Monday Moments - More gardens

I love a perfect lily pad pond

So pretty

Exotic plants

Can't go wrong with a Jane Goodall quote.    (Nature....take care of her!!)

 A view in the conservatory from the third tier.  This place was spectacular.

Finally Friday Tune-Up

 The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason is luminous.  It's quite the imaginative story as he takes you into the jungles of Burma. I felt sweaty and I swear there was a mosquito buzzing around me. 

It's  1886 and Edgar Drake receives a commission from the British War Office. He, a shy middle-aged married man, is asked to travel to Northeast Burma (into a war zone) and repair a rare piano. His piano tuning skills are renowned and the eccentric army surgeon who owns the piano requested his service.  

This strange tale takes you into the jungles and introduces you to a man with a lot of mysterious power in  the region. Doctor Carroll's  mission and work is questionable, and yet the man is fascinating. Edgar is drawn into his world and the magic of Burma. He tunes the piano and yet, despite missing his wife, he's not  in a hurry to leave. 

Mystery, intrigue, music, enemies, animals, moving the piano via the river. Shots can ring out. The book gives a taste of history, the British trying to tame a country.  But that country seduces, the heat closes in, and the jungle has it's own beat.  Kudos to the writing, the characters, and the underlying musical tones. 

Whatever Wednesday - Myriad Gardens in OKC

So, on our  weekend jaunt to Oklahoma City, a total gem was the Myriad Gardens.  This botanical garden covered 15 acres and you could just walk the grounds for free.  Yoga was happening on a Saturday morning. It was a lovely park.  You had to pay for the conservatory and that was SO worth it.

Me

Ray.   Lots  of little water features

 The Crystal Conservatory beckons

OKC was a three hour drive for us and we enjoyed a Friday/Saturday trip.  Sorta backyard....

Don't laugh at what you don't know.  OKC was very tourist friendly and fun.  Who knew??

Monday Moments - Celebrate me tomorrow

 Tomorrow, Tuesday October 8th is my birthday.   I was a happy little girl

Happy enough adult

Me with my brother  David.  We still get along and have  a good time when we can get together.  He's up in PA, so the jokes are mostly via text.   Or he's bragging about his Wordle streak. 

I didn't grab a pic a my sister Lori for this post.  She's ten years younger, so I didn't want her youth to divert attention from me (snicker). 

Me with Dad back in the day.   

I miss him  daily since  he passed at 93 in  May. 

And here I am on our recent  jaunt to Oklahoma  City.  Rotator cuff surgery is the added bonus to 2024. Not a stellar year, but still smiling.  PT is  going  well and  I've  had no  pain. A hardy damn Yankee from PA who lives in TX.

You see plenty of pics on this blog featuring me and Ray - we do have a lot of fun.   No  big  celebration planned this year. He's been my star, taking good care of me. I'll make it another year or so at this rate - ha!

Cheers all.  Raise a glass, eat some chocolate cake, and celebrate with me.  Thanks. 

Finally Friday - OKC Sculptures

 The Bricktown area of Oklahoma City is very cool. They've a small canal that runs through this  section and you can ride the water taxi. There are  restaurants and shops  to enjoy too. 

Plus some very nifty sculptures

Very dramatic

As you can tell, we had a pretty day to walk around this very tourist friendly  city

and  then there's  this huge portrayal of the Oklahoma land rush.  There is energy in the sculptures and you can  practically hear the horses pounding  the  earth. 

Quite the history and stories told

Whatever Wednesday - Edith Head Costume Exhibit

 Ray and I had our jaunt  to  Oklahoma  City. A  key goal was the Museum of Art featuring the costumes of Edith Head.  She  was THE Oscar winning costume designer in Hollywood.  Her heyday was the 1940s and 1950s, but she worked up until she died in 1981.  She was petite but powerful and known  for  her signature look (see me with her above)

Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard wore this  gown.

Grace Kelly in Rear Window.    Grace was apparently a favorite actress for Edith to work with. 

For me, I had to see this exhibit. It was a sign from  my father who loved that Hollywood era. He would have spent plenty of time reading every detail posted and he would have seen all of the films involved. 

It was wonderful.  And you see how tiny the actresses were - waistlines were ridiculous.   The fabrics and accessories were rich.  I wanted to touch every costume. 

Monday Moments - The Love of Books

This non-fiction little book The Secret Lives of  Booksellers and Librarians compiled by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann is a love letter  to books and reading.  Booksellers and librarians were interviewed and the stories from all over the U.S. are interesting  and compelling.  They are detectives, treasure hunters, advocates, and visionaries. It's a world that has the magic of rainbows and unicorns, but it's also a business. The book business. (cover blurb)

Read about folks who took the plunge and love what they do in their world of books. The tales are heartwarming, humorous, and hopeful. 

I love this quote by our former first lady, Laura Bush, who advocated for reading.  

You must also  read about Suzette Baker, former head librarian in Llano County, Texas. Her story is told in the above compilation. She was told  to pull books from shelves  and  refused.  She writes about a very avid minority of people in power who are promoting  censorship and she's concerned.  

I'm concerned. Yes, parents should know what their kid is reading. It's like television. You may control your own self and your family,  but don't keep me from reading certain  books that your don't like or think is appropriate (example - To  Kill  a Mockingbird by Harper Lee,  The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, etc).  

Sigh!