Table Settings

With three kids, my mom tried split the chores three ways, and we'd rotate each week: set the table, put the dishes away, or do the dishes. Setting the table was always my favorite task, not only because it was the easiest but also because it was the most fun. I loved putting the plates out, making a pattern with the different-colored plates or giving the girls pink and the boys blue.

And when company came, my mom would always save this task for me because she knew how much I loved it. (And maybe because she knew I really couldn't do much to help with the food?) Together, we'd add leaves to the dining room table while Steph and Joe and Daddy would help carry up chairs. We'd pick out the table cloth--the red and blue checkered, the sailboat checkered, the pink and green and blue checkered--and lay them out before getting the spray bottle and stretching them to get out the wrinkles.

The plates would be carried out from the kitchen, or sometimes if we were lucky (VERY LUCKY) we'd get to use the pink china and grape glasses. More often, the fancy silverware that was my dad's mom's would get pulled out from the buffet, along with the platters and salt and pepper shakers and candlesticks. Then we'd lay everything out, remembering how the placement went thanks to our cotillion training and the little tricks we'd picked up since. (The knife, spoon and fork were all in a fight. The fork left because the spoon and the knife were right.) And I would still try to make a pattern with the plates.

As I get ready for my dinner parties now, setting the table is still my favorite part. I rearrange the living room depending on many people we need to seat, put up the leaves in the drop-leaf table my father-in-law built custom for us, and lay out the tablecloths. Of course, one thing we didn't think of when designing the table was what size tablecloths we would eventually need, and I think of how excited I was when my dad and I realized that shower curtains fit just right, and together, my parents and I picked out the first shower curtain tablecloths for the first dinner party with them at our house.

It's fun for me to pull out some of our "fancy" things when we have people over--the silverware my family got us for a wedding gift that is essentially the same pattern as the one that was once my grandma's, the platters and pitchers and glasses from family and neighborhood friends, the plates and bowls from my aunt, the place card holders from a friend. There are so many people associated with our dinner parties that it seems as though everyone we love is there, even just in spirit.

And even when it's just me, my process is the same as it always was when helping my mom in our dining room with the view of the mountains. And especially when it's just me, I wish my mom was here so she could help me make sure the tablecloth is even on both sides.

Book Review: Where'd You Go, Bernadette?

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

I've noticed something lately. While movies and TV shows were quick to incorporate technology such as smart phones and social media into story telling, books are further behind in doing so. It's not especially noticeable until you come across a book that has done a fantastic job using modern-day methods to tell a story. Where'd You Go, Bernadette? is an example of such a book, because it uses emails, letters, faxes, etc. as part of the narrative, and it really adds to the story.

It also adds to the character development. When I'm writing an email, it's capturing my thoughts and telling the recipient who I am as a person. The same can be said for reading the character's emails. We have insight into how the characters are thinking and what makes them who they are and show us their motivation for why they do what they do (which then moves the plot forward).

The characters themselves are unique and kind of quirky, which really made the book hilarious to read. At the same time, they had depth and background that made them very real and I felt for them as I learned of their past struggles.

Overall, this is definitely worth checking out, and I really enjoyed it.

Writing Update: February

I really tried to kick it into gear this month with my writing by getting into a routine and planning for my writing times. (I also have been trying to avoid the DVR, Netflix, and Hulu during the day unless I'm folding laundry.) And it has really been successful for me. As you may have noticed, I started updating my blog more. (You're welcome, Mom!) But I also started to focus more on my novel. I have set a goal to finish it by the end of April, and I have set weekly word count goals for myself to help achieve this.

I would say that it helps that I already had nearly 28,000 words written from NaNo this past November, but in all actuality, it doesn't help a ton. Rather than finishing that draft and then reworking it to be what I want, I completely started over and will instead be going down a different path with it. Luckily, there are still parts in that draft I can use. Unluckily, it hurts my heart to cut out some of the scenes I already had written.

But I know it's for the best. On my way back from New Jersey last month, I re-outlined the book and focused it more. I added some characters, lost some characters (sorry, guys!) and adding a new frame story. While I had orignially planned on using excerpts of a letter to signify time change between the stories, I now am focusing on the relationship between my main character and her granddaughter, giving her granddaugher more of a story, too. I am really happy with this change, as I was able to really expand on my opening scene and make it much stronger. (It went from 500 words to almost 5,000 words! Plus interesting plot development.)

I also changed the perspective from first person to third person, which is mostly working out for the better. There are still some parts that would be easier to write in first, I think, but I like that writing in third is forcing me to "show, not tell" more so than when writing in first. The main challenge I have is trying to figure out what to call my characters in the scenes (prounouns, by name, by relationship?)

One major change in my writing process is that I'm writing chronologically, which also seems to be helping. Back in November, I was skipping all over the place, which made it hard for me to really determine what scenes needed to be added and which needed to be flushed out. It is not easy for me to keep going, because sometimes I have a great idea for a scened I want to start mostly because I'm hating the scene I'm currently writing. But in the long run, I think writing this way will make the book stronger overall and more seamless for me when writing.

Current Word Count: 11,184

Oscars 2013: Recap

Some random thoughts from last night's Oscars as written down on the back of my picks. (Of which, I got 11/24. That is pretty good for me.)

--I loved that the guy who accepted the award for "Brave" was wearing a kilt.
--Playing the "Jaws" theme to get people off of the stage was hilarious.
--Has there ever been a tie before? History in the making.
--The "Sound of Music" bit before Christopher Plummer came on stage.
--The "Sound of Music" bit before Christopher Plummer came on stage. (Yes, I will list it twice because it was the highlight for me.)
--The Academy museum sounds pretty cool.
--Loved the quote from Nora Ephron in the memorial montage: "The hardest thing about writing is writing."
--Daniel Day-Lewis had a great acceptance speech.
--Jennifer Lawrence is pretty awesome.
--Michelle Obama presenting best picture.
--Ben Affleck. (Written in all caps)

Also:
--I love Anne Hathaway's hair. Did not love the dress but the back was neat.
--We played Oscar bingo with cards from How About Orange, and it was super fun.
--Seth MacFarlane was not as bad as he could have been. He had some funny moments and also some really questionable jokes, but overall, I was surprised that is wasn't the worst hosting I've ever seen.

Oscars Week 2013: Movie Reviews & My Picks

For the conclusion to our Oscars week, I thought I would (finally!) focus on the movies that I've seen this Oscars season. I was actually surprised there were so few that I'd seen, as I had wanted to see a lot of them (Anna Karenina, Argo, Hitchcock, Les Miserables, Lincoln, and Wreck-It Ralph). But here they are:

Brave: I was surprised by "Brave," as I didn't think the preview accurately prepared me for what the movie was actually about. But aside from that, I was surprised by the message that it put out there, and really liked that message, even though I didn't love the plot as much as I thought I would.

Flight: I was also surprised by "Flight," even though I did know that it took a different focus than I expected, even after being warned. I thought the acting was the main strength of the movie, as it seemed to be a story that really moved forward based on the characters vs. the plot. I will say that I kind of never want to fly again now.

Silver Linings Playbook: When previews for this movie started coming out, I knew I had to see it. And when it started receiving all of its "Oscar Buzz," I knew it wouldn't disappoint me. And it didn't. It wasn't predictable, which it could have been, because I think the relationship in the movie are complicated and real and I liked that.

***

So. After reviewing books and movies for this year's Oscars, here's how I would decide the Oscars Sunday. These aren't all of the categories, just the ones I had a strong opinion on based on what I've seen and read.

Best Picture: Silver Linings Playbook

Actor In A Leading Role: Denzel Washington, Flight (This was tough for me, as I really thought Bradley Cooper was fantastic in "Silver Linings Playbook.")

Actress In A Leading Role: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

Actor In A Supporting Role: Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook

Actress In A Supporting Role: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables (Even though I haven't seen it, I love her.)

Animated Feature Film: Brave

Visual Effects: Life of Pi

Writing, Adapted Screenplay: Lincoln

Oscars Week 2013: Argo

The books I chose to read for this year's Oscar week were chosen somewhat at random, but in the end it worked out to be almost a science. I wanted to read books that had movies that were nominated for best picture. Because I don't like to see a movie before reading the book, I wanted these to be movies that I hadn't actually seen. It also went by what I could find at at the library.

And while I normally try to avoid book covers with the movie image on them, it's appropriate for this week to show you that cover with my review.

 

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The Book: Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off The Most Audacious Rescue in History, by Antonio Mendez and Matt Baglio

Nominated For: Actor In a Supporting Role, Best Picture, Film Editing, Music (Original Score), Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

 

Book Review: I think Argo was my favorite Oscar book I read for this week. It had less of a novel feel than the other two books. (I felt that Team of Rivals was a mix of novel and biography.) It was very straightforward and very interesting. I appreciated that there was some historial context in the beginning of the book to help frame the story, especially since I was not alive for the events that occurred in the book. I also liked that it seemed to me that I was getting an inside look at the CIA, like I was watching an episode of "Alias" maybe.

 

Book vs. Movie: I think everyone I know saw this movie except for me. I'm actually glad that I was able to read this book before the movie, as I think the context will help me enjoy the movie a little better. I was on the edge of my seat while reading the book, so I can only imagine how seeing these events unfold can be as impactful.

Oscars Week 2013: Team of Rivals

The books I chose to read for this year's Oscar week were chosen somewhat at random, but in the end it worked out to be almost a science. I wanted to read books that had movies that were nominated for best picture. Because I don't like to see a movie before reading the book, I wanted these to be movies that I hadn't actually seen. It also went by what I could find at at the library.

And while I normally try to avoid book covers with the movie image on them, it's appropriate for this week to show you that cover with my review.

 

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The Book: Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin

Nominated For: Actor In a Leading Role, Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress In a Supporting Role, Best Picture, Cinematography, Costume Design, Directing, Film Editing, Music (Original Score), Production Design, Sound Mixing, Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

 

Book Review: History is an interesting thing, and the point that Doris Kearns Goodwin best makes in Team of Rivals is that history relies on context, and we need that to understand the bigger picture. In the introduction to the book, she says, "Without the march of events that led to the Civil War, Lincoln still would have been a good man, but most likely would never have been publicly recognized as a great man. It was history that gave him the opportunity to manifest his greatness, providing the stage that allowed him to shape and transform our national life."

 

Yes. History gave him the opportunity to manifest his greatness. But this is something that we can't understand until there is context, and we can only see his greatness by looking at how this history, Abraham Lincoln's history, shaped his world and the world to come. When we look back at the decisions made by that generation, the lives they led, and the world they lived in, we have to look at everything to truly understand the history there. What I enjoyed about Team of Rivals was the amount of context Kearns provided, the details about all of the major players to help me understand more about this fascinating time in America's history, and the man behind it.

 

Book vs. Movie: "Lincoln" was one of the Oscar movies I wanted to see, and I can see how the movie would still be able to provide a lot of the context that Team of Rivals has, but in a visual way instead of a more biographical way. The movie would be able to show the time period and give us the context of history in a different way than the book does while still getting the same points across.

Oscars Week 2013: Life of Pi

The books I chose to read for this year's Oscar week were chosen somewhat at random, but in the end it worked out to be almost a science. I wanted to read books that had movies that were nominated for best picture. Because I don't like to see a movie before reading the book, I wanted these to be movies that I hadn't actually seen. It also went by what I could find at at the library.

 

And while I normally try to avoid book covers with the movie image on them, it's appropriate for this week to show you that cover with my review.

 

image source

The book: Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

Nominated For: Best Picture, Cinematography, Directing, Film Editing, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Production Design, Sound Editing, Sound mixing, Visual Effects, Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Book Review: For no reason really, I have never picked this book up before now, even though it has been very well-received and I have seen it at the library often. I was glad that Oscar Week gave me the push I needed to check it out.

It took me a bit to get into the book, I will say, but only because the style and format was so different than what I normally read. However, I really enjoyed it once I got used to it, and I think that it is so applicable to the story, and the story wouldn't have been so engaging if it was written any other way. 

 

The best part of this book is the end's ambiguity. I love books that keep me up at night rereading, that make me want to ask people if they've read it so that we can talk about it, and that really keep me thinking long after the book is finished.

 

I also loved this quote, which I think perfectly summarizes the book:

 

"The world isn't just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it, no? Doesn't that make life a story?"

 

Book vs. Movie: I can definitely see advantages of a film adaptation for this book, as the story is so dependant on creating a visual world for the reader. (Though I did discover that there is an illustrated version of the book that I think I would really enjoy.) For people like me who don't have the best imagination, I think I would really enjoy seeing the scenes of the book; however, I will say that there are some scenes I'm not sure I'd be able to watch based on my reacation to reading them. 

 

I think that the advantage of seeing the ending vs. reading would help me understand the ending better, but I also wonder if if would take away something, as well.



Oscars Week 2013: The Nominees & Other Fancies

The Oscars are less than a week away, and I can hardly wait. So this week, I'll not only be talking about the movies, but the books behind some of the nominated films. If you need a primer on what's been nominated this year, here they are.

If you're anything like me, you're probably going to get distracted on that site for a while. My favorites:

Oscar Love Letters. "Gone With the Wind" and "The Sound of Music" in the same place? Yes.
Best Picture Oscar Statues. Love trying to guess what movie each statue represents.
Historical Timeline. Not only is it fun to go back in time, but I love that I can take the timeframe of my novel (1950s-1960s) and see what kind of movies and celebrities would be shaping pop culture then.
Oscar Questionnaires. It's not only fun to read the answers, but see who handwrote vs. typed and who had much to say and who didn't.

Now, that should hold you over for today. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my first Oscar book review.

Valentine's Day Library: 2013

I'm sure after a week of checking out our past year's Valentine's Day books, you're all wondering what books made an appearance this year. So, without further ado:

Nathan: City of Ashes, City of Glass, and City of Fallen Angels. I wrapped them all up in this bag.

Whitney: The Remains of the Day (though I like my book's cover better than this one), Rules of Civility, and Me Before You.

We just had a nice night at home. I made this treat for dessert. Delicious, and I felt OK about it because it has vegetables in it. A dessert with vegetables is the best way to eat vegetables in my opinion.

Valentine's Day Library: 2012

One "thing" that I really liked about Nathan when we started dating was that he liked to read probably as much as I did. (As evidenced on this blog thanks to our book swap and other times he has done reviews.) So one tradition we've started right away was getting each other books for Valentine's Day. So this week, even though I know I've covered this other years, I thought I would spend each day sharing which books we got for each other, and some thoughts on these books. (Five days=five years. Works out perfectly.)

This year, we're adding a few more books. We went out this weekend to Barnes and Noble a did a little joint shopping. It was fun in the beginning to try and hide around the store and hope that we didn't figure out what books we were getting, but eventually i needed help at the "Buy two get the third free young adult fantasy table" and Nathan needed help navigating the store. (because all of the books he had researched were in totally random places, like by the bathroom...what? That required an actual sales person.). So I'm not ruining the surprise by telling you what books we got this year.

Nathan: City of Bones, Unwind, and Pathfinder
Whitney: The Night Circus, Anna and The French Kiss, and Walking Back to Happiness

Last year, we went to the bookstore together, which is one of our favorite dates. From last year's post: It was fun in the beginning to try and hide around the store and hope that we didn't figure out what books we were getting, but eventually I needed help at the "Buy two get the third free young adult fantasy table" and Nathan needed help navigating the store. (Because all of the books he had researched were in totally random places, like by the bathroom...what? That required an actual sales person.)

Valentine's Day Library: 2011

One "thing" that I really liked about Nathan when we started dating was that he liked to read probably as much as I did. (As evidenced on this blog thanks to our book swap and other times he has done reviews.) So one tradition we've started right away was getting each other books for Valentine's Day. So this week, even though I know I've covered this other years, I thought I would spend each day sharing which books we got for each other, and some thoughts on these books. (Five days=five years. Works out perfectly.)

Whitney: Great House and The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels
Nathan: This Book Will Change Your Dog's Life, Why Does My Dog Do That?, and Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel

Some Reasoing: In case you couldn't tell, this was our first Valentine's Day with Shelby. (How cute is this face? She looks so little compared to now.)

I had never read The Pioneer Woman's blog, but really wanted to read the book, so I was glad Nathan got it for me. As for Great House...it's maybe still in my to-read pile. I should get on that. Nathan's books were themed around big, exciting events during 2011, getting a dog and also visiting Europe and the Sistine Chapel on our honeymoon.

Valentine's Day Library: 2010



One "thing" that I really liked about Nathan when we started dating was that he liked to read probably as much as I did. (As evidenced on this blog thanks to our book swap and other times he has done reviews.) So one tradition we've started right away was getting each other books for Valentine's Day. So this week, even though I know I've covered this other years, I thought I would spend each day sharing which books we got for each other, and some thoughts on these books. (Five days=five years. Works out perfectly.)

 

 

Nathan: Lamb and a Huskers trivia book
Whitney: The Believers and the yellow roses in the photo!

Some Reasoning: Nathan got Lamb by Christopher Moore because my sister told him he would like the author. And he does! I think since this book he has read every Christopher Moore book he can find. The Believers was really good, and one of the first "literary" books I had read in a while. (I blame that on taking too many English classes my last semester. All I wanted to read was light reading for a while.)

Valentine's Day Library: 2009

One "thing" that I really liked about Nathan when we started dating was that he liked to read probably as much as I did. (As evidenced on this blog thanks to our book swap and other times he has done reviews.) So one tradition we've started right away was getting each other books for Valentine's Day. So this week, even though I know I've covered this other years, I thought I would spend each day sharing which books we got for each other, and some thoughts on these books. (Five days=five years. Works out perfectly.)

Whitney: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society and The Rim of the Prairie
Nathan: The Graveyard Book and James and the Giant Peach

Some reasoning: Nathan got me The Rim of the Prairie while we were visiting the Bess Streeter Aldrich house in Elmwood, the first time I went to his house and met his parents. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society he just picked out. The Graveyard Book is by Neil Gaiman, one of Nathan's favorite authors, and I got him James and the Giant Peach because it was his favorite book when he was younger.

Friday Fancies: February 8

It has been a long time since we've done a Friday Fancies, even though it's my favorite kind of post--a collection of interesting-to-me things I've read/watched/found this week that didn't quite fit into the blog as a full post.

-The season premiere of "SMASH" was Tuesday and I kind of loved it. And here's a random observation for you. When Karen signed her Playbill from new-character-whose-name-I-can't-remember's (oh wait! Kyle? But I already had that all typed out.) collection of failed plays, I noticed it was in color. When we were in NYC, we went to a preview (Dead Accounts, starring Katie Holmes) and got a Playbill that was printed in color. We learned from a woman there that they are printed in color for previews, but then in black-and-white once it's not in preview anymore. See?

Did you also see that it's autographed? We went back to the stage door to see the actors, and got a quick glimpse of Katie Holmes as she dashed to the car. But back to SMASH now. Also while we were in NYC, we saw an announcement that SMASH filmed where we were a few days before. I took a picture of it but it was much too fuzzy to post.

-Other TV randoms: This week I noticed that two of my favorite shows made an appearance on new shows. On Monday's episode of "How I Met Your Mother," Bob Saget and Dave Coulier made a little "Full House" reference, in an episode with Robin Sparkles that I seriously loved. Then, Tuesday's episode of "Raising Hope" had Jimmy and Christine from "Yes, Dear," as well as the studio boss guy, and they made references to their kids. Loved "Yes, Dear" and thought the reference was very fun.

-I was very relieved to see that my favorite Monopoly piece will not be retired: the thimble. Instead, the iron will be replaced with a cat, thanks to fan votes. Of course, iron manufacturers had something to say about it.

-Not sure why, other than maybe because it makes me feel better about the fact my library books are hardly more than a few days late, but I love stories like this about library books being returned years later.

-This really bothers me. So NOT Anne.

Apps That Make Me H-Appy

I am so not an app person. When I got my iPhone I put the Facebook app and the weather app on it. Then I addded some that I thought I might use since they were related to TV (hello, HGTV). And that was about it. Over the course of having my phone, I added some others randomly: some app I've never used that I thought would help me sleep better; iTriage, because my BFF from high school worked on it; Southwest, since we always seem to be changing our tickets; and Find iPhone, after using it to find my mom's phone.

But this past month, thanks to recommendations I've recieved from friends and, people I follow on Twitter, and, well, commercials, I feel like my collection of apps has not only grown but improved significantly in that I actually use them. So, in case you, too, are looking to add some apps to your collection, here are my three recent favorites.

1. My ultimate, favorite-app ever: Pepperplate. This app lets me add recipes and then make meal plans. After that, it will make a grocery list for me. This sounds like something that simple enough for me to do on my own without an app, but I kind of love it, since I often cook with my iPhone or nook now. Since I've always intended on making a month or so's worth of meal plans and then recycling them, I think this is a great, easy way for me to do so.

2. P5, for everyone who needs to obsess about their dog. I have often wondered if we are giving Shelby enough exercise, though trust me, if she hasn't gotten out enough, you'll know it. So I was very excited to find P5, from Purina, so that I can track (when I remember) what the little doodlebug has done during the week. I like that the app breaks it out into different levels of activity, as well. Obviously running and walking are two different levels of activeness, but it helps to know what kind of activity she is getting and also encouraging to try to get her to meet a weekly goal.

3. Just can't get enough of Songza. My friend Brittany told me about this app, which serves as a music concierge to help you pick the right music based on what you might be doing at different times of day. You can also explore playlists based on moods and activities, or other factors, such as culture and decades. What I like about Songza that is different than Pandora is that the playlists seem to go better together in my head. (As I write this I'm listening to "A Cappella Covers." Other favorites are basically anything from the 90s and the Glee and Dawson's Creek playlists.)

Now--what apps can you not live without? Ever since I've opened my mind to downloading more of them, I'm taking suggestions.

Book Review: A Dog's Purpose

It's no secret that I love my dog. (Check out all of the posts tagged with "Shelby Love. There are a lot of them.) And as such I have started to love reading any kind of book about dogs. (See here. And here.) So on my most recent trip to the library, I checked out an audio book with a dog on the cover: A Dog's Journey, by W. Bruce Cameron. (Of course that drew me in.) I excitedly put it in my CD player only to find out that it was a sequel to another book. Disappointing. Fast forward to the next week, and my friend Kaitlyn gave me this book for my birthday: A Dog's Purpose, which as luck would have it was the book I needed to read before I could listen to my audio book. And read it I did.

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I love many things about this book. For starters, it's told from a dog's perspective, and many of the things that the dog says over the course of its many lives are all things I have thought Shelby must have said at some point. I think that considering he is a person, W. Bruce Cameron does a fantastic job of articuluating what I think dogs think. This book also shows real life over the course of time through the perspective of a dog, making observations about the people the dog interacts with that seem so simple yet so accurate.

And throughout the dogs different lives, we see the different purposes dogs have and the lives they live. Some lives show the good, such as life as a rescue dog and a life loving and protecting a child. Others show the not-so-good, such as the dog being left in a hot car, the dog's first life at what seems to be some kind of puppy mill, and people trying to hurt the dog for whatever reason. But most importantly we see this dog's purpose, and the efforts he makes to find "his boy," overall showing the unconditional love and loyalty only a pet can provide.

I have loved several dogs over the course of my life, and this book made me think of all of them and how a dog can live on even after it has left us.