Loving Frank - book by Nancy Horan

I finished listening to the unabridged audiobook Loving Frank by Nancy Horan last night.  The book is a fictionalized account of the true (some would say "scandalous") love story of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney.

My interest in this book came from listening to a podcast from the BEA BookExpo 2007 Editors Buzz Forum where Susanna Porter from Random House shared about this new book that was coming out in the summer..  The cover of the book is lacking in my opinion and didn't really draw me in, then I remembered what it was about.  Utilizinging my local public library (funded partially by my taxes) I checked out the CD version and listened to it on my iPod.

Admittedly I didn't know much about Frank Lloyd Wright or the buildings he designed, so I picked up another book in the library full of photos of his famous designs and was shocked to learn of the tragic ending to this story.  Even knowing the ending before listening to the last few chapters still left me unsettled after finishing it.

Fascinating to read about Mamah's life and education.  Reading of her remarkable ability to learn multiple languages, translation work for the Swedish writer, Ellen Key and and her interest/involvement in the feminist movement shows how far ahead of her time she was.

Reading (without judgement) of Frank and her life choices and situation, (especially during that time period), I cannot even begin to understand the mix of pain and joy it brought to them, their extended families, friends and clients.

Well written and interesting read.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Remember that game Pick Up Stix?

Well I've been picking up sticks since I got home from work tonight. We had quite the storm blow through here last night, thunder that just kept reverberating with non-stop lightning plus high winds. Put it all together and it equals a new version of pick up sticks.

Woke up this morning to survey the damage, very minimal actually. Lost one small/young tree and thank goodness it fell away from my car. Lots and lots of sticks and branches in the driveway and around the yard. I cleared the driveway this morning so I could go to work then came home and worked the immediate area around the house.

I'm betting this is going to be a regular activity this summer and unlike the game of "pick up stix" these sticks are scattered near and far and aren't as colorful. With a break in the humidity and high heat we have had for the past 5+ days, it was nice to be outside tonight with cooler air.

Pick Up Stix photo fused with permission from http://www.boardgamegeek.com

Living in Amish Country

In the area where I live there are Amish communities nearby. I don't see many families traveling by horse and buggy around town (although I did see a buggy with horse tied up in front of the local Family Dollar store once) . I've seen Amish shopping at Walmart, using the Public Library, and eating at restaurants.

Known for their craftsmanship and bakeries Miller's Bakery and Furniture and Keim Family Market are two nearby popular stores for locals and tourists.

I continue to learn about the Amish and so when a book caught my eye at the library the other day I checked it out and read it. Crossing Over; One Woman's Exodus from Amish Life by Ruth Irene Garrett with Rick Farrant. I found it interesting and informative to read this account from her point of view of her life as Amish and her decision to leave.

The Bartering of Flowers

Yesterday, I held my first every yard sale. Yes, folks chalk up another first for me! Although sales were disappointing I was able to meet some very nice neighbors and have an old burn barrel full of scrap metal taken away.

One of my friends dropped by that had never been down my driveway to see my house before. We were having a delightful conversation about the house, the view and of course the yard. With all the rain we have had this spring there are plants, flowers and weeds growing and blooming that I have no idea what they are.

Sadly I'm not even sure with many of the green plants that come up if they are a flower or a weed or a flowering weed. I'd like to be able to hold up a leaf in front of a magic lens and have it tell me all about it. I guess technology isn't quite there just yet but maybe in the future?

My friend is a superb cook and makes the best homemade apple pie on the planet and as I found out yesterday is a wealth of knowledge about gardens; flower and vegetable and plants in general . She gave me some great ideas about what to plant, what needed to be moved, suggested a raised bed vegetable garden etc. and shared with me some stories of plants that have been in her family for over 100 years through plant propagation. I plan on accepting her invitation to visit her yard to learn more and get some starts that she is willing to share with me.

As she said in our conversation it's all about "the bartering of flowers".

In fact after the sale was over and I returned home from collecting my signs posted around town there was a couple out on the road collecting a wild rose bush start to place in their yard.

The coincidence of all this is tied to a library book I just finished reading last week, The Invisible Garden; One woman's journey from soil to soul by Dorothy Sucher. It's a story similar to mine, Dorothy who lives in the Washington DC area goes to Vermont to visit a friend, ends up buying a ramshackle blue farmhouse with a stream running through the property and becomes consumed by what she calls "Garden Fever".

I look forward to continue my education regarding plants and gardens, digging in my yard, pulling weeds, seeing what "pops" up and what I can bring in and nurture and enjoy and the lessons and experiences they will bring.