Saturday September 17: Geographically Grateful

Today (its 1:24 am), I read Sarah's Key.  In one sitting, in my bed, with darling Seth snuffling next to me.

I had tears pouring down my face from page 9.  And now can't sleep.

I felt so grateful for living in Canada, for the blessings of what are petty worries (are the kids making friends at school? how will I get through my to do list).

And the familiar sense of being overwhelmed by the horror of what happened during the Holocaust and present tragedy that we haven't learned from it.  The cruelty and killings just keep happening in different forms, to new generations, in different countries and cities.

And then I think: what can I do?

It makes me want to be a better mother, to give my children the happiest childhood I can because who knows what the future holds.  But focusing on the microcosm of my family is not enough, I'm just not sure what is.

Friday June 25th: Busy/Book CLub

Yesterday R & I had an amazing lunch, the food at Tutti Matti was fine (actually the deep fried chick peas in my salad were delicious) the Italian burger, just ok.

But the company was fantastic!  We had Parag & Ayesha  in town literally for the day, then back to NYC and onto London for them.  Wonderful conversation with non stop laughter (and we were only drinking sparkling water).

It was a day for chatting.  Lunch was followed by drinks with another friend from NYC who as in town, then I ran off to get the kids, who for the first time stayed with Brother (the ultimate in birth control) while R& I went for more drinks with Shashi Tharoor  who was in town for the IFFA's and then I went to my first ever book club meeting. 

We live on the worlds friendliest street and of course, it has a book club. Now, I'm an avid reader, and in past years have kept track of new books read, old ones revisited, but I've never interested in joining a book club.  Mostly because, I have people I talk books with and I just wasn't looking for more.

But I went to first ever meeting.  The book was a Lisa See novel (my first).  I love a good historical novel and this one is quick read, the main character is difficult to warm to but the cultural insight left me wondering how and if this view that: life is hard and that a mothers love is best shown through preparing her children for the struggles ahead currently manifests itself in Tiger Mother parenting? The most gripping parts of the book were the descriptions of the process behind foot binding, and the agony that it involved.

Anyway, its my kind of book club, lots of laughing, gossip and wine and in between a few comments on the book.

In the past,