Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble

Feeling a little witchy today but I need to find a recipe for a natural insect repellent.  We are having a bit of a problem  here in North Texas with an outbreak of West Nile virus and since the Hubs is outside in the yard all the time, and #2 granddaughter loves the outdoors we just have to find something that isn't -- well, poison.

We hosted the Bean's b/day party here a week ago and, since it was an indoor/outdoor party, I supplied our guests with two varieties of repellent -- Burts Bees Natural and Off! with DEET.  I think most of the folks opted for the natural variety, if anything, but it was far from pleasant.  So, this morning I am researching homemade, natural options.  I already have several recipes for homemade cleaning products and homemade personal care products so this will just be another facet of my "do it myself and feel better about the whole thing"  approach.

So, as I grocery shop today I will be looking for a little notebook in which to house all my recipes and as I think about it I am reminded of  a book that I completely enjoyed called "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" by Katherine Howe, a descendant of one of the ladies involved in the Salem witch trials.

It is alarming how my collection of essential oils is growing -- I especially love orange -- but I am so concerned about what is in the products we use on  an every day basis that I really feel that I have no choice but to concoct my own.  Granted, I am not a spring chicken and I have been doing what I do for a long time from using ready made deodorants to drinking the now-declared carcinogenic Coca-Cola and changing things now probably won't make a difference for me.  However, it will for the children and I think it is my duty to try.

So, I will be creating my own little Physick Book of LissieLou -- hopefully I can find a really cute little book!

Books or Nooks -- what is YOUR pleasure?

I am a complete contradiction.  I pride myself on striving to live a "green" lifestyle yet I love technology.  I don't know what to do with it -- can't program it, can't fix it, can only push buttons, not a geek, but I love the concept.

When the first generation Nook came out I really wanted one.  I looked, shopped, thought, rationalized and then I bought it.  I loved it.  I was happy with my little Nook.  I really liked the idea of being able to rack up sizable credit card bills to Barnes and Noble while sitting in my easy chair.  It was easy to read, easy to hold, easy to put in a purse.  It took a load off my bulging bookshelves because it is clearly evident that I will never, ever quit buying books.

Then the Nook color came out.  Yep, I bought one.  It is very nice for Angry Birds but I don't enjoy reading on it as much because it is glarey.  The battery life is pathetic.

Not long after the Nook color came to live in our house, the Nook Simple Touch was born and up for adoption.  Yep, like a stray puppy, I couldn't resist and I brought it home.  It is beyond cute and lives in a hot pink cover with a quote from Hans Christian Anderson embossed on the front cover.  It is easy to read with the e-ink technology (like the original Nook) and has a phenomenal battery life -- about a month.  So small, it fits great in a purse and is light as a feather.

So, why, with all of this reading (and Angry Birds) opportunity around me do I still want to buy physical books? I had this conversation with a sales person at B&N just the other day.  The books are slightly less expensive on the Nook which is a plus but I think the problem is that if you love books -- not just reading but the actual book, when you use an e-reader you don't feel like you are getting anything for your money.  The sales person told me that while they sell lots of e-readers, their actual book sales aren't being affected at all.  She agreed with my idea that when you buy virtual books you don't really feel like you have anything for your money.

So......Nook has come out with two new products -- a tablet and a Simple Touch with a light.  So far I have resisted both but  I am not sure for how long.  The tablet would be nice for the computer capability rather than the  reading capability.  The new Simple Touch is great for people who  read in bed and don't want to disturb another person.  I don't read in bed so I don't see that I need to replace my first little ST.  However, I do have a netbook that I carry around with me sometimes and wonder if I really need another device, like a tablet, to do the same thing.  I think not.

A couple of days ago I wasn't feeling up to par so I just sort of sat around and "surfed" all day.  By the end of the day I was exhausted and I hadn't done anything.  Visiting FB numerous times was tiring -- I don't think I am really FB material because I don't feel the need to share my every thought with the cyber world but it is nice to contact relatives with.  I did some blog reading which I enjoy immensely and spent way too much time on Pinterest.  Oh, the television was going the entire time as well.  I wasn't watching it -- it was just on.  Noise pollution at its best. Even my husband suggested we turn off the tv and read.

 As evening drew in, I turned off all the devices, lowered the lights a bit and grabbed a new read -- a physical book -- curled up and immersed myself in the life of Rose of Ruby Street at the time of Queen Elizabeth's coronation.  It was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders and I could relax. It was wonderful and has shifted my attention back to my budding "green" lifestyle which is really where I want to be living.

So, what is it for you -- e-readers or books?  Why? How has technology affected your lifestyle -- better, worse?  I don't think we will ever go back or do without technology but has it taken over too much of our lives?  It is definitely food for thought.

Gypsy Boy by Mikey Walsh


I have never known much about the gypsy culture except what everybody knows -- colorful caravans, wild ways, untrustworthy, scammers, curses, etc.  There was a gypsy lady who had a fortune telling business in her home at the end of our block.  She walked by our house one day and waved at my mother -- a gesture my  mother chose to ignore -- and the next day our house burned down.  The gypsy didn't have anything to do with it -- a leaky hot water heater was the culprit -- but to my superstitious mother, we had been cursed.  I almost hit the same lady with the car a few years later -- nothing happened.  Maybe she like me?? I don't believe in curses.  In any event, I was surprised when I moved to the Fort Worth area to learn that we have a sizable gypsy (Irish Traveler) community here.  We learned about it when the much publicized story of Madelyn Toogood viciously whipping her child in a parking lot in South Carolina came out. Yep, she is part of Ft. Worth's gypsy community. During that same time period a group of under aged Traveler boys were out joy riding in cars, had a wreck and several were killed.  It was then that I started doing a little reading about Irish Travelers, especially in our area but it was a short lived interest and fell by the way until reality TV gave us Our Big Fat Gypsy Wedding and the American version which isn't nearly as good.

One day, while in my favorite Barnes and Noble, I ran across this book by Mikey Walsh.  I bought it thinking it was going to be the humorous, male version of the tv shows I faithfully DVR so I never miss an episode.  Well, I was wrong.  The book is well written and compelling.  It isn't a long read but it is the most painful book I have ever actually completed.  Most anything I pick up that involves violence toward helpless children either never comes into my possession or is ditched immediately upon discovery of the subject matter.  I had a big problem with VC Andrews books for that same reason.

In any event, I had to finish it to make sure that Mikey came out of it ok.  Spoiler here, he did, but this little boy had such a horrific life that I am completely shocked and baffled as to how he survived, much less flourished.  But, he did.

If you don't get squeamish about pure evil being projected onto small children, then I would recommend this book if you really want to know what life in the Romany world can be like.  It isn't like what is portrayed on tv.  I am not saying that all Romany or Travelers are like this, I am sure they aren't, but one is enough and it is vividly portrayed here.

The book is permanently in my library but I doubt I will be reading it again.  Once is, indeed, enough.

 

Friday Fill-ins -- June 15, 2012

1.  It is always nice when the nighttime rain is over by rush hour.

2.  I like to hear nice comments on my blog but that doesn't happen often as nobody but me reads my blog.

3.  positive -- good, negative -- bad, unless you are talking about weight then it is a whole different story.


4.  This is the oddest friday fillins I have ever done.


5.  What I heard Stevie Nicks say this morning was, in my opinion, sort of sad. But maybe not for her.


6.  Often I search for information on ancestors.


7.  And as for the weekend, tonight I am looking forward to absolutely nothing, tomorrow my plans include absolutely nothing, and Sunday I want to go to church and ponder why my Friday and Saturday are so lame!

Ursuline Academy

Ursuline Academy -- June, 2012


The Hubs and I decided to take a few days to visit our hometown of San Antonio, Texas.  We decided to make a point to visit some of the places that we have wanted to see but somehow have failed to make it to over the last few visits. One of those places is the Southwest Craft Center housed in the old Ursuline Academy building.  I am sorry to say that we didn't see much of the art and crafts of the center but, instead, got caught up in the history, museum, architecture and beauty of the building and the grounds of the Ursuline Academy.  I have included a link at the end of this post if you want to do some more reading on the academy but I think I would like the photos to tell their own story.

Lunch at the Copper Kettle, the cafe that is operated in the original dining hall of the school

Original window facing and hardware in rather thick limestone walls

Hallway seating

Old and new -- interesting juxtaposition

French style architecture and light fixture -- and I really shouldn't try for "arty" photos

Fenced Courtyard

Large Courtyard

Rear Grounds

Very large gazebo now used mostly for weddings and special events.  

Original wrought iron arched sign

Gate in the back garden with large light fixture

You don't readily see this cross but, when you look up and see it, it seems to be silently watching over the entire campus

Turntable to pass items, probably communion wafers, from inside the convent to the outside world

Gothic window

Grotto 

Balcony outside original dormitories

Three sided clock tower -- story goes that there was no clock on the north facing side because there  was nobody on the north side to see the clock!

For more information on Ursuline Academy check out the website below

http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/kbu04

www.swschool.org

www.sanantoniogov.historic/Districts/Ursuline_Academy.aspx

14 June 2012


The question(s) for today is --

Have you ever bought a book, started reading it and then realized you have already read it?  If so, how far did you get? And did you keep reading?




I might have done this once or twice but I usually realize that I already have the book before I begin reading.  I spent a good deal of time over the course of a couple of days alphabetizing my personal bookshelf and ran across duplicates then.  I don't know that I have ever gotten to the place where I have started reading a book and then  realized that I have already read it but, if I did, I probably wouldn't continue because I don't tend to re-read books.

A View From A Window -- 14 June 2012


I haven't posted photos from the backyard in a while, what with the work going on in the front so here is an update --

So, there you have it.  The sunflower is an addition complements of the birds -- I guess they decided to join in the gardening because they were so grateful for all the food they are getting.  It was so charming we couldn't bring ourselves to pull it up!

12 June 2012

Today's teaser is from Below Stairs  by Margaret Powell, page 119,

"Christmas in domestic service was nothing like the Christmases we had at home.  I remember the excitement there was at home even with little money, the excitement of waking up early, the rush into our parents' room for the presents and stockings.  We didn't have turkeys or Christmas trees, but had plenty of laughter and there was always enough food to eat."

This probably isn't the most captivating snippet of this book but it gives you a glimpse of the "other side" of domestic life -- home was such a contrast to their place of employment but, according to this book, much more "real".

11 June 2012


Today's question is  What is the longest book you have ever read?  How long did it take you to read it?


I think the longest book I have ever read was "From Here to Eternity" by James Joyce.  At a hefty 800+ pages it was a challenge for a 13-14 year old girl.  However, I think it was a summer read, if I remember correctly, and it must have taken me all summer.  I remember getting bored with it toward the end.

The second longest had to be "The Thorn Birds".  I read it  during a summer while waiting for kids during piano lessons and such.

And then, the next on the list would probably be "Gone With the Wind" which I read about the same time as "From Here to Eternity".  I read that over a summer as well.  It seems that in my younger days, I sat aside an entire summer to  read an epic novel!  It was great to have the luxury of time to just sit and read for hours on end and, in San Antonio, Texas, where summer days are long and hot, there was no better way to spend time.

So, that is more information than the question asked for but since I loved all the books, I can't leave any out.  Oh yes, I did leave another long book out and would be remiss if  I didn't mention it -- "Marjorie Morningstar" -- but I will save that for another time.

Friday Finds -- 10 June 2012

Yes, I realize it isn't Friday anymore but I as I had the opportunity to browse more than one Barnes and Noble over the last several days looking for a cookbook Hubs wanted for his birthday, I ran across a number of things that interested me and, perhaps, they will interest you as well.

 Nancy Atherton's "Aunt Dimity" series is a favorite of mine after running across one of the books on my Nook, buying it, reading it and then realizing that it was completely out of sequence and that these books are better read in order of publication.  However, reading that one book was enough to make me want to start at the beginning and I have been systematically working my way through the list ever since.  The paper backs have very charming covers (it is always about the covers with me, isn't it?) but this hardback caught my eye and I almost bought it except that it is several titles away from where I currently am on the list so I resisted.  Of course, then I started searching ebay and half.com to find the other titles in hardback because  this is a series I would like to keep in my library so I became totally distracted by that....you can see where I am going with this.

Anybody who has read any of my  bookish blogs knows that I am a huge fan of Barbara Taylor Bradford since reading A Woman of Substance and the sequels.  This book caught my eye (again, the cover) and I have to add it to my wish list.  I always love books that delve into peoples pasts -- it is like a mystery!

With the advent of  the television programs, "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding" and "My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding", the fact that I live very close to a sizable gypsy community here in North Texas and have been scammed once and almost scammed a second time by the SAME people, I have developed a real fascination with this group of people.  When I discovered this book, I almost impulsively bought it then and there but decided to do the smart thing, read a sample on my Nook and then decide.  After reading the two chapter sample, I was hooked and had to have the book so now it is a permanent part of my library.

Since I had been looking for a cookbook that Hubs wanted, I spent some time on the cookbook aisle and discovered this.  When I was a new mom, I purchased a similar book outlining how to make your own "mixes" (I guess that was really the beginning of my "frugal" living quest) and this book is a reminder of that book although a bit more sophisticated.  When I looked at this book I realized that there were several things in here I would actually use so now it is part of my personal cookbook library.   The first thing I started with was breadcrumbs.  Breadcrumbs???? you are probably saying to yourself.  This chick needs a cookbook to make breadcrumbs?  Well, no, I don't but it did remind me that I COULD and since I was out of ready made breadcrumbs and I needed to do something to the boneless, skinless chicken breasts my husband hates, I decided to make my own, season them, bread the chicken with them and I have to say the chicken was 100% better than it usually is.  Of course, 100% better than yuck -- well, I don't know what that means! In any event, the cookbook looks like it is going to be very handy because I would rather have a pantry full of raw ingredients to make several things out of rather than buying a bunch of individual, processed foods.

Then, there were these two magazines.  They are gorgeous, big, glossy and, while I am used to paying double digit prices for foreign cross stitch magazines,  not so much for domestic ones, even special editions like these.  So, the FrugalMelissa presents herself in my head and says "wait a minute, that is almost $30 for two magazines -- TWO MAGAZINES".  So,  I back off, put them away and came home to reconsider.  They each have a number  of really cute projects that I can see me doing so it might not be a bad purchase but I may have to look for another, cheaper source, possibly used.  I am still thinking about them so it is possible that at least one of them will end up in my ever growing magazine stash.  You know, the one that multiplies itself in the night.  Yep, that one.

So, those are my Friday Finds -- quite a varied list, I would say.  Hope this review is helpful!

7 June 2012

Today's question is -- "Favorite secondary characters?"

When faced with these sorts of questions it seems I am always reverting back to a few of my all time favorites and this time is no exception.

The first that comes to mind is "Blackie" in A Woman of Substance. hat is my  I saw the movie before I read the book and that is when I discovered Liam Neeson, one of my very favorite actors.  As I read the book, I saw Neeson and that just brought the book to life for me.

The second is "Cynthia" in the Mitford series book as well as the Father Tim books.  She is what I would like to be -- very real, very strong yet vulnerable at the  same time.  She is a natural, unassuming character that just sparkles.

Last but not least, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Aunt Dimity.  While the Aunt Dimity series is about Aunt Dimity, she is definitely not the character in the forefront yet, without her, there wouldn't be a book.  If I were dead, I would like to be Aunt Dimity -- she possesses qualities that are top notch -- logical, calm, resourceful, helpful and always available! Yes, if I had to be a ghost, she would be a great role model.