Book Marathon...again!

oh...it’s lovely to sit in the garden and read your favourite book!
In reality, the time spent on the monkey businness has been squeezed in between two amazing novels.

I loved The 1000 autumns of Jakob de Zoet because...it sounds SO familiar. After all, you are reading about a dutch clerk stuck on Dejima Island, Nagasaki Bay, A.D. 1799.

I’ve got my own reverse Dejima island at home: there’s a japanese and a half stuck in holland here!
I enjoyed the characters, the plot, the landscapes...it all fits beautifully. There’s almost a sense of plot dejavu’...but that’s why this is such a beautiful historical novel.
MFJ gave it to me as a present, and patiently waited for me to re-emerge from those pages (560 of them) to ask “how is it?”...I guess I’ll be kind enough and lend it to him...

And the other novel?

The Help, by Kathryn Sockett: her debut novel...let’s just say I can’t wait to read her NEXT one. The story is set in Jackson, Mississipi, in 1962. It’s riveting. it’s un-put-downable. Loved every word of it. you read what it feels like to be a black maid, working for a white family in those eventful years. If you have children, you’ll want a nanny like Aibileen...if you love good food, you’ll adore Minny (she’s sassy and big mouthed...but still! Her culinary skills are known in all of Jackson...just stay away from her chocolate cake, just in case). And you’ll like Skeeter too: 24, white, back from Uni, wants to be a writer and cannot explain why her black maid Constantine left so suddenly and cannot be traced: where is she?
I was sorry when I finished it, and all those characters are still walking beside me. I might read it again before monday, when I’ll return it to the proud owner...
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Monkey Businness

I’ve been busy last weekend...creating mokeys out of socks. The tutorial is great, you find it here.
Lo scorso fine settimana sono stata proprio impegnata...a riciclar calzini per farne scimmiette! Le istruzioni online sono qui, dalle foto si capisce tutto, altrimenti chiedete a qualcuno di tradurle.

The first cutie was christened Smussy, but we think it might once have been “smoothie”: MFSJ does get confused.
La prima bellezza e’ stata battezzata Smussy, ma forse e’ una traslitterazione dall’inglese “smoothie”: la MSGP ogni tanto si confonde.

Smussy is really a little queen, loved and cherished by our family.
Smussy e’ proprio la reginetta di casa, amata e adorata da tutta la famiglia.

In a few hours, the monkey family grew...here you see Smussy together with Pinky, the Brain and ...I don’t know what we called the pale pink one.
In poche ore, la famiglia di scimmiette si e’ allargata...qui c’e’ Smussy insieme a Mignolo e Prof e...non so piu’ come abbiamo chiamato quella rosa pallido.

The Brain got adopted by BroInLaw, replaced now by Naughty (to stitch it was a nightmare: tail and arms kept getting in the way while I was finishing muzzle and eyes!)
Il Prof e’ stato adottato dal cognato, ma l’abbiamo gia’ rimpiazzato con Naughty (“Birichino”: mentre finivo musetto e occhi c’era sempre una zampetta o la coda attorcigliate sul filo!)

A few suggestions: look for children socks size 26-30, possibly knee-long socks, avoid argyle at all costs (Pinky and the brain were a nightmare to stuff, got ripped multiple times too!), buy different patterns of the same size and then mix and match.
I’ve got 5 more coming up, and it’s not that all these monkeys will be monkeying around in our new lovenest: they are going to be shipped to friends and family...
What can I say? Fancy a sock monkey? Send me a pair of socks, I’ll work my magic :-)

Un paio di suggerimenti: le calze migliori sono quelle da bambino, taglia 26-30, di quelle alte fino al ginocchio. Da evitare assolutamente i ROMBI (imbottire Mignolo e Prof e’ stato allucinante, e si sono pure strappati un paio di volte!), provate a mettere insieme calze di diversi colori e fantasie.
Ho altre 5 scimmiette in fase di produzione, e non e’ che rimarranno tutte a casa nostra: sono da spedire ad amici e parenti...
Che posso dirvi...volete anche voi una scimmietta? mandatemi un paio di calzini, e faro’ la magia per voi.

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stanno tutti bene

...e c'e' di piu': i suoceri sono atterrati proprio ieri sera a Schiphol. La zona di Yokohama dove vivono non e' stata particolarmente colpita dal terremoto. Anche lo ZIO e sua moglie stanno bene. Nonni materni e il loro clan sono al sicuro. Grazie a tutti per le numerosissime email e telefonate. Anche Andrea sta bene: potete seguire i suoi update qui.
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Che miracolo. Erano MESI che chiedevamo che venissero a trovarci, finalmente avevano prenotato. il giorno prima del terremoto hanno spedito i bagagli all' aeroporto. il giorno del terremoto avevano appuntamento in ospedale per un checkup totale, quando la prima scossa si e' fatta sentire erano appena usciti in strada. E con una determinazione che ha dell'incredibile, il MATTINO DOPO si sono messi in viaggio, di buon ora, per raggiungere l' aeroporto. ci hanno messo 6 ore quando normalmente ce ne vogliono 2 e mezza (in autobus e con tutte le fermate di linea).
L'aereo e' partito, in ritardo ma e' partito. E ieri sera sono atterrati a Schiphol. Si fa fatica a non piangere. Il primo pensiero e' stato per la MSGP, impegnata tuto venerdi' pomeriggio a cuocere e decorare i biscotti per Ojichan e Obachan...il primo regalo ad uscire dalla valigia dei miracoli e' stato proprio un peluche per lei. La valigia dei miracoli: Babbo Natale ieri aveva gli occhi a mandorla. Una valigia con pochissime cose per il loro viaggio, una valigia che doveva proprio portarci un pezzetto di Giappone in Olanda.
Le nostre richieste erano state meticolosamente esaudite: umeboshi e soba, natto e nori...noi festeggiavamo un Natale a scoppio ritardato mentre una fetta di Giappone soffre le drammatiche conseguenze del terremoto.
Non sanno ancora dell' emergenza nucleare, erano in viaggio quando le prime news sui reattori hanno cominciato a moltiplicarsi. Per ora giocano con la MSGP, una piccola isola spazio-temporale di serenita'.

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They are all safe...and there's more: my inlaws landed just last night at Schiphol airport. The part of Yokohama where tehy live was not heavily affected by the earthquake. Also MFJ's uncle and his wife are well, and so are the Grandparents and their "clan". Thanks to all of you for the many emails and phone calls.
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It's just a miracle. for MONTHS we tried to convicne them to come and visit us, and finally they had booked. The day before the quake they diligently shipped their luggage to the airport, the day of the quake they were booked in for a body check-up, tehy had just left the hospital when the first earthquake hit Japan. And with a determination which is...incredible...the MORNING AFTER the quake, while the earth was still trembling, they picked up their hang luggage and started their journey to reach the airport. It took them 6 hours, while generally with the bus and all the stops in between it takes only 2.5.
The plane left, with a bit of delay but it left. and yesterday it landed in Schiphol. It's difficult not to cry. Their first thought was for MFSJ, who had been busy all friday afternoon baking and decorating cookies for Ojichan and Obachan...the first present to pop out of the suitcase was indeed a lovely Nijntje rabbit for her. The suitcase of miracles: Santa Claus yesterday had almond-shaped eyes. A suitcase with very little for our "santas", a suitcase which was packed to bring a bit of Japan to Holland.
We got all that we requested: umeboshi and soba, natto and nori...we were celebrating a delayed Xmas while a chunk of Japan was still facing the terrible aftermath of the quake.
They don't know yet about the nuclear emergency, they were travelling when the first news about the power plants started to appear. For now they are playing with MFSJ, a peaceful time/space island of serenity.
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