The Secret Adventures of WriterGirl

I honestly do not know where the source of this image is (anyone know?). I want to know this kid. Because not only are they smart, they are clever too.

On Monday, something really cool happened. It was World Book Night, where secret people of pure awesome gave out books to random strangers, for free for one night. These are the real super heroes.

It was created with the intent of giving people something else to do that evening, and perhaps open a book for the first time in years.

There was a list of books available, and if you got in on the action early, publishers would send you paperback copies of the book for free to distribute. Books like Little Bee, Ender's Game, The Book Thief, Kindred, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, The Stand, Housekeeping, and so many others.

I loved this idea. I loved it so hardcore I wanted to hug my screen and shout for joy. But there was a slight kerfuffle for me. Most of these books were already really well known. I wanted to do my part as my self-appointed description of ordinary girl extraordinaire dictated. There were some great gems of stories being overlooked, and I wanted to help them out.

The problem was trying to decide which one to do. There are so many amazing stories out there. I finally decided on one that is so overlooked, I don't think the series will ever be finished. Leaving the Bellweathers by Kristin Clark Venuti. She used to have an adorable website, but even that has disappeared recently. I loved the story and I thought the characters both hilarious and endearing. And from my interview with her, the fact she wanted to write good and happy things because there is plenty of tragedy already in the world made my heart go pitter pat.

So it was decided. And I already knew the perfect place to drop it off for someone else to find. Now as far I know, you're actually supposed to physically hand your book to someone, but I loved the idea so much of leaving it, seemingly abandoned, as a gift from one anonymous friend to another like so much fun, I had to do it. So I went to the park where I grew up.

It was a bit of a drive admittedly, but worth it. This place was such an enormous part of my childhood. It is large, with so many nooks and crannies, hills and hidey places to freak any parent out, but it was paradise to me. A lot has changed since then. The stone dolphin and Beluga whale are now gone. The ginormous swings have been replaced by a tamer, safer variety, and everything has a new coat of paint. Also, the trees are taller. Those at least have grown up with me. But it still felt like home.

Walking around a park childless, especially with a camera, is always a slightly unnerving task. Parents eye you a whole lot more closely (which doesn't make it any easier to drop of said book gift). Luckily I am a girl, so that helps a little. I just try to put on my most sincere face of innocence possible and the parents lower their hackles. For the most part.

So I wandered for a bit, trying to find the perfect spot for my treasure. You can't see it in this picture, but a gorgeous tree near the entrance was bursting in pink blossoms. There was a sun's ray hallowing it, I swear.

So I placed my book, took as fast a picture as I could, and then disappeared.







It was still there when I got to my car. I hope someone found it and enjoys it as much as I did. Mission accomplished. :)

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Not Broken by Goo Goo Dolls.





So I have this friend who works in a library. One night we were telling each other the funniest thing we have personally witnessed within library walls. This is her story. I wish I'd been there.



A young girl and her mom came up to the front desk to pay a fine. The girl got bored and trotted off to play jungle gym on the security gates (it happens a lot). Her mom tried to get her to come back over a couple of times, but it wasn't happening. My friend was just about to stand up and tell the girl she couldn't do that when her mom in exasperation whipped her head around and said in all seriousness,

"Katie! We are supposed to blend in with the humans!"

Little Katie instantly stopped what she was doing, went to her mother's side with arms folded and stayed quiet as a mouse for the rest of the transaction.

My friend tried not to burst out laughing the whole time. She barely made it.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): King of Pain by The Police.





I love how many ways a story can be told in often the simplest ways. For those of you who don't know (it's been a long time since I've posted any of them) I have a great love of photography. It helps me see the world in a new way I've never seen before and allows me to capture a moment of pure beauty, simplicity, or power. So, not quite an adventure, but these are little pieces into my heart, and that is perhaps one of the scariest things I can offer you.

I am going to show you more tomorrow. I am feeling brave.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Silence by Lizz Wright.















Well Edmund (and you, dear readers), you definitely had me scrambling. Turkish Delight is deceptively simple and adrenaline junkie's dream. And you'll get your week's worth of exercise in one go, believe me.


Here is the link to the recipe I used. Tweak as you see fit. I left out the part with the rose water and added a whole lot more to the powder coating at the end. Remember, me and rose water no likey each other. So let's begin!











I was so nervous. I had to take a picture. Remember, Beth Revis says Turkish Delight kills pans. This might be the last time I saw mine alive.








These are not innocent ingredients. These are ingredients of DEATH.










To help ensure the safety and possible life of my pan, I covered the entire thing in shortening (you're supposed to do this anyway). I may or may not have had a bit too much fun and may or may not have drawn math symbols into said shortening. Then I covered the pan in wax paper. And then - I greased the wax paper. Oh yes I did. Sugary goodness is not taking MY pan away from me!








Edmund! Do you realize what this recipe is?! All it IS is sugar, you little fiend! That and a little bit of water and corn starch and flavoring. Holy cow! No wonder you liked it so much. I'm going into a sugar coma just looking at it.









This is the consistency of the mixture once you add the flavoring and water to the sugar. A bit blurry, but I thought this would be the best way to show you visually what you are looking for here in your *ahem* sugar water turkish delight mixture (You'll notice from the sugar line it reduces a lot when you add the water and begin heating it). Take this to a boil and reduce to a simmer.









Here is the simmer after the boil. You'll notice it has clarified a lot (so you can see to the bottom). This is where the long haul comes in. You have to wait for it to come to 240 degrees Fahrenheit (this is where you reeeallly want a temperature probe/candy thermometer). It's going to go degree by painful degree up. Seriously. I made a sandwich. And ate it. But don't go very far! And always always keep half an eye on it. Because when things happen in candy making, they happen fast.










While I was waiting, I started to prep the other pot. Throw it in with pizazz! That's half the fun. :)








Of a note, it started to bubble something fierce right around 215 degrees Fahrenheit. Since this is the first time I've ever made this, I thought it important to the documentation process. I am culinary scientist. Hear me roar.







I took it off right at the 240 degree (F) mark. It distilled very quickly (and began to lose heat). (Don't worry, that yellow thing is not anything that has fallen in. It's a reflection from something above it. So don't worry, it doesn't have to be a part of your recipe).






This is where the other pot comes in, with corn starch, cream of tartar and water. It looks like milk but it grows thicker quickly. In fact the recipe said when it got to a "glue" consistency, that was when it was ready (although that is slightly problematic because I started to wonder what kind of glue. Rubber cement? Elmer's?). It started to smell like glue even, but that could just be me, considering the aforementioned thoughts. :)

And this is where my mind jerked to a sudden thought. Beth Revis said Turkish Delight kills pans, so I was so prepped and ready with a pan as slick as greased lightning, but what if she meant a pot instead? Corn starch is a thickener and almost utterly tasteless (remember that if you ever have a sauce that is too thin) and I'd just dumped over a cup into this pot. This was my "oh no..." moment.








Remember how I said when things happen they happen fast? Yeah, that was this time. My fingers were covered in sticky goo and I barely had time to snap off this blurry shot before whipping the bejeezus out this sucker before it took my pot under its sadist grip.








Having a brightly colored whisk helps. :) I beat it into submission and it turned into a lovely smooth texture (albeit a very sticky one).
















Yellow food coloring. I thought five drops would do nicely.






Mixing!







And here is where you may want to deviate from my own adventure. You see, the recipe said to mix it for another hour after it gets to the gloop of death stage. o.O You're going to have bi-ceps bigger than your face by the end of it. If you have any big or little helpers in the house, you may want to bribe/switch off with them. I was dying after ten minutes. Energetic music blared loudly is a great friend here. I recommend Jonsi. Or possibly Metallica.

Because in retrospect, this is where I think I made my slip. Because it says you can tell when it is ready when the mixture turns a nice golden color. And I had already added my food coloring. So I don't think I stirred beat into a bloody pulp for nearly long enough. Chancing a mad dash downstairs to my computer I pulled up a YouTube video to see the consistency right before they poured it. It looked the same. But remember, candy making is such a precise art and science. So I would recommend mixing it longer. You may have to graduate to a wooden spoon since my whisk was giving out. But this picture is still pretty close to what you'll see right before you pour it. It's only after the setting overnight you get to see where my real adventure began. :)











Still good! Look at all that sugary goodness, Edmund. It's so pretty...
















Then something happened I'd never read about or seen before. You are supposed to let it rest and cool overnight. But not in the fridge. Apparently it absolutely ruins the texture. So I stuck it down in my cellar. That is supposed to give it time for the moisture to settle and distribute evenly through the batch. Most people are afraid of "sweating" which the extra time is supposed to prevent. But this wasn't sweating. This was weeping. (You have to admit, it looks pretty cool though). :)

Again, I don't think I mixed it long enough after combining the two together, not giving the liquid time to set up properly. So once it cooled down, it wept. Openly. I'll assume it saw The Notebook or some other equally sad show while I was out.


But! Determined I was! I just figured I would add a little more corn starch to the coating powder and maybe that would soak up some of the excess moisture. (By the way, several commentators on the recipe I used said the "dusting" they recommend is a bad idea. You need to give these things a veritable bath in the mixture. And after opening the OFFICIAL TURKISH DELIGHT - FROM TURKEY they were drenched in it as well as I presumed they would be since it will keep off moisture and help preserve them. So definitely go that route).

















Ooooooo. Real Turkish Delight. *claps* Now for the comparison! (There were definitely more flavors than just lemon in their Turkish Delight).







Tada! I made it and both my pan AND pots survived (run them under hot water immediately after you are done pouring. It should save you from any heart ache/grief). Thanks so much for the adventure, everyone!

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now) A Thousand Years by Sting.







I will have to thank Meg forever for sending me this story. It is incredible. And it is the mystery I love most of all.


First off, all photos are courtesy of Christ Scott @chrisdonia (and his flickr account) whose amazing photographs brought this story to life.


This story begins in a library. It ends where it began. But it is the journey that makes this story breathtaking. And it all starts with a gift...






















































































Left on a table at the Scottish Poetry Library in early March of last year with a simple but anonymous note bearing the words

It started with your name @byleaveswelive and became a tree.… … We know that a library is so much more than a building full of books… a book is so much more than pages full of words.… This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas….. a gesture (poetic maybe?)

And from there, it grew. 10 in all.
























Next came the National Library of Scotland



















































And then Filmhouse
























































And the Scottish Storytelling Centre (bearing my favorite note of all)

For @scotstorycenter – A gift in support of libraries, books, works, ideas….. Once upon a time there was a book and in the book was a nest and in the nest was an egg and in the egg was a dragon and in the dragon was a story…..

down to the National Museum of Scotland















before making a final return to the Scottish Poetry Library with a beautiful explanation of a story well and completely told. All in support of libraries and books.

“It’s important that a story is not too long ……does not become tedious …….

‘You need to know when to end a story,’ she thought.

Often a good story ends where it begins. This would mean a return to the Poetry Library. The very place where she had left the first of the ten.

Back to those who had loved that little tree, and so encouraged her to try again …….and again.

Some had wondered who it was, leaving these small strange objects. Some even thought it was a ‘he’! ……. As if!

Others looked among Book Artists, rather good ones actually…….

But they would never find her there. For though she does make things, this was the first time she had dissected books and had used them simply be- cause they seemed fitting….

Most however chose not to know….. which was the point really.

The gift, the place to sit, to look, to wonder, to dream….. of the impossible maybe…….

A tiny gesture in support of the special places…..

So, here, she will end this story, in a special place … A Poetry Library ….. where they are well used to ‘anon.’



But before exiting …a few mentions. There could be more, because we have all colluded to make this work……. Just a few though.

- the twitter community who in some strange way gave rise to the idea in the first place
-@chrisdonia who gave the story a place, a shape and some great pictures

- and not least @Beathhigh whose books and reputation have been shame- lessly utilised in the making of a mystery ……..

…… But hold on. Someone’s left behind a pair of gloves and a cap……….?

Cheers Edinburgh It’s been fun!
X

If you want the most complete story (and many more pictures. Trust me, you want to see the detail on these. They are exquisite) click here.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Life in Technicolor ii by Coldplay.







Last week was Thanksgiving and twitter for a brief time became abuzz with what, and who, we are grateful for as readers. These are just a few I managed to collect.