Happy Halloween

 I saw the original Halloween starring Jamie Lee Curtis.  Michael Myers was scary then. I don't think I'll subject myself to him in 2018.

 My parents had me watch Psycho a long time ago. Classic Hitchcock. Creepy, scary, and knife slashing shower scene.

 Scream - amusing

The Spiral Staircase - another super oldie that my folks had me watch a long time ago. Our television was in our basement - the old paneled rec room.  Talk about scary back in the day.

Boo!!!

Happy Halloween. No need to comment.

Monday Mania

Let's have a spook-tacular week

Book Review - Woman in the Window

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn is a taut thriller with shades of Hitchcock and other black and white noir films. What’s up with Anna Fox? She’s a recluse, watches old movies,

chats with her husband and daughter (?), and spies on her neighbors. Does she witness a murder at the Russell home?

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger?  Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one- and nothing – is what it seems. (cover blurb)

This book kept me hooked and questioning Anna. Is she reliable despite drinking a heck of a lot of wine. Did she meet a Jane Russell? Or is the wife of Alistair Russell the real Jane Russell? Is Ethan the innocent confused son?  Lots of questions to answer with a very unreliable source.  What happened to Anna and her family? Oh, that is key to the Woman in the Window.  Will the police, the psychiatrist, the physical therapist, etc be able to piece together answers to this puzzle?

Slick writing, sophisticated suspense. I recommend this book and dare you to piece together the answers. It kept me hooked until the end and then you say “Whoa!”   Enjoy the ride.

Wednesday Wow - Rachmaninov

A friend, Trish, invited me to join her for a night of Rachmaninov and the Fort Worth Symphony.
I couldn't say no. I took an Uber into Fort Worth, basked in the glory of Bass Hall, and soaked in the beauty of classical pianists. I admit I know nothing about classical music. Many refrains of Rachmaninov are no doubt part of movie soundtracks - I could recognize refrains.

The three pianists sounded awesome to my untrained ears. Plenty of dramatic arm flourishes, rapid riffs up and down the keyboard, and the symphony sounded beautiful. I thought the conductor was thoughtful and encouraged the group.

I did read the review in the paper and OMG - I was SO wrong. Apparently the conductor had no clue, the symphony drowned out key elements, and the pianist I liked the most - Yeol Eum Son, was over dramatic and not worthy.

Big sigh.  Best to not know anything.  Just bask in the glory of sound, feel the music, and Uber home content.

Support your local symphony and musicians. Do not over think. Let the music wash over you.

The Old Man and his Gun is a charming movie based on a true story. Forest Tucker liked to rob banks. He was good at it, too, until he got caught and then he was pretty good at escaping prison (including building his own boat and sailing out of San Quentin island). But that’s back story. 1981, We meet Forest (played by the excellent Robert Redford) as a dapper dressed, polite older gentleman robbing banks in Texas, Arkansas, and beyond. He appears elusive until John Hunt (Casey Affleck), a Dallas cop, digs deep to pursue the man. It’s a cat and mouse game, and really fun to watch.

Meanwhile, Forest meets Jewel (the sublime Sissy Spacek). He says he robs banks, but she doesn’t believe him. They meet at a diner when he’s in town, and ultimately spend time chatting and sitting on her lovely ranch front porch. Oh he spins quite a few stories, says only married once a long time ago with no kids. Says he’s a salesman. No matter what, he speaks with a twinkle in his eye and a thoughtful manner. Their screen time together is so pleasant.

So, in ninety minutes you get to meet the bank robber, his buddies (dubbed by the news as The Over the Hill Gang), his lady friend, and the cop. You get the build-up, the behind the scenes planning, the cop figuring out the puzzle, and you root for everyone concerned. Yes, the old man has a gun, but this is not a violent movie. So, sit back, enjoy the ride, watch a masterclass in acting, and enjoy the dialogue and the silence too.  The Old Man and his Gun is quite a true story- you just can’t make this stuff up.

Movie Review Madness - A Star is Born

What doesn’t Bradley Cooper do?  He acts, he flashes that sweet smile and those clear baby blue eyes, and he’s managed to come off as a real nice guy. Now he’s directed his first feature film AND he sings in it. In a 2018 remake of A Star is Born, Cooper is Jackson Mayne, an alcoholic musician with tinnitus, who’s not keeping it together. His brother, Bobby (Sam Elliott), does his best but Jackson is self-destructing. Then one night after a show, in search of a drink, he has his driver stop outside a place. It’s a drag bar, but the young lady featured to sing had been a former server. Everyone is enthralled with Ally’s performance, and Jackson falls hard.  Ally (a superb Lady Gaga) has tried to get in  the business, but she’s unconventional looking. She’s heard the critiques about her nose, etc,  and doesn’t need the verbal abuse.

Of course, in movie world – boy meets girl, boy gets girl up on stage, girl takes the crowd by storm, and conquers the music world very quickly. We watch Ally’s rise and root for her. Lady Gaga can belt a song and can really act too – she’s the real deal. Meanwhile, even though in love, jealousy rears its head. Jackson’s alcoholism is on a collision course with Ally’s success.  A Star is Born is solid. The story has good bones and this version works. The music is current and the singing is excellent. Cooper and Gaga have chemistry. My only usual complaint – it runs a tad long. I think Cooper could have edited or tightened it by fifteen, twenty minutes. Still, I’ll say Bradley Cooper can do it ALL – a director is born! Sing it loud.

Wednesday Wow - State Fair of Texas time

 Gorgeous Friday 10/5/18 at the great State Fair of Texas - 2018.  Ray and I began on the big Ferris wheel.  Whee!!!

 Auto show shiny

 Football rivalry - The Texas Longhorns vs Oklahoma  Sooners coming up that Saturday

 Yes, we ate our Fletcher's corny dogs. That's tradition

Just took a picture of one of the stands featuring a new fried concoction.  I went back to last year's winner - Fat Smooth - a fried beignet. It did not disappoint.

11 am to 7 pm - over 10K steps, and maybe 10K calories.  That's the Wednesday Wow - Texas does it up BIG

Book Review - There There by Tommy Orange

Tommy Orange’s first novel There There is a relentlessly paced multi-generational story about violence and recovery, memory and identity, and the beauty and despair woven into the history of a nation and its people. (cover blurb)

He intertwines twelve characters as they travel to the Big Oakland Pow wow. Each has their reasons – explore traditions, face their heritage, honor family, and question the life and plight of urban Native Americans.  Here is a voice we have never heard – a voice full of poetry and rage, exploding on to the page with stunning urgency and force.  (cover blurb) As a member of the Cheyenne and Apache tribes of Oklahoma, Tommy Orange explores complex history, writes of spirituality, and looks at addictions and abuse as he introduces his characters.  Each character is interesting and complex. They live in a world I’ve not seen, but I’m aware of from current news.

This work of fiction is quite strong, relevant, and thought provoking. I liked his writing and voice and the characters stuck with me even after the final page. There is a There There worth exploring.

Book Review - The Postmistress

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake offers two perspectives on the news in 1940.  First Iris James, as the postmistress in a coastal MA town, takes her duty quite seriously. However, one day, she slips a letter into her pocket, knowing she delays the inevitable but feels it’s for the best. She reads a heartbreaking letter and does not deliver it.  Meanwhile, Frankie Bard broadcasts overseas with Edward R. Murrow. She feels compelled to make sure Americans know what is happening in Europe. She doesn’t want folks to not believe that Nazi Germany is building evil and that it affects the world.

Cover blurb:  The Postmistress is a tale of two worlds – one shattered by violence, the other willfully naïve – of two women whose jobs are to deliver the news, yet who find themselves unable to do so. Through their eyes, and the eyes of everyday people caught in history’s ride, it examines how we tell each other stories, and how we bear the fact of war as we live ordinary lives.

This is a solid story with engaging writing. There’s a love story and a story of survival.   P. 351  A story like a snapshot is caught, held for a moment, then delivered. But the people in them go on and on. And what happens next? What happens?   This book has a sense of urgency and is a worthy read.  Another winner. I’ve been on a roll.

Thanks, Linda Hoffman – a friend, and a reader who shares her excellent finds.  Shout out, my friend!

A Simple Favor is a delicious, twisty turning fun film full of deception, beautiful people , a vlog, surprises, and friends? Anna Kendrick is Stephanie, super single mom who hosts her video blog, makes the best school food treats, and is conservatively eager to please. When son Miles and his friend Nicky beg for a play date, she agrees when Emily, the cold as ice beautiful Blake Lively, invites Stephanie over for a martini. “Momma needs a reset button.”  Oh my! 

Stephanie has never met anyone like Emily, who drinks, curses, wears power clothes, works in the city, has the hot author husband, and dares Stephanie to be bad. Then the phone call, “Can you pick up Nicky and take him after school for a bit? I’m swamped at work.”   One simple favor turns into days…where is Emily?  Stephanie posts her concern on her vlog. Shaun (the luscious Henry Golding) involves the police. What’s going on?  Then a body in a Michigan lake turns out to be Emily – DNA and tattoo match.  End of movie grieving?

Oh no. That was only the beginning. I won’t give more away. Grab the popcorn tub and hang on for a wild ride in suburbia. Good acting. Lots of twists. And several, “Say what?” moments.

Just A Simple Favor…that’s all. 

Tuesday Thought

No, this does not sum up my birthday. I had a splendid Monday and the whole weekend.

This was a sign in front of the Hall of State in Fair Park - Dallas Texas. It's State Fair of Texas time. More pics next week. 

However, this one made me laugh.  Obviously they had a reason to post this. Most museum places say no food, no drink. That's rather clear.  But, no balloons???   Seriously?

Well, the Hall of State is a gorgeous Art Deco building with really high ceilings.  I'm guessing some poor fool came in with a helium balloon and let go.

Dang - just ruined balloons for everyone.

Happy Tuesday.

Birthday Salute to ME

 Today, October 8 - I'm officially truly older than dirt.

 I can remember black and white TV and clicking the three or four channels. I remember red dye and when cereal said "sugared" and meant it.  I remember "smoking" candy cigarettes in the kitchen while Dad had his one Camel.

 Ray and I did marry - Justice of the Peace, in jeans, then a fun party that night.
Picture on the right is my very casual author picture....Maybe I should update it.

And here I am with Ray in Cozumel, cruising onward.....I know less than I did back in the black and white era. Still questioning, still stumbling, still a left-handed, green-eyed gal from PA.  (a damn Yankee in TX)

Assuming I make it to Halloween, I will then have lived longer than my mother. That's mind blowing.

But cheers! I plan on eating chocolate cake and enjoying my whole birthday weekend - Friday and Monday off.  Go to the State Fair, hit a movie, celebrate with friends, and of course, hang with Ray.

Happy Birthday to ME......... Yikes!

Book Review - The Whole Town's Talking

Fannie Flagg has been around forever and her books read like an old friend stopped by to chat. The Whole Town’s Talking is a light breezy read that entertains.

Elmwood Springs, MO is home to the Nordstoms. Lorder moved there from Sweden, farmed, ordered a mail order bride – beloved Katrina, became the town’s first mayor, and chose the place on the hill for the cemetery.  Naturally he was the first to arrive at the resting place. And much to his surprise, he “woke up” and could hear town folk visit his grave. Soon other seniors passed away and joined him. All in all, Flagg keeps us posted through the decades on the folks who are alive and prospering, and the folks who die. Some pass too young – boys who went to Vietnam. Some arrive and are annoyed that they still have to hear the town talk (old man Henderson). Some arrive at the cemetery, participate, and then suddenly leave.

She mixes real life history with Elmwood Springs growth, and we enjoy the company of the founders, their offspring, and their grandchildren. This is Americana at its best – chatty, catty, generous, patriotic, and greedy. The author knows people and keeps her sense of humor as she regales us with town talk.  The Whole Town’s Talking is just plain fun – a good read on a rainy day that will keep you chuckling as you turn the pages.  After a few chapters, go stroll through your neighborhood and find something or someone to talk about. Make sure it’s good or juicy!  Enjoy.

Wednesday Wow - more Cruise/ Cozumel Moments

 I like looking at the wake....zooming along at 20 knots or so

 Quaint charm in Cozumel

 Lush greenery thanks to a daily rain

and can't go wrong with a gorgeous sea sunrise

Happy Wednesday....now look ahead to the weekend

Book Review - The Other Woman

The Other Woman by Daniel Silva

(cover blurb) She was his best kept secret – a mysterious Frenchwoman begins work on a dangerous memoir. It is a story of a man she once loved in the Beirut of old, and a child taken from her in treason’s name. The woman is the keeper of the Kremlin’s most closely guarded secret. Long ago, the KGB inserted a mole into the heart of the West – a mole who stands on the doorstep of ultimate power.

And of course who shall come to the rescue of civilization?  Gabriel Allon -  art restorer, assassin, chief of Israel secret intelligence – is back to reluctantly join in a quest to thwart treason, restore global order, and of course, arrive home safe to the arms of his lovely Italian wife, Chiara, and their twins. Gabriel is getting older, more world weary, and yet those deep green eyes burn when there are wrongs to be righted.

Daniel Silva knows how to keep pages turning. Double crosses. Twists. World travel locations. Whirlwind espionage with the strongest cast of characters around. I’ve written plenty of Silva reviews on this blog. Add The Other Woman to my list of compelling reads. Silva is scary current with a pulse on our fragile world situation. Reading his work is like having the key to our future. Now, who’s our Gabriel Allon? He can conquer the bad guys…gotta love fiction. (or scary truth?)  Enjoy!