The Weekly Loaf

I know I said I was going to bake cinnamon raisin bread for my next loaf, but I had made oatmeal for breakfast and since the container was still on the counter, I decided to make Honey-Oat Pain de Mie instead. 

This bread was wonderful, just slightly sweet and nutty. John had to bemoan the lack of cinnamon, but I have eaten this plain, toasted, spread with bit of jam, and used it for a turkey sandwich. I have yet to find a way that this bread is not absolutely delicious. If you happen to be making it for a 13" pullman pan, don't miss the note at the bottom of the recipe about doubling all the ingredients except the yeast. As it's written, this recipe would be ideal for baking in a regular 9x5 loaf pan. Baking bread and having fresh-baked bread to eat is making this winter more tolerable for me!

Unraveled Wednesday: 1/22/25

I'm joining Kat and the Unravelers today, with a still uncompleted cowl and a new cast on. It's Tuesday afternoon as I'm writing this and 12 degrees, so I'm apologizing ahead of time for the dark indoor pictures that follow. 

I still want to knit another couple of inches on the cowl before I start the top ribbing, so I get to sit inside and enjoy knitting cables for a little while.

 

I did cast on my Tunis mitts so I would have something to work on that I have been eagerly anticipating. I had decided to make Hot Waffles (ravelry link) and I did the ribbing but I think the beginning of the pattern rows are far too tight. I think I'll rip back to the ribbing (it's just a few rows) and knit forward with a needle at least one size larger. 

This week I finished Here. I never thought I would be enjoying a graphic novel, but thanks to a recommendation from Kat, I did. Here centers around a single corner of a room in a house, but it spans billions of years, from prehistoric times to a distant future. McGuire’s innovative storytelling technique involves layering multiple moments in time on a single page. For example, a frame from 1907 might coexist with one from 1957 and another from 2317. This layering creates a rich tapestry that captures the cyclical nature of existence and the interconnectedness.

McGuire’s artwork is deceptively simple yet masterfully executed. He has used a muted color palette and clean lines to carefully construct pages with frames that overlap and interact in surprising ways. The minimalist style ensures that the focus remains on the passage of time and the layers of history embedded in a single location.

One of the most striking aspects of Here is its ability to elicit an emotional response through subtle visual storytelling. A recurring image of a woman laughing in 1957 juxtaposed with scenes of loss or destruction in other years creates poignant contrasts. The interplay between permanence and transience is underscored by McGuire’s meticulous attention to detail. I think Here would appeal to fans of graphic novels and readers intrigued by the intersection of art and storytelling. I certainly found it intriguing and worthy of four stars. 

What are you making and reading this week?

 

Read With Us: A Secret Announcement

Today is the day we announce a new Read With Us book for winter! You might already be aware of this if you were able to attend the last Zoom discussion for Intermezzo, but now everyone will know. Winter is when we read a contemporary classic, and this book fits the bill. It was first published in 1992, so some of you may have read it in the past three decades. This was the author's debut novel, and she has published only two other works of fiction since this one. (She has also written numerous short stories and some non-fiction.) I think this book sets the standard for dark academia, and it's especially interesting because it's an inverted mystery with the main action revealed in the first sentence. The events leading up to that action are slowly revealed throughout the novel.

Our new book is The Secret History by Donna Tartt. 

The hardcover, Kindle, and audio versions of the book are all available from my library without much of a wait. Hopefully, we'll all have plenty of time to place a hold, get the book, and read it.  The Kindle and paperback versions are priced reasonably from Amazon and I'm sure your local bookseller could order a copy for you if you're lucky enough to have a local bookseller. I read the book nine years ago and am thoroughly enjoying listening to the audio version narrated by the author.

Kym, Carole, and I will be talking about the book, giving additional information, and doing promotional posts throughout February. Discussion day for The Secret History is scheduled for Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 7:00 pm Eastern time, so mark your calendars. We'll ask questions on our blogs that day and then host the always fun, educational, and entertaining Zoom discussion. 

Something is revealed in the first sentence but I do hope you'll Read With Us to find out all the events, circumstances and effects of what has happened. There may be an unlikeable character or six, but all of these add up to a darn good story.

Something Good

I wanted to post something good today as there is an event happening today that may not be so good. Since I kitty cat sat for Nugget last week, a few photos of Nugget are the best things on my camera roll.

Justin had the heat turned down while they were gone so I would often find Nugget curled up in her fuzzy bed in the sun. I don't know if she was using one of the catnip things I made for her at Christmas as a pillow or maybe catnip gives her good dreams.

She does occasionally leave her bed to sit on the dining room table where the warm air from the mini-split blows on her. Nugget has a pretty good life!
 

Thank You!

I'd like to express a big thank you to all of you who were kind enough to think about Bill and our family. Because you sent good juju, thoughts, and prayers, the surgeons were able to accomplish all of the tasks they intended without a glitch. Bill has passed the first big surgical hurdle and is recovering as expected in the ICU. He's been extubated, had several of his chest tubes removed, is able to sit in a chair for short periods, and has had a few sips of water. These may not sound like big accomplishments on a normal day, but after you've been in the operating room for more than eight hours and had your chest cracked open, they're big enough.  

Hopefully, Bill will be back home in the nearish future and feeding the birds, deer, turkeys, and occasional bear.  

 

Thanks again and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. 

A Gathering of Poetry: January 2025

It's the third Thursday of the month so I'd like to welcome you to A Gathering of Poetry.

I finished reading this book once, but I've kept Ted Kooser's Winter Morning Walks nearby so I can choose a poem and read it whenever I feel like a bit of poetry. This one may be my favorite (and Kooser has dated it January 16th) so I'm sharing it with you today. 

 

The January Thaw

by Ted Kooser

A flock of several hundred small brown birds,

all of one mind, crazily chases its tail

across a muddy field and into a grove of trees.

They are full of joy, like a wheel that break loose

from a truck and bounds down the road

ahead of the driver, then eventually slows,

and falls behind, wobbling onto a spot

on the shoulder, rocking around on its rim,

then settling with a ringing cry.

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Kooser, Ted. "The January Thaw." Winter Morning Walks. 2000: Carnegie Mellon Press, pg. 66.

You can read more about Ted Kooser here.  

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Thank you for reading and joining us for our monthly Gathering of Poetry. You are more than welcome to add your link below if you would like to share one of your favorite poems. The more the merrier!

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Unraveled Wednesday: 1/15/25

I'm joining Kat and the Unravelers today, plugging away on the same cowl as before. 

I'll probably knit a couple more inches in pattern and then do some matching ribbing at the top. These cables have a kind of magical quality to them, making me slow down and feel a sense of calm. That's knitting I'll gladly do more of!

This week I read an ARC from Edelweiss entitled The Bright Years, by Sarah Damoff. It's a poignant debut novel that delves into the complexities of family dynamics, addiction, resilience, and possible recovery. Set in Texas from 1958 to 2019, the narrative spans four generations of the Bright family, offering an intimate portrayal of their struggles and triumphs.

The story is told from three perspectives: Lillian, her husband Ryan, and their daughter Georgette (Jet). Lillian and Ryan's relationship is marked by love and the scars of past traumas, including Lillian's experience with adoption and Ryan's battle with alcoholism. Their daughter, Jet, navigates the challenges of growing up in a family overshadowed by secrets and addiction, striving to find her own path amid the chaos.

Damoff's writing is both tender and unflinchingly honest, capturing the raw emotions associated with generational trauma and the enduring hope for redemption. Her background in social work is evident, as she approaches sensitive topics with compassion and depth. I think the author writes about alcoholism and addiction honestly - the anxiety, secretive behavior, impaired judgement, hope, mercy, and the never-ending fight.   

This is a story that I was initially leary of requesting as the blurb makes it sound like it could be a non-stop soap opera. But the novel is well written with well developed characters so it doesn't often feel like an overwrought drama. The author does have a habit of over-writing similes; I found that these were most evident in the first third of the book. There is nothing wrong with descriptive writing but I had trouble when reading "I peel back my eyelids as his slam open, his eyebrows like deep-diving caterpillars plunging into a frown." I am not familiar with deep-diving caterpillars and this simile made no sense to me. The overuse of similes gave me a glacial pang of pain like the stab of a dagger of ice frozen from a poisoned well (sorry!), but the story and the messages are still good ones. Overall, The Bright Years is a compelling exploration of love, loss, and the possibility of healing. Damoff's nuanced portrayal of a family in turmoil through generations offers readers a heartfelt and authentic narrative. Three and a half stars rounded up.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on April 22, 2025. There is currently a goodreads giveaway for it if you are interested. 

What are you making and reading this week?