Finally Friday - Fall Flashback

2011 - Arboretum adventure

Purples were popping

Overlooking White Rock Lake

A Great Pumpkin?

Fall color blast

I'm on hiatus now - many adventures to show later.  

Meanwhile, enjoy this fall flavor and have a super weekend
 

Whatever Wednesday - Fall Galore

October is pumpkin time at the Dallas Arboretum.  This is from 2009.  I'm doing some flashbacks, since I'm prepping for a short hiatus. 

Enjoy pumpkin-palooza

fall firecracker reds

Pumpkin house tradition

 

Monday Moments - Birthday cousins - flashback

 Mark and I were born four days apart.  Our mothers were in the same hospital room.  My birthday was Thursday the 8th, Mark's is today.  Here we are with our great grandmother. 

Ancient history. 

We stay in touch now via Facebook. He and his wife have been in Oregon, but I think they are now in AZ with grandkids.  

Flashback Fun

Finally Friday - Party since Thursday

 

Thursday (yesterday) was my birthday.  I won't say how many candles. It's a lot. 

It was a very nice day.  A walk. Water aerobics (the whole water class sang Happy Birthday).  

Lunch at 54th  Street - I love the Havana Club sandwich and fries.  Plus, I got my "free" birthday dessert - caramel cheesecake. Yum.  Thanks Ray!

Now, I declare it birthday weekend.  My excitement on Friday is my semi-annual med check doctor visit. May I refuse to weigh in?  There should be a birthday excuse allowed. 

Nothing else special is occurring, but I'm basking in the glow of all my candles (in my head). 

Feel free to treat yourselves to something special and you may thank me and say, "Hey, it's okay. It's Joanne's birthday weekend. "  Enjoy. 

Whatever Wednesday - Jaclyn Smith memoir

 cover blurb - From Charlie's Angels star, miniseries queen, and businesswoman Jaclyn Smith comes a heartfelt memoir chronicling the making of a global phenomenon and her story beyond the screen. 

1976 - Charlie's Angels ushered in a tv revolution. It featured three single female detectives. The stories revolved around fighting crime, not around supporting men.

Jaclyn Smith became a household name as Kelly Garrett in a tiny white bikini. But prior to that she danced on Broadway and was a commercial actress. A Breck Girl.  Max Factor cosmetics. She was a Texas girl  with  a dream, a lot of  ambition, and a willingness to say yes and work hard to learn her craft. 

This memoir is very pleasant to read. Smith seems fairly down to earth and very aware of her skill set. She presents humble but hard driven. Fortunately she came from  a very loving family - two caring parents and an older brother. That's unusual in the brutal Hollywood business.  There's a  lot I didn't know about her or had forgotten. She forged a huge brand partnership with K-Mart back before that was a real thing. She took the design work seriously and truly wanted women to  look good at a decent price.

Acting, entrepreneurship, a breast cancer fight, some marriages, and two  loved children - Jaclyn Smith writes it all down.  Plus she emphasizes her long term friendships with her original Angels - Kate Jackson and  the late Farrah Fawcett.  I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie is a very fun glimpse into a global star. 

Monday Moments - Into the Blue by Emma Brodie

 Into the Blue by Emma Brodie is an entertaining read with relatable characters and quite  the drama. 

In 2000, AJ Graves wants to work for SNL, but is stuck in a video store. Noah Drew ends up working with her. Why is this rich kid from the Drew acting dynasty slumming it in small town MA.  There's a crazy bond - first friends, then acting with his aunt Eudora as a coach.  She's from a cult favorite sci-fi show.

Fast forward to 2017 and AJ is hired to be in a reboot series of that sci-fi show. Who  walks in? Noah - now a Hollywood heartthrob.   cover blurb - As their on-screen characters grow closer every day, the lines between reality and acting begin  to blur.  They must confront the truth of what happened long ago - and face the devastating secret that will  send their lives careening apart. 

Brodie writes a compelling story filled with chemistry, yearning, and quite a journey.  AJ really has to dig deep to forge her success, while orbiting the Noah Drew magnetism. 

Finally Friday - John of John by Douglas Stuart

 John of John by Douglas Stuart was a slow start read that accelerated into a "must recommend to all". 

John-Calum Macleod (he goes by Cal) takes the  ferry home after an art school education.  Home is the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. Nothing has changed at his childhood home. His father, John, is a sheep farmer, tweed weaver, and lay preacher. He's also dismayed by Cal's long hair, strange clothes, and unwillingness to be SAVED (cover blurb)

Thank goodness for grandmother Ella, a cursing Glaswegian whose steady warmth helped Cal weather the sudden departure of his mother. (cover) 

Cal has a secret. 

John Sr. has a secret

cover  blurb - John of John is a singular novel about duty, passion, and the transformative power of truth. I admit I ended up surprised and pulled into the stories of both father and son. Quite the surprises. 

The book is powerful and well written. 

Here's an example of a delicious sentence:

And he could see, at the rocky cold bottom of her smile, pooling like syrup at the bottom of a sundae, she was storing, savoring, the delicious taste of revenge. 

Mic drop...........oh yeah.  So damn good.  This book is a treat and will surprise you, I promise. 

Whatever Wednesday - Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead

 Here's the third in his Harlem trilogy, and Cool Machine by Colson  Whitehead does not disappoint. 

cover blurb - This story roves all over NYC from Windows on the World to Sugar Hill, to show that in  New York and the lives of Whitehead's vivid characters, it's what's below the surface that reveals the truth. 

1981 - Ray Carney - business owner/ master fence has just been named Sterling Furniture's Northeast Regional Dealer of the Month.  His wife, Elizabeth, needs a loan for her new travel agency. The banks refuse her, so Ray gambles on one last heist.  It's always one more.... uh oh

1983 - Pepper, Carney's buddy and partner in crime, is feeling his age. But he takes on a bodyguard gig as a favor to Elizabeth. The art/club scene prove problematic, but Pepper knows the language of violence. 

1986  Carney has a chance to rescue his dead cousin Freddie's son.  But he's sworn he was going to stay straight.  Oops. One more deal with Pepper. Everything has to go down smooth.  Will it?

I love Colson Whitehead's writing. He's just so cool. He's funny. He creates the perfect Harlem/ NYC vibe. 

example A per me:   Ray's meeting a guy

You did not lam it in a second rate pizza joint. More unforgivable, their slices exhibited low structural integrity when folded and thirty seconds after hitting the paper plate bled out orange grease. It was shameful to pass through their doors. 

Treat yourself to some time with Ray Carney, Pepper, and quite a cast of characters. And find a decent slice of pizza while reading.  Enjoy!

Monday Moments - Look Around and Up

 A quick Monday reminder to wander, look around, and explore.  The Philly airport often has displays to catch the eye. They feature some artists, or just a colorful balloon display. 

 and when you do sit down to wait for your plane, don't just stare at your phone.

Look Up

This nice message made me smile - Shine Anyway

That's your goal  today - muddle along and shine.  September is almost over and the final quarter of 2026 begins on  Thursday.  Yikes!

Finally Friday - The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley

 Flavia de Luce is back, as well as her sister Ophelia, and Dogger the estate gardener. It's fall in Bishop's Lacey, England but not quiet. Ophelia is to be wed and there's excitement in the air. 

back blurb: Flavia muses, "A church is a wonderful place for a wedding, surrounded as it is by legions of the dead, whose listening bones bear silent witness to every promise made at the altar."

Flavia, age twelve, is an expert in poisons, and has amazing detection skills. Dogger has his own skills and secrets, and helps Flavia in her endeavors. Her first case is a doozy - there's a human finger in Ophelia's wedding cake.    What?  Who? Why?

Alan Bradley delivers quite a journey for answers in The Golden Tresses of the Dead.  It's a hoot to read. 

Whatever Wednesday - The Odyssey

 Better late than never to review  The Odyssey.    WOW - fantastic movie. 

I was hesitant due to the running time of 3 hours.  Sounded like a slog. Nowadays, I find some editing needs to be done. Whatever made me think I should question the director, Christopher Nolan? He knew what he was doing. 

So, on a steamy hot Sunday - 9/6/26 - I decided to spend my hours in an airconditioned movie theater. Time well spent.  The cinematography is gorgeous. The acting is tremendous. The story moves along well. Each travel chapter brought back memories from my honors English class in high school.  I was never big into Greek mythology, but retained enough to appreciate this film effort. 

Matt Damon is our hero, Odysseus. He is perfect in this role.  Tom Holland as his son, Telemachus, is very good. Anne Hathaway is Penelope, wife and mother. It's a quieter but important role.  She has faith that her husband will come home and staves off the suitors circling for power.  John Leguiziamo as Eumaeus, the blind seer, is tremendous (very worthy, I think, of a supporting actor nomination).  There is a much deeper cast who play Athena (Zendaya), Calypso (Charlize Theron), and more - all integral to Odysseus fights, and travels to return home. 

Big thumbs up and highly recommended.  

Monday Moments - Hagley Museum

One final memory batch from my summer trip back east.  The Hagley Museum in Wilmington DE. 

The visitor center housed exhibitions featuring diverse stories of American innovation

Brandywine River offered water power for the production of gun powder

Pollinator garden

Water works area

Historic barn - weather vanes, a cooper shop, wagons, carriages, and antique vehicles on display

 Eleutherian Mills Residence - Ancestral du Pont family home

The grounds were gorgeous and the walking tour was very interesting.   The Powder Yard had an orientation center, the roll mills, 19th century working  machine shop, and black powder explosion demonstration. 

Excellent preservation of history.  My sister and I were there for a few hours and didn't see everything. (We got hungry and voted to leave for lunch - a yummy cheesesteak sandwich)

Wonderful day in Delaware. 

Finally Friday - Gooey Cinnamon Bun

so  - I know this is old news.  So much crap happens so  fast.  But remember when you know who got on another plane due to a possible threat?  But he let the regular original plane with his flunkies (department staff like our Secretary of State, Marco Rubio) and news folks, worthy journalists go ahead and fly.    ???  

Like, holy crap.  Frankly, day to day, I often feel as I read the news, that we are all on  that  decoy plane daily.  We are plugging  along, and so much out of  control stupid stuff is happening.  There are no adults in charge of  the mission, at this juncture.  America.  The United States of America is out of control and no one is steering. 

Thus - this gooey cinnamon bun from  Mario's Bakery  in Collingswood NJ is worthy of every bite.

Forget a diet.  Forget sugar.  Considering the world we live in - YOU deserve a very gooey cinnamon bun.  I can promise you....this was melt in the mouth yummy.  

What...Me... Worry?   nah....
 

Whatever Wednesday - Longwood Lily Pads

You gotta explore the new conservatory area and see the giant lily pads. 

You feel like you could scamper across the pond on these lily steps....

or sail away......

so  pretty

 quite magical

Longwood  Gardens is a delight. 

Monday Moments - Longwood Gardens 2026

Every year now, when I visit my sister in Delaware, we head to Longwood Gardens in PA.  She's a member and we can explore the gardens and then enjoy their nightly fountain  show.  This year the theme was Animated Music.  At  9:30 pm, the fountains light up to music and water dance to the music. There are also arcs of water with fire.  It's awesome.   

Meanwhile - here's some August garden glory

This is not part of the fountain show.  

Every corner is magical as we stroll the grounds
 

And me against a huge hedge. 

Plan to stay a few hours to stroll and explore. 

Finally Friday - September 11 2001

9/11/2001 

 Every year, this date just sears the soul.  Ray and I had been in NYC the  week or so before. We had enjoyed baseball - Mets and Yankees, US Open Tennis, Broadway shows, a tour of the World Trade Tower, and so much more.  We  had walked amongst the thousands of New Yorkers just living their lives.  

We  flew back to Texas on September 1st.    2001

Then, a sunny Tuesday, as I drove  to work my radio station KISS FM 106.1 reported a plane flying into a  trade center tower.  Say what?

Got to  work, and our small group gathered around a black and white tv.  Then we watched, with horror, the towers fall. 

chills, sadness, scared, amazement and awe, just every emotion possible and the question....why?.....how?.....now what......?

so much changed

and so much more could change, needs to  change.  Do  we learn from history?  

9/11/2001  Never Forgotten

Whatever Wednesday - Baldwin Book Barn and bonus beach day

Here's the  Baldwin Book Barn in West Chester PA.  It  is a real old barn - very cool. 

and it houses over 300, 000 books.  Yes, you read that right.  Five floors of well curated used books. 

Pick a category, any category and you'll find a treasure. 

Here's the fifth floor just to  give you an idea

Very nifty old barn door

Outside view.  This was SO cool to wander.  Every coffee table book imaginable is here.  

I did not spend money because I was flying and I've been downsizing my collection.  But oh, this was so tempting.  It would be a great place to come do research for any weird topic. 

 And then Tuesday - beach day at Rehoboth Beach.  Gorgeous day.  BUT  - big alert - jellyfish water. Oh yuk - so  damn creepy.  Walking along the waves, you had to really watch  to not step on anything gunky. 

Still worth it - just sat and watched the waves, the seagulls, and cute kids making sand castles. 

Plus - bonus pizza on the boardwalk AND ice cream.   Treat day

 Books and beach - does life get any better? 

Monday Moments - Retired, No Labor Here

It's Labor Day Monday.  I respect all worker bee fights for pay, etc.  However, I'm grateful to be retired and not in the game. Whew!    

So let's continue enjoying my summer adventures - here's a very tall sequoia tree at the Tyler Arboretum. I enjoyed a visit there in  August with my sister. 

and then brunch with Lori.   She is the BEST

cool mural in West Chester

and a little bird's next tree house there. 

fun findings as we wandered. 

Hope you've had a great weekend and good luck on Tuesday with Back to Work.  I'll  just be back to yoga and my regular YMCA schedule.  Rah!

Finally Friday - Tyler Arboretum in PA

More August fun with Lori

A morning stroll at the Tyler Arboretum in PA.   Big chair, little sister
 

Tree house view

a gnome in an old tree trunk

a child of the corn - ME!