If we were having coffee, we’d be happy to have a hot drink to sip as it’s gotten cold again here.
I’d tell you that Monday I went to my cookbook club when we shared delectable food from Via Carola and Felidia. Both books were chock full of sophisticated Italian dishes. They’re probably the best pair of books we’ve had.
Bagna Caida, my dish
I remembered a wonderful dish a friend’s mother made as an appetizer, banga cauda which is basically a bath of olive oil with anchovies and fennel into which you dip fresh vegetables. I chose this dish to revive that memory.
I finished reading a terrific novel called Beware of Pity by Stefan Zweig. It This story of a young officer’s entanglement with a wealthy family was so engrossing. My review is here: https://tinyurl.com/9zkwn3zw
On Tuesday I saw Cabrini, a wonderful film about Mother Cabrini, who came to New York to serve the poor Italian immigrants.. It’s a portrait of a heroic woman who never gave up. I had no idea what a tough leader she was.
The Early Voting has picked up this week. I wouldn’t call it busy, but we’ve had a couple days when we got over 200 voters. Mind you during a Presidential Election we get over 700 voters a day.
If we were having coffee, I’d want a roaring fire nearby because it’s pretty cold and rainy today.
I tell you that early voting started here on Monday and will continue till March 18. I’m an early voting judge and things have been going smoothly. Our polling place has been the busiest in suburban Cook County. Our numbers have been very low, so it’s like being the cleanest dirty shirt.
I’m working as an election judge this weekend and next so it’s a marathon.
On Monday I went to the local church’s Lenten program and was surprised at the good turnout. Many familiar faces including people I checked in to vote.
I’m reading two wonderful books. One is Joseph Roth’s The Radetzky March, a saga set before WWI in the Austrian-Hungry empire. The writing is so graceful. The other is a memoir called He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter J. Ciszek, who was captured by the Russians, and imprisoned for decades during Stalin’s rule.
Wednesday, as usual, I tutored an Afghan refugee living in Canada. I asked her a couple weeks ago to take the TOEFL practice test through the library. She hasn’t done it. I asked her to do it last year too so we could get a clear idea of where she stands versus where she wants to be an that fell by the wayside as she needed to pass the dental assistants’ certification test. She needs to work on her English if she wants better employment options. But she avoids getting this done. We work together for about 15 months and I don’t think my time is well spent if it’s just going to be conversation practice. She has promised to get this test done. We’ll see next week.
If we were having coffee, we’d be here watching it rain outside. It’s really pouring and we have a tornado warning. It’s a shame because I was planning to go into the city for a spectacular Stations of the Cross with x, a mezzo-soprano .
I’d tell you that turnout has been low for the election I’m working as an Early Voting Election Judge. Sunday was our lowest day with just 18 voters. Some polling places had just 1 or 2 voters. We are getting more. Today we had 104. Still usually less than 15% of voters bother to vote in the municipal elections.
I started watching The Chosen, a crowd sourced drama about Jesus and his followers. I’m watching it on the app, but it’s also available on Amazon. I was immediately drawn to the story, which began with a scene with Mary Magdalena as a little girl reciting from Isaiah to her father. Then the story shifts in time to Simon and Andrew, with Simon trying to make a quick buck by gambling, boxing or marching on fellow Jewish fishermen and Drew, who tries to get his brother on a moral track. It’s a compelling store which includes a lot of fiction about those who followed Jesus.
On Tuesday I saw a presentation on Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle, a prized exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. What a remarkable work of art!
I got a ticket to Florida. Boy, is it tough to get a good price.
I finished a so-so graphic novel about a jewel heist.
I’m enthralled by Lorna Doone, a riveting novel with lots of wit, tension, and adventure. I don’t want it to end.
If we were having coffee this week, I’d like one with a design on top.
I’d tell you that it was a holiday week as Monday we had Presidents’ Day off. That meant I got to go to the Chicago Botanic Garden’s orchid show. It was just glorious, an absolute must-see if you’re in the area.
Mardi Gras
For Mardi Gras I went to my sister-in-law’s for dinner. We had Danish pancakes called aebleskiver. The Dane’s pancakes are round not flat. I had no idea.
Chicago Theater Week
This week participating theaters slash prices to $15 or $30; some even let people name the price.
Wednesday I caught the Lookingglass Theater’s Villette, based on a Charlotte Brontë novel that was recently discovered. I’m not a big Brontë fan. None of the sisters’ books is a big favorite of mine, but I did like this play.
Villette is a town where the play’s heroine, Lucy Snowe has no family or fortune to support her. She decides to take a ship to France to see if she can get better prospects. On board she meets a flibbertigibbet named convinces Lucy to give Villette, the town this debutante is headed for school, a try.
Villette does offer work and success to Lucy, but it the house where her school is located is haunted. The romantically skeptical Lucy does become enamored of her godmother’s son, whom she discovers happens to live there. The school’s aloof headmistress and her brother, a popular, yet professor provide the conflict any good play contains.
The best thing about Villette was the staging, which consisted of two sets of Japanese style doors across the stage. All these doors had old style handwriting and patterns in sepia tones which conveyed the era. The furnishings were moved around easily and deftly to create atmosphere.
In this play Lucy talks a lot. It seems like she talked half the time. I allow for this as it was based on a novel. Still more dialog and less monologue would be an improvement.
This was the first play I’d been to since the lockdown of 2020. It felt wonderful to resume playgoing.
This afternoon my aunt, sister-in-law and I went to lunch at a new favorite Greek restaurant before going to Once at the Writers Theater. Once blew me away. I’ll see it again next month. The Writers Theater let us name our price for tickets.
Reading
I’m reading The Adventures of Caleb Williams, which is an enthralling story about power and tyranny. Published in 1794, Caleb is a country boy goes into service for the wealthy , influential Mr. Falkland. Though everyone believes Mr. Falkland is the epitome of generosity and kindness. When Caleb discovers Falkland’s secret, not only does he learn of Falkland’s despicable acts, Falkland seeks to torture Caleb and keep him in his power.
I’m also reading a book about sisu, a Finnish concept that helps us use resilience to strengthen our character and alleviate our stress. Swimming in a cold lake in January is an example of sisu.
Donald Richie led me to this delightful comic novel by Thomas Raucat that ends with a surprise, a surprise that’s shocking. It’s the story of an outing for a not so dignified foreign guest whose attempt at seduction of a Japanese beauty goes awry as his Japanese associates, hotel manager, train station manager and a geisha all offer him hospitality and try to read his mind. Each chapter has a different narrator whose perceptions and misperceptions delight or baffle readers depending on how well you know Japanese culture.
It’s a funny glimpse into the insights of people who try to understand each other and never will.
The Japanese have become more international in their worldview, but as a Japanophile who lived in Nara for 3 years, I believe this was an accurate snapshot of Japan around the 1920s.