New Babies...

I know...they are messy and there are far too many of them and they literally ruin our yard and gardens...and yet...when the babies make their first appearance in the yard by the pond...it is always a most precious and beautiful sight.  We swear that these babies are descendants of one single pair of geese that reigned over our pond when we first built our house here.  I named the geese Edgar and Jemima...noble names for these lovely creatures.   Their first set of babies would run to me and take bread from my hands...we filmed them, we watched over them...we worried about them.  It was our first people to geese experience.   Even in the fall when the pond fills up with geese...it always seems that there is a pair or two that seem to know us...they venture further into the yard...they try to shoe invader geese away...they appear to look as us fondly.   A forged relationship between us that I really do treasure.  Welcome to the world, babies!!!

My New Favorite Aspect Of Flavia's Personality...

Briefly...Flavia's father asks her to stay at home to help her aunt sort through some papers.   Flavia responds that she just can't...she has other things to attend to.  Her  father then tells Flavia that she is just not very responsible.  Flavia replies by stating that she totally agrees with her father in this assessment of that part of her personality but adds this..."Being irresponsible is one of my favorite things about myself".

No wonder I identify so strongly with Flavia!!!  I do so love being irresponsible sometimes!!!

Flavia de Luce...

I am venturing deeper and deeper into this book and it is even better than the first one.  There are just so many delicious and delightful traits that Flavia displays.  I love her mad scientist side.  I love the way she deals  with her hateful sisters...Daffy and Feely...I love the way she finds sneaky little ways to get back at them when they constantly tell her she is adopted.  I even love the fact that she named her bicycle Gladys.  I laugh out loud when Flavia describes the food prepared by the housekeeper...all sorts of weird jellies and aspics and floaty congealed kinds of things.  Flavia is always ready to make herself a lettuce sandwich and zip up to her chemistry lab for more secret concocting.

 I am excited to discover the author Andrew Taylor.  The books I want to read first by him are called The Roth Trilogy.  I have Bleeding Heart Square on my Kindle but it is as yet unread.  This trilogy is not on Kindle...boo hoo hoo...so I will have to relearn how to turn pages...a lost art for me. 

Rainy Days And Bowls Of Soup...

Today is not a typical April day.  It is rainy and actually quite cold.   This day cried out for soup and I was in the mood for something just a bit different than a normal sort of soup.   So...after a quick google search and  a  trip to our local organic grocery and a consultation with its owner, Art, who knows just about everything about any ingredient you might name... the soup is simmering and ready for dinner.  I love going to this store...my cart contained sheets of organic seaweed from Maine, black soybeans, local organic spinach, vegetable broth, dried exotic mushrooms, tofu, miso, and daikon and scallions which were free from Art because that is the kind of thing he does...and of course a package of very special Japanese noodles.   Art has tons of items in his store that are so unique...and all organic.  I have been cooking groats... a more whole form of oatmeal...which is even better than Irish oatmeal...from Art's store for the last few months and we are nearly addicted to this stuff.   Nuts and seeds are hand packed by Art and his staff...and so fresh...all of the time.   Japanese crackers that are totally addictive...if you love crunchy snacks.  This store is just a tiny little slice of organic heaven and always full of wonderful surprises.  I love having dinner ready to eat when we are ready to eat it...I hate cooking when I want to sit and watch the news or just chat with my husband...so today this is the perfect dinner and I can chill out until we are ready to eat.

Review...

Oh me…Oh my…Flavia de Luce…what a fascinating little person she is!!! Barely 12 years old with a mind that absorbs chemistry and all of its applications as though she was a mad scientist. What an odd sad household Flavia is a part of. A long gone mother whom she never knew, two sisters who torture her horribly, and a very aloof unhuggable father…this is the essence of Buckshaw…the place the de Luce’s refer to as home. Flavia has inherited all of the chemistry equipment of a dead relative complete with simmering beakers and a skeleton. Yikes!!! Flavia loves this room that is solely hers within Buckshaw…it is her refuge and it is also the place where she plans chemical revenges on her vengeful sisters. It is also the place that calms her because nothing is as wonderful to Flavia as writing in her notebook and figuring out her experiments.

I found this book to be just a tad difficult at its beginning. It took a number of reread pages for me to get used to the characters and the total “Englishness” of the book but after the first few rereads it was not an issue at all…I became totally absorbed in this mystery, the characters, the events and most of all Flavia. I love English settings and mysteries with a passion and this one was perfection. It had twists, turns, fascinating characters…in fact the only thing missing was the butler…but that place was held by Dogger…the de Luce’s all around gardener, caretaker and handyman. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the relationship that Flavia had with Inspector Hewitt…it was just the right touch of respect, admiration and humor. I already own the second Flavia de Luce book and can’t wait for more.