Dirty Goumet Plant Power: Food for Your Outdoor Adventures

 

 You may have celebrated Mother Earth by helping to clean up your neighborhood (we did). This is the time of the year to open up space to plant our seeds, to celebrate the elation of plunging our fingers into the soil. The season invites us to garden, hike, bike, and take longer walks with our furry friends. The sun on the skin feels different; it revives something inside the heart-- a sense of communion with all life-- inspiring us to appreciate the beauty around us.

   

    Perhaps there is a picnic or a camping trip in your future plans. Outdoor adventures call for delicious, healthful meals to nourish the body and mind. It was exciting to discover this book at the local library: Dirty Gourmet Plant Power by Aimee Trudeau, Emily Nielson and Mai-Yan Kwan provides a broad spectrum of recipes to make this possible. I love the adaptability of these recipes. It is easy to substitute and add ingredients to create something that works for you and your family.

  The photographs included are equally inspiring. The authors also offer tips and instructions on how to carry the food, and ideas to adapt the meals to every outdoor situation. I appreciate how each recipe is accompanied by a paragraph about the authors’ personal lives and experiences, and how it connects to a memory or personal anecdote.

  The book also contains a section of desserts, so those with a sweet tooth will get an added bonus. Another compelling feature of Plant Power is the purpose of the authors, which they reveal clearly in their introduction.

 “One of our fundamental values is caring for the natural world. It’s important for us to teach how to not only nourish yourselves but also protect and support our public lands. We hope we are leading our readers to be responsible stewards, helping to ensure that future outdoorists can continue to enjoy public landscapes just as they do today.”

  The intention of collaboration and connection relayed by the authors entices the heart and fosters a spirit of community.

 “This is a collaboration and an ongoing conversation. Let’s continue to be resources for one another so we can keep growing as a food-loving outdoor community.”

   As we welcome the beauty of the new season, feel free to read or revisit the following posts as well. I hope you find inspiration and ideas to do your part in sustaining the gifts of Mother Earth for generations to come:

The Ecological Gardener

What a Bee Knows

Ride, Cycle the World

 

 

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick

 

  I have been asked how I manage to have time to read and write about books. The answer is simple: I neither watch television nor movies. I prefer books.

    Books engage us in fascinating conversations in my family. I appreciate how books inspire us to come together and communicate, to learn more about ourselves and others. Hopefully, this blog will inspire other families to share the joy of reading books and to connect through them…

  My Writing Life blog celebrates the magic of books and encourages others to do the same. What’s not to like about that?

 I found today’s book, The Library of Lost and Found, in one of the Little Free libraries in my town. If you don’t know anything about Little Free libraries, I invite you to learn about them here. Little free libraries can be found across the world and are a fun way of spreading and sharing the wonder of books with your community.

  Martha Storm, the main character of The Library of Lost and Found, worked as a part-time librarian, but she also volunteered full-time at her local library. The library was located in a seaside village in the United Kingdom. Martha was in her early forties and she applied three times for a full-time position there. Every time she applied she got rejected, even though she had been volunteering at the library for many years. The manager preferred to employ younger people with little or no experience. Martha did her best to excel, but her efforts were not valued.  

  Martha hosted a reading group at the library, but the participants had no genuine interest in books. They were there to tease her.

  One day somebody sent her a mysterious book that contained short stories she had written during her childhood years. There was a handwritten dedication to her by her best friend—her grandmother-- whom she thought had died almost three decades before. The dedication was dated three years after she had died, so Martha contemplated the possibility that her grandmother could be alive. 

 Martha was motivated to trace the origin of the book to understand what had happened. Who had published it? How did it reach her? Her quest would lead to various secrets and discoveries about her life. This intriguing aspect of the story captured my attention and spurred me to keep reading. Unlike other books I’ve read this year, which were hard to put down, this one felt claustrophobic.  Most of the female characters in this story are submissive and boring. They lack assertiveness and personal aspirations. They are overly concerned about pleasing others. At the beginning I thought the story had taken place in the 1950s, but then I read that the characters were exchanging emails, so it dawned on me that the novel was set in the twenty-first century. There are also chapters about her childhood from the 1970s and 1980s.

    There was a history of emotional abuse in Martha’s childhood and her family was dysfunctional. The absurdity and outrageous nature of their actions, lies and poor decisions left me reeling. The only reason I forced myself to complete the read was that I wanted to get to the core of the mystery. I was intrigued, but I did not feel any kind of connection to the characters. Martha was supposed to be a book lover. However, there was nothing about her that suggested that her interest was authentic. She spent her time pleasing others and responding to their needs, even when they treated her with disrespect. None of the characters was relatable. I thought Owen Chamberlain was an interesting person, but we do not get to know him very well.

 What did I like about the story?  The author created a vivid atmosphere. She knows how to immerse the reader fully in the setting. I love the Read and Run idea to share a book and leave it behind for others to grab it and own it (I will not elaborate on this because I want to avoid spoilers). I also appreciate how the author shows the ageism that women face. Ageism is often ignored, and it is a very serious issue that deserves attention.

  When I discovered the book, I thought it was a mystery novel with unique, quirky characters. However, I ended up being trapped in a dismal story of emotional abuse, trauma and senseless behaviors.

  I dislike stories about women that behave like martyrs, even when the ending shows that something deep changes in the character.

   There are other titles by the same author that may be different from this novel. I would like to explore them. I may appreciate some of her other works.

 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

 

  Elizabeth Zott’s dog learned over nine-hundred words and her daughter, Madeline, was an early reader, but Madeline had to pretend to be like other kids in kindergarten: illiterate. By the same token, as a professional chemist Elizabeth Zott struggled to gain basic respect and recognition at work, because when women are good at something, somebody may be quick enough to steal their ideas, or false rumors may be spread to make others believe that she has slept with somebody to attain something specific, whereas a man’s accomplishments are celebrated and his intelligence is not questioned.

 “It is not your imagination. People are awful.” Elizabeth wrote these words in one of the daily notes she stuck in Madeline’s lunch-box.

  Even though the story takes place in the fifties and early sixties, this novel resonates in today’s world. Stereotypes, prejudices and biases continue to pervade societies in subtle and not so subtle ways. Misogynistic trends continue to exist in the most unexpected situations, so I am thankful for this clever novel. It brings to light the social nuances that continue to put women down, the unspoken truths that still linger in the workplace and in so many conversations around us.

 Hard work and education are important to succeed, but “luck” plays a role too.  Amid the darkness of societal nonsense, however, there is hope. A friend, a boss, a partner may trust you, and   believe in your skills, and that faith in you can make a world of difference. Everybody needs support, so why is it more difficult to grant women the same support that is provided to men? 

 Luck can hit a person in unpredictable ways, and this is clear in this novel when Elizabeth is wooed by Walter Pine to work as a cooking television host. This is not something she had planned, but she needed the job to sustain her family and pay the bills. Elizabeth was expected to teach how to cook while entertaining the audience.

  As a chemist, Elizabeth knows that chemistry is the foundation of cooking, and that nutritious, balanced meals are paramount to everybody’s success in life.  Nourishing the body helps to support a healthy mind. Why do you think, for example, that a man cooking is treated with more respect than a woman doing it? Why is the word “chef” immediately associated with the male gender? The paradox is that it is not uncommon to come across online trolls who want to dismiss a woman’s opinion by “sending her to the kitchen.”

  Making a balanced, nutritious meal from scratch requires knowledge, skills and motivation. If you take a moment to reflect deeply on this act, you will conclude that it has an impact on the health of the people who eat it and the planet.

 A woman may choose to be a scientist; a woman may cook nutritious meals for her family or she may become a cook to make a living, but regardless of her choices, she is never treated with the same respect as the man who chooses to do the same tasks. Why?

  The answer is rooted in gender double standards that still exist today. Why is the same work considered to have more value when it is done by a man ? Both men and women are guilty of underestimating the work of women, so let’s stop pretending otherwise, and it is necessary to examine how gender double standards are part of this reality. Confidence in men, for example, is regarded as a positive trait, but it is often considered a sign of arrogance in women. A man asking for help may be considered assertive, whereas a woman in the same situation may be viewed as "opportunistic".

  Elizabeth and her partner, Calvin Evans, commented on the fact that ninety percent of women adopt their husband’s last name when they get married. Bonnie Garmus may have referred to women in America. I think it is important to clarify that the fact that women in America change their last name when they marry should not be a reason to assume that women do the same in every country of the world. Hint: they don’t… Eureka!

 I devoured the fruits of Bonnie Garmus’s imagination. The comparison between the different kinds of chemical bonds and falling in love was brilliant. She describes the three types of chemical bonds: ionic, covalent and hydrogen bridges. Elizabeth uses the knowledge of chemical bonds to make analogies about the ways people interact with or fall for their significant other or potential lovers. This was hilarious and witty. Another theme the novel touches is that of grief: Elizabeth endures the loss of her significant other.

  Elizabeth Zott had not chosen to work as a cooking television host, but the job became a medium through which she gave herself permission to express herself against all odds, and to instill confidence in the women whose work was treated with disdain. Think about the ways homemakers are treated today and you will agree with me that little has changed. Every woman deserves respect, whether they choose to work inside or outside the home. Yet this does not happen.

 Supper at Six was the television program Elizabeth hosted, and it became a success. As you can imagine, when a woman does something well, it sparks envy and admiration, which are the driving forces of sexism. Haters are ready to threaten and intimidate the successful woman and to dismiss the fruits of such a woman’s work. Again, some things have not changed.

 Do people with enthusiasm and motivation overwhelm others? I don’t think so unless the agent of enthusiasm and passion is a woman, in which case the situation sometimes evokes envy and hate and triggers irrational behaviors in the haters.

 I also noticed that people who criticize the choices that women make are in fact unhappy with their own choices in life, so it is a kind of scapegoating. Misogyny never goes out of fashion apparently. (And in some places misogyny became law and we are mocked and ignored when we speak up).

  Elizabeth Zott defies the systems that oppress her. Through her story, the readers may be able to fathom how any kind of religious fanaticism can be used to oppress and denigrate women and to promote homophobia.

 Lessons in Chemistry is a compelling read with various twists and surprises. I rooted for Elizabeth and my favorite character is Six-Thirty, the dog.  It is uplifting to learn that the novel has been welcomed with several awards and recognitions; you can learn about them here.

 Lessons in Chemistry is entertaining, humorous, thought-provoking and… outrageous. There is a scene of rape in this book, so if you deal with trauma, keep this in mind as you venture through the pages. There is a lot of food for thought in Lessons in Chemistry, so savor it at your own pace, enjoy the “meals” and then make sure you pass it on.

We need to raise more awareness.

 

 

Don’t forget to check the supplementary links and feel free to share them:

https://criernewsroom.com/news/2022/04/16/the-sexist-nature-of-the-cooking-industry/

 

https://time.com/6257188/disinformation-women-online-hate-study/

 

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-03-05/women-social-media-instagram-linkedin-toxic

 

https://medschool.duke.edu/news/equality-women-science-not-there-yet

 

https://wearerestless.org/2022/02/04/why-are-stay-at-home-moms-looked-down-upon/

https://tooambitious.com/3-subtle-ways-women-are-undermined-at-work-and-how-to-handle-them/

https://iwpr.org/new-report-women-earn-less-than-men-in-all-occupations-even-ones-commonly-held-by-women/

 https://helpfulprofessor.com/double-standards-examples/

 

Notes from The Dog by Gary Paulsen

 

The title of this book and the author’s dedication intrigued me:

  “This book is dedicated with all respect and hope to everybody who has ever faced cancer.”

   The enticing title and dedication along with the inkling that there was something powerful and unique about this novel convinced me to read it.

   My intuition did not fail me. This is a book that made me rejoice, reflect, laugh and, finally, cry like a child. The unique characters stayed with me after I finished reading it.

    It is a book that makes you acknowledge how a simple person can make a difference in the lives of others with motivation, cheer and a new perspective on different matters. It is an opportunity to reflect on the multiple ways in which one person can touch lives and make them better.

    Finn is a fourteen-year-old teenager who loves books and spends most of his free time reading novels. He is an introvert whose best friend is Dylan, a dog. He also has Matthew, whom he describes as a true friend, “It’s because he’s the only person I know who doesn’t make me feel like he’s drifted off in his head when I’m talking. Anyone who listens to everything you have to say, even the bad stuff and the boring things that don’t interest them, is a true friend. Matthew’s always been the only person who’s easy for me to talk to. He’s a lot like Dylan when you think about it.”

   Finn did not know how his life would change with the presence of her new next-door neighbor, Johanna. In the first chapter Johanna introduces herself to the boys and Dylan. I read the first chapter twice because I enjoyed it so much. I was smitten with the characters. It made me laugh out loud, and I appreciate Paulsen’s social commentary.

   When Johanna met the boys, she greeted Dylan first. Then she said, “In this world, you either like dogs or you don’t, and I don’t understand the ones who don’t, so I’m glad to finally meet the three of you.” Her chemistry with Dylan and the boys was instant. After the end of their first conversation, she asked them to sign her journal because it was her habit to write down the best thing that happened to her each day…

   Gary Paulsen knows how to shake and break the reader’s heart, but he does so while imbibing the spirit with the light of hope, joy and inspiration. There is so much wisdom in this story. It is the kind of wisdom that sneaks in with grace and gentle steps without resorting to sentimentality or preaching.

   I recommend this book to adults, teenagers and middle schoolers. It is a celebration of the empowering nature of true friendship. In the next edition I hope the publishers will consider adding illustrations by his talented wife, Ruth Wright Paulsen.

 

 

   Gary Paulsen shares a poem right before the first chapter of the novel:

 To every thing there is a season,

a time for every purpose under the sun.

A time to be born,

and a time to die.

A time to plant,

and a time to reap.

 

A time to weep,

and a time to laugh.

A time to mourn,

and a time to dance.

                               Ecclesiastes

I’ve read two other books by Gary Paulsen. You can check those reviews as well:

 

The Glass Café

The Island