Category: Spotlight

Local companies highlighted in Newton, MA.

How To: Photograph Fireworks Effectively

Please donate to support the Newton Fireworks.

Photogs! Have you tried to capture 4th of July fireworks only to be disappointed? Here are 7 tips courtesy of Pholium, the digital photo book design and giving app for the iPad, with 7 do’s and don’ts to help amateur photographers take a series of sparkling photos to capture the show, just in time to capture the fireworks show in Newton.

And a plea for financial support for the Newton Fireworks show:

For the past 23 years, Newton Community Pride has sponsored the July 4th Festivities for the City of Newton. With the help of our sponsors, this celebration has been totally free to the public.

Like most non-profit organizations, Newton Community Pride is feeling the pinch of the present economic crisis. We cannot continue without your help. Having enjoyed this event for so many years, free of charge, we hope that you will help keep this tradition alive. As Newton Community Pride celebrates its 23rd Anniversary, please consider giving $23 (or any amount you choose) to help continue this fun-filled day for another 23 years!

Send a check payable to Newton Community Pride to 225 Nevada Street, Newton, MA 02460 or use your credit card to make a tax deductible donation on-line.

Yes, I want to help support the Newton Fireworks! Make an on-line donation.

p.s. A great place to view the Newton 4th of July Fireworks is on the hill near Albermarle Field and the Fessenden School.

1.       DO have the right equipment. A camera with manual controls and a tripod are crucial, with a remote shutter release being a close second.Setting the camera on manual allows you to control the focus of your pictures, and a tripod provides a stable place to rest the camera while taking shots – which also allows you to join the photo-taking fun!

2.       DON’T use the flash. A flash is not necessary for capturing fireworks displays since it’s already brighter than the light we normally photograph. Turn off your flash setting and let the natural light take control.

3.       DO use a lens that is wide enough to capture a more visible area than you think you need. You don’t want to miss the candid shots of your kids running around while the fireworks are in motion.

4.       DON’T be afraid to reposition. When the fireworks start going off, look at your preview screen and reposition your camera to frame the images the way you want. Feel free to move the tripod around and make sure the landscape is captured as you intend.

5.       DO lower your film speed. Lowering your film speed (or ISO in tech terms) reduces the opportunity for shadows, color specs and grain and makes for a clearer image. Because the fireworks you are capturing will be very bright, 100 ISO is an ideal place to start.

6.       DON’T forget to adjust the f-stop. The f-stop measures lens aperture and will show you if the fireworks photos are over or under exposed. If colored fireworks are white and not well defined, the shot is overexposed and the f-stop number needs to be increased. If the fireworks aren’t bright enough, the aperture needs to be opened by reducing the f-stop number.

7.       DO adjust your shutter speed. Because the length of each fireworks blast varies, setting your shutter speed to B instead of a pre-determined setting will allow you to control how long your camera’s shutter is open to capture blasts. The B setting allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as you press it to capture the perfect shot.

In the end, fireworks displays offer the opportunity to experiment with your camera and have fun with your photos.And, once all the images are captured, you can use Pholium to create a digital photo book that tells a story that can be shared with family and friends.

July 3, 2012
Local Olympic Hopeful: Gymnast Alicia Sacramone

24 year old Alicia Sacramone of Winchester, MA is headed to London for the 2012 Olympic Games this July. Sacramone started competitive gymnastics at age 8 and her career has skyrocketed since then. She has had some ups and downs in her career, including a devastating fall in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a temporary retirement that followed. Just one year later, Sacramone came out of retirement and soon redeemed herself with a gold medal in vault at the 2010 World Championships. Now, she is on her way to the 2012 Olympics to show everyone what she is capable of.

July 2, 2012
Care Packages Ideas for Sleepaway Camp

I asked the experts at Maine Camp Experience to give me their best ideas for care packages and I’ve posted it here on my parenting blog, Pragmatic Mom.

Please share your best ideas! Thank you!

p.s. Here’s a few of their ideas:

• NO food is permitted; flat mail is the predominant and preferred method; most camps do not allow care package boxes, or permit a very limited number per summer

• If camps do allow them, or even for those sending flat mail, here are some suggestions and tips:

o Make it personal – what makes your child smile; books or magazines they enjoy reading at home; for kids obsessed with sports stats, send them good old fashioned newspaper print-outs of team scores

o Make it shareable – a bunk activity is great; camp is about collaboration, friendship and communication

Friendship bracelet raw materials

More ideas here.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

June 27, 2012
Children are at High Risk for Fireworks Eye Injuries
Sparklers are dangerous.

Fireworks Safety Tips for 4th of July

I remember watching the Newton city [professional] fireworks display on the hill at Fessenden two years ago with a group of families from my elementary school. One little boy ended up at the hospital that night. The culprit: those glow in the dark sticks. The boys were sword fighting and one opened up and the goo landed in his eye.

The Fourth of July is drawing near and barbeque preparations are underway. Fireworks are a traditional part of Independence Day celebrations, but they can also be dangerous. Sadly, children and teens are too often hurt by fireworks. So, before the celebration begins, get your EyeSmart fireworks safety tips from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Of the 9,000 fireworks-related injuries each year, 21 percent are eye injuries and more than half of the victims are young children or teenagers. For example:

A 6-year-old child’s eye was severely injured after he lit an M-80 firework that he found in his home. He called 911 (mp3 audio) and underwent an immediate cornea transplant and lens replacement, and required several additional eye surgeries.

A 12-year-old boy forgot to unwrap the fuse of a fountain firework, making the fuse too short. It exploded almost immediately and blew up in his face, seriously injuring his eye.

After a man lit smoke bombs that created colored smoke, his 4-year-old son leaned in to get a closer look. Tar from the smoke bomb wick shot into the boy’s eye, causing a corneal abrasion.

“Many Americans get caught up in the excitement of the Fourth of July, and forget that fireworks are also dangerous explosives,” said Monica L. Monica, M.D., an ophthalmologist and clinical correspondent for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “The safest choice is to attend a professional fireworks display, and make it a point to supervise children at all times.”

Even sparkers are dangerous. Sparklers typically burn at 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit and cause 27 percent of all fireworks injuries, including third-degree burns. Bottle rockets cause some of the most serious eye injuries. Errant bottle rockets can injure bystanders and cause eye lid lacerations, corneal abrasions, retinal detachment, optic nerve damage, rupture of the eyeball, and complete blindness. One in every six fireworks-related eye injuries results in permanent vision loss or blindness.

To prevent eye injuries, follow these EyeSmart tips:
- Never let children play with fireworks of any type.
- View fireworks from at least 500 feet away.
- Leave the lighting of fireworks to trained professionals.
- Respect safety barriers set up to allow pyrotechnicians to do their jobs safely.
- If you find unexploded fireworks, do not touch them. Immediately contact your local fire or police departments.
If you experience an eye injury during a fireworks accident, seek immediate medical help. For more fireworks safety tips or to find an eye M.D.in your area, visit www.geteyesmart.org.

Please be safe everyone! The ER is no fun on 4th of July!
June 26, 2012
Mia Bracciale Sings Anthem at NNHS Graduation

Mia Bracciale sings the national anthem at the Newton North High School 2012 graduation which also happens to be her graduation.

June 22, 2012
Ergonomic Advice for Setting Up Your Computer Properly

Please welcome Dr. David Oliver who has renamed his chiropractic, rehab and massage practice from Newton Wellness Center to Move Well Chiropractic to better reflect what he does. This week, he focuses on preventing back pain by having you closely examine just how you are set up at your computer.

Proper Ergonomic Set Up for Computer Users

If you are using a laptop as your main computer you are actually placing even more stress on your spine than with a desktop. Since the screen is attached to the computer, it places your neck in an anterior and forward flexed position – leading to increased muscular tension in your neck and upper back. This also places your spine in a stressed position which, with prolonged exposure can lead to earlier spinal degeneration.

I recommend switching to a desktop or modify the way you use your laptop. For example, some people get docking stations or external monitors which, help put the screen in the proper position. For a cheaper alternative you can place your laptop on a stack of books – bringing it up to the proper height (mentioned below). You then need to buy an external keyboard and external mouse (can be found now a days for about $20) well worth the money when you look at the long term gains! Once you have your laptop set up; as if it were a desktop, follow the mentioned corrections and guidelines below.

Monitor Position

Most people’s monitors are too low– causing the individual to look down and move their head forward. This causes increased stress on the spine and muscles of the neck and back – as they try to support your head. Did you know that your head weighs as much as a bowling ball (approx 10-14lbs?!) Therefore, if you have it in front of your body those muscles attached to it must work overtime to support it. Research has shown that for every inch your head is in front of your body it gains 10lbs in pressure placed on the body!

The top of the monitor should be at the level of your eyebrows and no higher than the top of your head. Placing the monitor on a book or two may be necessary in order to achieve this height. If you use multiple monitors you need to be sure to rotate your chair when changing between monitors – don’t rotate your head. If you find yourself straining to see the monitor you may need to get glasses or change the setting on your computer to make the font larger. The monitor should be 20-40 inches from your head, you can move within this range to gain the best view of the monitor.

Keyboard Position

Most people position their keyboard too highcausing them to work with shrugged shoulders and elevated arms. Whenever we lift our arms or shoulders we activate the muscles of the neck and upper back. In order to understand this concept more, do the following test. Have someone stand behind you while you sit at your desk. Have them place their hands on your upper back and neck. Start with you arms relaxed at your side and have them find areas that are tender or tight. Then raise your arms to reach out and type as you normally do. You will either feel an increased soreness or feel the contraction of your muscles in the areas being touched.

Next, drop your arms down again and only bend slightly at your elbows. You should feel significantly less tension and pain doing this. If you were to work for hours on end with your shoulders and arms elevated, you would cause those muscles to fatigue over time. You would also develop muscular adhesions and trigger points (those extremely common hard painful knots you feel in your upper back and shoulders).

All of this leads to increased pain and discomfort in your upper back and neck. To avoid these complications you need to position your keyboard at the height of your elbows or just below – with your shoulders relaxed, not shrugged. Your elbows should be resting at your side not away from your body.

A lot of times simply raising the height of your chair can correct the problem (remember to adjust the monitor height if you raise your chair). However, for some (either because of desk height or other issues) this does not correct the problem. Some people may need to change desks or have a keyboard drawer installed to allow proper keyboard height. When you finally do get the keyboard to the proper position, remember that your mouse must also be at the same height and close – you should not have to reach for it!

Move Well Chiropractic. 1280 Centre St. Ste. 210. Newton, MA. 02459. 617-641-9999

June 15, 2012
GIVEAWAY: 3 Thirty Minute Massages from Move Well Chiropractic!

Please welcome Dr. David Oliver from Move Well Chiropractic, formerly known as Newton Wellness Center on what the name change means to him. And don’t forget to LIKE his Facebook page to win a thirty minute massage!

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I decide to change the name of my office for several reasons. There are a couple other offices in Newton with very similar names and I thought it would be good to help distinguish my practice from theirs. I also wanted something that better represented what my type of practice is all about. The experience someone has when they go to one chiropractor vs another can be completely different. There are many different philosophies and methods of practice today, and I want people to be as informed as possible when choosing who to go see.

My style of practice is focused on providing more than just chiropractic adjustments alone. Chiropractic adjustments are excellent at restoring mobility and alleviating someone’s discomfort. And that is where treatment typically begins. But I have found that unless we take it further the persons problems usually will reoccur. We need to discover why they are in pain to begin with – what truly is causing the pain?

Many times it comes down to the things we do day in and day out. Whether it’s sitting at a computer for 8 hours a day or running around, driving kids to and from different activities. The positions we put ourselves in on a daily basis play a huge roll in how healthy and functional our bodies are. Sitting at a computer for instance (which many of us do for several hours a day) is detrimental to our bodies. The seated position places our spines under a lot of stress, which over time creates injuries. By teaching people proper ways to sit and work at their computers (ergonomics) many of these issues can be avoided.

Other things we do on a daily basis that we think of as harmless, could actually be causing some problems for us. For example, bending over to tie our shoes, driving in you car, bending to pick up your children, gardening, or even sleeping can be problematic for our spine. Doing these simple things may not bother us at the moment but over time they can actually lead to injury. Learning to do such things with better efficiency will lead to a more pain free and enjoyable life.

Another huge part of the reason so many people have recurring pain is due to the way they are treating their bodies. Either they aren’t doing any physical activity at all, causing their bodies to not be prepared for what it needs to do. Or they are doing exercise and trying to take care of themselves. Unfortunately many times the exercises and routines people choose are actually contributing to their problems (ie. situps). Situps for instance have long been looked at at improving spinal strength and being good for us. The research unfortunately does not support this. Each situp done places 700 lbs of pressure in the lower spine! Doing this repeatedly is only asking for trouble. There are plenty of other exercises which we can do to strengthen our abs and core without sacrificing our spine. By teaching people better/safer exercises and how to perform them properly in my office they are better prepared to engage in physical activity at home.

My goal is not to have my patients become dependent on me. I hope everyone learns from what I can teach them and it helps to eliminate the major episodes of pain which greatly interfere with their lives. By teaching and incorporating therapeutic exercise into my treatment I can prepare my patients to be able to take care of themselves once treatment is over. They shouldn’t have to rely on getting adjusted to feel better, we all posses the ability to take care of our own bodies!

I encourage everyone (whether you are new to chiropractic and curious or you have tried it with another doctor but didn’t get the results you were looking for) to give my office a call. I would love to sit down for a free consultation so you can better understand what it is I may be able to offer you and decide for yourself if it is something you would like to try.

As a way to celebrate the office change and our new Facebook page we will be giving away three – 30 minute massages. Anyone who Likes our new Facebook page before the end of May will be entered.

Yours in Health,
Dr David Oliver

May 17, 2012
Moms’ Book Club Picks and Skype Author Visits to Share

I run my moms’ book club which is mostly neighbors and the most challenging part of the job is to pick the books so I thought I’d share our picks in case you are looking for a good read, be it a light summer read or more serious stuff. We alternate. One month “beach read.” Next month “Booker Prize-ish.”

Our book club is all about socializing so reading the book before the meeting is actually optional. I am the worst culprit since I prefer children’s lit so it’s been interesting to see what books the ladies actually read. It seems to me that we are most enthusiastic about memoirs.

Here’s what we’ve been reading. How about you? What are you reading? What do you recommend?

p.s. A list of Newton Authors.

The Chateau by William Maxwell

It is 1948 and a young American couple arrive in France for a holiday, full of anticipation and enthusiasm. But the countryside and people are war-battered, and their reception at the Chateau Beaumesnil is not all the open-hearted Americans could wish for.

This book was praised for “beautiful writing” and “and interesting take on post WWII France”. A good portion of our book club read the entire book despite it being quite long with a very small font which made it seem intimidatingly dense.

Blood, Bones and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton

Before Gabrielle Hamilton opened her acclaimed New York restaurant Prune, she spent twenty fierce, hard-living years trying to find purpose and meaning in her life. Above all she sought family, particularly the thrill and the magnificence of the one from her childhood that, in her adult years, eluded her. Hamilton’s ease and comfort in a kitchen were instilled in her at an early age when her parents hosted grand parties, often for more than one hundred friends and neighbors. The smells of spit-roasted lamb, apple wood smoke, and rosemary garlic marinade became as necessary to her as her own skin.

Blood, Bones & Butter follows an unconventional journey through the many kitchens Hamilton has inhabited through the years: the rural kitchen of her childhood, where her adored mother stood over the six-burner with an oily wooden spoon in hand; the kitchens of France, Greece, and Turkey, where she was often fed by complete strangers and learned the essence of hospitality; the soulless catering factories that helped pay the rent; Hamilton’s own kitchen at Prune, with its many unexpected challenges; and the kitchen of her Italian mother-in-law, who serves as the link between Hamilton’s idyllic past and her own future family—the result of a difficult and prickly marriage that nonetheless yields rich and lasting dividends.

Blood, Bones & Butter is an unflinching and lyrical work. Gabrielle Hamilton’s story is told with uncommon honesty, grit, humor, and passion. By turns epic and intimate, it marks the debut of a tremendous literary talent.

“I wanted the lettuce and eggs at room temperature . . . the butter-and-sugar sandwiches we ate after school for snack . . . the marrow bones my mother made us eat as kids that I grew to crave as an adult. . . . There would be no ‘conceptual’ or ‘intellectual’ food, just the salty, sweet, starchy, brothy, crispy things that one craves when one is actually hungry. In ecstatic farewell to my years of corporate catering, we would never serve anything but a martini in a martini glass. Preferably gin.”

Chef Owner of lauded East Village restaurant Prune comes out with her first book. Even Anthony Bourdain would say that she’s the best chef writer around. It’s unflinchingly honest which is how our book club likes its memoirs and has the same “overcoming-traumatic-dysfunction-childhood-caused-by-divorce” story that we loved about Andre Dubus III’s memoir.

Townie: A Memoir by Andre Dubus III

Won Book of the Year Adult Non-Fiction—2012 Indie Choice Awards
Amazon Best Book of the Month February 2011

“Dubus relives, absent self-pity or blame, a life shaped by bouts of violence and flurries of tenderness.”—Vanity Fair

After their parents divorced in the 1970s, Andre Dubus III and his three siblings grew up with their overworked mother in a depressed Massachusetts mill town saturated with drugs and everyday violence. Nearby, his father, an eminent author, taught on a college campus and took the kids out on Sundays. The clash between town and gown, between the hard drinking, drugging, and fighting of “townies” and the ambitions of students debating books and ideas, couldn’t have been more stark. In this unforgettable memoir, acclaimed novelist Dubus shows us how he escaped the cycle of violence and found empathy in channeling the stories of others—bridging, in the process, the rift between his father and himself.

It was difficult for our book club to separate how much they like the author versus his book. Both get high marks. He was the Book and Author guest for the Newton Free Library fundraiser and is often accessible through other charity book events. Those that met him rave about his down-to-earth humbleness and note how handsome he is. (Sorry, he’s married!). His memoir was also widely enjoyed.

Snowdrops by Andrew Miller

SHORTLISTED for the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction

A riveting story of erotic obsession, self-deception and moral free-fall, set in post-communist Moscow.
Nick Platt is a lawyer working in Moscow in the early 2000s–a city of hedonism and desperation, magical hideaways and debauched nightclubs, kindness and corruption. Nick doesn’t ask too many questions about the shady deals he works on: he’s too busy enjoying the exotic, sinful nightlife. On a sultry day in September, Nick rescues two willowy sisters, Masha and Katya, from a would-be purse snatcher, and soon the three of them are cruising Moscow’s seamy glamour spots. As winter descends on the decadent city, Nick falls for the seductive Masha, but soon finds he is falling away from himself–and at the centre of a tale of deception and betrayal, in a place where dark secrets, and long hidden corpses, come to light when the deep snows finally thaw.

This is our next pick so we won’t meet on it until June. The person who picked this book also selected The White Tiger: A Novel by Aravind Adiga which won the Booker Prize which gives insight into modern day India’s dirty politics while wrapping a riveting story around class lines.

Snowdrops promises a peek into modern day mafia Russia. We are all pretty excited about this book.

Author Visits

We had Carol Reichert of Newton visit our book club for her piece in Best Women Travel’s Writing 2011. She has a new piece in the 2012 edition so we are looking forward to booking her. If you would like to have her for your book club, please leave a comment. I will pass it on to her for you.

Since publishing A Woman’s World in 1995, Travelers’ Tales has been the recognized leader in women’s travel literature, and with the launch of the annual series The Best Travel Writing in 2004, the obvious next step was an annual collection of the best women’s travel writing of the year. This title is the seventh in an annual series—The Best Women’s Travel Writing—that presents inspiring and uplifting adventures from women who have traveled to the ends of the earth to discover new places, peoples, and facets of themselves. The common threads are a woman’s perspective and compelling storytelling to make the reader laugh, weep, wish she were there, or be glad she wasn’t.

In The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2011, readers

Have lunch with a mobster in Japan and drinks with an IRA member in Ireland
Learn the secrets of flamenco in Spain and the magic of samba in Brazil ** Carol Reichert’s Piece
Deliver a trophy for best testicles in a small town in rural Serbia
Fall in love while riding a camel through the Syrian Desert
Ski a first descent of over 5,000 feet in Northern India
Discover the joy of getting naked in South Korea
Leave it all behind to slop pigs on a farm in Ecuador…and much more.

Following Polly: A Novel by Karen Bergreen

Would you call Alice Teakle a stalker? Or just someone with an, um, healthy obsession with golden girl Polly Linley Dawson? No one much notices Alice: not her boss, not the neighbors, not even her Mother.

Besides, everyone follows Polly: her business selling high-end lingerie you can imagine only her elegant self wearing, her all-over-the-social-pages marriage to movie director Humphrey Dawson, her chic looks, her wardrobe. Alice just follows her a little more….closely.

And when she loses her job and starts to follow Polly Dawson one Manhattan autumn afternoon, Alice stumbles on the object of her attention sprawled dead on the floor of a boutique. Alice is forced to become truly beneath anyone’s notice. Invisible, in fact. Because she’s accused of murder.

But can another obsession help save Alice with the fallout? Charlie is Alice’s longtime unattainable crush. He might be able to help her out of the mess she’s in…in return for a favor or two, that is. And how will Alice find out if Charlie is really the man Alice thinks he is?

We all enjoyed Karen Bergreen’s first novel. She is coming out with a new book, Perfect is Overrated, this summer and we are going to try to book her for a Skype author visit. Interested? I can ask on your behalf. She’s a friend from college. Expect her books to be funny. Before she had kids, she was a stand up comedian.

Perfect is Overrated

What the best cure for post-partum depression? After years of barely moving, Kate springs back to life when the mothers-youlove- to-hate in her daughter’s preschool begin to turn up dead. Murder as a cure for sadness? Sounds evil, but it’s not. In Perfect Is Overrated, stand-up comedian and author of Following Polly Karen Bergreen presents a lovable heroine who is so at sea she’s still not sure whether what she suffers has to do with the birth of her little girl or with the fact that her handsome hunk of a detective husband doesn’t live with her anymore. She might fall back in love, she might find a killer, but she sure won’t be spending all day in bed anymore.

Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut: Essays and Observations by Jill Kargman

Demonstrating Woody Allen’s magical math equation, comedy = tragedy + time, a sensational collection of witty essays about life, love, hate, kids, work, school, and more from the author of The Ex-Mrs. Hedgefund and Arm Candy

Jill Kargman is a mother, wife, and writer living the life in New York City . . . a life that includes camping out in a one-bedroom apartment with some unfortunate (and furry) roommates, battling the Momzillas of Manhattan, and coming to terms with her desire for gay men. In this entertaining collection of observations, Kargman offers her unique, wickedly funny perspective as she zips around Manhattan with three kids in tow.

Kargman tackles issues big and small with sharp wit and laugh-out-loud humor: her love of the smell of gasoline, her new names for nail polishes, her adventures in New York City real estate, and her fear of mimes, clowns, and other haunting things. Whether it’s surviving a family road trip or why she can’t stand Cirque du So Lame, living with a mommy vagina the size of the Holland Tunnel or surviving the hell that was her first job out of college, Kargman’s nutty self triumphs, thanks to a wonderfully wise outlook and sense of fun that makes the best of everything that gets thrown her way. And if that’s not enough, Kargman illustrates her reflections with doodles that capture her refreshing voice.

We read her light and funny memoir but had a hard time keeping up. We are just not hip enough for the NYC 30 something Mommy lingo. Still, it was a fun read. It just made us feel old.

The Rock Star in Seat 3A: A Novel by Jill Kargman

It’s Hazel’s thirtieth birthday and she has everything she’s ever wanted: a kickass job, a dream apartment in New York City, and the perfect boyfriend—who’s just days away from proposing. Hazel thinks she’s happy but isn’t quite ready to settle down. So when her most far-fetched fantasy enters the realm of the possible, shouldn’t she drop everything to see it through?

The morning after her birthday, Hazel boards a flight to L.A. only to get the surprise of her life. When she’s bumped up to first class, extra legroom and free drinks are absolutely the last things on her mind when she catches sight of her seatmate: her all-time biggest celebrity crush, rock star Finn Schiller! Only the night before she’d confessed her infatuation with the gorgeous musician, and her boyfriend joked that she had a free pass if she ever met him. Hazel can’t believe fate has actually thrown them together.

Even more unbelievable is that during the flight they genuinely connect. Finn likes her uncensored cursing and wicked sense of humor, and that she’s unlike all of his groupies; Hazel likes his killer looks, ripped physique, and soulful music. But what started as a fantasy quickly becomes a real attraction, and after a dream date and taste of the rock-star life with Finn in L.A., Hazel is forced to examine the track her life is on. Indulging in a passionate affair with a rock star seems crazy—but could she ever forgive herself if she walked away from her wildest dream coming true? And is her wildest dream the stuff that happiness is made of?

A lively novel about a down-to-earth New York City girl who suddenly finds herself in a rock ‘n’ roll Cinderella fantasy, The Rock Star in Seat 3A is seasoned with Jill Kargman’s signature wit and hilarious dialogue. This is a fairy-tale romance with a twist.

One of our book club members is friends with Jill Kargman so we are hoping to Skype her in for an author visit. Are you interested too? Just leave a comment and we’ll try to hook you up.

The Good Mother : A Novel by Sue Miller

Anna is a divorcee, a piano teacher, and a devoted mother. She was brought up in a family which valued achievement and self-discipline above almost everything else, but what Anna has always longed for is to be more passionate and expressive, both in her music and in her life, than she seems capable of being. Then she falls in love with Leo, an artist, and in many ways the kind of wild, impulsive person Anna has always wanted to be. Their relationship is intensely sexual and it is this, ultimately, which threatens to destroy all that Anna holds dear.

We are booking Sue Miller for an author visit this fall and we are REALLY excited. Her book was an Oprah pick. Our connection to Sue Miller is a friend-of-a-friend so we lack clout to get her for you. Still, if you want her for your book club, leave a comment and we can pass that along. She does live near Newton …

To purchase any book at Amazon, please click on image of book.

May 7, 2012
BSO: New Sheriff in Town for Youth & Family Concerts, Family Concert April 21

Boston Symphony Orchestra’s New Sheriff

What do you get if you cross Bill Cosby with Pastor Archibold Epps and teach them to conduct a first rate orchestra? Why, Thomas Wilkins, the new permanent Boston Symphony Orchestra Youth Concert Conductor.

Technically, he’s the Germeshausen Youth and Family Concerts Conductor. He makes classical music fun and accessible to kids and families while also relating the program to big ideas like perseverance, dreams and goals. And, all the while, he’s scampering up and down the aisles making everyone laugh. He’s truly a charismatic and entertaining performer!

The next Family Concert is “Notes in Bloom” is on April 21 at Noon. This is the final concert of the season. Go here to purchase tickets.

Thomas Wilkins, Music Director

Thomas Wilkins is the music director of the Omaha Symphony, a position he has held since 2005. Additionally, he is principal guest conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and was recently appointed the youth and family concerts conductor for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.Past positions have included resident conductor of the Detroit Symphony, as well as the Florida Orchestra (Tampa Bay), and associate conductor of the Richmond Symphony (Virginia). He served on the music faculties of North Park University (Chicago), the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

Committed to promoting a life-long enthusiasm for music, Thomas brings energy and commitment to audiences of all ages. For his significant contribution to the children of Tampa Bay, the Pinellas County Music Educators Association named him 1998 Friend of the Arts and the Hillsborough County Elementary Music Educators recognized him as 1998 Music Educator of the Year.

During his conducting career, Thomas has been featured with orchestras throughout the United States, including the Dallas Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Houston Symphony and the National Symphony in Washington, D.C. He is also a frequent guest conductor of the Baltimore Symphony, the New Jersey Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Recently he debuted with the Utah Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Rochester (NY) and Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestras.

Thomas serves as a director at large for the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and has served on the board of directors of such organizations as the Center Against Spouse Abuse in Tampa Bay, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Academy Preparatory Center for Education, both in St. Petersburg. Currently, he serves as chairman of the board for the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund.

A native of Norfolk, Va., Thomas earned his bachelor of music education degree from the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in 1978. In 1982, he was awarded the master of music degree in orchestral conducting from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Thomas and his wife, Sheri-Lee, reside in Omaha with their twin daughters, Erica and Nicole.

April 16, 2012
Book Giveaway: Rebel Moms by Davina Rhine

Rebel Moms: The Off-Road Map for the Off-Road Mom by Davina Rhine

Congrats to Becca! You won the book!

Review written by Leah Drichel for The Bloomington Roller Derby Examiner:

Reader Review of Rebel Moms: “In the current political climate, with the Occupy Movement, and people across the globe beginning to take a stand for what they believe in, Davina Rhine has produced a timely and poignant piece of work that communicates to mothers that it’s perfectly OK (beautiful, even!) to be who you are and to believe what you believe and to model this for your children. In the average day, a Mom can fight a soul-wearying battle with Judgment and Guilt, but Ms. Rhine’s work frees a mother from this burden, by showcasing real-life moms that are “off the beaten path”. Truly refreshing. Truly encouraging.”

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To examine more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.

March 8, 2012