This book was a recommendation on a blog I follow called READ ALL DAY. The blogger commented that it was one of the best books she had read in years. Not to be a contrarian but I have read a couple of better books in the past couple of months, THE GOLDFINCH for sure.
The novel combines a 'true crime' story, that of serial killer Harry Powers, who wooed, then murdered vulnerable widows in the 1920's. He was caught in 1931, executed in 1932 and Phillips tells us the story of his last victims, Chicago housewife Asta Eicher, and her three children, Annabelle, Grethe, and Hart. Powers promises Asta a life of hope, takes her and her children to Quiet Dell, West Virginia, and murders them, burying their bodies in a ditch in his backyard. This horror story, based on facts and transcripts, contrasts with the fictional imaginings of Phillips, the other half of the novel. She adds a woman observer, Emily Thornton, an independent Chicago Tribute reporter, who follows for the paper the hunt and conviction of Powers. She is accompanied by a friend, Eric, a Tribune photographer, also sent to cover the story. But the counterpoint to the true crime is the romance between Emily and Asta Eicher's banker and friend, William Malone.
Malone and Emily meet for the first time when Emily returns to Chicago, after the murders of the Eicher's are discovered, and she wants to talk with anyone who knew the Eicher's, in this case, it's the banker Malone. If there is such a thing as love at first sight, it happens to them, and their passionate love affair is a vivid contrast to the facts of the Eicher murders, and the trial and eventual execution of Harry Powers. I admit to being a bit shocked to read so much about their feelings for each other, their brief trysts in between the trail, their longing glances, their 'heart felt' vows of love, like something out of a Harlequin romance, though I admit to having never read one.
Thus, I am not the enthusiast that Blogger Nina Sankovitch is though I did enjoy the novel. It is wonderfully written, interestingly put together, and who can resist the arrest and trial of a serial killer combined with a passionate love story. Not me!
A daily journal of our lives (begun in October 2010), in photos (many taken by my wife, Evie) and words, mostly from our home on Chautauqua Lake, in Western New York, where my wife Evie and I live, after my having retired from teaching English for forty-five years in Hawaii, Turkey, and Ohio. We have three children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandson, as you will notice if you follow my blog since we often travel to visit them. Photo from our porch taken on 11/03/2024 at 7:07 AM
Friday, February 28, 2014
Sunny, Blue Skies And Ten Below Zero
7:02 |
Good Morning |
Despite yesterday's cold weather, and off and on snow, we journeyed to yoga and the YMCA, taking our time on the snowy roads, surprised at the lack of traffic, wondering if the locals knew something that we didn't about the roads. They did...there was a 12 car pile up on RT 5 near Sheridan, a result of a white out up near Lake Erie. Anyways, we took our time, classes were fine, and we both felt good about ourselves for having gotten out and done something active. We then did our weekly shopping at Wegman's, and Evie had her nifty iPad in hand, with her Wegman's app that show her shopping list, replete with the aisle and price of any item she puts on it. Just what Evie needs, another list. We walked out to a snow squall in the parking lot, took the back way home, through Ashville, thinking it would be safer, less traffic, got home around 1:00 and settled in for the rest of the day, after a retro lunch of fried baloney sandwiches and vegetable soup. No hiking or cross country skiing for us because of the cold and snow.
Winter Winds Whip Up The Lake, Obscuring Tom's Point at 4:00 |
Betts and Frank, with our Son Tom, Hawaii, 1969 |
Dusk at 6:00 |
QUOTATION OF THE DAY:
“The thing about television right now is that it is an indestructible and terrifying giant that is stronger than the government. It is possible through television to take a small matter and blow it up to monumental proportions,” a quotation from the movie NETWORK. How prescient, look at Fox News and MSNBC. They set the agenda for both the right and left---for Fox News, it's Benghazi week after week, since September, for MSNBC it's Chris Christie since January, not necessarily the same but we are tired of both.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
THE CUCKOO'S CALLING: ROBERT GALBRAITH ( J. K. Rowling) ****
I really enjoyed this book, read it not knowing it was written by J. K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame. And I just read that a sequel will appear in June called THE SILKWORM.
Like many mysteries, or detective stories, the plot seems often secondary to the characters, especially the detective or PI. And Rowling has created a memorable private investigator in Cormoran Strike, a one legged Army veteran, of the Afghanistan wars, illegitimate son of a British rock star and a groupie, for now penniless and in debt, as he starts his business with the death of the beautiful model Lulu Landry. Hired by Lulu's step brother, it's Strike's case to prove her fall from a balcony was not a suicide. The other half of the team is Robin, initially a temp because Strike can hardly afford any help but as the novel progresses, as Robin becomes more and more enamored with detective work, we sense that the two might eventually make a good team, if Cormoran would open up a bit, about his former life, loves, and his present situation. All of this becomes clear as the two become closer and closer, as Robin proves her detecting worth, despite the warning of Robin's fiancee, Matthew, who thinks Strike must be a bounder.
We flounder for while, as does Strike and Robin, thinking the perpetrator is, at first, Lulu's loser boy friend, known for drugs and bad boy antics. Then, we think it might be Lulu's uncle, someone who has always disliked the adopted, mixed race Lulu, perhaps even envied her most of his life. And there is the door man, and the young, good looking driver of Lulu's, both who have also been questioned as to their whereabouts. Slowly, bit by bit, the tenacious and meticulous Cormoran's note taking pays off, as he's able to put together the facts and confront the killer, getting him finally to admit his guilt, his reasons for killing Robin. I won't let on who 'done it,' so you will have to read the book, well worth while. I cannot wait till June to read the next Cormoran Strike mystery.
Getting Colder, Some Flurries, A Just Visible Sunrise
A Cross Country Skiing Selfie |
7:15 |
Marisa and Evie's Favorite, A Ruffled Finch (looks like he just rolled out of the nest) |
Unkempt But Warm (same guy) |
For lunch, we had our typical Sunday breakfast, which we skipped this past weekend, eggs, bacon and bagels, a great way to start the afternoon. Our afternoon was bright and sunny, an amazing blue sky, so we enjoyed being cozy inside, reading and watching some Stewart and Colbert. I decided to get out before the sun hid behind the tree line, to see if it was good skiing on the lake. And it was, for once, no slush, no crusty snow, just a great surface for skiing. It was so bright I needed sunglasses, and I seemed to be the only person on the lake, as the fishermen did not hike out until after I finished skiing. It was cold, especially skiing into the wind but worth it.
Late Afternoon Skiing On An Empty Lake, |
We have one more episode to go in HOUSE OF CARDS. Francis did away last night with his underling, making it look like suicide. Francis gets more and more evil, Machiavellian, which makes him even more interesting I suppose. He makes Boehner and Pelosi look good, even admirable...hard to believe, right.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Coffee Warms A Six Degree Morning (Long Point State Park)
7:14 |
7:50 |
Loving The Winter |
Long Point Park Trail |
Chautauqua County Inmates, Clearing Snow at Long Point Park, As Trustee Watches |
For dinner, Evie pulled out home made turkey/mushroom meatballs, added a jar of tomato sauce and viola, we had a spaghetti dinner, accompanied by a salad and bread. We watched a couple of more episodes of House of Cards, one, the least interesting, as he is honored by his Alma mater, a military school like The Citadel. We both are tired of the old boys acting like 'college kids.' And we got caught up on Bill Maher's always blasphemous REAL TIME, which we guiltily admit to liking. And finished the night with last week's American Idol, then back to my book, QUIET DELL, a love story sandwiched between murders and a search for a serial killer...what more could you ask for?
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Sleeping In
7:20 |
7:20 |
So yesterday morning was spent with our plumber, watching him fuss with the boiler, talking with him about the problems many residents have had this winter because of the polar temperatures. Lots of busted pipes, destroyed walls, things like that which keep the plumbers in the area busy. I guess we have been lucky, to have been here when the problem started, to have gotten someone over immediately.
The rest of the day was lost for some reason; neither one of us felt energetic, just happy to be in a warm house once again, boiler functioning, and it was lovely out, large snow flakes falling on and off most of the afternoon. It was so lovely that I walked up to the main road, via Kinney's trail but of course, it stopped snowing until I started back. Both Evie and I have this thing about skiing or hiking when its snowing out. It's our favorite weather for a walk, as long as the temperatures are not in single digits. Yesterday was perfect out.
We had a leisurely pre dinner glass of wine, munching on one of our favorite snacks from Turkey, hazelnuts with raisins. It was snowing so hard at this hour that we couldn't see Long Point, though we were able to make out a single guy fishing at that late hour, For dinner, we had pork schnitzel, with baked sweet potatoes and asparagus. Just put a dab of butter on the schnitzel, squeeze some lemon and you have something just as good as you could find in Vienna, the first place we had schnitzel, probably in the summer of 1971.
A Smudge of Gray |
Monday, February 24, 2014
Monday Morning Boiler Blues
Boiler Blues |
7:15 |
Yesterday was a pretty nice day out, cold enough, in the 30's, with lots of sunshine, obviously a good day for the fishing guys because the entire lake was peppered with their huts, from Lakewood to Mayville. We decided to go for a walk in Long Point State Park but we lasted only a half hour or so as the trails were crusty, filled with pot holes, not much fun for hiking. We gave up and came home, thinking we might walk somewhere else later in the day. When we got back, we noticed that our pesky, annoying squirrel had eaten through the plastic barrel we keep on the front porch for the sunflower seeds. He's been a real pain, jumping on bird feeders, etc, so I took off for Home Depot and picked up a double sided squirrel trap, tired of his shenanigans. I hope to trap him, drop him off on the other side of the lake, in Ellery (don't tell anyone), and dare him to find his way home. Well, as of this morning, the trap is still empty of the little pest, despite the peanut butter and cracker. Maybe he doesn't like olive oil and black pepper Triscuits.
Fishing Late Afternoon In Middle Of Lake |
Blue Skies, Late Afternoon |
Sunday, February 23, 2014
An Empty Nest, A Partly Cloudy Morning, A Dusting Of Snow Overnight
7:28 |
Black Capped Chickadee by Beth |
Acrylic by Beth |
Drear of Winter Woods |
Saturday, February 22, 2014
A Sad Goodbye To Beth and Marisa
A Happy Girl, Ready for Breakfast |
8:02 |
8:03 |
Checking the Slushy Ice |
Working on Their Paintings |
Enjoying The Rod and Gun |
We were home around 8:00 and played Telefunky until 10:00 and Marisa and Beth skunked Evie and me, Marisa gloating at the end, reminding me of her victory this morning. Kids. We will miss them, for sure, but it was a great week, just too short.
Friday, February 21, 2014
A Rainy Winter Morning (Ashville General Store, Brick Elephant Design)
Revel Stoke, British Columbia |
7:30 |
Cross Country Skiing |
Ashville Country Store |
The Ash |
We knew it would be a rainy day, so Marisa, Evie and I watched a fun movie called Bend It Like Beckham, about a young Sikh girl in London who breaks against family tradition and plays soccer on a girls' soccer team. We had seen it before but knew Marisa would like it. While we watched, Beth worked on her painting of a Black Capped Chickadee, using one of Evie's photos as her inspiration.
For dinner, Evie seared the lamb chops, finishing them in the oven and made up a great shallot wine sauce from the pan drippings. Even Marisa ate a couple of chops, along with the rice, garlic spinach and salad, another delicious dinner. Evie wanted Marisa to see the movie of the Jane Austen book, SENSE AND SENSIBLITY, so the girls stayed up till 11:00, to make sure the two sisters got their wish, to marry the loves of their lives. It's quite a good movie, great acting and story, well worth watching again.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
A Pink Rising Above A Vast Cloud Bank (The Studio at Panterra, Westfield, NY)
6:55 |
Escarpment Overlooking Vineyards and Lake Erie |
Beth at Studio at Panterra |
Inside of Yoga Studio |
Studio at Panterra |
Sledding with Marisa |
We were all up yesterday by 7:00 , a warmer day, with a clear sky and sun early in the day. Beth has wanted to go to a class at the Studio at Panterra in Westfield, so we were up and dressed, ready for the drive by 9:15. I was worried about the weather, about the roads icing up but the threat never materialized fortunately, so it was an easy drive, with great vistas of the vineyards, down to the frozen tundra of Lake Eire as we made our way along Hardscrabble Road to the studio. We were among the first to arrive, but eventually we had about 11 people in class. It was, as usual, a teaching kind of class, as Dariel really works hard at making sure we do things right. And she showed particular interest in Beth, helping her to improve some of her asanas. Class lasted over two hours and we talked a bit with Dariel afterwards, about her early years at the Kripalu Yoga center, back when it was still an ashram, not big business like it is today. While we were in Westfield, Marisa and Evie spent time outside, cross country skiing on the lake and sledding on the hills around Woodlawn, though the day was warming up and the snow was getting wet, making it difficult to sled.
Beth Bushwhacking With Cody |
We had lunch, soup and BLT's, then Evie and Marisa decided to go off to the campground to feed the animals before it started to rain. They were gone for about an hour and a half, and Marisa loved feeding the llamas, donkeys, and goats. We did not do a lot the rest of the afternoon until about 4:30, when Beth and I took Cody for a walk through the the deep snow of the Woodlawn/Victoria woods, quite a work out for all three of us because of snow, which we had to bushwhack (make our own trail) most of the way. By the time I got home, my tee shirt was soaked with sweat, as was Beth's, and Cody also looked exhausted, just plopped down in the living room, and showed little energy the rest of the night. I think it was a bit too much for him.
Marisa and Granny at Seezurh House |
Marisa's Happy Burger |
We decided to go to the Seezurh House for dinner, mainly because Marisa wanted a good burger and the Seezurh House has them. It was not very crowded, so we had our choice of tables and quickly ordered our drinks, and onion rings for appetizers, with ranch dressing, which we all loved. The three adults ordered the Rib Eye special, a mistake because they were overdone, but Marisa's burger was great so she was happy. Our waitress, Shelby, knocked 25% off our bill because of overdone steaks which was nice. We did have fun, however, especially Marisa, who spent the night giggling and laughing. She is a delight.
We played a few hands of Tellyfunky, a card game taught to us years ago by my mother; Marisa and Beth destroyed Evie and I winning, easily, much to Marisa's delight. We then watched some of the Olympic ice dancing from the previous night, and we all loved the gold medal winning team of Davis/White. In fact, all of the top five pairs were amazing, seemingly never making a mistake, and performing perfectly. It's certainly more entertaining then the bobsledding which seems to have dominated the past couple of nights.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Some Sun, Clouds, A Granddaughter, and Warming
7:00 |
Walking Cody |
Yesterday was just a day to enjoy each other, mostly inside till later in the day, as we waited for the wind to die down, the day to become more appealing. It was actually good to have a quiet day, to read, make tea, paint for the girls, play cards with Marisa, which Evie did on and off during the day. Just having Beth and Marisa with us for the day was the best. We did not need anything else.
Mid afternoon, we decided to snow shoe/cross country ski Dobbins Woods, thinking it would be amazingly beautiful because of the snow Monday night. When we parked our car, a neighbor's golden retriever ran across the street, up to us, and proceeded to follow us, or lead us, for the entire trail, much to the delight of Marisa. He was a great dog, friendly, rolling in the snow, going off trail, then returning, never barking, coming if we called him. It almost made me want a dog. It was a good walk and surprise, as we finished the sun came out, lighting up the woods, with a blue sky. We also browsed the Candle Essence store, a mile from the woods, buying some Amish popcorn, some candy for Marisa.
For dinner, Evie made up a mixture of ground turkey with spices, browned it, then filled hollowed out zucchini with the mixture, then baked it, serving it with a homemade tomato sauce, rice and salad, a healthy and tasty Tuesday night meal. Everyone loved it, even Marisa who had her own personalized dinner, without the zucchini, in special cups with sauce. We watched a movie Evie and I have seen numerous times but neither Beth nor Marisa had seen called Legally Blonde, and it still made all of us laugh, with the antics of Reese Witherspoon and for the most part, there were no objectionable parts for Marisa. It's difficult to find a movie appropriate for a ten year old.
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