POLITICAL PROTEST
Hands Off!
It has been gratifying whether personally or vicariously to experience the fabulous turnout in the many Hands Off protests across the country and around the world. Family members and friends of ours participated in Greensboro, Raleigh, Philadelphia, Indiana, and D.C.
These demonstrations send a powerful visual message of anger and outrage over the brutal dismantling of the U.S. government and cavalier disregard for the rule of law. May that message be received!
RECENT READING: RESILIENCE IN WARTIME
One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter
Over the past decade, I’ve read quite a few historical novels about World War II. Spies, undercover librarians, and brave ordinary people are featured. Most of these novels are set in France, Eastern Europe, or Britain. One Good Thing takes place in Italy from 1940-1944, initially near Bologna and Florence and ultimately in Rome.
Lili and Esti became good friends at university and remained so when Esti married Niko and had her son, Theo. Life was relatively good until the imposition of Mussolini’s Racial Laws targeting Jews. When Germany invaded Italy, life became more dangerous for Jewish Lili. With her friends involved in the Resistance, Lili is persuaded to join their effort and take a bunch of refugee children to hide out in a convent in Florence. For her, this begins several years of upheaval, multiple moves, and dangerous encounters despite carrying a fake ID.
This is a novel not only of resilience, what individuals will risk when their freedom and livelihood are in peril, but a depiction of close friendship and extreme loyalty. It is both compelling and thrilling. You will be there with Lili in her struggle to survive and find a safe place for the future. Hunter, part of a family of Holocaust survivors, is also the author of the bestseller, We Were the Lucky Ones, now adapted as a series on Hulu. Recommended! (~JWFarrington)
EATING OUT
Sushi-Thai Cary
This combination Japanese and Thai restaurant is a short distance away in a strip mall behind a gas station. It was recommended by friends. We walked there and sampled several dishes from the Thai portion of the menu.
Our first course was crispy shrimps in a blanket followed by pad Thai with chicken and spicy basil with chicken. We requested medium spicy and found that this was probably hot enough for both of us. The entrée portions were generous, and we ended up taking some home. We’ll be back to try the other half of the menu!
Academy Street Bistro
Regular readers know we walk downtown often. A favorite stop late in the day or for an early dinner is the Academy Street Bistro. Several weeks ago, on the spur of the moment, I suggested we stop for a glass of wine. I had pinot grigio, the Chief Penguin had an Old Fashioned, and we shared a tasty plate of fried calamari with peppadews. The perfect way to celebrate an early spring day!
We had heard that the soup of the day on weekends is lobster bisque. Thus, we had a mission, get there on the right day to sample it. Yesterday we sat outside and dined early on small bowls of lobster bisque followed by ahi tuna for the CP and a large Caesar salad for me. Everything was good. The day was warm, and there were few other people outside, making it preferable to the noisy, bustling inside dining room.
