Book Review

I know that Sim and Janelle leave the country this week, and there are starving children in China and Congolese refugees camped at the end of my drive way , but I have read another great book:


Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, by Alexandra Fuller

It is the story of the author's childhood, as the daughter of English settlers in Rhodesia. She is about 8 years older than I, in a totally different world, and yet in exactly the same one. Her parents were in the farmer class of settlers, broke English blokes with nothing to lose and a thirst for adventure (and beer).

The story itself caught all my attention for the week that I was working through it, because her accounts of Africa are so well articulated--both in what she actually says and in what she leaves out. Like when she tells of the customs official who casually picks his nose and he flips through her passport. She catches the real vibe of the expatriate experience in Africa, and then puts it into words that increased my consciousness of that vibe.

I wouldn't classify it as a comedy, which leaves one other option. I would warn Louise, if she reads it, that on pg 73, a teenage girl gets raped. The whole thing takes less than a paragraph, and is described nonchalantly and matter of factly, just like a few pages later when a baby sister dies. But it caught me off guard, so there's a heads up.

The misery of diets

To pacify the hippie in-laws, I have gone on a gluten-free diet for a few weeks. Aram and I are doing it together. But my theology says that you should only diet one thing at a time, so I am trying to make myself comfortable, even as I forgo making fresh breads and warm, yeasty pastries.

I highly recommend this recipe for flourless chocolate cake. It comes out like a black chocolate fudgey brownie, and if you bother to do the caramel sauce, you will simply clutch your chest and make inappropriate noises.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, cubed
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan, and line with parchment paper.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir in chocolate, and continue to stir until almost melted. Remove from heat, and stir until melted and smooth. In a large bowl, stir together 1 1/4 cups sugar and the cocoa powder. Whisk in the eggs until well blended, then whisk in the chocolate and butter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for about 45 minutes in the preheated oven. The cake is ready when the edges have nicely puffed and the surface is firm except for a small spot in the center that will jiggle when the pan is gently shaken. Cool cake in the pan over a wire rack. Run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake, then remove the sides of the pan, and invert onto a serving plate. Remove the parchment paper.
4. In a heavy saucepan, stir together 1 1/2 cups of sugar, water, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook without stirring until the syrup is a deep amber color. For an accurate color check, dip a metal spoon into the syrup and lift it out of the pan to check the color. Once the syrup is amber, remove from the heat. Gradually stir in the cream. The mixture will bubble vigorously. If lumps form, stir gently over low heat to dissolve them. Stir in 2 tablespoons of butter.
5. Cut the cake into wedges while warm, and serve with caramel sauce spooned over it. You can also chill the cake and sauce, then warm again before serving.

to Aunt Dorcas and bk again

more land

Here are a couple more, reflecting kind of a different philosophy, namely, paying more for less land and more location. These are 5 acre plots (close to other 5 acre plots) that get us closer to columbus and closer to lake and forests, for a higher price (25-30K) We could buy the land with the power line, for cheap. But we can spend the rest of our lives building on a piece of land and can't ever change which piece it is.

This one is partially wooded, right at the edge of Salt Fork Lake. 5 acres for 28k. Land looks like what we are looking for. This one has Aram's vote. It's around Kimbleton, which is a bit north on 71.
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/Freedom-Rd_Kimbolton_OH_43749_M30746-97676

This one is 5 acres for 28k but it has a well and a 16 x 24 storage building. Also near Salt Fork lake.
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/18037-Anderson_Kimbolton_OH_43749_M35743-09482

This one is near 70, between Salt Lake and Piedmont. 30 k for 11 acres. Hm. Nicely wooded, good location, looks like a real possibility.
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/65208-Hereford-Ave_Quaker-City_OH_43773_M43322-86064

Another 5 acres for 30K, with great views. Kathy Pietro might be the person to talk to--she seems to have several nice ones in this area--farther north around New Phil but still 2 hrs from Cbus
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4931-Old-Town-Valley-Rd_New-Philadelphia_OH_44663_M31295-18354

Hmm, what do you think?

A list of possibilities

1. DUTCH VALLEY:

9 acres for 15.5k in Ulrichsvile. Partially wooded, a bit sloped. Lovely and rugged looking. This is the one with the granny electric lines. Tirzah looked at it, and the pictures she sent were lovely (see her posting below). On 10 acres, a power line can only take up so much space.

4327 Dutch Valley Rd Se Uhrichsville, OH 44683

2. Arrow Head Rd.
This was the other one that Tirzah toured. It’s 12 acres for 14k. The pictures also look rugged and lovely. This is certainly the best land-to-money ratio, probably because one edge of it borders Rt 70. Some might be ecstatic about how accessible this property is. Again, see pictures below.

3.
$32000 For Sale: 5 Acres with Water and Septic (Zanesville, OH 43701)
This Southeast Ohio acreage previously used as multi-residential and had rental houses/house trailers on it. Currently unoccupied except for camper trailers for occassional recreational use that will be moved when land sells. Acreage consists of 2 adjoining parcels totaling approximately 5.3 acres (+/-). Parcels sell together. There is a paved road that goes through the acreage and a small creek that flows within the borders of the property and runs parallel to the road.

The property is primarily a hill on each side of the road with terraced areas that previously accommodated a house and later a trailer. A good portion of the property is wooded with a secluded building site on top of the hill near a small, quiet, mature grove of tall Pine trees. From that spot you can look across the valley/hollow and see only the wooded hill across the road. The road is not visible from this site on the hill.

Zanesville is less than 10 minutes away and has all of the modern conveniences of living; restaurants, hotels, hospitals, senior services, recreation, jobs, schools, colleges, malls, theaters, etc... Muskingum and surrounding counties has some of the best White-Tail Deer hunting in the world! There is great fishing at several rivers, dams, and reservoirs just minutes away! This property can offer a lot of convenience to the right owner.
There are 2 water wells and a septic system on the property. Previously I had 3-sites set-up for electric/water/waste service on the property. City water can be tapped into for a fee. Discount for quick, CASH sale! Otherwise, price may be negotiable and am willing to consider Land Contract to the right person with suitable down payment and acceptable terms. For further info please call or e-mail direct at; horsefeathers@bright.net OR; (937)996-0292 If you have difficulty reaching me by phone, please e-mail me with your name and phone number and I will call you when I check my e-mail. Thanks!
1790 Coal Run Rd (google map) (yahoo map)
Location: Zanesville, OH 43701

Reply to: horsefeathers@bright.net

http://zanesville.craigslist.org/reo/1950806393.html

4. Bowerston

Land for sale approx. 1 mile outside of Bowerston off of route 151 in the northwestern corner of Harrison County. It's only minutes from Leesville and Tappan Lakes. 31+ acres (partial wooded and mostly open). Good for hunting, camping, and/or building. It's located in a valley that has 6 houses and 1 commercial (vacant) building. This land is very peaceful and beautiful. Asking $2,500 per acre. We will sub-divide if needed. If interested, please call 740-269-1713.

http://tuscarawas.craigslist.org/reo/1927103003.html


5.
$30000 14 Acres - close to Burr Oak State Park (Southeastern Ohio
Located in Perry County Ohio and only 1.2 miles from Burr Oak State Park. The propery is in zone 4 and also borders Wayne National Forest. For more information please call 740-347-9034 after 5:00pm. Price has been reduced!

6.
14.715 WOODED ACRES

A secluded, mostly wooded parcel of land 5.7 miles south of
Uhrichsville between Stillwater and Rock in Tuscarawas County, Ohio.

Property is located 2 miles west of SR 800 and SR 258 intersection.

Located on Dague Road (dead-end road) with driveway and electric at property line.

Parcel has 380'+ road frontage on Dague Road(TR608) and 1180'+ road
frontage on Tedrow Road(CR33), abuts to Stillwater Nursery.

Some possible cabin sites cleared on the wooded hilltop.

This is an outstanding hunting and recreational property with nearby soybean
and corn fields for deer food.

Close by are Tappan, Clendening and Piedmont Lakes.

$29, 000 - Make an offer

Email for more info
http://tuscarawas.craigslist.org/reo/1937864981.html


7.
Newark, OH 6 acres for 30k. See a photo at the link below. This is near Zanesville

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/Audrey-Dr_Newark_OH_43055_M37062-66348
8.
Between North Zanesville and the River. 12 acres for 30k. It’s wooded and partially sloped. The area is somewhat populated, but hey, 12 acres of your own land is far enough from neighbors (and close enough to Walmart) for me. See pictures at the web site below.
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/Military-Road_Zanesville_OH_43701_M36925-33436

9.
This one is 5 acres for 12k. It’s located in Coshocton Cty, in a secluded area. See pictures at:
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/Tr-284_Coshocton_OH_43812_M43539-48246

10.
This one is south west of Columbus, about half way to Athens. It’s 2.5 acres for 12k. Wooded, in a secluded area. Right next to State forest, but not super near to water. See pictures below:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/Royma-Rd_Corning_OH_43730_M37115-61628