Two Books that have prompted me to changes

I suppose that it is rare that a book changes your life. It is more likely that you were ready for the change and the book just gave you a little push. In the last two weeks, I have had two pushes from books I have read. In a way the two books are similar. The first I discovered at Othona during our 5 day visit this week. I was in the library trying to avoid writing, when my attention was caught by Finding Sanctuary: monastic steps for everyday life by Abbot Christopher Jamison. A few years ago there was TV series in the UK which followed 5 men who entered Worth Abbey for 40 days and 40 nights of living the monastic life. I never watched it but I heard good things about it and I have always been interested to know more. Worth Abbey is Benedictine and about three years ago I followed a bible study book about the rule of St. Benedict. So, I imagine that I was predisposed to be interested in this book. I won't go into the details today of how it affected me but I will say that it has given me pause to reflect on the stresses of life and how to obtain real sanctuary from them.
The second book is called 'The Four Hour Work Week' by Timothy Ferriss. If you had the chance to look at the YouTube video of the interview with a banker (from the Southbank Show) in a previous post, you might also have followed the link to the blog where I found it. Timothy Ferriss is the author of this blog which I initially looked at because he had some interesting things to say about learning language. As it turns out, he has interesting things to say about a lot of other subjects as well.
What do these two books have in common for me? Ah well, more of that tomorrow!

Good weather at last!

Good weather has returned to the United Kingdom (well most of it!) for the time being. For a second day I have awoken to the sun streaming through the window. As you probably realized, this is the weekend, since on weekdays I awaken before the sun is up . It was such a surprise yesterday that I almost squandered the day. I found myself so used to doing in door activities that initially I fell into my usual routines. However, good weather is no time to sort out your cupboards or clean the house! I will admit to doing the laundry because no self respecting 'house wife' (and I use that term very loosely!) would pass up a day to dry clothes outside! I went for some short forays into the outside world and then retired to the garden in the afternoon to dig and cut and rake!

Today is equally as beautiful! Michael (Emma's partner) is playing cricket on the green nearby this afternoon and so Cliff and I shall gather up our living room furniture (more about that later!) and spend our afternoon drinking tea, nibbling on sandwiches and drawing on our meagre understanding of the 'laws' of cricket. But who cares whether or not one understands when the weather is beautiful and you are participating in a centuries' old game.

This morning we may go over to Wisley, the RHS garden about 15 miles from here. It is wonderful, and much more than just a garden. I have a membership with the RHS which allows us to go in free and also gives me a subscription to their equally wonderful magazine. When I was having radiotherapy, G.B. and I used to stop there regularly on the way home. It holds a special place in my heart!

Someone asked how I found out about Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. As is often the case with the new writers I discover, I usually read about them in the Guardian or Observer, or hear about them on a Radio 4 programme. Since she is a woman writer, it might have been on Women's Hour. Then again, it could have been on either Front Row, or Open Book. However it was, I highly recommend her. I've just started another of her books, The Priory.

Now to explain the meaning of 'I shall gather up our living room furniture'. Back in July the owners of our house shipped some of their furniture back to the United States. That shipment included everything in our living room. We ordered our new sofa in mid-July and it should arrive within the next two weeks (fingers crossed!). In the meanwhile, we are using two deck chairs and an adirondack chair. It works but I find myself longing for a sofa to lie out on!

Bored, bored, bored! And fed up!

Do I need to write more? School is nearly over and I must admit that I have completely lost interest. As a matter of fact, so have my students. We are all holding on by the skin of our teeth. (Have you ever written something and suddenly wondered what in heaven's name it means. What does it mean when I say 'by the skin of my teeth'. Now can you see how easily distracted I am. I go off on a tangent with no encouragement necessary. I was tempted to write 'at the drop of a hat' but was worried where that might take me. If any one knows what 'by the skin of your teeth' really means I would like to know.) I have to give exams and my students have to write them but neither they nor I have much interest in the process. I want to say, 'let's forget the exams and watch a French movie' but I know that my department head and principal wouldn't take kindly to that. Exams really are meaningless. I can't remember the last time a student surprised me on an exam by getting a much higher grade than I expected. Generally, they disappoint you but really is that much of a surprise. They are studying for countless other exams, not having enough sleep and as they are writing yours, they are thinking about the next one. I can tell you the level of each of my students (as can any teacher) so why bother to put us all through it at the end of the year. All of this bores me. Rigid, in fact!

I meant to talk about a book I was reading. I came to my laptop with that in mind. It's called Netherland and it's by Joseph O'Neill. I read about it first in the Guardian. They talk of it as a novel that will change the American novel. And it's about cricket and 9/11 and the immigrant experience and a marriage. I got it today and so far, I'm impressed. I'm also ready to visit the cricket club of the book, Staten Island Cricket Club. More to come on the book as I continue to read.

Books we have enjoyed

I really appreciated Donna Leon suggesting some authors that I might enjoy reading. I thought that I might do the same. As you may or may not know, I am a detective fiction fan. I want to amend that somewhat to say that I like books with mysteries, since not all of them include detectives, though I suppose that might not even be absolutely correct. If there is a mystery, there is a detective, whether that is their profession or not. Take Shadow of the Wind as an example. In that novel there is most definitely a mystery. A boy adopts a book from a secret library and then spends much of his life finding out what has happened to the author. The search frames his development and his future. I love that idea of adopting a book and ensuring that it does not cease to exist. In fact, I did the same in October when I came across a library in a Bridport church. I suppose it wasn't a library in the conventional sense, in that you could borrow books from it. It was rather a large, rambling collection of second handbooks which had almost taken over the church from the balconies to the basement. Cliff and I went in to have a cup of tea and look at a few books and were overwhelmed by the size. I bought a book with Shadow of the Wind in mind and it is now on my shelves...somewhere. I don't remember what it was called and shall have to look for it tomorrow and perhaps read it. I suppose that if no one reads a book then in a way it has ceased to exist. More tomorrow!

Back from London

I've been back from London for a few hours but I needed two naps to recover! My first port of call was the book shop to get a signed copy of Donna Leon's latest detective novel. It was a revelation and I will definitely go back. I arrived about 10 minutes before the signing was to start and decided to explore. On my way from floor to floor, I picked up two books, one that I had heard about somewhere and written about in my notebook (The Night Train to Lisbon) and the other a mystery, originally written in French and taking place at the turn of the century (19th to 20th that is). I can't remember its name. As I was wandering around, I started questioning my decision to come for this book signing. Why did I need an expensive hard cover book signed by the author? Would it really make any difference to my mother? So, by the time I had finished my travels, I had talked myself out of buying the book.

Then I came upon Donna Leon, down on the first floor. All the fans had been and gone and she was sitting by herself, other than two shop employees and her minder from the publishing company. Somehow, we started talking and she asked me what I was going to buy. As soon as she saw The Night Train to Lisbon, she apologized to one of the book store employees, and told me not to read it because it was so boring. As a group, we talked a bit about the author and whether or not he wrote in German or French. From there she went on to suggest some writers I might like. Finally, as an afterthought, I told her how much I enjoyed the descriptions of food in her novels. I have a recipe book coming out next year, she declared and then questioned the girl from the publishing company as to whether or not they were going to publish it. If not she said, it would be out in German or French, so that would be fine for me! I then went off and found a book by one of the authors she had suggested. The other author is out of print and so when I came home, I ordered one on Amazon. In the end I did buy a copy of the book to remind me of our conversation.

My next stop was to be the bakery. I didn't want to go by underground so I decided to walk. It wasn't a sunny day but it was warm. I walked and walked and walked and 40 minutes later I accidentally came across Elizabeth Street, home of my bakery. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't what I found. This bakery was rather like a very expensive dress shop which takes minimalism to the extreme. (I suppose they don't need many dresses since they're all so expensive and the customer wants to feel that they have something exclusive!) There were a few items on display in the window, but not the abundance one would expect from a bakery, trying to entice customers through the door. It was the same inside. I was met on entrance by a young woman who asked if she could help me so I told her about the biscuits I wanted, and then I choose a half loaf of sour dough bread (sold by the kilo). I took a quick look around but there was nothing that caught my interest. This is strange for a bakery! Next a young man came out from the back and sat down in front of a ledger. She told him what I had bought, he wrote down the figures and took my money. I said thank you and good bye and the young woman opened the door for me. I couldn't help but wonder if it was a front for something else but the bread is just too good for that! I don't think I'll be going back.

Off to London! If I'm lucky!

Yes, my wonderful two week holiday is allowing me time to go up to London. In fact, I think that I'll go twice. Once today (or tomorrow) and once on Friday. I don't like spending a lot of time up there because it exhausts me quiet quickly. This has always been the case, even before I had cancer. And the exhaustion is not just physical, but mental and emotional as well. So, long ago, I decided to choose one or two things to do and then come home. It's very tempting, especially since it costs so much to go on the train, to do as much as you can but I never find that very satisfying. Today, I'm hoping to go to a book signing (if the man who is going to value my house gets here before 10:30) and then to a French bakery.

First, the book signing! Donna Leon, who writes detective novels set in Venice, is at Hatchards today at 12:30. I have mentioned her writing a few times on this blog, especially in reference to her descriptions of food in Venice. I wouldn't normally go to a book signing. What do I have to say to Donna other than, 'Enjoyed your book'. However, I have difficulty finding birthday presents for my mother and I think that she would like a signed copy of Leon's latest.

The bakery is for me. I have been reading a cook book called 'Paris Sweets' by Dorie Greenspan. I recommend it if you enjoy baking pastries and desserts, or if you just enjoy reading cook books. This really is my kind of cook book - great recipes and a narrative that carries you through the pages. The very first recipe is for a biscuit called 'punition' (punishments)adapted from Boulangerie Poilâne. There is a Poilâne bakery in London I have discovered and I want to go and sample their wares!

So, here I sit waiting for the valuer and hoping that he shows up within the next hour! I need to catch the 11:23 at the latest in order to get there on time!

Food, Writing and the erotic

Of late, my favorite detective fiction writer is Donna Leon. Her detective lives in Venice and when he's not chasing criminals, he is eating the most wonderful meals cooked by his wife. And of course there are wines to go with these meals. Here is a quote from Suffer The Little Children:

Brunetti usually disliked eating the same thing for lunch and dinner, but the tuna steaks Paola had simmered in a sauce of capers, olives and tomatoes could hardly be said to have originated on the same planet as the tuna tramezzini he had eaten fro lunch. Tact and good sense prevented his making any reference to the latter, since comparison even with such paltry opposition might offend. He and his son Raffi shared the last piece of fish, and Brunetti spooned the remainder of the sauce on to his own second helping of rice.

"Dessert?" Chiara asked her mother, and Brunetti realized that he had managed to save space for something sweet.

"There's fig ice-cream," Paola said, filling Brunetti with a flush of anticipation....

Sensational it was, and after the four of them had managed to knock off an entire kilo, Brunetti and Paola repaired to the living room, each with a small glass of grappa, just what Brunett's Uncle Ludovico had always prescribed to counteract the effects of heavy meal.

I can't but wonder how it would be possible to do the same with a British detective. How could steak and kidney pie or a hamburger ever be as sensual as some of the dishes Brunetti describes. Moveover, he goes home for lunch! What detective does that! I love it!

I've been a bit preoccupied by the sensuality of food and drink in the last week. I'm not sure why. Reading another Donna Leon novel probably did it. So,when I went into a book shop yesterday looking for a book on Chinese cooking, I couldn't resist a book by Isabel Allende, Aphrodite: the love of food and the food of love.
This from the introduction:

The fiftieth year of our life is like
the last hour of dusk,
when the sun has set and one turns
naturally towards reflection.
In my case, however, dusk incites me to sin,
and perhaps for that reason,
in my fiftieth year I find myself reflecting
on my relationship
with food and eroticism: the weaknesses
of the flesh that most tempt
me are not, alas,
those I have practiced most.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Just a coincidence, I must add.