I was doing a web search for any news on Torchwood, for a season 3. I came across this blog and it seemed an interesting read:
http://riverfox.livejournal.com/
Friday, May 30, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Email funny: Women Over 50
Women over 50 don't have babies because they would put them down and forget where they left them.
A friend of mine confused her Valium with her birth control pills... she has 14 kids but doesn't really care.
One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.
My mind not only wanders, it sometimes Leaves completely.. .
The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes.
The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you are doing, someone else does.
The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends.
Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today.
Sometimes I think I understand everything, and then I regain consciousness.
I gave up jogging for my health when my thighs kept rubbing together and setting fire to my knicker's.
Amazing! You hang something in your closet for a while and it shrinks 2 sizes!
Skinny people irritate me! Especially when they say things like...'You know sometimes I forget to eat!' ......Now I've forgotten my address, my mother's maiden name and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat. You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!
The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing and then they marry him.
And the last kernel of wisdom is: I read this article that said the typical symptoms of Stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too Fast. Are they kidding?...That's my idea of a Perfect Day!!
______________________________________
A friend of mine confused her Valium with her birth control pills... she has 14 kids but doesn't really care.
One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.
My mind not only wanders, it sometimes Leaves completely.. .
The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes.
The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you are doing, someone else does.
The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends.
Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today.
Sometimes I think I understand everything, and then I regain consciousness.
I gave up jogging for my health when my thighs kept rubbing together and setting fire to my knicker's.
Amazing! You hang something in your closet for a while and it shrinks 2 sizes!
Skinny people irritate me! Especially when they say things like...'You know sometimes I forget to eat!' ......Now I've forgotten my address, my mother's maiden name and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat. You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!
The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing and then they marry him.
And the last kernel of wisdom is: I read this article that said the typical symptoms of Stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too Fast. Are they kidding?...That's my idea of a Perfect Day!!
______________________________________
Quote
Forgive your enemies... it messes with their heads...
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
Chapter 1
I walk down the street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I fall in.I am lost ... I am helpless.It isn't my fault.It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter 2
I walk down the same street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I pretend I don't see it.I fall in again.I can't believe I am in the same place.
But it isn't my fault.It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter 3
I walk down the same street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I see it is there.I still fall in ... it's a habit.My eyes are open.I know where I am.It is my fault.I get out immediately.
Chapter 4
I walk down the same street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I walk around it.
Chapter 5
I walk down another street.
~ Portia Nelson ~
(There's a Hole in My Sidewalk)
Chapter 1
I walk down the street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I fall in.I am lost ... I am helpless.It isn't my fault.It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter 2
I walk down the same street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I pretend I don't see it.I fall in again.I can't believe I am in the same place.
But it isn't my fault.It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter 3
I walk down the same street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I see it is there.I still fall in ... it's a habit.My eyes are open.I know where I am.It is my fault.I get out immediately.
Chapter 4
I walk down the same street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I walk around it.
Chapter 5
I walk down another street.
~ Portia Nelson ~
(There's a Hole in My Sidewalk)
Tea Recipe: Very Berry Blend Tea
VERY BERRY BLEND TEA
2 oz fresh raspberries (about 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons dried lemongrass
2 teaspoons dried strawberry leaves
1 teaspoon dried hyssop leaves
1 teaspoon honey, or to taste
2 cups water, barely boiled
Place the fresh berries into teapot and mash lightly with a fork.
Add the lemongrass, strawberry leaves, and hyssop.
Pour the boiling water over the herbs, cover the pot and steep 10 minutes.
Strain, stir in honey until dissolved, and serve hot.
2 oz fresh raspberries (about 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons dried lemongrass
2 teaspoons dried strawberry leaves
1 teaspoon dried hyssop leaves
1 teaspoon honey, or to taste
2 cups water, barely boiled
Place the fresh berries into teapot and mash lightly with a fork.
Add the lemongrass, strawberry leaves, and hyssop.
Pour the boiling water over the herbs, cover the pot and steep 10 minutes.
Strain, stir in honey until dissolved, and serve hot.
[WeeklyJE] This Week's Journal Exercise
In your journal: Make a list of the five most important questions in your life right now. Where might you find the answers? How will these answers improve your life?
© http://www.aboutcreativejournals.com/
In your journal: Make a list of the five most important questions in your life right now. Where might you find the answers? How will these answers improve your life?
© http://www.aboutcreativejournals.com/
[WeeklyJE] This Week's Journal Exercise
In your journal: Make a list of your top five bonding experiences and/or the top five ways you enjoy bonding with friends and family. What are some ways you can set aside time to bond with a friend or family member each day?
© http://www.aboutcreativejournals.com/
In your journal: Make a list of your top five bonding experiences and/or the top five ways you enjoy bonding with friends and family. What are some ways you can set aside time to bond with a friend or family member each day?
© http://www.aboutcreativejournals.com/
[WeeklyJE] This Week's Journal Exercise
In your journal: If you could accomplish only three things this week, list what they would be? What about this year? This lifetime? What can you do each day to make sure you accomplish these three things? When will you do it? Schedule a time.
© http://www.aboutcreativejournals.com/
In your journal: If you could accomplish only three things this week, list what they would be? What about this year? This lifetime? What can you do each day to make sure you accomplish these three things? When will you do it? Schedule a time.
© http://www.aboutcreativejournals.com/
Tea Recipe: Green Tea Ice Cream
Green Tea Ice Cream
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoon powdered green tea
1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
1 cup light cream (half and half)
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat,
stirring, until the sugar melts, and simmer the syrup for 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of the syrup with the powdered
green tea, then add that mixture to the syrup in the saucepan, and
stir until evenly mixed.
Add the light cream and heavy cream , pour into an ice cream freezer,
and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoon powdered green tea
1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
1 cup light cream (half and half)
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat,
stirring, until the sugar melts, and simmer the syrup for 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of the syrup with the powdered
green tea, then add that mixture to the syrup in the saucepan, and
stir until evenly mixed.
Add the light cream and heavy cream , pour into an ice cream freezer,
and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
Quote
A woman is like a teabag, you never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Tea Recipe: Lemon Curd
Lemon Curd
c/o The Art of Simple Food, by Alice Waters
Makes 2 cups
Wash and dry:4 lemons
Grate the zest of one of the lemons on the small holes of a grater.
Juice the lemons; there should be about ½ cup juice.
Beat until just mixed:
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
Stir in the lemon juice and zest and add:6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces.
Cook the mixture in a small nonreactive heavy pan, stirring constantly, over medium heat until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Do not boil or the eggs will curdle. When thick, pour into a bowl or glass jars to cool. Cover and refrigerate.
http://otherpeoplesfood.blogspot.com/2007/12/meyer-lemon-curd-response-to-nightmares.html
c/o The Art of Simple Food, by Alice Waters
Makes 2 cups
Wash and dry:4 lemons
Grate the zest of one of the lemons on the small holes of a grater.
Juice the lemons; there should be about ½ cup juice.
Beat until just mixed:
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
Stir in the lemon juice and zest and add:6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces.
Cook the mixture in a small nonreactive heavy pan, stirring constantly, over medium heat until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Do not boil or the eggs will curdle. When thick, pour into a bowl or glass jars to cool. Cover and refrigerate.
http://otherpeoplesfood.blogspot.com/2007/12/meyer-lemon-curd-response-to-nightmares.html
Sunday, May 18, 2008
From The Sunday Times
April 6, 2008
It’s ok to think Doctor Who is gay, says David Tennant
Last night David Tennant returned to the small screen as Doctor Who. The 36-year-old is considered by many viewers to be the best incarnation yet. Far from milking his celebrity, though, he hardly ever speaks to the press and is wary of adding his name to worthy causes. In this rare interview, his former landlady talks to him about his religious background, his hybrid car and his views on fame. She also reveals what she knows about his steely character and his flamboyant take on clothes
Arabella Weir meets David Tennant
Since he was just three years old, David Tennant has passionately wanted the role of Doctor Who. No doubt he wasn’t the only one who thought he could play a Time Lord – but it was an unlikely aspiration for a boy who, like Gordon Brown, was a son of the manse.
And unlike all those other little boys, he did indeed grow up to play the Doctor – currently in his 10th incarnation on Saturday night television.
His father, the Rev Sandy McDonald, is a Church of Scotland minister in Paisley, near Glasgow. So David went to church regularly all through his childhood – and his father also happened to be the minister for his primary school.
According to David, Sandy is “a dramatic, lively, engaging and entertaining speaker” (and I can attest to this, having seen him in the pulpit).
Was it witnessing the effect and popularity of his father’s addresses, I ask, that drove him towards acting as a career?
“Possibly. I was very young when I decided that’s what I wanted to do, so it’s hard to know how much of a conscious influence Dad was.
“I remember, after seeing Jon Pertwee turn into Tom Baker in Doctor Who, having a conversation with my parents at a very young age about actors and what they did. I remember getting the distinction between a character and an actor, as they explained it. I understood what fiction was very clearly – and I always feel uneasy when people talk about children not understanding the difference between fantasy and reality.
“I can only have been three, and was just enthralled by [Doctor Who]. But I was quite clear that I didn’t want to be a Time Lord – I wanted to be the person who played a Time Lord,” says David, who had to change his surname to Tennant when he started acting because there was already a David McDonald in Equity, the actors’ union.
His parents, though always encouraging and supportive, tried to steer him towards more secure careers.
However, David tells me that he “never once wavered” from his chosen path – rather extraordinary, considering that he’d decided on his future while still a preprimary school toddler. Steeliness is probably his defining characteristic – and he was obviously just as steely then as he is now.
We know each other well, having first met in October 1993. As a jobbing actor, I’d gone to Glasgow to play a part in a series called Takin’ Over the Asylum – about a hospital radio station based in a mental health facility. My first scene was with a young Scottish actor – it was of course David, who was playing a bipolar teenager.
He was 22 and had only just started acting, yet his confidence and determination were extraordinary. We hit it off straightaway, and early the following year he moved to London where he rented a room in my house for five years.
His subsequent success owes much to his aforementioned steeliness. That is not to say he’s ruthless, unkind or lacking in generosity; quite the contrary. But he is absolutely determined – in fact enviably so for a man in a business that positively engenders insecurity and self-doubt.
He has always been able to look after himself. At 17 he left home to go to live in Glasgow – first with his older sister and then with a succession of fellow students – until he graduated from drama school in 1991. This made him unusually self-sufficient for his years.
And he’s very organised. When we lived together I was always teasing him about his alphabetised CDs, for example.
Still single (the tabloids have, usually erroneously, linked him with various women, including Kylie Minogue), David is pretty careful in all his choices. The only area in which he goes positively mad is in his choice of clothes. In fact his wardrobe can be very flamboyant, which is why those who know him quickly gave him the monicker of “metrosexual”.
In the early days many of my friends (principally male, I’ll admit), thought that he must be gay. “He has to be – you’re his best friend, and look at the way he dresses,” they’d protest.
Leaving aside the suggestion that an association with me reflects on a man’s sexuality, I had to break it to them that just because a guy wears a red velvet suit and is able to form a close friendship with a woman he isn’t sleeping with doesn’t necessarily mean he’s homosexual.
David, meanwhile, took all this teasing in his stride; he is so unmacho and fair-minded that the speculation about his sexuality never bothered him . “Why would it?” he’d say. Now, that’s what I call a real metrosexual.
In all the time I’ve known David he’s never been out of work. It’s not that he is the best actor in the world – it’s more that his success is down to a fusion of talent and unshakable self-belief.
It’s quite bizarre witnessing how famous he’s become. Often, when we go out together, large groups of women will visibly go weak at the knees. Does he mind being pestered by fans?
“It comes with the territory,” he says. “Some days it’s tricky; other days, not at all – and, anyway, who am I to complain about how hard it is to be famous? It’s not.”
Unlike some, David doesn’t leap indiscriminately at the endless party invitations and goodies offered to celebrities; he’s also increasingly reluctant to give print interviews.
Is this because he’s a control freak, I suggest, and doesn’t like the idea of not being able to control what’s written about him?
“Erm, it is slightly controlling of me, I agree,” he says. “But it’s all too easy to become defined by your press cuttings. I’m much happier going on a radio show and talking nonsense for 20 minutes. I’m an actor, after all.”
He also subscribes to the Marlon Brando take on actors who sound off about world affairs: “Just because a guy’s famous doesn’t make what he thinks interesting.”
But, I point out, I know he cares about climate change – and he did just buy a hybrid car.
“Exactly,” he replies. “Now, I’m clearly no Al Gore, but I liked the idea of doing my bit. And then you get someone telling you that the environmental cost in manufacturing a [Toyota] Prius [petrol-electric car] is worse than driving some gas-guzzling monster for 10 years.
“I have no idea what the truth is, although of course I should have found out. The person who told me that may have a grudge against Toyota. So I really don’t want to get into the trap of sounding off about anything I don’t know enough about. It’s very easy to get seduced into believing your opinion is informed just because people ask you for it.”
What about using celebrity to promote a worthwhile cause – isn’t that a good idea?
“It is a fact that sprinkling a bit of celebrity over certain causes probably can make a difference. And maybe it’s pompous to sit at home thinking that I want to preserve my integrity when, actually, if you waved a wee flag for something, it might make a few quid for a worthy cause.
“It’s a balancing act that I find a bit of a struggle, to be honest. Mostly I just muddle through, trying to do the decent thing from moment to moment.
“Is it churlish to have the power to influence things and choose not to because you fear being misrepresented? I don’t know. I don’t manage to be consistent about it, anyway. I’m never sure how vain to be.”
It takes a cool head not to be inflated by the news that fans voted him the best Doctor Who of all time, in a BBC magazine survey. And they will certainly be pleased to know that David hasn’t come close to tiring of his Time Lord role yet. Indeed there are three feature-length specials on the horizon.
Meanwhile, he is about to take on the arguably more challenging role of Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Naturally, he’s quite nervous about scaling this particular rock-face – but then, if he weren’t, he’d probably cock it up. “I always have that Presbyterian voice in my head, saying, ‘Could do better’,” he admits. “But I quite like that.”
The new series of Doctor Who continues on Saturdays on BBC1
_________________________________________
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Winspear, Jacqueline: Messenger of Truth
Book cover:
London, 1931. ON the night before the opening of his new and much-anticipated exhibition at a famed Mayfair gallery, Nicholas Bassington-Hope falls to his death. The police declare the fall an accident, but the dead man's twin sister, Georgina, isn't convinced. When the authorities refuse to conduct further investigations and close the case, Georgina---a journalist and infamous figure in her own right---takes matters into her own hands, seeking out a fellow graduate from Girton College: Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and investigator.
The case soon takes Maisie to the desolate beaches of Dungeness in Kent, as well as the sinister underbelly of the city's art world. And while navigating her way into the heart of the aristocratic yet bohemian Bassington-Hopes, Maisie is deeply troubled by the tragedy of another, quite different family in need.
In Messenger of Truth, Maisie Dobbs again uncovers the dark legacy of the Great War in a society struggling to recollect itself in difficult times. But to solve the mystery of the artists's death, she will have to remain steady as the forces behind his fall come out of the shadows to silence her.
Following on the bestselling Pardonable Lies, Jacqueline Winspear delivers another vivid, thrilling, and utterly unique episode in the life of Maisie Dobbs.
Okay, first off, this is an exceptional book. Delving into the mysteries and lives of the art world and the plot line of this story. Great book. Highly recommended.
But.....I think I hated this book. It is so filled with pain and despair that it affected my mood, or maybe it was my mood that affected how I related to the book, who knows. Several of the plot twists I probably could have lived without, personally. But they do not take away from the book, it really just enhances the emotions that the characters in the book are going thru.
But one pet peeve: I know we live in a time of "liberation" and "self-sustaining" lifestyles for women. I'm all for a strong female character. But it seems that time and time again, I am drawn to these series where the female lead is "doomed" "meant to" (whatever) be alone. As someone who is alone, I find it really irritating. It is all well and good to have characters who are so self assured that they don't "need" anyone else to make them whole. That is really great. But it seems to be a trend to have female characters standing alone rather than in a compatible relationship with whomever.
Not to take away from the character of Maisie Dobbs. It is just that by this time you've seen her go thru so much pain and desolation, that you just hope and pray that she finds someone, if not a mate/soul companion, then a truly good friend that she can enjoy life with. She is by now seeming to be so isolated. I hope that in the next installment, she starts living "outside/with-out" herself and has some joy in her life.
Okay, here are some of my favorite passages in the book...
[Billy] "So, what you're sayin' is that I've just got to swallow it and go on wiv me job."
Maisie nodded. "Look at the world beyond your immediate emotion, the immediate fury of inequality. Choose your battles, Billy."
The sea lapped even closer, though Maisie remained in place, her hands holding her collar to protect her neck. It's because it's the beginning, and also the end. That was what she loved about the place where the water met the land---the promise of something fresh, a suggestion that, even if what is happening now is to be suffered, there is an end and a beginning. I could sail away on that beginning, thought Maisie, as she turned to leave.
Something had been ignited within her in that house. If her soul were a room, it was as if light were now shining in a corner that had been dark. And she'd been touched by something less tangible, something she'd found among people who saw nothing unusual in painting trees on walls. Perhaps it was the freedom to strike out on one's own path, seeing not a risk in that which was new, only opportunity.
---but Nolly is the eldest, and that's almost like being another parent.
London, 1931. ON the night before the opening of his new and much-anticipated exhibition at a famed Mayfair gallery, Nicholas Bassington-Hope falls to his death. The police declare the fall an accident, but the dead man's twin sister, Georgina, isn't convinced. When the authorities refuse to conduct further investigations and close the case, Georgina---a journalist and infamous figure in her own right---takes matters into her own hands, seeking out a fellow graduate from Girton College: Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and investigator.
The case soon takes Maisie to the desolate beaches of Dungeness in Kent, as well as the sinister underbelly of the city's art world. And while navigating her way into the heart of the aristocratic yet bohemian Bassington-Hopes, Maisie is deeply troubled by the tragedy of another, quite different family in need.
In Messenger of Truth, Maisie Dobbs again uncovers the dark legacy of the Great War in a society struggling to recollect itself in difficult times. But to solve the mystery of the artists's death, she will have to remain steady as the forces behind his fall come out of the shadows to silence her.
Following on the bestselling Pardonable Lies, Jacqueline Winspear delivers another vivid, thrilling, and utterly unique episode in the life of Maisie Dobbs.
Okay, first off, this is an exceptional book. Delving into the mysteries and lives of the art world and the plot line of this story. Great book. Highly recommended.
But.....I think I hated this book. It is so filled with pain and despair that it affected my mood, or maybe it was my mood that affected how I related to the book, who knows. Several of the plot twists I probably could have lived without, personally. But they do not take away from the book, it really just enhances the emotions that the characters in the book are going thru.
But one pet peeve: I know we live in a time of "liberation" and "self-sustaining" lifestyles for women. I'm all for a strong female character. But it seems that time and time again, I am drawn to these series where the female lead is "doomed" "meant to" (whatever) be alone. As someone who is alone, I find it really irritating. It is all well and good to have characters who are so self assured that they don't "need" anyone else to make them whole. That is really great. But it seems to be a trend to have female characters standing alone rather than in a compatible relationship with whomever.
Not to take away from the character of Maisie Dobbs. It is just that by this time you've seen her go thru so much pain and desolation, that you just hope and pray that she finds someone, if not a mate/soul companion, then a truly good friend that she can enjoy life with. She is by now seeming to be so isolated. I hope that in the next installment, she starts living "outside/with-out" herself and has some joy in her life.
Okay, here are some of my favorite passages in the book...
[Billy] "So, what you're sayin' is that I've just got to swallow it and go on wiv me job."
Maisie nodded. "Look at the world beyond your immediate emotion, the immediate fury of inequality. Choose your battles, Billy."
The sea lapped even closer, though Maisie remained in place, her hands holding her collar to protect her neck. It's because it's the beginning, and also the end. That was what she loved about the place where the water met the land---the promise of something fresh, a suggestion that, even if what is happening now is to be suffered, there is an end and a beginning. I could sail away on that beginning, thought Maisie, as she turned to leave.
Something had been ignited within her in that house. If her soul were a room, it was as if light were now shining in a corner that had been dark. And she'd been touched by something less tangible, something she'd found among people who saw nothing unusual in painting trees on walls. Perhaps it was the freedom to strike out on one's own path, seeing not a risk in that which was new, only opportunity.
---but Nolly is the eldest, and that's almost like being another parent.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Winspear, Jacqueline: Pardonable Lies
Book cover excerpt:
In the third novel of this bestselling series, London investigator Maisie Dobbs faces grave danger as she returns to the site of her most painful memories from the Great War to resolve the mystery surrounding a pilot's death.
Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone. Alexander McCall Smith's Precious Ramotswe. Every once in a while, a detective bursts on the scene who captures readers' imaginations---and hearts---and doesn't let go. And so it was with Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs, who made her debut just three years ago in the eponymous first book of her series and is already on her way to becoming a household name.
In the third novel of this unique and masterly crime series, a deathbed plea from his wife leads Sir Cecil Lawton to seek the aid of Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and investigator. As Maisie soon learns, Agnes Lawton never accepted that her aviator son was killed in the Great War, a torment that led her not only to the edge of madness but also to the doors of those who practice the dark arts and commune with the spirit world.
Maisie accepts the assignment--determined to prove Ralph Lawton either dead or alive--and in doing so is plunged into a case that tests her spiritual strength, as well as her regard for her mentor, Maurice Blanche. The mission also brings her together once again with her college friend Priscilla Evernden, who served in France and who lost three brothers to the war--one of whom, it turns out, had an intriguing connection to the missing Ralph Lawton.
Following on the heels of the triumphant Birds of a Feather, Pardonable Lies is the most compelling installment yet in the chronicles of Maisie Dobbs, "a heroine to cherish" (Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review).
I continue to love this series, but this one is a most troubling installment. Maisie goes thru a "dark night of the soul" that threatens her stability. You travel with her through her roller coaster of a case. Actually, there are 3 cases, and somehow they all have a connection. But the devastation to Maisie herself is really what moves this installment. Her relationship with her late mother is dipped into a little bit more. The spirituality side of Maisie comes thru even more here, and is what helps her deal with her memories of the war, a betrayal of trust, and attempts on her life. Quite an emotional tale, this one.
I have a hard time reviewing these books without giving something away, which is why I include the book cover excerpts. Needless to say, I haven't been disappointed by this series yet, and truly doubt I will be.
________________________________
In the third novel of this bestselling series, London investigator Maisie Dobbs faces grave danger as she returns to the site of her most painful memories from the Great War to resolve the mystery surrounding a pilot's death.
Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone. Alexander McCall Smith's Precious Ramotswe. Every once in a while, a detective bursts on the scene who captures readers' imaginations---and hearts---and doesn't let go. And so it was with Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs, who made her debut just three years ago in the eponymous first book of her series and is already on her way to becoming a household name.
In the third novel of this unique and masterly crime series, a deathbed plea from his wife leads Sir Cecil Lawton to seek the aid of Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and investigator. As Maisie soon learns, Agnes Lawton never accepted that her aviator son was killed in the Great War, a torment that led her not only to the edge of madness but also to the doors of those who practice the dark arts and commune with the spirit world.
Maisie accepts the assignment--determined to prove Ralph Lawton either dead or alive--and in doing so is plunged into a case that tests her spiritual strength, as well as her regard for her mentor, Maurice Blanche. The mission also brings her together once again with her college friend Priscilla Evernden, who served in France and who lost three brothers to the war--one of whom, it turns out, had an intriguing connection to the missing Ralph Lawton.
Following on the heels of the triumphant Birds of a Feather, Pardonable Lies is the most compelling installment yet in the chronicles of Maisie Dobbs, "a heroine to cherish" (Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review).
I continue to love this series, but this one is a most troubling installment. Maisie goes thru a "dark night of the soul" that threatens her stability. You travel with her through her roller coaster of a case. Actually, there are 3 cases, and somehow they all have a connection. But the devastation to Maisie herself is really what moves this installment. Her relationship with her late mother is dipped into a little bit more. The spirituality side of Maisie comes thru even more here, and is what helps her deal with her memories of the war, a betrayal of trust, and attempts on her life. Quite an emotional tale, this one.
I have a hard time reviewing these books without giving something away, which is why I include the book cover excerpts. Needless to say, I haven't been disappointed by this series yet, and truly doubt I will be.
________________________________
Don't quite know what to make of this, LOL:
"Self-important and irritating"
Fri May 9, 2008 1:26pm EDT
LONDON (Reuters) - England is an irritating and insular country full of overweight, binge-drinking, reality TV addicts, a new guide warns tourists.
But in the new Rough Guide to England, the English are also hailed as a nation of animal-loving, tea-drinking charity donors who love nothing better than forming an orderly queue.
Gone, it seems, is the image of a genteel country awash with Englishmen politely tipping their bowler hats, groping through the London fog and being kinder to pets than kids.
The writers confess to bafflement over the quirky English, concluding that of the 200 countries the guide reviews there is none "so fascinating, beautiful and culturally diverse yet as insular, self-important and irritating as England."
They said the English are proud of their multi-culturalism and are united by one thing -- their sense of humor.
But there are constant contradictions. In a country priding itself on patriotism, they have a Scottish Prime Minister, an Italian football coach and a Greek married to the Queen.
They are gently mocked as voracious consumers of celebrity chit-chat and "as a glance at the tabloid newspapers will confirm, England is a nation of overweight, binge-drinking reality TV addicts."
(Reporting by Paul Majendie, Editing by Steve Addison)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
"Self-important and irritating"
Fri May 9, 2008 1:26pm EDT
LONDON (Reuters) - England is an irritating and insular country full of overweight, binge-drinking, reality TV addicts, a new guide warns tourists.
But in the new Rough Guide to England, the English are also hailed as a nation of animal-loving, tea-drinking charity donors who love nothing better than forming an orderly queue.
Gone, it seems, is the image of a genteel country awash with Englishmen politely tipping their bowler hats, groping through the London fog and being kinder to pets than kids.
The writers confess to bafflement over the quirky English, concluding that of the 200 countries the guide reviews there is none "so fascinating, beautiful and culturally diverse yet as insular, self-important and irritating as England."
They said the English are proud of their multi-culturalism and are united by one thing -- their sense of humor.
But there are constant contradictions. In a country priding itself on patriotism, they have a Scottish Prime Minister, an Italian football coach and a Greek married to the Queen.
They are gently mocked as voracious consumers of celebrity chit-chat and "as a glance at the tabloid newspapers will confirm, England is a nation of overweight, binge-drinking reality TV addicts."
(Reporting by Paul Majendie, Editing by Steve Addison)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Quote
"To admit authorities, however heavily furred and gowned, into our libraries and let them tell us how to read, what to read, what value to place upon what we read, is to destroy the spirit of freedom which is the breath of those sanctuaries. Everywhere else we may be bound by laws and conventions - there we have none."
Virginia Woolf
________________________
Virginia Woolf
________________________
Friday, May 9, 2008
Quote
where words are scarce there are seldom spent in vain,
for they breathe truth that breathe their words in pain.
~ william shakespeare
for they breathe truth that breathe their words in pain.
~ william shakespeare
Winspear, Jacqueline: Birds of a Feather
Book cover detail:
Jacqueline Winspear's marvelous and inspired debut, Maisie Dobbs, won her fans from coast to coast and raised her intuitive and resourceful heroine to the ranks of literature's favorite sleuths. Birds of a Feather finds Maisie on another dangerously intriguing adventure in London between the wars. It is the spring of 1930, and Maisie has been hired to find a runaway heiress. When three of the heiress's old friends are found dead, Maisie must race to find out who would want to kill these seemingly respectable young women before it's too late. As Maisie investigates she discovers that the answers lie in the unforgettable agony of the Great War.
This book is as good as the first, and lends even more insight into the world of the time and life after WWI. Details of the times that I first learned about in one of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody books. To reveal it here would be to give away an important plot detail in the book, so read it and find out.
Jacqueline Winspear is rapidly joining the ranks of my favorite authors. I enjoy a good read that requires me to pay attention to even some of the smallest details. She delves into a spiritual level of investigation that insists that we each take stock in our own intuition and instincts. That to deny them or to push them aside as not worthy or notice is to deny part of ourselves, and part of our inherent warning system. Maisie Dobbs is a character that prompts us to use more of our "brain power", our intellect, our observations, our gut urges, etc. Brava!
_____
Jacqueline Winspear's marvelous and inspired debut, Maisie Dobbs, won her fans from coast to coast and raised her intuitive and resourceful heroine to the ranks of literature's favorite sleuths. Birds of a Feather finds Maisie on another dangerously intriguing adventure in London between the wars. It is the spring of 1930, and Maisie has been hired to find a runaway heiress. When three of the heiress's old friends are found dead, Maisie must race to find out who would want to kill these seemingly respectable young women before it's too late. As Maisie investigates she discovers that the answers lie in the unforgettable agony of the Great War.
This book is as good as the first, and lends even more insight into the world of the time and life after WWI. Details of the times that I first learned about in one of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody books. To reveal it here would be to give away an important plot detail in the book, so read it and find out.
Jacqueline Winspear is rapidly joining the ranks of my favorite authors. I enjoy a good read that requires me to pay attention to even some of the smallest details. She delves into a spiritual level of investigation that insists that we each take stock in our own intuition and instincts. That to deny them or to push them aside as not worthy or notice is to deny part of ourselves, and part of our inherent warning system. Maisie Dobbs is a character that prompts us to use more of our "brain power", our intellect, our observations, our gut urges, etc. Brava!
_____
Stevenson, Robert Louis (1850–1894). A Child’s Garden of Verses and Underwoods. 1913.
38. From a Railway Carriage
FASTER than fairies, faster than witches,
Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches;
And charging along like troops in a battle,
All through the meadows the horses and cattle:
All of the sights of the hill and the plain 5
Fly as thick as driving rain;
And ever again, in the wink of an eye,
Painted stations whistle by.
Here is a child who clambers and scrambles,
All by himself and gathering brambles; 10
Here is a tramp who stands and gazes;
And there is the green for stringing the daisies!
Here is a cart run away in the road
Lumping along with man and load;
And here is a mill and there is a river: 15
Each a glimpse and gone for ever!
(quoted in Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear)
38. From a Railway Carriage
FASTER than fairies, faster than witches,
Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches;
And charging along like troops in a battle,
All through the meadows the horses and cattle:
All of the sights of the hill and the plain 5
Fly as thick as driving rain;
And ever again, in the wink of an eye,
Painted stations whistle by.
Here is a child who clambers and scrambles,
All by himself and gathering brambles; 10
Here is a tramp who stands and gazes;
And there is the green for stringing the daisies!
Here is a cart run away in the road
Lumping along with man and load;
And here is a mill and there is a river: 15
Each a glimpse and gone for ever!
(quoted in Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear)
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Winspear, Jacqueline: Maisie Dobbs
From book cover:
She started as a maid in an aristocratic London household when she was thirteen. Her employer, Lady Rowan Compton, a suffragette, took the remarkably bright youngster under her wing and became her patron, aided by Maurice Blanche, a friend often retained as an investigator by the elite of Europe. It was he who first recognized Maisie's intuitive gifts and helped her to earn admission to prestigious Girton College at Cambridge where Maisie planned to complete her education.
The outbreak of war changed everything. Maisie trained as a nurse, then left for France to serve at the Front, where she found---and lost---an important part of herself.
Ten years after the Armistice, in the spring of 1929, Maisie sets up on her own as a private investigator, one who has learned that coincidences are meaningful, and truth elusive. Her very first case involves suspected infidelity but reveals something very different. In the aftermath of the Great War, a former officer has founded a convalescent refuge for those grievously wounded, ex-soldiers too shattered to resume normal life. It is a working farm known as The Retreat. When fate brings Maisie a second case involving The Retreat she must confront the ghost that has haunted her for ten years.
I was charmed and very moved by this book. The empathy and insight of the title character, Maisie Dobbs, is a delight to read. She sounds like a person everyone should be blessed to have in their life. And to read her backstory, it is touching and heartbreaking. And she uses her insight to aid her client(s).
Her first client is a gentleman who suspects his wife of infidelity. Maisie makes sure that she finds out what he intends to do with the information, and how he would react if it were proven true. She is an ethical person, who wants to make sure that nothing untoward and "evil" will come of her investigation. The story then spins into another case. The whole book is truly a joy to read and I cannot recommend it enough!
She started as a maid in an aristocratic London household when she was thirteen. Her employer, Lady Rowan Compton, a suffragette, took the remarkably bright youngster under her wing and became her patron, aided by Maurice Blanche, a friend often retained as an investigator by the elite of Europe. It was he who first recognized Maisie's intuitive gifts and helped her to earn admission to prestigious Girton College at Cambridge where Maisie planned to complete her education.
The outbreak of war changed everything. Maisie trained as a nurse, then left for France to serve at the Front, where she found---and lost---an important part of herself.
Ten years after the Armistice, in the spring of 1929, Maisie sets up on her own as a private investigator, one who has learned that coincidences are meaningful, and truth elusive. Her very first case involves suspected infidelity but reveals something very different. In the aftermath of the Great War, a former officer has founded a convalescent refuge for those grievously wounded, ex-soldiers too shattered to resume normal life. It is a working farm known as The Retreat. When fate brings Maisie a second case involving The Retreat she must confront the ghost that has haunted her for ten years.
I was charmed and very moved by this book. The empathy and insight of the title character, Maisie Dobbs, is a delight to read. She sounds like a person everyone should be blessed to have in their life. And to read her backstory, it is touching and heartbreaking. And she uses her insight to aid her client(s).
Her first client is a gentleman who suspects his wife of infidelity. Maisie makes sure that she finds out what he intends to do with the information, and how he would react if it were proven true. She is an ethical person, who wants to make sure that nothing untoward and "evil" will come of her investigation. The story then spins into another case. The whole book is truly a joy to read and I cannot recommend it enough!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Mandela concert line-up unveiled
The Soweto Gospel Choir will sing for Nelson Mandela in Hyde Park
Queen, Leona Lewis, Annie Lennox and the Soweto Gospel Choir are among the acts that will appear at a concert for Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday in June.
The former South African president will travel to London for the 27 June event, which will also feature Dame Shirley Bassey, Simple Minds and Razorlight.
Tickets go on public sale on Friday and Hyde Park will host a crowd of 46,664 - Mr Mandela's old prison number.
It is now the name of his Aids charity, which will get proceeds from the show.
Surprise stars
Organisers have promised further stars on the bill, with "several major artists keeping silent about their involvement in order to take both Mr Mandela and the audience by surprise", a statement said.
Eminem, U2, Amy Winehouse and the Spice Girls are among the other acts who have been mentioned in the press.
The other confirmed performers include Sugababes, Andrea and Sharon Corr, Eddy Grant, Italian star Zucchero and Spanish group Amaral, while Queen will perform with vocalist Paul Rodgers.
Annie Lennox played a key part in the foundation of 46664 in 2003
British-born, South African-based pop star Johnny Clegg is on the bill, as are a number of other African acts including Sipho Mabuse, Loyiso, Papa Wemba and Emmanuel Jal.
There will also be an appearance by The Children of Agape, a choir of Aids orphans who were the subject of the film We Are Together.
Anybody who registers on the 46664 website before 1800 BST on Tuesday will be able to buy pre-sale tickets from 0900 on Wednesday, before they go on general sale at 0900 on Friday.
When the concert was announced, Mr Mandela said: "You all know that I am supposed to be retired.
"But my friends and the charitable organisations that bear my name want to use my 90th birthday year to raise funds to continue our work and so of course I want to help them.
Concerts were held for Nelson Mandela at Wembley Stadium in 1988 and 1990
"So, we have a bargain - I am going to London and they will host a concert in Hyde Park, which will raise awareness of our continuing work and much needed funds."
The concert comes 20 years after the landmark spectacle at Wembley Stadium to call for his release from prison and to mark his 70th birthday.
Eurythmics, Sting, Whitney Houston, Simple Minds and Dire Straits were among the stars who performed at that event on 11 June 1988.
Another concert was held at Wembley after Mr Mandela was released two years later.
_____________________________________
Queen, Leona Lewis, Annie Lennox and the Soweto Gospel Choir are among the acts that will appear at a concert for Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday in June.
The former South African president will travel to London for the 27 June event, which will also feature Dame Shirley Bassey, Simple Minds and Razorlight.
Tickets go on public sale on Friday and Hyde Park will host a crowd of 46,664 - Mr Mandela's old prison number.
It is now the name of his Aids charity, which will get proceeds from the show.
Surprise stars
Organisers have promised further stars on the bill, with "several major artists keeping silent about their involvement in order to take both Mr Mandela and the audience by surprise", a statement said.
Eminem, U2, Amy Winehouse and the Spice Girls are among the other acts who have been mentioned in the press.
The other confirmed performers include Sugababes, Andrea and Sharon Corr, Eddy Grant, Italian star Zucchero and Spanish group Amaral, while Queen will perform with vocalist Paul Rodgers.
Annie Lennox played a key part in the foundation of 46664 in 2003
British-born, South African-based pop star Johnny Clegg is on the bill, as are a number of other African acts including Sipho Mabuse, Loyiso, Papa Wemba and Emmanuel Jal.
There will also be an appearance by The Children of Agape, a choir of Aids orphans who were the subject of the film We Are Together.
Anybody who registers on the 46664 website before 1800 BST on Tuesday will be able to buy pre-sale tickets from 0900 on Wednesday, before they go on general sale at 0900 on Friday.
When the concert was announced, Mr Mandela said: "You all know that I am supposed to be retired.
"But my friends and the charitable organisations that bear my name want to use my 90th birthday year to raise funds to continue our work and so of course I want to help them.
Concerts were held for Nelson Mandela at Wembley Stadium in 1988 and 1990
"So, we have a bargain - I am going to London and they will host a concert in Hyde Park, which will raise awareness of our continuing work and much needed funds."
The concert comes 20 years after the landmark spectacle at Wembley Stadium to call for his release from prison and to mark his 70th birthday.
Eurythmics, Sting, Whitney Houston, Simple Minds and Dire Straits were among the stars who performed at that event on 11 June 1988.
Another concert was held at Wembley after Mr Mandela was released two years later.
_____________________________________
Thursday, May 1, 2008
'Very excitable virgins' dominate town
"Cranford" about a 19th-century British town and its spinster gossips
Film, airing on PBS Sunday, stars Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton
Show was huge hit in UK when it aired last year
Film, airing on PBS Sunday, stars Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton
Show was huge hit in UK when it aired last year
LONDON, England (AP) -- "Cranford" doesn't follow the trend to sex-up TV adaptations of British classics, and the screenwriter is proud of it.
"There is no sex," laughs Heidi Thomas, who adapted Elizabeth Gaskell's witty and astute observations of mid-19th century village life in Northern England, where a group of spinsters dominate social mores. "You are dealing with a lot of very excitable virgins, and that to me is so much more delicious than sexing it up."
The cast concurs.
"If it's not there, you don't think about it," says Imelda Staunton, who plays Miss Pole, the most nosey and gossipy of the group.
"I think it can be sexy if it's suggestion -- touching hands can be erotic," observes Judi Dench, a teasing sparkle in her eyes. She plays Miss Matty Jenkyns, who's at the heart of the story, her chance at marriage denied by prudence, duty and fate.
Both diminutive but commanding, Dench and Staunton were seated side by side at a press appearance. With a few sidelong glances and an occasional chuckle -- but mainly with unfussy common sense -- they mused on an era where the cut of a bonnet denoted status, and feelings were buried deep beneath propriety and etiquette.
The three-part miniseries, on PBS Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT (check local listings), first aired on the BBC last year. The British media had expected the adaptation to be just another in a long line of period dramas. But the production went on to garner critical acclaim and strong ratings, prompting plans for a two-part sequel next year.
Dench feels the British audiences responded "to the sense of community" depicted in the sweetly sad and quaintly funny story of everyday life and eternal values. "Despite everyone knowing everyone's business, in a nosey way, nevertheless it's about being there for each other," she said in a later phone interview.
At one point, the project was deemed too expensive to film -- and ultimately, fewer episodes were made than originally planned.
Dench's involvement was always paramount. Luckily, when filming finally began last year, she was still available, despite her high-profile, international career, which includes her recurring role as M in the James Bond movies.
"I had read 'Cranford' at school, but I hadn't remembered much about it," says the 73-year-old Academy Award-winning actress. She reread the book and immediately recognized the quality of Thomas' adaptation. "You know straight away -- when you read something and you can hear how you are going to say the words. The whole situation and the characters just jumped off the page. The adaptation was very, very true."
She particularly likes that, although Miss Matty's joys and sorrows lie at the core of the adaptation, it's an ensemble piece. "Everyone gets a turn, and a very good turn, a very good go," she says.
The cast also features Eileen Atkins, who plays Miss Deborah Jenkyns, Miss Matty's firm but fair-minded sister; Michael Gambon as Thomas Holbrook, Miss Matty's one-time suitor; and Philip Glenister as Mr. Carter, a modern-minded land agent
Additionally, Francesca Annis portrays Lady Ludlow, the local landowner trying to cling to a heritage threatened by the rise of the Industrial Revolution and the coming of the railway. And Simon Woods proves that while the series may not depict anything blatantly sexy, it certainly offers up a handsome romantic hero. His character is Dr. Frank Harrison, whose arrival causes hearts to flutter.
The town of Knutsford, Cheshire, which Gaskell fictionalized for her story, proved to be too altered by time, so the historically preserved village of Lacock in Wilshire provided the main location.
Dench says that the Victorian costumes were a huge asset in dictating the way the actors portrayed the manners and mannerisms of the Cranford folk. "If you put on those clothes you can't slouch in a chair, you have to sit on the edge," she says. "The costume entirely informs -- the minute you put it on all the other bits fall into place."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/01/apontv.cranford.ap/index.html
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