The Book Thief by Markus Zusak was scary, gloomy, sad, and "in your face". How else can Nazi Germany be described? Perhaps this book was written for young adults, but it was superbly efficient in getting across the feelings and actions of German citizens. I think we need reminding that every German was not a Hitler fan. I think it would be a good read for high school students.

I thought the use of color and Death as the narrator was very clever. The writing was very descriptive. The story is hopeful and realistic. The human spirit always amazes me as is seen in this story.

The Zoo Keeper's Wife (A War Story)by Diane Akerman pairs animals in the Warsaw Zoo with the lives of 300 Jews. Animals and people try to survive in the war torn city. This story is based on the journals of Antonia Zabinski , the zoo keeper's wife. Again, it is amazing how the human spirit and perseverance is forefront in dire times. Jan and Antonia give up their zoo animals to German Nazi zoos and a ravaged city, but help Jews hid in cages and tunnels throughout the zoo grounds. I never much thought about zoos during wartime.

I guess I'm on a Nazi , war kick. I found the book very interesting. It makes me wonder about the zoos in Iraq and Afghanistan. I wonder...

Aunt B Eats. We celebrated out wedding anniversary at Red Ginger in TC. This is a new upscale Asian fusion restaurant with a sushi bar and a great location-downtown next to the newly reopened State Theater. Since we wanted to do something special, we splurged. You'll see why I say that. BF had a steak- $34. I had Thai curry with chicken and prawns $19. We had potstickers, one house salad, a glass of Black Star late harvest reisling, and a coke.

So, what did I think? Well, I loved the red graphic circle material on the pillowed wall, the large white rectangular shades overhead, with the old yellow brick wall showing. Good acoustics because we could hear the music, but not the people on both sides of us. The restaurant has different levels including a sushi bar. It is definitely a new look for our area.

The food was very good. They have a great thing going with aromas- each time someone's food was served, I could get a whiff and it really made my mouth water. My green curry was very flavorful with the hint of grilled mushrooms and the prawns. It was a generous serving. BF's tenderloin with potatoes and asparagus was good, but I noticed that this entree was not a big enough serving for him. He said the cesear salad was very tasty with a hint of orange in the dressing. I can't judge the potstickers, but the ginger, orange, soysauce was yummy. I really liked the wine. So, it was a very good meal.

Here is the downside. After looking at the menu, we decided that there was only a few other items we would be interested in eating. I wonder if they will change the menus regularly. And we thought it was a bit pricey. It's not a place to go unless you are celebrating or you are willing to share with a friend. The ladies on both sides of us were having appetizers, sushi, and then a bowl of soup. Maybe that would be the way to dine at Red Ginger without breaking the bank.

Anyway, we enjoyed going and will have another food experience to chat about. It was better than winnowing beans which was the way I once celebrated our wedding anniversary.

Happy Christmas to me. I got my ice cream maker. Yeeessss. Just what I had been wanting. And, it can make frozen daiquiris. No, I am not replacing Moomers ice cream for the upcoming wedding. What I really want to make is lavender ice cream like I had at Bayfield on one of our vacations. It was wonderful. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Don't worry, we won't have frozen desserts every night of the week!

Aunt B Reads-Yes, I do. I have to report the latest book I have read. I am not going to give a long review. Just saying that I enjoyed the book Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Barcia Marques.

I can't wait to see the movie since this is such a complicated love story with lots of sexual exploitation and seduction. I just can't imagine how it will can be done tastefully.

Thanksgiving marched right on by and I was very thankful. The tree was put up the first week in December and time still marched on. Now we are almost to Christmas Day, and I have everything mostly done- shopping, food, housework, but I'm not in my jolliest mood. It's raining out. Mom is in the hospital and not able to come home for Christmas. This will be the first time we haven't enjoyed Christmas together. I'm especially thankful that the infection in her legs is much better and that there was no amputation. Whew!!! Anxiety, anxiety.

So, how to get out of the humbug syndrome before it is too late? Well, the other morning on the way to work I saw some big, big trucks with blue, green, and red light on their cab. I saw a little car with a big red nose, and I even noticed a car with reindeer on top. And what to my surprise, Santa was driving it. It made me chuckle.

The most uplifting was watching the eyes of my kindergarten students as we made Magic Reindeer Food out of oatmeal and glitter. I forgot how Christmas comes alive through the eyes of a child.

So, Merry Christmas and a tiny Bah Humbug too.

So why should I worry about places to go and things to do and neglecting my blog? Other exciting things can happen like: a cap fell off of my tooth and the check engine light came on to the tune of a $450 tune-up. I'll take back that boring common life and go for the more flamboyant stuff!!

What ta do- I've been so negligent. I guess I'm bored with blogging. Or maybe I just don't have anything exciting happening (not that life has ever been Hollywood, movie star, tabloid exciting). Just like so many other projects, once the newness wears off, I'm on to something different. But, let me back up, life is exciting. I'm just on a contemplative path.

After having another birthday, I figure I have another twenty or so years to enjoy. So, what do I do? Some people make a list of the things they want to accomplish or experience. A good idea, I say. Lists are great, but all that rushing around to get to something just doesn't make it with me anymore. I did the daily schedule- be on time, have a plan, get ready, for years. Now, I strive to be more spontaneous. I like the idea of being on "Navajo time". That means whenever I get there or start for that matter. Maybe I just don't want to put out the effort.

Or maybe I'm not being creative with my list. Let's see, I've been completely around the world from Iowa City, Iowa back to Iowa City, Iowa with stops in San Francisco, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Calcutta, Athens, Frankfurt, Iceland, and many points in between. I'd love to see Australia and New Zeeland. My big dream is to visit Machu Piccu. I've been to the top of the Tokyo Tower, viewed the Great Buddha, marveled at the mosaic work on the Taj Mahal, sat under the Buddha tree, roamed the Parthenon in Greece, saw the Lipizzans in Austria, and traveled by ox cart and freighter. What would I like to see? Well, for starters, the pyramids in Egypt, English gardens in London, and the sequoia trees.

OK, so now I'm started. I got out my book 1,000 Places To See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz. But, back to reality. I don't have the means to go to all of the places. Am I sad? No. Maybe if I had never been anywhere I would be longing and regretting.

So, I'm back to what do I want to accomplish and experience. The list needs to be about little things- birds, foods, day trips, changing my house around, cleaning out drawers. I need a list of common things, doable things, things I can do today without a major plan or money. Maybe that's the key. I don't need to hurry, I don't need the money, and the accomplishments don't need to be big. It's like Navajo time, whenever I start and whenever I get there, just being is enough.

Did that make any sense whatsoever?

Unbowed, A Memoir, by Wangari Maathai is an account of an amazing life. Maathai, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, is recognized for the Green Belt Movement, champion of human rights, and peace. As always, it is interesting to read about a life that starts very humbly and continues humbly even though she is now part of the Kenyan Parliament. Maathai has been harassed, jailed, put on assassination lists, been demoted, and censored by men and women alike in her country. Despite opposition, she continues her work helping women throughout Africa and the world by planting trees to create a more healthy environment for themselves and the future. I was fascinated in reading how she keep up her spirits and her bravery. She is an inspiration. Wow, what a powerful story! http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/

Happy Birfday to my amazing son, NB. For two weeks before you were born, it rained and rained. The day after you were born, the sun came out, it was in the 70's, and the leaves were a beautiful fall arrangement outside the hospital window. So, that's what it has been doing for the last few weeks-raining. Then today we had a gorgeous fall day. What a nice birthday present. Lots of love from your mum and pup. Can't wait till you can get your present. It's really neat!

I looked back to last year's blogging to see if we got a big snowfall. And yes, on Friday 13, 2006, we had a biggg snowstorm and school was closed. Lucky for the kids, etc., but I don't work on Friday so that part didn't thrill me. No such weather unluckiness this year.

We did get our first frost though, on Saturday night. I covered my window boxes and the ivy plants. But, the zucchini plants were burned and so were the tomatoes. I was up at 4:00 a.m. and the temp. was 30 degrees. I'll take 10 frosts to one snowstorm. I'm not looking forward to winter!!!

Bird Watch: The Crowned Sparrows are back. Is that a sure sign of fall? We also noticed that the Red-winged Blackbirds are gone. Our year-round resident, the cardinal is here. Mr. and Mrs. Red are having supper at the feeder at this moment. It's looking like fall here.

Reading Iran Awakening, by Shirin Ebadi was quite timely with all of the news about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad coming to Columbia University and his denial of the Holocaust. But, this is not about Ahmadubehad. This is the memoir of Shirin Ebadi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. It tells of her traditional life in Iran including childhood, education, and accomplishments as a judge. Ebadi was demoted in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. She was imprisoned, harrassed, and was on an assassination list. She is a national hero who has fought for women's right and a fair judicial system. She has defended democracy, free speech, and the rule of law.

Her big thing is to work within the context of Islam. Many of her cases for human justice have been based on text from the Koran. She writes," In the last twenty-three years, from the day I was stripped of my judgeship to the years doing battle in the revolutionary courts of Tehran, I had repeated one refrain: an interpretation of Islam that is in harmony with equality and democracy is an authentic expression of faith."

She feels that change in Iran must come peacefully and from within. Ebadi states," The West, for its part, has the option of using diplomacy to pressure Iran to change its behavior, from its human rights record inside the country to the nature of its nuclear energy program. ........ I can think of no scenario more alarming , no internal shift more dangerous than that engendered by the West imagining that it can bring democracy to Iran through either military might or the fomentation of violent rebellion."

I wonder what advice she would give our President and her own President if given freedom of speech and the freedom to live without fearing for her life? I would like to be the little fly on the wall. Read this book, I have only summarized some highlights.

A few weeks back, I went to the Epicurean Classic in TC . It was fabulous. A great place to rub elbows with the high brows, big rollers. and foodies around our parts. I went to a class given by Alice Medrich. She was basically promoting her new book, Pure Dessert. Lots of fun, since she made chocolate souffles, touilles, and honey ice cream. All were wonderfully tasty and easy to make.

My favorite was the honey ice cream. So, woe is me, I want an ice cream maker. I checked one out a the kitchen store and I have a $10 coupon there. I want one for my birthday which is coming up in Nov. Oh boy, there are so many yummy flavors to try. I wonder if we will be eating ice cream every night? I wonder if we could put just a few scoops in the bowl?

My sources say that it is totally out of the question. Don't even think about it. He screams, Are you nuts???

Want a quick and easy dessert? Well, tonight I'm preparing one of my favorite chocolate dishes. But, it's not in a dish. I'm talking about m&m peanuts in a 1.74 oz. bag. Now this chocolate specialty has 250 calories, 30 g of carbs, and 5 g of protein. It is really quite filling and satisfying. It tastes great with coffee, you get that sugar hit, and you won't be eating it for a week like you would a chocolate cake. So, that's the beauty of candy. Quick, easy, tasty. I have even put the cute yellow bag beside each plate. I don't think it fits in with the the sophisticated ways to serve up the dessert course, but it works for me. No fuss, no muss.

Given up on my blog? No way. School has started and I'm just getting back in the swing of being at work. Boy, did summer go by fast!!

The good news is that I'm still going to the gym. I went from lifting 5 lb. weights to 8 lbs. I am making progress. My back is still a problem, but I figure if I'm in pain, I might as well get some benefit from going to workout and be in pain. No, I don't overdo. I only go to the gym four days a week and lift weights the days I don't go. Don't mess wif me!

The wedding is over with and the happy couple are just back from their honeymoon. It was fun helping with the flowers and shower. The lesson I learned is to try to stay rested the week leading up to the big event. Seems like we had something that needed to be done every day and night. I hope I can take my own advice when the time comes. Another problem is the "add ons." You know, an event could always have more and more and more. Stick to the plan. That is, unless it makes things easier.

So, with the cool fall weather- upper 50's and rain, I craved meatloaf and mac and cheese. They are on this weeks menu. Soon it will be time to make soup. I need to find some new soup recipes. We love corn & cheese chowder and potato soup. Any yummy soup recipes out there?

The tables are set, the flower arrangements and candles are in place, the dance floor is ready, and the trellis is festively decorated. It's time for a wedding. Most everything has been accomplished. I even got a manicure (thanks to a gift certificate from the bride and mother-of-the-bride). The room looks lovely, so now it is just a matter of waiting until tomorrow.

After everything was in place, it seemed like we should have come home, changed our clothes, and gone back for the ceremony and reception. I sound like I want to get it over with, but that was just my feeling earlier in the day. I know there are mixed feelings about wanting it to be finished and on the other hand, wanting the time to slow down.

This wedding is a pre-play of the wedding coming up in May. Same location. I will be thinking about what needs to be done and what not to do. However, I'm sure this will be a lovely event.

Congratulations to Kendra and Walter!! Cheers!

Bird Watch: Dovey has not been sighted for the last few days. I hope he/she found her way back home. It always makes me curious when animals like that show up at our house. It's much the same as the way life presents unexpected events. This dove visit was a pleasant, quiet, and reassuring event.

Our preparations for the ground breaking for the library are finished. Sat. we took the gold shovels, ribbon tied spoons, and the tents to the building site and even though it rained, we had a successful ceremony with lots of celebrities, and kids. The next step is to see how much money we still need to raise. Then...drum roll... we will be putting up our new library. It is very exciting. I wish someone would come along and give our group about ten thousand so we would be done. It is a real achievement for our community to raise over $780,000. I'm proud!!

This week is dedicated to getting ready for KW's wedding. I am doing the flowers for the reception. I spent most of the day washing vases and chimneys. We have had some problems with getting the flowers, but KW isn't real fussy so we revamped our plans-thank goodness. I love doing this sort of thing.

More important to report is that I have been going to the gym. Boy, it is really easy to be out of shape. And, we are trying to eat more healthy. BF quit smoking and started going to the gym, so I am there as his support and I'm trying to strenghten my back. I give us an A+ for effort. Hope I can stick to it when school starts. BF is very dedicated and goes everyday after work. Next step, a body building contest. RIGHT, me and Arnold! The hardest thing is going out to eat and my craving for a little sweets after dinner. Any advice to keep us going?

Bird Watch: This has been the week for intensive bird watching. It started out with the fighting humming birds. Let me explain. We thought there were three: a male and two female hummers. But, as we observed more, there are at least three humming birds plus the male. We haven't seen him much lately. What we have seen are three hummingbirds buzzing around, fighting, chasing each other off, and chipping at us when we are sitting outside. We noticed the numbers since they like to sit on the top of the trellis in the garden. They won't feed at the feeder at the same time. When they chase each other, they come dangerously close to running into us. There they go again. One landed on top of the lilac tree just outside my window. It appears to be a female. All we can think of is that these are babies and the mother is trying to distance herself.

Almost every bird we usually see has been bringing their babies to the bird feeder. It's cheep cheep feed me. We had a rash of woodpeckers and now it is the goldfinches and house finches with their young. We also have a young blue jay that looks bald because it doesn't have its blue jay hair cut.

One evening, Mudge started barking and when I went to the front door, I was greeted by a whole flock of turkeys. Two hens had about two dozen babies and they were strutting through our yard. I shooed them away since I don't want them scratching in my garden.

Another interesting bird development is the white dove that has made itself at home in our yard. No it's not a mourning dove. I'm talking about a dove that you would keep in a coop and train to fly out and come back home. This bird is pure white with pink legs and is very tame. BF went right up to her/him and reached out his hand. Dovey didn't perch on his finger, but then she didn't fly away either( BF keep pigeons as a kid) . It doesn't have a band on its leg. I hope it goes home soon before the weather gets too cold. We think it is some kind of sign. Not quite sure what, but the bird is very pretty and makes us wonder. We are wondering if someone released it for a wedding or a funeral.

Ah, birdies.

Bayfield, Ontario gets the highest marks for our summer vacation. We traveled 430 miles to Fergus, Ontario, saw the Elora Gorge in Elora, went to a play in Stratford, and then drove to Bayfield. The best and most relaxing part of my four day trip was at the Little Inn of Bayfield. Bayfield is located on Lake Huron with one street of shopping and enough restaurants to give a variety of dining. We have been staying at the Little Inn since 2003.

Let's exclaim about the food- Wonderful! This is a four star inn, so I expected gourmet food, and I was rewarded with a sumptuous meal lasting a good two hours. BF had beef tenderloin, M and I had jumbo scallops and shrimp, and R had chicken. Now, that all sounds ordinary, but the whole meal was a gastronomic pleasure. I can't leave out the mango shrimp salad and lemon raspberry bomb.

Now, let's exclaim over the hospitality. Everyone was friendly, helpful, and available to make sure we had a grand time. Darren, the Inn manager, has always been gracious and was our waiter for the gourmet meal.

The Inn is old, quaint, and charming. The rooms we stayed in are newly remodeled on the second floor, so they were very comfortable, although I'm not sold on ThermoPedic mattresses.

We won't talk about the hour and half wait on the Blue Water Bridge to get into Canada and we won't talk about the two hour wait at the bridge when we came back home.

So, there it is for another year. You had to be there. Now I have to go back to work to pay for my vacation. Some people work to pay the bills, but I work to pay for my vacation. I'm already planning for next year.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick is a WOW book. It is about an orphan, Hugo Cabret, who lives in the walls of a Paris train station in 1931. His uncle, the clock keeper in the station, has disappeared and so Hugo keeps the clocks going in the towers. But, the story grows more complicated when he becomes involved with an old man who runs a toy booth and an unusual girl. The mystery includes a mechanical man, a notebook from the boy's dead father, and a heart-shaped key.

The story is intriguing, but the second WOW factor is the 284 pages of original drawings. There is a wonderful chase episode done in pictures. The book also includes elements of films so... it makes for a unique reading experience. The book is gigantic and the size could be a put-off for young readers, but the reading goes fast and the pictures keep the reading pace brisk. The story is based on a collection of mechanical wind-up figures known as automata and early films and photographs. Films and photographs are a part of the "illustrations".

This book can be enjoyed by young and old. I recommend this book to read to the kids, for young readers, and for adult who like the pure joy of reading.