Okay, admittedly, this blog is going through a bit of an identity crisis. I haven’t been writing about writing, and I haven’t been writing much about reading. On the other hand, I have been talking up foodie blogs while admitting that my blog is not even a wanna-be. Not to mention that the posting is a little sparse and erratic. I have no excuse but my own lack of imagination. Some bloggers can form a five-paragraph post out of a two minute converation–I do not possess that gift. I’m beginning to think I should just make up stories and pass them off as my real life. That’s a definite possibility for the future of this blog.

For now, though, I only have a quickie.

Last night my conscientious, summer baseball coach hubby decided that before giving out the kids’ uniforms, he’d like to have their names already affixed to the back. Last year we took them across town to a lady to do them–this year he had plans for a do-it-yourself project. Or…more accurately, a do-it-yourself-with-your-wife project. My favorite.

So, after using an Excel spreadsheet to tally up the number of A’s, B’s, and C’s (as well as the remaining 23 letters) he’d need, he made a quick trip to the fabric store to buy some iron-on letters. He came home with six packages of all-capped white block letters, and after prepping fifteen shirts, it was obvious to me that we’d have plenty of letters left. (Hubby did the ironing and used a ruler to line up those sturdy white letters. He was a well-oiled machine until Shirt 13 when the iron turned itself off and the letters he’d thought were safely ironed on fluttered down around him).

Anyway, getting back to the letters left… It was all I could do not to go grab a pair of his jeans to iron ‘JUICY’ on the rear end. I doubt if he’d have thought it was as hilarious as I would have. I am a good wife. But it sooo would have been payback for the ‘Brazilian Scare’.

Right this very minute I am waiting for my brand new stand-alone oven timer to reach 450 degrees so that I can bake my very first round of homemade bread!

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Okay I’m back. The oven is at temperature, I’ve slid the dough in using my brand new pizza peel and a very professional flick-of-the-wrist. And now we wait…

I’m a little nervous, this being the first one and all. At the recommendation of a blogger whom I don’t even remember now, I bought Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. After perusing the basics, I decided I could handle the steps for fresh bread any day I want it, and I went shopping for a few necessary items.

Yesterday I mixed up the dough–no kneading–and let it rise, first on the kitchen counter, then in the refrigerator, until it nearly filled my (newly-purchased) 6.5 qt. Tupperware container. The idea is you mix the dough once and let it ‘mature’ in your fridge, pulling out grapefruit-sized balls of dough as needed, i.e. anytime you want fresh bread. Right this very minute, I have a large lime green container of dough taking up valuable real estate in my fridge. And I’m kind of excited about it!

But my first round of artisan bread is in the oven!! I have thirty minutes to wait to see how well I did.

While we’re waiting (because I assume you are just as eager as I am to know how it turns out), here’s a little diversion. The fabulous Eileen Cook has a giveaway that can be translated into books. (You could pick up Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and be baking your own bread instead of just reading about it here…or you could get one of Eileen’s books.) Here are the deets from Eileen herself:

Remember your first serious relationship and how you celebrated every milestone? You couldn’t wait for your official one year anniversary because you were having so much fun you wanted to celebrate every milestone in between? This is the anniversary of our first date/kiss/time we said I love you.

Start planning your to-be-read list!

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My pizza stone just cracked into three jagged pieces in the oven. Darn it! But the bread is still okay.

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Consensus: the bread is delicious!
Younger son: “It’s perfect. I give it a quadruple thumbs-up.”
Older son: “Oh, we’re having this for dinner!” Paired with an actual thumbs-up (just one).
Husband: “I’d put this on the same level as the Kemah Crab House.” Some of his favorite bread.

Hooray! I did it–and judging by the still-mostly-full Tupperware in my fridge, I’ll be doing it again soon. Right after I replace my pizza stone.

Any longtime reader of this blog knows that I adore Mary Stewart. She was one of the first authors of romance I ever read, and she is still, after many, many books and many, many authors, my favorite. I have read all of her romantic suspsense novels–I believe there are fifteen–and I own most of them, the bulk of which are used-book store copies with fascinating covers from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Several though, are falling apart, and while I intend to hang lovingly on to them, I am slowly supplementing my collections with the latest editions.

But I digress. This post is only about one Mary Stewart book, arguably my favorite. I’m reviewing it for Barrie Summy’s Book Review Club. Click the typewriter above to link over to Barrie’s blog and read a collection of other reviews by a collection of other excellent reviewers.

Book of the Month….(insert drumroll here)…This Rough Magic.

The title is taken from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and there is much mention of the play in the book, with the characters hypothesizing that Corfu (the setting of the book) is in fact the inspiration for the setting of The Tempest.

I digress again.

Who can I thank for introducing me to this book and Mary Stewart in general? My mom, who is a big fan herself–Ms. Stewart is also her favorite.

Quick Summary: Struggling actress Lucy Waring has left London at the invitation of her very rich, very pregnant sister to spend time on her husband’s family estate in sunny Corfu. Fully expecting to do nothing more exciting than sunbathe and explore, she is unprepared for the mysterious neighbors and the grim coincidences that cross her path. She soon finds herself embroiled in a nasty scheme of smuggling and murder, with a thrilling little bit of romance on the side.

I know, I didn’t give you too much to go on, but I don’t want to give anything important away–this is why I don’t care too much for blurbs.

What I will tell you is what I loved about it! So, so many things! The setting, in lush and exotic Corfu, the Shakespearean tie-ins, the dialogue–brilliant, simply brilliant, the swoon-worthy hero, Max Gale. Ms. Stewart, considered by many to be the mother of the modern romantic suspense novel, can get you on the edge of your seat with just a smattering of words and she can paint a crisp, almost tangible picture with stunning realism. I remain in as much devoted awe today as I was twenty-five years ago when I read this book for the first time.

And I am not the only Stewart devotee. Julie and Jennie are sisters who maintain a gorgeous website devoted to Mary Stewart and her spell-binding novels. I encourage you to click over to ‘Extras’ and view the slideshow showcasing a selection of Ms. Stewart’s cover art over the years.

And, of course, I highly recommend This Rough Magic, or really any of Mary Stewart’s romantic suspense novels. You simply cannot go wrong.