This jaunt was a highlight of our trip - and it was only day two!
Happy April! No foolin'
Let's visit the Arenal Volcano region first. We walked on the black volcanic ash sand, and saw huge boulders that were spewed by the power. Last eruption was 1968.
Stay tuned - plenty more on the way
Ray and I were in Costa Rica. Now, I am playing catch-up.
As a travel teaser, here's a red-eyed frog we saw on a night walk. He's a little friendly fellow, not to be confused with the red poison dart frog.
More pics and descriptions to come. Costa Rica is gorgeous. Lots of variety in the nature and regions. From rainforest to cloud forest to volcano and finally beach - I'll be bringing you plenty of posts.
I'll also catch up and read your blogs. Until then, this frog has his eyes on YOU, my friends.
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid brings to life the intensity of the NASA Space shuttle program.
Joan Goodwin has been obsessed by the stars forever. She's admitted to the 1980 Houston's Johnson Space Center along with exceptional candidates - Hank, Griff, Lydia, Donna, and Vanessa Ford. They all bring varying skills.
Unlikely friends. We watch them prepare for their first flights and learn to trust each other. Joan also finds a love she never imagined.
December 1984 - a mission changes it all (life as Joan knows it) in an instant.
Reid truly sets a great backdrop, offers us interesting characters, and a very real plot line.
What can happen beyond the limits? Read and find out.
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Onward to Wuthering Heights starring Margot Robbie as Catherine and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. This is NOT your ancient Sir Lawrence Olivier version. This is a bit more heaving bosoms and innuendo. I'm not sure if Emily Bronte, the author, would approve.
The filming and photography were gorgeous. Margot and Jacob had chemistry. He was suitably brooding and the moors were enshrouded in mist.
My group had mixed reactions. One cried at the end over unrequited love. One preferred the old black and white film. I was mixed. I would have edited it quite a bit. I'm not a prude, but there were parts that were unnecessary.
I remember reading the book a long, long time ago, but truly did not remember the story line. I will say Catherine annoyed me quite a bit. Oh well, it will go to streaming soon enough. I do not think you need to pay for the theater. I enjoyed the afternoon with the ladies and that counted for a lot.
Happy Friday the 13th (again! remember February). Hope you have a good weekend.
cover blurb - Seventeen year old Phoebe Hudson was never interested in her birth family. But on the cusp of her high school graduation, her adoptive mother, Greta, insists on a visit to meet her biological parents and siblings. The encounter is a jolt, a revelation that derails Phoebe.
Hamilton takes us on Phoebe's journey. She runs away to her friend Patrick's home - the Asylum. She can blend in with his thirteen siblings. This adolescent rebellion soon spirals into a whirlwind of transformation and self-discovery.
Phoebe questions everything. Is her friend Luna really looking out for her? What of Patrick's brothers? Musical prodigies and they are impressed with Phoebe's piano skills. As the variations of music calm her, the variations in her life prove to be quite a path of choices.
I really enjoyed this book. Phoebe is a strong protagonist. She is conflicted at that age and yet growing wiser by the page. The author weaves a musical theme and there are appropriate crescendos.
p. 315 phoebe reflecting back on those days: What I wanted more than anything was for a single composition of his (Bach) to exist past the end of Earth. .... Eventually note by note new creatures would begin to understand that the universal principle, the one true principle for any world, for every world, was inside the music.
Our feet were tired but our eyes were full after this fun adventure. Thanks for riding along.
zoom zoom and fly away with Pegasus
Go support local museums!
As you can tell, this was a fun place. More to come in the next post.
He's a member of a literary rock band with Stephen King, et al. As the son of Midwesterners, he learned a most important lesson: Never take anything too seriously, especially yourself. This laughter filled book is proof that he learned that lesson well. (cover blurb)
It's hard to give an example here of his humor because it's kind of the whole flow of stories he is telling. But his last column began: There comes a time in the life of every writer when he asks himself - as Shakespeare, Tolstoy, and Hemingway all surely asked themselves - if he has any booger jokes left in him.
I want to stop before I join the hordes of people who think I used to be funnier.
This memoir, Dave at age 77, still has the laughs and self deprecation. It's worth a look and a chuckle.
The Arlington Museum of Art has a very large show featuring all things GOT. Costumes, swords, film clips. It goes deep with each family and kingdom. If it comes to your town, I recommend visiting the exhibits.
It was fun to peruse the exhibits and remember.
