Monday, January 28, 2013

Beyond the Storm review

 Beyond The Storm

I have just finished reading Beyond the Storm, book 1 in the Quilts of Love series & it is wonderful. I read the Kindle version & this is the first book I have read on the Kindle that I have wanted the hard copy of. The novel by Carolyn Zane is loosely cased on the Joplin & Tuscaloosa tornadoes of 2011. I could really visualize the tornado & aftermath having seen the tornado footage from Tuscaloosa & the damage to the towns of Greensburg, Kansas, which was wiped out by a 2007 tornado, & Joplin. This is a story of strength, forgiveness, surviving a natural disaster & hope for the future. You definitely need to have a box of Kleenex by your side as you read.

As the story opens it is the morning of the tornado. Times given throughout the chapters serve as a countdown to the tornado. Radio broadcasts track the storm & warn residents of the approaching tornado. One of the statements the weatherman says is that "Aside from the actual twister, complacency is probably the most dangerous thing of all." You see this later when a newby asks if the storm warning siren doesn't mean they should run for cover now & a local tells him that no, they get them all the time in the spring. I know that local's feeling. I've been known to go outside looking for the tornado when the sirens have sounded. As the tornado hits it may be hard for some who have gone through something like this to read. In the aftermath of the tornado, Abigail starts picking up scraps of fabric she finds as she wonders through the destruction. Her aunt's house isn't hit so 3 other families join her aunt & her in a communal living arrangement. Abigail's aunt owned the quilt shop in town & she knows that quilting will help this "family" to heal from the disaster. The scraps that Abigail has picked up becomes the basis for this quilt. Each person creates their own square & even friends of the family become involved. This quilt becomes a Storm Signal quilt & it does help in the healing. Even though there are heart wrenching moments, there are also some funny ones like then the guys are trying the tie the quilt. First time I've heard of using pliers to quilt a quilt.

I highly recommend this book. Even though it is part of a series all the books stand alone.

Introducing the Quilts of Love series is an article at Novel Crossing discussing the series.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013



My grandparents owned a restaurant when I was growing up. My grandmother recently passed away 2 months shy of 100 & we are now cleaning out her house. We have come across several Disney items that I have claimed but I was surprised by one item I would never have associated with Disney. As owners of a restaurant my grandparents would go to restaurant shows. At one in 1961 they picked up “The Aunt Jemima Basic Batter Plan for pancake variety & profit growth. A new method for reaching maximum pancake preparation efficiency, varied menu & top profit margins. Created specifically for the restaurant operator & pancake specialty house.”  This manual was produced by Quaker Oats. It not only talked about how to produce pancakes efficiently & merchandise them for the best profitability but it also included recipes. There were the basic Adirondack pancakes, which are a stack of 3 pancakes topped with sweetened whipped cream & maple syrup. Then there are the more exotic like Ham Pancakes Rarebit which has ham stirred into the batter. They are stacked & topped with cheese Rarebit & garnished with strips of pimiento. There are pancakes with potatoes or oatmeal stirred into the batter, waffles, crepes & blinis. There’s even an Ice Cream Waffle Sandwich. 
Now I’m sure you’re wondering what this has to do with Disney. Well, I was going to throw this manual into the garbage until I got to the next to last page. It said “Aunt Jemima’s experience is based on the actual operation of the most famous pancake house in the world, Aunt Jemima’s Kitchen, Disneyland”. The last page was the menu for Aunt Jemima’s Kitchen. I was amazed that you could feed a family of 4 juice, eggs, bacon & sausage, waffles & pancakes & drink for $4.95. Can 1 person get all that for $4.95 now adays. Of course as soon as I saw the word “Disneyland”, I knew I couldn’t throw this manual out. While the basic pancake mix recipe was for 65 – 100 pancakes, the pancake recipes were for 1 pancake serving so I can use these at home especially since Aunt Jemima mixes are still being produced.
2013. What will the new year bring. This past year has brought the death of my grandmother at age 99. A new job at Amish Acres which I loved. Met so many new people from around the world. I completed Disney College Of Knowledge making me a Disney travel agent. If anyone needs help planning a trip to Disney or a Disney cruise please contact me (574-546-3275 or becky@enchantedearstravel.com). I'm hoping 2013 will bring a better paying job, an advancement in my Disney planning business & more travel.