Book Report - The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first section of this book held me breathless; it is among the best writing I've encountered. The story is compelling and it is beautifully told. It is tough to write about without spoiler alerts.

Young Lilly Owens grew up in South Carolina in the 60's;her mother was killed when Lily was young and her father was an unloving, hard-hearted SOB. She was 14 in 1964 when Civil Rights legislation was finally passed; voter registration for Blacks is a catalyst for Lilly and her nanny, Rosaleen, to embark on a trip of liberation, love, self understanding, and forgiveness. She ends up working as a bee keeper in a house of black women.

This may be considered young adult literature because the subject is a young coming-of-age woman. But it speaks to all ages. If the whole book was as good as the opening section, it would have been a Pullitzer prize winner; though the rest of the story isn't told with the same power and immediacy, it is excellent - as indicated by the fact it spent over 100 weeks on the NY Times best sellers list.


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Road Trip 2014 - Wyoming to Nebraska

Day 3: Rock Springs, WY to Grand Island, NE

June 17 would be the longest travel day for this part of the trip. We covered 630 miles in 10 1/2 hours.
We took our time stopping along the way to stretch our legs. A bit east of Rock Springs we came across the remnants of old Fort Steele. Wikipedia tells us that this fort was originally built in 1868 to protect the Union Pacific railroad from attacks by Native Americans.

The Union Pacific rolls by near Fort Fred Steele

There isn't much left of the fort but it was built in a beautiful spot along a quick-flowing river.

While Wyoming is in the Rockies it doesn't feature the jagged mountain tops such as those the Saw Tooth Range outside of Boise. Nevertheless, we were cruising at over 8,000 feet of elevation for much of our trip. As we crested the last summit through some relatively low peaks in eastern Wyoming the world opened up below us as we looked down across western Nebraska. The only thing keeping us from looking across the entire country was the curvature of the earth.

As we lost elevation going into Nebraska we ran into summer. It had been overcast and on the cool side in Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. Nebraska was in the mid 90's in the afternoon.

Our hotel in Grand Island featured a pond out back, complete with a couple of kids fishing. I wonder if it gets cold enough to skate on in the winter.

Fishing (and skating?) pond behind the Best Western Hotel in Grand Island, NE

We continued our streak of good eating! Carla yelped to find a nice taqueria a few miles north of our hotel. We had some really good tacos. There was a park across the street from the restaurant so we got a nice walk in after a long day driving.

Road Trip 2014 - Rock Springs, Wyoming

The second leg of our road trip to Chicago would take us from Boise through the Utah pan handle to Wyoming. We had hoped to get well into Wyoming but there aren't many towns and the ones there are didn't have hotel rooms for travelers. We had hoped to get to Rawlins, about 1/2 across the state, but all the rooms were given over to mining and natural gas workers. So, we settled for Rock Springs.

Leg 2: Boise to Rock Springs, WY

On the way we passed through Green River, WY - just  a few miles west of Rock Springs. We stopped there a few minutes for a driving break on our last road trip. The river was nearby and it was a nice little town. Much nicer, it turns out, than Rock Springs.

After checking into the motel we went downtown for a walk. The town was built on top of a large coal mine. We saw a funny little sign that says the streets are laid out like "they were surveyed by a drunk miner on a dying mule".

Most of the town is closed up; it's just this side of being a ghost town. But it wasn't always that way; they were big enough to have a Woolworth's 5 and dime back in the day

Woolworth's used to have a store here.

I know mining is a tough, dangerous business but we saw a monument that drove that point home.

Monument for miners who died at work.

The Union Pacific founded the town back in the day as a place to get coal for the cross-country trek. The depot is closed but plenty of trains roll by.

UP auto rack rolling through town.

 We did find a very nice Mexican food place for dinner: Casa Chavez. I usually order a cheese enchilada, a tamale, and refried beans when first visiting a cantina in order to judge its quality. The sauce on the enchilada was excellent and the beans were fantastic. Much, much better than some chain eatery on the interstate.

Road Trip 2014 - Boise

Carla retired on Thursday June 12 and our grandson Jurgen was born the day before. With that in mind we planned a road trip to Chicago. The trip to Chicago would run to 2,200 miles and take us through 7 states: Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois. We will take a different route back, through the Grand Canyon - but that is for a later post.

The blue line shows our route.

Our first stop was Boise, Idaho for a couple of nights. We stayed with our great friends Nancy and Tom Lea. It so happens that another old C of I friend Marguerite Lawrence was throwing a party for Butch's daughter Nicollete.  Once that party was over she Marguerite and Doug threw a barbecue party for a whole bunch of the old gang and many new members as well. What a trooper - two parties in one day!

Maggie and Doug have a beautiful place for a summer deck party; they live in the northeast side of town up on a bluff overlooking the city. I brought my camera but neglected to take many pictures - curses.

Craig, The Chief, Eldridge, a new friend, Jan and Larry Stamps enjoying Butch's guacamole

Sunset from Doug and Marguerite's deck

If I were to ever leave Portland, I think Boise would be my choice to live. Sunday June 15, we hung around Tom and Nancy's comfortable house for a while before going out for a walk along the Boise river. Like Portland, Boise is pedestrian and bicycle friendly; there is a well maintained path along a stretch of the river. Walking near a bridge we saw something hanging down from the structure.

Sleeping bags suspended from the bridge over the Boise river.

Upon closer inspection we saw that it was a group of three cyclists who apparently bivouacked for the night. I think these are the kinds of bags mountain climbers use to suspend themselves from cliffs while they sleep for the night. I wouldn't get a very restful night's sleep.

Close up of biker's sleeping beneath the bridge.

Boise takes its recreation seriously. They constructed two flues for the river where kayaks can practice shooting rapids and surfers can actually surf. Who thought you could surf 500 miles from the nearest beach

Overview of the man-made flues for kayakers and surfers

Close up of a surfer practicing his moves.

On the other side of the walkway is a pond that paddle boarders, kayakers, and rafters can enjoy a more peaceful experience.

Paddle board, kayaks, and rubber raft enjoying a Boise Sunday morning.

There is a new housing development going up on the western end of Boise overlooking the river. Ifwe moved to Boise, this is one place  I'd look for a house. As we walked by some birds were taking advantage of a buffet served at one of the homes.

Some of the local fauna.

We had an excellent dinner that night at the Red Feather cafe; I especially liked the smoky, grilled kale Caesar salad. After two restful nights in Boise it was time to push on Monday morning to meet our new grandson.

Baby Jurgen

Carla and I drove from Portland (Oregon)  to Chicago to visit our son, Andrew, daughter-in-law, Henriët, co-mother-in-law Jeanette (visiting from South Africa), and our new grandson Jurgen!

I took some pictures along the way and will post some accounts of our travels, but today I held klein Jurgentjie (baby Jurgen) for about half-an-hour while Andrew worked on a class he was taking and Henriët grabbed a quick nap. I can't remember a better 30 minutes since Andrew and Jeff were babies.

After 30 or 40 minutes he'd had enough of Oupa's charms and wanted his Mama.

Book Report: Last Stand at Khe Sanh: The U.S. Marines' Finest Hour in Vietnam

Last Stand at Khe Sanh: The U.S. Marines' Finest Hour in Vietnam by Gregg Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I heard Gregg Jones on Tom Ashbrook's On Point radio show and knew I needed to read this. Khe Sahn was in the northern part of South Vietnam near the DMZ. It's purpose was to interdict the supplies and manpower coming down the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

The battle at Khe Sanh from late 1967 through the spring of 1968 was the biggest set piece battle that North Vietnam engaged in with the US and South Vietnam. Gregg Jones follows the experience of a group of soldiers through 77 days from January into April 1968. The NVA had laid siege to the Khe Sanh combat base and the nearby hills (861, 881 North and 881 South).

"With 20,000 North Vietnamese soldiers now surrounding the 6,000 Americans at Khe Sanh, and another 20,000 enemy troops nearby, General William Westmoreland was marshaling every conceivable weapon for a decisive confrontation." (Loc 1416) The combat base was effectively cut off from the overland supply route and could only be resupplied by air. The dug in NVA would shoot mortars and rockets at the air strip every time a plane or helicopter approached. We read the stories of the men who lived and died making that stand.

The Tet offensive took place at the same time as the siege at Khe Sanh leaving open the question as to how intent General Giap was in truly overrunning the base. Was it merely a feint to tie down American resources so the Tet offensive could more effectively foment the revolution in South Vietnam? "From the beginning, the Marines had questioned General Westmoreland's decision to tie down a combat company, and, eventually, a reinforced regiment, at such a remote location. The siege had amplified the questions about the strategic wisdom of Westmoreland's commitment to Khe Sanh..."(Loc 5453)

Jones touches on these points enough to set the stage for the story he is telling. His primary focus is on experiences of the kids and young men who were at Khe Sanh; he does a remarkable job at that. I was draft age in 1970, was against the war, and took a student deferment; but I was never one of the people who were mad; who spat, jeered, and rallied against the returning veterans. After reading this, I realize just how misguided, wrong actually, that jeering approach was. The draftees were doing what they were told to do; and they did it magnificently well. As Jones points out
"In the rising light of an early September morning, standing before the gleaming walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, with all the profound loss these granite panels embody, questiong about who won or lost at Khe Sanh and wheter it was a ruse seem indecent. So, too, are the political debates over why America lost the war, and who is to blame. It is enough to know that hundreds of Khe Sanh dead whose names are etched into the wall heeded the call of their country, and they went to Vietnam with the best intentions."(Loc 5804).

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Dining out: Reverend's BBQ

Once a month Carla goes to her knitting group. With the FP (Food Police) otherwise occupied, it's FFZ (Free Fire Zone) night for the boys. Jay, John, Norm, Ray, and I head out for a meal somewhere. Last night we went over to the Sellwood district for some barbecue at a new joint: Reverend's BBQ.

We all ordered Brisket; I had collard greens and Mac And Cheese for my sides. I think Brisket is a good test of a barbecue joint's quality. The brisket last night was the best I've ever eaten. I've eaten barbecue in Oregon, Virginia,  Chicago IL, and Dallas TX; I've also smoked brisket a few times. This brisket simply knocked all the others out of the park. The sauces were good; I tried them all but focused on the spicy red sauce. The also have a sweet red sauce, Carolina Gold mustard sauce, and a vinegar sauce.

I knew we were at a good place when we tried the deviled egg appetizers, served with a bit of brisket on top. The collard greens were excellent and the Mac And Cheese very good (I'm partial to my stiffer dish; this was more creamy).

I wish I had taken my camera to capture some pictures of the place and the food. If you want some good BBQ, head over to Reverend's BBQ.

Reverend's is a new joint; it opened in March 2014. Prior to opening the owners drove across country sampling BBQ everywhere they could. You can find more information on OregonLive

Here is a picture of their ribs from their website

For dessert we headed about 1 mile north to an old Dairy Queen for cones and blizzards. I think I may need to move to Sellwood about 1/2 way between Reverend's BBQ and Dairy Queen!

Book Report - Jeeves and the Tie That Binds

Jeeves and the Tie That Binds by P.G. Wodehouse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bertie is called to Brinkley Court near Market Snodsbury by his Aunt Dahlia to help Bertie's friend-from-childhood Ginger Winship run for Parliament. Being a Jeeves and Wooster story, complications arise of course. Madeline Basset is there and though she is engaged to Lord Sidcup (nee Roderick Spode) there is always the possibility Bertie will end up getting engaged to her. There is also a bloke there with a silver porringer he wishes to sell to Bertie's uncle Tom. It doesn't take much of a leap of imagination to figure that it will go missing and Bertie will be the number 1 suspect. Finally Florence Craye is there, affianced to Ginger; if things go bust there, Bertie could end up engaged to her. And to further mix things up, the club book from the Junior Ganymede Club is involved.

As you can see, a typical Jeeves and Wooster story. This was a delightful find for me - my first read. It's standard stuff with all Wodehouse's great phrases and descriptions. Ginger's chief Conservative opponent for the House of Commons; her husband died prior to the opening of the story. Bertie describes her thusly: "Seeing her steadily and seeing her whole, as the expression is, one marveled at the intrepidity of Mr. McCorkadale in marrying her - obviously a man whom nothing could daunt." (p81). When Jeeve's quotes Shakespeare, they have the following back and forth: "'Shakespeare said some rather good things.' [Jeeves:] 'I understand that he has given uniform satisfaction, sir...'"

At the end we can tell this series is running toward its end; and indeed, there is only one novel left. No, Bertie does not get married but I don't want to say more.

My only disappointment is that things work themselves out while Bertie is away. Seriously, folks, read some Jeeves and Wooster books! They are utterly fantastic.

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Book Report - The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Walter Mood lands in Hokitika New Zealand on a dark and stormy night and happens upon a secret council of 11 men discussing a mystery (well a few intertwined mysteries). We discover pretty quickly that Francis Carver is a bad guy, but it takes 800 pages to piece together the extent of his perfidy. The first 350 pages of the book tells the story through the eyes of the the men in the council. The final 500 pages flesh out the story to make sense, piece-by-piece, of theft, swindles, murder(?) and love.

The novel is structured according to the astrological signs, where each of the 12 men (Moody plus the original council) represent one of the signs. At least I think that is the intent. Not knowing much about astrology, that aspect of the story was a closed book to me. I particularly like the subheadings of the chapters "In which..." that gives a brief, tantalizing summary of the events which will unfold. Unfortunately, the summaries grow to the length of the chapters themselves in the last section. It seemed that Catton was tiring of writing and "told" the story at the end rather than "showing".

If you plan to read this, I suggest picking a time where you can give some dedicated time to the first section of 350 pages; the story is very complex, made especially so by the telling of different aspects by the council

I picked this book up because it won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction, which "is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Republic of Ireland, or Zimbabwe."(Wikipedia). I also have read Hillary Mantel's "Bring Up The Bodies" which won the prize in 2012. I haven't like the Booker winners nearly as much as the committee - I'm sure they see much more in it.

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Shredded Beef Short Rib Tacos

Regular readers of this blog know that Cook's Illustrated is a go-to for me recipe-wise. But I suppose not everything can be great. I think Vermonters don't know Mexican food. I had my doubts going into this venture as it called for short ribs rather than skirt steak. But I thought what the heck.
While this was fun to make but ultimately they don't taste like tacos to me.  Perhaps you will like it, if so, you can find the recipe here.

A note on the photography. Last week I attended the KelbyOne Shoot Like A Pro seminar. Scott Kelby touched on food photography at the very end. He recommends tilting the camera for food pics. I think I overdid it. I un twisted the pictures as much as I could.

Onion, spices, beer, vinegar, garlic, ancho chilis, tomato paste and short ribs

The shopping list (Selective sharpening of chilis and onion root in PS)

 Everything but the ribs and onions get mixed together in a Dutch oven. Thick slices of onion go in the liquid to hold the short ribs. This allows the ribs to rise above the braising liquid and get browned.

Mis en place (Selective sharpening on chilis)

Once the beef goes in the oven for 2 1/2 hours I concentrated on the vegetable toppings. The recipe calls for cole slaw with addition of onion and a jalapeño pepper. Purists would chop up cabbage but I was lazy so bought a package of slaw mix. I added a bit more carrot.

Cole slaw ingredients (we added some water as well)

Slaw goes into the refrigerator for 1 - 8 hours.

The beef comes out of the pot to be shredded. The liquid, garlic and ancho chilis go into the blender for a couple of minutes before tossing with the meat.

Shredded beef ready for the blended sauce.

 As I mentioned above, the queso fresco cheese was my takeaway of the day; a mild, lightly salty cheese that I'll be using as a Mexican food topping in the future.

Dinner is served