Book Club Review - "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

It been awhile since I blogged about a book, but now that my Book Club has met and discussed our last pick, I finally can post about it.

Run, do not walk, to your favorite book store to get "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. Or if you are a library person, go put your name on the waiting list at your local library branch. Yes, I already know there will be waiting list. No I am not psychic. The book is that good and word about it spreading like wildfire.

Set in Mississippi in the sixties, it's the story of a young woman named "Skeeter" and the relationships she has with her parents, her friends, and the hired help who work not only for her family but for most of the families in her hometown. Skeeter has gone away to college and come back with a much broader view of the world than her sheltered friends. Her friends that went away to college only went there to find men or bide time until they were married. When Skeeter returns to her home she is shocked to find that her mother has fired the housekeeper who helped to raise Skeeter.

She is also shocked at the way her friends treat their "help." They have hired these African-American women to raise and care for their children and their families, yet the way the "help" are treated is abominable in most cases. One of Skeeter's friends, Hilly, is on a mission to make is a requirement that all homes that have African-American help build separate bathrooms outside their homes. Skeeter is appalled. She ends up befriending one friends maid, Aibeleen. This friendship will change the course of the lives of both women. Skeeter decides to interview as many of the Black maids as she can about their experiences working for the white women of the town. Their experiences are all unique and vastly different, but certainly the experience was eye-opening for Skeeter. It is eye-opening for the reader as well.

This book is Stockett's first... and I hope she is able to continue crafting such brilliant stories. I could not put this book down. These characters made me feel such a range of emotions... I think that's the mark of a good writer. Even the characters who made me mad... I still wanted to know what happened to them. I actually found myself slowing down toward the end of the book because I did not want it to end.

This was by far one of the best books I've read in the last 10 years. I highly highly recommend it!

Another Easter Recipe

Here's another recipe from my non-traditional Easter dinner. This is a family favorite!

Layered Strawberry Jello Salad

2 (3 oz) pkgs Strawberry Jello
2 small pkgs frozen strawberries
2 medium bananas
1/2 pt. sour cream
powdered sugar to sweeten

(this is prepared in a 9 inch square Tupperware container)
Dissolve 1 box jello in 1 cup hot water. Add 1 pkg of frozen strawberries and stir. Place in refrigerator till set. Slice bananas thin and layer on top of jello. Mix powdered sugar into sour cream until just sweet to taste. Spread sour cream as the next layer. Let chill for an hour. Repeat jello layer as above. Chill till set. Slice and serve!

First Brewers Game - And 4 Months Old

Adam passed the 4 month mark on April 11. To celebrate, we went to our first Brewers game. It was Brewers vs. Cardinals, so really, Alex and Adam couldn't lose. (For the record, I'm a Brewers Fan. Craig and I agree on the Bears and Bulls. Craig likes the Cardinals, so the boys cheer for both Brewers and Cardinals. And I get to have the college team influence... with the Hawkeyes.) So we got Adam suited up in his itty bitty Brewers gear.A kind Brewers fan offered to take a family picture for us outside of Miller Park. If you haven't been to a game here, I highly recommend it. It's a beautiful stadium-- really a great stadium to take kids to.
Adam was cheering on the Brewers! He was very comfy in the Baby Bjorn... but was holding on for dear life to my fingers. He fell asleep in the second inning. One of the bonuses of working for a company that sponsors the Brewers is discounted tickets. We're hoping to take more advantage of that this season. We only went to two games last year... well, I went to two. I think Alex and Craig hit a few more than I did.
Another family picture. I've found these are few and far-between lately. I'm trying harder to get pictures of all of us. Also wanting more pictures with one of us and the boys... not just the boys. We made it through the 8th inning, then had to leave. The Brewers almost blew it, but they managed to hang on and win 8-7. It was a very exciting game. Best of all, the boys had a great time!

Catching Up With... Easter

We had a great Easter weekend. My parents came up for the weekend. I got out of work early and we had some fantastic early spring weather. Alex and Adam posed for a great picture.
We even managed to get a family shot. I hope eventually we'll get a picture of the four of us where I don't look like I'm going to crack from stress!
The weather was even nice enough for us to have our Easter egg hunt outside. Rather nice considering the last two Easter's here in Wisconsin have included snow on the ground. (Note Alex's new shoes. He says they make him run super fast. I may have to look into a pair for myself. Maybe that will help me bump up my running speed.)
He had a blast looking for the eggs. I had a blast deviling the eggs and eating them up. The remnants of Easter are in a giant bowl on top of the fridge. We ended up with WAY too much Easter candy. Darn you, Reese's and your pastel wrapped peanut butter cups, eggs, and pieces. The jelly beans and peeps didn't help much either. It's almost gone now, thank goodness.

Life is getting in the way!

Ridiculously overwhelmed with work right now. But it's great to have so much to do! Job security you know!

I am woefully behind in posting and reading blogs. Adam is now 4 months old and I don't even know what pictures to post. Hopefully will get to that one night this week.

Things I'm looking forward to this week:

Tonight- Running while Alex is at swimming
Thursday - Book club with my book club babes
Any night - Snuggling with Adam
Friday - Pizza and movie night with my boys
Saturday- Hoping to have a friend and her family over for dinner and a break while they prepare to move.

As far as work goes, I'll be glad when Earth day is over. I'm getting tired of pitching Green stories to reporters who are already swamped with information they are not going to use. I've had a few big wins locally, but I can't wait to get back to my regularly scheduled programs!

Here's hoping I find a half hour to get caught up on blogs and posting!

Fellow Bloggie Friend's Giveaway

A fellow blogger, Thauna, is holding a giveaway on her site... it's very cool and I encourage you all to enter and check out her stuff.

Description from her site:
Win an Intro to Essential Oils Kit!!! The oils in this kit are simply YUMMY!!!
The perfect kit for beginners, the Intro to Essential Oils kit includes an introductory audio CD and booklet highlighting the uses of essential oils, and a 5 ml bottle of doTERRA's CPTG® Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint essential oils. The stunning presentation box also includes suggested uses of the included oils providing you with an immediate experience of the life-changing benefits of essential oils.
$26.67 retail


http://www.doterraconnection.com/2010/04/giveaway.html

Broccoli Slaw Salad

This is one of my "go-to" recipes. It's easy. It's tasty. It's a crowd pleaser. It also makes a bunch and tastes just as good the next day.

Broccoli Slaw Salad

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 packages beef ramen noodles - reserve seasoning packets
1 pkg broccoli slaw
1 15oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds

In a 1 quart resealable bag, mix sugar, oil, and vinegar. Add seasoning packets from ramen noodles. Dump in broccoli slaw, toss well. Break up one package of ramen noodles and add to bag. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Add remaining ingredients and toss well just before serving.