Three Cups of Tea in April

I had hoped to have my furniture rearranged before book group last week.  I didn't, but I should have.  We had a great turn out and it was cozy at my house.  Thanks to 60 minutes for its timely attack on our author, we had a lot to discuss.  Many, many thanks to Kay's daughter-in-law who came and shared her experiences reading this book with a class of fourth graders, and participating in Pennies for Peace. 

The book is one that changes lives.  It's astounding to see what one person or small things like pennies can do.  The fourth graders at a low socio-economic school were able to buy uniforms, books, and supplies for 8 students for a year, plus extra pennies that would buy pencils and erasers.  Every one of us can contribute in some way , to some thing, and accomplish great things. 

This book also made us think more globally, with respect for different cultures.  I wanted to learn more about more places and people.  I was also impressed with the points made in the book where education was key, but more specifically, the education of girls and how women are the power of change in their villages and countries.  What Relief Society school teacher wouldn't love this?  Go Girl Power!   

Short Announcements

After our book group last week, I ended up with Tara's Three Cups of Tea book, and mine is missing, and someone in the last group to leave dropped a $5 bill on my floor.  We also need Mary Jo's recipe for the layered brownie/chocolate chip cookie yummy, and we're still waiting for a couple more recipes from our March potluck.  

Moving to Alice

For those that have been in our book group for a few years, you'll remember reading A Town Like Alice.  Our school counselor is moving to Alice, Austrailia this summer.  Her husband has a job with the government and will be overseeing a group of engineers for the next two years.  She says they now have a K-Mart in Alice, but that's about the highlight.  It's still far, far, away from everywhere.  It will be fun staying in touch with her and seeing pictures of the town.  Maybe she'll write her own book - or maybe a blog.

Three Cups of Tea Controversy

Pam asked if we would be discussing this at book group tomorrow.  I haven't watch 60 Minutes for years, but I should have last night.  I searched on the internet tonight and there are pages and pages of articles, blogs, and comments.  You can read a transcript of the 60 Minutes piece too.  It is going to put a whole new spin on our discussion, and those of you that regularly attend realize that our discussions often spin in crazy, wandering, directions.  If you just want a little background, here's a link to a newspaper article in the Bozeman paper where Greg Mortenson lives.

Mortenson Under Fire from 60 Minutes

150 Years Ago

It's been 150 years since the beginning of the Civil War.  I think we'll see a lot about the war and Abraham Lincoln for the next 5 years.  It might be good to focus our reading on the topic one month next year.  Maybe this year we could do some reading, and have some books to recommend for next year's list.

Periodic Tales

I saw a book review in the Statesman that I thought would be interesting.  Hugh Aldersey-Williams has been trying to collect pure samples of every element known to humankind.  He wants to see and feel the elements that otherwise seem to exist only as abbreviations on the periodic table.  He shares his passion with his latest book Periodic Tales:  A Cultural History of the Elements, From Arsenic to Zinc.  

Few people give elements a second thought outside of chemistry class, but each one has an interesting story.   The quest for gold drove some cultures to explore the world, while other cultures dismissed it as useless, and Chlorine changed the way nations waged war.  Aldersey-Williams writes about how each element was discovered, explains its place in human history and describes the cultural changes it wrought.  Readers don't need a strong science background to appreciate the stories.

I don't read a lot of nonfiction, but this interests me.  It's described as a charming look at the building blocks that are all around us; told with simplicity and elegance.  (Just a little review, in case anyone is interested.) 

Chicken Stuffed Shells from Elayne

 (From our March potluck)

16 lg pasta shells
1 cup diced chicken(cooked)
1cup diced cheddar cheese

sauce:
1 cube butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 8oz cream cheese
1 envelope Italian dressing(dry)

Cook pasta as directed. Drain and rinse. Combine sauce ingredients in medium bowl; microwave stirring every 1-2 minutes until smooth. Set aside.  Spray 9X13 glass baking dish with vegetable spray. Combine chicken, cheese and half of sauce, fill pasta shells and place in dish. Top with remaining sauce. Bake at 350 for 30-45 min until bubbly.