Annual Michigan Weekend

Last weekend I went on my annual knitting retreat to my aunt, uncle, and grandma's house in northern Michigan. My cousin ('s wife) E and I boarded a plane Friday morning and set off for the great white north... flying into Detroit and driving to Tawas City (three hours north). We settled in for a long weekend of eating, catching up, sleeping, and most importantly, knitting! My cousin K came up from Kalamazoo with her 21-month-old daughter. Poor Uncle J was banished to the den for most of the S&B sessions. Aunt P made all sorts of delicious dishes and provided knitting instruction and emergency repairs. Halfway through the weekend E announced she would like to finally learn to knit! It was an exciting moment.

My project for the weekend was a pair of cabled fingerless gloves -- in a spectacular aubergine color of Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran. The pattern was from knitty.com, and it wasn't hard at all! I'm attaching a photo.

All in all, a fantastically relaxing and delightful weekend with four generations of Kemp women!

Book Review: The Glass Castle

I have recently happened upon a string of good books (see list at right). But the latest treasure, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, surpassed all my expectations and instantly replaced Eat Pray Love as my Book of the Year (Yes, it is only February, but I think this also would have happened had it been December). This memoir was on my to-read list ever since the author appeared on Larry King Live during the James Frey debacle. I'm into memoirs. They are real yet surreal, --hence the controversy over A Million Little Pieces--more hyped-up versions of the truth, with sprinklings of color where boring and monotonous details muted reality. That's just my own take.

So what made The Glass Castle a book worth reading? The author's lyrical and colorful style of storytelling brought me, the reader, to a place I have never known--poverty--and actually romanticized it. She never criticized (in so many words) the shortcomings of her parents' alternative "vagabond" lifestyle, but instead brought its quirks to life so matter-of-factly. Her choice of words and clarity of recalled conversations (this part I question: how does a 5-year-old remember word-for-word a conversation had in the backseat of her parents' car?, etc.) take the reader directly to the situation in a way few authors do. I painted a vivid picture of her family in my mind, and I felt I really knew them by the end. I wanted to read on.

I don't want to give the actual story away, so I'm being vague. But you're missing out if you don't pick this one up at the library! Here's a Blockbuster-esque tip for you:
If you enjoyed Running with Scissors or A Million Little Pieces, you'll love The Glass Castle.

Currently in progress: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

Sisters...

There is nothing like having time with one's sister. That is why I was thrilled to pieces when my brother-in-law announced to me in December that he would be giving my sister a "spa" trip to Boston as one of her Christmas gifts, and it was planned for mid-January. She arrived Friday afternoon (a couple of weeks ago now) at Logan Airport ready for our weekend of relaxation! We did our usual uber-excited chatathon for the first couple of hours, as if we hadn't talked to each other in ages! (We talk on the phone at least five times a week...) Friday night we started with a drink and apps at Davio's, then went for a yummy French bistro dinner at Gaslight (a new spot in the South End) with P, my cousins J & E, and E's mom. Tres delicieux! Saturday morning after a hearty breakfast, J and I hit Copley Mall and the Pru, skipping Newbury St. due to the colder weather, and then Pho Pasteur for lunch in Chinatown! We checked into the Hotel Intercontinental in the early afternoon, astounded at the size and luxuriousness of our room. It was as modern as any hotel I've seen, brand new last year, with a sprawling room and bathroom, and a view of Boston Harbor out our floor-to-ceiling windows! We lounged a bit, then hit the spa for our facial and massage appointments, aaaahhhh. I tried getting in the swimming pool, but it was a little chilly. We worked out a little on the exercise machines, then headed back up to the room for some more quality lounge time. For dinner that night we ventured downstairs to the (French again!) hotel restaurant, Miel, for an exciting and palate-pleasing adventure. Our favorite dish was the Socca, chick-pea pancakes with crab and shrimp in between. Yum. We hit the sack early and slept in a little before breakfast, a fresh and delicious buffet downstairs. So elegant! Then, sadly, shortly after checkout our weekend together was over. We were certainly treated like queens on our spa weekend, and look forward to the next one.