Pancake Tuesday?

As a child I don't remember my mother making vast quantities of pancakes on pancake Tuesday, as a matter of fact it wasn't until we went to elementary school that pancakes were even introduced to us. The pancakes North America eats anyway.  We often had potato pancakes, with sour cream or applesauce, but I'm sure we didn't indulge in Aunt Jemima stuff.

What did these poor sheltered Polish children do you ask ?  WELL my mother and every woman in the Polish community would make wonderful PACZKY, thick plum jam filled donuts and then we'd have a community dance/BALL PACZKOWY.  A local band would provide the music, and we'd all have a blast.  There would be dozens and dozens of donuts/packy to enjoy. And you didn't leave your kids at home, I think I may have been 12 when I first attended, not sure who stayed with my younger brother and sister, cause even Pani Stachowa went to these things.   The Polish Newspaper, Zwiazkowiec  in conjunction with the many organizations, would sponsor  a Miss Polonia contest and this would be one of the events where a young woman would be chosen to represent her particular group/city/community. Since I don't have daughters, and my husband and I don't really belong to a Polish community group outside of our church I'm not sure who's having the dance this year, but you can bet your bippy there will be more than one.  Enjoy your Aunt Jemima and I'll be indulging in Paczi.  Happy Tuesday.

Mailbox Monday...

Since I've joined the Double Dare Challenge which consists of reading books from your shelf, and not buying or borrowing a book until April 1st, I haven't posted a Mailbox Monday.  Just nothing coming in.  BUT nowhere in the rules did it say that you couldn't enter giveaways.  So... I received this book The Lake of Dreams from a giveaway on Kathy's blog Bermudaonion.  Thank You.  And then, Donna over at Cottage Days and Journeys  was celebrating her blogaversary and I won these wonderful cards.  Donna and her hubby travel to wonderfully exotic locations and she takes the most awesome photos and she made these beauties, my problem of coarse is that I will not be sending these, they'll be in frames.  Thank You Donna.  And then Jenny from The Latest Whatever sent me that charming bookmark.  Because, yes Jenny I know you can never have too many book marks.  Jenny is a published author and a taphophile. She was kind enough to send me a copy of one of her  article and it will find it's home in my "all about the people I know book" .  Jenny knows that I've finally taught myself to read on a moving vehicle and always have a book around, but not necessarily a book mark.  I've used some unusual things to mark my page.  Thank You Jenny.  So even though I didn't receive any of these things this Monday, it's family day here in Ontario, no mail delivery, I received them last Monday and just didn't get a chance to post them, (well alright, couldn't find my camera).  Enjoy your day, I'm off to wash floors and then when my men folk awake, perhaps a movie.  Shockingly my eldest phoned to see what plans I had made for family day.  (forever the special events co-coordinator.
Thanks to our hostess for Mailbox Monday Metroreader: Reading One Mile at A Time

Thanks, I needed that!

Thanks Ms. Philippa, I needed that read.

from amazon.ca

Social mores come under bestselling author Philippa Gregory's acute scrutiny in this reissue of a long-unavailable novel of betrayal, revenge and liberation! Alice Hartley can no longer arouse the interest of her pompous husband, the adulterous professor. Despite her efforts, she still leaves him cold. Just as she is compelled to face this chilling truth, she meets Michael, a young student with an excessive libido. In Michael, Alice discovers an endless supply of all she has sought: revenge, sex and a large house suitable for conversion. Soon the house is thigh-deep with women joyfully casting off the shacles of their oppression. Sadly, some narrow-minded neigbours and numerous forces of the law seem completely impervious to all those healing vibrations!

P.S. I love Alice, and Aunty Sarah what wonderful characters.  I wish I had given birth with dolphins.

My question today to you all is,  Do you have an author you go to, when you know you just need a good read?  I have several, thank goodness.  One of whom is Philippa Gregory, I know I'm going to enjoy the book.  With this particular one, the only thing I couldn't figure out was the time line,  Princess Di and Charles were already have marital difficulties, but magic mushrooms were quite the thing, and herbalism, hmm. Did the U.K. have hippies longer than North America?   

Abandoned... Running With Scissors

I felt I should read some non-fiction, I mean really, there must be stories out there that I would enjoy.  Well this was not the one!  Hated it, didn't finish, felt my time was too valuable to waste on it.

My visitors prayer...Understanding Dementia

My Visitors Prayer

Please grant my visitors tolerance for my confusion,

Forgiveness for my irrationality

and

Strength to walk with me into the mist of memory my world has become.

Please help them take my hand, and stay awhile

 even though I seem unaware of their presence.

Help them to know how their strength and loving care

 will drift softly into the days to come just when I need it most.

Let them know when I don’t recognize them, that

 I will, I will…

Keep their hearts free from sorrow for me—

For my sorrow, when it comes

Only last a moment, then it’s gone.

And

Finally Lord, please let them know

How very much their visits mean,

How even through this relentless Mystery—

I can feel their love.

Amen

Scarecrow in Gray... Barry D. Yelton

Show me five:

1.  the book I read was Scarecrow in Gray, Barry D. Yelton

2.  Two words to describe it:  Civil War Fiction

3.   The book is set in the south, we follow the last 8 months of the civil war with a young man from Rutherford County who has volunteered, reluctantly to join General Lee's army.  Francis, walks to meet with the army, he meets a neighbor and they stay together throughout the duration of the war.  

4.  What I liked about the book an what I didn't like about the book.

I liked the characters for the most part, I like the fact that these men hated killing in the war, that they felt for the enemy, and each other.  I liked their loyalty to one another, to their families, to their country, and how honorably they served.  I like the faith in God they had, and were willing to share.

I didn't like the fact that it was a bit slow.  It was quite graphic, and I found I had to read it in bits.  The characters were very stereo typical southerners.  I'm ever so glad there were no banjos.  I think anything bad that could happen, happened to this group, a little unbelievable, particularly in the short span of their travel.  Almost like the author needed to tell all the stories he could think of through these characters.  I would have liked to know a little more about what happened to them after their arrival at home. 

5 five stars or less for the book.  While I liked this book, I needed to finish it, just to see what happened.  I knew the main character would live, (too many spoilers throughout the book). I give it a 3.5 stars.  I read this book as part of my Civil War Challenge, I felt I read so many books from the point of view of the Northerners I needed to see the Southerners point of view.  I think the scene that will be in my mind for some time is the "piles of limbs" amputated from many a young soldier on both sides of the battle.   Horrific.

Just a suggestion...

Just a suggestion... with the upcoming festivities I thought I'd plant some seeds... just hope he reads my blog. 

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken.Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.