How do you decide what to read?

I have always been a "book-a-holic". I used to get books every month from the Mystery Book club but I have stopped buying them recently. I have a book shelf in my bedroom with many of those books on it that haven't been read yet. [see my Goodreads ID photo:] I walk down the book shelf when ever I go to Sam's or Safeway to see if there are any new books I can afford and want. There are several authors and series that I just buy the next book in line (although I hope I can find it at a discount). I love browsing at a library book sale. I worked one year for a school book fair company and I got a lot of YA books with my employee discount that year. I borrow books from my quilt club library. I trade and borrow books from my friends. (We had an informal book club called "The Bingo Ladies and Jay" when a club I belonged to was doing bingo every week.) I now work at an airport and all of the gate agents, ramp agents and airline crews usually have books to read on breaks or during slow times during the schedule. They leave books in the break room and sometime passengers even give us books. I subscribe to Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock short story mystery magazines and always have one in my bag for those minutes I may have to wait in a line. When my Mom died, I brought home most of her library including a set, "The World's Popular Classics". My husband is also an avid reader, but often he reads non-fiction that I am not interested in. Once in a while we do read the same books. My younger daughter got me onto Goodreads and we often share books [although this year she is in the Peace Corps in Albania so that is harder right now - I have sent her some books:] And now I am also sharing books with my almost 12-year old granddaughter. I like my Goodreads list because it is helping me keep track of what I am reading, what I have on my shelves and what I would like to read.
So with all that, I just pick a book that I have that tickles my fancy at the time and read it. Sometimes I will go for all the unread books by a particular author and get on a kick. I recently joined the Goodreads group "Pick a Shelf" and that is helping me focus on a theme each month. Basically, I don't usually know what I am going to be reading next and that's half the fun. My friends and family will tell you that I am always reading.

THE NATIONAL PARKS: My Parks

The first National Park I visited was Acadia during the summer when I was only an infant. I don't remember anything about this visit but it started a tradition within my family of visiting National Parks on our yearly summer vacation. Some years we visited more and some less but we have visited many of them. I am going to dig through those old photos and my Mom's personal history to list them here.

Conversation on Facebook

This is a recent conversation from Facebook. Friend J and Friend C lived in the neighborhood, friends of my daughter Becca and were also Girl Scouts in her troop when they were in middle school and I was the leader . They are all adults now.

Friend J
Growing up I heard stories about when & where people were when they heard that JFK was killed. Now I can understand somewhat how they felt. A man who fought for the rights of others is gone. The Kennedys have given themselves to us for many years & lucky for us, they will carry on that work. The lion of the senate, Ted Kennedy gave us 47 years of service, and for that we are forever grateful. RIP Ted Kennedy.
August 29 at 7:22pm

Friend CS
Isn't it interesting how as adults we start to understand the significance of what our parents and grandparents taught us?
August 29 at 7:32pm

Friend J
I know! Its so sad that we brush off all of these gems they give us until were adults.
August 29 at 8:06pm

Arlene Lipman
we tried!!
August 30 at 7:04am

Friend J
Arlene, looking back to the time I spent in your home, I feel sad that I didn't take advantage of what you had to offer. I wish I had asked for your stories about the peace corps, and asked you to tell me more about your life. Becaue now I realize how awesome that stuff is! Now I am an adult with my own hopes and dreams for this world, and I admire and appreciate the things you've done, and Becca is doing. So awesome!
August 30 at 7:21am

Arlene Lipman
Thank you so much for your comment. In your defense, you really didn't have a lot of contact with me when you were a kid. Most kids don't think about the experiences of their adult relatives, friends, neighbors, teachers, Scout leaders, etc. I know I didn't when I was a kid. We get tired of our parent's stories because we have heard them so many times. Now - all these years later, we wish we could sit at the knees of our grandparents and ask them! I am trying to write down some of the gems so that one day my granddaughters will be able to know a little bit about their ancestors!
August 30 at 7:42am · Delete

Friend J
That will be the best gift you ever give them!
August 30 at 7:45am

Friend J' mom
despite all prior indications i must have done something right! im so proud of who my children are today
August 30 at 6:36pm

Arlene Lipman
isn't it nice!!
September 1

Impossible

Impossible by Nancy Werlin


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received this book in a GoodReads giveaway. Thank you very much!
I was lucky to have this book in my bag on a day when I could read a lot. I love the song that the book is based on. The author has taken this folk song and built a credible back story for it. A young girl's life takes a dramatic turn when she learns the reason behind the song that her insane mother sings. I will never hear the song "Scarborough Fair" again without thinking of Lucinda and her "true love".

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Cookies - Bite-Size Life Lessons

My friend Kathy gave me this cute, cute book to share with my grandgirls.
I love you Kathy. This is the best book. She also made cookies last night, YUM!

Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the most delightful book. The illustrations are too cute and the thoughts are wonderful.

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Clean Water

Check out my recent blog about water:

Planning a trip

There is a lot that goes into planning a trip:  where to go, when, how long to stay, what to see, how to pack????  

Albania - two weeks from now - two weeks

Becca is planning the itinerary so I really don't have to worry too much about that.  We are making a list of what to pack - our PCV daughter wants us to bring stuff - things she can't get there and gifts from Colorado for her friends.  I just got some new shoes and I think I need a new bag too, my old one is coming apart at the seams.

I would like to go digital, but the SLR camera I want is $$$ so I may end up taking film again, how many rolls?  

Why Albania?  it is the up and coming tourist destination (see Becca's blog )

and of course because Becca is there.  She is our Peace Corps Volunteer daughter.

Also, because I can fly there with my benefits!  not free, but cheaper that paying full fare.

Conversations at the airport

Working at the airport, I meet many people in a day. Sometime there is time to actually have a conversation besides the business of boarding a plane, changing seat assignments, and getting people rebooked if they have missed a flight or are one of those who can't get on a plane because of overbooking or weight restrictions.
Today I had several interesting conversations:
I talked to a man reading a Michener novel about reading those and his work for FEMA and my past life in the Peace Corps and our plans to travel to Albania to visit my PCV daughter. I learned that one of the pilots that I see from time to time at my gate is the son of a Group 1, Philippines, Peace Corps Volunteer. We talked about Peace Corps and places in the Visayas in the Philippines. A third conversation was with a man headed to South Dakota. He works for the Bureau of Indian Affairs Educational Department. I told him about Becca's work with the Seeking Common Ground Building Bridges for Peace camps and her trip to visit friends at Pine Ridge. I also had time to visit with several friends who are members of our flight crews and to other agents about planning trips.
Last week I talked to several passengers about the books that they were reading. Last year I met an actor that I recognized from the 80's show "Hill Street Blues". He was waiting for a plane to Montana with a companion and had several hours to kill. We talked off and on for most of that time. We talked about TV characters and shows, education, Montana, skiing and other topics. I was working at the customer service desk and we weren't very busy. His gate was right next door. I was a delightful meeting. A week later when they passed back thru on their way home to California, they said hello to me. How nice.
Another day I met the grandson of Winston Churchill. We talked for only a few minutes but it was interesting. "6 degrees"!! A gentleman I saw one day was wearing military insignia. It turned out he was one of the "Code Talkers" from WWII. He and his wife were traveling for a ceremony somewhere. We often get sports groups going thru. They usually have matching bags or jackets. Today it was a track team from Iowa. Another day I had a roller derby team go on my plane to Colorado Springs. We had to alert the bag handlers working the ramp the day that we had a minor league baseball team coming thru. They didn't want to arrive without their gear. Cute guys!! Last week we had groups going up to Aspen for the DAV winter games clinics.
A woman I met one day was on her way to Huntsville, Alabama. Our conversation started out because she was wearing a beautiful necklace. I told her it was beautiful and she said,"Thank you, I used to be the president of the US Opal Society, but I am really just a rocket scientist." That lead to me talking about working for NASA during my college summers and her talking about her childhood in New Mexico where her father was also a "rocket scientist" and "Uncle Werner" and "Uncle Albert" came to dinner. What an interesting lady.
Each day brings it's challenges and a new cast of characters. I enjoy talking to my fellow agents, especially those who have come from other countries around the world. We like to see the crews coming through. Talking to them keeps it interesting.

Making cookies

I have a confession to make: I really am not very good at making cookies. Now, don't get me wrong, my cookies taste very good. I take cookies to most pot-luck dinners that I go to and get rave reviews. What I mean to say is that my cookies aren't beautiful like those made by my friends Shirley and Christine. Their cookies are works of art. Shirley has done demonstrations of cookie decorating for the national convention of the Cookie Cutter Collector's Club. If you have been to one of the CCCC conventions in the last decade, you have seen her cookies. Christine brought some airbrushed beauties to the Spring meeting of the Rocky Mountain Cut-ups last year. I almost didn't want to eat them. In fact there are many cookie artists in the Cookie Cutter Collector's Clubs. There is one collector that sells extra cutters on eBay who uses wonderful decorated cookies as a selling point for the cutters.
You would think that as a very active cookie cutter collector, I would be better at making cookies. The other day, I got home from work and decided to make some cookies for the Super Bowl pot-luck for those of us who were working on Sunday. So I found a football shaped cookie cutter (I have at least 3 or 4 in my collection) This one had the impression of the laces so I had to roll the sugar cookies out thicker than I usually do so that the impression would show. When I baked them they raised up from the baking powder and baked together so some of my footballs had sharp corners! I really didn't have time to decorate them with icing and I didn't have the right color of dusting sugar or sprinkles so I had slightly off shape plain sugar cookie footballs. I then decided to try to make some little spritz footballs. I mixed up a batch of my ginger spritz cookies and put the dough into the cookie press with the oval die. At first the dough was a little too soft so I added some flour to make it firmer (no, cooling the dough doesn't work with this recipe). Then the dough was a little too stiff. I've had this cookie press for over a decade and when I tried to press the dough out, the plastic screw part on the handle section cracked! I was heartbroken. I love that cookie press. It is a Wilton "Bite-Size" cookie press. I can make a batch of Spritz (butter) cookies using that press in one hour, start to finish, and I often do. Spritz cookies come out cute, no decorating needed. Sometime I use colored sugar or sprinkles to decorate them but they are pretty anyway, especially when I color the dough. The ring holding the die to the end of the press had cracked a few years ago and Kathy's husband fixed it by using a hose clamp. The "Bite Size" press is no longer available but I was lucky to find another one on eBay a while back so I do have a back-up. The oval die didn't work as well as some of the other shapes but the cookies looked like little footballs. Everyone thought the cookies were cute and tasted wonderful. It is just, for me, sometimes I wish I had the talent and patience to make the beautiful cookies that some of my friends make!

Defiance

We went to see Defiance last night. David was a History major in college and was especially interested in WWII. His father came from Minsk (now Belorussia) as a child but there were a brother and two sisters left in Russia when the left in the 20's. This story is about a motley group of Jewish refugees who hid and fought in the forest for over 3 years. The story of how they lived and died brought tears to our eyes. By the end of the war over 1200 people came out of the woods. I would recommend this movie to everyone. How can we change and become more tolerant if we don't know what has happened in the past?

People of the Book

People of the Book: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I picked up this book because we found a copy of the Sarajevo Haggadah when we were in Yugoslavia in 1974. The commentary by Cecil Roth with a facsimile of the beautiful Haggadah was only published the year before in 1973. People of the Book is a fictional story that traces the book back through history. The story is disturbing because of the tragic history of the times. The book is traced from the Inquisition, the ghetto in Venice, the Holocast and the Bosnian war. The work has wonderful episodes of the best in human behavior and heart renching stories of the worst. I would recommend this book to everyone, especially to those who really don't know much about history.


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I Am a Bookaholic!

I LOVE BOOKS.
I don't drink beer and only occasionally have a glass of wine. I don't smoke. My major "vice" is reading. I always have a book that I am reading - sometimes more than one. I have a book stand that I keep on the table at home where I put my book so that I can read while I eat. Sometimes I am multi-tasking, watching a program on TV, reading a book, and eating. I keep another book stand in my lunch bag. I use it at work in the lunch room so I can read while I eat there. I subscribe to Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock short story magazines. I keep one of them in my back pack just in case I finish a book and don't have another one ready to read.
The first book I remember reading was a mini-book with Longfellow's poem "The Song of Hiawatha" that my first grade teacher had in her little closet library. My sister and I used to walk several blocks to where the book-mobile parked in front of the Community Church each week (we didn't have a library in our town). We would walk home with a grocery sack full of books, read them during the week and take them back the next Saturday. I have over 50 Bobbsey Twins books that I bought with my own money when I was a kid. I read Michener and Jean Auel as each of their new massive novels came out in paperback. I was angry when I found J.R.R.Tolkein on the Science Fiction shelf in the store but soon discovered the appellation "and Fantasy". Now one of my favorite authors is Anne McCaffrey. I love all of her series especially the Pern books. I read Steinbeck, Solzhenitsyn , and Issac Bashevits Singer and I love Sholem Aleichem. I read the Little House books as an adult and the Anne of Green Gables series. As a college student I was introduced to Winnie the Pooh and am a fan of "Piglet" and "Heffalumps".
I read novels, mysteries and sci-fi. I don't like "terror" books. The only Stephen King I have read is "The Stand" but I liked it. I even read some romance novels and am a great fan of Harry Potter. I rarely read non-fiction but I loved "Three Cups of Tea".
I have been spending some time updating my books on "goodreads" from the pile of books I have read in the last few years. You can see see from the list that I read James Patterson and John Grisham and another of my recent favorites is Alexander-McCall-Smith.
I LOVE BOOKS!!