What I Have Learned Today...

Never take supplements on an empty stomach...ick...toast helped!

Finished this...really really good! Totally took my mind off of Truman!

Making this for dinner...round steak?

My sister makes it and my mom used to make it all of the time...I am simply going to salt and pepper this stuff and pour some soupy stuff on it and bake it for a few hours! And make mashed potatoes! Wish me luck! Den is at the office today and is incredibly happy to come home to this. I think I might add green beans or corn! Plus I had to buy a roaster just like my mom's...my sister has my mom's...to roast it in! I never ever thought I would even want one of these!

 

Since the week end is all about food and football...I am making Pioneer Woman's Hamburger Soup but I will use turkey or bison...

And this on Sunday...Simply Recipe's Chicken Parmesan!

Not sure what I am reading next...but it's one of these...

Have a wonderful weekend!

Patty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Still Reading...

I am reading and researching and stretching this book out as much as I can...I mean...Anderson Cooper's mother...Gloria Vanderbilt...was affected by Truman Capote. The Bouvier sisters...Jacqueline Kennedy, her sister, Lee and even Joanna Carson...Johnny Carson's ex-wife...all lunched and dined and were incredibly fond of Truman Capote. Until he did the very bad deed...he was at the end of his career...insecure...an alcoholic...and he wrote a book that told their secrets...all of the secrets that the "Swans" had told him over the years. He went from the darling of society to a kind of mean little man who really couldn't stay sober. After In Cold Blood he couldn't write any more...that's when he started telling other people's secrets...the stories that were not his own.

I think I have doubled the length of this book by all of the googled articles I have read. I loved this book!

From Vanity Fair...

From The Observer...

His beach house...from Variety...

This was such an interesting book! If anyone reads it and wants the extra articles I found...just let me know!

Reading this next...

Have a great and lovely day!

This has been a weird week for me...my ex sister in law died suddenly this week. My nieces are bravely dealing with this. She lived in the town I grew up in but I have not seen her in years. Then my Aunt Rita died on the same day...I have not seen her since my dad died and we don't live near anyone and I didn't even really know she was ill. I have that kind of extended family that really just doesn't stay in touch...other than a card now and then...if that...and the card is usually from me...my mom always had a challenging relationship with my aunt. My aunt would always tell my mom what she should be doing and my gentler mom would always get her feelings hurt. My Aunt Rita was blonde and bold and beautiful and my godmother...but again I have not been in touch...so of course I feel sad and guilty about both of them. We are missing a big family event in Denver and there are some really touchy feelings there, too. And I have a friend whose beautiful kitten...Silvio Baby Cat...died this week from complications due to an illness from his vaccinations...his little face breaks my heart. And that makes me freak out about Roxie who had a reaction last year from her vaccinations. I think I might be depressed. I don't normally feel depressed but I think I might be depressed. Sigh! Do you think I am depressed? I can't eat and I wake up thinking about sad stuff. Sigh!

Silvio Baby Cat...RIP...

Fondly,

Patty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cigarettes! Champagne! Caviar!

This book...this book...it's not a fast paced electric reading experience but it is totally absorbing! This author does this kind of writing so well. Her research is amazing. So...one of the central characters is Babe Paley...close friend and bestie to Truman Capote. He would lunch with Babe and his other "Swans" and get them to divulge stuff...about themselves and others. He would promise not to tell! Do you think he kept his word?

Truman and Babe...I found these photos through Wikipedia...I spent an hour looking at the photos...it was fascinating! Truman is always described as wearing a long scarf wrapped around him.

This photo is from The Red List.

Bill, Babe and Truman...from the New York Social Diary. At Kiluna...one of their summer homes.

Some of Truman's "Swans" from What Goes Around Comes Around.

Babe's NYC apartment from the WSJ.

Babe was known for her iconic fashion. She bought entire collections from Valenciaga and other designers. She was the first woman to mix expensive jewels with costume ones. She was the first woman to tie a scarf to her clutch bag. She was perfect in every way everywhere...but she had secrets!

Note the clutch!

Babe married a devout womanizer...William Paley...the head of Columbia Broadcasting System...they had week end houses and an apartment in NYC. He was Jeweish and they were denied memberships to every club around. Their week end home...Kiluna...was a getaway for those old movie stars...Lucille Ball, William Powell, Clark Gable...among others...Ernest Hemingway, too. One of Babe's sisters married a Roosevelt. I keep checking stuff in the book with Wikipedia and the facts are fascinating.

Can you guess what Babe died from?

That's my obsession today.

My babies...

yesterday they seemed under the weather ...we can't tell if they are sick or just loving their heated beds. Watching them closely today before we haul them to the vet...sigh! They are eating and they seem normal but just quiet. Today they are bouncier and peppier but I am still watching them.

Back to my book...

Patty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Books! Thoughts! Adventures!

 

Reading...

I grew to love the book The Aviator's Wife at a time when I was not into reading historical fiction. This book by that same author is starting out just as fascinating as The Aviator's Wife was. It's about Truman Capote and the wealthy group of women he hung out with. Truman Capote apparently surrounded himself by beautiful wealthy and incredible women. They lunched together and spent time at their country houses together. They were given the best seats at restaurants. They dressed in designer clothes. They were dripping in jewels and Truman...small in stature, very gay, oddly dressed Truman...the Truman who always had a scarf longer than he was draped around him...had these ladies in the palm of his hand!

New books...all summaries are from Amazon.

The book is about, among other things: the strongest boy in the world, a talking cockatoo, a faulty mind reader, a beautiful bearded lady and a nervous magician, an old museum, and a shrunken head.

From #1 bestselling author Dean Koontz—the must-read thriller of the year, for readers of dark psychological suspense and modern classics of mystery and adventure.

A spectacularly compelling story of blackmail, murders both accidental and opportunistic, and of one life’s fateful unraveling from Ruth Rendell—“one of the most remarkable novelists of her generation” (People)—writing at her most acute and mesmerizing...

Thoughts...

Still thinking about where to live...a little cottage by the sea?

Thinking about these shoes...so purrrrrfect...the girls want me to have them for my birthday!

 

Thinking about the smoothie Den is attempting for breakfast right now...the last time he made one he broke my fave wooden spoon! In the blender!

Today...shopping, lunch, mailing stuff to people...sigh!

Happy day!

Patty

 

 

 

 

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Here I Am...Back With Books!

This was a very busy weekend...finished these...both were fascinating...

So...this one was a sort of dystopian historical fiction...Yael has survived the Natzi camps but only because she was the subject of experimentation by an evil Doctor. She can look at a photo and skin shift into that person. The Resistance is using this as a way for her to kill Adolf Hitler. I know it sounds weird but it was really good.

This one...totally dysfunctional family behavior mixed in with humor and amazing writing...it was sad, maddening, heart warming and triumphant!

Saw Peter Citera in concert again...ok...I finally figured out why I am totally fascinated with him...other than his voice being so freaking amazing that it's unreal. He is quirky! He tells stories. He is funny and often says things he probably shouldn't say but he is so sweet that no one cares. His concerts are just so much fun! I hate encores with a passion but his encores are incredible!

So...we got home from the concert at 11ish starving! PB&J and a tall glass of milk...yummy! I had an 8:20 knee injection appointment this morning. I am exhausted!

Here is the funny thing about these knee injections...

He sprays my knee with this cold freeze stuff...then he does the needle thing...I never look...because in my mind the needle is at least a foot long. I have one more to go...and finally...today...I have perfected the art of getting up from the table with more grace than ever...I do a half pull bounce off and my landing is a 10! What also is funny is that everyone at Rothman...it's where I go and they do all the major sports teams in Philadelphia...patients are either really young with sports injuries or really old with other issues...thank goodness for now I am in the middle. Whew! I am holding on tight to that middle! Plus I have to wear shorts...so I need these done before winter!

 

New books! I got tons this week so I am doing a few every day!

From Amazon...In this mesmerizing novel, Ethan Canin, the New York Times bestselling author of America America and other acclaimed works of fiction, explores the nature of genius, jealousy, ambition, and love in several generations of a gifted family.

From Amazon...For fans of Eleanor Brown’s The Weird Sisters and Liane Moriarty’s The Husband’s Secret comes a smart, wry, and poignant novel about reconciliation between fathers and daughters, between spouses; the deep ties between sisters; and the kind of forgiveness that can change a person’s life in unexpected an

From Amazon...A bittersweet, biting, sharply observed family drama from the author of Waterloo...

From Amazon...

Murder.

Fire.

Revenge.

From Amazon...In this absorbing and suspenseful debut novel—reminiscent of Revolutionary Road and inspired by a little-known piece of history—a young couple must fight to save both their marriage and the town they live in.

Reading this now...

That's it...it's a beautiful day in the hood here...off to clean something!

Patty

 

 

 

 

 

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