yes, in October - the rainy season. More on that later.
But it's also the best time for the northern lights.
Here you go. Hotel Siglo. 25 miles from the Arctic Circle. Called us at 10.30 pm - "There's activity."
Ya think? holy cow. Totally mind blowing
You are welcome!!!
Now, in the coming weeks, you must live through a lot of waterfalls.......
Just saying....
Iceland is exotically cold, rainy, beautiful, and fantastic. Enjoy
Let's have a flashback to my Dad. He's been gone two years now.
I missed him on my birthday, and many other days.
Sigh
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.
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!
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.
Longwood Gardens is a delight.
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.
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.
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?
Here we are - me with David and Lori at the Upper Bucks County Historical Society. Catching up on ancient history.
BUT. Whitney singing "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton. Now, that was a wow of a song.
Dolly in movies - 9 to 5, Steel Magnolias - absolutely
And as I aged, I appreciated reading interviews about her. Smart, funny, clever, creative. A superb businesswoman who cared about people.
Her Inspiration Library - another WOW of a humble use of her money. The gift of a book to a child opens a world of possibilities. And, of course, her contribution to science - funding for the COVID vaccine to save lives.
Dolly Parton - RIP at age 80. We were lucky to have her around and her legacy will live on - a genuinely good person.
Poor kid - traumatized by the summer of 2026.
Hope you folks are not in tears, unless it's tears of joy or laughter. I'm having fun back east.
Stay cool. Find a pool float!
An anonymous client, crazy money, total discretion. What could go wrong?
cover blurb - Maggie does her job in this realm of unspeakable opulence. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself - or she will be the next one who is..
gone...before...goodbye.
Yikes!
This is a total fun summer pool kind of read. Brain candy for the summer heat. Enjoy!
Tookie, the bookstore owner, spent time in prison. Her first book from a teacher was a dictionary. She looked up the word "sentence" after being sentenced to sixty years. The word "sentence" sounds so easy and yet proved to be a challenge.
Erdrich writes of rich characters and complex emotions. It's well written and interesting with the comings and going in a bookstore, with the added bonus of Flora who's seeking attention by knocking books off shelves, sending signals from her afterlife. There is a lot of emotion involved, flashbacks to prison time, plus the Covid year conditions. Well done!
Francisco is a local fisherman who hates the foreign powers involved.
His son, Omar, chooses to work for the canal dig. Oops - family drama.
A huge contingent of foreign workers arrive - eager for the work, and the money. There's Omar. There's Ada from Barbados - she needs money for her sister's surgery.
So many stories. Henriquez brings this to life through her characters.
cover blurb: This book explores the intersecting lives of activists, fishmongers, laborers, journalists, neighbors, doctors, and soothsayers. History carved its course. Lots to acknowledge in the process.
A very good read!
Now these seats on the 200 level are $60 and parking is $30. Say what? Yes - that's nuts. But we have fun. Alas, the Minnesota Lynx had all the answers. Our Paige Bueckers (awesome) and Azzy Fudd did not. We lost. But we had a good time on a Sunday afternoon.
A fitting finale to our walking tour of the Fort worth botanic gardens. I hope you enjoyed the stroll.
Fresh air and fun for the eyes. Summer joy is in your town - venture forth and enjoy.
Ray and I enjoyed our stroll!
And the Botanic Garden itself is gorgeous. So full of eye-popping fun.
Stay tuned - there's way more. Enjoy.
