Author: JWF

Tidy Tidbits: Reading, Watching, Enjoying

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READING—FASCINATING WOMAN

Gardner Portrait by John Singer Sargent, 1888 (Gardner Museum)

The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin

I’ve long been a list maker: lists of to-dos, lists of TV series and films to screen, lists of places to visit.  Before we moved from Cambridge, MA, many years ago, I made a list of things the Chief Penguin and I should do before we left.  I made a similar list of activities and outings in 2006 before we moved from six months in London back to the U.S.  On my list for Boston was a visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.  Filled with art and books, it’s a treasure trove of a collection.

Emily Franklin’s The Lioness of Boston is an intriguing portrait of Isabella Stewart Gardner.  Born in 1840, Isabella was an unconventional woman who wanted to do something significant, to be known as something other than a society wife.  Frustrated by the strictures of staid Boston’s social scene, she chafed at the retiring role she was expected to play.  Comfortably married to Jack Gardner, and then mother to a son, Belle still sought more outlets for her interests and her energy.  

She cultivated friendships with Charles Eliot Norton (first art history professor at Harvard), Henry James, Bernard Berenson, and others.  She got allowed into lectures at Harvard, began traveling abroad, and sat for John Singer Sargent for her portrait.  Her interests in rare books and art blossomed, and she became both a collector and a supporter of artists.  The museum she created is her legacy.

This is a novel, not a biography, and its narrative arc is shallow focusing primarily on Gardner’s friendships and relationships and imagining her interior life.  Leisurely paced and enjoyable!  Now I must make a return visit to Boston. (~JWFarrington)

VIEWING—FAVORITES RETURN

Chelsea Detective, Season 2 (Acorn)

Max & Layla (VitalThrills.com)

Detective Inspector Max Arnold who lives on a houseboat is back for another season, this time with a new sidekick.  DS Layla Walsh is much younger and keeps him on his toes.  Between solving a gruesome murder or two, Max remains entangled with separated wife Astrid (she’d like to get on with her life) and with his somewhat interfering, but doting Aunt Frances.  Set in the tonier section of London, it’s less gritty than other British crime series and as engaging for the human relationships as for the murders.  There are four episodes in the season.

Hidden Assets, Season 2 (Acorn TV & Roku)

Bibi Brannigan, Christian, Claire (TellyVisions.org)

This Irish crime series flips back and forth between the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) team in Limerick, Ireland, and the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) in Antwerp.  If you haven’t watched the first season, you should, as this is a continuation of an ongoing story of smuggled goods, bombs, murders, and the Belgian port. 

There is a new principal in Ireland, Claire Wallace, who replaces DS Emer Berry.  Emer had a solid working relationship with Christian De Jong, her counterpart in Antwerp. Now, Claire and Christian must forge a new partnership to be jointly successful.  The stakes are high, politicians are involved, and it’s fast paced.  I’ve now watched three of the six episodes.  Highly recommended!

HOLIDAY WEATHER

December is a month for socializing and parties.  This week we caught up with a friend over lunch at Mean Dean’s in Bradenton and celebrated a birthday dinner at another friend’s. On Saturday, we enjoyed our community holiday party—this year a brunch.  It was a lovely day.  The air was softly warm, and the sun was shining.  

From now until May, Florida weather is perfection.  If not perfect, then at least wonderful and magical much of the time.  No need for coats or jackets, gloves or hats, let alone boots.  Sandals and short sleeves will suffice.  Living here this season is a treat!

Note: Header photo is of the courtyard at the Gardner Museum, courtesy of the museum.

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.)