tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83408822155521909892024-03-05T21:51:37.984-05:00Open Door #4Loves, Likes and Comments on LifeCrystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.comBlogger444125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-5265260102069236982016-06-30T13:32:00.000-04:002016-06-30T13:32:17.487-04:00Book review: 32 Yolks by Eric Ripert<br />
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I love food shows and cookbooks and though I don't read many memoirs, I had a feeling that <i>32 Yolks</i> by Eric Ripert would be one that I'd enjoy. In this book, Ripert tells the story of his life from childhood until his early twenties, which is right before he leaves Europe for a job in Washington D.C. His early years were not easy, scarred by his parents' divorce, an abusive stepfather and then his father's unexpected death. As he always had a strong appreciation of food and cooking, he heads to culinary school at fifteen years old, then tells tales of working in elite, stress-filled kitchens for and with the best chefs in the world. <br />
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Ripert shares so many anecdotes that really help you understand why he is the person that he is. Some of the best sections are ones that touch on his personal mentors and his admiration for the figures in his life. This was a library book so I couldn't mark up the pages but there were too many lines and paragraphs that I wanted to remember and return to that I started taking very tiny notes on a sticky pad. Some of my favorites:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>When speaking about Jacques, his childhood mentor, in Andorra: "But Jacques's baba au rhum--the rich, yeasty cake soaked to dark run with just the right hint of vanilla--was my true addiction. One day I asked if his mother had taught him the recipe. "No," he said, holding up the bag of supermarket flour. "The recipe's right on the package. But when you cook a dish with passion, you elevate even a box recipe." (page 83)</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>Ripert tells you step-by-step how he learned to make the perfect souffle and in the process, he makes eggs and butter sound like the most exotic and prized ingredients on earth. (page 102-103)</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>While at his first internship during vocational school, he accidentally electrocuted his boss and as a result, learned how to perfectly scrub toilets as punishment. (page 114)</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>When he was switched to the pastry station while at his first chef job at La Tour d'Argent in Paris: "I didn't last long: I was kicked off after I ate twenty-five strawberry tartlets and I don't know how many chocolates made for that night's petit-fours." (page 150-151)</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
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And after I finished, I listened to <i>Bon Appetit'</i>s <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/podcasts/article/eric-ripert-podcast" target="_blank">podcast episode</a> featuring Ripert and learned even more backstory. He shared some of the more memorable stories from the book, and confirmed that even some of the moments from his book that take place when he is 5 or 6 years old are still clear and vivid in his mind. I also loved how he spoke of his own former bad behavior in the kitchen, which you would never suspect from his calm, soft-spoken demeanor. <br />
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<i>32 Yolks</i> will make you consider food in a new way. Ripert describes produce in such luscious language that fruits and vegetables will never look the same to you. The book will make you want to immediately hop on a plane and walk around a small town in France so you can appreciate the sights and smells and sounds of a new place. It'll make you think about the small things that happen in your earlier years that have a huge influence on your later life. This is a pretty quick read and I'd definitely recommend it for Ripert's lovely language, the beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking stories of his past and the insight into the food world. Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-80687275591171117602016-06-05T21:34:00.001-04:002016-06-05T21:34:19.241-04:00Book Review: Single, Carefree, Mellow by Katherine Heiny <br />
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I love short stories. I read them and I write them, but I'll freely admit that short story collections are not most readers' first choice. It's not easy to tell a complete story, to make the world of your characters seem full-blooded, in just a few pages, but when a short story is good, it tends to stick with me longer than some full-length mediocre novels. <br />
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I sought out Katherine Heiny's <i>Single, Carefree, Mellow</i> at a library several towns away because of a story of hers I read years ago in an old <i>New Yorker</i> magazine. The story, "<a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1992/09/21/how-to-give-the-wrong-impression" target="_blank">How to Give the Wrong Impression</a>," included in this collection, is told in the second person and focuses on the relationship between two roommates, Gwen and Boris. I fell in love with the end of the story when Boris finds Gwen cleaning the bathroom late at night while she's wearing an old pair of his boxer shorts. The language is true and tender, and it is not only something I
want to read over and over but it's a perfect example of the type of writing I strive to create.<br />
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<i>Single, Carefree, Mellow</i> did not disappoint. Every story was interesting and entertaining in a wonderful way. I flew through the book, then went back and re-read a few favorites. There are three really great stories that feature a woman named Maya, each at a different point in her life. There are nosy neighbors and precocious children and older husbands and loyal best friends. And there's a ton of infidelity. In fact, almost every story features adultery in some way or another. I usually hate when cheating is used as a major plot point but Heiny's characters are flawed and very aware of their mistakes. Like in the real world, no one is perfect and there's nothing wrong with that.<br />
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This was one of the best short story collections that I've read in the last few years. Heiny is able to find humor in even the most ordinary situations, making <i>Single, Carefree, Mellow</i> a real joy to read. Heiny has <a href="http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/38714/single-carefree-mellow-an-interview-with-katherine-heiny.html" target="_blank">a novel in the works</a> and I'll definitely be keeping that on my radar for sure.<br />
Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-84996730116411570642016-05-14T22:28:00.001-04:002016-05-14T22:28:41.033-04:00Book Review: The Virgins by Pamela Erens<br />
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I can't remember the last book I read that won me over with its tone and narration from the first page. Taking place during the 1979-1980 academic year at a prestigious prep school in New Hampshire, <a href="http://www.pamelaerens.com/" target="_blank">Pamela Erens</a>' <i>The Virgins</i> follows Aviva and Seung, a couple who has the entirety of Auburn Academy watching as they fall in love all over campus. Is their affection more of a distraction because he is Korean-American and she is Jewish? All signs point to yes, but there's much more to the story. <br />
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<i>The Virgins</i> comes off as simultaneously retro and modern. Pay phones are a necessity and computers don't yet exist, but there's a current day feel in the way the teenage characters operate independently (perhaps that's just a result of the prep school setting). Aviva is confident in her right to express herself as a sexual being. Seung is a frequent dabbler in all sorts of recreational drugs. The sex throughout is frank and raw, but never raunchy. The teens' emotions, fears and interactions are even more frank and raw. Every move, good or bad, makes them more human and even more relateable to the reader.<br />
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One of the best parts of <i>The Virgins</i> is that every word is perfectly placed and important to the story. The fact that Erens is able to make almost all of the characters in <i>The Virgins</i> sympathetic in some way is no easy task because so many of them are not terribly likeable. The narrator, Bruce Bennett-Jones, a classmate of Aviva and Seung, is extremely unreliable as he tells the story as a third-party looking on from afar. He's infatuated with Aviva, jealous of Seung, and unable to understand why he is not admired or popular among his peers even though he is from a prominent family. <br />
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Having Bruce Bennett-Jones as the narrator makes the book feel as though it's a glorified game of 'Telephone' in the best way possible. Is Bennett-Jones making up these stories? Are they just tidbits of real tales that he's heard that he's spinning into what he wishes had really happened? Either way, <i>The Virgins</i> is a quiet, tragic novel that makes you think twice about what is really happening behind every closed door and inside every person's mind.<br />
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<br />Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-85459624946578980892016-04-02T23:43:00.001-04:002016-04-02T23:43:37.242-04:00Book Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola YoonI read <i>Everything, Everything</i> by <a href="http://www.nicolayoon.com/#intro" target="_blank">Nicola Yoon</a> in one night. Yoon's debut novel contains a mix of traditional chapters, gchat conversations, lists and graphics, and it hooked me immediately. The story of Maddy, a girl who is literally allergic to everything and unable to leave the house, was real and captivating right from the start. When she falls in love with the new boy next door, Oliver, she quickly realizes that she could never have a 'normal' life with him. She can't even touch him due to her health condition, and as their relationship grows, I truly felt for Maddy. Her world is small but she is relatively happy until she actually knows what she is missing.<br />
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I'm hesitant to say more because the plot twists in the second half of <i><a href="http://www.nicolayoon.com/books3/" target="_blank">Everything, Everything</a></i> are truly great and I would hate to ruin that for anyone. Trust me when I say that this is the perfect book to devour in a single sitting.Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-53646755467850771292016-03-25T22:46:00.001-04:002016-03-25T22:46:35.959-04:00Cooking with Other People's GrandmasI caught this episode of <a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/shows/my-grandmothers-ravioli/400/walking-on-ayr.html" target="_blank">My Grandmother's Ravioli</a> the other day and have been thinking about it ever since. Many of my own childhood memories involve my grandmother and we spent much time in her kitchen; Guelda reminded me of her and I even found myself tearing up
at several points. <br />
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I've seen the show several times before and just love how Mo Rocca really makes an effort to get to know these grandparents. He spends time cooking with them, listening to their stories and learning about their hobbies and interests. It's clear that he genuinely cares about these lovely people, which is really what makes the show so enjoyable to watch. <br />
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The Cooking Channel cancelled <a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/shows/my-grandmothers-ravioli.html" target="_blank">My Grandmother's Ravioli</a> just a few weeks ago actually. It seems like a random show that was on a strange channel but trust me when I tell you it's so worth a watch. Hopefully, the reruns will run for a long time to come.<br />
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Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-80678855276611794582016-03-17T13:04:00.000-04:002016-03-17T13:04:58.861-04:00Harriet Wolf's Seventh Book of Wonders by Julianna Baggott <br />
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In many of the books that I read, the setting becomes a character. Maybe the world is fictional but based on a real city so I can picture that skyline, those sidewalks, the noise that penetrates even through closed apartment windows. Sometimes an author details so vividly the home or office building where their main characters spend much time that I feel like I've walked through that front door before or sat at that conference room table. The overarching theme in <a href="http://juliannabaggott.com/" target="_blank">Julianna Baggott'</a>s <i><a href="http://juliannabaggott.com/harriet-wolfs-seventh-book-of-wonders/" target="_blank">Harriet Wolf's Seventh Book of Wonders</a> </i>is 'home,' either searching for one, dreaming of one, returning to one, etc. and my favorite parts of the book are her descriptions of the many places where Harriet Wolf has lived and survived before returning, finally, to her parents' house outside Baltimore, where she lives until she dies in the same room where she was literally born.<br />
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Perhaps that sounds morbid, but <i>Harriet Wolf's Seventh Book of Wonders</i> is actually a beautiful story of four women, three generations of the Wolf family. Harriet's story is told in a flashback diary entry way while her daughter, Eleanor, and her granddaughters, Ruth and Tilton, narrate from a present day when Harriet is no longer alive. The present day chapters are interesting, but I'll admit that it was Harriet's story that kept me captivated.<br />
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The main storyline of the book focuses on Harriet Wolf as the famous writer. She wrote a series of six books that have a cult following and there are many devoted fans who believe that Harriet wrote a seventh book that is hidden inside the familial home. Part of the novel is the 'search' for this seventh book but most of it is just delving into Harriet's past so that her family knows where she came from and why she was the way that she was. There were so many twists and turns in this woman's life and she overcame so much, from lost love to growing up in a home for mentally disabled children to being an unexpected single mother later in life; these delicate tales that Baggott shares as Harriet almost have heartbeat of their own.<br />
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Early in the book, there was a passage that stayed with me:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Each molecule of story is a universe--grotesque and stunning, all sunlit steam and engines laboring in the chests of trains and creatures with small pink hands and horns...."</i></blockquote>
A little further down, Baggott as Harriet writes,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"I hope, my dear readers, that your hearts haven't stiffened, rind-tough, or gone dowdy with flab--poor neglected hearts, a tragic crime. May you keep yourselves trimmed--hair, nails, suit jackets--but untamed within. (Be curious)."</i> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Page 72)</span></blockquote>
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So much is said and so much can be learned from just those few lines.<br />
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It took Baggott almost 20 years to write this book, which is easy to believe after reading it. Every story loops back around in some way, every mention of a historic event is deliberate and meaningful to the story and when I finished <i>Harriet Wolf</i>, a book that had an unresolved ending to a certain extent, it didn't feel like there were loose ends. I feel like every scene in the book probably played out in Baggott's mind hundreds of times before finalized. It's not easy to write a book about downtrodden events and unfortunate individuals without being depressing but <a href="http://juliannabaggott.com/harriet-wolfs-seventh-book-of-wonders/" target="_blank"><i>Harriet Wolf's Seventh Book of Wonders</i></a> is full of compassion in the very best way. Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-67064488776674396352015-11-04T19:46:00.001-05:002015-11-04T19:46:48.939-05:00Book Review: "Why Not Me?" by Mindy Kaling<br />
I took <a href="http://theconcernsofmindykaling.com/" target="_blank">Mindy Kaling</a>'s <i><a href="http://theconcernsofmindykaling.com/why-not-me/" target="_blank">Why Not Me</a>?</i> on the road to Portsmouth, New Hampshire this weekend where I read it in two nights while curled up on the awesome hotel room couch (seriously, I wanted to steal this couch, throw it on the roof of my car and drive the three hours home with my arm out the window holding it down, trying to convince myself that I could actually catch it if it started to slide off the moving vehicle while speeding down the highway). It's a great fast read, touching on serious topics but mainly containing dating and friendship-related stories that will make you laugh aloud. <br />
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This is Mindy's second book--I read her first book, <i>Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?</i>, when it came out a few years ago and enjoyed it but there is something about this new one that I really love. Mindy's voice is more confident and her essays are more evolved. Overall, there is a maturity that was kind of missing from her last book. Although there is a section on Hollywood beauty routines, this book is focused on a smart, strong woman who has had funny, crazy experiences and wants to share these tales with other women.<br />
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As I read, there were a few lines that really jumped out at me and compelled me to mark them with stickies. <br />
<ul>
<li>With regard to her dislike of weddings: "If you're my best friend and the only way I get to have dinner with you is by traveling thousands of miles, selecting a chicken or fish option, and wearing a dress in the same shade of lavender as six other girls, I will do that. I won't love it. But I love you." (page 27)</li>
<li>On being at Dartmouth and wanting to join a sorority: "When I arrived at Dartmouth College in 1997, my attitude toward alcohol was that it was a delicious and dangerous treat that, when obtained, needed to be ingested quickly in case someone tried to take it away. You know, the way a raccoon eats from a garbage can." (page 28)</li>
<li>The section entitled "The Sexiest Thing That Has Ever Happened to Me." It's a short few paragraphs but definitely sexy and well worth the read. (page 93)</li>
<li>The essay called "Soup Snakes" is about Mindy's relationship with B.J. Novak. There is a great anecdote about the play <i>Doubt</i> and B.J. falling asleep on Edward Albee but at the end, Mindy talks about her mother and that page is the most touching part of the book. (page 132)</li>
<li>About a male acquaintance who might want more of a relationship but was sending mixed signals: "What did I do to deserve this? I was just a friendly thirty-four year old tv actress looking for a boyfriend who didn't have a neck tattoo." (page 150)</li>
<li>On being brave: "I do idiotic things all the time and I say crazy stuff I regret, but I don't let everything traumatize me. And the scary thing I have noticed is that some people really feel uncomfortable around women who don't hate themselves." (page 221)</li>
<li>How to be confident: "Work hard, know your shit, show your shit, then feel entitled." (page 223)</li>
</ul>
My main takeaway is that Mindy Kaling may be funny and sweet, but she also works hard, very hard, and probably harder than most people. This is definitely the read for you if you are looking for a confidence boost or if you love funny ladies who are great with words. And the behind-the-scenes photos that are included in some of the essays don't hurt either. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Page numbers are from the hardcover version of <i>Why Not Me?</i> by Mindy Kaling.</span>Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-28059210074689245832015-08-13T12:09:00.002-04:002015-08-13T12:09:46.394-04:00Book Review: The Rocks by Peter Nichols <br />
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For the last few months, it seems like every 'Must-Read Summer Books' list included <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Rocks-Novel-Peter-Nichols/dp/1594633312" target="_blank">The Rocks</a> </i>by Peter Nichols. Over and over, this book has been compared to Jess Walter's <i>Beautiful Ruins</i>, and since most of the story takes place along the rocky cliffs of Mallorca, it's the quintessential beach read, if you aren't going on vacation this year and want to pretend you are sitting by the Mediterranean sea. It's not really a breezy book but I definitely felt transported just a few chapters in.<br />
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<i>The Rocks</i> starts off in 2005 with a short chapter detailing a tragic accident. From there, the book is told in descending order, moving backward from the present into the past where there are layers and layers of history between the four main characters. Lulu and Gerald had been married for a very short time after World War II, but after an incident (details which are unknown to everyone), they separate, and although they live within a few miles of one another, they manage to only run into each other three times over sixty years. Luc is Lulu's son from her second marriage, and Aegina is Gerald's daughter from his second marriage. The heart of this story lies with Luc and Aegina.<br />
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This book is lovely and heartbreaking and crushing all at once. As I read and the years went further and further back, I started to fear that Nichols wouldn't give the reader another 'present day' chapter at the end, but I was wrong to worry. The second-to-last chapter of <i>The Rocks</i> was the emotional payoff for which I'd been waiting. It made me cry, and then later when I shared the end with my husband, I teared up again.<br />
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I think the thing that got to me most is that <i>The Rocks</i> is all about misunderstandings and missed connections. Life for Lulu, Gerald, Luc and Aegina would have been so different if they had known some big, important things. Maybe they could have had happier lives; maybe they would have been more miserable. There's no knowing and that's true in our real, everyday lives as well.<br />
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I will say that there are some slow sections. Every time a new year began, it took some time to settle into the new story that was being told. And there was a point when I had a bit of trouble keeping all of the names straight--there are a ton of supporting characters with interesting backstories and European names that start to sound alike around page 250. Keep going, push through and you'll figure out who everyone is eventually (or not, but as long as you remember the main foursome, you'll be fine).<br />
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Final verdict: yes, I'd recommend <i>The Rocks,</i> whether you're reading on a beach or not. <br />
<br />Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-86405465206268586122015-05-16T21:36:00.000-04:002015-05-18T13:53:14.017-04:00Back Down to Charleston<br />
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It's Saturday and all I keep thinking about is how I want to be back at <a href="http://www.follybeach.com/" target="_blank">Folly Beach </a>in South Carolina. A few weeks ago, Anthony and I took a trip down to Charleston but honestly, three and a half days in a new place isn't enough sometimes.<br />
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I want another night where we can fall asleep to the sound of the tide coming in through the open balcony door, only to wake up to the sight of surfers bobbing in the water waiting to catch the next wave.<br />
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I want another late dinner on the elevated deck at <a href="http://www.loggerheadsbg.com/ordereze/Home.aspx" target="_blank">Loggerhead's</a>, complete with live music and frozen drinks and a view of a sliver of the ocean.<br />
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And I definitely want another giant breakfast biscuit from <a href="http://www.calliesbiscuits.com/pages/callies-hot-little-biscuits" target="_blank">Callie's Hot Little Biscuit</a>.<br />
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<i>Some observations</i>:<br />
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*<a href="http://www.charlestonparksconservancy.org/our_parks/view_park/angel_oak_park/" target="_blank">Angel Oak Park</a> on Johns Island closes early but you can still stick your hand through the page fence to take a kick-ass photo of this ancient oak tree.<br />
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**The brewery scene in Charleston is out of control in the best possible way.<br />
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***No one will judge if you have an alcoholic beverage with every meal.<br />
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We can always go back, and I'm pretty sure we will. In the meantime, we have these photos of classic Southern homes and pretty fountains and yummy meals to help us fondly remember our jaunt.<br />
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<br />Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-48001419369618443622015-04-09T22:35:00.001-04:002015-04-09T22:45:41.754-04:00Review: Funny Girl by Nick Hornby<br />
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I almost feel like I should write my review of <i>Funny Girl</i> by Nick Hornby in some kind of joke format. From the book jacket, I thought I was starting a story about the crazy, wacky but wonderful world of entertainment in the 1960's but it was so much better than that. This is a behind-the-scenes look at the British entertainment business, folks, which is my way of saying it's much more interesting.<br />
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Our heroine, Sophie, nee Barbara, is the girl that every man wants, the girl that every other girl wants to be, and she's funny too. Sophie wants to be like Lucille Ball, but she basically gets her start in the television industry because she is honest with the writers about a terrible script when she goes out on an audition. From there, we follow her, her co-star and the show's writers as the comedy becomes a hit throughout the country, and while all that sounds kind of like the typical showbiz trajectory, it's really not.<br />
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Even though Sophie is <i>the</i> "funny girl," Hornby also lets his supporting characters shine and actually become people. It's fair to say that the book revolves around a very likeable Sophie but honestly, she's wasn't my personal favorite. Dennis and Tony, the show's producer and co-writer, respectively, were raw and human and open, and with his subtlety, Hornby makes you root for these people who not only make Sophie who she is, but also have lives of their own. <br />
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As I logged this book into my 'read' journal (yes, I have one; this is a no-judgement zone), I realized that this is the first book written by a man that I've read in several years, oddly enough. It is, however, the third Nick Hornby book that I've read and it was as honest and just plain fun as I expected it to be. I officially recommend <i>Funny Girl</i> to anyone who is looking for a fast read, or who likes relateable characters or who is obsessed with <i>I Love Lucy</i>, or all of the above. <br />
<br />Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-85954331888209053462015-03-19T15:45:00.000-04:002015-03-19T15:45:45.702-04:00"The Age of Miracles" by Karen Thompson Walker<br />
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I'm a newcomer to audiobooks. I spend a decent amount of time on the road commuting to work though, averaging about 45 minutes each way, so last week, while NPR was having a seemingly endless on-air fundraiser and every other station was playing a Taylor Swift song, I picked up <i>The Age of Miracles</i> by Karen Thompson Walker on audiobook. I can say with great certainty that I'm hooked on books-on-tape, my friends.<br />
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<i>The Age of Miracles</i> is a good pick to listen to in a car as it follows a young girl and her family during a time when the world around them is changing. And I literally mean changing. Earth's 24-hour days are gradually growing longer as the planet starts to rotate slower and slower. This means that days can have 20 hours of burning sunlight and 20 hours of freezing, dark skies. There are power outages, food shortages, radioactive light, strange physical ailments and an overall subdued type of panic. No one, including the scientists, know what is going on and with everything in flux, it's almost impossible to move forward with real life.<br />
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There are really two stories occurring simultaneously in <i>The Age of Miracles</i>. Walker's 11-year old main character, Julia, is navigating her way through school, making and losing friends, falling in love with the boy around the corner and dealing with her parents' marriage. At the same time, the world seems ready to implode. The birds start to die, the weather is extreme and unpredictable, and society is losing its morale compass. These two stories didn't always seem like they were happening at the same time; at points, there were details missing that were really needed to make this a full-bodied, complete story. <br />
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Walker is a beautiful writer, with lovely sentences and delicate wording. I found myself so drawn into the book as it was being read to me that a few times, I arrived at my destination and barely remembered the drive at all. And there was one particularly anxious instance when, around dusk, I actually expected nighttime not to arrive, until I reminded myself that the world was only changing in the book. <i> The Age of Miracles</i> transported me, if only temporarily.<br />
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I don't normally read books about catastrophes, or disasters, or sci-fi. Maybe one of the reasons I enjoyed this novel was because the science is soft. There are no technical terms or scientific explanations as to why these horrible things are happening to the planet. As the reader, I am just supposed to believe and move on. And for the most part, I did. <br />
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Something that I bothered me a bit, although I admit that I may not have picked up on it if I wasn't listening via audiobook, is that Walker repeats several lines over and over. The one that sticks with me is "<i>It still amazes me how little we knew back then.</i>" It's for effect, obviously; this is a mantra that Julia is compelled to repeat as she looks back on how this whole disaster started, and as she looks ahead in extremely uncertain times. My issue is that by the end of the book, adult Julia doesn't seem to know much more than she did when everything started. What didn't they know back then that they do know by those last pages at the end? <br />
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This is a quiet, rather slow-moving novel about a girl trying to make it through a worldwide catastrophe unscathed. I think most readers will be drawn in by the apocalyptic aspects, but it was Julia's story that really kept me interested in <i>The Age of Miracles</i>.Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-26315314778701022702015-03-11T23:01:00.000-04:002015-03-11T23:01:17.629-04:00The Second Best Exotic Marigold HotelWe took Anthony's mom to see <a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/thesecondbestexoticmarigoldhotel/" target="_blank"><i>The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel</i></a> last Saturday. My mother-in-law is a huge fan of anything British, including but not limited to films, television shows, high tea, and the royal family. And while she was the one who had been looking forward to our outing for weeks, I was the one who was captivated by the story while she fought off sleep next to me in the dark theater.<br />
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There's something about these older adults trying to navigate a new stage of life that really got to me. Or maybe it was the accents. You don't necessarily need to see the first movie in order to fully appreciate this one, but I would recommend that you do. It makes you care about the characters so much more and honestly, Maggie Smith's snark is not to be missed. Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-69761348841390280822015-03-10T15:44:00.000-04:002015-03-10T15:44:39.420-04:00Book Review: Reunion by Hannah Pittard<br />
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I'll confess that this was the second time I checked out Hannah Pittard's <i>Reunion</i> from the library. The first time, I had to return it before I even had a chance to crack open the cover because someone else requested it (that two week loan period goes by quickly!). This time, I read it in a day and a half so yeah, you can say I liked it. <br />
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Even though <i>Reunion</i> is a quick read, it's not full of levity. The story takes place during a four-day period when Kate, our protagonist, and her two older siblings meet up in Atlanta to say goodbye to their father, who just committed suicide. He was a difficult man and all three siblings, as well as many additional half-siblings and ex-wives on the periphery, have damaged or non-existent relationships with him. His death comes at a time when everyone seems to be in some sort of turmoil and this added pressure causes all involved to reevaluate their own lives.<br />
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This book reminded me of why I dream of joining a really cool book club; as soon as I turned the last page, I wanted to call someone and to talk about it so I did the next best thing which is to scroll around online to read what other people thought. Although the feedback was mostly positive, there were some negative reviews, and as it turns out, many of the things that those readers hated about the book were the things I liked the most. Kate isn't likeable and most of the time, I didn't really identify with her but ultimately, I'm not a reader who wants perfect characters or needs tied-up loose ends. True situations and messy relationships are what keep me interested.<br />
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If nothing else, <i>Reunion</i> reminds us that it's difficult to let go of the past, even if it's not really something you want to hold onto. It's hard to admit that sometimes it's easier to lie than to tell the truth, or that you can't always blame other people for your own mistakes. It's inevitable that we all will grow up, but no one ever said it's easy. That's a sentiment that <i>Reunion</i> definitely gets right. Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-59026925830037830172015-03-06T16:21:00.001-05:002015-03-06T16:21:59.313-05:00Book Review: The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters<br />
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Word of mouth is really an amazing thing. If it weren't for the recommendation that I received several times from the same librarian than I never would have checked out Sarah Waters' <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Paying-Guests-Sarah-Waters/dp/1594633118" target="_blank"><i>The Paying Guests</i></a> and I never would have thoroughly enjoyed (and may I say <i>raced</i> through) this almost 600-page book just to be systematically crushed by the ending. <br />
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Despite my disappointment in those last 100 pages, I really did enjoy <i>The Paying Guests</i>. Waters' writing is really beautiful and since the story takes place in 1922 England, she obviously did meticulous research to make sure she was accurate to the time. There's a sense of longing in every sentence: first for normalcy (a majority of the young men have been killed in World War I, including the central family's two sons) and then a longing for passion and love mixed in with what seems like the eternal search for acceptance and belonging. So little seems to happen (almost the entire book takes place in a big, creaky, falling-apart house) but then again, so much also happens.<br />
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The premise of the book is simple but intriguing. When Frances and her mother run out of funds/realize their debts are larger than they believed, they take in boarders, or 'paying guests.' There's a strange mixing of private and public lives here and class is a major issue too. Frances and her mother are old money and part of the upper class in a London suburb. Lillian and Leonard, the boarders, are of the rising middle class, ambitious twenty-somethings who are relative newlyweds. When Frances and Lillian start an affair, everything is turned upside-down.<br />
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And from there, the story takes an unexpected twist, or at least it was unexpected for me. I don't normally read thrillers but this book was really suspenseful in the best way, and quite passionate without being graphic in the least. Eventually, these ladies get themselves into a predicament which Waters takes about 250 pages to explain in detail, and then it resolves itself in about two pages. There was so little payoff to this great lead-up. <br />
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So, <i>The Paying Guests</i> is enjoyable, but undeniably long. The end just doesn't live up to the rest of the book. Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-22547454188289585852015-01-11T22:30:00.003-05:002015-01-11T22:30:43.752-05:00Tonight in Random Netflix-watching...I put <em>Stuck in Love</em> on my queue months ago, and couldn't even remember why, but if you're looking for 90 minutes of relatively predictable romantic comedy, I would definitely recommend it. It didn't hurt that Greg Kinnear, who plays a writer, quotes from Raymond Carver's <em>What We Talk About When We Talk About Love</em>, one of my favorite short stories. <br />
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One of the commenters on Netflix said that she watches this movie at least three times a week. That might be taking it a bit far but it's more than worth a watch (or two). And there are a few of those really vivid, heartbreaking moments that will make you pause, then feel lots of wonderful feelings.<br />
Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-80437978946824103132014-08-24T22:46:00.000-04:002014-08-24T22:46:05.022-04:00FirstsI want these Dutch ladies to be my friends. Based on this short video, I'd actually watch them do pretty much anything for the first time as long as they are together.<br />
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I think my favorite part is when An calls her husband after their flight lands. Oh, and when Ria and An both fall into the water at the beach. Adorable. xo<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>h/t to</i> <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/4-short-films-worth-watching?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=HGFB&utm_campaign=post" target="_blank">HelloGiggles</a></span><br />
<br />Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-67488454834526532762014-08-22T20:22:00.000-04:002014-08-22T20:22:10.705-04:00An Introvert's Heart Wants What It WantsSo perfect. I love the Bay of Magazines, always and forever.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Via</i> <a href="https://twitter.com/postsecret/status/500419710140559361" target="_blank">Postsecret </a></span></div>
<br />Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-62773870234990880842014-08-01T14:35:00.001-04:002014-08-01T14:37:10.903-04:00Tuning In<br />
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At least twice a week, I find myself sitting in my car in front of my home or in my parking garage at work listening to the end of a story on NPR. And at least five times a week, I find myself tearing up at the reporting, whether it be about war or love or death or just a prime example of human kindness.<br />
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Yesterday's Ari Shapiro <a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/07/31/336905858/for-two-sarajevo-women-a-chance-friendship-forged-in-the-ashes-of-war" target="_blank">piece on Sarajevo</a> was beautiful. It was short and plainly reported (I'd maybe call it unassuming), but that added to the impact of the subject's words. We were given a small glance into Ella Pinto's life, who, among other things, is a survivor of the Holocaust. Last month, she traveled from Israel with her son and daughter-in-law to visit the place where she grew up, a bruised Sarajevo, and the words she spoke to Ari's translator at the end of the report struck a chord with me.<br />
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<i>"We need to let them know what we lived through so they will understand why peace is important."</i></blockquote>
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Pinto's life is full of moments that should be shared. Such a perfect example of why public radio is so important. <br />
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P.S. I love when Ari Shapiro is reporting from faraway lands, but love it just as much when he's co-hosting All Things Considered.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo courtesy of Ari Shapiro's</i> <a href="http://instagram.com/p/pzMgOvJt13/?modal=true" target="_blank">Instagram feed</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Quote from</i> <a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/07/31/336905858/for-two-sarajevo-women-a-chance-friendship-forged-in-the-ashes-of-war" target="_blank">NPR</a> </span>Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-36062660684954646912014-07-16T15:13:00.000-04:002014-07-16T15:13:05.090-04:00Typecast much?<br />
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I watched <a href="http://www.girlmostlikelymovie.com/" target="_blank"><i>Girl Most Likely</i></a> over the weekend and even though I'd give it a solid B-, it wasn't as good as I expected. At first, I thought that I didn't love it because of the farcical ending. But then I realized that I had a very similar reaction to the movie, <i>Bridesmaids</i>, which was a film that didn't thrill me even though it got rave reviews. Kristen Wiig plays basically the same character is both of these movies: mid-thirties, failed career, failed love life, eventually winds up living in her mother's home with no end in sight. <br />
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Okay, so generally no real issue with that (how many times has Katherine Heigl or James Marsden played similar characters in subsequent movies?). My problem is that these films are toted as comedies when they clearly are not pure comedy. I think they toe the line of dramedy at best. Sure, all the ladies in <i>Bridesmaids</i> wind up pooping while in expensive bridal wear but there's never any mention of the mental breakdown of Kristen Wiig's character. In <i>Girl Most Likely</i>, the main character fakes her own suicide to get her uninterested boyfriend back. Just because Wiig is quirky and these movies are ironic doesn't mean that they should automatically be classified as comedies. Perhaps people won't go to a movie starring Kristen Wiig unless it's a comedy.<br />
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That being said, there are some memorable moments in <i>Girl Most Likely</i>: Darren Criss as a Backstreet Boy impersonator is great as is Annette Bening in the typical 'mom' role, although I think she is great in pretty much anything. Also, the scene where Kristen Wiig's character, Imogene, wakes up in a casino parking lot in Atlantic City, still dressed in her johnnycoat from the psych ward, and walks into said casino searching for her gambling mother was pretty entertaining. As someone who grew up in a family of gamblers, this rang true to me.<br />
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I'm excited to see <i><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/06/30/the_skeleton_twins_trailer_kristen_wiig_and_bill_hader_play_siblings_in.html" target="_blank">The Skeleton Twins</a></i> with Wiig and Bill Hader coming out in September, although this serious movie has a semi-uplifting trailer. I think it's time to embrace Kristen Wiig's ability for dramatic roles--who's with me?Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-58310871020668549132014-06-23T22:00:00.000-04:002014-06-23T22:00:00.104-04:00Effects of Little Women Without fail, I always cry when Beth dies in <i>Little Women</i>. Seriously, how can you not cry?<br />
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Also, I tear up when Jo refuses Laurie, and then again when Jo finds out that Laurie married Amy. It just seems so unfair.<br />
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Don't judge.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://dailydoseofstuf.tumblr.com/post/29293197212" target="_blank">Photo credit </a></i></span></div>
<br />Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-20816937722668689692014-06-02T12:39:00.003-04:002014-06-02T12:39:29.833-04:00Books: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell<br />
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You know how sometimes you see the cover of a book and you know right then that you want to read it? I felt that way when I saw the front of <a href="http://rainbowrowell.com/blog/" target="_blank">Rainbow Rowell'</a>s <a href="http://rainbowrowell.com/blog/book/eleanor-park/" target="_blank"><i>Eleanor & Park</i></a> but it's been unavailable at the library for some time (and it probably will be for a while). Last week, I saw her first novel, <a href="http://rainbowrowell.com/blog/book/attachments/" target="_blank"><i>Attachments</i></a>, shelved in the adult 'Fiction' section at the bookstore and decided to buy it. I proceeded to read it in less than two days. Can you tell that I liked it?<br />
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<i>Attachments</i> has such a fun narrative, and no matter how flawed Rowell's characters are, they're just so damn likeable. Their feelings and actions throughout the book are true to real life in so many ways. Plus, the book takes place during the Y2K 'crisis' (did you kind of forget about that because I definitely did) and it's really accurate with regard to the pop culture references, technology trends, and preoccupations from a decade ago. <br />
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Confession: I want to spend more time with these people, ahem, characters. I can totally see myself going to the movies with Beth, who's a film critic for the local paper in the book. And Lincoln? Even though he does a few questionable things, he reads like a dream throughout the book--sensitive, caring, smart and good-looking?! Personally, I'm already married to my own Lincoln but there's still a ton of appeal with this guy. If I met any these characters at a party or at a coffeeshop, I'd want to be friends with them for sure.<br />
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So yeah, read <i>Attachments</i>. As for <i>Eleanor & Park</i>, I'll probably wind up buying a copy. I mean, I don't normally shy away from fighting the pre-teens to get on the <i>E&P</i> library waitlist but if it's anything like <i>Attachments</i>, I'll be happy to have a copy in my bookcase after I read it. xo <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image courtesy of <a href="http://rainbowrowell.com/blog/book/attachments/" target="_blank">Rainbow Rowell's site</a></span></i>Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-70005678382705180242014-05-30T10:29:00.001-04:002014-05-30T10:29:26.925-04:00BabyramaLately, I feel like everyone I know has a baby and last weekend, Anthony and I saw all of those people. It was a three-day baby parade but luckily, the kids were adorable and well-behaved; we were able to hold them and play with them and then leave them with their parents. Not a bad deal.<br />
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And on top of that, we just found out my sister-in-law is having a girl. Another little lady to add to our crazy family. It's an understatement to say that we're excited for her arrival in October. xoCrystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-7353842192365332182014-05-09T13:01:00.002-04:002014-05-09T13:02:27.411-04:00Meaning<br />
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Yesterday when I came across this <i>New York Times</i> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/06/fashion/weddings/with-grandmas-ring-i-thee-wed.html" target="_blank">article</a> on heirloom wedding rings, I felt my stomach pulse a bit. My own wedding band is a ring that my grandmother gave to me less than a year before she passed away. It's one of my most treasured belongings. <br />
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The ring wasn't actually my grandmother's originally. It was given to her mother, my great-grandmother, by my great-grandfather on their 25th wedding anniversary. When they first married, he didn't have money to buy her a ring with a diamond so he wanted to get her a fancier one after all those years. Eventually, she gave it to my grandmother, one of her four daughters.<br />
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I'll admit that I was hesitant to take the ring at first. My grandmother wore this ring every day--as she grew older and her fingers more frail, she even added several layers of tape to the bottom of it so that it fit tighter and she wouldn't worry about losing it. Taking it from her made me feel like I was stealing her favorite possession. But after several back-and-forths, I agreed and she looked so relieved that I instantaneously felt guilty for not taking it as soon as she offered.<br />
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This article definitely focuses more on the money saved when using a family heirloom or vintage ring, but that really wasn't a factor for us. This ring had been loved by people that I loved and who had long, happy marriages; that's a pretty solid foundation if you ask me. <br />
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And now for my favorite part of the ring: it's engraved inside with my great-grandparents' initials and the date that the ring was gifted. It's so tiny that you can barely see it on the rounded surface, and it's nearly impossible to make out the actual words. My grandmother had worn the ring for years and never noticed the message. When Anthony and I took the ring to be sized, the goldsmith casually asked, "Do you want to keep the engraving?" We said yes, obviously.<br />
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A few of my friends have been judgey about my wedding band choice. They think I should have bought a bigger ring, a fancier ring, or a ring without any history (also referred to as the hideously-named 'virgin rings'). I've never regretted my decision though. Family and marriage are continuums. I'm reminded of that every time I look down at my hand.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/04/fashion/weddings/show-us-your-vintage-wedding-rings.html?action=click&contentCollection=Weddings%2FCelebrations&module=RelatedCoverage&region=Marginalia&pgtype=article" target="_blank"><i>New York Times</i></a></span><br />
<br />Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-35917034268167587542014-04-02T23:09:00.001-04:002014-04-02T23:09:15.558-04:00This Makes Me Totally Want a DogI mean, come on. Look at these nom nom legs.<br />
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Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340882215552190989.post-11292562733070654222014-03-04T22:07:00.000-05:002014-03-04T22:12:36.216-05:00When the Needles Are Gone, It's Time <br />
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Tonight we got rid of our Christmas tree. I can't tell if this makes me very festive or extremely lazy.<br />
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Our poor tree has done a great job dressing up our apartment but every inch of it is dry and pointy, and it's shedding all over the floor at an alarming rate. Also, I began to feel like it was a giant needle-covered piece of kindling, which made me worried about turning on the heat. Honestly, it's been in the corner of our living room for three months and I sort of forgot it was there.<br />
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So yeah, Christmas is over. Come on, Easter--we're ready for you.Crystal Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14853681396112681427noreply@blogger.com0