THE CALLIGRAPHER'S DAUGHTER

Eugenia Kim's THE CALLIGRAPHER'S DAUGHTER

is available here on Amazon.

I give this book ****.

This is my 6th book review linked to Food for Thought hosted by the incredibly talented Jain of Food with Style and Once in a Blue Moon. For those of you here for Pink Saturday there is plenty of pink scattered about. I'm also serving tea today. Enjoy!

THE CALLIGRAPHER'S DAUGHTER is set in early twentieth-century Korea and spans thirty years. It's the story of Najin Han, the only daughter of an aristocratic calligrapher and his strong willed wife. I admit I knew nothing of the history of Korea before reading this remarkable piece of historical fiction, but I now have a new appreciation for the people and culture that suffered during Japan's aggression and occupation of their county. Inspired by the life of the author's mother, Ms. Kim, masterfully weaves together Korean traditions, historical facts, and a portrait of a strong, independent young woman.

Raised in a home with both Confucian traditions and Christian beliefs, Najin Han is fortunate to have a mother who encourages the young girl's independence and dream of a formal education. It was fascinating to glimpse this period of history through Najin's eyes as she grew into a young woman who learned to balance her dreams and goals with the centuries old traditions of her cultural heritage.

Though the book is an intimate portrait of Najin Han's early life and the story of a nation in transition, it is also a beautiful and touching love story. Eugunia Kim's rich and descriptive narratives painted images within my mind as if I were looking through a photo album.

Ms. Kim's poetic imagery gave me a sense of the beautiful culture of Korea

and transfixed me in this time and place.

I'm pleased to say this book offers a perfect format for Food for Thought. There are numerous food references scattered throughout the pages.

The description of the 100th Day Celebration for Najin's baby brother was exquisite.

I was intrigued with the fact that the wife served the husband his meals, then retired to her quarters to eat. The meals described were of simple, fresh foods.

There were absolutely wonderfully descriptive passages of two different picnics. I considered recreating one of these, but in the end decided on a simple afternoon tea.

About a third of the way into the book, Najin, a teenager, is sent to Seoul to live with her aunt. Though Najin's time in Seoul is a significant part of the story, I'll let you discover the details for yourself. In the passage above, Najin and Imo have returned from yet another shopping spree in which Imo has purchased more gifts for Najin. It's a rainy afternoon, and the two go into Imo's sitting room for afternoon tea.

It's not raining here at HFTS so I thought we'd have tea in the garden.

Click here to visit Eugenia Kim's web site for more information about this remarkable book. You can also view an album of family photos taken in Korea circa 1920s and 1930s that Ms. Kim provides for yet another layer of this fascinating story. I recommend that you get a copy of this book, fix a pot of tea, and settle in for an amazing journey to early 20th century Korea.

Don't forget to stop by Food for Thought for more edible book reviews. Visit Beverly @ How Sweet the Sound for a list of Pink Saturday participants, and on Tuesday you can enjoy more tea parties at Lady Katherine's Tea Time Tuesdays , Wanda's Tuesday Tea for Two, and Sandi's Tea Time Tuesdays.

TRADITION!

With Chrismas just days away I'm packing as much into one post as possible, so if you are here for Vintage Christmas Monday, the ornaments are for you. If you stopped in for Metamorphosis Monday, it's immediately after the photos of the ornaments. If it's Deck the Halls that brought you here, well then I guess all applies. LOL

These ornaments are not the glistening glass ornaments that so many associate with vintage Christmas ornaments, but the paper mache ornaments I'm sharing today are definitely vintage. The four little members of the marching band were among the very first ornaments I ever purchased for myself. It was 1970, and I had recently graduated from the University, was on my own teaching school, and I wanted a Christmas tree for my apartment.

Like many young girls at the time, I was a regular at The Pappagallo Shop. These ornaments, handmade and imported from Mexico, were available there. I surmise that the signature, De Sela, is that of the artist. These paper mache ornaments and a few boxes of shiny red balls were the decorations on that first tree.

"Pa rum pa pum pum" Hear the little drummer boy?

Sweet Little Miss Sunshine

"Angels We Have Heard on High"

And Jolly Old St. Nick says:

Wishing each of you the Happiest of Holidays!

Each of you have been so kind and thoughtful to me since I began this blog in August. I've made many wonderful friends throughout Blogville and truly appreciate each of you.

With less than a week till Christmas, time is precious so I'm posting this for both Pink Saturday and Metmorphosis Monday. Beverly @ How Sweet the Sound has declared this week to be all about holiday traditions. Christmas for me is TRADITION. There are so many wonderful memories tied up in the things we repeat year after year, and the decorations are like old friends returning as we unpack them each year during this special holiday.

Last Monday I shared the tradition of "Our Own Little Forest" and some of the ornaments we've gathered through the years here. Today is the tradition of our mantel dressed for Christmas. The holidays for us are fairly simple times. We decorate the house and enjoy spending special times with family and friends, but you'll not find stacks of wrapped packages under our trees. As I said in the earlier "The Stockings Were Hung . . ." post, my husband and I continue the stocking tradition with a bit of a twist. We don't wrap gifts for each other to have under our tree. Instead we fill each other's stocking with presents. Our tradition requires a bit of creativity to find things that will fit in the stockings, but you'd be surprised at what wonderful gifts can fit into Christmas stockings.

This year our fall mantel was simply dressed with a few small antique boxes, a grouping of wooden pears, and . . .

this heart shaped wreath of faux berries and wooden leaves.

For the Christmas season the mantel has experienced a bit of a Metmorphosis. Though I always decorate the mantel, I usually do something different each year. In recent years some of our Santa figures have taken center stage on the mantel, but this year I wanted to use more natural elements.

The simple heart shaped berry wreath for fall was switched out for a wreath of red berries. I added wired ribbon bows used in previous years and an adorable Mac Kenzie-Childs inspired reindeer ornament that was a special gift from a friend last Christmas.

I started with fresh cut magnolia leaves and laced them across the top of the mantel. Then I added a few of the wooden pears back in along with an antique English tea caddy.

I liked the way the various textures and wood finishes mixed in with the leathery magnolia leaves.

The tall pear on the right is actually a music box. It was a thank you gift from Susan, the friend I recently co-chaired with on the Quimper Club International Annual Meeting. Her note said, "We make a good pair!" It's a treasure from a treasured friend!

A couple of weeks ago I shared my childhood memory of my pink Christmas stocking here. I mentioned that my husband and I carry on the stocking tradition with a bit of a twist. We began this tradition the first year we were married. I truthfully don't recall why we did it, but I think it had to do with the limitations of our budget. My Christmas stocking had always been my favorite part of Christmas.

My husband was in graduate school, and we were living on a slim budget. I knew stitching a pair of needlepoint stockings for us was out of the question, so I decided instead to purchase some fabric and simply sew us each a stocking. These large stockings of quilted patchwork trimed in eyelet and rick-rack served us well for the first twenty years of our marriage. We even had a stocking for our beloved lasho apso.

When we moved into our current home, I felt this fire place and mantel dictated a bit more sophistication. I purchased a pair of velvet stockings. The velvets are a rich red and emerald green. The green embossed with a swirl, and the red with stylized stars. They still aren't the needlepoint stockings I intended to stitch for us, but they are certainly an improvement over the folksy quilted fabric.

The little reindeer ornaments are from our first Christmas together. It's tradition to hang them on our stockings. The wooden S is a handmade ornament that my brother-in-law made and gave to us in the early years of our marriage. Since we don't have names on the stockings these wooden initials, along with the gender specific reindeer, identify whose stocking belongs to who.

Yes, the stockings have changed through the years, but the tradition of "stocking gifts" remains steadfast in our home. Thanks for stopping by today. I do hope you'll take time to leave a comment below before visiting Beverly @ How Sweet the Sound for more holiday traditons shared for Pink Saturday. Be certain to stop by to see Liz @ Life at the Gables. Liz lives in Scotland, she has shared some fun family traditions, and she is having a Christmas Eve giveaway.

On Monday, click here to visit Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch. Susan is sure to have something creative to share and here for Vintage Christmas Monday. Then head over to Joan's @ Thoughts From Over the Rainbow for Deck the Halls on Tuesday.

Fall Nesting

Welcome Fall! Today I'm joining Rhondi @ Rose Colored Glasses to join in the fun of her Fall Party.

No one is more ready to Welcome Fall than I am. This has been our hottest summer on record, and today, the last day of summer, the high was 96. The weather people tell us that a cool front is moving in tonight. We may actually usher in Fall with temps in the 70s. Rain is also in the forecast. Hurray!

If you joined me for Metamorphosis Monday this week, you already know that I've begun to do a little Fall nesting around our home. (Click here to see details on this fall tableau.). I plan to wait till we are into October to add some Halloween decor, but for now I've added a few fall touches here and there over the past few days.

A couple of the white pumpkins and an oversized acorn greet guest in the entry of our home.

I choose not to use the mini orange pumpkins in the setting on the dining room table. So I've scattered them about to give a bit of color elsewhere. These sit on a silver try on the hunt board in our living room.

The vibrant yellows of the sunflowers and yellow bells play off the colors in the painting that hangs above the hunt board.

I preferred using the white pumpkins with the green and gold veining to compliment the shawl on the dining room table, but mixing the orange ones into this group makes for a nice contrast.

I put the remainder of the little mini pumpkins in this brass compote and set it in the bay window.

The painting above the mantel provides a visual salute to fall. I like the simplicity of the wooden boxes and assortment of pear shaped items.

The patina of the wooden boxes and pears adds a bit of warmth below the painting.

The pair of French faience vases on either side are from Desvres.

We have an oak bench that is home to seasonal pillows. The pumpkin is made of felt and the larger one is hooked wool.

This pillow is a favorite with the rooster perched among the pumpkins and sunflowers.

There are a few more fall touches out on the sun porch and in the morning room off our kitchen, but I'll save that for another time. Thanks for stopping in today to help greet the beginning of a new season. Please leave a comment below so I know who was here for the party.

Then click Rhondi's @ The Rose Colored Glasses to see a list of others who are participating in today's Welcome Fall party.