Top Shelf Books in My Estimation

Christmas is only a few days away and I know many will be receiving E readers from Santa. I, myself, hope to find a new E reader with more functionality than my Kindle.

This all got me thinking about reading and what has led to my reading affection. My mother was a voracious reader. But when I was growing up, I wanted to be anything and everything she wasn't. That included reading for fun.

What got me into reading was my former book club in my old neighborhood. Lord, I miss it and those friendships. Many of the members are transplanted Texans. Two were from Canada, one from England, one from New York and the others from various other states. We all ended up in the same neighborhood, all around the same ages, and all tend to be outspoken. We have stuck together through illnesses, job layoffs, children issues, and financial difficulties. Truthfully, I'm sure I wouldn't have made it through my illness without their compassion and support. One went with me to pick out my wig, two took me out for pedicures, one brought me trashy magazines soon after surgery, all took turns cooking dinner for my family all through my treatment. So, they are the ones who ignited my reading desire.

With utmost respect to my book club friends, here are my favorite books. Some we read, others I read on my own. There's no particular order to this list.

1) Great Dames (What I Learned from Older Women) by Marie Brenner. She introduces readers to notable women including Jacqueline Onassis, Clare Boothe Luce, Diana Trilling and Kitty Carlisle Hart.
2)  Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton. I don't go much for pirate books, but this one I couldn't put down. Based on facts, this book details a remote 1665 colony of the English Crown in the Caribbean.
3) Interwoven: A Pioneer Chronicle by Sallie Reynolds Matthews. Anyone living in Texas or who has a fascination with history would like this book. It really makes one grateful for running water, soap, air conditioning and microwaves.
4) Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. The movie isn't as good as the book. Trust me. It's funny, sad, interesting and historical all in one.
5) Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks. This isn't Pulitzer Prize content, but it has special meaning to me. I read it to my mother in the month before her death. In fact, we finished the book the day before she died.
6) Ford County by John Grisham. It's a collection of short stories of various small towns and people throughout the South. Quirky characters and fun reading.
7) What Difference Do it Make? by Ron Hall, Denver Moore and Lynn Vincent. A testament to what a difference individuals can make in the lives of others.
8) The Saving of CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. A little girl's account of how her life changed for the better through a Steel Magnolia aunt and other tough as nails female figures.
9) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. This is such an excellent book. Based on facts of Guernsey island during the German Occupation  during WWII. It's a story of survival, human nature and friendship. The only thing that takes getting used to is the format: the story is told through a series of letters.
10) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I read this book as a girl stuck at home sick. I loved all of the sisters and learning about that time period and expectations of women.

One Pelican in a Palm Tree

Swans in bathing suits.

Yesterday, the Chamber of Commerce had its annual Christmas party. And this being a beach town, it wouldn't be Christmas without a pelican in a palm tree.

Various Chamber members formed a "tree" on stage representing industries in town and sang "The 12 Days of Christmas" with a few modifications. The Friends of the Pool, a grass roots effort made up of some of my water aerobic students who work to keep the community pool open year-round, were swans. We put on wings, bathing suit cover ups, feathers and painted our faces. Unfortunately, we weren't as graceful as swans. I almost tripped down a riser.

Yes, they're always this crazy.

But, here are the 12 Days of Christmas from this beach town.

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: One pelican in a palm tree
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 2 pink flamingos
On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 3 aquatic neighbors (maritime museum, aquarium)
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 4 calls to beauty (beauty salons)
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 5 golden stars
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 6 guests a snoozing (hotels)
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 7 swans a swimming (Friends of the Pool)
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 8 shopaholics
On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 9 bay queens singing (non-profit zany group)
On the 10th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 10 men a leading (the mayors, police chief, etc.)
On the 11th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 11 tasty morsels (restaurants)
On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 12 music majors (the middle school drum section)

The Bay Queens in their finest.

One of my favorite parts was listening to the middle school band.  And meeting some of the Bay Queens. They look almost look like drag queens. At least I don't think there are drag queens. I introduced myself to one of them and she said, "I know who you are. I'm your neighbor next to Keith." Then I asked them what their names are. Each one said, "Bobbie Pearl." I asked, "Is that with a 'y' or 'ie?" They thought that was pretty funny.

Retailer "For the Birds" appropriately decorated their table.

Anyway, it was fun to go to a Christmas party that didn't take itself too seriously. How could it with the Bay Queens and a pelican in a palm tree?

Wondering if the Bay Queen hire out for parties?

The Wondering Texan

The Perfect Christmas Neighbor/Hostess Gifts

This time of year, coming up with hostess/neighbor/teacher gifts is always a soul-searching experience for me. Something unique, something not too expensive or too personal, and something that will be appreciated. It's the Bermuda Triangle of gift giving. Am I wrong?

Linda in her little shop of libations.

Well, I've come across two rock solid gifts. One is my usual gift and one I just discovered thanks to my local liquor store owner.

First, Liquor Lady Linda. Or, I like to think of her as L-Cubed. Linda is one of the few female liquor store owners in the traditionally male-dominated field. She's a hoot but don't let her easy banter fool you. She's one tough cookie.

"You've got to be thick skinned in this business as a women," she tells me.

Anyway, luckily for her and perhaps unluckily for me, her liquor store, Lighthouse Liquors, is close to my house. I don't even have to get on a major street.

The store also sells food direct for origin. No middle man.

Last weekend I went to her for a dessert wine recommendation for a friend's dinner party. I had made gingersnap cookies and was taking vanilla ice cream. She looked at me and said, "Oh, well..." Then she pulled out Fulton's Harvest Cream Liqueur in Pumpkin Pie flavor. The bottle says it's a blend of pumpkin, brown sugar and nutmeg. And it was around $10. Whoa ya!

I have to ask Linda for recommendations because I can't follow her store's organization system. "There is no system," she tells me. "I ask people do they want red wine or white wine? Then I ask dry or sweet? Cheap or expensive?" But the lack of bottle organization creates great customer service.

Linda's husband Ed and his buddy Santa.

What's kind of interesting about Linda is she's never been to Napa. Has no formal training in wine or spirits. And hasn't attended any conferences or Beer-o-lotta association meetings. She got her education the old fashioned way -- working for 23 years for competitors before striking out on her own 10 years ago.

"I stay up until 2 or 3 a.m. researching on the Internet," she says. "I'm the eclectic wine guru. I try off the wall stuff to see if it works. Usually it does."

I ask her what's the top sellers. "Cheap vodka in the winter and tequila in the summer," she says. 

So with my Pumpkin Pie Cream Liqueur, ginger snap cookies and ice cream in tow, I go to the dinner party.

"Oh, you shouldn't have," my friend Winnie said. "You really shouldn't have."  I could see the doubtful looks on their faces. I was waiting for the "Bless your heart," comment in a thick Texas drawl.

But I scooped some ice cream in the bowls, drizzled it with the liqueur and then stuck two gingersnap cookies in the scoops.

The doubtful looks turned into looks of ecstasy. We practically licked our bowls. "See, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while," I tell them.

So, I'm taking my new found dessert on the party circuit this year.

My second ace in the hole gift is my standard teacher/neighbor/postman/hairdresser gift. It came to me thanks to my sister-in-law whose mother is a recently-retired teacher. "Don't give teachers candles or bath products," she once told me. "They get tons and tons of those."

So, I've opted to give red and green tortilla chips that can be commonly found in grocery stores. Then I pair it with a unique, homemade Texas brand picante sauce. It's easy, can either be for men or women, not too expensive, not too personal, and can pulled out quickly as a festive appetizer. I've given it so many times that my kids have begged me for something different. "Get over it and take this to your teacher," I bark. I don't have time for such nonsense!

There you have it. My two gift ideas with proven success rates.

Wondering if I could add tequila to my chips and salsa gifts for special friends?

The Wondering Texan