Raines Realm

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -George Santayana Today I finished reading  Everybody who was Anybody (a biography of Gertrude Stein).   As I’m putting together the plans for hosting my first salon, it was brought to my attention how valuable it could be to have some background on one of the most famous salons of all. Her story is amazing and I see a great many parallels between her life and my own. I also see quite a few differences. But the thing that resonates the most is seeing how the choices that she made led her to such a glorious life full of the kind of success that most dream of. It’s crucial to our success in life, both personal and professional, to read biographies. To see life through the eyes of those that lived it. To hear personalized accounts from people who were actually there instead of getting all of our historical information from generic history books. Whatever interests you, seek out th...

The library is an often overlooked, yet vital asset to each and every one of us. Thousands upon thousands of books and videos at your fingertips for free. So, how can this help your cooking? Public libraries have an astounding number of books on cooking techniques, recipes, and entertaining guidelines. You can find books on every cooking style, older traditional recipes, newer fusion recipes. All the information for your next culinary adventure at your fingertips! There is nothing wrong with buying books that interest you. My motto is that "you can never have too many books". But, why not try out your public libraries' selection first. That way you can find the books that truly speak to you and then you can buy those. This helps ensure that you don't end up with a plethora of books you'll never use. Most libraries have websites where you can search by title or topic ahead of time. You can peruse the variety of choices and place holds on the books that ...