Friday 5ive- May 26, 2023

Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly post featuring five things that caught my attention this week. I can't believe that it is Memorial Day weekend already, where does the time go?

1) My husband had a conference in Orlando this week and the Spouses Program hosted a trip to the Kennedy Space Center. It was fascinating, we got to see massive rockets, a space shuttle, and the actual Mission Control  Firing Room for the Apollo 8 mission. That was thrilling reliving history.

The actual Mission Control display

2)  I was asked to lead a book discussion for Laura Dave's The Last Thing He Told Me for the Spouses Program. Called Books & Bubbles (cute name!), we had tasty mimosas while we had an insightful discussion of the book and the Apple TV+ miniseries adaptation starring Jennifer Garner. She's very good in the series, I highly recommend the book and the series.

3) I received two lovely gifts this week. The first is a beautiful bookmark created by Donald Simon, a non-speaking artist who has autism. I love the colors, it makes me smile just to look at it. The second is a charming book necklace handcrafted by Peg & Awl, Philadelphia artists. I will be wearing this to a book event next week. 

4) I was able to catch an online presentation of The William Morrow Fall 2023 Fall Fiction Showcase . Eight authors spoke briefly about their novels, and each one was so interesting I added them all to my TBR list. Nina Simons' Mother Daughter Murder Night is about three generations of women who get together to solve a murder for fun, you know like you do with your Grandma and Mom. This one intrigues me a great deal. Sam Rebelein was inspired by Bruce Coville and R.L. Stine as a youngster, and his book Edenville is a "scary fun romp through urban legends" acccording to him. Yomi Adegoke's debut novel The List tackles the MeToo movement, social media, lies, secrets and the internet, as a young woman must comes to terms with the fact that her boyfriend's name is on a list of men accused of bad behavior towards women. Jean Kwok's new novel, The Leftover Woman, is a "love letter to motherhood". When a Chinese woman gives birth and is told her daughter died, she later discovers that her husband sold the baby to a United States couple, and she goes in search of her lost daughter. This one sounds so good! Sandra Newman's Julia is a feminist retelling of the classic George Orwell book 1984 from the perspective of Winston's girlfriend Julia. Tim O'Brien's new book America Fantastica is a road trip novel that goes from August 2019- August 2020 and deals with Covid lockdowns, a presidential election, and the welcoming of Neo Nazis. He says it's not political, it's fun.  Lola Akimade Akerstrom 's Everything Is Not Enough shares the story of three young women navigating "life, love and lust" in Sweden. It deals with the meaning of "forgiveness, grace, and gratitude". Ariel Djanikian's The Prospectors is a historical novel about two sisters who leave California for the Klondike during the Gold Rush. This one is for fans of  Amanda Coplin's The Orchardist (like me.) You can watch the entire presentation here.

5) Along with the rest of the world, I was saddened by the death of Tina Turner. I got to see her on her Private Dancer tour in the 1980's with my best friend Lisa, and it was a my first (un)official date with my now-husband at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. It was an amazing show, and she was such an inspiration to so many artists. She was a true original, there was no one like her. I saw the Broadway show based on her life, which was phenomenal, and if you haven't seen the documentary on her life on HBOMax, do so now. When Mattel created a Tina Turner doll, I got one right away, that's the kind of serious fan I am. Rest in peace Queen.

Have a great Memorial Day holiday, summer is on the way. Until next time.

Friday 5ive- November 18, 2022

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

1) The guys in my husband's family were on their annual golf trip in Florida this week and while they were at a restaurant at dinner, they ran into Frank Thomas, retired first baseman for the Chicago White Sox. While this is interesting enough, what makes it crazy is that Thomas is my younger son's all-time favorite athlete. Thomas is the reason my son's favorite team is the White Sox (instead of the NY Yankees or NY Mets, hometown teams). When he sent me a text saying that Thomas was in the restaurant, I thought he was pulling my leg until he sent a photo. The group hung out at the bar with Thomas and said what a nice guy he was. It's always wonderful when someone you've looked up to your entire life turns out to be everything you hoped. A million to one odds he'd be at the same restaurant as my son, a million to one odds Jerry. (Seinfeld reference)

2) Next weekend would have been my dear friend Lisa's birthday. She was my best friend during my college years, and we had so many unforgettable times (and probably some we did forget due to too much alcohol haha). One of those times was when I went up to stay with her at her family's camp on Hadlock Pond, and we went to see Tina Turner in concert at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. We danced and sang along, and had so much fun. Lisa's laugh was so contagious and her smile lit up a room. When I saw that Mattel was releasing a Tina Turner Barbie doll, I ordered it and  now it sits on my shelf. Every time I see it, it reminds of my friend and all of the great times we had. I really miss her.

3)  My Broadway tour continued this week with a trip to see the revival of Into the Woods. The cast for this amazing Stephen Sondheim show is a who's who of some of the most talented Broadway performers-  Stephanie J. Block and Brian d'Arcy James as the Baker's Wife and the Baker were perfection, Krysta Rodriguez played a plucky Cinderella, Kat Geraghty's take as Red Robin Hood was delightful, Gavin Creel and Andy Karl were flat-out hilarious as the Prince brothers, and Patina Miller was astonishing as the Witch. She had a real Eartha Kitt vibe in the first act, and her transformation in Act II was astonishing. The first act has so many laughs, and Act II's more somber turn is sobering. I loved this show, if you come to NYC during the holiday, you must see this show before it closes on January 8th.

4)  I binged all ten episodes of Netflix's The Crown. Imelda Staunton carries on in the fine tradition of brilliant actresses who played Queen Elizabeth in this series (Claire Foy and Olivia Coleman, who both won Emmys for their performances). Jonathan Pryce was wonderful as Prince Phillip, and I thought Lesley Manville's performance as Princess Margaret in episode 4- Annus Horriblis- was simply heartbreaking. She should win the Emmy for sure. There is so much of interest in this season, even outside of the royal family. I liked the episode about the Fayed family and Sydney Johnson, who was a valet to King Edward. Charles and Diana take center stage this year, and Dominic West as Charles and Elizabeth Debicki as Diana are excellent. I felt that each character was portrayed empathetically, you do feel for all of them, except for Martin Bashir, what an awful man. What did you think of The Crown? 

5) I read Silas House's brilliant novel Lark Ascending this week. Set in a not-too-distant future, where the United States (and the rest of the world) has been ravaged by fires, civil war and a government run by the Fundies (fundamentalists who impose their extreme beliefs on the citizens), Lark and his parents flee to Ireland on a boat with other refugees. Once there, Lark is the only survivor and he makes his way across Ireland on foot, where he meets up with a stray dog (dogs have all but disappeared) and a woman on her own. It's a dystopian tale, where Lark and his companions have to avoid other survivors who scrounge for food and shelter and the people who want to lock them up. The writing is simply gorgeous, and this is a book you will find yourself sinking into, as the world around you recedes. It has a similarity to Cormac McCarthy's The Road, but Lark Ascending seems more urgent given the realities of our times, and Lark continues to hold on to hope. It's one of the best books of the year. 

Have a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving.

Friday 5ive- April 2, 2021

Welcome to the Friday 5ive,  a weekly blog featuring five things that caught my attention this week, and welcome to April where one day it can be 60 degrees and the next day it's 36.

1)  While exiting the TJ Maxx store in my neighborhood, I noticed a small garden area behind the store with this beautiful mosiac. I've been to that store many times, and this is the first time I've noticed it.

2)  I have this app called Citizen that notifies me when there is police or fire activity nearby. This notification popped up on Saturday. You'll be happy to know they caught the offender.

3)  My mom sent me a set of postcards from my hometown of Auburn, NY for my birthday. Each postcard has a photo of some iconic sight, and they brought back so many memories. There are historical sights, like the statue of Harriet Tubman, and things that have personal memories- Falcon Park, where we watched many a baseball game, Springside Inn, where we had our son's wedding reception, and Angelo's Pizza, the place where everyone ended up after an evening dancing the night away. What a fun gift! You can find them at auburnpcproject.com. 

4) As a huge fan of Tina Turner's (her Private Dancer album is one of my all-time favorites)I was so pleased with the new HBO documentary on her life. The archival footage they had of her early performances with Ike Turner was truly incredible, and the documentary was broken into five parts, covering her entire life. How she reinvented herself in the 1980s as a rock'n'roll queen through sheer will, hard work, talent, and finding the right manager was so impressive. I found it very telling that she does not want to be known for surviving the abuse she took at the hands of her husband Ike. She was done with that part of her life, and constantly speaking about it brings up painful memories, I wish people would let her move on from that. I'm really glad I got to see the Broadway show Tina Turner the Musical before everything shut down last year. I'm happy she finally found love with her husband of thirty years, Erwin Bach. This is must-see TV for music fans.

5) Two books were on my reading list this week. I read the second book in Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation spy series, titled The Masque of the Black Tulip. The books are set in the early 1800's, with England worrying that Napoleon will try to invade. There are a series of spies, including the Pink Carnation, embedded in Paris society, sending information back to England. Young Henrietta Selwick is taking after her brother Richard, known as the Purple Gentian, acting as a courier for the Pink Carnation's information. She has a crush on her brother's best friend Miles, who will not act on his growing feelings for Henrietta out of respect for his friend. Henrietta and Miles end up working together to discover the identity of the dastardly French spy, the Black Tulip, and mayhem ensues. It's a fun, action-filled romantic romp that is a perfect read for those who enjoyed Bridgerton on Netflix. Lauren Willig is hosting a year-long readalong of the Pink Carnation books, and each month she and a different romance author host a Zoom chat about one of the books. This month, Tasha Alexander, author of the historical fiction Lady Emily series, led the discussion. It was a fun and informative evening, check out Lauren Willig's Facebook page for more information.

 I'm in the middle of Chip Gaines new book, No Pain, No Gaines. He talks about the importance of networks, the people in your life who can help you achieve your goals. He's a real people person, very curious about what makes people tick, and if you are a fan of he and his wife, Joanna Gaines, HGTV show, Fixer Upper, this is a book you will enjoy. I like it so far, and I'm not particularly a fan of their show. He has an easy conversational style, and I particularly liked that he allowed his family and Joanna's family each to share their thoughts. My full review publishes here on Monday. 

Stay safe, socially distant, wear a mask, wash your hands, and get the vaccine when it's your turn. Good times are ahead!