The Magic of 42 degrees
Mysteriously, 42 degrees is a standard temperature here, whether spring, winter, or fall. As I write this it’s misty, moisty morning and…you guessed it, 42o. I’m off in a couple of days to sign at PLA (Public Library Association) Conference in Minneapolis, and in the same trip I’m excited to be attending the Festival of Reading near Orlando, Florida. It does make my packing a little schizoid, especially when I’m determined not to take more than one carry-on.
Several people who read my last newsletter noted that I said I’d “put my figs to bed” and wondered what that meant. Here’s a photo in the right column to explain. It’s those cold northeast winds sweeping down the Fraser Valley that can dry out the trees and kill them. In parts of Europe, a trench is dug in front of each fig tree, half the roots are dug up and the trees is tied up and bent over to fit into the trench, then covered with dirt until spring returns. Ah, fresh figs.
Early March was notable for two events: one was speaking to the Lithuanian-American book club in Seattle, and the other was speaking at the Green Lake library in Seattle where I was made most welcome – blog notices and posters any writer would die for. Both events were instigated by members of Seattle’s very vital Lithuanian-American community. Thank you Maryte, Ramis, Ina, and Linda. Leszek Chukzinski, wrote a deliciously funny poem titled “Reading a mystery” for the occasion. It’s included at the end of this newsletter. Enjoy the allusions!
By the time you read this, INDEX TO MURDER may already be available (April 29) and you may have noticed the appetizer
Grybai kiausiniuose , concocted by Aunt Em. The recipe is from my friend, Jan. She and her husband John (a Lithuanian from Grand Rapids, MI) are residents of “Bellehaven.” I’ve included it in the right panel in place of the kugelis recipe. For those who love kugelis and hate the grating, Lina, a Miss Zukas reader, informed me of an electric potato grater (yes, electric!) available from
European Housewares in Chicago. No more skinned knuckles. Who’da thunk it.
Europe on the Cheap - website
It's called
Eurocheapo and it's filled with deliciously cheap tips for transportation, food, budget hotels, and what to see. Written by seasoned travelers and continually updated. A blog, too. A priceless site any time, but especially now in light of the current Euro/
dollar exchange rate.
Good Reads
Helma just finished ICEBLINK by Scott Cookman. It's the factual account of the doomed 1840s Franklin expedition to find the Northwest Passage, pieced
together from evidence of the time, and also remains that were discovered decades later. The fictional horror story, THE TERROR by Dan Simmons is heavily based on ICEBLINK, and Helma suspects that sometimes the truth can be far more compelling than a fictionalized account. Ruth has decided that if her paintings fail, she’ll read Tarot cards for money, so she’s studying SEVENTY EIGHT DEGREES OF WISDOM; A BOOK OF TAROT, by Rachel Pollack. Helma has warned her to stop announcing in public places, “I’m planning to become a Tarot-ist.”
And now, please enjoy:
Reading a Mystery
by ©Leszek Chudzinski
March 8, 2008
just like in real life
people are getting killed
left and right
emotions rise and subside
as we track a would-be assassin
only to hit the dead end
while savagery of headlines bleed
life of sarcasm:
art collector stabbed by a long sword painted by Carravaggio
prune of an aunt drowns in her compote
old hag hanged on an old tree
fiction librarian drops dead on reality show
nagging salesman entered the realm of silence
inconvenient husband exchanged for travelers checks
fortunate man stonewalled for the love of amontillado
a picture with a blurred face
phantoms – real or imagined –
all have a reason to die
on the last page
as we help catch the villain
we carry out the punishment
for the crime
we sentence them to life of mystery
and close the book
it’s comforting to know
that sometimes one can get away
with murder
At the Lithuanian Book Club in Seattle in March, 2008. Leszek the poet is on the far right. Photo by Rimas Miksys
A few members of the very fine Lithuanian Book Club, 3/12/08. Photo by Rimas
