HURRICANE IAN
It was a wild and crazy week for many residents of Florida, especially those on the southwest coast. Ian initially was predicted to hit near the Tampa area and a bit south and then went farther east and pummeled the folks in North Port, Englewood, Ft. Myers, Sanibel, and Captiva. We left our home after we were under a mandatory evacuation order and went an hour south (which turned out to be closer to the storm) to stay with a longtime friend.
We stayed with him for three nights and had some loss of power and lack of water, but were safe and dry and well protected. He’s a good cook whose stove is gas, and we were well provisioned. We were gratified when we returned home yesterday that our condo building was here and intact. Most of the storm damage here was restricted to landscape issues.
As an antidote to the Ian’s wild winds, I offer up a wonderful memoir about friendship and a TV series that doesn’t seem like it should be compelling, but the Chief Penguin and I have found it somewhat addictive.
MARVELOUS MEMOIR
Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships by Nina Totenberg
When I commuted to Penn by car years ago, I used to hear Nina Totenberg on NPR. Her analysis of Supreme Court cases was always clear and insightful, and I became a fan. Long before Ruth Bader Ginsburg became a household name, Totenberg interviewed her, got to know her, and they became friends. They were both pioneering women in their professions. They shared conversation and bonded over their work’s importance to each of them. As time went on, they socialized with their spouses and were supportive of each other in times of illness and sorrow.
Totenberg’s focus is on female friendships in her life (her colleagues Linda Wertheimer and Cokie Roberts being other prime examples) with a specific spotlight on her almost 50-year friendship with Ruth. Ruth was a great support to Nina when her first husband endured years of illness. Later Nina and her second husband David were protective and caring toward Ruth after her husband Marty’s death and during her last illness.
You might think that this is a sad book, but rather, it is a wonderfully uplifting and endearing account of deep friendships that enriched Totenberg’s life, including her friendships with male judges and justices. Along the way, I also learned more about the functioning of the Supreme Court. Highly recommended! (~JWFarrington)
ADDICTIVE TV SERIES
Suspects (Acorn)
This crime series set in London is about 10 years old, of lesser technical quality, and with dialogue partially adlibbed. Yet, the Chief Penguin and I are finding it quite addictive. A crime has been committed, and three detectives are involved in finding out who did it. Detective Jack Weston and his colleague, Detective Charlie Steele are usually first on the scene, sometimes accompanied by their boss, Detective Chief Inspector Bellamy. The crimes are messy and nasty and often are attempted murder or rape.
Each episode then consists of the team bringing in a series of suspects and interviewing them and then following up on possible arrests. Almost no time is spent on the detectives’ lives outside work, and in the early episodes, it’s sometimes unclear if they have really resolved who will be charged with the crime. Each episode is an hour, and so far, we have watched almost three series or about 8 episodes.
Header photo shows trees bowing into the water, thanks to Ian. Photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).
