Category Archives: Books
Dick Lit
I actually believed I’d made up the literary descriptor ”Dick Lit” but a quick Google proved me behind the curve. But, whatever, I love it, because I’ve become so pissed with the “Chick Lit” thing. I mean, what happened to “Romance Novel?” Allison Pearson’s tremendous “I Don’t … Continue reading
Filed under A Couple of Bucks, Books, Into the Mystic, Library Card
Groovin’ With Grains
I’m not the crunchy granola type, but I’ve found decent whole wheat pasta, whole wheat couscous, and (maybe because my ancestors were Scots) I love barley. Bring on the bulgar! Smooches for spelt! Tonight, thanks to Lidia Bastianich, I’m fooling … Continue reading
Filed under A Couple of Bucks, Books, Food, Home
Wartime Chocolate Cake: Cheap, Cheerful, and God Help Me, Vegan
I’m lucky: publishers send me review copies of food related books, and I bless my not-zactly prodigious position in the food writing world that the mailbox serves up a delicious surprise once a month. A couple of days ago I … Continue reading
Filed under A Couple of Bucks, Books, Food
Adventures in Bookbinding: Ten Minute Notebook
I’ve diddled about with bookbinding since my twenties, when a magazine article — who knows where, because there was no Martha Stewart Living back then — with photos, showed me how to build a real book. Oh frabjous month! I cut pages … Continue reading
Filed under A yard of fabric, About a buck, Books, Cheap and Cheerful Object of the Day, Paper
Things I Learned This Week
It was a weather week and an insomnia week. Weather: grey skies, nearby tornadoes, humidity and temps in the sixties. The low sixties. Insomnia: Asleep by four am, though I’d been twitching in bed since midnight, then bolt upright at … Continue reading
Filed under Body, Books, Free, History, Into the Mystic, Library Card, On the Street Where I Live, The 'Ville
Boursin Boxes and Bliss
My readers have noticed , I’m sure, that I’m good at keeping myself entertained. Give me a piece of paper, half a pound of butter, a crochet hook, a yard of fabric or a book, and I’m all good. (In … Continue reading
Filed under Art, Books, How Cool is That?, Into the Mystic, Less than 50 cents, Origami, Paper
End of Year Lists
I’m not talking about New Year’s resolutions (I have yet to keep one, so why bother?) or Christmas lists –somehow Christmas has become much simpler. I’m talking about those “Best of” lists that bloom in the first week of December, … Continue reading
Filed under Books, Collections, Five bucks or fewer, Media, Worth it anyway
Remembering the Poppy
I don’t remember if the school handed us a poppy to wear sometime in early November, or whether we paid a modest amount to wear that beloved badge. Our fathers went to work, our mothers shopped and played bridge, the postman dropped by — … Continue reading
Filed under Art, Books, Cheap and Cheerful Object of the Day, History, Holidays, Less than 50 cents, Politics
Crafting Christmas — Mostly Martha.
I bow to everyone who looks to Martha Stewart for a new Christmas decor every year, for glam new table settings, for using Martha Stewart brand glitter on everything from Christmas cards to felt Advent calendars. From Her Greatness, I’ve … Continue reading
Filed under A yard of fabric, Apron of the Day, Body, Books, Food, Holidays, Home, Paper, Scent, Worth it anyway
Possible Death by Chocolate — A Night of Living Dangerously
Well, I’m exaggerating for effect — I’m gonna make it through the night. But in the last five years or so my body has been rejecting chocolate in an agonizing way, depriving me of one of the consolations of the … Continue reading
Filed under Books, Five bucks or fewer, Food, History
