Lemonpalooza

I have a lot of lemons.  Beautiful Meyer lemons.  My tree is extraordinarily fecund (that always sounds a bit off color...) this year.  Truly an embarrassment of riches.  I have heard you can keep ripe citrus on the tree for 10 weeks, and the quality will not be affected (my tree is in a sheltered spot, so frost is not an issue).  That said, I do feel quite a lot of pressure to put all my fruit to use.  In the December issue of Food & Wine magazine, there is a recipe for a lemon Bundt cake.  I made it today. It was quite a project--zesting all those lemons takes a fair amount of time!  But it was well worth it, as the cake is delicious. Actually, I didn't have to zest all 10 lemons--I mean, look at the size of these!  The lemon on the right is the usual size of a Meyer lemon, and I have just a few that size.  Most of the ones on my tree, however, are the size of the one on the left!  Why this is is anybody's guess.  Radiation from Japan?  Are they Three Mile Island lemons?  No, I don't think so.  Just a happy confluence of growing conditions that led to this crop.  I was worried that the size would mean a thick skin, more like a Eureka lemon, but no.  Thin skinned and juicy as always. There would have been an even bigger crop, but we had some crazy wind in early fall that knocked a lot of the baby lemons off (which, upon further reflection, may have led to the bigger lemons).  Perhaps just as well! Above are some of the ingredients for the Bundt cake--see how much zest there is?  The batter is thick and creamy--can you see the little flecks of peel in there?

See the finished product?  It's pretty!  I pasted the recipe in here from the Food & Wine  website, just so you know.  Read to the end of the recipe--I made a few small changes.

Lemon Bundt Cake

Food & Wine Magazine, December 2012

cake

1. Nonstick cooking spray


2. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting


3. 1 1/2 cups cake flour


4. 1 tablespoon baking powder


5. 1 teaspoon salt


6. 2 3/4 cups sugar


7. 1/3 cup lightly packed finely grated lemon zest (from 10 lemons)


8. 1/2 cup canola oil


9. 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled


10. 3 large eggs


11. 3 large egg yolks


12. 3 tablespoons dark rum


13. 2 tablespoons pure lemon extract


14. 3/4 cup heavy cream

lemon syrup

1. 1/4 cup sugar


2. 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice


3. 1 tablespoon dark rum

glaze and topping

1. 1 cup confectioners’ sugar


2. 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice


3. 1 teaspoon almond extract


4. 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted (optional)

1. MAKE THE CAKE Preheat the oven to 350°. Generously coat a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust the pan with all-purpose flour. Sift the 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and cake flour into a medium bowl, along with the baking powder and salt.


2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, use your fingers to rub the sugar with the lemon zest until the sugar resembles pale yellow wet sand. Add the canola oil and cooled butter and beat at medium speed until blended, about 1 minute. Beat in the whole eggs, egg yolks, rum and lemon extract until just incorporated, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the heavy cream and the dry ingredients in 3 alternating batches, starting and ending with the dry ingredients; be sure not to overbeat. Scrape down the side of the bowl and fold the batter until it is blended.


3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the surface. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a rack for 30 minutes.


4. MEANWHILE, MAKE THE LEMON SYRUP In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with the lemon juice and rum and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Let the lemon syrup cool slightly.


5. Invert the cake onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Using a wooden skewer, poke holes evenly all over the cake and brush with the lemon syrup. Let the cake cool completely.


6. MAKE THE GLAZE AND TOPPING In a medium bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar with the lemon juice and almond extract until smooth. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Sprinkle the almonds on top and let the glaze set, about 20 minutes. Cut the cake into wedges and serve.

I put 3 Tbl. of lemon extract in the cake, instead of 2 Tbl.  The Meyer lemons are so sweet, you can lose a bit of the lemony sharpness.  In the syrup I added a 1/2 tsp. of lemon extract, again for the same reason.  As far as the glaze goes, you can see it was a bit too thin.  Next time I'd add a bit more powdered sugar, so so much didn't end up puddling underneath. And finally, it said to bake for 1 hour, which I did.  Next time, however, I'd check it at 50 minutes, and I bet that 55 minutes would be perfect. Now, go make some tea.  This cake begs to be eaten with a cup of tea!

Please! Don't Do It!

[caption id="attachment_2947" align="aligncenter" width="232"] These people are NOT going to the mall later.[/caption]

I am so dismayed by the practice that has been evolving over the last few years, that is, stores being open on Thanksgiving itself.

I worked for a (very) little while last year, when things were rather desperate, in a retail store.  When it came to light that I would have to work Thanksgiving night, I just about cried.  Actually, I actually cried. What is becoming of us?  A time to celebrate and commune with family and friends, with no presents or "stuff," with a meal that can be quite  inexpensive to prepare, that is a quiet time to just be, and we want to go to the mall.  Stop it!  Go on Friday.  Or, better, on Saturday.

What do you need so badly that you must cut short your and your family's and the store clerk's Thanksgiving? Even if you do desperately need an off-brand flat screen TV at a ridiculously low price, you know that you are going to have to stand in line and then throw elbows like hell to get one (and still maybe not get one!). You do know that, right?  So please don't do it.  Think of the people who have to work in those stores, who have no choice and can't quit their jobs because they have to work on Thanksgiving.  Moms or dads who have made a feast for their families, which is quite a lot of work, and then have to go to out to their jobs at 8:00 at night.  It's not right.

Let's get back to being civilized, family-centric people who don't do things like act like a horde of barbarians for some crap at Target or Walmart.  Please.  Stay in and enjoy your family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving.

AMA? ACK!

I realize that this is a bit of a rant, and that I'm going to sound old and cranky.  I actually am old and cranky, though, so that's not terribly surprising. Let's proceed.

I watched the American Music Awards last night. Well, I was in the room most of the time when the American Music Awards were on.  Not usually my bag.  In fact, I've never seen them before, but that's just how the TV planets aligned in our house, and long story short, I saw the AMAs.  And I have to say...what the hell was that?

Is the dirty little secret of pop music that no one can carry a tune in a bucket?  Usher  performed the most insipid, not catchy, off-key crap.  He seemed like he needed a nap.  Watching Nicki Minaj confirmed to me that the wigs and costumes are to distract you from the the fact that there is no there there. A wildly manscaped (boyscaped?) Justin Bieber wore a little sleeveless top and performed some oddly acoustic thing, obviously meant to show what a serious artist he is, and it was all off-key. Pink did some post-apocalyptic domestic violence  acrobat piece (with body paint--of course), once again an insipid, not-catchy piece of work. Carrie Underwood had a great dress on , and I think I might have liked her song (and I'm not a country music fan), had she been on key. It's  bizarre--such mediocrity on an awards show.  But don't record sales speak to who is the "best"?  Why an awards show?

I have no problem with good pop music.  Beyonce? Adele? Gwen Stefani? All great artists, all pop to the nth degree.  Usher's song "OMG" (listen)--so fun, so catchy, and just a great piece of American pop. Pink's "Please Don't Leave Me" (listen) or "So What" (listen) and the rest of that Funhouse album is great pop music.  So what the Sam Hill was all that tripe last night?  The best part of the AMAs was Carrie Underwood  and Taylor Swift's dresses.  And Taylor Swift's eye makeup--she's got the smoky eye down pat (well, her makeup artist does). So here's some music to which you may want to lend an ear. Some pop, some not. Just a bit different.  Click on these links to hear some aural relief.

Batteries May Drain (Steve Hauschildt)

Super Rich Kids (Frank Ocean)

All Eyes on You (Diego Garcia)

In the Air (Morgan Page, Sultan, & Ned Shepard)

Come Visit Me (The Rosebuds)

Tongue Tied (Grouplove)

Shock Value (Little Grey Girlfriend)

Holy Holy (Wye Oak)

Young, Beautiful, etc. (Second Date)

Another English Summer (Future Loop Foundation)

When was the Last Time You Heard This??

Now, before we get to the 70's music, look what I found on TV!  It's fantastic--every night at 5:30 on the Rural Channel (the Rural Channel??) The Mary Tyler Moore Show comes on, and then at 6 it's The Bob Newhart Show.  It's still so good, still so funny!  Tonight's Bob Newhart was a Christmas episode, from 1972 no less, and Carol (you know, the receptionist that Jerry the Orthodontist and Bob share?) was drinking eggnog out of the water cooler, and she was, she confessed to Bob, swakked.   At 9:00 in the morning.  Oh, the good old days.

Speaking of which, here are some excellent, really old songs that don't seem to turn up very often on oldie radio stations, but that will definitely take you back to your misspent youth as soon as you hear them.  AM radio, station wagons, mood rings...well, cuddle up with your pet rock, click on the links, take a listen (skip those damn ads!), and see some interesting sartorial choices from the 1970s.

In the Summertime (Mungo Jerry)  I don't even know what to say about those sideburns. I don't think we should discuss the mesh shirt, either.

Spill the Wine (Eric Burdon)   When I was a little kid I wanted to be in a band and play that ridged wooden fish instrument that you drag a stick along.  Apparently it's called a guiro.  I used to play air guiro.  And perhaps I still do when I hear this song.

Wild World (Cat Stevens)  Obviously pre-Yusuf Islam.  I'm guessing he doesn't do too many frivolous love songs anymore.

[caption id="attachment_2832" align="alignright" width="176"] Sweet[/caption]

Love is Like Oxygen (Sweet)  When I hear this, I am immediately back at a junior high school dance.  Despite that traumatic experience, I still love this song.

Moonlight Feels Right (Starbuck)  Take a gander at the drummer's hair.  And who doesn't love a xylophone solo performed in a zip-up jumpsuit? (Sorry about the Julio's Costa Rican ad--it was the best version.)

Candy's Room (Bruce Springsteen)  Never really been a Springsteen fan, besides this and Born to Run.  But I sure do love this song.

[caption id="attachment_2834" align="alignleft" width="246"] Hot Chocolate[/caption]

Every 1's a Winner (Hot Chocolate)  Do young black men ever play guitar in bands anymore?  And those stripey pants! Well!

Dreamboat Annie (Heart)  This type of song is not usually my bag, but this is beautiful. Those Wilson sisters were so young! And so thin!

How great was that??  I hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane, back to a simpler time when your parents worried about things like fiscal cliffs and deficits and tax increases, and all you worried about was how well your hair was feathered and if your Angels Flights looked good.  Sigh.

What, Me Worry?

What could I possibly worry about with four more years of this administration?  How about, say, the rather large drop the stock market took this morning, for starters?  How about Iran? And Russia.  And China.  And paying for the boondoggle known as Obamacare.  And space!  I'm actually worried about space.  And the military. Oh yeah, I'm worried. I blogged back in January 2011 that Facebook was on the downhill slide, overrated.  And you see how that worked out.  So, while perhaps not in the same league as my snotty Facebook comments, let's just say that I think we should all be worried.  Not just me.

Of course I usually cling to my guns and my religion for succor, but right now I'll turn to what comforts me most of all.  My family, my friends, my home, my books, my music.   As such, I just finished J. K. Rowling's new book, coincidentally about a dirty political campaign, The Casual Vacancy.  I really, really liked it.  After the third Harry Potter book, I was kind of done with Rowling.  The books became overly long, and I got the impression she was being paid by the word, the books were so verbose.  In this book for adults (in which there are no witches or magic or anything--please don't ask), Rowling's talent really shines.

In the Harry Potter books, Harry lived with his aunt and uncle, the Dursleys, who were suburban, objectionable, self-satisfied, and just generally awful.  Of course, they get their comeuppance in every book.  The Casual Vacancy tells the story of people very much like the Dursleys. It's the tale of a small town called Pagford, and its town council.  One of the councilors dies unexpectedly (a "casual vacancy"), and there is a rushed election to fill the empty seat. Pagford is divided by those who feel the council housing (like Section 8 housing), known as The Fields, should be detached from Pagford, and those who feel it should be embraced. There is also a drug treatment facility in The Fields that would be shuttered if detached from Pagford.  Whoever fills the empty seat will dictate how the town proceeds.  Obviously, drama ensues.

I wonder if Rowling, when she was on the dole and jobless, was treated harshly by her suburban neighbors.  She has a penchant for skewering the mildly successful, and making them seem ridiculous. The characters and the setting of The Casual Vacancy is very English, which I think is probably why it hasn't received glowing reviews in the U.S.  Along with the councilors, there  are the computer-hacking, sex-having kids, from both Pagford and The Fields, that attend the local school.  There are drug addicts and their children.  It's not a feel-good story, not at all, and I wouldn't say just anybody across the board would enjoy it.  But I was completely absorbed.  I would love for Rowling to write a follow-up, to see what happens to the little citizens of Pagford.

Now I just have to wait to see what on earth will happen to us,  the little citizens of America.

Once Is Not Enough?

Well!  The past four years have been so great that we've signed up to have more of the same!  I am at a loss.  Most of all I feel  incredulous. And a little ill, frankly. I thought of hurling venomous invective, but I know that would somehow come back to bite me. If you are a small-business person or are in some way connected to the building trades, you know how rotten this recession has been and, now, will continue to be.  I've been hoping for a "Dewey Beats Truman" moment, but, sadly, I don't think it's coming.  Heaven help us.

I've Got the World on a (shoe)String...

Okay, here.  Listen to Frank Sinatra crooning for a mo if you want to, and then come back.  Now, Frank has the actual world on a string, what with sitting on a rainbow and all.  I, on the other hand, have a shoestring.

Belts are extraordinarily tight in this house (and not just because I eat too many carbs).  Times are not so good (like I have to tell you this). If Barack Obama is re-elected, and we continue on this course, the deficit will be up to God knows what by the time he finishes his second term.  That makes me feel the way I feel when I open my credit card bill:  panicky. And horrified.  Yes, it was for stuff we needed (refer back to tight belts, above)--well, mostly anyway, but holy moly, it sure adds up.  I'm pretty sure this is what Mr. Obama says when he gets the deficit bill at the end of the month-- "Well, it was for stuff that we needed--well, mostly anyway,  but holy moly, it sure adds up."  But the problem is, I don't think Mr. Obama feels my panic. Or my horror.

So maybe ask yourself how you are doing now, compared to four years ago.  Yes, Obama inherited a mess.  But boy oh boy did he make it worse.  Please, please, vote for Mitt Romney.  He's good at this.  Our country needs a CEO, not a professor.  I feel so strongly about this! Well, okay, that's the end of my stumping. I'd actually do more stumping if I got to wear a straw boater like Samantha Stephens did when she was trying to get a stop light on Morning Glory Circle.  And a sash.  I need a sash.

Moving on! Now, you know how much I love autumn, and my autumn decorations.  In fact you can read last year's post on the subject.  It seems like every year (for the last, actually, four or so years) I have had to ramp up my thriftiness.  I have purchased no new fall decorations.  Any recent acquisitions I have I scrounged from nature.  There I was, in the park, a crazy lady picking up acorns from under oak trees.  But you have to see them--they are like little textbook symbols of autumn.  So perfect, and I couldn't just leave them all there to be lawnmowered into oblivion.

And I love the big seeds from the California buckeye trees.  (By the way, the seeds are toxic, so don't lick them or anything.)  In autumn, the tree produces this odd, pear-shaped fruit that is really just a husk for the seed.  The seeds look like burnished nubbins of wood. Very fall-y. You can also call the seeds "conkers." Which we do.

Another natural decor item I'm putting to use are the rose hips from my garden.  I purposely did not deadhead the roses after their last bloom in the summer.  I wanted to see how all the rose hips would look, and they are so pretty!

[caption id="attachment_2721" align="alignleft" width="300"] Rose hips and Michael's scented pinecones[/caption]

They are perfect for standing in a vase or scattering in with conkers or acorns or, say, pinecones. In fact, I actually did buy one new autumn decoration, but it was cheap ($2.50!).  In Michaels they have mesh bags of scented pinecones.  I love how they smell, all cinnamony. The first day or two they are rawther pungent, but the scent softens pretty quickly and makes the area around them smell delightfully cozy.

While I was out foraging, feeling like a cross between Martha Stewart and Grizzly Adams, I came across these trees with the most beautiful berryish/seedish/flowerish things on them.  I picked just a few sprigs, came home, plunked them in a vase and, if I may say so myself, perfection!

So that, my friends, is this year's autumnal decorating on a shoestring.  And I do kind of feel like I've got the world on a string when I have beautiful things around me.  And so much the better if my beautiful things were free!

And don't forget--VOTE.

Why, Exactly, is Mutton Dressed as Lamb?

Do you remember when we were kids, and women aged?  What would happen if hair dye was banned , if low-rise jeans weren't sold in a size bigger than an 8, and we all cut our hair short?  What if plastic surgery was no longer allowed?  Men haven't really changed--you can look at pictures from the 19th century, and once you get past the regrettable facial hair choices, men just look like men.  This guy on the left (Frederick Robie, somebody important in Maine) could be someone you work with.  Well, except for that dreadful tuft of beard.  But he looks pretty normal.  Give him a shave, throw a polo shirt on him, and he could be golfing by noon.

Now let's go to the distaff side of the equation.  Look at this woman from the 19th century. I couldn't really imagine  taking her,  as-is, and plopping her down in a Starbucks.  Well, I mean, we'd get her in some cuter clothes, but there is no way she could make the transition the way Fred  there could. And she's much younger than him--I'd say she is about 30.  Woman just don't "time travel" as well as men.

Okay, now let's check out the 1950s. See this man on the left?  I'm pretty sure no one would look twice at him, wandering around Nugget.  Except for the hat.  We'd have to lose the hat.  So how about this woman, below?  Look--she's got gray hair.   I remember when women who were over 50 looked over 50. Women don't look like this anymore.  And I'm not sure why.

I was  in Walnut Creek one day, walking behind a slim young woman with long, perfectly highlighted hair, low-rise jeans, and very high heels.  She looked great and I felt a bit schlumpy.  And then she stopped to look in a store window, and happened to turn to face me.  Ack!  She was 62 if she was a day.  It was very, very weird.  Mutton dressed as lamb at its worst.

I don't have any insights.  I was just pondering the whole situation. I'm not sure why this happens--you can trot out that older woman are dismissed, or that youth prevails, or...I don't know.  Is it for men?  If you are 56, why would you want to be with a man who wants you to look, say, 35? And even if you do somehow manage to look that young, odds are you'll still lose out to an actual 35-year-old.  I mean, ask Demi Moore how it all worked out for her. Personally, I don't want to look like a girl.  I'm not a girl.  I used to be one, but now I'm all grown up.  We should be striving for grace, elegance, dignity.  Trust me, I'm certainly not saying I'm graceful, elegant, or dignified, but I strive to be those things.  It's no good striving to be a 30-year-old,  'cause that ain't gonna happen.

Embarrassingly Delicious Cookies

I've been awfully busy lately, what with bringing home the bacon AND frying it up in a pan.  I don't have as much time for baking, which bums me out.  A lot.   I came across this recipe in an old Pillsbury cookbooklet (they used to sell them at the grocery checkout stand, by the TV Guide--whoa! how old am I??) and it turns out these cookies are absolutely delicious.  Well, they are delicious if you like chocolate and peanut butter. The embarrassing part comes in when you read that the whole recipe hinges on cake mix!  Maybe I am dabbling in the dark arts here, what with a sort of semi-homemade kind of a thing,  but I will definitely make these again.  They are certainly not chic, delicate little biscuits, but if you are in a hurry, and want something that looks fall-y, and Halloween-y, these cookies will be right up your alley.

Peanutty Chocolate Cookies    makes 3 dozen

1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. chocolate fudge cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 (15 0z.) pkg. Reese's Pieces

1 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease cookie sheets with Pam, or line with a Silpat.  In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, butter, and eggs; beat at low speed just until moistened. Stir in Reese's Pieces and peanuts (this make take some doing, but be patient and keep at it).  Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and just barely press down, arranging 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes (I did mine for about 11 minutes--all depends on your oven).  Let cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes, then move to rack to cool. Eat three in a row.

I Can't Sleep!

Neither can I.  Partly due to age, partly due to worry, but I just don't sleep that well anymore. Well, I used to not be able to sleep.

A couple of months ago I read an article in First magazine about insomnia. One of the recommendations was to take magnesium, which helps not only with insomnia, but also with restless legs (yep, I had those too, hitting right at 9:00 every night) and night sweats (don't have those yet, but I'm sure they are coming.  Yay perimenopause!).  Apparently magnesium deficiency is a big cause of insomnia, restless legs, etc.  Who knew?

The product recommended is Natural Vitality Natural Calm.  I like the orange flavor. Follow the directions on the package, just mixing the powder into water a couple of times a day (actually, I've found that once a day, about 2 p.m., works well for me). The flavor is just slightly citrusy, and it's fizzy like Alka-Seltzer.  Using a water soluble powder works well to help your body absorb the magnesium. There is also another benefit besides insomnia help:  it keeps everything, uh, moving.  If you know what I mean. And I think you do.

I bought my Natural Calm on Amazon, and the first time I took it, I slept all night for the first time in I don't know how long.  I don't care if it was a placebo effect.  I'm just glad that it works quickly (I am a teensy bit impatient), and that it keeps working.  I'm on my second package.  It's not cheap, but an 8 oz. container lasts me about a month.  50 cents a night for good sleep?  Sold!

So I still have all my worries, it's just that I don't lie awake at 3:30 a.m. (unless things are really really bad) doing math (and it's always subtraction...) in my head, ruminating on the state of my finances, my life, my family, the world.  I save it for when I'm awake, which is better (no, really) because things always seem much worse in the middle of the night. And I feel like I'm a bit calmer during the day now (which would be why they call it the "anti-stress drink" on the label).  Now I can sleep almost every night, for most of the night.  Perhaps I wake up for a few minutes here and there, but I usually don't have the endless mind-racing, tossing-turning, panic-inducing insomnia that has been plaguing me for a very long time.   Give Natural Vitality Natural Calm a whirl.

Go Get This Book! Now!

I just finished Gillian Flynn's latest, Gone Girl.  Kindly avail yourself of the services of your nearest bookseller and buy this damn book! It's compelling and inventive and very creepy. Beautifully written, suspenseful, fast-paced--well, I know I'm gushing.  Just read it.  A lot of the time best sellers escape me--crap writing, predictable plot, sort of a lowest common denominator of literature.  But Gone Girl was utterly unpredictable and, I would have to say, masterful.  I couldn't put it down.  Go on.  Go get it.

It's Just So Hot!

It's so hot that it's like being snowed in (even though, no, actually, it doesn't snow here in Vacaville) because you can't even go outside!  I run out first thing in the morning to do errands, rush home, close the curtains, and hunker down and let the air conditioning wash over me.  So the kids will be back to school in a few days, and maybe you'll have some unstructured time on your hands, and  you're stuck inside.  How about a little something to read?

This summer I read a whole bunch of books (ahh, yes, that's the me I'm used to, the staying-home-reading one, not the hiking, out-and-abouting one), but I didn't love all of them.  Joan Rivers' latest, I Hate Everyone...Starting with Me, just wasn't that funny.   The Red House by Mark Haddon was kind of depressing, and I didn't really even like the characters (but I have to come clean and tell you I didn't finish it).  Peter Cameron's Coral Glynn was okay, but it seemed sort of self conscious--This is a Book That Takes Place in England in the 1950s.  These are all new books, all very popular, and I wanted to love them, but I didn't.

Here, however, are the ones I did love.  First of all, Hard Country, by Michael McGarrity. It's a Western, which isn't usually my bag.  Although, I did love Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, that  wildly popular Western novel from the 1980s.  Hard Country did sort of remind me of that book.  It takes place in New Mexico territory, and tells the saga of one John Kerney, and the trials of his life.  Very long, very good.  I cried in the end.

Next, I so enjoyed The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty. Apparently Ms. Moriarty happened to read a snippet about one summer in the life of silent film star Louise Brooks, and it sparked this novel.  When Louise Brooks was 15 years old, she was sent from Kansas to New York for a few weeks of dancing lessons, and she was sent with a chaperone.  This tells the imagined story of Cora, the chaperone, and her experiences with the scarily worldly, headstrong Brooks.  I loved it.

The Lifeboat  by Charlotte Rogan is a Titanic-era story.  It is, not surprisingly, the story of a ship that sinks and some of the passengers' (particularly one young woman who is a newlywed) ensuing time on a lifeboat.  It's almost a bit suspenseful.  I thought the ending was a little weak, but I still enjoyed it and think it's worth reading.

The Bolter is the true story of Idina Sackville, and it's told by her great-granddaughter, Frances Osborne.  Idina Sackville was part of the Happy Valley Set, wealthy British adventurers who settled in Kenya and were the subject of many stories, including James Fox's White Mischief (which was very interesting, I might add)  They were self-indulgent, lawless, careless, and selfish people.  Idina was no different, but Osborne is able to bring out another dimension to her, and we see her as a lonely, restless soul who, really, was just looking for someone to love her.  She abandons her marriages regularly, and was the inspiration for Nancy Mitford's character The Bolter in The Pursuit of Love (another of my favorites). I found it compelling reading.

Finally, Some Tame Gazelle, Barbara Pym's first novel, tells the story of two sisters, Harriet and Belinda, and their lives in a small English village, replete with vicars and curates and minor royalty and tweeds and tea and gardens. In parts I laughed out loud, even though the humor is subtle and gentle.  I just love Barbara Pym.  If you haven't read anything she's written, this is as good a place as any to start.

I'm still reading, so I'll have more ideas soon.  I'm just starting Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, and it looks interesting. I've got Frances Osborne's newest book Park Lane waiting for me at the library.  If you're feeling flush, grab a few of these books off Amazon.  If you're feeling po, well, reserve them on the library website.  Of course you know which way I'll be doing it.

Desolation Field Trip

You have to believe me, I'm really not an active person.  However, I just went on another field trip. This time we went on a hike, up in Desolation Wilderness, at Echo Lakes.  You know, I always think that "hike" sounds a bit over the top.  Usually a "hike" is just a walk on unpaved surfaces, which is pretty much what happened.  That is, until we got to The Bad Part.  Then it really was a hike.  Not a "hike."

Echo Lakes is a popular place to backpack.  The trailhead consists of a small store, some rawther dicey bathrooms, a boat launch, and some docks.  You have to get a trail pass (so they know who is on the mountain, I guess), but it's free.  The parking is minimal at the trailhead, but there is plenty on the road. It was very busy when we got there, really not desolate at all! (You know I'm going to work the desolation angle in every chance I get, right?)

Desolation Wilderness is an area of the Eldorado National Forest.  The desolation part actually refers to the lack of trees due to the high altitude, not the desolation I experienced in said wilderness.

Really, it is beautiful up there.  The trail is easily traversed, although quite rocky.  One must keep one's wits about oneself or else one will face plant on said trail. So I watched carefully as I walked.  The scenery is gorgeous.  This is the vista you see right as you begin the hike, not even breathing heavily yet.

When I hike, it turns out I have a tendency to bustle along.  I feel like I am trying to accomplish something, and when you accomplish things, you do them quickly and efficiently.  This is not, apparently, the correct way to approach hiking, and may well have contributed to experiences in The Bad Part.  Slow and steady is a far more appropriate tack, which I will certainly remember next time. I mean, the trail starts at about 8,000 feet, so I was already out of my depth with regard to the altitude, since  I struggle once I'm above about 5,000 feet.  (I know that sounds like I am constantly tromping through forests at high elevation, but really, nothing could be further from the truth.  I think this was the first time I'd actually hiked since 5th grade camp.)

Everything was going really well.  We were on a trail, moving through the forest, feeling the breeze off Echo Lake cool us.  I did find that I was getting a bit winded, but it's not surprising, since we were at about 8,000 feet.  We'd stop, have some water and a snack, and keep pushing on.  It wasn't super easy (remember, I'm not exactly Grizzly Adams), but it was very enjoyable.  Just enough of a challenge.

We saw many lovely cabins around the lake, and look--here's the one I will buy as a vacation home when I am wondering what to spend that extra million on. It was perfect--unobstructed lake view, big deck, tons of firewood piled outside (I could have a fire in the fireplace probably almost year 'round!), and boat-only access, which I think would certainly keep the riffraff out.  Except, of course, for riffraff like me who stand outside and take pictures.

Okay, about The Bad Part.  Now, I don't want you to think something horrible happened.  It didn't!  It's just that I am something of a tenderfoot, and I pushed too hard.  So we got to a place where two trails diverge, and we took the trail that led to Echo Peak, which is at about 8,900 feet. I was tired and I was huffing and puffing, since it was not only over 8,000 feet at that point, but it was also a very warm day.  The trail had been gradually becoming more and more rocky as we'd progressed, but at this point, all bets were off.  I swear, it looked like the Khumbu Icefall.  You know, on Everest?  Okay, that may be a teensy bit of an exaggeration.  But it was very steep, with big, loose, shardy cobbles that shifted and slid with every step.  I was struggling so much I forgot to take a picture! So we went about two hundred feet, and I had to stop.  Another hundred feet, stop.  And so it went, for about 300 yards, but I never really fully rested--I wanted to get The Bad Part over with!  Needless to say, I was not having fun.  We finally got to the end of the Khumbu Icefall, and I was kind of in a bad way.  I couldn't catch my breath, which was scary.  And then I got a little weepy (dare I say desolate?),  which made it even harder to breathe and...and....  Yes, I am a big baby.  I know.  But we asked someone coming down from the peak how much longer, and she said about 45 minutes, and that this trail was a butt kicker.  So that made me feel almost cheerful, that it wasn't me being completely a wimp. Maybe just partially a wimp.

We kept going for about another 15 minutes, and then we got scared about what would happen if I had a heart attack.  I mean, how embarrassing would it be to have a helicopter airlift me out!  No thank you. So, discretion being the better part of valor, we turned around and began our descent back through The Bad Part, down to lake level.

At the far end of the two Echo Lakes, there is a place to catch a water taxi that takes you back to the trailhead. It didn't take us too long to get back to the water taxi, and by then I was much calmer and enjoying my hike again. Here is the view of the lake from the taxi stand.  It was shady and cool, and there was a bench.  Phew!  Taking the water taxi was fun.  Speeding along the upper lake was just the right way to cool down, and we got a good view of all the cabins.  The upper and lower lakes are connected by a narrow strait, so the boat slows way down to maneuver through, and then we were back up to speed. The trip took about 10 minutes, and we disembarked at the trailhead.

So tired!  I dragged my sorry behind to the little store, and lo and behold they sold individual beers!  So we sat on the seawall (lakewall?), enjoyed this view, and we each drank a Heineken.  It was delightful, and a perfect way to end the day.

I thought I was getting in a little bit better shape, due to my exercising, but we completely overestimated my fitness.  Or underestimated my lack of fitness.  So next time, I want to go in the fall, when it's cooler, first of all.  Secondly, I will have been exercising a bit longer so I may be more able to climb to Echo Peak. But I'd like to take the water taxi to the far end of the lake, so that the peak is climbed while my legs and lungs are still fresh. Alternatively, we forget about Echo Peak and just hike around the entire upper and lower lakes. Although, if we did that, we'd miss out on the water taxi ride, which was awfully pleasant. Not sure how to play it next time, but there will definitely be a next time. I'm looking forward to it.