Good morning, friends.
It's Monday morning here in Japan and the day has started out just lovely....am hoping it continues but, as the weather forecast just said "possible rain" (or actually ame furu kamoshirimasen), it may not end that way.
Usually, I am the Monday Memer here at the Banana, but, the last time I checked, Java hadn't posted the questions yet....(I do hope she's out enjoying the heck out of a good Sunday). I need to get a move on here this morning so I'll do my own meme-like post....
Question: What are 5 things, in your home, you do NOT like to run out of?
Hmmmmm.....after doing a bit of thinking, here are mine (and depending on the day, the mood and the situation, the order may be different!!):
I have an "emergency supply" of coffee in various places in the house....running out of coffee is NOT something I like to experience. The boys in the house appreciate this stock of coffee as, on the occasions of no coffee, I have been know to send said small children, money in hand, to the closest vending machine where they can get a couple of cans of the precious liquid for me.
And yes, to answer the possible question you might have, we do have cans (hot and cold) of coffee in our vending machines. Yes, hot cans. On a cold winter day, the coffee warms not only your body and spirit, but the can warms your cold hands. You really should look into this.
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No explanation needed for this next one, me thinks.
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With 2 young, growing boys and 1 husband who still drinks milk, running out is not something we like to have happen. I buy, daily, 2 liters of milk.
FYI...the liter container is the largest available....on our trips to the States, the boys are tickled by the gallon jugs in the stores. They just look so huuuuuuge!!! (^-^)
(I'm not even sure one would fit in my fridge....yes, even the fridges are a bit smaller here!!)
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Lord have mercy on me if we run out of this!!!
We go through about 10 kilos (22 pounds), give or take a bit, of rice a month.
As we eat it for dinner 4 or 5 times a week...and Issei likes it for breakfast of a morning...this is something I do not like to run out of.
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~~sigh~~
I hate not having extra cash on hand.
Whether it's for the newspaper lady...or either one of the boys remembering he needs a notebook/bus money/whatever 3 minutes before he walks out the door for school...I always try to keep some extra..somewhere. I have a cup on the windowsill of the bathroom for money left in pockets or found on the floor that has been used on those few times I didn't have enough.
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What about you? What are your 5 things??
Have a great week everyone.
Took this photo the day I picked up my corgi, Bella. She'll be a year old next week. 
So I when I went to write this week's recommended reading I realized that I was drawing a blank. I haven't read anything great this month and am planning on going to the library tomorrow to pick up some new gems. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been on my to-read list for awhile now but for some reason I am still hesitant. I have heard conflicting reviews. Any thoughts on this? Is it worth it? Any suggestions for me to check out this weekend?
So instead of recommending a book this weekend, I thought I would recommend this miniseries that I just finished watching and boy was it an emotional journey! There is nothing negative to say about Kate Winslet... she is as lovely and real as ever in the role of Mildred Pierce. The miniseries is based on the 1941 novel by James M. Cain. I have not read it but have heard that the HBO adaptation stays very true to the original story. There is SO much I could say about this story but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who is thinking about watching it. The story takes place in Glendale, CA in the 1930s. I loved the setting as I live in Southern California and it was great to see the cities that I am familiar with recreated in the past. The basic story is that Mildred Pierce is a young mother of two girls left by her husband and forced to become a working mom to feed her family during hard economic times. She ends up having to take a waitressing job but eventually works her way up into becoming a fairly successful business woman. She meets some friends along the way and has a few romantic relationships, but the reoccuring drama is Mildred's relationship with her eldest daughter Veda. Oh, Veda, Veda, Veda! So much to say about Veda but for now I will just say that the character of Veda will shock you beyond belief and the dynamic between mother and daughter is what makes this story so compelling. Check it out!
These banana scones look delicious. I may decide to make them and take one bite. Then I'll give the remainder away. 
So I am a little embarrassed to admit it, but I have followed the recent vampire/zombie literature revival. I love the mash-up novels like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I have read more of them than I am willing to say. Overall, they are cheesy and silly but quite entertaining. However, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter is a step above the rest. It honestly reads like a historical fiction novel with the "vampire" drama expertly interwoven within the events. Seth Grahame-Smith is actually a great author and this novel manages to come off so historically true that I had to keep reminding myself that it was a fictional story! I absolutely love the incorporation of old photographs where you can decipher hidden vampires among the crowd. Oh, and the scenes with Edgar Allan Poe were simply brilliant! You will also learn some true facts about Lincoln, who suffered a pretty tragic life. I guess Hollywood wants a piece of this vampire craze as well. They are currently working on the film version of this novel and Trent Reznor is going to be doing the music as well as playing the part of Jack Barts. I am intrigued already!
I borrowed this photo from this website that contains the recipe. It would be ideal if someone made this, tasted it and let me know how wonderful it truly tastes.
The fabulous Sassy B. sent me a copy of this book in the mail. I read it in one weekend. I had to literally pry my fingers off the book! Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of nine short stories, but they blend and interconnect beautifully... it feels like a novel. This book is an emotional rollercoaster. It opens with "A Temporary Matter," which tells the story of a young couple dealing with the loss of an infant. My husband and I endured a similar tragedy in our lives and the deep river of grief that we felt was portrayed so accurately by Lahiri's story. My favorite tale was "This Blessed House" where a newly married couple buys a home and begins to discover hidden Christian items in mysterious places throughout the old house. It was lighthearted and playful and a great contrast to the other more serious stories. Lahiri does a wonderful job of mixing Indian and American culture through descriptions of food, clothing, attitudes, social and political events, etc. It's a great weekend read!
This train tunnel runs underneath the land where my office chair sits. Closer to my work location is a sinkhole that we discovered earlier this year. We think the sink will eventually sink into a tunnel though it's just a guess. 
