Communication?

Many years ago a girlfriend of mine had an uncle visiting from England.  At the time (late 1960’s or early 1970’s) he was totally amazed by the fact that even though we lived on the same street we would call each other on the telephone.  The cost of using a phone in England then was more expensive than in North America and he thought we were hopelessly extravagant and lazy.  What would he think now if he were to see people in the same room texting each other?  He would probably think that we are out of our minds and he would be somewhat right.

If we aren’t out of our minds or hopelessly lazy we are at the very least disconnected from community by our eagerness to feel connected.  The so-called on-line community, can it really be a community when it’s very nature creates isolation?  Yes we can now easily connect with someone half way across the world or across the room but what do we lose by reducing the number of personal encounters?  Face to face has been replaced by Facebook and quick friendly chats are now tweets or texts. 

A community by definition is a group of people living in the same locality, and/or having similar interests.  When you are on-line you may or may not be living in the same area as those you communicate with and the common interests can be easily faked. You are a persona that you have created and want others to view.  This isn’t necessarily the real you or anything remotely close to you.  Some people must have an awfully hard time living up to the image they create of themselves.  Makes me wonder if they create the person they want to be or become the person they have created.  Of course in some instances you can just create a new fake name and leave the old creation behind.  If only life were that easy. 

There is a Cardigans song that finishes with the lyrics "But I don't know how to connect so I disconnct."  and to me that is pretty much what is going on.  Are we really communicating with each other or are we just caught up in the technology and fooling ourselves?

The Girl in the Green Raincoat

I just finished reading the “Girl in the Green Raincoat” by Laura Lippman and I’m still having trouble deciding if this is a book I would recommend or not.  In the interest of full disclosure, I am very partial to women sleuths and the Tess Monaghan series is one of my favorites.  Tess is a strong woman whose vulnerabilities can be apparent to the reader if not to her.  The other regular characters in the series add their individual dashes of flavor. 

In this particular novella Tess is near the end of an unplanned pregnancy and confined to bed rest.  With a lot of time on her hands, she begins watching the parade of people who use the park across from her house and becomes intrigued by a woman in a green raincoat who regularly walks her dog.  When the woman suddenly stops appearing Tess is convinced something bad has happened to her.  Tess wants to discover what - but in order to do so she must rely on her friends to do her legwork.  This is a frustrating position for a strong (and headstrong) independent woman to find herself in. 

The basic plot is similar to a number of movies and these are referenced throughout the story.  I enjoyed how Tess navigates her feelings, trying to remain tough, controlling her anger with her situation all the while becoming more and more vulnerable to her unacknowledged maternal instincts that are slowly entering her psyche. 

Probably because this novella was originally written to be serialized in the New York Times, each chapter is almost a story by itself.  Each story within the story focuses on some aspect of marriage, love or family that we can easily relate to. However, I found this diluted the tension and apprehension of the main plot.   

Some of the plot was a bit too obvious in that we all know when reading a mystery that inevitably the wrong person will walk through the door when the door is left unlocked. 

Because the story is short, about 160 pages, and each chapter almost stands alone, this is a good book to read in a waiting room, commuting to work or on a plane.  All in all, this book is like eating a light snack when you really crave a meal.  You are left hungry and wanting more.  Not necessarily a bad thing. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Since it is St. Patrick’s and my ancestors originated from the Emerald Isle, I thought I would share a recipe I recently tried from www.canadianliving.com a Curried Potato Kale Galette that is simply delicious. The curry might not be traditionally Irish but the potatoes and Kale sure are. The nutritional breakdown is available on the Canadian Living site. 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 1tbsp tbsp(15 mL) (15 mL) vegetable oil1 onion , finely diced 1onions

1 finely diced onion

2 gloves garlic minced

1 tbsp minced gingerroot

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garam masala

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp salt

1 pinch cayenne pepper

8 cups chopped kale (about 1 bunch)

4 potatoes

¼ cup butter or margarine melted

Preparation:

In 8-inch (20 cm) nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, salt and cayenne pepper, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes or until onion is softened.

Add kale; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until wilted. Transfer to bowl.

Meanwhile, peel potatoes. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, cut into paper-thin slices. Spread one-third in same skillet; top with half of the kale mixture. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining potatoes, pressing to evenly distribute. Pour butter over top.

Bake in 425°F (220°C) oven for about 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with knife. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 days.

March 7, 2011 Another Snow Storm

Snowflakes are unique and beautiful individually but collectively they can be a menace. 

March came roaring into Montreal today and the visibility whether you were walking or driving was next to nil.  Enough already! 

I am craving sunshine, greenery, and roads I can navigate without worry.  Spring will be much appreciated by this winter weary soul.

March 5, 2011

Spring is a time of renewal and time of fresh starts.  Many people do spring cleaning in one form or another.  For some cleaning out cupboards and drawers, scrubbing floors and walls is a fresh start.  For others cleaning out the inner cupboards and drawers by doing a body detox is spring cleaning.   

Then there is the approach that is good for the soul.  A new hair cut, new look or perhaps outlook, an addition to the wardrobe, a new exercise routine are all things that can help us feel refreshed and ready to move forward as we open our inner windows to let fresh air into our bodies, minds and souls. 

March is nutrition month a good time to revisit, review and rethink what we put into our bodies and why.

March 3, 2011

Ah March – lion or lamb – which will it be?

March means spring is just around the corner.  The arrival of March is like the arrival of a tempting aroma emanating from the kitchen; you know if you can just get around the corner that something sweet and wonderful awaits you. 

March means days will slowly become warmer, maple syrup will start to flow, and crocuses will peak up from the snow followed by golden daffodils.  Then once those tulips decorate the landscape you know that bright red breasted robin and all his friends won’t be far behind.  I can’t wait.

March 1, 2011

Profound realizations can materialize during the most mundane moments.  A few months ago I was spending a Saturday driving around doing errands.  Most of the errands were not for me but for my elderly parents and there was a growing resentment inside that my already short weekends were getting shorter as a direct result of these errands.  Between dashes in and out of the car I was listening to Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Café radio show.  I think Stuart is one of the best storytellers around and he has the gift to make me laugh about and contemplate human nature.  On this particular morning he started talking about his father and some of his father’s habits and naturally that started me thinking about my parents.  I continued listening and suddenly felt like I had been slapped in the face.  Stuart nonchalantly threw in the remark that growing old isn’t for cowards.  Oh my god, when truth hits it hits hard.

An abrupt reality check occurred at that moment and my gripes started to seem very petty.  After all, I still have my independence and the ability “to do” for others.  My parents are dealing with the loss of independence along with many others losses.  Inevitable as these losses are they require strength and grace to accept, something which is innate to some and a struggle for others.

Insight is a wonderful gift, thank you for sharing Stuart.

February 28, 2011

A lot of my generation grew up being told that modesty is a virtue - no fanfare required.  So the idea of creating a blog just to express my opinion to a public that may or may not be interested is seemingly a blatant thing.  But a blog is a means to reach out and connect to people, possibly even help someone, without even knowing you have. 

This modest blog may at times seem out of step with today's world for those who live to text.  I want to comment, rant, and hopefully discuss and share things that are of interest to me and maybe of interest to others. 

I intend to share experiences, recipes, ideas, books, music and whatever else crosses my mind on any given day. 

Hopefully there won't be any naval gazing because that wouldn't be very modest :)