The Quest Begins...

for the perfect tea kettle.  For years we have used an electric kettle to boil water for tea and coffee.  Some of them have lasted less than a year and some for maybe a year and a half but none longer than that.  We boil lots of water.

So, two days ago my husband decided to clean our glass/stainless kettle and it broke.  The glass didn't break but apparently the seal decided to leak all over the counter and into the drawer and it would no longer hold water.

So, I dug under the cabinet and dragged out a little Staub kettle that I bought a while back and a glass Pyrex kettle that I had years ago.  Seems we are really ok on the tea kettle front but hubs wants a stainless steel model.

So, we have been to Williams Sonoma and Sur Le Table and I think we are honing in on a replacement.  It is amazing to me the prices on these things but we are definitely looking for a stove top model and not another electric model.  So tired of having things just quit.

I am sure that when the toaster quits I won't buy another one of those either.  I grew up with toast being made under the broiler in the oven and that is good enough for me.

So, yeah, pretty soon my kitchen is only going to have a couple of knives, a cutting board, and a stove ...lots less to wash up though, for sure -- and throw away when it quits!

Monday's Child......A Childhood Poem.....A Pack of Lies

Everybody has heard the poem that begins "Monday's child is fair of face".... right?  I goes on to say "Tuesday's child is full of grace".  This is where the cute little facade starts to crack.

I am a Tuesday child.  Even my own mother used to say the poem lied because I was definitely not "full of grace" -- I was one clumsy kid.  Some things never change.

I have arthritis and I believe I have some neuropathy in my feet.  Plus, I am just naturally clumsy, I don't need any other factors.

Last night I fell asleep on the sofa.  Hubs woke me up so I could continue my nap in bed.  I was clearly out of it as I traveled across the floor so I paid no attention to the item sitting on the floor (I had been avoiding picking it up for days so I am not only clumsy, I am lazy).  I hit said item full on, stumbled, woke up abruptly as I lunged finger first into the large television cabinet which resulted in me using loud, nasty words. 

I was sure I had broken the first joint (closest to my nail) on my left pinky.  It hurt, it was red,  my hand hurt all the way up into my hand. 

I went to bed after I determined I could wiggle my fingers. This morning it was really red and sore and hurts to bend it but I am able to bend it so I assume it is just jammed. 

So, about Tuesday's child -- yeah, dumb poem.

How Will I Make Art Today?

As I previously posted, I have been enjoying looking at and studying art lately.  I don't know why I never paid attention before but here I am now, in my dotage, admiring what has been around me all along.  Unfortunately, I think I might be having the desire to try some myself which won't turn out well because I can't draw.  Maybe something abstract?  Maybe more greeting cards?  I have options.

I will never draw like my father.  Here is an example of one of his painted covers.

There is nothing to compare to Beatrix Potter

Or Tasha Tudor...

or my all time favorite Garth Williams

But for today what will it be for me .... cross stitch?  coloring books?  or greeting cards?

There is art all around, inspiration everywhere we look and ways to enjoy and express ourselves in art even if we can't draw.

Ok, cross stitch it is.

Introducing Rosy

Ok, this is how yesterday went.  I was awakened five times in the night by my mother-in-law calling the wrong number on her new cell phone that she doesn't know how to work.  I question the wisdom of giving a 95 year old a smart phone -- I wouldn't have done it.  Anyway, she was trying to call the front desk of her assisted living place and she kept calling us. When we answered the phone she didn't answer.  It was nerve wracking and scary and maddening all at the same time.  We didn't think we would be able to get back to sleep.  My morning was clearly not stellar.

So, I got up determined to solve the phone issue.  I called t-mobile.  They gave me a price and I was all up for it but they told me they didn't have any in stock.  Grrr....mood not improving.  So, I called the Apple store -- a place I avoid like the plague -- they had what I wanted, they gave me a price for everything I was looking for and yes, they would be happy to help me.  I left the house at 10:30 -- about a 15 minute drive from my house.  I got there, overwhelmed by the number of people in the store, told the guy what I wanted -- exactly -- and in about 10 minutes I was on my way.  I stopped by t-mobile to get the newly required SIM card only to find that I didn't need a new SIM card.  So, I headed home with my new phone, a new case and a car charger. Actually I walked in the door a little before 11:30 so it was a very quick trip even with travel time.  I think the saleman knew I wasn't in the mood to mess around. I didn't buy the service policy but  I am considering it -- I have 60 days to decide.

So, anyway, meet Rosy!  I hope we get on well together -- so far so good.

Then, my daughter forgot that Beanie had today off school.  I hadn't written down the spring school schedule yet on my calendar so I was clueless as well so guess who came home with me yesterday and spent the night.  She is enjoying her usual Nona breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes and watching Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3.

Sorry she is a little blurry.

So, that is how my day started.  I have a hair appointment later, she is getting her bangs trimmed and a couple of shopping stops before she goes back home for the girl scout meeting tonight.

Yesterday was sort of scattered and out of control but it all ended up good.

Phone Misery and Phone Envy

Phones seem to be the bane of my existence these days.  Not my land line.  My land line is fine.  We understand each other.  It sits there in the cradle and chills until it rings.  I answer it and all is good.  When it is a telemarketer I don't answer it.  It gets it. 

My cell phone is a completely different story.  We are not soulmates.  We actually hate each other.  I bought this phone about a year and a half ago -- maybe a little longer -- and it has been a love/hate relationship from the beginning.  I rarely talk on the thing -- we text all. the. time.  It is simple, it is easy, it keeps us from getting into conversations that end of a bit combative.  By "we" I mean my dear daughter and myself.  I don't verbally express myself too well sometimes and she only listens with one ear so there is a lot of misunderstanding going on which leads to ...well, you get the picture.  Texting is much, much easier.  Except for when it isn't.  My texts tend to fail.  I can type a nice long text message and it fails.  I retype it, a shorter version, and it fails.  I finally end up texting "call me" and it fails.  I have to turn the phone off and back on to get the text to go.  I don't get texts in a timely manner either -- one day it took two days to get to me.

It is the phone. Not the carrier.

So, I go to my handy dandy T-mobile store across the street where we usually do business.  I walk up to the display with the Apple iphone SE.  The price tag says $384 in big letters/numbers.  They tell me that is the price with a contract.  I don't have a contract.  I don't want a contract.  I just want a phone.  Well, in that case, it will cost me $441.00 with the addition of a new SIM card.  That was posted on the price tag in such small letters that I needed a magnifying glass to see it.

I walked out and said I needed to think.

I came home and looked at the Apple website.  It is the internet's version of a glossy magazine.  Eye candy.  No prices.  Anywhere.  Apparently you can buy the phone in the store SIM-free for $449 but I didn't get that from the website.  Then you can go to the carrier and buy the SIM card and link it to your account. 

This whole thing is a major pain in the neck.  So, I decided to check out the no-contract phones at Target which is where I got my current phone.  Apparently Target doesn't carry T-Mobile products anymore.

By this time I am banging my head against a virtual wall.  So, this morning, I am going to call both T-Mobile and the Apple store and get a price on the phones.  I can't believe I am actually considering spending that sort of cash on a stupid telephone.  However, we are caregivers for a six year old and we are on call for a 95 year old so, unless I want to just stay in my house next to my trusty landline, I have to have a reliable phone.  FYI -- my husband doesn't believe in cell phones, will only carry one under duress and won't turn it on unless he needs to make a call --- to bad if you are trying to find him.  So, he has leisurely hours at Lowe's and Home Depot to just stroll around and peruse the offerings -- me, I have to be in control and available at all times.

Blah.

So, I am hoping they have the phone in Rose Gold, 64 GB and that I don't have to sell my first born to get it -- his wife and children probably wouldn't like that. 

Wish me luck --

This and That

Good morning!  I went to bed late last night and slept in a bit this morning but I woke up as the sun peeked through the shutter-- a pleasant sight from the cold, gray days we have been having.  I got used to summer quickly and then poof! it was gone.  Now it is back and I am happy.

So far this morning I have had a bowl of cereal and cleaned out the refrigerator since the trash men come today.  I will be tackling the freezer and the pantry later.  I declared today to be the pantry cleaning day.  The pantry has become the storage place for a lot of things other than food -- mostly small appliances.

 I had three crock pots -- two of my own and one of my mother-in-law's.  I gave one of mine to my daughter-in-law and then put my mother-in-law's back out in the garage with the rest of her stuff we are storing.  I will keep the one I have because you can put the liner on the stove and brown things in it before you set it to slow cook.  I don't know why I bother though because my husband doesn't like food cooked in a slow cooker.  C'est la vie!

I have a rather old bread maker which I don't really use anymore.  I don't like the shape of the loaf.  So, when we moved my MIL and I brought some of her stuff home I tried her bread maker.  Better shaped loaf but I didn't like the bread it made.  So, out to the garage it went.  I find I prefer using my stand mixer and just making regular bread.  My stand mixer kneads it for me and that is good enough.  The bread recipe I use is great so it turns out wonderful.  I really should make bread more often. And butter.  Sounds like a diet destruction looking for a place to happen.

So, anyway, today I plan to reclaim the pantry for food.  Then I have to grocery shop.

I really don't like Walmart.  Yesterday evening, around 6 p.m., my husband and I went into the one across the street to buy some hair clippers for him.  We checked out and as I was putting things away in my purse I was aware of a man VERY close to me.  It was like he was shuffling around me, first on one side, then the other, then behind me -- it was like I couldn't get away from him.  My husband was walking ahead of me and I asked him to stop for a minute and I just stopped walking.  The guy almost ran into me and I stepped on him.  I turned around and gave him "the" look and he just took off.  I am sure I was about to get purse snatched or picked, one of the two.  I carry a big tote and it has a zipper.  I was putting my receipt away and then zipped the purse up.  It was on my elbow and not my shoulder.  I think he was trying some "fancy footwork" on me to confuse me.  He just made me angry.  That tote is so heavy, I could have hit him with it and done some real bodily harm.  The only harm done was that I got angry, he got his feet stepped on and it just reinforced my dislike of Walmart.

I felt terrible yesterday -- I thought I was coming down with the flu in spite of getting the shot.  Seems it was just my allergies rearing their ugly head again.  So, after some aspirin and mucinex and a little nap I felt better and improved as the evening went on.  I still wasn't in the best of mood when I encountered the guy at Walmart but I didn't feel sick so that was good.  This morning, yep, I see the allergies are still there but I have energy and I think it will get better as the day goes on.

Still working on the cross stitch and have a couple of sewing projects I would like to work on after I finish cleaning out the freezer.  I am determined to get my "stuff" under control here and get my spaces better to work in. 

So, yes, that is what today holds.  I will let you know how the pantry redeaux goes.

Revisiting the Past -- Cross Stitch

My husband has always been interested in woodworking.  He has built furniture and play equipment, toys and useful household items.  When we moved to this house and he finally had space for a very small shop, he decided that he would move away from large projects like furniture and concentrate on small projects like toy tops.

I feel the same way about my hobbies and activities.  I am no longer interested in making large quilts or trying to do anything large scale.  My house won't accommodate it and I find it a lot less enjoyable if I have to struggle with something. 

However, in my last post I mentioned being drawn to all things artistic and that includes needlework.  I have always loved handwork and I honestly think that my interest in quilting started waning when I started doing it on the machine and not by hand.  However, my hands are a tiny bit arthritic and so I don't enjoy quilting by hand anymore but cross stitch and embroidery is still do-able.

So, anyway, I decided that I needed to find a diversion from Facebook (amazing what a time sucker and negative influence that little space in the interwebs can be) so I have been upping my reading time and have now decided that I should spend some time revisiting needlework.

However, like my husband, I have decided to start small.  I have a lot of unfinished things so I went through them and picked out a couple of small things to get busy finishing.  I have a piece started that is a lovely bird but it is large and very involved so I am waiting until I whittle down my stack of unfinished starts. 

So, this is what I pulled out of the rather large milk-crate I have all this stored in. 

this kit was a gift from my daughter -- a souvenir of their vacation in Boston -- it is the Old North Church -- it was a quick finish and I really enjoyed doing it.

This is a card kit that I had finished about half way.  The count of the fabric is small so it is taking me a little more time but it is quite lovely.  I think cross stitching cards is really fun and a good use for the stitchery

This little kit was purchased for me from the Alamo gift shop on a trip there almost four years ago.  I started it but I was ill and just didn't have the energy.  However, I am well now and have the energy and will be finishing it quickly.  Framed and coupled with the Old North Church should be a couple little grouping someplace in the house.

So, anyway, that is what I am working on instead of scrolling through FB all day.  With the exception of connecting with family and good friends, it is a huge waste of time and is ridiculously addictive -- like sugar. 

I will be back soon with some finishes here -- can't wait to finish the little Alamo!

Art, Music and Change

Change -- it happens, get over it, nothing ever stays the same -- or does it?  They say that after you have a major life event -- surgery, near death experience, life threatening illness -- you change.  I have seen it happen with family members and I am now realizing that it has happened to me as well.  I knew things were changing but I didn't know what to credit this change to -- now I think I do.

Whatever the reason, over the last couple of years I have seen a huge change in my personality and I really rather like it.  How have I changed, you might ask?  Well, I wish there were words but I guess I would say my attitudes and priorities have changed.  The result?  A calmer, more serene me.  I say yes when I can, have no problem saying no when I can't -- or don't want to.  I finally learned what it means to put myself first because if I don't keep myself together, I can't be of any help to anybody else.  It is like an epiphany. Experiencing the joy of gratitude is a life changing event.

The biggest change I see in myself, however, is my interests. Once an avid quilter and cross stitcher, I no longer find joy in those pursuits although I am considering a cross stitch project to keep me off the computer, more specifically Facebook.  It seems that now I am totally mesmerized by music and art.

My father was an artist and my children are artistic but the gene completely skipped me.  Can't draw a straight line with a ruler.  Or can I?  Does it matter?  What is art?  To me, art is anything drawn, painted, sculpted, sewn or designed that brings joy or awe,  question or discussion.  The effect that color has on a being is amazing to me -- or the lack of color.  Maybe I can't explain it but I do know that right now anything "art" has my full attention.

"Art" is also words to me.  I was introduced to a poem recently -- The Carousel by Rilke --one my daughter learned in high school German class.  It had great meaning to her. Of course, I didn't understand the meaning she gleaned from it but after a discussion I "got" it.  My meaning is different than hers, I am sure but it is a deep and thoughtful poem with great symbolism and romantic images.  Here is a link for you to visit:  http://yearwithrilke.blogspot.com/2011/08/carousel-i_20.html

My father's art can be seen here:  http://charltonlibrary.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-painted-covers-of-pat-boyette.html and and example here:

Yes, they are comic books but my father was well known for his painted covers -- they were paintings rather than just colored illustrations.  I chose Robin Red because it has special meaning -- Robin Red was my son and Maid Mandy was my dog.  The little girl in the story was my daughter.  Let's just say Robin Red and the Lutins was a family affair. My father was a prolific writer and he could create art from his mind, not an example to follow.  He was quiet in the art world but is now, seventeen years after his death, coming to notoriety.  Isn't that always the way?

I love fine art as well but I love book illustrations -- my very favorite illustrator being Garth Williams.  He is well known for his illustrations in the Little House books, Stuart Little and scores of Little Golden books.  Tasha Tudor is a close second.

Oh, to be able to draw like that! What a gift!

And music. Being a child of the  60's I grew up in one of the most fantastic musical eras's of our time.  I mean, seriously, how could you not be impacted by the Beatles, the Beach Boys and Motown.  And, if you liked to dance, like you know I did, it would just shake you to your core.  My favorite song of the time was "In My Life" by the Beatles.

Today, however, I am more moved by the Nanci Griffiths and Leonard Cohen's of the world -- totally fascinated by Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" right now.  Is it religious?  Secular?  I guess it just depends on your take and your position but it is meaningful and thought provoking, nonetheless.

Art and music-- they both imitate real life yet they can take you away from real life.  They can ground you and they can make you fly and ponder and think.  They can make you feel alive and feed your brain.

So, I think I will go color in my color book but I will leave you with this video.  If you think music doesn't have an impact on you, let me tell you that this song brings tears to the eyes of my 6 year old granddaughter and when I watch her, through those tears, I see the true meaning of everything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBVFvtM9SzM

Summers at Blue Lake by Jill Althouse-Wood

I read a lot of books on my e-reader.  I really don't like it because I prefer physical books but I really love it because it is small, lightweight, and I can read in the car really well with it, even at night.  I am in the car a LOT.  Now, just in case you are wondering, I don't read while I am driving.  I do, however, read when I am a passenger.

I have quite a few books on my e-reader so I decided that to start out my 2017 reading list (no challenges this year) I would begin by trying to read down some of my books that are electronic.  I began at the top of the list.  I have them arranged alphabetically by author.  So, the next on the list was this title -- "Summers at Blue Lake" by Jill Althouse-Wood.

When I opened this book, I sort of felt that it was just an exercise to mark books off a list, clean house so to speak, get it done and archive the book.  I had no idea that this story would grab me hook, line, and sinker.  Finally a book that didn't involve political statements or opinions, marches, rallies, extreme social issues.  This was just a romance.  I loved it.

Now, like a lot of books written these days, there is the primary story and a back story.  In this case, the primary story was pretty predictable.  It was the back story that was the grabber.

This is the story of Barbara Jean aka Bobbi aka BJ -- depending on what time of her life you are looking at.  BJ is in a really bad marriage -- a marriage of inconvenience where she is the inconvenience.  It is dissolving all around her.  She is the mother of Sam, her five year old son - the product of the inconvenient marriage.  She is an artist specializing in jewelery and metal works.   The book takes you through the summers she spent with her grandmothers in Pennsylvania.  BJ grows up, has romances, has disappointments and victories during this time.

The real story, though, is that of her grandmothers.  Now, normally you would think that means her mother's mother and her father's mother.  Not so, in this case.  Her grandmothers were lesbians.  They weren't always lesbians, they both had completely different lives at one point and that is where the twist comes in. I won't say anymore because you just have to read it.  It is well written and flows nicely and actually, it was a page turner for me.  It is medium sized book, 298 pages on my Nook, and I read it in two days.  I couldn't put it down which means the floor didn't get vacuumed.  Oh well, it hasn't gone anywhere.

I will say that the interpersonal relationships between BJ and her friend Karen, her husband Bryce, her long-time love Travis and, of course, the grandmothers were handled very tastefully.  There is no explicit detail of the relationship between the grandmothers.  Everything is pretty much "assumed".  The tension between BJ and Travis is a little more detailed but not offensive in any way.

I recommend this book, it was a great read.  The twist was unexpected, actually, and brought a lot of depth to the characters.  Yes, I enjoyed it.

And Then There was Butter!

Awhile back I blogged about making butter using my stand mixer.  It was fun and I wanted to make butter on a regular basis.  Clearly I got distracted because I never made any more.


Well, the other day while looking for a few kitchen items at Bed Bath and Beyond I ran across this little goody.  A little butter churn!  Isn't it cute?

Yes, I thought so, too.  It is by Kilner, a leading UK brand of canning  jars.  It is well made, easy to use and easy to clean.

 Here I am pouring the pint of cream into the jar-- it would have held more but I decided to go slow.  The instructions say to leave the cream out for 2 hours to come to room temperature.  The instructions said that by leaving the cream out, it would only take 10 minutes to churn the butter.  I left the cream out for the 2 hours and set about churning.  The instructions were wrong.  It took about 15 minutes for the solids to begin separating from the butter milk but it finally did and this is what it looked like.

At this point I poured the buttermilk off, put the solids into a bowl of ice water and washed it -- twice.  Then I squeezed the water out of the butter as in the picture below.

 After I felt I had all the water out I shaped it into a rectangular shape and added some salt and there you go!

And here is the buttermilk that came off the butter -- it will be used for scones tomorrow!

My review of the little churn is good -- I liked it.  It was harder than you might think, my arm got tired and my husband had to help but we got some nice butter and I will definitely be doing it again.

Trueluck Summer by Susan Gabriel

Today I finished a novel by Susan Gabriel titled "Trueluck Summer".  The synopsis caught my attention because it described an adventure involving a 12 year old Trudy Trueluck and her 70 year old grandmother, Ida.  It sounded like it could be comical or poignant or whimsical.

However, it was historical fiction taking place during the civil rights movement, specifically 1964. It was engaging and a quick read.  It flowed well and I enjoyed the characterization and the setting.  However, again, maybe not the right time for me because it was all wrapped up in the political and social unrest of the time.  I lived through that unrest so it wasn't particularly entertaining from that aspect.

I would recommend the book, it was good, funny, had a good ending -- it was a bit "To Kill a Mockingbird--esque".  However, one thing that I realized reading this book is the same thing that I realized reading the last book I read and reviewed -- not much has changed in our society.

Unconscious Mutterings hosted by LunaNina.com

Unconscious Muttering is hosted by LunaNina.  Visit the site lunanina.com to participate.

 

 

Week 731

17 hours, 51 minutes ago

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Online ::  too much
2. Balance ::  pilates
3. Grunge ::  style
4. Beacon ::   lighthouse
5. Laughing ::  not enough of
6. Comedy ::  tragedy
7. Animated ::  cartoon
8. Campaign ::  yuck
9. Heather ::   Scotland
10. Comma ::   too often misused

Hmmm...not very witty but it is Monday.

I Am So Confused!

I like to read magazines and blogs.  I clearly have a problem with magazines, an intervention might be necessary.  I have too many and hang on to them for so long.  I don't care for fashion magazines too much because I am not particularly fashionable but I do enjoy home magazines and regional magazines. I enjoy reading about home decor and lifestyle trends -- always much more "with it" than my own decor and lifestyle, to be sure.

Last year one of the popular trends was called Hygge.  It is a concept of Danish lifestyle that really has no definition.  A loose translation would be "cozy" and all the things that go into making a space cozy during a long, hard, winter.  Hot cocoa and candles seems to be at the forefront of this concept along with knitted items.  Things that we would find cozy as well. Well, maybe not in Texas.

No sooner do I get interested in "hygge" do I learn that hygge is out and "lagom" is in.  Lagom is a a Swedish word meaning "just right, just enough".  Now that is something I can get my head around.  Just enough.  I like that and it is actually something that I have been striving for myself.  Not one to really embrace excess, this concept seemed to speak to me.

For the last couple of years we have been hearing a lot about "minimalism" thanks to Joshua Becker and Marie Kondo.  I sit and look at the photos in Dwell Magazine wishing my home could look like those in this publication.  Sleek, clean, bright, airy, NO CLUTTER -- yes, how soothing and relaxing that would be. 

So, just as I start decluttering and packing things away to create a minimal space along comes an article discussing the newest trend -- maximalism.  Yes, it is what you think it is -- excess.

Now, just as minimalism is defined by sleek, clean, white/chrome areas, maximalism is defined by over-the-top large scale wallpaper, bright colors, dark colors, lots of furniture and art items.  Lots of -- everything.

Ok, so by this time I am really confused.  How many candles are too many?  Not enough?  Just enough?  How many knitted items do I need -- or do I not need any?  I am pretty sure large scale print wall paper isn't going up on ANY wall in Maison Brinkley.  Been there, done that and swore never again.

So, I have decided to embrace what I call "Melissaism".  What is that you might ask?  Well, let me tell you.  When Hubs and I were first married we bought a houseful of Early American furniture.  Then we fell heir to some of my mother's EA furniture.  I still have a good deal of it.  Then we went through a modern stage and Hubs actually built several things which I still have.  Then came ShabbyChic -- yes, yes, still here.  We decided to get rid of the EA bedroom furniture and buy a brand new bedroom suite because we had never had a brand new one before - it is like British Country Home.  In order to blend all the different sorts of things --and multiple bookcases -- we have added some black painted pieces.  So, you can see where I am going with this.

Melissaism -- the melding of 44 years of marriage, three moves, two children and changing tastes all rolled into one not-very-big house.  Is it minimal?  Uh, no.  It is maximal-- not really.  Does it look like a room out of a furniture store -- which store?  which decade? -- no.  Does it look comfy?  Yep.  Does it feel comfy?  Yes, except for the evil sofa in the den.  Would I change it?  Nope -- well, except for the evil sofa in the den. 

So, I guess I will continue to look at the magazines and blogs and such and enjoy all the trends but know that I will only be comfortable with Melissaism.

Victory Garden by Meredith Allard

"Victory Garden" by Meredith Allard is a novel about Rose Scofield and Adam Bell.  It is also a story about the women's suffrage movement of 1917-1918.  The story shares some of Rose's youth, the fact that her mother passed away when Rose was 2 and that Rose was a school teacher.  She was also a free thinker and a stubborn "impudent" sort of girl.

Rose's father was a writer for the newspaper, it is assumed the New York Times.  He wrote an article about the Bell Brothers, a really good vaudeville act.  Through her father, Rose met Adam.

Because Rose was a supporter of the suffrage movement, she lost her job as a teacher.  She joined the movement, went to Washington D.C., found herself in jail and eventually found her way back home. 

And Adam?  Well, you will just have to read it to find out.

I didn't particularly enjoy this book.  It was a good read but the majority of the book was devoted to protests, marches, World War I and politics.  That makes sense since that was the basic theme but with the atmosphere around our own political situation right now, I wishI had been reading a book to escape all the politics, not throw me right in the middle of it. In spite of it, though, it was a good read and I recommend.