Author: JWF

Fall Potpourri: Eating & Viewing

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THANKSGIVING IN NORTH CAROLINA

We spent Thanksgiving week in North Carolina. I was pleased to see burnished fall colors on the trees as we landed at RDU.  That’s something I miss about living in Florida.  But it was a cold week, and this Florida wimp wore many layers to stay warm, even on the afternoon we explored a new park in Cary.

There was plenty of warmth on Turkey Day with several generations of family celebrating.  Our granddaughters and our son and daughter-in-law, my two sisters and spouses, along with nieces and spouses and one other kid.  We toasted with mimosas and sparkling cider and nibbled at an assortment of fine cheeses, jalapeno popcorn, and chips before attacking the table’s bounty.  With roast turkey and a ham, tasty sides (including mac and cheese), and a choice of pecan pie, apple cake, and yummy cookies to finish, there was no cause for complaint.  We had much for which to be thankful—not least the sheer joy of being together.

DINING HERE AND THERE

Magone Italian Grill & Pizza, Chapel Hill

As an antidote to turkey, many of us decamped to Magone Italian Grill the next day for dinner.  This unprepossessing place appeared casual in the extreme.  It looked like they focused on takeout business.  I explained that we were going to be 10 people and was it possible to have a table.  The young waitress quickly sprang into action, leading me toward the back, pushing two tables together, and offering to bring water for everyone.  

The menu is long and extensive, making one initially wonder if they would deliver on quality.  We were not disappointed.  My chicken piccata with angel hair pasta was delicious, while others enjoyed shrimp with pesto over penne, a pizza with pepperoni and fresh basil, and other classic dishes.  Throughout, our server was pleasant and helpful.  It was a relaxed dining experience, and I’d happily return!

BESO, Sarasota

(scenesarasota.com)

The Chief Penguin and I had a favorite Spanish restaurant in San Francisco, Coqueta, near the Ferry Building.  In Manhattan, we were regulars at family-owned El Porron until they closed due to the pandemic.  Consequently, we were delighted to read about the opening of BESO (kiss in Spanish), a tapas restaurant in The Mark in downtown Sarasota.  We had dinner here with friends and were wowed by the food, the space, and the service.  

Had I not been so involved in sampling what we ordered, I would have taken a photo or two.  As it was, we tried the patatas bravas (best I’ve had), mini pork & chorizo meatballs, shrimps in garlic oil, croquetas, fried artichokes, and bread with olive tapenade.  Portions are small as tapas are meant to be, and we happily shared what we ordered among the four of us.  

The menu includes a variety of Spanish wines by the glass or bottle, cocktails, and, of course, several flavors of sangria.  For those who want a more leisurely experience, it’s possible to order one of three paellas (allow 45 minutes.). I can easily envision this restaurant becoming a favorite!  It fills a hole in the local dining scene.  

VIEWING—FOR FANS OF BRIDGERTON

The Buccaneers (Apple TV+)

Nan in center with her compatriots (Hollywood Reporter)

Loosely based (very loosely) on Edith Wharton’s unfinished novel of the same name, The Buccaneers is an exuberant series of high emotion and high society.  The time is the 1870’s.  Five young women, daughters of rich American fathers, have journeyed from New York to London. They have hopes of snaring a duke or a lord as a husband.  Unlike the more reserved English girls, these Americans romp and run around outside, feet off the ground, arms high in the air.  

The central focus is on Nan (Annabel) who attracts the attention of two worthy men, one a duke, the other simply impoverished. Nan has a rich father, but she is not entirely whom she seems.  One friend, Conchita, marries quickly and just as quickly discovers marriage is not all that she expected.  Her British in-laws expect her to be demure and subdued.

Jinny, Nan’s sister, follows with a wedding to Lord Seadown, a controlling figure.  Others in the group are not sure men are what is needed in their lives.  What begins as balls and parties and gaiety soon dissolves into the messiness of life and unrealistic or unfulfilled expectations.

The gorgeous costumes, the lavish settings, and the modern musical soundtrack provide a wonderful backdrop to the dramas being played out.  

The series runs to 8 episodes with new ones released weekly.  I have watched the first four episodes, enjoying the series more as the five women are more individually defined.   Indulgent, fun, and occasionally poignant!  Recommended!  

Seen in Fearrington Village

Note: All unattributed photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Tidy Tidbits: Lost, Missing, Unforgotten

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READING—SIOUX REVOLT IN THE WEST

The Lost Wife by Susanna Moore

Author Moore (The Guardian)

This spare historical novel focuses on events leading up to the Sioux Uprising of 1862.  It is loosely based on a memoir by Sarah Wakefield who with her children was held captive for six weeks by the Sioux Indians.  In The Lost Wife, Sarah Butts, later Brinton, leaves an abusive husband in Rhode Island and travels the long distance to the Minnesota Territory to make a new life with her good friend Maddie.  Maddie has died and Sarah marries the local doctor who is physician to tribe members at the Indian agency.  

How Sarah adapts to life among the Sioux, learns their language, and works with the women, will affect her reception later by both the white women and the tribe.  Told from Sarah’s perspective, the novel is full of details of the physical landscape and both mundane and grisly aspects of her daily life, but short on emotion.  The one exception to this is Sarah’s relationship with Chaska, one of her captors.  This relationship colors how she is treated upon release by her former neighbors and her husband.  

The novel is short, but not a fast read.  It highlights a shameful incident in the settling of the American West. (~JWFarrington)

VIEWING—UNSOLVED MURDER CASES

Unforgotten, Season 5 (PBS Masterpiece)

Jessie & Sunny (PBS)

I miss Nicola Walker.  Her role as DCI Cassie Stuart in the first four seasons was central.  She has been replaced by prickly Jessie James, played by Sinead Keenan.  DI Sunny Khan is grieving Cassie’s death and has personal issues at home.  Newbie Jessie’s dismissive approach to her team is harming morale, but she has a personal crisis of her own.  

The case of a body part found in the chimney of an empty house is complex and many layered, and some of the varied cast of suspects have complicated pasts and questionable issues.  This season has six episodes, all focused on this one case.  Despite the tension between them, Sunny, Jessie, and the team eventually solve it.  I like this series but didn’t love this season as much as previous ones.

NOVEMBER REFLECTIONS 

In the Northeast especially, November brings dark nights and cold days.  Around Election Day each year, I reflect on my father’s short but impactful life.  This year was the 50th anniversary of his death, more years gone than he lived.  And yet, he remains vivid in my memories.

November is also a time to celebrate.  Thanksgiving Day provides us with an opportunity to be mindful of and thankful for all that we have.  This year, I am especially grateful for my extended family:  son, daughter-in-law, granddaughters, siblings and their spouses, nieces and their families, and especially my Chief Penguin. 

This week we unexpectedly lost a sibling, the Chief Penguin’s brother, a doting uncle.   Siblings share experiences from their past lives; when one is gone, the puzzle is missing a piece, and a space remains unfilled.  I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving with family and friends filled with joy and love!

(Wildgoose)

Note: Header photo of November dawn ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Tidy Tidbits: Reading & Viewing

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RECENT READING

Mayes & husband (Walter.com)

Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes

With the publication in 1996 of Under the Tuscan Sun, Frances Mayes shone a spotlight on one of the lovely Italian hill towns in Tuscany.  Since then, “her” town of Cortona has become a tourist attraction, and she has milked the area and her life there for several other nonfiction books.   I read Under the Tuscan Sun when it first came out and then, several other books by Mayes.  

Fast forward, and around 2003, I hosted Mayes at Lehigh University for a Friends of the Libraries event.  Last month, the Chief Penguin and I spent several very pleasant days in Cortona sitting in the main square, dining around, and soaking up the architecture and the history.  For all these reasons, I was keen to read Women in Sunlight, Mayes’ new novel.

At heart, I’d say Mayes is much more of an essayist/memoirist and poet than she is a novelist.  This book features a writer, Kit, in her 40’s who lives in Tuscany, and three senior women, who rent an old villa and become her neighbors.  The women are new friends from North Carolina who met while visiting a retirement community in Chapel Hill.  One is an artist, another has a green thumb, and the third is a seasoned traveler and organizer.  Camille, Susan, and Julia are all single, and each is recovering from loss of a spouse through death or desertion.  Over the course of a year, they bond with one another and with Kit, become acquainted with the townspeople, and have their horizons expanded through more travel.

Much of the novel reads like a travelogue.  Mayes deftly paints word pictures of the beautiful surroundings and mouthwatering descriptions of meals and food in general.  Except for Kit, I found the other women somewhat diffuse and not well distinguished one from another.  Also, Kit’s focus or wandering attention to writing her memoir of her friend Margaret was a distraction and didn’t enrich the plot.  

Overall, this was a mixed reading experience.  I liked aspects of the book and was curious enough about how the women evolved to read to the end with a bit of skimming here and there.  (~JWFarrington)

VIEWING

Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)

Mad & her mother (Entertainment Weekly)

I loved Bonnie Garmus’ novel, Lessons in Chemistry, as did everyone in my book group.  I wondered if it could be translated into a successful series, and I’m pleased to say it has been.

Garmus was involved in this production, and the series is exceedingly well cast.  Brie Larson as chemist and later TV star Elizabeth Zott is spot on, and Lewis Pullman as scientist Calvin Evans has the right combination of indifference, fierce dedication, and hidden charm.  Child actress Alice Halsey plays the delightfully idiosyncratic Madeline, Zott’s daughter.  

Set in 1950 and into the early 1960’s, the series showcases women’s second class status (some might say third) outside the home with pathos and humor.  Elizabeth is smart and determined, but subject to blatant sexism and belittlement.  Nonetheless, she is a force to be reckoned with, and despite many obstacles, she perseveres. 

There are 8 episodes in total with new episodes being released weekly through November 24.  The first two episodes are free.  

All the Light We Cannot See (Netflix)

Marie & her father (Netflix)

The Chief Penguin and I have watched the first two episodes of this four-part mini-series.  Based on Anthony Doerr’s novel with the same title, it’s intense and powerful.  I must admit that it’s been too long since I read the novel to be able to assess how closely the series hews to the book. Whether or not you’re familiar with the book, this story of young blind French broadcaster Marie, and Werner, a misfit Nazi radio operator in occupied coastal France (Saint-Malo, to be precise) is compelling and will quickly draw you in.  It also demonstrates the staying power of a voice on the radio.

As a side note, last year the CP and I visited St. Malo, walked this once walled city, and and climbed up to its ramparts overlooking the mouth of the Rance River.  Recommended!

The Sommerdahl Murders, Season 4 (Acorn)

Dan & the principals including Josefine (Rotten Tomatoes)

The Chief Penguin and I have enjoyed the earlier seasons of this Danish crime series, and this latest one held our interest also.  The triangle of crime solvers and best friends Dan Sommerdahl, Flemming Torp, and Marianne Sommerdahl (Dan’s ex-wife) is complicated by Dan’s new love interest, Josefine Sundby.  The crimes are intriguing, and always lingering in the background is puzzlement about what fishmonger Oscar is hiding.  There are eight episodes, each an hour long, and most crimes are dealt with in 2 parts. Recommended!

Note: Header photo is in town square, Cortona, Italy, ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Home in Florida: Book Notes

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HOME FROM ITALY

View in Perugia

Our trip to Italy (Rome, Tuscany, and Umbria), was a wonderful break from our real world.  Lots of historic art and architecture, charming hill towns, more pasta, pizza, and bruschette than one should consume, dense crowds in Rome and Florence, great traveling companions, and a wealth of new places to discover.  After a week and finally over jet lag, we have time to reflect on and process all that we saw and did.  Travel is an expansive experience.  I always find myself challenged, and my horizons broadened, as I engage with a new locale, a different culture, and new people.  

RECENT READING

While I was away, I did find time to read two books, one highly touted novel and one political memoir. 

RACE AND CRIME IN 1970’S BOSTON

Author Lehane (Variety)

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

This is the first novel by Lehane I’ve read; although I did see and appreciate his craft in the movie, Mystic River.  Small Mercies is a devastating story set in Boston in 1974, just after Judge Garrick ordered forced busing between South Boston and a Black neighborhood. It’s a story about racism played out as hate with strong emotions on both sides.  Rallies are planned by the Southies and tension is high.

When a young Black man dies on the train tracks and four white teenagers appear to be involved, more violence is almost inevitable.  The key characters are Mary Pat, mother of 17-year-old Jules, and Detective Michael Coyne, known as Bobby.  Mary Pat has been raised to hate Blacks and lost two sons to drugs. Early on, she seems to question some of her basic assumptions about these others.  

Bobby is a voice of reason and, when appropriate, empathetic to Mary Pat.  Underneath and underpinning life in poor South Boston is a very active network of bad guys who rule with an iron grip and don’t hesitate to kill.

I found the novel slow to rev up, but when it did, I was caught up in how crime played out.  Bobby Coyne is the most positive character, and I wanted Mary Pat to be better than she was.  I understood, but didn’t approve of, her motives. Losing one’s children in senseless violence is a pain most of us can’t begin to imagine.  An excellent book, but not for the faint hearted! (~JWFarrington)

LIFE IN THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE

(AP News)

Enough by Cassidy Hutchinson

Cass Hutchinson’s live testimony before the January 6th Select Committee, which many of us watched, was a profile in courage, but not an experience she arrived at lightly, quickly, or without qualms.  She was poised and articulate and revealed many details about life in the Trump White House and the behavior of both the president and her immediate boss, Mark Meadows, his chief of staff, that had not been made public before.

Now, in Enough, she has written her story about her upbringing in a working-class family with an abusive, controlling father, and being the first in her family to go to college.  From a young age, she was drawn to the idea of public service, was moved by her first visit to the Capitol in D.C. and was ambitious and determined enough to apply for and land internships with the Office of Legal Affairs during college summers.  After graduation, she returned to work with the House of Representatives staff and congressmen including Kevin McCarthy, Meadows, and others.

When Meadows became Trump’s chief of staff, he quickly hired Cassidy to be “his person.”  In the beginning, she reminded him that she worked for him in his role as serving the president, not personally.  But she was attracted to Trump and his views and liked Meadows.  

I think she let herself be subtly manipulated.  At the same time, Meadows gave her lots of responsibility, sent her in his place to some meetings, and had her travel with him on Air Force One and the like.

From the outside, it appeared to be a heady life with lots of access to senior staff and the president, coupled with hard work and exceedingly long hours.  She accepted a lot of what was going on in the White House as just part of the normal work environment and as part of being loyal to Mark.  For a long time, she felt she was still being true to her oath to serve the constitution.

While others in Trump World continued to circle the wagons, so to speak, she wrestled with her conscience, sought a pro bono lawyer without success, and then agreed to work with a Trump-sponsored lawyer.  She did her first committee interviews with this lawyer’s direction and instructions.  Finally, and ultimately, she chose to tell the complete truth to the committee.

I found this a compelling memoir. It was mesmerizing.  Of course, I knew the ending, but all the political machinations and how that administration worked behind the scenes, I found fascinating.  Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down! (~JWFarrington)

Note: Header image of cypresses in Val d’Orcia and Perugia photo ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)