Book Description:

More than just a few ideas about gardening and raising chickens, THE URBAN FARM HANDBOOK uses stories, charts, grocery lists, recipes, and calendars to inform and instruct. As busy urbanites who have learned how to do everything from making cheese and curing meat to collaborating with neighbors on a food bartering system, the authors share their own food journeys along with those of local producers and consumers who are changing the food systems in the Pacific Northwest.

Review:

I won a copy of this book from a GoodReads give away.  Had I explored it a bit more before signing up for the raffle, I probably would have had second thoughts.  Upon receiving it, I thumbed through it quickly to browse the photographs and was surprisingly shocked at the instructional pages on how to slaughter chickens and pigs. That extremity aside, the rest of the book is a plethora of good information when it comes to urban gardening.

There is a ton of basic information for the small avid gardener like me which includes planting and tending to a year-round vegetable garden, making your own compost, maximizing small spaces, raising backyard animals for eggs and milk, and preserving foods (canning, drying, freezing, pickling, and fermenting).

For those on a higher level, there is information about creating a direct farmer-to-consumer connection, setting up “buying clubs” with other local farmers, creating cold storage for roots and squashes, learning about city farming permits, and making your own soaps and cleaners.

The book itself caters to the Pacific Northwest when it comes to locales and resources, but its wealth of lists, photographs, and home-production recipes makes it a good resource for anyone living in the city with even a flower box  reserved for vegetables or herbs. There truly is something here for everyone – young or old, novice or experienced.  If you have an interest in at-home sustainable living, this handbook is for you.

Reviewed by Gail Bradney

One month after her husband-to-be proposed to Dr. Diana Denholm, he was diagnosed with colon cancer. She married him, and for the next 11 years until his death she was his primary caregiver as he suffered through surgery, chemo, and congestive heart failure, followed by a heart transplant, skin cancer, a choking disorder, Parkinson’s, and many more dire conditions—ranging from gout to osteoarthritis—too numerous to name here. Upon hearing this story, is it so wrong to feel sympathy for the wife?

Now working as a medical psychotherapist, Dr. Denholm has become a pioneering thought leader in the field of caregivers’ health. In a new book, The Caregiving Wife’s Handbook (Hunter House Publishers, December 2011, ISBN: 978-0-89793-605-7), Dr. Denholm draws from her own experiences and interviews with six real-life caregiving wives. She shares strategies, inspiration, and stories of success designed to help women struggling with the multiple challenges of being a caregiver to a husband or partner with a serious long-term illness.

And there are many such women—more than 30 million women are caregivers for an ill loved one. When that dying loved one is your husband or partner, the day-to-day matters of life get to be a challenge: your role in their care, your self-care, your ongoing lives, household management, sleep, sex, changes and strains on your marriages, and current and future finances, to name just a few.

Although there’s a lot of information and help available for those “final days” and the grieving afterward, this is the rare book that offers practical written instructions for making life and marriage work during the long months and years wives face as a caregiver.

Dr. Denholm’s approach is refreshingly realistic and practical. It’s not written from a rah-rah cheerleader’s perspective. She doesn’t try to tell her readers to be upbeat and positive. On the contrary—she advises them to acknowledge and embrace all of their emotions, including difficult ones such as anger, guilt, annoyance, grief, stress, and resentment. And she doesn’t shy away from hot-button topics, nor does she pretend that it’s going to be easy to tell him he shouldn’t drive anymore, or that you need to discuss funeral arrangements, or that you’d like to go away with friends for the weekend. Instead, she offers readers creative ideas and lots of practical tools wives can use to deal with the most common issues women face when their husbands suffer from a protracted illness.

Specifically, she presents a six-step process to help women problem solve with their husbands. It’s a model she developed and has used successfully with her therapy clients. It helps them prioritize their “issues”—in other words, figure out which topics are best left unsaid or shared only with a close friend, and which ones need to be worked out one-on-one with the husband. It gives them a toolkit of communication tips and techniques to make “the talk” easier. And it enables them to learn a method for coming to “Understandings” with their husbands on everything from in-law interference to cleaning his ostomy bag.

There’s a whole section of the book devoted to the big C—in this case not cancer, but codependency. Dr. Denholm helps wives take an honest look at whether their actions are keeping the husband weak or are in fact appropriate to his real needs and abilities. And she shows how she and others have navigated around the most common obstacles, including driving, eating, sex, hygiene, and financial and legal matters. Readers also learn how to bring more balance, fun, and free time into their life as caregiving wife.

Although the intended audience for this book is wives, Denholm’s ultimate aim is to help husbands and wives work through the hardships of long-term illness so they can regain their love, respect, and compassion for each other. Yes, caregiving can destroy lives and marriages, but it can also be a cathartic driver of change and growth. That’s her big message.

Dr. Denholm believes two partners can and should both take responsibility for keeping the marriage healthy, even if the husband may be dying. Her approach teaches women “compassionate empowerment.” She says it is possible to have a healthy marriage with a husband who is gravely ill. When the caregiving wife is ready to be honest with herself and her husband, Dr. Denholm’s book will give her the tools, tips, and structure to do it.

Cooking for one is not something most people want to try to tackle.  That’s why there’s a plethora of frozen dinners, right?  Sure, we say to ourselves, “This year I will really make the effort to cook special meals for myself and treat my body to the healthy food it deserves.”  Somehow, though, the idea seems to fall by the wayside before it even gets started.  “It’s too hard to make a meal just for one person,” “I end up wasting so much of what I make,” “Why spend time cooking just for me?,” or “I just don’t know what to make for just me.”

The excuses most of us make as single people are limitless what it comes to cooking for ourselves.  Maybe we don’t want to think about what it means to cook for just one, or maybe we’ve spent years cooking for a family and now sizing it down is just a difficult concept.  With so much convenience food at our disposal, it also makes us lazy in our decision-making when it comes to food.  Stephanie Bostic if determined to pull us out of the singleton’s food rut into which many have fallen.

In One Bowl: Simple Healthy Recipes for One, Bostic not only makes it easy for the newbie cook, but for the experienced as well.  What too often seems a daunting task, is made simple and attainable in this step-by-step cookbook for the single life.  From several ways to cook an egg, what utensils are necessary and which are just convenient, and what you need in your pantry, this guide keeps it basic, but with flair.

None of the recipes in One Bowl are time-consuming or overwhelming, which make them easy to implement in everyday life.  As a bonus, every recipe can easily be doubled to accommodate company, as well.  Most of the dishes center on fresh ingredients, but can be easily translated into canned or frozen options when fresh is not available.  Recipes like Southwest Frittata and Plum Duck Breast give fancier options of what can be done in single serving size, while most of the other recipes keep it a bit more simple, such as Breakfast Parfait and English Muffin Pizzas.

One Bowl not only is a great tool for simple, healthy meals, but teaches how to add flavor to every dish using an array of spices and sauces.  Bostic gives us recipes to easily whip up peanut sauce, vinaigrettes, and other toppings, as well as a spice how-to.  From basil to turmeric, there is a handy chart of how to use the spices, when to use them, and how much- taking the guesswork out of the world of seasonings.

With worksheets, nutrition and portion guides, and attainable recipes, Bostic separates herself from many cookbook authors by making honest, easy food without being pretentious.  It is too often we buy a cookbook, then place it on a shelf to be forgotten with the rest because the offerings are too pricey, not readily available, or above the average skill level in the kitchen.  She not only teaches us just how easy it is to cook for one, but shows us that learning to feed oneself it essential to the healthy life we all deserve.  Whether you are a bachelor/ette, a single retiree that has always cooked for a family, or someone who’s partner is often traveling or working different shifts, One Bowl will fit easily into your kitchen.

by Joseph Pfeiffer
Outskirts Press (October 2009)
ISBN: 1432723146
$11.95 Paperback
100 Pages

Joseph Pfeiffer’s book has been on my reading list since he queried us last December.  After reading it, I’d love to save it for a Father’s Day review because the book would be very appropriate for that time, but I didn’t want to make the author wait another four months to read my review.  That being said, take note of this book because it would actually make a great Father’s Day gift.

Eyes in the Rearview Mirror is a brief collection of the wisdom that only a father can provide.  There are 13 chapters in the book, each titled after quotes that Joseph’s father used to always say. So there are fun titles like “When buying a Christmas tree, look to see if there is a knot on the bottom” or “There are three types of people in this world – ones who can count, and ones who can’t.”  There are also more simple and heartfelt titles like “Don’t bring your work home, and don’t bring your home to work” or simply “Never Quit Learning.”

What follows is an explanation of why Joseph’s father said that laced with real life stories and Joseph’s reflection on the matter.  Often humorous and always touching, Joseph’s “back porch sitting on Papa’s lap” approach to telling the stories definitely makes this a book anyone can relate to when it comes to reminiscing about your parents. Joseph admits that he didn’t always know what his dad was talking about at the moment, but it somehow all made sense.

Joseph also perfectly captures his father’s generation of  generous attitude and humble thinking that does not exist anymore.  That’s pretty evident in a chapter called “You Are What You Do, Not What You Say.”  Joseph’s father was a church volunteer and working in a soup kitchen and steps up to help a family with four children who are on the lam and trying to get far away from troubles haunting them in another town.

I nodded my head in agreement with my father and said, “I understand, but I am still a little concerned. Why don’t you just take up golf, like everybody else who is retired?”

Dad said, “Well, I don’t like golf.”

“But you’re a good giving person – you don’t need to put yourself in harm’s way to be a good person,” I replied.

Dad looked back at me and said, “You are what you do, not what you say. This may not be the ideal
situation, but this family needed help, and I was able to give it.”

Too many people today look the other way when people are in need. In my observation, most people would much rather not get involved. I understand many of the concerns of involving yourself with someone else’s troubles; I include myself in the category of not wanting to be bothered by something that doesn’t directly affect me or my family.

I could definitely relate to this incident since my father was well known for stepping up to help others.  He was always a giver, and still is today.  I can recall him spending hours in his greenhouse during the winter and planting three or four gardens come spring, only to raise more vegetables than our family of five could ever imagine consuming.  It didn’t matter.  He gave fresh vegetables to everyone in the neighborhood who wanted any whether he knew them or not.  In the end, nothing went to waste.

Overall, this is a nice “feel good” book that is obviously very personal for the author and his family, but definitely has the appeal to be a great gift book for anyone’s parents and contains “life lessons” we can certainly all relate to.  At just 100 pages, it’s a quick read and while I read the PDF of it, my only real complaint is that the book’s cover feels too much like a textbook.  I’d love to see a “family photo” or memory on the cover instead to give it a warmer touch.

Reviewed by:
Harry E. Gilleland, Jr.
Poet, Author

As a grandfather to five grandchildren, aged seven to ten, I was interested to learn what this book has to offer in the way of advice on how to be a grandparent. The answer is it has much to offer. The two authors offer great insight with ideas and suggestions that should be beneficial to any grandparent, but especially to the new grandparent.

The 124-page book is arranged into four sections. The first section has eight chapters with suggestions of things to do before the baby arrives. The helpful ideas range from pampering the expectant mother in various ways to preparing yourself to be the family historian for the grandchild by starting a time capsule on the day of the birth and gathering family history. One chapter lists potential memento gifts to commemorate the birth, as well as ways to make the first meeting with the new baby more enjoyable for the new mother (flowers, food, keep the visit short, take charge of any older siblings). I’m sure if these suggestions are followed, the first meeting will go smoothly.

Section two has the meat of the book. Its dozen chapters cover the philosophy of being a good grandparent and discuss how you can best interact with the grandchild as an infant, a toddler, the middle years, the teen years, through their becoming grownup grandchildren. Weis and Johnston offer great advice on communicating with the parents and working with the parents for the best interests of the grandchildren. This section has suggestions for how best to handle babysitting. It even presents the authors’ thoughts on diverse topics like adopted grandchildren and long-distance grandparenting. I especially liked the notion that grandparents could take the lead in starting and/or maintaining family traditions with the grandchildren. As a poet myself, I was particularly fond of the authors’ proposal that the grandparent could be the family storyteller that introduced the grandchild to the older family history and fleshed out their impression of other family members. With my own grandchildren soon to become teenagers, I found their advice to listen without being critical or “parenting” since the teenager needs someone they can trust to talk to about things that they may not want to discuss directly with their parents to be great advice. I plan to remember their advice!

The six chapters of section three provide useful ideas for hosting baby showers, stocking the freezer, creating floral arrangements, gift giving, vacationing with the grandchildren, and being a “spontaneous grandparent”. It is a section that would be referred to often by the grandparent.

The fourth section has one whimsical chapter entitled “If Grandmothers Ruled the World”. Oh, if only they did!

“Welcome to Grandparenting” is truly a useful guide filled with great suggestions and ideas for activities appropriate for any age grandchild. It would be a wonderful introduction into the world of grandparenting for any new grandparent. Even experienced grandparents would benefit from reading this book. I know I did. Although the book is aimed mostly at grandmothers with its numerous suggestions for food preparation, flower arrangements, shopping and gift giving, throwing baby showers, there are still plenty of suggestions contained within the book to make it useful for grandfathers to read it also. In summary, I heartily recommend this book, especially for any new grandparents, but also for experienced grandparents. You are never too old to learn new ideas. The authors are to be commended for a job well done. This book would make a great gift as well as a valuable addition to one’s own library.

For anyone who is an animal lover, myself included, Deborah Eades’ book is definitely one that deserves a heart warming Awwwwwe! Deborah is a volunteer for what’s known as the Dog Rescue Railroad.  Years ago a website was created called petfinder.com which helps place pets in new homes.  Volunteers often travel cross country to pick up animals and transport them to their new owners.

These are all volunteers who give up their day off and pay their own gas expense to save a life. Most would tell you that they are the ones who benefit the most, by seeing what a difference one person can make to a homeless animal.

Deborah states in the introduction that every animal has its own unique story about how it ended up in need and the happy ending that hopefully greets them at the end of their journey.  She’s been transporting dogs since 2002. This book tells the story of several dogs which Deborah picked up from shelters and helped to relocate to loving homes.  She dedicates the book to a long list of names of dogs which she helped rescue and to all the homeless pets who weren’t so fortunate.

Often arriving the same day the animals were scheduled to be euthanized, Deborah tells the “tales” of neglected animals who are frightened and often in shock.  Society has given up on them and their sad eyes are begging for a second chance.  A hand to lick, a bowl of food, a comfortable bed, a pat on the rump and a scratch on the chin,  all these dogs crave is love. Deborah is like a guardian angel arriving just in time.

A book like this would not be complete without photos to accompany each story.  Oreo, Hooch, Shyla, Sophie and her pups, Dusty, Annie, and many more….there are some sad memorial pictures of dogs that have passed on but for the most part, all of the dogs show life in their eyes and a big panting smile across their mouth.  They know they’ve been given a second chance.

Of course, a book like this doesn’t end here.  I’m sure there have been many more journeys for Deborah and for even more dogs that have been rescued thanks to her.  And we can help! Proceeds from the sale of her book go to help Dogs Deserve Better.

Bravo to this author for using Lulu to bring attention to a good cause and for giving back in more ways than one! You can visit Deborah on the web and learn more about her mission at everyrescueddog.homestead.com.  And if you’d like to see more photos of the dogs, visit Deborah’s Amazon.com book page.  She’s done a magnificent job of uploading over 50 photos there.

We did keyword searches for things like “apple pie” and “red, white, and blue.”  We read preview after preview, and finally narrowed the search down to 3 Lulu books which we believe best represent the type of book we were looking for.  So, here they are in no particular order. An American celebration of POD books…

Open America
by Kristin Abraham
Copyright: © 2007
$34.99 Paperback
$5.00 Ebook

In 2005 artist Abraham and her musician husband set out across the country determined to visit all 50 states, attempting to unite the country through art, a journey they called The Nomadic Project.  They worked out of their car and Abraham created a painting in each state to capture its essence and beauty.

This book is a collection of all 50 paintings accented with entries from her travel journal.  If you love a good coffee table book or you are a travel enthusiast, this book offers some nice insight to our beautiful country.  There are local backroads here you’ll want to see for yourself one day!

6333 Miles – A Strange Journey Through Small Town America
by Nico Ammann and Rebecca Barkin
Copyright: © 2008
$34.90 Hardcover
$9.90 E-Book
ISBN: 9780615206899

Yep, this is another travel story, but instead of all 50 states we are treated to the backroads of only 5 small towns across the southern US starting in Jerome, Arizona, going down to Luckenbach, Texas; then crossing over to New Orleans, up to Clarksdale, Mississippi, and ending in the outer banks of North Carolina.  This is a haunting travel log reminiscent of great southern lit geniuses such as Truman Capote and Flannery O’Connor, accompanied by odd angle photographs of the local sites and local folk.

I think I was drawn to this book, not just because of the brilliant cover depicting the familiar blinking arrow sign (often missing letters in the true south, if teenagers haven’t rearranged the letters to spell bad words), but because there is a part of me in this book.  Being from Tennessee, I know these places.  I know these people, and I know this dirt roads.  Just as the back cover suggests….bikers, bibles, and bad decisions.  With a touch of murder mystery, some downhome fried cooking, and those strange front porch banjo playing strangers who you are afraid to ask for directions, this book is a brilliant rebel flag waving farce.

4th of July Recipes
by Timm Miller
Copyright: © 2008
$6.95 E-Book

Besides sparklers and bottle rockets, the 4th of July for me as a kid meant barbecue and watermelon.  It wouldn’t be an American holiday without the food, right?  That’s why I’ve chosen Timm Miller’s 4th of July Recipes as my third “America” highlight.

There’s a nice history of Independence Day for an introduction, followed by Red, White, and Blue Pie, baby back ribs, macaroni salad, and much more, and that’s just in the preview.

Your picnic table will be overflowing with yummy treats and hot eats from this book.  Many of our holidays follow traditions.  Each of our families have their own when it comes to certain events, and many of those holidays and traditions would not be complete without certain comfort foods.  Miller does an excellent job of helping you to try new simple recipes, and maybe create some new traditions of you own.  Check out his bookstore for more of those cool 3D covers too!

So that’s it!  Yeah, these three books focus mainly on travel and food, but it doesn’t get more American than that, does it?