, Hazel waved to the deer who were eating from our buffet of sunflower seeds.

You may be wondering what those delicious rolls looked like.

Can't you almost taste them?! PS I didn't cover with plastic wrap. I used a damp towel. And I used two 9x13 pans, greased with cooking spray, with 8 rolls per pan. This worked perfectly. Strong bread flour described here.

You may visit Beth Fish Reads for more food related posts.

Addendum: Sunday evening, the 13th I made the rolls with half whole wheat and half strong white bread flour and they were great. We both preferred them to the plain white. Made hummus and spread it on the rolls. Delicious!

Mind over matter

If you've got ten minutes, this is a really interesting piece.

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/01/09/dna-results-change-behavior-physiology

Elvis

My favorite Elvis Presley song on what would have been his 84th birthday.

Today's poem by Donald Hall

An Airstrip in Essex, 1960

It is a lost road into the air.

It is a desert

among sugar beets.

The tiny wings 

of the Spitfires of nineteen forty-one

sink under mud in the Channel.

Near the road a brick pillbox

totters under a load of grass,

where Home Guards waited

in the white fogs of the invasion winter.

Good night, old ruined war.

In Poland the wind rides on a jagged wall.

Smoke rises from the stones; no, it is mist.

Donald Hall

The Selected Poems of Donald Hall, 2015  

Tom's 2019 Reads

8 in all

February - 1

1. Becoming
by Michelle Obama
nonfiction 2018
print
finished 2/3/19
American writer/American setting

March - 1

2. Around India in 80 Trains
by Monisha Rajesh
nonfiction 2012
print
finished 3/9/19
English writer/Indian setting

April - 1

3. Cockroaches - book 2 in the Harry Hole series
by Jo Nesbo
mystery 2013
print
finished in April
Norwegian writer/Thailand setting

May - 1

4. Trial Run
by Dick Francis
mystery 1978
print - his father's book
finished 5/24/19
English  writer/England and the former Soviet Union

June - 1

5. The Danger
by Dick Francis
mystery 1983
print - his father's book. It fell apart and had to be thrown away. I wonder if he got it used, or if he had read it more than once, or if it was just poorly made. As he threw it away, Tom said there goes another part of my father.
finished 6/14/19
English writer/English setting

July - 1

6. The Client
by John Grisham
fiction 1993
print - his father's book
finished 7/11/19
American writer/American setting

September - 2

7. The Deep Blue Good-by
by John D. MacDonald
mystery 1964
print - his father's book
finished 9/2/19
American writer/American setting

8. Golden Clan
by John Corry
nonfiction 1977
print - his father's book
finished 9/29/19
American writer/American setting

Books Read in 2019

January - 7

1. Little Christmas

by Agnes Sligh Turnbull

fiction  1964 in book form, 1947 in Farm Journal magazine

print

reread

finished 1/6/19 (on Little Christmas)

2. Someday the Rabbi Will Leave - book 9 in the Rabbi Small series
by Harry Kemelman
mystery 1985
Kindle
reread
finished 1/7/19

3. One Fine Day the Rabbi Bought a Cross - book 10 in the Rabbi Small series
by Harry Kemelman
mystery 1987
Kindle
reread
finished 1/10/19

4. The Day the Rabbi Resigned - book 11 in the Rabbi Small series
by Harry Kemelman
mystery 1992
Kindle
reread
finished 1/14/18

5. That Day the Rabbi Left Town - book 12 (and last) in the Rabbi Small series
by Harry Kemelman
mystery 1996
Kindle
reread
finished 1/19/19

6. If Morning Ever Comes
by Anne Tyler
fiction 1964
Kindle
library book
finished 1/24/19

7. The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker
by Jenni Keer
fiction 2019
Kindle
finished 1/30/19

February - 6

8. Calico Joe
by John Grisham
fiction 2012
Kindle
library book
finished 2/1/19

9. A Spool of Blue Thread
by Anne Tyler
fiction 2015
Kindle
library book
reread
finished 2/7/19

10. Flowers in the Rain & Other Stories
by Rosamunde Pilcher
fiction 1991
print
reread
finished 2/14/19

11. Book Love
by Debbie Tung
nonfiction graphic novel 2019
print
finished 2/16/19

12. Murder by Matchlight - book 26 in the Robert Macdonald series
by E.C.R. Lorac
mystery 1945
Kindle
finished 2/17/19

13. Fire in the Thatch - book 27 in the Robert Macdonald series
by E.C.R. Lorac
mystery 1946
Kindle
finished 2/26/19

March - 3

14. A Gentleman's Murder
by Christopher Huang
historical mystery 2018
Kindle
finished 3/17/19

15. A Deadly Affair at Bobtail Ridge - book 4 in the Samuel Craddock series
by Terry Shames
mystery 2015
Kindle
finished 3/23/19

16. Spring Magic
by DE Stevenson
fiction 1942
Kindle
finished 3/30/19

April - 3

17. The Necessary Murder of Nonie Blake - book 5 in the Samuel Craddock series
by Terry Shames
mystery 2016
Kindle
finished 4/6/19

18. The Shell Seekers
by Rosamunde Pilcher
fiction 1987
Kindle
reread
finished 4/17/19

19. Passage from Nuala - book 6 in the Inspector de Silva series
by Harriet Steel
mystery 2019
Kindle
finished 4/29/19

May - 2

20. Nanaville
Adventures in Grandparenting
by Anna Quindlen
nonfiction 2019
print
finished 5/16/19

21. The Inn at Holiday Bay: Letters in the Library - book 2 in the Inn at Holiday Bay series
by Kathi Daley
mystery 2019
Kindle
finished sometime in May

June - 5

22. Everybody Always Tells - book 27 in the Bobby Owen series
by ER Punshon
mystery 1950
Kindle
finished 6/2/19

23. All-butter Shortdead - prequel to the Oxford Tea Room mysteries
by H.Y. Hanna
mystery 2016
Kindle
finished 6/6/19

24. A Scone to Die For - book 1 in the Oxford Tea Room mysteries
by H.Y. Hanna
mystery 2016
Kindle
finished 6/11/19

25. Tea With Milk and Murder - book 2 in the Oxford Tea Room mysteries
by H.Y. Hanna
mystery 2016
Kindle
finished 6/20/19

26. Two Down, Bun To Go - book 3 in the Oxford Tea Room mysteries
by H.Y. Hanna
mystery 2016
Kindle
finished 6/28/19
Australian writer/English setting


July - 4

27. Till Death Do Us Tart - book 4 in the Oxford Tea Room mysteries
by H.Y. Hanna
mystery 2016
Kindle
finished 7/5/19

28. Muffins and Mourning Tea - book 5 in the Oxford Tea Room mysteries
by H.Y. Hanna
mystery 2016
Kindle
finished 7/10/19

29. Four Puddings and a Funeral - book 6 in the Oxford Tea Room mysteries
by H.Y. Hanna
mystery 2017
Kindle
finished 7/19/19

30. Another One Bites the Crust - book 7 in the Oxford Tea Room mysteries
by H.Y. Hanna
mystery 2017
Kindle
finished 7/26/19

August - 9

31. Apple Strudel Alibi - book 8 in the Oxford Tea Room mysteries
by H.Y. Hanna
mystery 2018
Kindle
finished 8/4/19

32. Henry, Himself
by Stewart O'Nan
fiction 2019
print
finished 8/6/19

33. Scone Cold Dead - book 9 in the Gray Whale Inn mysteries
by Karen MacInerney
mystery 2019
Kindle
finished 8/10/19

34. Deadhead and Buried - book 1 in the English Cottage Garden mysteries
by H.Y. Hanna
mystery 2019
Kindle
finished 8/16/19

35. Emily, Alone
by Stewart O'Nan
fiction 2011
print
reread
finished 8/20/19

36. The Dough Must Go On - book 9 in the Oxford Tea Room mysteries
by H.Y. Hanna
mystery 2018
Kindle
finished 8/21/19

37. Tender Deceit - book 1 in the Tender mysteries
by H.Y. Hanna
mystery 2014
Kindle
finished 8/22/19

38. Tender Treachery - book 2 in the Tender mysteries
by H.Y. Hanna
mystery 2014
Kindle
finished 8/25/19

39. Tender Betrayal - book 3 in the Tender mysteries
by H.Y. Hanna
mystery 2015
Kindle
finished 8/28/19

September - 8

40. The Fairy Tale Girl
by Susan Branch
graphic memoir 2015
print
finished 9/2/19A

41. Checked Out - book 1 in the Village Library mysteries
by Elizabeth Spann Craig
mystery 2019
Kindle
finished 9/6/19

42. An Unsettling Crime for Samuel Craddock - book 6 in the Samuel Craddock mysteries
by Terry Shames
mystery 2017
Kindle
finished 9/10/19

43. Martha's Vineyard  Isle of Dreams
by Susan Branch
graphic memoir 2016
print
finished 9/14/19

44. The Inn at Holiday Bay: Boxes in the Basement - book 1 in the Inn at Holiday Bay series
by Kathi Daley
mystery 2018
Kindle
finished 9/17/19

45. Message in the Mantle - book 3 in the Inn at Holiday Bay series
by Kathi Daley
mystery 2019
Kindle
finished 9/24/19

46. A Fine Romance  Falling in Love with the English Countryside
by Susan Branch
graphic travel diary 2013
print
finished 9/24/1

47. Answers in the Attic - book 4 in the Inn at Holiday Bay series
by Kathi Daley
mystery 2019
Kindle
finished 9/30/19


October - 3

48. This Is How It Always Is
by Laurie Frankel
fiction 2017
Kindle
finished 10/3/19

49. Sparkling Cyanide - third in the Colonel Race series
by Agatha Christie
mystery 1944
Kindle
finished 10/13/19

50 The Secret of Chimneys - book one in the Superintendent Battle series
by Agatha Christie
mystery 1925
Kindle
finished 10/25/19


November - 9

51. The Seven Dials Mystery - book one in the Superintendent Battle series
by Agatha Christie
mystery 1929
Kindle
finished 11/1/19

52. The Magic Apple Tree
by Susan Hill
nonfiction 1982
print
finished 11/6/19

53. A Quiet Life in the Country - book one in Lady Hardcastle series
by T E Kinsey
mystery 2014
Kindle
finished 11/13/19

54. Murder Between the Lines - book two in the Kitty Weeks series
by Radha Vatsal
mystery 2017
Kindle
library book
finished 11/16/19

55. Country Chronicle
by Gladys Taber
nonfiction 1974
print
reread
finished 11/16/19

56. Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! - book one in the Elmwood Springs series
by Fannie Flagg
fiction 1998
Kindle
library book
finished 11/18/19

57. Standing in the Rainbow - book two in the Elmwood Springs series
by Fannie Flagg
fiction 2000
Kindle
reread
library book
finished 11/24/19

58. Can't Wait to Get to Heaven - book three in the Elmwood Springs series
by Fannie Flagg
fiction 2006
Kindle
library book
finished 11/26/19

59. The Whole Town's Talking - book four in the Elmwood Springs series
by Fannie Flagg
fiction 2016
Kindle
library book
finished 11/29/19


December - 6

60. In the Market For Murder - book two in the Lady Hardcastle series
by T.E. Kinsey
mystery 2016
Kindle
finished 12/5/19
English writer/English setting

61. Death Around the Bend - book three in the Lady Hardcastle series
by T.E. Kinsey
mystery 2017
Kindle
finished 12/8/19

62. The Mousse Wonderful Time of the Year - book ten in the Oxford Tearoom Mysteries
by H. Y. Hanna
mystery 2019
Kindle
finished 12/11/19

63. A Picture of Murder - book four in the Lady Hardcastle series
by T.E. Kinsey
mystery 2018
Kindle
finished 12/16/19

64. The Burning Issue of the Day - book five in the Lady Hardcastle series
by T.E. Kinsey
mystery 2019
Kindle
finished 12/26/19

65. Death Beside the Seaside - book six in the Lady Hardcastle series
by T.E. Kinsey
mystery 2019
Kindle
finished 12/31/19

Bean Dip

On the twelfth day of Christmas we had our family Christmas down at Michael and Estée's house. A glorious time was had by all!!

I made these brownies and cheesejacks. Tom made his famous (in the family!) bean dip. Here's what he does.

In a crockpot, mix together:

And about 1/3 of this 2 pound package of cheese, grated. (Sorry, blurry picture)

Turn on crockpot to low until mixed together and nice and warm.

This is what it looks like part-way done. The cheese melted in a little more.

Serve with

You may visit Beth Fish Reads for more food related postings.

Quote du jour/Henry Ward Beecher

Every man should be born again on the first day of January.  Start with a fresh page.  Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first day of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past.

  Henry Ward Beecher

Today's poem by Emily Huntington Miller

The last verse of this poem was on December 31, 2018 (the only day from the old year) of my 2019 The Old Farmer's Almanac engagement calendar. I buy one every year and keep it beside the computer. Everything goes in there. Vet and farrier and shearing appointments, amounts of blueberries we buy, and amounts of eggs the chickens are laying. Along with family birthdays, always circled, and anything else that comes up. 

I had never heard of Emily Huntington Miller. You may read more here. 

         New Year Song

They say that the year is old and gray,
That his eyes are dim with sorrow;
But what care we, though he pass away?
For the New Year comes tomorrow.

No sighs have we for the roses fled,
No tears for the vanished summer;
Fresh flowers will spring where the old are dead,
To welcome the glad new comer.

He brings us a gift from the beautiful land
We see, in our rosy dreaming,
Where the wonderful castles of fancy stand
In magical sunshine gleaming.

Then sing, young hearts that are full of cheer,
With never a thought of sorrow;
The old goes out, but the glad young year
Comes merrily in tomorrow. 

Emily Huntington Miller
American poet
1833-1913

December books

I really am going to try and write some book notes about the books I read each month, and who knows, maybe I will even write a whole entry on one book, like my book reports of earlier years. We'll see.


59. Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home - book 3 in the Rabbi Small series
by Harry Kemelman
mystery 1969
Kindle
reread
finished 12/3/18
American writer/American setting

60. Monday the Rabbi Took Off - book 4 in the Rabbi Small series
by Harry Kemelman
mystery 1972
Kindle
reread
finished 12/8/18
American writer/American setting

In the marathon jotting down of my monthly books, I said how much I love the Kemelman books. I hadn't read them for many years, but I do remember how much I learned about what it means to be Jewish. And reading them again continues to teach me. There is a mystery in the books which is solved by the Rabbi using his education. A fascinating concept for a book series. 


61. The Christmas Letters - A Novella
by Lee Smith
fiction 1996
reread
finished 12/8/18
American writer/American setting

This is the fifth time I've read this dear Christmas book. I wrote about it eight (!!) years ago here.


62. Tuesday the Rabbi Saw Red - book 5 in the Rabbi Small series
by Harry Kemelman
mystery 1973
Kindle
reread
finished 12/14/18
American writer/American setting

The Rabbi Small books are set in the 1960s - 1990s. We see how society changes and how those changes affect, or don't, the Jewish life. In just about every book one or more of the temple board of directors want to get rid of the Rabbi, for various reasons. 


63. Christmas in London
by Anita Hughes
fiction 2017
Kindle
finished 12/18/18
Australian writer (now lives in US)/English setting

I first read about this book here. It was a little romance-y, a little bit like a couple of Katie Fforde books I've read, and I don't mean that as a criticism. I liked the story, the characters, the descriptions of food and of places, and of course the setting! 


64. Christmas in Nuala- book 5 in the Inspector de Silva series
by Harriet Steel
mystery 2018
Kindle
finished 12/19/18
English writer/Sri Lanka setting (Ceylon in the story)

I've already written about how I enjoy this series. More, please!


65. Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet - book 6 in the Rabbi Small series
by Harry Kemelman
mystery 1976
Kindle 
reread
finished 12/23/18
American writer/American setting

66. Thursday the Rabbi Walked Out - book 7 in the Rabbi Small series
by Harry Kemelman
mystery 1978
Kindle 
reread
finished 12/28/18
American writer/American setting

Every book is different, though they all take place in a fictional Massachusetts town. I don't read many books with a New England setting. I'm going to search out more. In a couple books the Rabbi goes to Israel, which also makes for very interesting reading.


67. Conversations with Rabbi Small - book 8 in the Rabbi Small series
by Harry Kemelman
fiction 1981
Kindle
reread
finished 12/31/18
American writer/American setting

Now this one was not a mystery. The Rabbi and his wife have gone to a resort for a little vacation. She leaves to visit her father who is in the hospital. Two of the young guests come to visit the Rabbi, and they have a million questions about what it means to be Jewish. Just so interesting to me. Kind of funny to be reading these books during the Christmas season, but there is a lot about Christianity, as well. 

Addendum: Not sure what happened with the font. I copied and pasted some, so that's probably why. I like the font.

2018 book facts

As I've said before, I can't imagine anyone really caring about these geeky little book facts, but I enjoy them (too much?!).

In 2018, I read 67 books.

Genres:

Mysteries - 36
Fiction - 16
Crime Fiction - 3
Nonfiction graphic novel - 1
Nonfiction - 9
Young adult fiction - 1
Fiction and nonfiction collection - 1

Kindle - 51
Print - 16

Gender of author:

By men - 30
By women - 34
By both - 3

Publication dates: 

1930s - 8
1940s - 6
1950s - 3
1960s - 4
1970s - 4
1980s - 5
1990s - 1
2000-2010 - 1
2011-2019 - 35

Rereads - 13

Library books (all on Kindle) - 10

Birthplace of authors:

US - 31
England - 28
Australia - 1
Iceland - 2
Republic of Ireland - 2
Scotland - 2
India - 1

Christmas thoughts

We had all planned to get together at Windy Poplars Farm for Christmas - Michael, Estée, Campbell, Indy, Margaret, Matthew, Hazel, Tom, and I. The "kids" wanted our gathering to be here. It was supposed to be on Sunday, the 23rd, but Margaret's whole family had a days-long flu. We tried to find another time, but with work, and other winter sicknesses it doesn't look like it will happen while the tree is still up. Perhaps there will be a January day when we all can be here, but once the New Year gets going, life gets busy.

Addendum: I realized as I wrote a comment back to a reader that I should have said that I'm not upset or sad about this. I'm a very go with the flow kind of person when it comes to activities. And I see them all a lot! In fact, I texted everyone and said this:

I don't feel sad because I am a luckylucky mother that my kids and their families live so close. I am ever thankful. It is Christmas every day that I see you.

So, I came up with a brilliant (?!) idea for 2019! The plan is to have our family celebration on the Solstice. I looked it up, and it is December 21 next year. This gives everyone a year's time to tell any workplaces that they want that day off! And hopefully, no one will be sick. This leaves Christmas Eve clear for an annual party Estée's family has, and leaves clear Christmas Day to be with their own families. I'm thinking if we can make this a date on the calendar then it can become a permanent day of celebrating Christmas together! We'll see. We all know what John Lennon did or didn't say about making plans, and what Robbie Burns said in his sad poem to the mouse. But for now, it seems optimistic to me and I'm already looking forward to it.

And now, it is time for me to walk around taking down the month-long decorations of Christmas. It has been lovely, but now it is time for that clean slate that January brings.

Quote du jour/Monty Don, and gardening plans for 2019

In any garden, change is the only constant.
Monty Don on
Gardeners' World








Recently I wrote this in a book post.

 Nigel
My family and other dogs
by Monty Don
nonfiction 2016
print
finished 7/1/18
English writer/English setting

This is the year that Monty Don has come into our lives. Britbox began offering the English television program Gardeners' World. It is one of the best shows I've ever seen. Monty Don is the warm, calm, reassuring, enthusiastic, humble host. I bought two of his books, follow him on Instagram, and am also watching some other shows he has done via Netflix. Wonderful how we can get these programs over here now! Nigel is his aging Golden Retriever. He and a younger Golden, Nell are the real stars of Gardeners' World. Don writes about the other dogs in his life, telling a bit about his own life in the bargain. Really wonderful. I loved it.

Honestly, this man has changed my life just by showing up every week on my television. He has encouraged me to get back into serious gardening.

In 2009 we made the decision to go with raised beds. The first post about them is here. They were fine for a while, but the wood began to rot, it wasn't easy to mow right up to them so that involved the extra work of using the big trimmer along each side, which wasn't easy because it might hit the wood.

Eventually we removed them, and put flowers in the areas where the raised beds were. I think we went a year without growing vegetables. And then I wrote about the new idea of a terrific garden right beside the patio/entranceway.

It has worked well, but was very crowded. Last year it felt like outdoor clutter with stuff all over the place. In the fall we made a lot of changes. We decided the patio garden would be just flowers, not a combination of flowers and vegetables. We transplanted iris, peonies, daylilies, aquilegia, and others into that garden. We also planted daffodils across the road - all varieties that we heard about from Monty; Bath's Flame, Ice Follies, and Thalia - 30 in all. This whole area is now full of daffs.

Early in the year we had taken up the flowers that were in the former raised beds on the lawn and put in 6 raspberry plants - those little sticks that you see.

And then a couple weeks ago, I found myself saying to Tom that I wanted what I called a "real" vegetable garden, a big garden with rows. I want to grow tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, leeks, onions, peas, corn, potatoes, basil, parsley, cabbage, garlic. It will not be off the kitchen, where the raspberries are and which is the fenced in yard for Lucy. Instead it is going to go just beyond the daffodils, in that open area past the clothesline.

Yes, it will be work, but it is good work. I need exercise. Walking just doesn't happen every day no matter my good intentions. And fresh vegetables at the Co-op or at farmers' markets are not cheap. The plan is to have the rows between vegetables wide enough that the Mantis can till there, and remove weeds, so the only weeding I'll have to do is between plants. 

I think a lot about what I call "subtraction". I read so much about people my age scaling down, going smaller, getting rid of things. Well, I don't want to do that. I want to add; add a vegetable garden, add a second or third dog in a few years. We don't have the money to travel, but we are lucky, lucky to have family close by. We are lucky to have a home and animals. We are lucky to so far be healthy except for this knee of mine. PD James has a book that she wrote when she was 77 (which I plan to read when I turn that age), called Time to Be in Earnest. Well, the title is what I want to do now. If not now, then when? I want my grandchildren to see us as vigorous vegetable growers. I've always thought the best death was Marlon Brando as the Godfather dying in his tomato patch. Though I wouldn't want the grandchildren seeing it, as happened in the movie!

Gardeners' World and Monty Don have changed me and influenced me. I am quite positive that show is why I have this new plan. This season Frances Tophill

shared an allotment with a young fellow, and their enthusiasm for fresh, right out of the garden food made me miss what was always such a part of me. I'll be forever grateful that Britbox brought this program to the US.