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.
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!
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.
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!
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')
Okay, I dare you. Let's see what we all achieve this summer.....
Anyway - I hope to see of my PA crew - I've known these ladies since junior high, high school, and college. What a crew
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!
Louise Erdrich based this book on her grandfather, a night watchman who battled the government for Native American rights, to stop a new "emancipation" bill in 1953 and protect the Chippewa Nation - its land and identity.
I admit I am not up on Native American issues, but this book, though fiction based on facts and real lives, opened my eyes. Cover blurb - How can the government abandon treaties made in good faith 'for as long as the grasses shall grow, and the rivers run?'
Meet Thomas, the night watchman at the local jewel bearing plant. This is a man of good stead, good heart, and a truly wise man with faith that truth will bear out. He's a thinker and truly takes his time to research and find the truth. Pixie (Patrice) Paranteau is a hard worker with a tough family life. She's trying to find her lost sister, a child, and dives deep into city exploitation, violence, and danger as a Native American woman.
This book grapples with (cover blurb) the worst and best of human impulses, illuminates loves and lives, desires and ambitions, and does it all with compassion, wit, and intelligence.
I truly admire Erdrich's literary talents and her deep dive into characters. The Night Watchman is a book club hit. Lots of food for thought and more to explore from Erdrich's rich writing achievements.
She reminds me incredibly of my grandmother. I truly believe she has been a steward and loyal servant to the crown. Duty to her country. Very admirable.
And she has a sense of humor. The clip with her and Paddington Bear was priceless.
She's frail and I do fear for her health. Meanwhile, I salute her.
Cheers all on a Friday.
Find your next adventure in your own backyard (i.e. within an hour's drive, I bet)
And our final reward for our trail treks. Once back in the car, we drove into Cleburne and found a really tasty Tex-Mex place - La Fiesta. Mmmm. enchiladas for me. Fajitas for Ray.
Once home, it was siesta time. Perfect day.
Splendid time walking and certainly gave Ray's new knee a challenge. It was up to the task.
Go find your nearest state park - it's worth a trip. Restrooms are clean. Paths are easy enough to figure out on the map. Fresh air, my friends. Clears the head.
Part 2 of our adventure on Wednesday.
It's 1954 and Emmett Watson (18) has returned to Nebraska after a stint at a juvenile work farm. His father has passed, the family farm is foreclosed. Emmett has his little brother, Billy (8) and his Studebaker, plus some cash that his father had hidden. Time to hit the road for California. Emmett's plan is to find an old home, fix it up, and sell it and keep moving up with real estate. Billy's goal is find the mother that left them years ago.
Speaking of hidden, turns out two friends from the work farm, Duchess and Woolly managed to sneak in a ride to Nebraska. The big plan is to go to New York, get Woolly's family fortune, split the money, and then move on. Duchess is the schemer, working the deals, paying back both good and bad. Woolly's a sensitive soul who came from money and has drifted through the world lost, but with a life code. Emmett's got the burden of the world on his shoulders and needs to be the leader and a voice of reason. Little Billy turns out to be a grounding factor for all and at times the most level headed.
The author gives backstories and weaves the past, present, and future together with the Lincoln Highway (a road that starts in Times Square NY and finishes in San Francisco, CA) to provide an incredible tale. I loved this book, the characters; I worried for them; I laughed with them; I feared for them; and I was very sad when I finished The Lincoln Highway. I just wasn't ready to exit the vehicle.
Tom Cruise nailed it for Memorial Weekend. Top Gun Maverick is action packed adventure, nostalgia, and just hot shot edge of your seat zoom zoom effects. Ray said he felt clenched at times. I was wishing I took some Dramamine.
This movie is the right mix of some looking back (oh Goose, oh those young guys - Iceman, Maverick, etc. ), and also current day. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is still "just" a Captain. So what? He's the BEST. Don't think, just fly. Oh, he's still annoying higher ups (Jon Hamm), and yes Iceman (Val Kilmer) - now Admiral of the Pacific Fleet has kept Maverick in the loop and in a job. They handle Val Kilmer's current life condition (throat cancer, etc) well and dang, that's a bit of a sniffle.
And now Goose's son, Rooster (an excellent Miles Teller) is in the mix for a top mission but of course there's some bad blood issues. Gee - do you think there's some drama? Oh yeah.
Jennifer Connelly is the love interest and it's good to see her on screen. She's pretty, age appropriate, and holds her own in scenes.
I won't give the plot but you can count on Maverick (Tom Cruise) to save the day. (no Huge plot surprise). Just go. Enjoy.!!! Bask in the big screen and a perfect movie to get us excited about movies again.
Hello Summer Blockbusters!
