Etiquette in All Things

AMY VANDERBILT COMPLETE BOOK OF ETIQUETTE: 50^th Anniversary                  

By: Nancy Tuckerman & Nancy Dunnan                       5 Stars

I grew up in a small town and when teenagers came close to a decent dating age the neighborhood would put together an etiquette dinner to help properly prepare us. Unfortunately, this dinner was never a walk in the park. Sure there were tea light candles to try and build the mood for an actual date. They would have beautiful table clothes and correct dinner plate settings. We were then expected to figure out how to use the place settings in the correct manner all while we remained prim and proper while indulging ourselves in spaghetti.

That is right, spaghetti. I know what you are thinking. How are we supposed to remain posed and clean while we are eating this messy dish?  Well, it was no easy feat. In fact I am sure that many of us failed miserably in our attempt to keep sauce off our chins and clothing. Plus we had to remember not to slurp our noodles such as we have done since childhood. When exactly did that stop being cute anyway? I don’t remember if we had spoons to twirl our noodles for less mess. If we did then none of us hick-ish people were actual masters at such a task.

Either way, we learned a lot that night and over the years I probably still don’t know the proper etiquette for a date. In fact I am pretty sure I inhale my food much the same way Ross Gellar did while growing up with his sister Monica. How else is a busy American expected to eat? Never fear. I picked up the Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette in order to solve my problems. This War and Peace sized book covers multiple topics, yet it is still incomplete. Sadly, it does not include information on how to properly eat spaghetti on a date, but it does cover similar topics in a roundabout way.

The book is composed of eight chapters. These chapters are broken into subjects that require everyday attention and subjects that only deal with special occasions, such as a wedding. The most helpful chapters were the ones dealing with private and personal lives. I am sure you are thinking that etiquette is only suited to people like royalty in England. You might be surprised, as I was, to find that this book contains information on naming your child, dealing with hand-me-downs, nannies, teaching children about money for various age ranges, helping with siblings and dealing with teenagers need for space.

Other details are given such as preserving family history, how to handle divorce or the loss of a spouse, the role of the guest as well as the role of a host, even your appearance. Many ladies will be happy to know that the book tells you to get a professional pedicure once a month. Tell your husband you are only following proper etiquette and see what happens.

Information is found for tipping and who to actually tip as well as suggestions for television and radio appearances. The professional life section is almost a mirror image of other books on resume writing, interviewing and following up with the interview. It was well done. Some pleasantly surprising information came in the form of lists. These lists include a guest room or bathroom amenities or suggested presents to give based on your relationship to an individual who is getting married.

My least favorite part was in the communication section. It explains that “have a nice day” is really an insincere way of saying goodbye. Excuse me? I say that to lots of people every day and sincerely hope they do have a nice day. Hmm, I might have to find something else to say.  My most favorite part came in the form of questions that should not be asked, such as someone’s age. The best one was asking an individual if they have had cosmetic surgery. Come on, we all noticed something got bigger (or smaller) and we are all dying to hear what excuse you will come up with. It is suggested that instead you mention that a person looks great and remark that they must have been on some fabulous vacation. Fine, I’ll think about it, but that doesn’t mean I still don’t want to hear the story about the botched surgeries!

The Mennonite/Amish Outcast

THE OUTCAST             By: Jolina Petersheim             3.7 Stars

The Outcast is a modern retelling of The Scarlet Letter. Even though I did not remember many of the details of the original story, The Outcast was predictable. However, it was still a quick read that kept my attention throughout the entire novel.

The story begins at the funeral of Amos, the former bishop of the Mennonite Community in Tennessee. At this point Rachel has already had her illegitimate child. Amos’s eldest son and Rachel’s twin sister’s husband, Tobias, has become the new bishop. He has failed to fully cast out Rachel only because Leah (the twin and wife) has been pleaded for her to stay.

Unfortunately, Leah has had many complications since the delivery of her own child, which Rachel has been helping her handle. Soon Leah ends up in the hospital and Tobias, sure that Rachel is the reason Leah is unable to heal, sends her away from the community without transportation or a place to stay. Rachel is fortunate to run across Ida Mae, who takes her and little Eli in.

With a loss of communication Rachel is not quite sure how Leah is recovering until her own parents visit both daughters from their Amish community in Pennsylvania. Soon we find out Leah has healed, but little Eli’s health becomes dire. Life starts to spin out of control for Rachel when she feels anger about her suffering while the father of her child remains unknown.

The plot thickens and roles reverse in this retelling. There are few surprises, but that shouldn’t stop you from picking it up. The story is told from a first person perspective with Rachel and with a third person perspective from the deceased Amos. This unique way to narrate the book was a brilliant step in causing us to feel Rachel’s emotions, yet still have an outsider’s opinion on the whole situation.

The book has biblical undertones and language that is characteristic of the Amish and Mennonite communities. At least, it seems like it is authentic based on the author’s biography. It is a well written story that will make it almost impossible to put down.

The Spirit of the Book

THE BIBLE: Epic TV Miniseries          By: Mark Burnett & Roma Downey       5 Stars

I love the word epic. Unfortunately, I believe it is misused with such menial and ordinary things. Usually I don’t agree with those who use the word to describe something. The Bible production states it is an “epic miniseries” and this is one of the few times I agree. Let me state that again. The Bible miniseries is EPIC!!!

With the history channel hosting this event, it should come as no surprise when the photography is exquisite with powerful colors. It enhances the story and will leave you in complete awe. Even minor details seem to be meticulous planned and placed. *There are so many beautiful moments, but a few of my personal favorite scenes for photography and color are those depicting water, such as around the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee.

You can’t disagree with the theme or dramatization of The Bible. Mark Burnett and Roma Downey did their best to stay true to the spirit of the book, as they continuously show before each segment. Obviously not all of the stories can be told from the Bible, but the ones that were seem to be as authentic as possible. It is so authentic that I wish the series could be longer.

While watching the extras on the cast, Roma comments on how many know Jesus as meek, so by default His portrayal is cast as small in stature. However, Roma and Mark believed that Jesus should still be a tall and strong man, yet one who is still humble and gentle, someone who can be the lion and the lamb.

Diogo Morgado’s portrayal as the Savior of the World left me completely overcome with emotions which are difficult to describe. Here are some of the inadequate descriptions I can give: eyes which pierce your soul, endearing demeanor, compassionate, merciful, charitable, meek, humble, courageous; heartbreaking, glorious, inspiring…

I think what mattered most was how you could feel the power Jesus contained, yet he was still gentle, kind, and perfectly serene in even the most horrid circumstances. Everything you need to know about the scene is clearly written on Diogo’s face, but even more important was his eyes. They are soft, kind, wise, all knowing and more. Diogo has a miraculous way of invoking complete empathy for each scene and it is done in a most natural and believable way.

Another casting remark came from Mark, who provides insight into what Roma believes makes a great casting fit: truthfulness and authenticity; instead of merely watching you feel as if you are with the characters on screen. This is exactly how The Bible is. It is impossible to fully describe how you feel while watching the miniseries. My descriptions are completely inadequate. Instead you should watch it for yourself. However, many scenes are hard to watch (sometimes almost impossible) because of violence. You might want to prescreen and decide what is appropriate for children and sensitive people to watch.

You can read more about it or purchase it at http://www.history.com/shows/the-bible. While you are there, you can feel free to send me a copy. J 

Here is an article, providing a little more information on the powerhouse that is The Bible http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/05/showbiz/tv/mark-burnett-the-bible-record-ratings-ew Then while watching a little bit more before I had to return the DVDs to the library, I ran across this article: http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=25837057&nid=1016&title=nbc-announces-sequel-to-the-bible-miniseries Happy Day!!! 

P.S. It has been a while since I watched these, but I wanted to read the book as well, which took a little bit longer to get around to. Another quick look at the History Channel website shows the miniseries has received three Emmy nominations. One nomination is for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie and the others are for Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. The next award show is on March 11, 2013. Send happy thoughts their way.

 

THE STORY OF GOD AND ALL OF US      By: Mark Burnett & Roma Downey   4 Stars

The Story of GOD and All of Us consists mainly of the storyline Burnett and Downey used to script The Bible miniseries. It is their understanding of the stories found within The Old and New Testaments within The Bible.

When I picked the book up, I wondered if I would be looking at a script, but really the book is a fictionalized version of the stories. Yes, many of the moments come directly from the histories we know as found in The Bible, but some liberties were taken so the story would flow in a fictionalized dramatization. It is basically the same format you will see within the miniseries.

The main differences you will find between the book and the miniseries is the addition of small details. These details may include the names and back stories of people shown within the miniseries, whom are not always recognized by the viewer. Other details exist such as emotions and small actions that are not know, but are merely guesses about what could have happened in such situations.

While this book is well written, I only gave it 4.5 stars. I did learn things that weren’t entirely understood, but made more sense through the book. Other insights didn’t exactly agree with the understanding my religion has taught, but for the most part this book seemed to stay true to The Bible. I couldn’t give it 5 stars for as good as it is, it could never compete with the original Bible. Even the authors hope that the reader will be inspired to read and reread the greatest and most epic version of all, The Bible.

"Hallelujah"

THE HOLY OR THE BROKEN: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah”

By: Alan Light                          3.5 Stars

 

This is really more of a 3.5 star book. It is an interesting read about how “Hallelujah” started as a Leonard Cohen original. It was rejected by his record label and remained widely unknown for many years. In time John Cale covered it and Jeff Buckley’s rendition ultimately helped establish it as the power house song it is today.

The song is fully immersed within our culture today. It has been covered many times, not only because it is an incredible song, but the different versions and lyrics can relay a plethora of emotions. Emotions such as love, hate, desire, despair, hope, love, submission, praise and more can all be invoked by the mere chord progression. You simply add different instruments, change the tempo, or even pick and choose the different verses for your unique rendition. The song can be haunting, heart wrenching, exciting or even hymnal. Different covers can be found in movies and TV shows, in sermons by pastors, even in such horrific moments such as 9/11 or natural disaster coverage.

The Holy or the Broken covers what the pioneers of the song thought of the piece. It goes on giving many other musicians input about the song and how they interpreted it within their cover. It even presents a few surprised reactions when the artists realize who the original composer was. Ultimately, it is how “Halleluiah” has exploded and become a phenomenon.

This is really more of a 3.5 star book. It is an interesting read about how “Hallelujah” started as a Leonard Cohen original. It was rejected by his record label and remained widely unknown for many years. In time John Cale covered it and Jeff Buckley’s rendition ultimately helped establish it as the power house song it is today.

The song is fully immersed within our culture today. It has been covered many times, not only because it is an incredible song, but the different versions and lyrics can relay a plethora of emotions. Emotions such as love, hate, desire, despair, hope, love, submission, praise and more can all be invoked by the mere chord progression. You simply add different instruments, change the tempo, or even pick and choose the different verses for your unique rendition. The song can be haunting, heart wrenching, exciting or even hymnal. Different covers can be found in movies and TV shows, in sermons by pastors, even in such horrific moments such as 9/11 or natural disaster coverage.

The Holy or the Broken covers what the pioneers of the song thought of the piece. It goes on giving many other musicians input about the song and how they interpreted it within their cover. It even presents a few surprised reactions when the artists realize who the original composer was. Ultimately, it is how “Halleluiah” has exploded and become a phenomenon.