Ebullient, passionate, dedicated to her quest, Chef Julia Child changed the face of American cooking. Her cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, was a culinary bridge between two continents. Julie & Julia is a story of spirit, ambition, and a tangle of emotions. I love all the elements of this flick. Food and writing, I’m home! A Francophile, I adored the classic French architecture and café society backdrop. If you are a somewhat refined man or aspiring chef, you will appreciate Julie & Julia. If you are a chic, get ready to archive this latest ‘chic flick’ alongside Nora Ephron’s other great productions. In fact, it’s getting to the point if I see Ephron on the credits I know it’s a winner.
Meryl Streep…is there no end to this woman’s talent? Streep disappears from view with her perfect characterization of Julia Child. I see an Academy Award nomination on the horizon. Stanley Tucci keeps in step with Streep with his outstanding performance of Julia’s husband and most loyal supporter. Newcomer, Amy Adams showcases her actor range superbly… utterly charming and worthy company with Streep and Tucci.
Amy’s character, modern day Julie sets out on a quest to cook every recipe, 524, in Julia Child’s cookbook and blog it day by day for a year. The two eras play symbiotically like bread and butter. And speaking of butter…both Julia Child and her husband lived into their nineties…perhaps there is something to be said for beurre (butter) after all. Or maybe it is just that she was one of the fortunate that found and followed her passion… doing what she loved in life, a key ingredient in the recipe for longevity.
Hats off to producers for a movie almost free of offensive and unnecessary expletives. Tucci uses the ‘f’ word once. That one word threw the ratings on this movie into a different category making it not viewable to a certain age group. (lost revenue) Tucci could have said, “Forget them!” or any number of alternatives without losing impact. It was a relief not to hear God’s name taken in vain.
Julie & Julia satisfies but stock up on popcorn…watching all that delicious food being prepared makes you hungry!
August 13, 2009
Perseid Meteor Shower Falls Short in 2009
Plunk down in the open desert like a neon jellyfish tendrils spreading into the pitch, Las Vegas, Nevada is well known for its bright lights, big name stars and glam shows …but once a year a different kind of show can be seen just outside of town. The vast open space and dark skies of the desert provides the perfect platform for viewing the Perseid Meteor Shower. Over the years I have seen this show from a boat anchored at Echo Bay, sitting on a sunroof in the Valley of Fire, a hilltop in Sandy Valley, from the hood of a BMW up at Mt. Charleston, a Jeep bed in Pahrump and more. Sometimes it was a struggle to work around clouds and moonlight that diffused viewing, but always I was rewarded for my efforts.
2009 promised to be a banner showing. Web sites such as www.space.com and www.nasa.com promised up to 90 meteors per hour on peak viewing night August 12. For those of you that have never seen a meteor shower imagine a sky full of falling stars. It is the ultimate ooh and ah injection!
This year I was joined by a fellow California transplant and two visiting Chicagoans. We stuffed the trunk of the car with folding chairs, blankets, pillows and water and headed to the Valley of Fire about 30 minutes north of Las Vegas heading toward Utah. By 2:30 a.m., we were spread out facing north and slightly east, the direction designated for best viewing. There were a few cloud clusters, but plenty of open space. The clouds actually helped cover the quarter moon. We anxiously awaited our first meteor.
In the 4 hours, we saw only 20 moderate meteors collectively and maybe one long tail meteor in the bunch. Needless to say, it was pretty disappointing. It is possible we went out at the wrong time but generally, pre-dawn is the best viewing time. Not in 2009.
Some might say it was a complete waste of time and sleep, but even without the meteors there is nothing like laying back in the open space of the desert. The air temp was just right in the high 70’s, the silence relaxes every fiber of your being and there is nothing like being in the company of good friends…getting to know each other on new levels, reminiscing, laughing and just sitting side by side silently sharing the experience.
My dear friend Ron had never seen a meteor shower and I had hoped to bring him out to see it but sadly he passed away just a couple weeks prior. My friend Terese pointed out that Ron was seeing it all from a different view and that he was even closer to it than us. In that moment, we were all united in our hearts as we thought of Ron. He is home with God the creator of all the majesty of the universe. Somehow it all made sense. There are parts of space we get to view regularly and parts that show up now and then to amaze us but there is a place that remains ever elusive, waiting for our arrival. No space craft will take us there and yet we are all destined to go. As I sat next to my long time friend Terese and my two new friends, Ron’s sister and brother, Judy and Jim, looking up , I realized that there is a different kind of space, a space in the heart where friends become family. The Perseids may have fallen short but good friends go the distance.
2009 promised to be a banner showing. Web sites such as www.space.com and www.nasa.com promised up to 90 meteors per hour on peak viewing night August 12. For those of you that have never seen a meteor shower imagine a sky full of falling stars. It is the ultimate ooh and ah injection!
This year I was joined by a fellow California transplant and two visiting Chicagoans. We stuffed the trunk of the car with folding chairs, blankets, pillows and water and headed to the Valley of Fire about 30 minutes north of Las Vegas heading toward Utah. By 2:30 a.m., we were spread out facing north and slightly east, the direction designated for best viewing. There were a few cloud clusters, but plenty of open space. The clouds actually helped cover the quarter moon. We anxiously awaited our first meteor.
In the 4 hours, we saw only 20 moderate meteors collectively and maybe one long tail meteor in the bunch. Needless to say, it was pretty disappointing. It is possible we went out at the wrong time but generally, pre-dawn is the best viewing time. Not in 2009.
Some might say it was a complete waste of time and sleep, but even without the meteors there is nothing like laying back in the open space of the desert. The air temp was just right in the high 70’s, the silence relaxes every fiber of your being and there is nothing like being in the company of good friends…getting to know each other on new levels, reminiscing, laughing and just sitting side by side silently sharing the experience.
My dear friend Ron had never seen a meteor shower and I had hoped to bring him out to see it but sadly he passed away just a couple weeks prior. My friend Terese pointed out that Ron was seeing it all from a different view and that he was even closer to it than us. In that moment, we were all united in our hearts as we thought of Ron. He is home with God the creator of all the majesty of the universe. Somehow it all made sense. There are parts of space we get to view regularly and parts that show up now and then to amaze us but there is a place that remains ever elusive, waiting for our arrival. No space craft will take us there and yet we are all destined to go. As I sat next to my long time friend Terese and my two new friends, Ron’s sister and brother, Judy and Jim, looking up , I realized that there is a different kind of space, a space in the heart where friends become family. The Perseids may have fallen short but good friends go the distance.
July 2, 2009
Oasis In The Desert
A few years back, a friend told me she was going to grow an English Garden. This would not have been unusual news except for the fact that we live in Las Vegas, Nevada where the temperatures swing from winter lows in the 20’s to summer highs up to 110 degrees and sometimes higher. On top of that, she was a full time business owner and would have limited time to devote to gardening. Nevertheless, she insisted she could do it and that it would be gorgeous. Six months and one parched landscape later, she formed a support group for disillusioned gardeners.
Years later, I would find myself on a similar precipice, ready to jump into the pool of hopefuls longing for a slice of paradise. Let me begin by telling you that I was a firsttime homeowner with no gardening background. I simply dug in (pun intended) and did it. After scads of research, picking the brains of other gardeners and the local nursery, the best path to my oasis in the desert was paved by trial and error.
Years later, I would find myself on a similar precipice, ready to jump into the pool of hopefuls longing for a slice of paradise. Let me begin by telling you that I was a firsttime homeowner with no gardening background. I simply dug in (pun intended) and did it. After scads of research, picking the brains of other gardeners and the local nursery, the best path to my oasis in the desert was paved by trial and error.
The secret to gardening in the desert is really no secret…it’s the same as any other location…soil conditioning, water, exposure, the right plant selections and knowing how to combat insect infestation and plant disease. The only difference is that in the desert, it’s harder! But every spring I know it was worth the effort when my garden is a burst of color.
Sweet Elusive Sleep
About a month ago I started burning the midnight oil still up in time to watch the early bird catch its worm! The circles under my eyes are turning into dark ravines and my nerves are frayed. My mother says drink warm milk..gag! My friends say eat turkey...so I downed a turkey sandwich in the evening...the grumbling stomach that followed was not a lullaby.
Did you know that insomnia is NOT a sleep disorder? According to http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Insomnia it is symptomatic of something else going on. It can be caused by countless things like sleep disorders, stress, hormone imbalance, or the neighborhood dog barking all night long. But before I blame Fido, I need to take a hard look at what's been going on in my life lately that might have triggered this.
Things like job loss, the one hundred ways my car has found to break down or those late coffee drinks could be catalysts. Or maybe it's over the recent death of a love one, serious stuff. I am starting to detect a pattern. Every time I sit down to watch television I fall asleep on the spot, but the minute I lay down in bed my mind races like Kyle Busch on his last lap at NASCAR. Only in this race, there is no winner. I don't have a problem falling asleep...my trouble is staying asleep, anyone have a spare sledgehammer?
I am holistic so I don’t want to pollute my body with pharmaceutical fix ups. I read that calcium supplements contribute to sleepiness so I up my dosage, but still I am ready for the dawn patrol.
Then what's the solution? Visit this site for a list of do’s and don’ts - http://www.chomp.org/pulse/2007/spring07/artricle27.aspx . I tried a warm bath, chamomile tea, relaxing music, and once in bed a CD tuned to the lowest volume. Best choice: the Bible because I find the word of God very soothing. Sleep will come in its own time and it seems inevitable that I will be waiting in wide eyed anticipation.
Did you know that insomnia is NOT a sleep disorder? According to http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Insomnia it is symptomatic of something else going on. It can be caused by countless things like sleep disorders, stress, hormone imbalance, or the neighborhood dog barking all night long. But before I blame Fido, I need to take a hard look at what's been going on in my life lately that might have triggered this.
Things like job loss, the one hundred ways my car has found to break down or those late coffee drinks could be catalysts. Or maybe it's over the recent death of a love one, serious stuff. I am starting to detect a pattern. Every time I sit down to watch television I fall asleep on the spot, but the minute I lay down in bed my mind races like Kyle Busch on his last lap at NASCAR. Only in this race, there is no winner. I don't have a problem falling asleep...my trouble is staying asleep, anyone have a spare sledgehammer?
I am holistic so I don’t want to pollute my body with pharmaceutical fix ups. I read that calcium supplements contribute to sleepiness so I up my dosage, but still I am ready for the dawn patrol.
Then what's the solution? Visit this site for a list of do’s and don’ts - http://www.chomp.org/pulse/2007/spring07/artricle27.aspx . I tried a warm bath, chamomile tea, relaxing music, and once in bed a CD tuned to the lowest volume. Best choice: the Bible because I find the word of God very soothing. Sleep will come in its own time and it seems inevitable that I will be waiting in wide eyed anticipation.
July 1, 2009
Taking The Daily Grind Underground
When I was a little girl, I recall walking up to my grandfather’s front door and the smell of coffee emanating from the garden. All along the path on a nearby stretch of dirt were little mounds of old coffee grounds he had tossed out from the daily brews of his small house front store.
I can’t remember if anything ever grew in that spot beside mold but it’s possible he was conditioning the soil and moving it elsewhere in his garden. At age 7 the only thing I cared about in grandpa’s garden was the little treasures of costume jewelry and marbles hid there for me to unearth. Now older I see that grandpa was unknowingly teaching me about a different kind of treasure that would lead to a bountiful garden.
Most people think dirt is just dirt but soil is actually much more complex, similar to our skin…it has PH levels, various layers and textures. And also like our skin, soil needs to be treated a certain way depending on the climate. For those of you eager beavers who really want to know the depth of ground you stand on, you can do your own evaluation by going to http://www.rain.org/global-garden/soil-types-and-testing.htm . This is much too complicated for me; I am still trying to figure out the PH of my skin! I suggest collecting a small jar of your soil to take to your local nursery where they provide testing at no charge. Some state universities also have agriculture programs that can help.
Let’s jump forward…you now have the scoop on your particular dirt, enter one more consideration…what you plan to plant in that dirt. Some plants love alkaline conditions while others thrive in acidic environments. Coffee is acidic therefore the grounds must make the soil acidic, right? Wrong…coffee grounds provide nitrogen and nutrients, minerals and trace elements to the soil as it breaks down but has very little to do with altering its PH balance (myths 101). In fact composting is a very popular and affordable avenue for go green (environmentally friendly and green thumb friendly) gardening. http://www.organicauthority.com/organic-gardening/organic-gardening/composting-the-organic-gardeners-secret-solution.html. I live in Nevada and I found that it is a good idea to have a composter because the materials do not break down fast enough…what I ended up with was an outdoor buffet for roaches, spiders, field mice and other little critters. But I had no trouble with coffee grounds; in fact, along with conditioning my soil they deterred the outdoor cats that had been using my garden as their port-a-potty.
So listen up gardeners, the next time you stop in for that expensive cup of specialty coffee, instead of an axe to ‘grind’ over the high cost, bring along a baggie for those grounds and bury it…the axe and the grounds!
I can’t remember if anything ever grew in that spot beside mold but it’s possible he was conditioning the soil and moving it elsewhere in his garden. At age 7 the only thing I cared about in grandpa’s garden was the little treasures of costume jewelry and marbles hid there for me to unearth. Now older I see that grandpa was unknowingly teaching me about a different kind of treasure that would lead to a bountiful garden.
Most people think dirt is just dirt but soil is actually much more complex, similar to our skin…it has PH levels, various layers and textures. And also like our skin, soil needs to be treated a certain way depending on the climate. For those of you eager beavers who really want to know the depth of ground you stand on, you can do your own evaluation by going to http://www.rain.org/global-garden/soil-types-and-testing.htm . This is much too complicated for me; I am still trying to figure out the PH of my skin! I suggest collecting a small jar of your soil to take to your local nursery where they provide testing at no charge. Some state universities also have agriculture programs that can help.
Let’s jump forward…you now have the scoop on your particular dirt, enter one more consideration…what you plan to plant in that dirt. Some plants love alkaline conditions while others thrive in acidic environments. Coffee is acidic therefore the grounds must make the soil acidic, right? Wrong…coffee grounds provide nitrogen and nutrients, minerals and trace elements to the soil as it breaks down but has very little to do with altering its PH balance (myths 101). In fact composting is a very popular and affordable avenue for go green (environmentally friendly and green thumb friendly) gardening. http://www.organicauthority.com/organic-gardening/organic-gardening/composting-the-organic-gardeners-secret-solution.html. I live in Nevada and I found that it is a good idea to have a composter because the materials do not break down fast enough…what I ended up with was an outdoor buffet for roaches, spiders, field mice and other little critters. But I had no trouble with coffee grounds; in fact, along with conditioning my soil they deterred the outdoor cats that had been using my garden as their port-a-potty.
So listen up gardeners, the next time you stop in for that expensive cup of specialty coffee, instead of an axe to ‘grind’ over the high cost, bring along a baggie for those grounds and bury it…the axe and the grounds!
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