Well, it seems that most people (two of three anyway) don't have a preference as to how many Cooking in the Car posts are posted in one week. So, for now I will kind of play it by ear. Today I felt like rambling on about nothing in particular and so decided I would pass on another Cooking post for now. I do have something in the car today that I am pretty excited about. The temperature for today was forecasted at 100, but I'm afraid that it hasn't gotten that hot and so it may be a bust and if it is, then I will try it again because I just know in my Cooking in the Car heart that it should turn out fabulous. I will obviously keep you posted.
Despite the unbearable heat, the weekend for me was really great and I have no doubt I can contribute the greatness to the beginning of the Tour de France. Friday after work I went ahead and made my weekly trip to Publix and it turned out to be the best trip I have had in weeks because for the first time in a few weeks I was actually prepared for my grocery trip. I had actually set out all my coupons, etc. which is what I normally do, but for whatever reason haven't done it in the past few weeks and have felt like a scatter brained mess at the store. After my stop at Publix, I went by Starbucks because the Starbucks locations at Target were having buy one get one free frappucinnos! Ye-ah! I got mine with soy and I'm hear to tell you there was not one bit of difference in my opinion in the taste. I enjoyed one that afternoon and saved the other for Saturday morning. When I got home that night I made eight cups of homemade salsa. Normally this wouldn't be something worth mentioning except that I have already eaten all but about one cup. What can I say? It was good.
On Saturday morning I was up bright and early and made some French toast for the opening prologue of the Tour. I ate my breakfast and enjoyed the free frappuccino from the Target visit on Friday and settled in for about four hours of time trial watching. Thankfully all of my friends and family respected me by not placing any calls during that time. Actually no one usually calls during that time any way but I was afraid someone would and they didn't and I was thankful. Just being honest here, people. The remainder of Saturday was spent napping, doing a little cleaning, eating salsa and watching replays of the Tour. I finally broke away from the Tour replays long enough to bathe and eat a real meal and eventually watched a movie before being able to recite everything the commentators had said earlier in the day. Speaking of commentators, NBC Cycling has two new guys this year who are just atrocious! Seriously, I don't even have the words to describe how bad these two are. One is brought in during the pre-race report and the other is a "side-line" guy. Oh my word, worse ever!
Sunday morning I was up bright and early again and went ahead and got ready for church. I was able to squeeze in an hour and half of tour watching before heading off to worship. I was afraid I might not make it though. When I went to put my car into drive from park, it wouldn't budge. Apparently these 100 plus degree days had loosened up the duct tape that has been holing the gear shift in a manner that allows me to maneuver from park to drive or reverse. You may recall I had the same problem earlier this year. After several panicked minutes, I made a call to my granddad to see if he would come pick me up and let me use his spare vehicle. The call went straight to voice mail. I called my parent's and had to wait on them to call me back. I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned this before, but my phone will not connect to their land line. It rings once and then disconnects. For a few months after the April 27, 2011 tornadoes, the problem went away but it returned a few months ago. So, any time I need to get in touch with them I have to call and pray that they will realize the phone has rung and wait for them to call me back. Clearly I hope I never need them in an emergency situation for I will most likely be out of luck. At any rate, as soon as my mom called back and I answered the phone, the car miraculously shifted into drive and I peeled off the old duct tape and added a tighter new layer. So far, so good. I just need to remember to check that out every few days. I went to church with my aunt and cousins and I really enjoyed the service and sitting with my family. I didn't get to stay for class because I had to make an appearance at work that afternoon. So, after church, I made a run by Target for another round of buy one get one fraps and some sushi for lunch. I think Target has pretty good sushi as far as supermarket sushi goes. I actually think it's better than Publix. (I think I may have just heard a collective gasp from the readers).
I went home to eat, change clothes and watch another 45 minutes or so of the Tour before going in to work for a few hours to audit inventory. My feet were beyond tired by the time I left. Since I usually nap on Sunday afternoons, I think I was a little delirious having to count widgets. I finally finished up watching the day's stage that evening and may have even jumped off the couch towards the end. Yes, my friends, it was that exciting.
Monday morning I had an 8:15 a.m. doctor's appointment for a blood work/ general health check up and was able to watch an hour of the tour before leaving for the day, which was nice. I look forward to watching the remainder of the stage when I get home Monday evening. Speaking of Monday evening, I'm starting at a new gym Monday night and I'll be sure and fill you in on all the details later this week; because I'm sure you are just dying to know all about it. I had actually planned on mentioning it in this post, but I've already rambled on about watching the Tour for probably 1,000 words and I'm sure you are tired of reading at this point. So, I shall end things here and will be back later on in the week with a report on all things new gym.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Cooking in the Car: Crescent Rolls
So, we’ve hit 100 degrees or higher for what feels like the last 100 days. Seriously, I don’t remember what it was like to walk outside and not sweat. Since the 100 degree days have decided to return, that also means that Cooking in the Car has returned and the 2012 edition is pretty good if I do say so myself. Before we get started though, I need to know something from you readers. Do, you want all the Cooking in Car segments posted in the same week or would you prefer one a week? Let me know in the comments; and if you are not familiar with Cooking in the Car, you can check out the previous years’ posts by searching "Cooking in the Car" on the left-hand side of the page. Sorry - I can't figure out how to link to all the posts. Ok, folks, here we go; it’s Cooking the Car 2012!
You will be happy to know that Wednesday night I went out and cleaned off my windshield and dashboard. The Hackberry tree in my yard is dropping lots of sap as is the case every summer and the windshield was beyond nasty. So, cleaning was essential before opening up the oven for the summer.
I started 2012 Cooking in the Car on Thursday, June 28 with Crescent Rolls, you know the ones Pilsbury makes and you buy in the refrigerated section at your local grocery store. I had a four pack of these in my fridge and they were yelling to be cooked in the car.
I rolled them out and into the crescent roll form and laid them out on the baking sheet before leaving for work. I arrive at work right at 7:00 a.m. and promptly put the baking sheet with the four rolls on the dash.
I left work around 3:45 since I had an appointment at 4:00. When I arrived at the car, I was actually kind of surprised to see that the crescent rolls had a golden brown color. I figured they would probably cook, but didn’t think they would get really brown. As it turns out, the golden brown wasn’t just on the outside, but it was all the way through, including the bottom. The outside of the rolls had a flakiness to them like you would find on a real croissant. Normally when I bake these at home they don’t really get flaky.
The rolls were not hard, in other words, I doubt they would break a window, but if they had been left out a few more hours they might have become that way. They tasted just like they had been baked in a real oven. They could have used a little butter though. Perhaps next time I will melt a side dish of butter.
The high on Thursday was 104 (I think I remembered that correctly).
So, if you are ever without an oven and are craving some crescent rolls in the hot summer, just put some on your dash and you’ll have them in no time, or at least in a few hours.
Don't foget to let me know if you want all the cooking posts in a group or one a week! Thanks!
You will be happy to know that Wednesday night I went out and cleaned off my windshield and dashboard. The Hackberry tree in my yard is dropping lots of sap as is the case every summer and the windshield was beyond nasty. So, cleaning was essential before opening up the oven for the summer.
I started 2012 Cooking in the Car on Thursday, June 28 with Crescent Rolls, you know the ones Pilsbury makes and you buy in the refrigerated section at your local grocery store. I had a four pack of these in my fridge and they were yelling to be cooked in the car.
I rolled them out and into the crescent roll form and laid them out on the baking sheet before leaving for work. I arrive at work right at 7:00 a.m. and promptly put the baking sheet with the four rolls on the dash.
In the kitchen before work
On the dash - 7:00 a.m.
Up close - 7:00 a.m.
A view from outside the car - 7:00 a.m.
I left work around 3:45 since I had an appointment at 4:00. When I arrived at the car, I was actually kind of surprised to see that the crescent rolls had a golden brown color. I figured they would probably cook, but didn’t think they would get really brown. As it turns out, the golden brown wasn’t just on the outside, but it was all the way through, including the bottom. The outside of the rolls had a flakiness to them like you would find on a real croissant. Normally when I bake these at home they don’t really get flaky.
On the dash - 3:45 p.m.
Up close - 3:45 p.m.
A single roll - 3:45 p.m.
The bottom side - 3:45 p.m.
The rolls were not hard, in other words, I doubt they would break a window, but if they had been left out a few more hours they might have become that way. They tasted just like they had been baked in a real oven. They could have used a little butter though. Perhaps next time I will melt a side dish of butter.
After taking a bite - 3:45 p.m.
Golden brown all the way through!
The high on Thursday was 104 (I think I remembered that correctly).
So, if you are ever without an oven and are craving some crescent rolls in the hot summer, just put some on your dash and you’ll have them in no time, or at least in a few hours.
Don't foget to let me know if you want all the cooking posts in a group or one a week! Thanks!
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
My Problem with Raspberries
This post just goes to show you how
little is going on in my world right now. I've resorted to writing about
produce. I don't know about you, but I'm a big fan of most all kinds of
berries, strawberries and blackberries being my favorite. Apparently
there was a bumper crop of raspberries wherever it is that raspberries
are grown because for the last three weeks or so Publix has had
raspberries on sale for $1.99 a carton, which is a pretty good price as
they are usually upwards of $3.
So, for the past three weeks, I have bought at least two, sometimes three cartons of raspberries as I really love to munch on these and they are better than snacking on some sort of junk food. The problem is that out of the 6-9 cartons I have bought, I have maybe only eaten a total of two cartons because all the others have rotted before I even got a change to eat them.
This past weekend I bought two cartons on Saturday. Sunday night as I grabbed a carton out of the fridge to wash them and put them in a plastic container so I could take them in my lunch on Monday. Much to my chagrin, both cartons had rotting and molded berries. It has become rather apparent that Publix has way more berries than they know what to do with (there weer what looked like hundreds of cartons on the shelf) and the berries are also apparently not flying off the shelves which leaves rotting berries for those of us who do buy them. The bad berries are on the bottom of the carton so the next day or two when I finally go to eat them, the who carton is ruined.
Needless to say, I've learned my lesson (I hope) when it comes to these berries and I will not be adding these to my grocery cart this weekend, no matter how luscious they look. I actually had this same problem with two cartons of strawberries I bought Father's Day weekend. I bought the two cartons to make a cake and in total only about one carton was usable, the others had to be thrown out. Of course, peak strawberry season has passed us by and I'm sure they are not selling as many as they were a month or two ago, but still, the berries should last more than one or two days.
Speaking of berries, I would love to get some really good blackberries. Has anyone seen these at the farmer's market recently? I may check out Greene Street Market this Thursday and see if there are any available. Hopefully they will last more than one or two days.
So, for the past three weeks, I have bought at least two, sometimes three cartons of raspberries as I really love to munch on these and they are better than snacking on some sort of junk food. The problem is that out of the 6-9 cartons I have bought, I have maybe only eaten a total of two cartons because all the others have rotted before I even got a change to eat them.
This past weekend I bought two cartons on Saturday. Sunday night as I grabbed a carton out of the fridge to wash them and put them in a plastic container so I could take them in my lunch on Monday. Much to my chagrin, both cartons had rotting and molded berries. It has become rather apparent that Publix has way more berries than they know what to do with (there weer what looked like hundreds of cartons on the shelf) and the berries are also apparently not flying off the shelves which leaves rotting berries for those of us who do buy them. The bad berries are on the bottom of the carton so the next day or two when I finally go to eat them, the who carton is ruined.
Needless to say, I've learned my lesson (I hope) when it comes to these berries and I will not be adding these to my grocery cart this weekend, no matter how luscious they look. I actually had this same problem with two cartons of strawberries I bought Father's Day weekend. I bought the two cartons to make a cake and in total only about one carton was usable, the others had to be thrown out. Of course, peak strawberry season has passed us by and I'm sure they are not selling as many as they were a month or two ago, but still, the berries should last more than one or two days.
Speaking of berries, I would love to get some really good blackberries. Has anyone seen these at the farmer's market recently? I may check out Greene Street Market this Thursday and see if there are any available. Hopefully they will last more than one or two days.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Here's What's Happening
We reached 102 degrees here in Huntsville on Monday. It would have been the perfect day for Cooking in the Car; but, alas, I was running slow on Monday morning and wasn't able to put anything together. Sadly, the forecast predicts highs in the 100s again on Friday so I will do my best to cook in the car on Friday and bring you the results next week. I've got quite a few items planned for this season of Cooking in the Car and I'm pretty excited about it.
In other news, I found Loretta Spencer on Twitter and became one of her followers and I'm happy to report she is following me now too. I feel like a celebrity! Thanks, Loretta, for making my day! I'm scheduled to start volunteering at Loretta's campaign office soon. I actually think I'm supposed to show up this Friday after work. I haven't heard the official word, but I think I'm unofficially supposed to be there. I need to find out for sure.
We are conducting inventory at work next week which actually isn't as bad as it sounds, or at least I don't think so. A lot of people complain about it, but I don't think it's that big of a deal. I can wear jeans and tennis shoes every day and the only brain function I have need of is the ability to count. Pretty easy peasy if you ask me. Since I have a doctor's appointment for a physical on Monday, I may be called in on Sunday to help out for a couple of hours; that way I won't have to take any leave for the time I am out on Monday morning. I'm curious to know what hours I will have to come in on Sunday. Chances are I will have to miss my Sunday afternoon nap, but I'll be able to make it up on Wednesday when we have the day off for Independence Day. Am I the only one who finds it odd to have a Wednesday off instead of a Monday or Friday? I'm not complaining though. I'm looking forward to having the day off. If it weren't so darn hot I might even fire up the grill and cook myself up a little something.
On Monday night we had our monthly ladies' night out at church. I was the hostess this month and we had taco salad which was quite good if I do say so myself. I cooked 5.11 pounds of meat and every bit of it was eaten; and to think I was afraid that might be too much. Instead of playing a game or two like we normally do, we stuffed bears to send to an orphanage in Romania. A lady that attends church with my parents is going in December and she and the group she goes with are aiming to have around 3,000 of these bears to take with them. So, I decided we could help them out by stuffing a few. The stuffing party was a big hit. We ended up completing 160 bears in about 45 minutes. Everyone seemed to have a good time - all the ladies were talking and laughing and the piles of bears kept getting bigger and bigger. I think it was one of the funnest nights we have had. there were some bears left over and they were all taken home by various folks, including a 10-year old who came and wanted to take some home to work on. We will work on these again next month and I may try to schedule a Saturday or two this summer to work on these. I was really pleased with how well it went.
I'm sure you all are just as excited as I am to know that the 2012 edition of the world's greatest race, le Tour de France, begins this Saturday, June 30! I am thrilled beyond measure, but also a little dismayed to think that it has been a year since I was in France when it seriously seems like I was just there yesterday. Where does the time go? So, if you need me any during the month of July, you can most likely find me staring at my television with my mouth open and my heart beating fast, and perhaps even occasionally screaming, "Allez!" at the screen. I've never claimed to be normal. I also will not have a clue as to what is going on in the world until the wee hours of the night because I will steer clear of all manner of internet, social media, and news until after I have watched the day's stage. It's almost like living in the dark ages.
At the end of July the Olympics will come to us live from London. I saw Michael Phelps on the evening news last night and he had an extremely large and distracting mustache. I, for one, am not a fan. I am, however, looking forward to the games and have enjoyed watching the Olympic trails this past week to see who all will be representing our United States.
Well, I think that's all the completely random information I have stockpiled for you today. Come back tomorrow to read even more ramblings from the brain of Nat. Have a great day!
In other news, I found Loretta Spencer on Twitter and became one of her followers and I'm happy to report she is following me now too. I feel like a celebrity! Thanks, Loretta, for making my day! I'm scheduled to start volunteering at Loretta's campaign office soon. I actually think I'm supposed to show up this Friday after work. I haven't heard the official word, but I think I'm unofficially supposed to be there. I need to find out for sure.
We are conducting inventory at work next week which actually isn't as bad as it sounds, or at least I don't think so. A lot of people complain about it, but I don't think it's that big of a deal. I can wear jeans and tennis shoes every day and the only brain function I have need of is the ability to count. Pretty easy peasy if you ask me. Since I have a doctor's appointment for a physical on Monday, I may be called in on Sunday to help out for a couple of hours; that way I won't have to take any leave for the time I am out on Monday morning. I'm curious to know what hours I will have to come in on Sunday. Chances are I will have to miss my Sunday afternoon nap, but I'll be able to make it up on Wednesday when we have the day off for Independence Day. Am I the only one who finds it odd to have a Wednesday off instead of a Monday or Friday? I'm not complaining though. I'm looking forward to having the day off. If it weren't so darn hot I might even fire up the grill and cook myself up a little something.
On Monday night we had our monthly ladies' night out at church. I was the hostess this month and we had taco salad which was quite good if I do say so myself. I cooked 5.11 pounds of meat and every bit of it was eaten; and to think I was afraid that might be too much. Instead of playing a game or two like we normally do, we stuffed bears to send to an orphanage in Romania. A lady that attends church with my parents is going in December and she and the group she goes with are aiming to have around 3,000 of these bears to take with them. So, I decided we could help them out by stuffing a few. The stuffing party was a big hit. We ended up completing 160 bears in about 45 minutes. Everyone seemed to have a good time - all the ladies were talking and laughing and the piles of bears kept getting bigger and bigger. I think it was one of the funnest nights we have had. there were some bears left over and they were all taken home by various folks, including a 10-year old who came and wanted to take some home to work on. We will work on these again next month and I may try to schedule a Saturday or two this summer to work on these. I was really pleased with how well it went.
I'm sure you all are just as excited as I am to know that the 2012 edition of the world's greatest race, le Tour de France, begins this Saturday, June 30! I am thrilled beyond measure, but also a little dismayed to think that it has been a year since I was in France when it seriously seems like I was just there yesterday. Where does the time go? So, if you need me any during the month of July, you can most likely find me staring at my television with my mouth open and my heart beating fast, and perhaps even occasionally screaming, "Allez!" at the screen. I've never claimed to be normal. I also will not have a clue as to what is going on in the world until the wee hours of the night because I will steer clear of all manner of internet, social media, and news until after I have watched the day's stage. It's almost like living in the dark ages.
At the end of July the Olympics will come to us live from London. I saw Michael Phelps on the evening news last night and he had an extremely large and distracting mustache. I, for one, am not a fan. I am, however, looking forward to the games and have enjoyed watching the Olympic trails this past week to see who all will be representing our United States.
Well, I think that's all the completely random information I have stockpiled for you today. Come back tomorrow to read even more ramblings from the brain of Nat. Have a great day!
Monday, June 25, 2012
The Summer Heat Has Arrived
I don't know about where the rest of you live, but here in Alabama, summer has definitely arrived. It was a scorcher this past weekend. I don't know what the high was each day, but it was definitely high 90s and felt close to 100. Thankfully, I did not have to mow the lawn this past weekend since we have had no rain and therefore the grass is not growing. Soon enough it will burn up completely I think. When I went to take the trash to the road last night I noticed all the flowers on the side of the house (hydrangeas, day lilies, etc.) were exceptionally droopy. I had been meaning to water them but this past week had not given it much thought. So, I drug the hose pie all the way around the house to help prevent them from dying. They all looked rejuvenated this morning, thank goodness.
Friday night I went to see Troy and Ashlyn perform in Blue Plate Broadway. Blue Plate Broadway is basically a week long drama camp and at the end of the week the students and counselors put on singing and dancing production. It's put on my While We Wait Productions out of New York City and headed up by Stephen Tyler Davis, whom I have known since he was in diapers. That's kind of weird. I've got to say for these kids to just have had one week to practice, they all did a really great job. Troy and Ashlyn each had a small line to say in the show and they both did a great job. The show was really enjoyable and lasted about two hours. I'm happy to report that although I did cough during the show it was not a constant cough and hopefully did not distract others from enjoying the show. The kids had two performances on Saturday as well, although I didn't go to those since it was the same show all three times. With any luck, this will inspire the kids to try out for some local plays because I think they would both be really great at it!
Saturday morning, The Tide and I headed out early to the dog wash. I had scheduled an 8:00 a.m. bath time for her so that I could get that out of the way before doing anything else. she is shedding her winter coat right now and my word I have never seen so much hair. I mean, I am beginning to winder if she is importing it in from other dogs just to make me a little crazy. The girl at the shop cut The Tide's nails, a job I hate doing myself, and then I gave her a good scrubbing and was able to rid her of a good chunk of loose hair. It was her first bath in three months so she was overdue.
When we got back home, I was overcome with the cleaning bug and decided to clean the baseboards and windows in my bedroom. I managed to get all the baseboards done as well as the door that leads outside. I started on the window behind my bed; I have the kind that pop out so they are supposed to be easy to clean. The bottom window didn't just pop over and out, it came completely out which freaked me out a wee bit as I thought I might now ever get it back in. After much consternation, I managed to get it back in place and decided I would put the window washing on hold until I could come up with a better plan - one that most likely will involve a ladder and cooler weather.
I cleaned the rest of the house and for the first time in I don't know how long completed every bit of laundry with the exception of what I was wearing, including many linens and blankets. It probably goes without saying that I napped and then made my weekly trip to Publix. Why is it when you don't seem to have much on your list is when you spend the most money. That makes no sense to me. It probably didn't help that I didn't really want to go to the store, which is odd, but I needed something other than canned foods to eat. That evening I finished watching the Showtime series Homeland. If you have not seen this show, please, I beg of you, do everything in your power to see it. Oh my word, is it good!
Sunday was nothing to write about, unless you count that I cooked five pounds of hamburger meat for taco salads for our church ladies' night out event for this evening. I almost forgot to mention that on Friday at the Blue Plate Broadway event on Friday I ran into a friend who had some Loretta Spencer signs in her car and so I snagged a couple from her and I braved the heat long enough to put one up in my yard on Saturday. Y'all know I love Loretta!
So, now we have arrived at Monday again and it's back to the grind. I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to having a day off from work, even if it is in the middle of the week. I don't have any plans for the Fourth and as of this moment am planning on being a lazy bum, that is, unless I decide to attempt some more window cleaning.
Friday night I went to see Troy and Ashlyn perform in Blue Plate Broadway. Blue Plate Broadway is basically a week long drama camp and at the end of the week the students and counselors put on singing and dancing production. It's put on my While We Wait Productions out of New York City and headed up by Stephen Tyler Davis, whom I have known since he was in diapers. That's kind of weird. I've got to say for these kids to just have had one week to practice, they all did a really great job. Troy and Ashlyn each had a small line to say in the show and they both did a great job. The show was really enjoyable and lasted about two hours. I'm happy to report that although I did cough during the show it was not a constant cough and hopefully did not distract others from enjoying the show. The kids had two performances on Saturday as well, although I didn't go to those since it was the same show all three times. With any luck, this will inspire the kids to try out for some local plays because I think they would both be really great at it!
Saturday morning, The Tide and I headed out early to the dog wash. I had scheduled an 8:00 a.m. bath time for her so that I could get that out of the way before doing anything else. she is shedding her winter coat right now and my word I have never seen so much hair. I mean, I am beginning to winder if she is importing it in from other dogs just to make me a little crazy. The girl at the shop cut The Tide's nails, a job I hate doing myself, and then I gave her a good scrubbing and was able to rid her of a good chunk of loose hair. It was her first bath in three months so she was overdue.
When we got back home, I was overcome with the cleaning bug and decided to clean the baseboards and windows in my bedroom. I managed to get all the baseboards done as well as the door that leads outside. I started on the window behind my bed; I have the kind that pop out so they are supposed to be easy to clean. The bottom window didn't just pop over and out, it came completely out which freaked me out a wee bit as I thought I might now ever get it back in. After much consternation, I managed to get it back in place and decided I would put the window washing on hold until I could come up with a better plan - one that most likely will involve a ladder and cooler weather.
I cleaned the rest of the house and for the first time in I don't know how long completed every bit of laundry with the exception of what I was wearing, including many linens and blankets. It probably goes without saying that I napped and then made my weekly trip to Publix. Why is it when you don't seem to have much on your list is when you spend the most money. That makes no sense to me. It probably didn't help that I didn't really want to go to the store, which is odd, but I needed something other than canned foods to eat. That evening I finished watching the Showtime series Homeland. If you have not seen this show, please, I beg of you, do everything in your power to see it. Oh my word, is it good!
Sunday was nothing to write about, unless you count that I cooked five pounds of hamburger meat for taco salads for our church ladies' night out event for this evening. I almost forgot to mention that on Friday at the Blue Plate Broadway event on Friday I ran into a friend who had some Loretta Spencer signs in her car and so I snagged a couple from her and I braved the heat long enough to put one up in my yard on Saturday. Y'all know I love Loretta!
So, now we have arrived at Monday again and it's back to the grind. I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to having a day off from work, even if it is in the middle of the week. I don't have any plans for the Fourth and as of this moment am planning on being a lazy bum, that is, unless I decide to attempt some more window cleaning.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Book Review: Sarah's Key
I've got another book review for you today. This book was another one I had heard mentioned by two or three bloggers I follow and so I thought I would give it a try and I am so glad I did. The name of the book is Sarah's Key and it was written by Tatiana de Rosnay.
I cannot give a lot of details about the book without spoiling it for those of you who may want to read it; but, I will do the best I can. The book begins with two stories. In chapter one, we are introduced to a little girl living in Paris in 1942 and in chapter two we read about a woman, Julia, living in Paris in 2002.
The little girl and her family are Jewish and are taken from their home in the middle of the night in the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup on July 16, 1942. In the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup, over 13,000 Jews were gathered by the French police under German control and were eventually sent to their deaths at Auschwitz. They were first sent to camps in France where the men were separated from the women and children, then the children from the women. The story is told from the girl's perspective and is heart-breaking and captivating all at the same time. I could not stop reading and each time I came to the end of a chapter, I couldn't wait to get to the next chapter told from the girl's perspective to find out what was going to happen next.
Julia is an American ex-pat who has lived in France for 25-years. She is married to a Frenchman and has one daughter. She is in her 40s and is a writer for a magazine in Paris. When she comes into the story, she has been given the assignment of covering the 60th anniversary of the Ve' d'Hiv Roundup and, it probably goes unsaid, becomes deeply moved by the stories she hears and the information she gathers. In addition to her writing assignment, she is also having problems in her home-life. The story of the Ve d'Hiv Roundup becomes so much more to Julia than she ever imagined, and that, my friends, is the treasure of this book.
This is a novel and none of the characters are real, but the facts surrounding the story make it seem very real. It is a gripping story and it sucks you in from the first words on the page. I would love to tell you more, but I'm afraid I cannot do that without giving away more of the story. You will have to read for yourself to find out what happened. This is one of the better books I have read in a long while. According to Amazon, it's around 400 pages and I read it in three days and I was really disappointed when it ended because I wanted to know... what next? Alas, I will have to make up the "next" in my mind. If you check it out let me know how you liked it.
I cannot give a lot of details about the book without spoiling it for those of you who may want to read it; but, I will do the best I can. The book begins with two stories. In chapter one, we are introduced to a little girl living in Paris in 1942 and in chapter two we read about a woman, Julia, living in Paris in 2002.
The little girl and her family are Jewish and are taken from their home in the middle of the night in the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup on July 16, 1942. In the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup, over 13,000 Jews were gathered by the French police under German control and were eventually sent to their deaths at Auschwitz. They were first sent to camps in France where the men were separated from the women and children, then the children from the women. The story is told from the girl's perspective and is heart-breaking and captivating all at the same time. I could not stop reading and each time I came to the end of a chapter, I couldn't wait to get to the next chapter told from the girl's perspective to find out what was going to happen next.
Julia is an American ex-pat who has lived in France for 25-years. She is married to a Frenchman and has one daughter. She is in her 40s and is a writer for a magazine in Paris. When she comes into the story, she has been given the assignment of covering the 60th anniversary of the Ve' d'Hiv Roundup and, it probably goes unsaid, becomes deeply moved by the stories she hears and the information she gathers. In addition to her writing assignment, she is also having problems in her home-life. The story of the Ve d'Hiv Roundup becomes so much more to Julia than she ever imagined, and that, my friends, is the treasure of this book.
This is a novel and none of the characters are real, but the facts surrounding the story make it seem very real. It is a gripping story and it sucks you in from the first words on the page. I would love to tell you more, but I'm afraid I cannot do that without giving away more of the story. You will have to read for yourself to find out what happened. This is one of the better books I have read in a long while. According to Amazon, it's around 400 pages and I read it in three days and I was really disappointed when it ended because I wanted to know... what next? Alas, I will have to make up the "next" in my mind. If you check it out let me know how you liked it.
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