Friday 5ive- July 2, 2021

Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly blog post featuring five things that caught my attention this week. I took last week off because we were in Florida with friends, having a wonderful time. The weather was perfect, sunshine and warmth. We return to NYC and it was 95+ degrees for four days! Here now, the Florida edition of the Friday 5ive:

1) Numerous people have told us that the Beach Bistro restaurant on Anna Maria Island is a fabulous restaurant. We decided to celebrate our anniversary there, and it was everything we were told it would be. They gave us a lovely table right by the window, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. It's more than a dinner, it is an experience. They started us with a shooter vodka cocktail and a small scoop of vanilla praline ice cream. There are four courses after that, the most interesting was Roberto's Farm Salad, pictured below. It came with mixed greens, roasted vegetables (the butternut squash was so tender and delicious), grilled fruit (strawberries, blueberries), a small ball of mozzarella drizzled with balsamic glaze, and topped with a scoop of lemon sorbet. You may think this combination sounds strange, but it worked so well together. We will be returning soon.

2) We replanted a firecracker bush two years at our Florida house and this is the first time we have been there to see it in full bloom. It's so pretty!

3)  We took the boat out for a sunset dinner cruise with pizza from Venezia restaurant and a bottle of Caymus Cabernet. It was gorgeous evening, and there were dolphins following alongside the boat. They must have heard how good the pizza was. 

4)  While the guys golfed, the ladies headed to the Longboat Key Resort beach club. The water was so warm, and the rum punch was so refreshing. My friend took this great photo of the beach club.

5) I didn't do a lot of reading, just two books. The first was Emilie Richards' novel, The House Guests (my full review is here), about Cassie, a woman who invites a stranger, Amber, and Amber's teenage son to move in to her home with her and her teenage stepdaughter. The two woman slowly form a friendship and we learn that Amber is on the run from someone and Cassie's deceased husband spent all of their money and was involved in something she knew nothing about. It's such a great book, wonderful characters with an intriguing storyline. 

I continued with Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series of spy novels set in England during the Napoleonic War with The Temptation of the Night Jasmine. Once again we have swashbuckling action, spies, and a romance between Robert, a Duke just returned from India wanting to avenge the murder of his superior officer by a comrade, and Charlotte, a bookworm who loves romance novels. One of the most interesting plot points involves King George III, who, if you only know him from Hamilton, is a somewhat different person here. I am so enjoying these delightful novels and the monthly Facebook Live discussions with Lauren Willig and special guests.

I hope you all have a very enjoyable 4th of July holiday!

Friday 5ive- April 30, 2021

Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly blog post featuring five things that caught my attention this week.

Can you believe it's the last day of April already?

1)  Walking home from midtown, we saw this lovely lighted floral display on the exterior of Van Cleef & Arpels on Fifth Avenue. It really brightens up the corner.

2) While running errands, I spotted this interesting (?) display in a store window of clowns in ferris wheel. I was just talking with a friend about her collection of clowns, but I don't think hers were like these Stephen King-type of clowns in the window. 

3)  Author Lauren Willig is hosting a monthly read along of her wonderful historical fiction/romance/spy Pink Carnation series, and this week it was a discussion of the third book, The Deception of the Emerald Ring. Author Eloisa James, whose six book historical romance series, The Wildes of Lindow Castle, is equally enjoyable, was the special guest host, and the conversation between the two was fascinating and educational. They also added to all of the attendees To-Be-Read pile with their callbacks of books that influenced their writing. The Deception of the Emerald Ring is my favorite of the series so far (perhaps the Irish setting had something to do with it), I so enjoyed the snappy dialogue between Letty and Geoff.  You can watch the discussion on Lauren Willig's Facebook page here.

4)  I really enjoyed watching the NBC comedy series, Kenan, starring SNL star Kenan Thompson. Kenan plays a widowed dad of two young daughters, and the host of a local Atlanta TV morning talk show. Don Johnson is so funny as his father-in-law who lives with Kenan and helps with the girls. Throw in SNL star Chris Redd as Kenan's live-in brother and manager, and you've got a fresh, funny take on Full House. Kenan has been in television since he was a teenager (remember Kenan & Kel on Nickolodeon in the late 90s?) and he is so completely charming and at ease on camera. The bro chemistry between Johnson and Redd is hilarious, and I hope we get to see more of Fortune Feimster as reporter on the talk show in season two, she always adds such fun to any show she is on. You can catch Kenan on Peacock TV, and it's a free app. You'll laugh at the snappy, witty dialogue. 

5)  I've done a lot of reading this week.  My favorite read of the week is Damhnait Monaghan's charming debut novel, New Girl in Little Cove, about a young woman who moves from Toronto to the tiny Newfoundland town of Little Cove to teach high school French. It's a mashup of the Broadway show Come From Away, TV's Schitt's Creek and Netflix's Derry Girls. I just adored this feel-good story, my full review will publish here on May 4th.  

I hope you all stay safe, socially distant when necessary, wash your hands, and follow all the health guidelines for your area, including wearing masks when required. More and more of us are getting vaccinated and we're moving towards a return to the life we all miss.