Another Great Read

If you remember my review of SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN then it will be no surprise that I enjoyed this one too.

SHANGHAI GIRLS is written by Lisa See and again I marveled at her authoritative writing style. You look at her portrait on the back cover and she looks like your typical white woman, yet you wonder how she can so effortlessly chronicle the thoughts and feelings of her heroines with such cultural know-how. (I did discover in her Acknowledgments that her great grandfather and his brother were Chinese.) Obviously she's done her research also.

The novel starts off in 1937, in Shanghai, the Paris of Asia. Two sisters, Pearl and May, are just entering their twenties and are living it up among their wealthy peers. That is until the day their father breaks the news that he has gambled away his fortune and that the only way to pay his debts is to sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from California to find brides.

In the following chapters we journey alongside these sisters, their bond strengthened even more by each challenge they face. Fleeing from the Japanese who have brutally invaded Shanghai, voyaging across the Pacific to California, languishing on Angel Island in a detainee prison, sharing their fears, sorrows, and victories.

Once they are able to start a new life in Los Angeles, they strive to embrace what it means to be an "American", but face discrimination, Communist witch hunts, and feelings of being trapped in Chinatown's old ways and rules all the while.

Through every heartwrenching sacrifice they make, they are first and foremost sisters. Best friends who share hopes and dreams, but like most sisters they also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries.

This novel taught me so much. I remember learning in school about Ellis Island and the migration of Europeans to this country, but I'm ashamed to admit that I never once considered (or learned much if anything about) those who sought refuge on our western shores...and how we treated them.

It is not a novel for the faint-hearted--it does not paint broad brushstrokes over the harsh realities of life nor attempt to "prettify" them. Lisa See simply tells a story, and does so with beautiful expertise.

Trying It Out...

You may remember that a month or so ago I mentioned our camera was dying a slow and painful death. Slow as in, we never knew when it would properly turn on and off, despite many changed batteries, and a clear, crisp picture was next to impossible even on the sports setting. Then there was the sound it made as if it were a teenager learning how to drive stick. Lovely.


Well, about a week and a half ago my husband surprised me. He ordered the camera we were considering without me knowing it. Since then we both have enjoyed trying out all of its bells and whistles...and reading through the thick manual! :o)


My favorite part about it is that it is so much easier to get crisp, close shots of the kids.


I feel like a fish out of water though when it comes to understanding the technical aspects of photography, but I plan on checking out a book my friend Danielle suggested called Understanding Exposure, AND I'm hoping my artistic background will be of some aid.


Here are a few of my favorites so far.


Adam could care less about the camera, he just likes the box.

Whimsical.

Biker Chick.


Sweet sleep. (By the way, this is the only time he is still anymore! He's been pulling himself up on things and trying to climb the stairs in the last week.)


Cherry lips.


Hot day + rambunctious kiddos + sprinkler = FUN!


Waterlogged lashes.

What Did You Do?

I've got a question for all of you current and former nursing mommas out there.



When did your babies first get teeth and how long afterward did you nurse them?


I'm asking because Adam just got his first two (middle bottom ones), and he's bitten me pretty good a few times.


Let me hear your thoughts, gals. Thanks!

Strasburg Outing

Well, it's the last week of summer vacation for us here in the Winkler household. I know, I know. I can hear the groans of those of you who aren't teachers. You're thinking that we just twiddle our thumbs all summer, right? Um...no. They don't pay teachers enough to do that--that'd be a whole other post.

ANYWAY, we decided to have a family outing to Strasburg today. Just the four of us. Let me tell ya, we had one V.E.R.Y. excited little girl on our hands. She eats, sleeps, and plays trains these days, and has been anticipating riding in a real train since January!

Originally we were going to visit the National Toy Train Museum before our coach ride began, but decided the Choo Choo Barn was a better stop for today. We knew Natalia would get a free ride on the train (because of the summer reading program at our library), but God blessed us with a stranger who offered a free admission coupon for the Choo Choo Barn too! (Natalia was under 4 so she was free already, so that meant we only had to pay for 1 adult! Whoo hoo!)

What a fun morning! Blistering hot, yes...but fun.

I still remember visiting the Choo Choo Barn with my grandma as a child, so it was a treat to return 25 years later!

(Click once on the slideshow to see them as is; double click to see the pictures larger.)

Then it was time to ride the big train. Natalia was so excited she was half giddy. :o)

AND, we did see Thomas parked on a side track by the repair shop. Natalia was so concerned because his face was missing. We told her he was probably getting it repainted. She thought we should visit the shop to make sure he'd be okay, but alas we had to go home and take naps. Shucks. :o)

I've Been Up To My Ears...

...in fresh produce, ice cube trays, and canning supplies. It's not a bad thing--just alot of work to prepare all of this food to store for the winter months.

Every few days it seems I've been doing a new batch of baby food. About the time I empty my frozen little cubes and wash my trays, I've got another batch of something to cook and puree. The abundance of homegrown green beans, carrots, and squash has definately lessened the dollars I would have spent buying baby food this year. Adam loves it too. In the next few weeks I'll add applesauce, peaches and pears to that mix.

Earlier this week my mom and I did freezer corn. It was a smaller production this year...125 ears. That was just the second of the usual three pickings. Some years we've done 350+ ears in one day. We were both kind of glad that we didn't have so much to do since it was such a hot, muggy day already.

I picked up my pears that day too--now it's just a matter of time until they ripen enough to do a batch. Last year it took me three different days to finish them. I just remember finding it hard to stand for such a long period of time at the sink with my big pregnant belly hitting the countertop. :o) This year I'll just have to dodge a little boy, crawling around my feet.

I just love this time of year though and the smells and flavors of the countryside that surround our home. Sending my husband and daughter out the back door for fresh eggs from our Amish neighbor, going to the local outdoor market for watermelon, eating fresh cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and corn-on-the-cob from my parent's garden. All I have to do is step barefooted into some cool, freshly-tilled soil and I'm transported back to my childhood.

It's a country life...and I love it.

Indonesian Chicken Skewers with Orzo

I'm on an orzo kick right now...so what better way to get back into the blogosphere than to share a recipe?

With the weather being so hot and muggy, I've been using the grill quite a bit for dinner. The house gets hot enough with all of the canning I've been doing.

This recipe has been in my notebook for such a long time and I finally got around to trying it again. My first attempt was too spicy, so here is the mild version. Obviously if you like more heat, you can add more chili powder or something like cayenne.

And I really wished our camera hadn't died...the dish looked so pretty and colorful. Oh well.


Indonesian Chicken Skewers

Mix these ingredients and marinate in ziplock overnight in fridge (or for at least 1 hour).

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. water
1 sm. onion, finely chopped (opt.)
3 Tbsp. soy sauce (preferrably low sodium)
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder

(If using wooden skewers, soak in water 30 mins. prior.)

*Skewer, alternating chicken with pieces of 1 red bell pepper, cut into squares.
**Grill until chicken is cooked through--about 10 mins.
***Serve with rice or orzo pasta. (I drizzle a little olive oil into orzo before serving.)

What I've Been Reading...

Since we moved our television to the basement a few months ago I've gotten back into reading during the evening--that is when the monkeys are asleep and I'm still awake enough to do so. :o)

I've read two really good ones that I wanted to share with you all.

"All She Ever Wanted" is written by Lynn Austin. I liked the first title of hers I randomly picked off the shelf, ("A Candle In The Darkness"), but I REALLY liked this one!

One reviewer wrote:

All she ever wanted was a loving husband, a close family, and a beautiful house in the suburbs. And Kathleen is living out her dream, or so she believes, when her daughter Joelle is arrested for shoplifting. As a part of her reconciliation with Joelle, Kathleen finds she must let go of her current dream life and face the reality of her past. Even as a Christian, she finds this too painful to bear.

Kathleen receives a homecoming invitation from her sister, and encouraged by her husband and daughter, she agrees to revisit her hometown. Kathleen and Joelle take the trip together, and together they begin to understand the mysteries of the past--not only Kathleen's but also her mother Eleanor and her grandmother Fiona. In this light, Kathleen is able to truly forgive and live anew.

In "Life Without Summer" by Lynne Griffin, Tessa Gray's life changes forever when she loses her 4 year-old daughter, Abby, in a hit-and-run accident outside her preschool. As Tessa grapples with her grief, she finds solace in Celia Reed, the therapist her husband has pushed her to see. Never could she have imagine how closely their lives would intersect--how similar their personal griefs.

While this is a secular portrayal of grief, devoid of the hope I have as a Christian, I found it incredibly insightful, witty, and impossible to put down. Griffin expertly balances the harsh realities of the most painful kind of loss--that of a child--with the idiosynchracies and challenges of family life, and everyday humor. I was wary of reading this book at first since my daughter is close to 4 and sometimes all you need is to read something that closely resembles your life to keep you awake with wild imaginings at night. BUT, I was very pleasantly surprised and thoroughly enjoyed this book. I also felt it helped me to again carefully consider how I interact with those who are going through loss--particularly those who do not believe as I do.