The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
If you haven't read it, I don't want to spoil it for you but I just have to say why I love it in a non-book review sort of way. (in no specific order)
It's Kathryn Stockett's first novel, which gives me incredible inspiration, hope and drives me to keep plugging along at my books.
This was the first time Nyla and I laid in bed reading together - our own books, (Nyla is now reading chapter books whew hew!). We're laying there, I'm reading The Help and she is reading, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney for hours until we fell asleep. It became a nightly thing while Andy was away fishing and for this, I will always remember these books and this special moment.
I found out to remove a broken light bulb from a socket use a potato. I can't wait to try this! Our house in Costa Rica has had so many broken light bulbs stuck in the sockets, if this works it will really make our day!
My exclusion is tangible...I have never felt the feeling that Skeeter felt; luckily I've always had friends that accepted and embraced my opinions and differences. So I feel lucky. Does that mean I need to stretch more in my views, I don't know; I'm for love not hate. I'm glad I wasn't around during that time in history. I would like to think I would be like Skeeter.
Even though November 8th is the tragic day of Treelore's death, out of all the days of the year Ms. Stockett picked that one, anytime I hear that date I think of the glorious day my beautiful daughter was born.
My circumstances are different from Aibileen's but I know the dread of the date and the loss she and others in the story felt.
Grits! I love grits, so I tried this cute little recipe that Aibileen sweetly prepared for Mae Mobley's birthday. Instead of strawberries, I used blueberries. (Andy liked it, Nyla not so much, me...I love grits :)
I celebrate the New Year's Day tradition of eating black eye peas for good luck. So, Skeeter and I not only have the love of writing in common but a tradition as well.
Minny, I'm just so thankful for her, she's tough, blunt and got your back.
For more information about The Help visit http://kathrynstockett.com/.
There are so many more reasons to read, The Help; this is just a few of mine. What are yours? Sending you hugs and love!
xxxxxoooo Michelle
Hey Everyone, I've been having some major glitches going on in my world...my cell phone has been working glitchey for about a month, our dishwasher was broken, our home phone and Internet have been out for 5 days.
So without all these "time savers" I found out that they were really time zappers for me.
At first I was upset, thinking I gotta get everything fixed right now but I realized I can't be mad for 5 days waiting on the repair guys.
Yes, I could have gone somewhere to get Internet service, I didn't really need my home phone so much, my cell phone worked enough until it finally sizzled in my hand (that was crazy!) I did manage to figure out how to publish this thank you note from my phone before the sizzle blackout - some might say the final straw but for me it wasn't.
Because...
I saw this station wagon driving down the road, boy it brought back memories; we had one similar when I was growing up. I was immediately brought back to when my Mom would pack up the station wagon and take my brother and I across country. We would bounce back and forth between seats, one of us laying down inching our toes into each others imaginary boundary line; in fact... we would lay all over the place in that cruiser, flopped over the front seat, feet dangling and chatting with Mom. When it was night, Mom had all the blankets and pillows piled in the back for us to sleep.
I remember one time as we were driving down the highway, it was 4th of July, my brother and I were propped up against the back window staring out searching for the occasional burst of a firework, blurring my eyes to make the headlights go blendy. Mom would always say they looked like a string of pearls.
That was excitement, in my little eyes, staying up well into the darkness of night, after awhile I would rub my tired eyes, fall asleep and wake up still in the back of the cruiser but the sun rising and in a new place.
As I turned off of Memory Lane and back into Glitchville - still no computer, waiting for a new cell phone replacement, my home phone doesn't work, dishes piled up because I don't want to empty the dishwasher, oh yeah, my dishwasher doesn't work, can't blog, can't look up anything unless I go somewhere and you know what...I didn't really care, there was a calmness in my house and in me, we actually did so much more together.
Now everything is slowly getting back to "normal" and I'm in Presentville. I love all the amazing things technology provides but I also love the beauty and freedom that not having it brings me, my mind is clear, I've embraced my family and friends without interruption.
I guess sometimes getting the cord cut is a good thing. For me, I just have to be reminded to take a vacation to Presentville every now and again. How about You where are you traveling to today?
Sending you love and hugs wherever you are...xxxxoooo Michelle
We are Independent and loving it! Thank you all who keep us that way! xxxxoooo Michelle
This picture of Nyla was taken at the Please Touch Museum Philadelphia, PA USA.
Grits! I love grits, so I tried this cute little recipe that Aibileen sweetly prepared for Mae Mobley's birthday. Instead of strawberries, I used blueberries. (Andy liked it, Nyla not so much, me...I love grits :)
