Friday's Favorites Fare

READING:  The Dark Valley: A Panorama of the 1930s by Piers Brendon, 692 pages (with an additional 77 pages of notes) leading up to WWII...Roosevelt, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Franco, Chiang Kai-Shek, Mussolini, Orwell, Riefenstahl, Hemingway, Paris, Kyoto, Vienna, Shanghai, Magnitogorsk, Norris, Dust Bowl, Night of the Long Knives, Ethiopia, Guernica, Anschluss, Piccadilly Circus, the Kurfurstendamm, Ginza, etc., etc. I know, you all stopped reading after "Roosevelt" but I am one happy reader to have found this book.  All in prep for my summer delving into WWII era.  Someone has to do it, and you didn't want to, so I guess that leaves me.  Not that I mind. 

LISTENING TO:  The music of the 1930s...here is a little preview for you, but there's lots more! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5tucwcS-_o

COOKING BYTES:  This week I was gifted, by two dear friends, David Lebovitz's new cookbook Ready for Dessert, for my birthday, so now I can bake along with them on Twitter from this book.  Alex was delighted to see that it had chocolate featured on the cover, and I was delighted to see that not even fully half of the recipes are chocolate, so there is plenty of variety for people who, for instance, don't like chocolate.  Wonder who that could be?

FAV NEW FIND:  Matt is a romantic!  He asked a girl to prom by spelling it out in marshmallows at a bonfire and presenting her with flowers...awww...how sweet is that?  All his idea, we didn't know a thing about it until afterward.  She said yes.   

FAV THING THIS WEEK:  Scott dug out this old photo for his facebook page of the four boys in their first relay podium win back when they were first swimming.  Scott (10) with the sunglasses, Matt (9) beside him, John (9) in left front, with Michael (11) beside John. All the boys are still swimming. My this seems like such a short time ago, and yet again, like such a long time ago.  Every parent will understand this statement, even though it seems contradictory.   

 

This week I also had a really great birthday on Wednesday, lots of emails, cards, calls, etc., and it's not over yet, as I still get to go out for Chinese food on Sunday, Sunday being the earliest day we could get all our schedules coordinated at dinnertime. Some weeks are like that.  I was born in 1955 and this year I turned 55...that must be some kind of good karma somehow, right? Who knew we would get this old this fast?  Inside I still feel like I am in my 20's, don't even try to explain that to teenagers. 

GOING TO:  Matt's serving the Confirmation Mass on Friday, we are going to order tux for prom, order wrist corsage for prom date, try to figure out dinner arrangements for prom, and we have a college visit for Matt, CSC Spring Awards Banquet, and whatever else comes along. 

PRAYING FOR:  All the Confirmation kids this weekend, please join me.