The Grass is Always Greener

I have finally worked up enough nerve to let two of my chickens free range.  Here are Claudia and Hazel enjoying the free life.  Olivia is busy raising a baby chick and Francine is sitting on eggs that should have hatched yesterday.  We got them from a friend who said she was certain they were fertile.  I’m gonna give her another day or two with them before I get rid of them.  I hate that she sat there for three weeks for nothing!

June Reading List

This month’s books:

Home: A Memoir of my Early Year – Julie Andrews
Firefly Lane – Kristin Hannah
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society – Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Alice’s Tulips – Sandra Dallas
Summer Snow – Amy Warwick
The Persian Pickle Club – Sandra Dallas

Home: A Memoir of my Early Year – Julie Andrews

In Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, Julie Andrews takes her readers on a warm, moving, and often humorous journey from a difficult upbringing in war-torn Britain to the brink of international stardom in America.

I found this book about Julie Andrews to be truly fascinating.  I have been a fan of Julie Andrews work since I was a young girl.  It was really great to read about her life as told in her own words.  She faced many hardships and struggles that you would not guess.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the work of Julie Andrews.

Firefly Lane – Kristin Hannah

In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all—beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve become TullyandKate. Inseparable.

To me this story is about girlfriends.  The truest of friendships, yet also the most heartbreaking.  It symbolized to me the type of friendship I think most women are looking for.  The book follow Kate and Tully from their first meeting and throughout their lives.  It follow them when they are close and when they are far apart.  It is well written and very touching and heartfelt.  I really enjoyed this book.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society – Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

January 1946: writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.

I struggled with this book from the very beginning!  I had such high hopes because I had heard so many great things about this book.  Although it is something I RARELY do, I put this book down at page 116.  I just couldn’t get into it.  I like a book that can capture me.  I like to feel as if I am a part of the story or watching it unfurl before my eyes.  I just never got that with this book.  Maybe I’ll go back to it at another time, it just wasn’t for me.

Alice’s Tulips – Sandra Dallas

Alice Bullock is a young bride whose husband, a Union soldier in the Civil War, leaves her on his Iowa farm with his formidable mother. Equally talented at quilting and gossip, Alice fills her letters to her sister with accounts of her daily life, from the local quilting bees, to the rigors of farm life, to the customs and restraints of small-town America. No town is too small, however, to escape intrigue and treachery, and when Alice finds herself accused of murder, she must rely on support from unlikely sources. Rich in details of quilting, Civil War-era America, and the hardships and rewards of a woman’s life in the 19th century, this is Sandra Dallas at her best.

I typically enjoy any book that falls into the Historical Fiction genre and this was no exception.  I couldnt put this book down.  As Alice stuggled with life on the farm while Charlie was off fighting in the civil war I was right there with her.  I enjoyed every page of this book.

Summer Snow – Amy Warwick

In the rural farming community of Glendale, Washington single mother Mystery Abbott struggles daily with three children, an overbearing mother, and the town gossips led by her neighbor Liv. Liv Randall strives to be seen as the pillar of the community, a complete antithesis to her neighbor. Twins Dana and Janie Abbott struggle with their own coming of age issues, independently fighting against the stereotype of being Mystery Abbott’s daughters. When Mystery’s dilapidated roof caves in after a series of unseasonable storms exposing a secret lover hidden in Mystery’s closet, the women are forced not only to deal with their feelings about one another, but also with the self-imposed limitations they have placed on themselves.

This is Amy Warwick’s debut novel.  It was well written and easy to follow.  The story line was captivating and moved quickly.  The chapters switched back and forth between the four main characters until they all come together in the end.  If Mrs. Warwick’s future novels are anything like this one, I can not wait to read them.

The Persian Pickle Club – Sandra Dallas

It is the 1930s, and hard times have hit Harveyville, Kansas, where the crops are burning up, and there’s not a job to be found. For Queenie Bean, a young farm wife, a highlight of each week is the gathering of the Persian Pickle Club, a group of local ladies dedicated to improving their minds, exchanging gossip, and putting their quilting skills to good use. When a new member of the club stirs up a dark secret, the women must band together to support and protect one another. In her magical, memorable novel, Sandra Dallas explores the ties that unite women through good times and bad.

This book was set during the time of the Dust Bowl when crops were withering and rain was scarce.  This was not my favorite of Sandra Dallas’ books but was still very enjoyable.  I read it in just a few hours.

Well there you have it, my June Reading List.  I hope you have enjoyed this months selections.  As always you can purchase any of the books listed above by clicking the pictures or by visiting my Amazon Store.  Thanks and Happy Reading!

Orchard House Bed & Breakfast

My mom and dad own the Orchard House Bed & Breakfastin Lovingston, VA.  We went to visit them a few weeks ago.  The even closed down for a few days while we were there so we could do some sightseeing and hang out with the place to ourselves.  Mom and dad live in such a great area.  There are always some really neat things to do it is always a fun trip.  Every summer it seems to go by so fast though.  Mom and Dad will be hosting Christmas at their place this year though so it wont be too long til we go back.  Plus my sister and her family will be coming down too!

Here are some pictures from around my parents place.

My  mom and her cat Cali.

A view of my parents house from their vineyard.

My parents dog Lacy.

My Dad – showing of his grapes!  They are growing Petit Manseng grapes which will be bottled at the Lovingston Winery.

A view of the Apple Blossom FarmHouse from the vineyard.

Richie (You can also see my mom relaxing in the chair in the upper right hand corner of the picture)

If you want to learn more about the Orchard House you can visit their website http://www.orchardhousebb.comor visit their blog at http://orchardhousebb.wordpress.com.

Dill Pickles and Pickled Beets

The garden is in full swing!  If only the 1 million tomatoes out there would turn red!  I did get some dill pickles and pickled beets put up!  I am also drying basil, dill and lavender.  I am drying a few sunflowers so I can give the seeds to my chickens.

In real life the pickles are more green and the beets are more purple.  I wish so much my camera had captured the true colors!

Baby Chick

I have had my chickens over a year.  Two of my girls went broody a few weeks ago.  I dont have a roo but I got some eggs from a friend who does to let my girls sit on.  Today we had a baby!

Baby Birds and Big Cucumbers

We have four baby birds nesting on the fan blade on the ceiling fan of our carport.  They have been flapping their wings all day.  I think they will be moving out soon.  They are overflowing the nest!

I am finally starting to harvest good stuff from my garden.  I have been using herbs for a few weeks now but in the last few days have also found a few early cherry tomatoes.  There were six.  They were nice and red on the vines.  They were sweet and juicy in my mouth.  They made my belly happy!  Today I found my first two cucumbers.  Now if I can just get some more ripe tomatoes I could eat a nice juicy tomato and cucumber salad!

February, March, April & May Reading Lists

WOW! I have REALLY gotten behind!  School is out now though and I have the lazy days of summer ahead of me to get all caught up.  I am certain I am going to miss a few book here.  I also know that I did not get to do nearly the amount of reading as I had hoped.

I am looking for recommendations for my summer reading list right now.  If you wish to recommend a book that you loved, that you think I will love or that you haven’t read yet but thinks looks interesting, please leave a comment.  I will do my best to get to it and will blog about it when I do.

As always, books listed here will be available through my Amazon store and several are still available for FREE through my PaperBackSwap store.

   A Walk Across America
   By Peter Jenkins

Twenty-five years ago, a disillusioned young man set out on a walk across America. This is the book he wrote about that journey — a classic account of the reawakening of his faith in himself and his country.

“I started out searching for myself and my country,” Peter Jenkins writes, “and found both.” In this timeless classic, Jenkins describes how disillusionment with society in the 1970s drove him out onto the road on a walk across America. His experiences remain as sharp and telling today as they were twenty-five years ago — from the timeless secrets of life, learned from a mountain-dwelling hermit, to the stir he caused by staying with a black family in North Carolina, to his hours of intense labor in Southern mills. Many, many miles later, he learned lessons about his country and himself that resonate to this day — and will inspire a new generation to get out, hit the road and explore.

This book is perfect for anyone with an adventurous spirit.  Peter’s journey is filled with fun and laughter, sorrow and heartbreak, and keeps you in its grasp till the very end.  I couldn’t put this one down!  A word of advice though, if you don’t like knowing what happens ahead of times – AVOID THE PICTURES!!! The pictures are WONDERFUL, BUT they give away some things in the book!

On Mystic Lake: A Novel
  By Kristin Hannah

Annie Colwater’sonly child has just left home for school abroad. On that same day, her husband of twenty years confesses that he’s in love with a younger woman. Alone in the house that is no longer a home, Annie comes to the painful realization that for years she has been slowly disappearing. Lonely and afraid, she retreats to Mystic, the small Washington town where she grew up, hoping that there she can reclaim the woman she once was–the woman she is now desperate to become again.

In Mystic, she is reunited with her first love, Nick Delacroix, a recent widower unable to cope with his grieving, too-silent six-year-old daughter, Izzie. Together, the three of them begin to heal, and, at last, Annie learns that she can love without losing herself. But just when she has found a second chance at happiness, her life is turned upside down again, and Annie must make a choice no woman should have to make. . . .

I have read several Krisitn Hannah books in the past and enjoyed this one as well.  The story is romantic and heartfelt and could really happen.  Kristin Hannah is a down to earth writer.

Light of the Moon
By Luanne Rice

Against a backdrop of stunning natural beauty, and in the shadow of a mysterious family legend, one woman is about to discover that to find your way home, sometimes you must travel far away.…Rice delivers a spellbinding story set within a breathtaking landscape where secrets and revelations have the power to change lives forever.Luanne, New York Times bestselling author

An accomplished anthropologist, Susannah Connolly suddenly finds herself adrift in the wake of a failed love affair and the loss of her mother. Boarding a transcontinental flight on the evening of her birthday, she’s decided to give herself a long-deferred gift. Encouraged by her late mother’s magical stories, she is traveling from the Connecticut shore to the fabled French Camargue, to see its famous white horses and find a mysterious “saint” linked to her family’s history.

Amid the endless silvered marshes, she will find a lonely man, his wounded daughter–and a part of herself she hadn’t known she’d lost…until she realized how hard it would be to lose it again. In Light of the Moon

This book is whimsical and fun.  A little romance, a little mystery and a little magic.  You are on the edge of your seat until the end to see how it all turns out.
 
The Blue Nowhere: A Novel
By Jeffery Deaver

His code name is Phate– a sadistic computer hacker who infiltrates people’s computers, invades their lives, and with chilling precision lures them to their deaths. To stop him, the authorities free imprisoned former hacker Wyatt Gillette to aid the investigation. Teamed with old-school homicide detective Frank Bishop, Gillette must combine their disparate talents to catch a brilliant and merciless killer.

This was my second experience with a Jeffery Deaver novel and it was just as thrilling and intense as the first.  He stories grip you from the beginning, leave you questioning multiple characters, throw some curveballs at you and then leave you totally shocked in the end.  Cleverly written and very knowledgeable this will excite any suspense loving reader!

Resolution
By Robert B. Parker

 A greedy mine owner threatens the coalition of local ranchers in the town of Resolution, pitching two honorable gunfighters, Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, into a make-shift war that’ll challenge their friendship —and the violently shifting laws of the West.

I always enjoy a good homesteader/wild west type novel.  This book was descent in that the story was interesting and fast-paced.  The writing style was amateurish in my opinion. There was a lot of dialog followed by, “’so-and-so’ said.”  It got a little mundane after a while.  And while the story itself was interesting I was SHOCKED at the use of foul language throughout the book.  I purchased this book at walmart who is so well known for their censorship of music, not allowing any un-edited CD’s with a parental advisory sticker to be sold in their store.  Well clearly they aren’t policing their books.  The F-word was used on nearly every other page throughout the book! So, while the story was good, I’ll leave it up to you to decide about the quality of the book!

Testimony: A Novel
By Anita Shreve

At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora’s box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices–those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal–that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

Although the book starts out with a very explicit description of the sexual scene which unfold on the tape I really found this to be a compelling book.  As a teacher who works with teens I think the message in the book was very real and very relevant.  The situation described in the book is likely one that many teens are faced with and the book shows the many views and effects of a single split-second decision.

Jack’s Shop: Beyond the Front Porch
By James P. Herndon

Follow the antics and adventures of a young boy growing up in rural Virginia during the1950s and ’60s. It may bring to mind a far simpler and, in some ways, misguided period in the history of the south. A bygone era of outhouses, skunks, and the simple pleasures of country living is fondly recalled with a unique sampling of poignant humor. Through his eyes, the serenity and simplicity of the day is continually questioned until finally a life-threatening illness forces a painful reality.

This book was written by a friend of my parents.  It was very enjoyable.  The writing style is a little “rough-cut” but only adds to the charm of the book.  Through your reading you will feel as if Jim has pulled up a chair beside you on the porch and is sharing stories of the “good-ol-days” with you as you sip iced tea.  The stories in the book are funny and heart-warming.  I look forward to reading more of Jim’s work.

The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection
By Michael Ruhlman

In his second in-depth foray into the world of professional cooking, Michael Ruhlmanjourneys into the heart of the profession. Observing the rigorous Certified Master Chef exam at the Culinary Institute of America, the most influential cooking school in the country, Ruhlman enters the lives and kitchens of rising star Michael Symon and renowned Thomas Keller of the French Laundry. This fascinating book will satisfy any reader’s hunger for knowledge about cooking and food, the secrets of successful chefs, at what point cooking becomes an art form, and more. Like Ruhlman’s The Making of a Chef, this is an instant classic in food writing-one of the fastest growing and most popular subjects today.

In the last few years I have begun to realize my dream to become a chef.  Although it is highly unliklythat I would uproot my life to attend culinary school, I do try to read as many cooking resources as possible to improve my technique and broaden my knowledge of the culinary world.  Michael Ruhlman in an excellent author in this field.  In this book he follows several chefs as they face the challenges of becoming better and making it in a dog-eat-dog world.   The book was funny, intriguing and eye-opening.  Additionally, it contains a full section of recipes at the back! YUM!

Two Rivers
By T. Greenwood

In “Two Rivers”, Vermont, Harper Montgomery is living a life overshadowed by grief and guilt. Since the death of his wife twelve years earlier, Harper has narrowed his world to working at the local railroad and raising his daughter, Shelly. Still wracked with sorrow over his loss and plagued by his role in a brutal, long-ago crime, he wants only to make amends for his past mistakes. Then one day, a train derails in Two Rivers and Harper finds a chance at atonement. One of the survivors, a pregnant fifteen-year-old girl, needs a place to stay, and Harper offers to take her in. But soon he suspects that Maggie’s appearance is not the simple case of happenstance it first appeared to be.

This book was a good read but was quite on the predictable side.  It was enjoyable to read and the story is built well.  The characters are charming and the transition between past and present keep you interested in the book.  I liked it but also couldn’t help but feeling that something was missing in the end.  Something was left hanging but I cant quite put my finger on what it was.

The Way Life Should Be: A Novel
By Christina Baker Kline

Angela Russo finds herself in Maine thanks to a sailing instructor, an impulse, and an idea that in Maine, people live “the way life should be.” But reality on Mount Desert Island is not what she expected. Far from everything familiar, Angela begins to rebuild her life from the ground up. Relying on the flair for Italian cooking she inherited from her grandmother, she begins to discover the pleasures and secrets of her new small community—and to connect her heritage to a future she is only beginning to envision.

Having spent nearly every summer of my childhood in Maine, I am drawn to books about the coast.  I stood in some of the place that Kline describes in this book and was immediately transported back their through her words.  The story is part love story, part soul searching, part cookbook.  Maine and Food! What more could I ask for in a book??!  I really enjoyed this read and love the fact that all the recipes she talks about are included in the back!

 

Thanks for checking out my list of books!  You can purchase all of these books in my Amazon store and many of them are listed in my PaperBackSwap shop!  ENJOY!

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Strawberry freezer jam is so easy to make, really economical and AMAZINGLY delicious.  It is easier than traditional jams because you don’t actually cook the fruit.  However, since it isn’t “preserved” in the traditional sense it is important that you have enough freezer room to store the jam you make.  On Monday I made 36 jars of the stuff!  12 jars went into our freezer and 24 are being store in our chest freezer.  They can be stored in the freezer for up to a year. When you are ready to eat it you can keep it in the fridge for about three weeks.

Here is what you will need to make 6 – 1/2 pint jars

1 Quart ripe strawberries
4 Cups of Sugar
1 Package Sure-jell fruit pectin
3/4 Cup of water

Remove the green caps from the berries and place the berries into a large bowl.  Using a potato masher, crush the berries.  Add the sugar and stir.  Allow this mixture to sit about 20 minutes.  In the meantime you can wash and dry 6 – 1/2 pint canning jars and lids.  In a small sauce pan combine Sure-Jell pectin and 3/4 cup of water.  Stirring constantly bring to a boil and allow to boil for 1 additional minute. Add the pectin mixture to the fruit mixture and stir well.  Pour fruit into jars, cap and let sit on the counter to set about 24 hours.  You jam is now ready to freeze.  I place 12 jars back into the box they came in and freeze them in the box.  This way I don’t have jars rolling out onto my toes and I have a place to store the empty jars when I am done so I can reuse them next year!

I had to purchase jars, berries, pectin and sugar to make my jam.  In the end each jar of jam came out to a cost of about $1.55.  Next year if I reuse the jars the cost will be even less.

K-12 Art Show

This past week was the K-12 Art show for our school.  I am the k-12 art teacher.  Since our new fine arts building was open this year we were able to host the show in the new Elementary PE gym.  It really went well.  Each student in grades k-8 submitted a picture for the art show.  The only requirement was that the artwork had to be something that was completed during art class.  Since I dont see all of the 9-12 graders this section was optional.  High School Students were allowed to submit as many pieces as they like.

In conjunction with the Art Show the school also had a k-4 music concert and a k-6 field day on Friday.  Each class in the k-6 was scheduled 20 minutes to view the art show and to allow students to get their faces painted.  The whole event went really well. 

Here are some highlight of the art show.

Kindergarten – The focus in Kindergarten is mostly color and shape.  We discuss each of the elements and principles but do not dwell on them.  By the second half of the year we combine what we have learned about color and shape to completed guided drawings.

1st Grade – In first grade we continue to work on the basic drawing skills that we started in Kindergarten.  We also begin to focus a little bit more on the elements of art and start to conciously incorporate these into our artwork.

2nd Grade – Students in the second grade complete a unit called “Art Around the World”  We spend the year studying different cultures and replicating that art.  Most of the projects we make are 3-dimensional but here is a small sampling of their 2-D work.

3rd Grade – The third grade focus is the Masters.  We spend the year looking at famous artists and mimicking/adapting their styles and creating one of a kind artworks. 

4th Grade – Student in the fourth grade spend most of the year learning specifically and in-depth about the elements and principle of art.  The last few weeks of school this year we worked on a “Weaving in the Round” project that the students really enjoyed.

5th Grade – 8th Grade - I see the fifth grade through 8th grade on a rotation everyday for 9 weeks.  This enables us to get a little more in depth with some projects rather than trying to do projects we can complete in one or two 40 minute class periods.  My 5th – 8th graders did a wide variety of drawing and painting projects.

5th Grade

6th Grade

7th Grade

8th Grade

High School – This year I tought two sections of art one and 1 section of advanced art.  My art 1 classes focus on the elements and principle of art as well as experiment with a wide variety of art media.  My advanced art students this year each developed thier own course of study and focused on projects and media that were of interest to them.  The only thing I regret is that I allowed my high school students to take projects home before the end of the year.  Many of my students took their very best works home and gave them to family members or hung them in their rooms and didnt want to bring them back for the art show.  You can still see they are a very talented group.

Snapshots

Mixed Greens with Grilled Eggplant and a Balsamic Reduction

Mixed Greens with Grilled Eggplant and a Balsamic Reduction

 

Sauce

1 Bottle of Balsamic Vinegar
¼ cup of Sugar

In a small saucepan combine vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil.  Boil until sauce is reduced by half.  Pour into a squeeze bottle and refrigerate until chilled.

 

Salad

1 Medium Eggplant
1 ball of fresh mozzarella
1 large package Spring Mix Greens
Edible Flowers
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Preheat broiler on your oven.  Slice eggplant into ¼ inch slices.  Brush lightly with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste and grill until tender.  Set aside and top with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese.  Broil until cheese is melted and starts to bubble and brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

On a plate arrange mixed greens and flowers and top with a slice of eggplant.  Dress lightly with the balsamic reduction and enjoy.

For a heartier meal, add slice grilled or breaded and pan-fried chicken to the salad.