Book Review – The New Valley: Novellas
The New Valley: Novellas by Josh Weil. I don’t know how I keep stumbling upon these impressive book debuts, but here’s another one. Weil, a Fulbright-winning author, pulls you into the isolation and remoteness of his West Virginia while showing you how unforgiving the land can be. Each novella centers on a single lonely man – a young farmer after his father dies, a developmentally challenged man falling in love with a married woman, and a father facing life and old age after driving away his daughter. Their heartaches lead them to create acts of both ruin and salvation. The story lines are stark and haunting and offer their own tragic pleasures. It’s a powerful read and in the Cool Mona style of rating…I give this one 4 margaritas.
Hey! It’s a Cool Mona giveaway to kick off Margarita Season!
Margarita Season officially begins on May 15th. Post a comment on the blog (anywhere!) and each time you post one, your name will be put in the hopper. The drawing will be held on May 25th so you only have 2 weeks! Oh, you want to know about the give away? Keeping in the true Cool Mona spirit, 2 readers will each win a set of 2 beautiful, hand blown glass margarita glasses from featured Mexican artisans, Javier and Efren, who I read about in Sunset magazine. Given the handcrafted nature of the process, there will never be two completely identical pieces. Also, air bubbles are often present as a result of this technique which only adds to the unique factor of this cool and legendary art form. These artists use lead free and recycled glass. So what are you waiting for? Margarita Season is upon us and I want you to celebrate it with a fabulous Javier and Efren hand blown margarita glass in your hand!
Weekly Masterpiece: Martin Scorsese Documentary on George Harrison
For those who don’t really know his work, George Harrison is simply known as the quiet Beatle. Once you see this 208 minute documentary by legendary Martin Scorsese, George Harrison: Living in the Material World, you’ll realize “quiet” was a poor descriptor subbing for “complex” and “spiritual”. The documentary traces Harrison’s life through his music and own words, archival footage, home movies and interviews by Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Yoko Ono. It follows the rise and fall of The Beatles, his legendary love of gardening and Eastern religion and his final years of suffering through throat cancer. Scorsese scores again; it’s a must see and a fabulous gift idea.
I’ve Had Enough
I’ve been mother sitting in the nursing facility now for 8 hours and was just reflecting. I flew into my hometown yesterday and took a 10 second detour between the gate and baggage claim. United saw an unclaimed bag and put it in their office. Locked. With no one there. I drove 2 hours to the home of my childhood friend (with whom I am staying); she pulls into her driveway :30 behind me with her beloved dead dog on the back seat. She has come from the vet’s and she is heartbroken. Her mother has dementia and after settling in, I explain the same news story 10 times. I lost my rental car keys today and the police were called to unlock the door; the keys were no where to be found. I got the VIN number from the rental company and called the nearest dealership. After 2 more hours of looking, the nursing facility’s administrator found them on top of my Wal-Mart bag. The books I am reading, The Dovekeepers, The New Valley and Chicken Soup for the Grieving Soul are all full of sorrow and suffering. It’s a dry county and I’ve had enough. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKxyoud_c-E
Tequila Lime Chicken – Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Tequila Lime Chicken – Great with a margarita!
The recipe is courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa on The Food Network and I use this to make chicken tacos.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup gold tequila
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (5 to 6 limes)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeno pepper (1 pepper seeded)
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (3 cloves)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 whole (6 split) boneless chicken breasts, skin on
Directions:
Combine the following in a large bowl: tequila, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, jalapeno pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts and marinate overnight in the fridge (or at least for 6 hours). After removing the chicken breasts from the marinade, sprinkle well with salt and pepper.
If you choose to grill, spray or brush the rack with oil to prevent sticking and put them skin-side down for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes until just cooked through. Remove from the grill to a plate and cover tightly allowing to rest for 5 minutes. If you choose to bake them, use a 350 degree oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts.
Swabbing the chicken with marinade while cooking helps keep moisture in and makes for a better flavor.
Q & A: A reader asks how to handle a frenemy
Q: A good friend of mine is a great, supportive friend when I’m down-and-out and unhappy, but seems oddly delighted when I have bad news to report. Now that I’m happy and in a great relationship, her behavior has changed (manipulative, passive-aggressive behavior: subtle sarcastic digs, not inviting me to our usual group events, putting wedges between me and mutual friends in our group). When I’ve (gently) confronted her about her behavior she denies everything. Do I have one last heart-to-heart with her about our friendship or distance myself for good from her? (We’ve been friends for 7 years.) This woman is turning 50 this year. I’ve seen her go through this same pattern with other friends, who are no longer in the picture. Can people change? Jane
A: Hey Jane, what you have there is a “frenemy”, an enemy who disguises herself as a friend while throwing barbs, dissing and basically being a snake in the grass. We have frenemies in our lives because we’re good people and we give them the benefit of the doubt, over and over and over. (She was tired when she commented about my hair being an odd color and asked if I was still using conditioner.) We are loyal to a fault, we think we’re over reacting, we tolerate it because she’s under a lot of stress at the office and in doing so we allow really negative people to weigh us down. You’re actually taking a big risk to keep her in your life. Can people change? Their behavior can but their authentic self cannot, so what you see is what you get. I know how hurtful this is because I’ve been there. But guess what? If it happens again with someone else, you won’t stick around so long. I’m sending good thoughts your way and reminding you that Margarita Season officially begins May 15.
Book Review: The Woman Who Wasn’t There
The Woman Who Wasn’t There by Robin Gaby Fisher and Angelo J. Guglielmo, Jr. The poster girl for all survivors of the 9/11 attack was finally outed by a New York Times investigative reporter in 2008. Tania Head led the notorious World Trade Center Survivors’ Network, testified before Congress for medical assistance to survivors, gave Giuliani, Bloomberg and Pataki a personal tour of Ground Zero and became the face and story for all those who were in the towers and survived this horrific attack. There’s only one problem…Head was in Barcelona on 9/11/01. An epic lie of 6 years in the making, her story is devastating – walking down 78 floors in the South Tower with her back and arm severely burned, the other arm practically severed, learning her husband died in the North Tower – and her details are beyond impressive. Recently released (April 2012), this book will grab you and not let go. The documentary (filmed by the author Gugleilmo) was on Investigation Discovery Network 4.17.12. In the Cool Mona rating system, I give it a definite 3.75 margaritas.
Book Review: Flunking Sainthood
Flunking Sainthood – A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray and Still Loving My Neighbor by Jana Riess. A humorous and wise read that reaches above and maybe even around spiritual success to every-day and contemporary faithfulness. Riess flunks it all in her year-long quest to become more spiritual. The list includes 12 spiritual practices like fasting, gratitude, fixed-hour prayer, generosity, The Jesus Prayer and Sabbath keeping. It’s a wonderful reminder that it’s not always about what we’re doing for God but what God is doing in us. It’s an upbeat book that will leave you in a far better mood than when you started. A good gift idea, too. In the Cool Mona rating system, it’s a definite four margarita read.
Weekly Masterpiece: Virtual Choir of 185 Voices
The unthinkable has happened due to the magical world of technology and 185 adventurous singers. Composer Eric Whitacre’s imagination led him to create a virtual choir, auditioning singers from 12 countries who downloaded the sheet music and watched Eric conduct silently without music. Their first attempt was singing Lux Aurumque, his own work. It’s an intimate experience as the camera pans the individuals close up; some are in their bedroom, some at their desk with headphones, and some have tried to make a professional background with curtains. None have met. The musical selection has a bit of an eerie tone and is quite moving. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7o7BrlbaDs
Keeping It Real
The remote was just out of reach the other night and so I endured a full 10 minutes of a popular game show. I was amused by the contestants and what they chose to share about their lives. They oozed out their sweet introductions of self and referenced their “love of my life” spouse and three beautiful children. Just once would I like to hear contestants introduce reality along with them, like “Alex, I’m married to the biggest ass this side of Texas and I’m hoping to win enough money to leave him” or “Alex, I have three kids just above average who unfortunately take after their mother’s side of the family”. Those who Keep It Real are not always invited to the dinner party but they are respected. Is Keeping It Real (KIR) an acquired skill or an inherited gene? Pretenders are boring. My heart feels lighter and I laugh a lot when I am around someone real. Like the night we celebrated a friend’s birthday in this swanky jazz club known for their impressive wine list. With lots of swilling and smelling going on we ordered the volcano drink with fruit, fire and two straws, holding our hair back so it would not catch on fire. Now that’s real. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwrKKbaClME
