Maria Von Trapp

I happen to love the movie The Sound of Music.  I still watch it periodically. And I know that the Hollywood version of the Von Trapp family is different from the real life story there is still some truth right? When I walked the streets of Salzburg I could almost hear the Von Trapp family children singing Do Re Me.  Well maybe not but Salzburg is still really pretty, one of my favorite cities in Europe.  So when I heard that the last of the original Von Trapp children had died this past week I was sad.  With her passing the movie really becomes just a tale of how a family left Austria.

IT still is a great story.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2565578/Maria-Franziska-von-Trapp-passes-away-age-99.html

Pancakes, Do I have some interesting memories about them

 Pancakes, the mere mention of that word makes me smile.  My Dad did not cook when I was growing up except for making pancakes on Sunday morning.  It wasn't every Sunday morning mind you.  After all I grew up in New York and Sundays usually meant bagels, lox and cream cheese which was alright by me since that was my favorite breakfast.  Still is.

Anyway.  Every couple of weeks my Dad would wake up on a Sunday morning and make pancakes.  Thank goodness for Aunt Jemima cause I don't think Dad would have made those pancakes if not for the mix.  So he would start making pancakes and we would all come to the table for breakfast.  I was not a big pancake eater.  I was always watching my weight so on pancake breakfast days I usually took the opportunity to opt out with a single slice of toast or ate just one pancake.  My brother on the other hand liked pancakes.  So my Dad would ask my brother do you want one pancake or two.  Usually my brother would eat two and be done with it. He was small with limited stomach capacity. But one Sunday he decided he was starving and wanted four. Maybe he was going through a growth spurt.  Who knows.

 My Dad had a rule.  Take what you eat, Eat what you take.  My brother knew the rules and still insisted on four.  He ate them all by god but just as he finished the last bite he bolted from the table and ran to the bathroom.  You have all heard the expression he tossed his cookies.  Well he tossed his pancakes.

Years later when I was home on Break from college my Dad woke me up from a wonderfully sound sleep on a Sunday morning insisting I come down and join them for breakfast.  No matter how I tried to convince him I wanted to skip breakfast he would not hear of it.  So down I went, the family gathered around the table.  I did notice that my brother passed on pancakes that morning and I think but I am not sure that he hasn't eaten many pancakes since then.

I like pancakes.  My Dad hasn't made them for years.  But occasionally I will go to IHOP and have a pancake or two.  I hate to say this Dad but IHOP makes better pancakes.

Why am I talking about Pancakes.  There was an article about making pancakes from scratch and it just brought bake the memory.  Here is the link to that articles
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/pancakes-from-scratch-experiments-in-flapjacks-even-a-kid-would-love/2014/02/14/02c1800c-9440-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html

The Chase

I was reading the book Cell by Robin Cook when I passed this book in the library.  I couldn't resist.  I had read Evanovich's Stephanie Plum Novels and I had read The Heist which was the first on in the Fox and O'Hare series and I was ready for some humor.  So I temporarily put down Cell promising myself I would get back to it lickety split. 

The book delivered on humor.  This is another collaboration between Lee Goldberg and Evanovich and it practically screams make me into a movie.  When I read books that actually scream that I try to cast it in my head.  I am sure many of you out there do the same.  Before I cast it, however, let me tell you just a little about the book.  And I mean just a little because I don't want to take out the fun of reading it.  Nicholas Fox is a con man.  He s the whole package, good looking, well educated, street smart and a risk taker.  He runs elaborate cons.  Kate O'Hare is an FBI agent and she is after Nick with a vengeance.  She even caught him but the FBI stepped in and offered Nick a proposition work with the FBI or go to jail.  Guess which one Nick took.

The job assigned to Kate and Nick is a winner.  It is right up Nick's alley and Kate is finding that it is exciting as well.  Who knew?  The cast of characters are a riot as well.  To do the con they hire an actor. This character who had me laughing.  He just got fired from playing a pancake in a commercial.  Seems he felt the script wasn't realistic enough.  How a hugh pancake in someone's kitchen is realistic I will never know but he was determined to make it real.  Anyway it kind of made me think of the Character Daniel in Mrs. Doubtfire who kept having difficulty doing his work as an actor when he was doing voices and got fired or Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie who had the reputation of being difficult to work with and therefore found himself out of work.  A lot. So maybe one of those two guys can play that part.  I am thinking Matt Bomer from White Collar or Henry Cavill the new superman.  Maybe Kate can be played by Stana Katic who plays Kate on Castle or Sasha Alexander who plays Maura on Rizzoli and Issles.  

Getting back to the Stephanie Plum novels, I always try to cast Morelli and Ranger.  I think they did an ok job with Morelli in One for the Money but the actor who played Ranger not quite right and I don't think Sherry Shepard was a good choice either.  That part needed someone like Queen Latifah or Jackee. It would be interesting to hear who you all would consider in the roles.   Hope you enjoy the book. 

Some More Notes

 
I happen to be looking at the New York Times Bestseller list.  I often go there for inspiration. Two of the books on the list of trade paperbacks were Where'd you go Bernadette and Me Before You. I read and blogged about both.  They are two very different books and I liked them both very much.  The characters in Where'd You Go Bernadette are really eclectic, eccentric and full of humor.  I actually listed to this book on CD.  The actress who read the book did an amazing job capturing the character Bernadette.  I think listening to the book added something special.   

Me Before You was not a humorous book.  It was a book that dealt with issues related to whether a person should have the right to end their life.  Very serious topic.  I find myself thinking of all the characters in the book over and over.  So if you are going away for Spring Break or just looking for a good book then consider on of these. To find out more see my posts or click on the books above.

Sunday Notes on Monday

If you have been reading my blog by now you know that every Sunday I play this little game with myself. On Sunday the first section that I read of the Washington Post is the Outlook section, it contains the book section. I go to the last page and read the Washington Bestseller list. This week the bestseller list focused on paperbacks but it alternates between paperbacks and hardcover. You can check my scoring system on the May 6th post.  I didn't meet my goal again, just read two of the ten on the fiction bestseller but I am giving myself a bonus point because I read The Monument Men on the non-fiction list. Actually I wasn't really very enthusiastic about the list this week so I am not too disappointed about my score.

As I mentioned last week, I had Cell on my reading list for this week and I did start it.  It seems to be pretty interesting but I got a little side tracked.  I went to visit my parents and it is a three hour drive.  I hate wasted time so I popped a CD into the CD player and listened to the book The Songs of Willow Frost. Yes I still have a CD player in my car and yes I like discs. I was glad I chose that book because it definitely kept my interest and made my drive fly by.

I had taken the book the Cell with me as well but when I go to my parent's one of the things they like to do is have me go with them to the Library.  They like when I pick out books for them.  On the return shelf was The Chase by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg.  This is the second book in the Fox and O'Hare series get it fox and Hare?  Ha.  It is also the second collaboration Evanovich has done with Goldberg.  All I can say is it is so much fun to read.  I found myself laughing out loud and I rarely do that.  If you really want to get properly introduced to the characters than read the first in the series entitled The Heist.   You don't really have to they are both stand alone books.  So I will be blogging on these two books this week.  Look for one mid week and one on the weekend.  Have a great week and happy reading!

     

Click on the books above to take you to the amazon.com site if you care to order them or once your there just take a look around.

ON The Good Shop Lollipop

We lost a legend last week.  Shirley Temple Black passed away.  She gave the world a reason to smile.  She lit up the screen with her curly hair and wonderful smile.  And she really did a great job.  I remember in New York there was a TV station that would always run her movies.  My Mom would watch with me.  Mom and she are contemporaries, the same age. Years later I sat with my daughter and watched the movies.  They never grew old.  She could make you laugh and make you cry all within the span of one movie.  She was what we call today a triple threat.  She could act, dance and sing. Oh my goodness! 

During the peak of her success, she was making four pictures a year.  She was a very busy little girl.  When her popularity began to wan after all child stars grow up, she moved on.  She got married and raised a family.  But she did more.  She simply did not fade into oblivion.  Under the Nixon administration she became the ambassador to Ghana.  Then under the senior Bush administration she became the ambassador to Czechoslovakia.  Not too shabby.

She will be missed.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/chi-shirley-temple-black-appreciation,0,3833749.column

Sunday Notes on Monday

Here in the Mid Atlantic it snowed AGAIN.  We had about foot or more of snow. As my husband and I were digging ourselves out the most miraculous thing happened. We heard the roar of a motor.  It was our neighbor with his snow blower on his way to our house to help us out.  We were so thankful for his help and count our blessings that we live in a neighbor hood with really great people.  A heart felt thank you to all.

I like winter.  I like snow. I just don't like to drive in it or shovel it.  I guess I can't have my cake and eat it too. Lucky for me the State of Maryland declared a state of emergency and asked everyone to stay off the roads.  What a blessing.  My office decided to close and all the wonderful road warriors I work with and those I don't but are my good friends got a pass to stay home.  It was so lovely.  I finished up the book The Monument Men which I found an incredibly interesting read.  In case you missed my other post from this week, I finished the Catherine Coulter Novel The Final Cut. One of the things I like best about her novels is the multiple story lines that converge.  She does that so well.  Just a teaser the central story line is the theft of the Koh-i-Nor Diamond the centerpiece of the British Crown Jewels.  I will say no more.  

This week in search of inspiration I went to the New York Times Bestseller list.  The number one book is The Goldfinch which I have downloaded to my Kindle but have not read yet (must get cracking) Another book on the list is Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Qunidlen.  I have read books by her and enjoyed them so I have added this one to my list.  I have also added The Invention of Wings by the author Sue Monk Kidd who wrote The Secret Life of Bees.  That was a good book.

In my queue for this week is The Cell by Robin Cook.  It has been a long time since I have picked up one of his novels.  Have a great read.  Hope you pick up a good book to read.


     

The Smithsonian and the Monument Men

 

So you just read my blog and your still not convinced Monument Men is a book you would like to read,  And you say to yourself so what if American Movie hunks George Clooney and Matt Damon are not enough of an enticement to go see the movie, well here is another chance to learn about this fantastic group of men and women.  The Smithsonian has exhibits at the National Gallery of Art and the National Archives and the Lawrence A Fleischman Gallery.  In the Friday Post there was an article that I found just as interesting as the book.  I am attaching a link for you so you can enjoy the article.  Don't miss it!  For those of you in the DC area, hope you get a chance to see the exhibit.  I have put it on my list.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/museums/monuments-men-exhibition-review/2014/02/13/759dc320-9273-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html

The Monument Men

Fascinated by all the attention focused on the movie that was released, I felt compelled to read this book. Of course the written page sort of lacks the George Clooney/Matt Damon effect but I have a rule that I like to follow; if there is a movie made based on a book that I want to read, I read the book first.  Like Gibb's  rules from NCIS  it is rule number 3. So if I get a chance to see the movie before it leaves the theater great otherwise I will have to rent it.  I mean what else is Netflix or Red box or amazon prime good for if not to catch up on movies you missed when they were in the theaters? 

What an interesting subject.  It certainly shows World War II from a different vantage point.  A special service existed during the war that was focused on Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives (MFAA) that consisted of about sixty people.  It was a very small unit that operated with virtually no supplies or budget.  Those assigned to the unit had expertise as museum directors, curators, scholars, educators, artists and architects. Their goal and pretty much only mission was to save  as much of the European culture as possible by preventing destruction of art and artifacts that were in the possession of the Nazis.  The folks of MFAA were truly heroes in my book.  I am sure that I am not the only one who loves to wander around a museum taking in the amazing art.  Without this small unit much of the art housed in the European museums would have been lost forever.

While we learned a lot about World War II in school, I know we learned nothing about this group.  It is great that this author chose to write about this subject.  He gave a name and face to the people involved.  He made sure that their work was recognized and that all the work and sacrifices they made would not go un-noticed. 

Rocky Mountain High Literally

Didn't John Denver sing a song about Rocky Mountain High's.  I do believe he did.  As most of you are well aware, Colorado has legalized Marijuana.  So now Colorado has become a great place to go on vacation if you are into that sort of thing and it doesn't hurt that the sate is beautiful.  So if you go have a great time.  You also might enjoy reading this article 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/a-new-rocky-mountain-high-colorado-open-for-cannabis-tourism/2014/02/06/75c5a66e-8cf7-11e3-98ab-fe5228217bd1_story.html

What Every Woman Should Do List

Everyone should have a life checklist.  I certainly do.  I have had one all my life and it never gets any shorter.  I like this list it keeps me striving to do things.  That is why when I was web surfing and I saw this I thought I would share it with you.  See how many of these things you have on your list.  Don't have a list? Consider making one it makes life so much more interesting.

http://living.msn.com/life-inspired/what-every-woman-should-do

The Final Cut

I have read Catherine Coulter before. You can check out my posts on some  her books I have read.  With this book she has taken on a writing partner.  I guess I understand why.  When you write as many books as she has it is hard to come up with story lines and to flesh out the novel.  Maybe adding a writing partner helps.  I don't know.  What I do know is I like the novels where Dillon and Savitch are the main characters but in this book they are there but play more of a back seat to the main character in this case Nick. 

So right away the tone is different.  Don't get me wrong the book is good it is just not the same.  Maybe it is the same only different if you know what I mean. An inspector Elaine from New Scotland Yard turns up dead after being pulled out of the East River in New York City. She was assigned to protect the crown jewels that are to be shown at The Met.  Her ex partner and ex romantic interest flies over the pond to help the FBI discover why she was shot and to clear her name.  Seems that someone replaced one of the jewels in the crown with a really believable fake.  All evidence points to Elaine and the Russian mob as the criminals.  Nick must help clear Elaine's name and find out what really happened.  It's a fun read.

Clearing The Language Barrier

Here is an interesting fact, only one in four Americans knows a second language.  Not really a big surprise to me.  I took Spanish in High School and for a while I could actually speak passably well.  Unfortunately when you don't use it you lose it and while I understand enough to get by I can't say I can maintain a conversation.  I have it on my bucket list to brush up on the language but I have always wanted to learn French.  I finally took the plunge and bought the Rosetta Stone French program.  They say it works.  I'll keep you posted.

This article was in the Sunday Washington Post Travel section.  I certainly understand why Americans might not want to travel to a foreign country.  If everything goes ok than travel is fine but if something goes wrong and you face a situation where the people you are dealing with have limited English speaking skills you might run into difficulty.  But really shame on us Americans for not learning at least one additional language. Sure it is a requirement to take a second language in middle and high school but wouldn't it be great to teach languages to elementary school children. It is so much easier to learn another language at that age.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/confronting-problems-abroad-it-helps-if-you-parla-italiano-or-another-language/2014/02/06/82435a32-8aa2-11e3-916e-e01534b1e132_story.html

Sunday Notes on Monday

I took a week off from reading and writing on my blog.  I needed a little down time and my computer died so it gave me a good excuse.  We had a mac book lying around but I am so not into mac's.  It actually was strange not coming home and turning on my computer and doing my thing for an hour or so.  I also noticed that by not reading before bed I did not sleep as well.  I guess reading helps me unwind more than I thought.

So if you have been reading my blog by now you know that every Sunday I play this little game with myself. On Sunday the first section that I read of the Washington Post is the Outlook section, it contains the book section. I go to the last page and read the Washington Bestseller list. This week the bestseller list focused on Paperbacks but it alternates between paperbacks and hardcover. You can check my scoring system on the May 6th post.

I exceeded my goal this week by having read five books on the list.  I  am uninspired by the remaining books on the list and really didn't add anything to my personal must read list.  I actually strayed from books that have been on the bestseller list by reading The Story of a Beautiful Girl.  It is a beautiful book.  Check out my post on Wednesday. 

During the holidays I went to see the movie American Hustle if you haven't seen it consider putting it on your list even if you watch it on demand or pay per view.  Anyway one of the many trailers before the actual movie started was Monument Men.  There is a lot of buzz about the movie and I am not sure if it is because the cast is amazing; George Clooney, Matt Damon, John Goodman and Bill Murray or because of the subject matter.  For me the story is as interesting as the cast.  It takes place during World War II and is about a group of people who risked their lives to save great pieces of art that Hitler planned to keep or destroy.  I plan to start that book this week.  Meanwhile I am finishing up the book The Final Cut, a Catherine Coulter novel about the theft of a major piece of jewelry.   Enjoy your week.  Happy Reading

   

Story of a Beautiful Girl

Martha is a retired schoolteacher living on a farm that is fairly secluded.  Her husband has died and she lost her only child at birth.  She is childless. Sometimes she can go days without seeing anyone.

One night during a horrible storm she hears a knock at her door. When she opens the door this odd couple is standing on her porch.  For reasons she does not even know she lets them into her house.  When she offers them dry towels and clothes she is astounded to see the young girl has just given birth and is holding the baby.  

She realizes the couple are mentally challenged adults.  The girl seems to understand but can not talk.  The man is  a little easier to communicate with.  The quiet of her night is shattered again when cars pull up and insist on searching her house.  They find the woman but not the man who has fled.  As they put the woman into the car she musters everything she can to communicate with the     to watch over her baby girl.  

And so    Life is changed forever by this little baby.  This is a great book.

One More reason For Not Cruising

If you have been following my blog at all, you all know how much I dislike the thought of cruising.  My friends love it and that is great.  I am sure I am in the minority.  However, it seems that my fears are continually fueled by incidents that keep happening on a ship. This story is not about engine failures or anything that has to do with the structure itself.  This has to do with germs that are making passengers sick.  I know, I know this can happen anywhere.  But for me it happened at sea on a ship.  To the friends who recently asked if I would change my mind about taking a cruise I say; Pigs would probably fly before I went on a cruise.

http://news.msn.com/us/281-passengers-ill-aboard-royal-caribbean-ship

King and Maxwell

King and Maxwell is a new novel by David Balducci and it is good.  I really like his novels a lot.  My first Baldacci novel was Zero Day which introduced the character John Puller.  It was a great book. Check my post from September 22, 2012 to see what the book was about. This one is good as well.  

Sam Wingo is career military and believes in his country.  He is sent on a top secret mission in the mideast which goes horribly wrong.  When he contacts his superiors they blame the failure of the mission on him and tell him to come in.  He knows if he comes in he will be locked away forever. He goes off the grid and is determined to clear himself of any wrong doing.

King and Maxwell are private investigators.  They are driving home one evening in a heavy down pour and they spot a teenager(Tyler Wingo) running for his life.  Maxwell chases after him. Turns out his father is in the military and he has just gotten word that his Dad was KIA, Killed in Action.  The investigators drive him home and Maxwell hands him her card Tyler ends up calling her and asking if they would take him on as a client.  Seems he is not totally satisfied with the answers to questions he has regarding his Dad's death. In fact he received a coded message from his Dad after he was allegedly reported dead.Something just doesn't add up.  It starts getting extremely interesting when Homeland Security strong arms King and Maxwell to back off. 

One of the interesting phrases used in this book is that Homeland Security trumps constitutional rights. I am a very strong believer in the constitution and it worries me that certain government agencies have a lot more authority to take action in the name of keeping people safe.  Don't get me wrong I  think there needs to be a certain amount of vigilance on the part of these agencies to deter terrorist threats.  Unfortunately this is a double edged sword since it seems to keep Americans safe certain privacy and freedom is taken away.  But that is a separate topic of debate.  Read the book it is good.