A tree grows

How did I miss reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn when I was in my teenage years.

My book club read it for our big summer read. Normally we go about 4 or 5 weeks in between books. But because people were going to be away for summer trips and none of us had work we chose to go for a longer gap as well as a longer book. We last read Angry Housewives Eating BonBons (a book about a book club - which we read for book club), and so we picked one of the books those women read as one of our books.

There are few books in my life that make me want to name children or pets after the characters - this book was one of them. I'm not crazy about naming a child Frances - but someday I will have a cat named Francie.

This was not a 'my life is now different because I read this book book' - It was a 'I could read this again after I finished the last page book' - the kind of book that makes you happy and sad, and as much as my friends tease me about being a fan of Oprah, I heard her say this once and it totally applies to this book.

"It's the kind of book that makes you think the characters are going on without you when you put the book down and go do something else"

Francie is the kind of girl who might just be the perfect character. She is witty and brave - sassy and loving. I adored every second of it. It reminded me a bit of Angela's Ashes. The idea of being so poor but still so alive and aware of the world.

I loved that she was always saying 'I wonder' - she was a lover of books and the page that describes her understanding words for the first time - and therefore was able to read - made me cry. It was so well put and really just what it feels like to read for the first time and really get it.

I love that I am here in Sydney while reading it. It always seems like there is time to read on vacation - that somehow doesn't really exist when I'm at home. I also love that it's cold here. It's nice to curl up with a cup of tea and a blanket and read.

Aussie Aussie Aussie

Here are some things that you might not have known about Australia -

A flashlight is called a torch.
Food is fresh and yummy, there is a yogurt bar in the local shopping center that has 10 different types of fruity delights.
French Fries are called chips - and you can buy them in bulk at the local chips shop.
Meat pies are at almost every bakeryshop and they are always good.
It's tomato sauce and not ketchup .
Most people eat their chips plain - sometimes with chicken salt.
Chicken salt is salt with chicken flavoring mixed in. and it's amazing!
Every aussie woman is wearing tall black boots. And I want a pair.

Seriously though. Everyone here is dressed in a way that looks kind of like 'I'm doing the shopping - but I could also be going to a job interview' - I would love to dress like that. I always get a bit lazy and tend to love a tshirt and jeans a bit too much.

Almost all of the shops have dark colors. It could be because it's winter here and so everyone is dressing for the season. Black skirts, tights, jumpers, scarves. I'm loving it.

We are having a wonderful time with the family here. I made meatloaf on the 4th - I had to celebrate the 4th in my own little way. And I feel like meatloaf is one of the most american meals ever. We enjoyed it with roasted potatoes. It was raining and cold.

It rained like mad today and Bren has been loving every second of it. I just wish I had a hoodie with me because every time we go out it seems to rain only when we are walking outside. Everytime we step inside the shoping center - it stops raining.

Murphy's law I guess. Hope you all are enjoying the sunshine at home!