East of the West

Camping with the Woodwards

2011-08-21T17:50:00.002-04:00

Went camping over the weekend in Pisgah National Forest, near Cold Mountain.

JB is awfully sore now

CRACK!

2011-08-07T11:10:00.000-04:00

limb or small tree?

Carlsbad Caverns

2011-08-05T12:30:00.000-04:00

Time Well Spent in Midland, TX

2011-07-25T17:46:00.007-04:00

jack rabbit!

Permian Basin Petroleum Museum

my Dad's windmill

waiting for go-carts

My Dad took us to an old Apache site. We looked for holes in the rock where corn was ground. My Grandfather used to come here looking for arrowheads; guess he got them all.

watering station at the ranch

He said he liked the onion rings, except for the white things inside.

Craig got his chicken fried steak

I Have Waited Six Years for this Moment

2011-05-27T20:20:00.002-04:00

The Magnolia is blooming!

dinosaur tails

2011-05-15T18:26:00.008-04:00

Made for my nephews' birthdays this summer

Table Turn-Around

2011-05-10T19:30:00.002-04:00

prepping for oak veneer

stripping the solid oak base

with new oak veneer

first puzzle

Someone Got a New Pink Collar

2011-03-28T16:53:00.001-04:00

New Mantel

2011-03-06T20:20:00.000-05:00

Look What's Shown Up

2011-03-04T19:39:00.003-05:00

spring is here

Our Christmas in California (3 months later)

2011-02-18T18:19:00.014-05:00

arthur

Martti carving the ham

Cooper with his catnip sardine-on-a-string

Our hotel lobby in Union Square, SF

Also in San Francisco are the Legion of Honor and de Young Museums. We saw two exhibits: a Japanese woodcut exhibit and an exhibit of impressionist paintings from the Musee D'Orsay in Paris.

Woodcutting is incredibly difficult. Each color represents a separate block of wood that has been carved and readied for printing. Notice the rain; that particular block of wood had to be mostly carved away leaving small slivers of wood, which produce the lines of rain.

In this exhibit we saw the 36 Views of Fuji. Also in the exhibit was the West's response: the 36 Views of the Eifel Tower.

This was also a later example of the West's response
to the Japanese style of woodcutting.

de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, SF

A good selection of the impressionist masters were on exhibit at the de Young.

Rousseau is a new found favorite

There were several other areas of the de Young open with different exhibits.

Telegraph Hill, SF; looking for wild parrots

Marin Headlands looking back at the city

A parting glass of vino in Sausalito (SF in background)

Morrow Mountain State Park

2011-02-04T18:08:00.004-05:00

Morrow Mountain State Park

Grandma's Old Toy Chest

2011-01-30T17:46:00.003-05:00

My parents dropped it off this fall on their last visit.

Now we use it in our closet.

halloweenie bonfire

2010-10-30T19:16:00.000-04:00

being stewie

2010-10-30T19:00:00.003-04:00

the one and only

mrs. stewie

roper stewie

perky stewie

stewie libre

sumo stewie

proc doc stewie

salahi stewie

halloweenie hosts

halloweenie roast

2010-10-30T18:36:00.004-04:00

the woodward brothers (tenenbaum, stewie and nacho)

christine o'donnell, sumo wrestler, mrs. roper and michaele salahi

perky

another tenenbaum

pimp daddy

mrs. roper taking a load off

the salahi's crashing yet another party

early christmas present

2010-10-25T19:25:00.005-04:00

this is my old garden room after craig started his project.

here's my new potting bench just inside the door.

lots of storage on the other side.

ingenious or ridiculous?

2010-10-21T17:45:00.004-04:00

i had some painting to do, wanted to listen to NPR while doing it, and didn't have anything to keep my iPhone from falling out of my pocket. soution: one camera case + one binder clip + one carabiner (aka a crabner in some circles).

birthday girl and the band

2010-08-16T20:22:00.003-04:00

kovacs and the polar bear = awesome

party at the cederburgs

2010-08-14T15:52:00.004-04:00

kovacs & the polar bear are playing at our house tonight for jen w's birthday. this is their most recent video. happy birthday jen!

carolina beach

2010-07-26T16:37:00.002-04:00

at the shuckin' shack

carolina beach day two

2010-07-26T16:19:00.011-04:00

we went to carolina beach state park to see venus fly traps and found diving pelicans instead.

north carolina aquarium at fort fisher

rare albino alligator

turtles sunning themselves

our first squash

2010-07-07T17:08:00.002-04:00

fourth of july carnage

2010-07-05T09:18:00.002-04:00

do you see that squirrel?

2010-06-09T20:08:00.003-04:00

hiking hocking hills on my birthday

2010-06-05T18:45:00.007-04:00

meet mortimer

2010-05-19T17:26:00.001-04:00

rabbits beware!

what to eat when you're liming

2010-05-14T13:12:00.008-04:00

last night i got to host book club and an embarrassment of mangoes was this month's selection. i'm still about 30 pages from the end, but i have completely enjoyed it. basically it's about a couple who took a two-year sabbatical to move onto a 42-foot sail boat and travel through the Caribbean. each chapter ends with a recipe for the various types of food that they ate during their travels. tonight, for dinner, i plan to make Bahamian mac and cheese on page 82.

in keeping with the Caribbean theme, i made Caribbean beef stew for the book club dinner. i found this recipe in my new slow cooker book. this is the third recipe that i've tried from this book. in general, i really like the variety. my only complaint is that each of the dishes i've made so far come out tasting pretty bland. that's easily corrected though by tossing in a little extra this and that at the end. this dish seemed to get good reviews from the girls, so here's the recipe.

1lb braising beef
3.5 c diced pumpkin or other squash
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1-in piece fresh ginger root, finely chopped
1 tbsp sweet or hot paprika
1 c beef stock
14 oz canned chopped tomatoes
14 oz canned pigeon peas, drained and rinsed (i could not find this, so i skipped it.)
14 oz canned black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
2 dried bay leaves (this was my addition)

1. Trim off any visible fat from the beef, then dice. Heat a large, heavy pan without adding any additional fat. Add the meat and cook, stirring constantly, for a few minutes until brown all over.

2. Stir in pumpkin/squash, onion, and bell pepper and cook for a minute. Add paprika, stock, tomatoes, garlic and ginger root and bring to a boil.

3. Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker, add two bay leaves, cover, and cook on low for 7 hours.

4. Add the pigeon peas and black-eyed peas to the stew and season with salt and pepper. Recover and cook on high for 30 minutes.

ready for something powerful?

2010-05-13T10:09:00.001-04:00

Modest Mouse - Little Motel

Modest Mouse MySpace Music Videos

sock'n knit to ya

2010-04-20T18:14:00.004-04:00

Natalie at Charlotte Yarn taught me how to knit lace socks this winter.

spring might be my favorite season

2010-04-14T16:50:00.005-04:00

went to the grower's outlet and walked out with sage and parsley,

lavender and oregano,

and strawberries. Also got some tarragon, thyme, rosemary, and three kinds of basil.

bearded iris in the backyard

cary bush

unknown, but really cool. only had one flower last year, so he must be happy.

cooking with a pro in charlotte, nc

2010-04-02T17:31:00.004-04:00

hilary, not only showing us how to make cream of mushroom, but also teaching us some of the finer points of cooking.

the final product after a fun night of cooking. we highly recommend contacting her if you want to get your cook on.

parquet be gone!

2010-03-31T17:44:00.004-04:00

this is what the dining room looked like the day we made an offer to buy our house.

we pulled up the old parquet and sub-floor (notice there is no arch in the back right).

the arch is now in and craig has screwed down and leveled all but one section of the floor.

JB wasted no time getting comfortable on the new floor.

spring is here and i love spring

2010-03-21T19:14:00.007-04:00

this is my favorite part of the yard. this past week we put in a new retaining wall (you can see it in the background). i'm going to plant rose bushes there in a few weeks when Craig's dad and stepmom are in town.

looking back on my favorite side of the house; the azelas cannot bloom fast enough. (is it me, or did everything bloom late this year?) the new retaining wall looks cool too huh?

this is my favorite flower at the house. i will post a picture when it blooms. it's stunning.

getting ready for spring with a new kind of jalapeño

2010-03-17T08:48:00.005-04:00

hard day's work

2010-02-01T21:14:00.001-05:00

lately craig has been spending most of his free time on his shop. this retaining wall is a part of the project. doesn't it look good.

as the news would say, 'winter blast'

2010-01-31T13:38:00.007-05:00

finally getting a handle on this place

2010-01-18T16:27:00.007-05:00

the two islands in the foreground were a mess until two weeks ago. snakes and poison ivy both hangout there. this winter Craig and I vowed to clean it up and it looks so good I had to post a picture.

six months in

2010-01-17T11:37:00.002-05:00

it's been a great six months baby.

five days after planting

2010-01-14T15:07:00.007-05:00

this year we're giving the garden another shot. but, this time we're going to use containers next to the house in hopes that the rabbits and deer will stay away. so far we've begun seeds for anaheim chilies, sweet banana peppers, jalapenos, casabella peppers, poblanos, red and green onions, pumpkins, birdhouse gourds, rosemary, cilantro, basil, and chives. if it doesn't work, we'll blame Craig.

put this one on your pile

2010-01-10T23:51:00.003-05:00

this is a fabulous book and you should read it. all things considered interviewed the author a few weeks ago and i found it interesting. click here to hear the interview. if you've read the book, what did you think?

the year i got my knit on

2009-12-26T12:27:00.012-05:00

this is a stack of things that i knitted this year. each one became a christmas present.

merry christmas y'all

2009-12-25T08:18:00.003-05:00

amstel light beer brittle

2009-12-18T18:32:00.003-05:00

experimenting on friends and family

somebody's getting a good pit rubbing

2009-10-29T17:55:00.002-04:00

so, we've been doing a little painting

2009-10-13T20:31:00.004-04:00

leaving us for better things

2009-09-30T10:30:00.005-04:00

Doris A. Cederburg - 96 years old

lover of pigs

player of cribbage and bridge

got a kick out of this movie with Craig

North Platte, NE - lived there 60 years

so long suckers!

the wedding party - wedding part 6

2009-09-19T20:31:00.005-04:00

the family - wedding part 5

2009-09-19T20:24:00.001-04:00

the ceremony - wedding part 4

2009-09-19T20:13:00.003-04:00

the guys - wedding part 3

2009-09-19T20:10:00.001-04:00

the girls - wedding part 2

2009-09-19T19:44:00.003-04:00

let's do this

the details - wedding part 1

2009-09-19T18:32:00.003-04:00

so you've finally made it

2009-08-15T08:47:00.008-04:00

congratulations on the big move. craig and i are excited for you guys.

day after at zephyr cove

2009-07-26T09:06:00.002-04:00

wedding day

2009-07-26T08:40:00.005-04:00

rehearsal day

2009-07-25T21:12:00.005-04:00

summit view dropping down into tahoe

2009-07-25T20:59:00.005-04:00

heading west

2009-07-25T20:31:00.003-04:00

just checking in

2009-07-21T14:41:00.002-04:00

hello everyone

wedding countdown

2009-07-12T07:45:00.003-04:00

5 days

wedding countdown

2009-07-11T07:36:00.000-04:00

6 days

wedding countdown

2009-07-10T20:11:00.000-04:00

7 days

wedding countdown

2009-07-09T06:47:00.000-04:00

8 days

wedding countdown

2009-07-08T19:28:00.001-04:00

9 days

wedding countdown

2009-07-07T19:26:00.002-04:00

10 days

wedding countdown

2009-07-06T07:30:00.000-04:00

12 days

wedding countdown

2009-07-04T07:10:00.000-04:00

14 days

wedding countdown

2009-07-02T19:54:00.004-04:00

16 days

memorial day hike

2009-05-31T08:01:00.003-04:00

forty acre rock preserve

there are millions of tadpoles in the water. jon is poking them with his spider stick.

can you find the beaver lodge?

spring color

2009-04-01T18:18:00.003-04:00

this is what a tulip patch should look like

this is what one of my patches looks like thanks to the deer

thanks ginger

2009-03-16T18:26:00.003-04:00

Craig and I got our engagement pictures back. Here's my favorite.

how to ride sheep

2009-03-05T12:57:00.004-05:00

My sister uploaded these pictures onto her blog the other day and I felt compelled to share. My Grandfather had a ranch and when we were kids we went to watch the sheep get sheered every year. Without fail, we would always try to ride them. What fun memories do you have as a child?

in other news

2009-02-26T16:32:00.004-05:00

i saw a mosquito today.

oh, so that's systemic risk - part 2

2009-02-26T14:10:00.003-05:00

Last night I watched the News Hour with Jim Lehrer. Tim Geithner was on describing the economic recovery effort. The link is below. Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I was impressed and feel more hopeful about our grasp of the current economic situation.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/stnmodule.html?mod=0&pkg=25022009&seg=2

oh, so that's systemic risk

2009-02-23T17:18:00.004-05:00

Wonder how our country got into this financial fiasco? I thought this program very simply explained the events that happened last September that lead to our current crisis. Watch if you're interested.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meltdown/view/

what it's like outside

2009-02-12T06:52:00.012-05:00

As most of you know, we're into gardening. At the beginning of fall I found myself with some time on my hands and decided to experiment with bulds. I ended up planting about 300 of them.

Here are the tulips. They are coming up in 3 spots.

These daffodils were here when we bought the house. They're beginning to bloom now. I planted some paper white bulbs, which are very similar. They bloomed over Christmas.

Here's a patch of hyacinth. This is coming up in 2 spots.

Our neighbor planted these lenten roses a few years ago, along with some ferns.

The trees are starting to bud.

This year the plan is to experiment with moss. It's all over our property, but we want to add some types with interesting textures.

here's how i see it

2009-01-24T09:00:00.008-05:00

Jen from the Block interviewed me. If you would like to be interviewed for your blog, let me know in the comment section.

1. what is your favorite movie? your least favorite?

dead poets society: all-time favorite

total waste of my time

2. what is your "go-to" comfort meal?

that's easy

3. what was your favorite thing about 2008? what do you most look forward to in 2009?

i loved our trip to costa rica

i can't wait for our wedding aboard the Tahoe Queen in july

4. if you could acquire one life skill with no effort, what would it be?

i wish i had a better sense of timing

5. if you could have dinner with 4 people (dead or alive), who would you invite and why?

i would invite diane rehm, terry gross, and 'wait wait don't tell me' duo peter sagal and carl kasell. i seriously don't think i can think of anything more entertaining.

a rare occurrence

2009-01-20T19:39:00.003-05:00

my backyard this morning

everything i read last year

2009-01-07T18:02:00.004-05:00

christmas with jenna and jean

2008-12-28T19:08:00.015-05:00

Queen Baker

Baker's Assistant No. 3

Christmas Day Carnage

Walking it off

***********************************************************

... and for those of you who didn't drive around and look at Christmas lights this year.

ying and yang

2008-12-14T13:34:00.006-05:00

here's a good way to spend a sunday afternoon

2008-12-10T18:28:00.005-05:00

I do really like putting up Christmas decorations. Craig, put something in my stocking dammit.

this is where i sit

2008-12-02T18:00:00.002-05:00

This is my desk at work. I love the view and the fact that my office is 5 minutes away from home. I don't know too much about anyone who works there; but, Friday's holiday party (with 6 pm cocktail hour) should shed some light.

lets take a moment ...

2008-11-24T19:30:00.007-05:00

It's Monday evening. Craig took the day off. I'm unemployed for one more week. The chimney has just been swept; we're burning our first fire ever in this house. We've got rib-eye on the grill and potatoes and steamed carrots on the stove. So far, nobody has gotten burned.

have you heard?

2008-11-21T11:32:00.004-05:00

Good news. I just accepted a job as a Business Development Coordinator with AECOM here in Charlotte. I start on December 1.

here's a good read

2008-11-18T08:28:00.012-05:00

Although I'm only half-way through The Glass Castle, I suspect that this might be one of the best books I've read this year. Craig's Mom recommended it to me a while back. So, I thought I'd toss it out. Here's the description on the back of the book:

The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But, when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family.

The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.

Wonder what I think?

Keep in mind, I'm only half way through, but so far I think that description is a nice way to put it. On the one hand, there is a lot of love in this family and the childhoods of these children are full of adventure, freedom, and creativity. But, the abuse (in all sorts of forms) is basically constant. I'm very interested to see what happens.

...............................................................................

In an effort to always provide a little extra, here's an interview with Jeannette Walls on the Diane Rehm show.

rehabing ceder's palace, part 1

2008-11-05T15:24:00.003-05:00

Craig and I have been uber busy on the house. Here are some pictures of this month's progress.

I've bagged many leaves this month but the big dump has not yet occurred. I'm going to be sad when the leaves fall.

This is the biggest project that Craig and I are working on right now. This is a section under the deck where we've sunk a hot tub and built a storage bench. Craig is in the process of hanging drywall and will soon install recessed lighting and in-wall speakers. We should be open for business by winter.

This picture was taken near the storage bench out into the backyard.

Our inside project is the living room. We've replaced the baseboards, hung crown molding, bought a new couch, and painted the lower portions of the room. Next step is to borrow a 25 ft. ladder from our neighbor and attack the upper sections.

We also had the fireplace cleaned.

obama's our man

2008-11-04T07:34:00.015-05:00

I have been looking forward to today for 4 years. I am so excited. I hope you all go vote today, if you've not already done so. But, I'm begging, please do not vote for McCain. It's not really McCain that bothers me, it's Sarah Palin. I cannot believe that people actually think she is qualified to be President. The thought honestly floors me.

Speaking of Palin, have you heard the prank call that she got from a radio station in Canada?

day trippers

2008-11-02T17:12:00.010-05:00

Craig and I met some old friends at the zoo in Ashboro, NC this weekend. From left to right, they are Hudson, Jeff, Maddie, and Nicki.

best movies ever

2008-10-29T15:14:00.004-04:00

Here's a list of my all-time favorite movies. What are yours?

The Dead Poets Society

My Cousin Vinny

The Princess Bride

Schindler's List

The Godfather, Part 1

The Wizard of Oz

JB says hi

2008-10-23T09:00:00.012-04:00

She's hungry though; and tired of rules.

best of npr, part 1

2008-10-16T10:12:00.002-04:00

Check out this interview with Anchorage Daily News columnist Michael Carey. He discusses the woman who promises to bring "a little bit of reality from Wasilla Main Street" to Washington, D.C. It was very interesting. You should also check out the commentary "For Candidates, An Accent on Authencity."

http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13

so now i wait

2008-10-15T08:53:00.010-04:00

In my continual quest for a four season garden, I've recently made several small investments to acquire and plant as many spring bulbs as I possibly can. So far I've planted approximately 250. Here's what I've planted.

Tulips in 3 different spots

Bearded Iris in 2 spots

Hyacinth in 2 spots

Muscari in 2 spots

Paper Whites in 4 different places

And Ranunculus in 2 places

the perennial southern california problem - here we go again

2008-10-14T07:58:00.006-04:00

I lived in San Diego during the fires in 2003. This picture was taken on the first morning of the fires, outside of our apartment, about 10 AM. The fires were probably 30 miles away. We were safe, but it was best to stay inside because of all of the ash in the air.

Close-up of the ash falling from the sky.

Here is a picture of the fires that surrounded San Diego in 2003. I knew someone who lost a house during these fires. I also know someone who lost a house last year. (The fires in 2007 were much worse than those in 2003.)

Good luck to all of you in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Ventura Counties.

i love my friends

2008-10-13T09:22:00.007-04:00

My friends, Craig, and I went car camping this weekend. From the ketchup to the left and around they are: Becca, Bitsy, Robin, Dan, Jon, Jen, Hilary, and Alicia. Hilary won the prize for the weekend as the "Best Packer." Hilary was very prepared.

Shots for everyone!

Hiking the next day.

Sun salutation, of course.

JB, the "Good Getter."

things i found at the book store, part 1

2008-10-09T17:41:00.009-04:00

1984 by George Orwell

Who didn't read this novel at some point during school? It's even better as an adult. According to the back of the book:

1984 has come and gone, but George Orwell's prophetic, nightmarish vision in 1949 of the world we were becoming is timelier than ever. 1984 is still the great modern classic of "Negative Utopia" - a startlingly original and haunting novel that creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing, from the first sentence to the last four words, "He loved Big Brother." No one can deny this novel's power, its hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions - a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time.

I loved this book all over again. I won't get into politics, but it is amazing how much closer we have come to this story. Though we are not yet required to openly profess love for our leaders, we are monitored closely. Very scary.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume

I read this book when I was a kid. Somehow, the only thing that I remembered about it was the talk about periods and who had gotten theirs. We read this book in “book club” (really a group of friends who get together to discuss sex and drink wine) a while back. It's mostly about religion, or the lack of having a religion. I find it interesting that I missed this as a kid. Anyway ...

Margaret Simon, almost twelve, likes long hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain, and things that are pink. She's just moved from New York City to the suburbs, and she's anxious to fit in with her new friends, so when they form a secret club to talk about boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret is happy to belong. But none of them can believe Margaret doesn't have a religion. And Margaret can't tell them the truth: that she can talk to God anyway, about everything that's on her mind - including Philip Leroy, the best-looking boy in sixth grade.

I enjoyed reading this book again (for the whole four hours that it took me), mostly b/c of Margaret’s curiosity about the various types of religion and how and where she fits in. If I had a daughter, I’d definitely recommend that she read this one.

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I’m extremely attracted to books like this. I’d also recommend “What is the What.” Both will floor you.

With effortless grace, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie illuminates a seminal moment in African history: Biafra’s struggle to establish an independent republic in southeastern Nigeria during the late 1960s. We experience this tumultuous decade alongside five unforgettable characters: Ugwu, a thirteen-year-old houseboy who works for Odenigbo, a university professor full of revolutionary zeal; Olanna, the professor’s beautiful young mistress; and Richard, a shy young Englishman infatuated with Olanna’s willful twin sister Kainene. Half of a Yellow Sun is a tremendously evocative novel of promise, hope, and the disappointment of war.

It’s also illuminating, speaking as an American who has never experienced war close up. I cannot imagine living the lives of any of these people. And yet people do; everyday. I hope never to be one of them.

The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies

Set in the stunning landscape of North Wales just after D-Day, Peter Ho Davies’ profoundly moving first novel traces the intersection of disparate lives in wartime. When a POW camp is established near her village, seventeen-year-old barmaid Esther Evans finds herself strangely drawn to the camp and its forlorn captives. She is exploring the camp boundary when the astonishing occurs: Karsten, a young German corporal, calls out to her from behind the fence. From that moment on, the two foster a secret relationship that will ultimately put them both at risk. Meanwhile, another foreigner, the German-Jewish interrogator Rotherham, travels to Wales to investigate Britain’s most notorious Nazi prisoner, Rudolf Hess. In this richly drawn and thought-provoking work, all will come to question where they belong and where their loyalties lie.

I liked this book. Because I came from a small town, though not as small as this one by any stretch of the imagination, I related to Esther. I imagine that she’d describe this period of her life as one of the most exciting … something that she’d talk to her grandkids about, but not her children.

Empire Falls by Richard Russo

There’s a reason why this one won the Pulitzer Prize. It is outstanding. This book perfectly describes how it feels to feel stuck. It also makes you realize that you don’t have to be.

Miles Roby has been slinging burgers at the Empire Grill for 20 years, a job that cost him his college education and much of his self-respect. What keeps him there? It could be his bright, sensitive daughter, Tick, who needs all his help surviving the local high school. Or maybe it’s Janine, Miles’ soon-to-be ex-wife, who’s taken up with a noxiously vain health-club proprietor. Or perhaps it’s the imperious Francine Whiting, who owns everything in town – and seems to believe that “everything” includes Miles himself. In Empire Falls, Richard Russo delves deep into the blue-collar heart of America in a work that overflows with hilarity, heartache, and grace.

The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan

The dust storms that terrorized America’s High Plains in the darkest years of the Depression were like nothing ever seen before. In the Worst Hard Time the Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times journalist and author Timothy Egan tells the epic story of this environmental disaster and its impact on the communities stricken with fear and choked by dust in the “dirty thirties.”

John Steinbeck gave voice to those who fled the Dust Bowl in his masterpiece, The Grapes of Wrath. This is the story of those who stayed and survived – those who, now in their eighties and nineties, will soon carry their memories to the grave – and it is an extraordinary story of endurance and heroism. In an era that promises ever-greater natural disasters, The Worst Hard Time is a powerful cautionary tale about the dangers of trifling with nature.

FYI: There is a History Channel program about this disaster airing this weekend, I think.