Gardening book over load!

                                 

 

                                  

Today I received two books by Gayla Trail - You Grow Girl and Grow Great Grub in the mail (a belated Mother's Day gift) . I barely started to look through them when my "Tia" (she is actually my husband's Aunt) came by to give me a two volume set of Success with House Plants. She got it at a yard sale for two dollars! It's so cool,  I learned on http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/book/msg0310340925932.html that what she bought was probable published from 1985-1993. By monthly subscription, cards /pages were issued to be placed in the binders. They are printed with pictures and description of plants and their care. We found that some cards are missing, but the person who owned the binders must have been pretty diligent about collecting their plant cards.  We could have sat for hours browsing through the cards, but we headed out doors so that I could show her the latest additions to my vegetable garden. In one day I collected quite a bit of info to help me in my quest to be a successful gardener.

God's Mountain - Read it

Babysitting this weekend, won't have time for much. Started The Girl with Dragon Tattoo last night. A Brown Eyed member text me yesterday that she finished the book. It's not like me to wait until the last minute to read the book club selection, but I have been running into books, that after I start a few pages I keep reading until I'm done.

 I read  God's Mountain  by Erri De Luca over the last few days, but I would have like to have read it in one sitting if I had the time. I checked Amazon to see if it's available in Italian and would have liked to buy it for my friend who has learned to speak Italian over the past few years, but the Italian copies I found must be first editions because they were way too expensive for me. Translated I found it so well written, I feel certain it becomes even more eloquent read in it's original Italian. A coming of age tale I would highly recommend to anyone.

So you want to know about the Book Club

So Nilki, you want to know how our book club works...well not like other book clubs I have heard or read about (they appear to be a lot more organized , but maybe not as much fun). A friend of mine who lives 300 miles away and has attended a few meeting over the years has told me she wishes she was close enough to attend regularly. So that says something about our little club! We do meet every 6 weeks or so, we focus on fiction, and food is mandatory. Beyond that, there isn't too much structure try as we may. But I do think the the following applies ( to date):

1. We have known each other for many years, some as far back as kindergarten.

2. We only have Latina women members with brown eyes, though we have never formally indicated it should be limited as such (regarding eye color, sex, or ethnic origin).

3. Members take turns hosting the meeting at their home, though not everyone does (and that's O.K.  they have their reasons).

4. The eats are potluck and the food is often connected to the book being discussed, though this isn't mandatory....any and all food is appreciated.

5. The host usually supplies the beverages and an appetizer - cleaning up is work enough!

6. Each year around Christmas time we meet at a location where we can have tea ( Huntington Library, The Biltmore Hotel, Trump International, Chado tea, Vintage leaf and others) and exchange small gifts.

7. One member selects a book we will read and discuss. We have been working on how to best do this for years, but I think (hope) we have it down now.  Alphabetically, each member chooses a book we will read at the next meeting. The books we read are fiction, and though we do often read popular or best selling novels, each person can select the book they wish to read. We have had our discussion/arguments about length, and content, etc. but if you pick it, we should read it is my motto. For the last selection a member offered up three books she would like to read, and the rest of us voted on which of the three we would ultimately  read - The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

8. How we discuss our books is another area of contention - as we come hungry - we meet around the dinner hour and chowing down takes precedence above all else. The problem is that we talk and eat, and eat and talk and laugh, talk and eat ..... you get the picture ( it can be loud and not usually an evening you will find my husband at home when it's my turn to host). Before you know it were full of food as well as drink (usually wine) and several hours have passed.

When we finally get to talking about the book, it may not be as involved and as detailed as it should. At the last meeting, I made sure to say that dessert would be served after the discussion, so we started a little sooner and had a lengthier and more interesting discussion.

Most discussion leaders use questions from the authors website if available, and we go from there. The friend that I mentioned previously, told me that she had tried to join several book clubs in her area that were more on the formal side and super cerebral, and not exactly to her liking. Well, not to say that we don't have our moments of literary enlightenment, but no one would feel intimidated by our book discussions or with our company...or at least I don't think they would.

So there you go, The Brown Eyed Girl's Book Club established in December 2002 and still  reading and meeting!

 I myself would be interested in hearing about how other Book Clubs came to be and if they have just as much trouble balancing the social and literary portions of their meetings as we do.

Art in San Pedro Ca.

I'm really hoping that I'll be back in shape by the weekend as I still plan to visit as many Art studios in San Pedro that I can on Sunday May 16, 2010. 50 Artist will open the doors to their studios located at Angels Gate Cultural Center. There will be free workshops, performances, demonstrations and munchies as well. There is a lot going on at Angel's Gate all year long and worth checking out, especially this weekend.

 The open Studio event will take place in conjunction with a San Pedro Studio Tour. Artist with Studios located from 3rd Street to 15th Street will also open their doors to the public. It's a big day for Art in Pedro. For more info and a map go to  http://www.angelsgateart.org/blog/.

Having enjoyed visiting quite a few Studios this past Thursday night in San Pedro, I'm feeling ready for more. On the First Thursday of each month, many of the same Artists that will open their doors this Sunday do the same.  In addition to the studios and galleries that are already there, businesses on 6th and 7th street participate by lending space to artists to show their work, and others provide music and special activities. Things get started at 6:00 p.m., and we were lucky to find parking when we arrived 30 minutes later. If you live any where near the Port of Los Angeles, save the first Thursday in June to get a taste of Pedro and the Art it offers.

                                                   

Backache and Brida

Wow! I strained my back a few days ago and my life is out of sync. Everything has suffered, my body, my garden, my social life and this blog! Just sitting here is starting to get painful, so I'll make it short. I finished reading Brida by Paulo Coelho. Along the way to becoming a witch Brida learns about herself and the importance that love has in fulfilling her destiny.  "finding one's Soul Mate was, after all, a divine mission in every one's life. Even if, one day, you were forced to part, love for your Soul Mate-according to both traditions-would always be crowned with glory, understanding, and a kind of purifying nostalgia." Those words and many others throughout  the book touch me as truths, and make what is supposed to be fiction very real. I'm planning to read The Witch of Portobello soon, also written by Coelho. The Brown Eyed Girl's Book Club will be meeting at the end of this month, and I have yet to start the book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - I must get started soon. I  know it's a popular read but I haven't felt too excited about reading it, I best just jump in and hope for the best!

Dora the Explorer in Arizona - It's Cinco De Mayo!

                                They got Dora! Man Arizona aint bullshittin with this new law.



Thought I would post this picture a friend text me the other day.

It's Cinco De Mayo, and tons of people (of all races and nationalities) in the U.S.will be drinking a whole lot of tequila tonight to celebrate a Mexican Holiday, while many people in Arizona have to worry because they are Mexican, documented or not. It's a twisted world!

The Lacuna and Frida

I have been reading The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver a bit at a time for the last 6 weeks (in-between the other books I have been reading). The book's fictional  character becomes intertwined in the lives of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and it provides a lot of factual information about them and their work. I'm enjoying the little tidbits of their real life thrown into this fictional account of a boy who grows up to be a writer and the influences these two very strong characters have in his life.
 I have always enjoyed Frida's paintings and Diego's murals, and have seen their work in numerous shows and permanent collections at different museums in the U.S. and in Mexico. I have also visited Diego's Studio and the Kahlo home (Casa Azul) in Coyoacan, Mexico. Go there if you can, a real Frida fan will find it magical.

                                                     Photo Courtesy of Running Toddler
 You can also check out this website, Frida Kahlo's Fans - http://www.fridakahlofans.com/index.html for everything Frida.

A night at the movies

I finished From the Ground Up The story of a first Garden by Amy Stewart. I borrowed it from the library, but I like it enough to want to have my own copy. Ms. Stewart's road to becoming a Gardener was not only endearing but filled with helpful and usable tips that I plan to use myself.

Reading was held to a minimum last night as I joined a few women folk to see the new Jennifer Lopez movie, The Back Up Plan. It's the kind of movie many critics will likely  pan, but I and most of the people in the audience enjoyed it for what it was - a light, and for the most part - humorous romantic comedy. There were many scenes that had us laughing, and ahhing (that was mainly when the cute french bull dog got a close up). Alex O'Loughlin (her love interest in the movie) had abs to admire, and that made up for having to see the unbelievable abs Jennifer is sporting after having twins in real life!