Literary Friday: The Story of Arthur Truluv

Happy Literary Friday, My Lovelies!  Recently I read The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg.  Berg is one of my go-to writers because her stories usually contain quirky characters who somehow meet to form families of choice.  Plus, I've never been disappointed by any of her books.  I received the sequel to this book The Night of Miracles for Christmas.

I was shocked when I realized that I've never posted nor reviewed any of her novels before!  One day I should write a round-up post featuring her books, but in the meantime here are three others I highly recommend:

We Are All Welcome Here

Open House

The Year of Pleasures

I have reread The Year of Pleasures several times!  

According to Goodreads:

A moving novel about three people who find their way back from loss and loneliness to a different kind of happiness. Arthur, a widow, meets Maddy, a troubled teenage girl who is avoiding school by hiding out at the cemetery, where Arthur goes every day for lunch to have imaginary conversations with his late wife, and think about the lives of others. The two strike up a friendship that draws them out of isolation. Maddy gives Arthur the name Truluv, for his loving and positive responses to every outrageous thing she says or does. With Arthur’s nosy neighbor Lucille, they create a loving and unconventional family, proving that life’s most precious moments are sweeter when shared.


My Review:

This is definitely a character-driven novel, although the plot is also very entertaining.  I love how Arthur immediately takes a liking to Maddy and vice-versa, especially since they meet in a cemetery under unusual circumstances. Their friendship brings out the best in each other, and it opens their eyes to other opportunities.  Maddy's backstory is so pitiful: Her mother died during childbirth, and her father has never stopped grieving.  Arthur takes Maddy into his home when she needs the support and guidance of an adult most.

Lucille is Arthur's neighbor and busybody.  Everyone needs a Lucille in her life because she's that awesome!  Lucille experiences a tragedy during the course of the novel, but Arthur helps her through it, and then she moves across the street to live with Arthur and Maddy.  Maddy is not happy with the situation at first because Lucille is definitely an acquired taste, but soon Maddy realizes that Lucille is a valuable advocate.

This is such a sweet and charming story.  It made me think about the lonely people in our community, and how each Sunday we pray for the lonely in church.  I love stories about characters who create their own families in spite of previous hurts, disappointments, and tragic events. These three characters stay with you long after the last page, and I can't wait to start The Night of Miracles in a week or two.

This is an IndieBound affiliate link for purchasing this book.

Until next time...
Happy reading!
Ricki Jill

Big Mama's Pound Cake

Happy Thursday, My Lovelies!  How is your week so far?  I've gotten a lot of boring stuff done...like cleaning out drawers and closets.  But I did bake my grandmother's pound cake because I saw Martha Stewart's recipe for Rosemary Pound Cakes in the Puffin Plated edition of Pride and Prejudice.

Plus, I baked it for Mr. Sketchy Reader as an "I'm sorry for being a meany" apology.  So I guess you can say that it's an apology cake!  And I'm not going to tell you what I did because you will unfollow me, so there!

I decided on Big Mama's recipe because I just wasn't in the mood for rosemary.

My grandmother baked this cake often when I was growing up.  I can remember eating it after school, and I liked it plain with nothing on it.  She preferred to bake it in loaf pans.  The beauty of this recipe is that you can give away one loaf and keep the other.  Plus, this cake freezes very well: I like to slice it and then freeze it in individual freezer bags.

This cake is called a "pound" cake because originally the recipe required a pound each of sugar, eggs, flour, and butter. 

I drizzled a little bit of honey on my slice.  Mr. Sketchy Reader likes whipped cream and berries on his.

If you choose not to bake it in loaf pans, you can bake it in a tube pan.  I used my fancy rose-shaped pan.  It looks pretty with confectioner's sugar sprinkled on top.  Another idea is to bake eight miniature loaf cakes for the holidays.  You could bake them for Valentine's Day, place them in pretty cellophane treat bags and finish each off with a red ribbon and card!

Big Mama's Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 pint whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon lemon, butter, or almond flavoring (or additional vanilla flavoring if you prefer)

Procedure:

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each.  Add flour alternately with cream, beginning and ending with flour.  Add flavorings.  Pour into two 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 X 3 inch loaf pans, or 1 10-inch tube pan.  Bake at 325 F for one hour.  (Note:  My oven is slow, and it took closer to 1 hour and twenty minutes in the tube pan.  Check after one hour.)

The way you know when it's done is stick a wooden skewer into the cake and a little cake should be attached to it (not runny batter, but cake crumbs).  You don't want the skewer to come out clean!

In case you're wondering, I added lemon extract because it's Mr. Sketchy Reader's favorite.

I like more of a buttery taste, so I prefer the butter flavoring. 

Both daughters like vanilla only!

Pound cake is definitely on my Top Ten Comfort Foods List.  I think this and chocolate chip cookies are the only desserts on there.  I like savory more than sweet!

What about you?  Do you bake any comfort desserts?

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Help for Winter Skin and Hair

Happy Wednesday, My Lovelies!

Today I want to share with you a few of my favorite products for combatting winter dryness.

Our skin and hair put up with a LOT during winter.  Heating systems dry out our hair and skin, and blowdryers compound the damage we do to our hair because we tend to use more heat on our hair in winter than in summer.  It's so important to protect our skin because it's the largest organ in our bodies!  Plus it's our first line of defense against illnesses.

These are my personal favorite products, and my daughters have introduced me to a few of them.  Many come in travel sizes so you can try them without spending tons of money.  

HAIR:

I've tried many moisturizing conditioner, but either they really aren't that moisturizing, or they make my baby fine hair too limp.  R+Co's Atlantis Moisturizing Conditioner  ($29.00 for 8 ounces) is the best I've ever tried.  Leave it in your hair for 10 minutes for extra conditioning, plus it smells heavenly with bergamot, wild fig, and cyclamen. (Available in travel size)

Some days I need even more moisture, so I use Aveda's Dry Remedy Daily Moisturizing Oil ($31.00 for 1 ounce).  Just three or four drops for longer hair is all that's needed.  It also helps with flyaways.  I can either use it on wet hair before styling or dry hair when needed.  It's also a multi-purpose product because it's great on dry elbows, knees and cuticles.

BODY:

Lush's Scrubee ($7.95 for 3.1 ounces) is one of my favorites.  Introduced in 2017 for their Mother's Day line, Lush has kept it because it's so popular.  You can see it in the lower left corner, above.  The Scrubee is made with shea butter and honey to moisturize and almonds and coconut shells to exfoliate.  Some folks shy away from exfoliating during winter, but this is a mistake!  The way you use it in the shower:  Rub the bar over wet skin and massage the rich butters and exfoliants into skin.  Rinse, and pat dry with a towel.  Easy peasy!

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream (not shown; $10.99 for 16 ounces) Is one of the best body moisturizers on the market.  I love it for my heels, especially.  (Available in travel size)

HANDS:

L'Occitane Gommage Mains One-Minute Hand Scrub (now made with shea butter and sold in a tube, $24.00 for 2.5 ounces) is quick and works wonders for dry hands.  I also like all of their hand creams, especially their Shea Butter Hand Cream (not shown, $29.00 for 5.2 ounces, available in travel size).

Aveda's Hand Relief Moisturizing Cream ($24.00 for 4.2 ounces) is my very favorite hand cream.  It only takes a little, and it's is very emollient.  My mom bought me one for Christmas!  (Available in travel size)

LIPS:

Lush Lip Scrubs (10.95 for 0.8 ounces) should seriously be illegal.  It's my guilty pleasure of the moment, and the flavors include: chocolate, honey, cherry bubblegum, and "mint julips."  I have the chocolate, of course!  They also make the lip balms to match, and with instructions like this: "Take a pea-sized amount and scrub your lips soft, then lick off the excess," need I say more?

Fresh's Sugar Lip Treatment ($24.00 for 4.3 grams) is the smoothest lip balm ever.  It's proven to keep lips moist for at least 6 hours, and it has an SPF 15 protection.  

FACE:

Clinique's Moisture Surge Overnight Mask ($35.00 for 3.4 ounces) helps prevent moisture loss while you sleep because everyone loses moisture overnight.  I've always loved moisture surge, so when Clinique came out with the overnight mask, I had to try it.  I love that it literally stays put on my face and doesn't get into my eyes overnight like many serums tend to do.  In the morning, your skin will look rested and moisturized.  (Available in travel size)

What are your go-to products to combat winter dryness?  Please let me know in the comments section below!

Until next time...

Blessings!

Ricki Jill