Interview with Jeeves--our newest member

Before House, Hugh Laurie was Bertie Wooster in BBC's very funny comedy series, Jeeves and Wooster, based on P.G. Wodehouse's stories and novels. Jeeves is Bertie's valet, not his butler, but Bertie has lent him out as a butler and says "If the call comes, he can buttle with the best of them." Because of the popularity of this character, Jeeves is now a generic term meaning "valet, butler or chauffeur." Jeeves has a wide range of knowledge and wisdom and so the name is also associated with any useful, reliable person, thus "Ask jeeves.com," now shortened to "ask.com."

Our Jeeves also possess a wide range of knowledge and resourcefulness.

Here are her replies to my questions:

"I really enjoy being a member of the Interrupters. I'm enjoying getting to know everyone. I'm surprised that the picture you took of me at the last meeing came out decent. I'm not photogenic. But it does show that I'm feeling quite comfortable with this wonderful group of amazing women!!!"

 Q. Tell us a little bit of your life history. (These details sometimes come up during discussions, but not always.)

A. My life history: I was born in North Carolina and raised in Northern California. I'm the oldest of 3+ kids. The + is for the many foster children that lived with us as I grew up. When I was about age 9 and on, there were nearly always two young foster children living with us, of many races and nationalities. I graduated from BYU with a BA in Humanities. I served a mission to Germany. I've traveled a lot in the US, much as a teen on the bus. Two little known facts: I hitchhiked over the border to Canada when I was a teen and I hopped a railroad when I was a few years older. (With the man I eventually married.) We were heading to Las Vegas. Unfortunately the car we were riding on got switched to a siding at the south end of Salt Lake Valley and we never made it to Vegas…

I married Steve Butler and have 5 children. He had a number of medical problems, had a liver transplant and then passed away 7 years later, in 1996.

Q.  What do you do for a living? 

A. I have a variety of jobs. Every morning I provide "morning support" for a handicapped boy and his family. I make breakfast, help him get ready for school, and drive him and his two younger siblings to a charter school in Lehi near Micron. I write occasional articles for the Daily Herald. My focus is education (schools.) I used to write for the Pleasant Grove Review and had a weekly column, "Looking Around" which was about family life and my observations a la Erma Bombeck, and a column, "Getting Out" which focused on local family outings or "field trips." I've had a couple of true stories published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. I also work afternoons at Valley View Elementary as an aide in the Preschool. On many Mondays and Saturdays I work as an assistant arborist with Artistic Tree Service. I help prune and shape trees. I like the variety of working indoors and outdoors, with people and in solitude. I also work as a volunteer at Orem Library, because I've always wanted to be a librarian ('cuz I really like books!)

Q. What are your interests (besides reading, of course)? 

A. I enjoy walking, hiking, and bicycling. I love being outdoors, going camping. I enjoy gardening. I love to explore little-known roads, alleys, and places. I enjoy music and the performing arts (as audience.) I think my favorite church calling was Cubmaster, although I've enjoyed teaching callings (primary and Relief Society) as well.

Q. What brings you joy? 

A. What brings me joy? The gospel. The temple. My family. Learning new things. Seeing a sunset. Watching shooting stars. Going on a walk. Spending quality time with my children or friends.

Q. What genres do you enjoy reading the most? 

A. Two genres I especially enjoy are adolescent fiction, and intriguing non-fiction. I also enjoy children's picture books.

Q. What are your favorite books of all time?

A. All-time favorite books. Hmmm…. Nothing comes to mind at the moment. I've enjoyed a lot of books over the years. I've reread some that I enjoyed as a child/youth and I think it may be best to keep the pleasant memories of a good story than face the stark reality of not the most literary craftsmanship.

Q.  What do you still want to accomplish in this life?

A. I don't think a lot about accomplishing anything amazing like writing the Great American Novel or inventing something that could bring sight to the blind or save humanity. I've been in survival mode for so long that I'm grateful to wake up and be breathing every day. I am grateful for small miracles that keep me and my family going.

It's great to get to know you better, Jeeves!

Mea Culpa

Apple did a great job leading the discussion and sharing information about the book, Alcatraz and the author, Gennifer Choldenko.She was so classy that she didn't argue with me when I spread misinformation about Choldenko.

This is Gennifer Choldenko. She has not published a single non-fiction book. She grew up in California and not in Illinois (Lincoln territory).

This is Candace Fleming who has written non-fiction. She did grow up in Illinois (Lincoln country.) Don't these two women look remarkably alike? Both are lovely. Both are brunettes. Both are wearing sleaveless shirts. Unfortunately, this is karma at work. I cannot tease my husband and son - who have very limited facial recognition skills - ever again about mixing people up!

It always interests me how differently people react when you pull out a camera. This is what I'd call enthusiasm.

At least there were two good sports here.

Maybe a little embarrassment . . .

A natural poser.

A demonstration of Tower's familiar gesture which we missed this time around.

No reservations here.

Apple thought it was strange that I took a picture of this room, but I think it is so beautiful I couldn't resist.

Blueberry cheesecake tarts for dessert. Delish!

We learn a lot at book group, don't we, and not always about the book. We learned that Apple would do "anything" for money and that she did her "time" teaching criminals. We learned a little about "Asbergers" and "autism" - a preview for next month's read, Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin.

Pretty clever

Alcatraz pics

Alcatraz

Alcatraz

Cell at Alcatraz

Cell block at Alcatraz

Al Capone

Al Capone's mug shot

Capone's comfy cell at Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary

Mae and Sonny Capone

"What's in a name?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."

Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

Names are funny things. Our experiences with them are so varied and our feelings about them equally as varied. I was flabbergasted when my sister-in-law expressed how beautiful her name was and then turned around to say to me, "You must hate your name." Obviously she doesn't think much of it. It is unusual and has caused me some difficulty, but I love it because of its significance. That's why I have offered - repeatedly - to change your names. It would be a very simple thing. I certainly don't want any of you to be "stuck" with a name you don't like or one that you don't think fits you. I like all of you so much and I thought of names that were endearing to me. For instance, I love the name Queenie because that's the name of three of my favorite characters--a spunky girl in a book I loved as a child, a feisty black woman in one my favorite musicals, and a wise woman in one of my favorite British series. But, as I've said before, it would be a breeze to change.........

Our discussion last week was enlightening, fascinating, fun and funny, as usual (Thanks, Queenie!) and I loved the trifle. Here is Queenie's recipe:

1 sm. pkg. vanilla instant pudding

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

1 tsp grated orange peel

2 cups whipping cream, whipped

2 pints fresh strawberries, sliced

Angel food cake cut into bite size piece'

In a large bowl, mix pudding, sour cream, mild and orange peel until thick.  Fold in whipped cream.  In a large glass bowl, layer 1/2 cake piece, 1/3 strawberries and 1/2 pudding mixture:  Repeat, cover and refrigerate 2 hourrs.

"I used 2 packages of pudding for book group but didn't increase the sour cream or whipped cream."

Hunger Games #3

The title and cover of the third in the Hunger Games trilogy has been officially announced!

It will be released on August 24th and, because of its popularity, there will be no advanced copies released. The contents of this final book are top secret, and when David Levithan (VP Director, Scholastic) was asked what he could reveal he said: 

I am not, under any circumstances, allowed to divulge the contents of the third Hunger Games book. Nada. Nothing. Not a peep. I can, however, share with you five things that will not be appearing in the new book:

• Panem is not shaken up when District 9 is nominated for a best picture Oscar.
• At no point does President Snow utter the line, “This is Snowmageddon, baby.”
• Despite internet rumors to the contrary, it is not revealed that Cinna has been secretly designing outfits for a Capitol operative known as “Lady GaGa.”
• All rumors of a crossover appearance by Geronimo Stilton are false.
• In a tough editorial call, we decided not to have Katniss win the Hunger Games…only to be interrupted by Kanye West.

For those of you who haven't read this series yet, it's about a sixteen-year-old girl named Katniss who lives in a post-apocalyptic world. A corrupt government hosts The Hunger Games every year, choosing a boy and girl from each of the twelve districts to fight in it. The winner is the last one alive. It's a gruesome premise, but many have found it to be truly "unputdownable."

Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society

Hope to see all of you at book group tomorrow night at Queenie's.

Click here to watch a video of Annie Barrows.

Click here to see a google maps look at Guernsey.

Click here to watch a cool video of Guernsey with interviews of natives.

January interview

Joie de vivre

active, amiable

data tracker, discerning

endearing

1. We’ve read a lot of books over the years. What book(s) are you especially glad you read and why?

Wow hard question.  I can’t think of a book I wish I hadn’t read.  I love that we read from such a wide variety of subjects.  I really loved Life of Pi, but I’m not quite sure why – the ending really threw me off – made me wonder how often I accept things at face value without realizing their true depth (and what the face value is covering up).  Some books haven’t been easy to read, but they’ve opened my eyes to many hard and painful things that I think are necessary to know in our world.

2. Recall one of the most memorable discussions that we’ve had.

            Again, I can’t think of a discussion that I came away thinking “wasted time.” Our discussions are always enlightening and fun - even when I haven’t read the book.

3. Where is your favorite place to read?

I love to read on the couch in our living room – all warm and wrapped up in a blanket (with a Diet Coke and some chocolate close by!).

4. What does your family think about book group?

They like it - mostly.  When I’m reading a really good book, I pretty much go awol for a few days while I’m reading.  I will be the first to admit that I’m OCD (or CDO because it really needs to be alphabetized) and usually can’t stop reading until I’m finished.  However, I’ll talk about the book to my family, so sometimes we’ll get a fun book discussion going on in our kitchen – even though I’m usually the only one who has read the book. (And now that I think about it, it’s pretty much me doing all the talking. Hmmm, is that really a discussion?)

5. Besides reading, what is your favorite way to spend your time?

            Playing games with my family.          

6. Tell us something about yourself that might surprise us.

            Oh I talk about myself so much that there is nothing my book group doesn’t know about me.  I’m a one-way street, a black hole, it’s all me, me, me!  haha!  Wait, did you know that when I was a little girl my parents fed me whale blubber?  Bet you all didn’t know that!  (My final secret: now I’m completely transparent, there’s nothing left to hide.)

Emma

Masterpiece Classics is airing a new adaptation of "Emma" tonight on PBS. It's a three-part series and if you miss an episode you can view it online from January 25 - March 9, 2010.

2010 Award Winners

ALA announced the 2010 literary awards this morning.

Newbery Award Winner

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.

Newbery Honor Award Winners

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

Caldecott Award Winner

The Lion & the Mouse illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney

Caldecott Honor Books

All the World illustrated by Marla Frazee, written by Liz Garton Scanlon

Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman