July 4th Weekend

I am writing this in June. Hope America makes it to the 4th 

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I am posting pictures of past July 4th celebrations. So innocent.   Yes - I am promoting water guns! Only water guns....

 I am in PA right now, hanging  with Dad. I hope our country can find its way. 

Dare I say,  God Bless America?

Wednesday Whoa - The Night Fire by Michael Connelly

 You can always rely on Michael Connelly to come  through on his writing with Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch.  The Night Fire does not disappoint. 

Bosch is now very independent.   Renee Ballard  is on the "outs", so can run a bit rogue. The two together  are dynamite in research, perseverance, and  investigation. 

Lots of twists and turns  in this book.  Quick paced. Masterful suspense. Cold case that suddenly heats up....

Oh yeah!  Trust me. Start reading  and you won't stop. 

Monday Review Madness - The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

 The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware is a very entertaining read. So tricky. So spellbinding. This author draws you in and does not let go until the last page. Dang. 

Harriet Westaway, one step away from eviction, gets a letter in the mail indicating she's come into some money. But wait, she reviews her folders - hmm, do they have the wrong granddaughter?  Her paperwork does not add up, but what the heck?  Maybe she can pull this off?

Hal hopes that her "career" as a tarot card reader can  help her pull off a claim to money. She feels guilty, but she has some bad guys threatening her life. 

At Trespassen,  the family estate, she meets her uncles, hears about her dead mother/aunt, and is pulled into quite the mystery mess. Soon, she's quite threatened and scared for her life. 

whoa!   Keep those pages turning and hang in until the end.   Great read!

Friday Movie Madness Multiverse and Dr. Strange

 Running a bit behind on movie  reviews, but we are finally seeing more in the theaters. Part of the whole  Marvel gang, Dr. Strange - Multiverse of Madness, was extremely entertaining on the super big screen. Benedict Cumberbatch is always darn good. Elizabeth Olsen, with those big eyes and innocent face, can be so evil as The Scarlett Witch. 

The effects are very cool.  The fight scenes (and there's a lot of them) are well choreographed. Keeping  track  of time and space is tricky and that's the point  of  the multiverse. I can't give you a coherent  plot line. 

Dr. Strange does encounter a young teenager who does not know her own  powers. She does  know she zips through time, but can't seem to control it, but she's being chased by a higher being  who wishes to capture and  harness her strengths. Of  course, only Dr. Strange and his whole  group of  mystical  spirit beings could  be the folks to  save her. So we zoom through portals. We ponder difficulties. We try to understand how  Wanda/Scarlett Witch can be conquered. 

The two hour movie goes by quick enough and Ray and I were entertained. There is a teaser trailer  during final credits - hint ,  there's Charlize Theron....say what?  We do come out and say WTF?  But it's fun and for five dollars, I'm happy. 

It's Madness, I tell  you.....Madness. 

Wednesday Art Splash

 Ray joined me at the Kimbell Art Museum for this rather cool exhibit. Always  good to explore different art and this was no  exception. It's an  incredible compilation of African masks, figures, applied arts, and jewelry giving meaning  to daily and ritual life. 

Concepts of beauty are created in  art and the word utotombo means  beautiful and good. 

The art in this exhibit explores Western appreciations and appropriations. The skill and beauty are different to my eyes, but intriguing. I wanted to touch the art - so many intricately carved pieces. So many pieces pay homage  to the female  figure and to male strengths. Religion plays a big part in much of the art. There is also ugliness meant for humor. 

So much of the art on display was from the 1800s and early 1900s. I had to reflect on  the history. How much was pillaged and plundered, and thus preserved? That's a sad and yet worthy question. There were pictures from various African villages. Were these pieces taken from in front  of villagers homes? 

Alas,  that issue was not discussed. Nonetheless, the pieces are nicely displayed and now cared for as a part of African history. We must respect the ART!

Monday Moments

I should be arriving in PA any day now.  Not sure if I'm doing  any sightseeing  along the way...maybe some Smoky Mountain National Park. Tennessee has a lot of great scenery to enjoy.   Meanwhile, here are some TX state park pics and some good random quotes. 

Without order there can be no society, and without society there can be no human perfection - Matthew Arnold.   (P.S. I think we are falling way short on decent  society....just sayin')

There it was...the irresistible destination  of all those  who insist on  being  where things are happening - Tom Wolfe on NYC in the 1980s    Oh yeah.  Maybe while I'm in PA I'll hop a train for  a day in NYC  - that's a dream.  Do I have enough $$$$

Do what you are afraid to do - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Okay, I dare you.   Let's see what we  all  achieve this summer.....
 

Friday Friends and Family

Hey - When you read this, I am on  my way to PA. Yep, time to drive from TX to PA and go  hang with Dad.  Someone needs to keep track of him since my brother and his wife are actually taking a vacation. Oh no - am I a reliable caretaker?  Hmmmm. Questionable. 

Anyway - I hope to see of my PA crew - I've known these ladies since junior high, high school, and college. What a crew

And I'll miss these ladies back  in TX. We'll  have  our pool days in August when I return

Here's an oldie with my sister and dad in NYC. .  Nope - Dad will not be going to NYC or much further than his recliner.  But we'll have laughs at the kitchen table. 

Another batch of friends. We celebrated a birthday, had lots of laughs, and good cheer. 

And then there's Ray.  He'll be my guy booking  my hotels as I drive east. He'll be holding down the fort, attending  Texas Ranger baseball games, and no doubt running amok. 

If anyone sees him doing anything  too crazy....well, let me know if I need to file an insurance claim. 

I'm prepping some posts. I hope you folks have a good  summer month - mid June  to mid July. I plan on eating a cheesesteak or two, some really good pizza, heading  to the shore, and enjoying time with my dad, family, old friends, etc. 

Stay cool, stay safe,  and use sunscreen!