What I Am Watching - Outlander

 

I have a love, hate relationship with the Outlander television series.  For the most part, I love seeing the books I have read over and over come to life.  The scenery, the costumes and the actors in the roles are pretty much perfect.  The problem comes for me in the deviation from the books.  I am not a script writer, but it seems the changes, especially when it comes to characterization, change the story too much and have me mumbling at the tv while watching.

Many times though, they do get it right and so far, this season (season 7) has me enthralled.  The writers have done a masterful job in moving the story forward, introducing new and important characters and staying true to the books.  If you know the story, there are even seamless transitions between 1981 and 1776.  The use of the letters written in the past and saved for 200 years for Bree and Roger in the future keep the family connected and make history and the American Revolution come alive.

I was talking to my sister about the current season and we both agree there is an emotional component that shines through and has been missing in some of the previous seasons.  I find the episodes fly by and I am enthralled and even moved to tears at times.  We both also agreed that based on the season so far, we have hope that the rest of this season and the final season 8 will include all the great moments in the books and finish things with us not wanting it to end.  

Life Lately

 

It’s been a quiet few weeks, which is typical for us this time of year.  No out of town visitors, not a whole lot of things on the calendar and mostly surviving the heat and humidity, while keeping one eye out as hurricanes form and develop or not.  Luckily, so far, all is well.

Football season has started and if you have followed this blog, you know I love my Michigan State Spartans. The first game always brings a longing to be on campus; tailgating and sitting in our great season ticket seats. So many wonderful memories on perfect fall football Saturdays.  

Before the game last week, we had dinner with our Florida Spartan friends at a delicious Mexican restaurant. It was a tradition to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant in East Lansing after the football games for a victory margarita, so this time, we celebrated the win in advance.

I finally watched the new Downton Abbey movie and thought it was good.  There were some interesting plot twists and I was entertained.  The movies will never be as good as the original series, especially the early years, but they are like getting back in touch with old friend at this point.  No real surprises, but a reminder of something good.

Otherwise, it’s been the usual sunsets, pool time and lots of golf.  Also, looking forward to our upcoming trip to northern Michigan that will include, my nephew’s wedding, visiting friends and family, a Mackinac Island visit and of course, more golfing.

Happy Friday!

My Review - CODA

 

I am always the last to see movies that were Oscar nominated or winners.  Usually, I have never seen or heard of many or all of the movies on the best picture list.  I knew that CODA had won best picture, but didn’t know anything about it or even what it was an acronym for (child of deaf adults).  I stumbled upon it this weekend, while looking for something to watch and I am so glad.

The main adjectives I would use to describe this lovely, quiet movie are moving, uplifting and unique.  It is a movie about a family, but so much more.  The interaction between the deaf adults (all deaf actors) and Ruby, the hearing daughter is so well done.  You feel like you are seeing something never seen on the screen before, but at the same time perfectly normal.

Ruby sparkles and her beautiful singing that helps her fit in and also gives her hope for a future outside of her family is such revelation.  I won’t spoil anything, but the way the school choir concert is filmed will give you all kinds of empathy and emotion.

Better late than never - watch it too if you can and be prepared to feel all the feels.

Januarying

 

January is my least favorite month, but it’s not all bad, especially not having to deal with snow and cold now that I live in Florida.  Here is what I have been up to so far.

Reading

Firekeeper’s Daughter - My sister recommended a YA book and while I was hesitant, when I discovered it was set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, I was sold.  And, it may well be my favorite book I read this year.  It has great Native American characters, an interesting setting and a mystery involving drugs and the FBI. When it becomes a future Netflix series as scheduled, it will be fabulous.

 Organizing

There is something cathartic about the New Year and putting away Christmas.  I feel like everything is in the proper place and I have the “white space” I need back.  A small thing, but very helpful, is my mission yesterday to unsubscribe from all those Christmas shopping emails I added to get discounts.  

Cooking 

December was the dinner party that wasn’t due to caution with Covid exposures, so I finally cooked the meal (just for us) that I shopped for and tried to make twice.  The main dish was a favorite Skinnytaste recipe (Butternut Squash Lasagna Rolls with Spinach) and I highly recommend.  It has great flavor and a beautiful presentation when traditional lasagna can look messy to serve.  

Watching

My oldest daughter was of the age that loved and got caught up in the Harry Potter books and movies and we did many midnight book releases and movie premieres.  Looking back, it was magical and fun for me too and I am thankful to have read and loved all the books right along with her.  I watched the Harry Potter 20th reunion on HBO Max and thought it was very well done and quite fascinating.  I may have even shed a tear.

Recommending

My beauty routine is quite basic, but as I age, there are things that can be done with very little effort.  I have been using Bliss That’s Incredi-peel once a week and my skin is thanking me.  You just wipe on your face after cleansing and right before bedtime then you wake up in the morning with seriously soft skin.  It’s low glycolic acid, so only stings a bit when you apply and gives me less concern of doing something like this at home.  The price at Ulta was great too, compared to what the salesperson was trying to get me to buy.

Happy Januarying!

 

Life Lately

 

A lot of Christmas prep is happening here and things really start to get busy this week with a gift exchange party, hosting a dinner party here, a lanai cocktail party and hosting a stop for the glow ride in our neighborhood.  

What else have I been doing?

Volunteering

The group I volunteer with always helps to decorate a city park and the past few years, I have been assigned to the official city tree.  The whole park comes together so beautifully and it is a lovely and festive spot to walk through during the holidays.  I included photos of the volunteer day and later, the park at night.

All the Christmas Lights

I can never get my fill of Christmas lights, so we went to dinner at a great spot in Sarasota where all of the palm trees (100’s) are wrapped with lights that are synchronized to Christmas music.  It really is beautiful to have dinner on an outdoor patio and just soak in the holiday atmosphere.  Florida style Christmas at it’s best.

Watching

Shetland is an all time favorite show of mine and I have been searching for a way to watch the new season.  Britbox was having a free trial, so I signed up and I have one episode to go, but am loving it and Jimmy Perez, Tosh and Sandy.  Shows where the location fit the storyline and the characters so well are my favorite.

Reading

Anyone else finished the new Outlander book Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone?  It’s the kind of book that is good, so you want to read fast, yet you don’t want it to end, so you try to slow down a bit.  Unfortunately, there will probably be at least another five years until the final book in the series (Book 10) is released.  Jamie and Claire are back home on Fraser’s Ridge and are struggling to keep the war from invading their peaceful family days.  It wouldn’t be Outlander if chaos did not find them.

Enjoying Florida in December

December weather in Florida can be unpredictable, but we have had a stretch of sunny and 80 degree days that have me enjoying the pool during the day and savoring the warm nights on the lanai.  I may see snow in Michigan at Christmas, but for now, I will take this slice of paradise.

Happy Monday!

Septembering

 

As September comes to a close, I went back and looked at my photos to see what the month brought, because for some reason, it flew by and here we are ready to begin a new month.  For us in Southwest Florida, so far so good on the hurricane season and making it through September without a major storm is a good sign.  In fact we have a cool morning (in the high 60’s) and I have my windows open for the first time since April.  

We were out and about this month, but also stuck close to home.  A good mix of both.  The highlight was renting a boat for the day and exploring the Intercoastal Waterway on our own.  We used to own a boat, so no worries there, but just figuring out a different type of boating.  We are considering a boat club, where you have access to boats, but still have some thinking to do.  

We have enjoyed sunsets on our own and with friends and went to breakfast on the scooter one sunny morning.  I took an unexpected trip to Michigan and once again my air travel experience felt very safe.  It was for a sad reason, with the sudden death of a friend, but did get to see Melissa.  In fact, we have much to look forward to this fall with visits scheduled from both girls in the upcoming weeks.

Finally, I am late to the party on this one, but am enjoying binging Ozark on Netflix.  It’s dark and twisty and the characters and actors portraying them are so good.  The story of normal people thrown into abnormal circumstances and how they react is fascinating.

Happy last day of September!

Currently

• Sitting at an airport waiting to fly to see my daughters.  I am being extremely careful - mask, hand sanitizer, wipes, keeping away from people, window seat and will lay low at home when I return.  It seems everyone is out doing everything they want  and I’m not willing to go any longer without seeing my daughters.  Just because I am a rule follower.  They need to see their Mom and I need to see them.
• Making a list of Florida friendly plants that I want to buy and plant soon.  I discovered a great plant nursery and have a few new types I want to try.  I’m learning in Florida that an area that gets full sun, really needs a plant that can stand the heat.  It doesn’t matter how much you try to water if it’s 90 plus degrees every day, with unrelenting sun.  Purslane and Mexican Petunias are my two new discoveries.
• Reading book three of a fairly new detective series.  The Roxane Weary series by Kristen Lipionka is about a female PI in Columbus, Ohio and I enjoy the Midwestern setting, the feisty and flawed main character and her relationships with her family and friends. 
• Watching Bloodline on Netflix.  I know I am late to the party on this one, but it’s set in beautiful Islamorada in the Florida Keys and it has an old Florida vibe I recognize as true to life.  Great story and family dynamics too.  Isn’t it funny that you can immediately tell a series is a few years old because of the phones (flip phones especially).
• Looking forward to seeing my daughter and son in law’s new house that they closed on in March, right when all this covid nonsense changed everything.  When I can’t be with my daughters, it helps me to see the spaces they are living in.  Just a mom thing for sure. We like to know are children are safe and settled.  Same for Melissa when I can finally get to Michigan and see her new rental house as well.
• Still getting a Hello Fresh delivery about once a month and still enjoying the meals.  Last night was Margarita Chicken - chicken with melted mozzarella and chopped tomatoes with basil and balsamic reduction over garlic butter spaghetti. Yum!

Happy Thursday!

Downton Abbey and Poldark

I’m a little behind, but I finally went to see the Downton Abbey movie and caught up with the final season of Poldark as well.  Both British historical dramas and both dear to my heart and I was not disappointed with either one.

The Downton Abbey movie was two hours of sweeping English countryside views, familiar characters and just enough drama to turn a television show into a movie.  The main plot point is a royal visit to Downton by the King and Queen, but there is a lot more that happens around this event. Though set two years after the series ended, almost everyone is back and storylines effortlessly continue with a few new surprises, both happy and sad.  It is written by the series creator and it is obvious he knows the characters very well.  If you are a Downton Abbey fan, you will love it.

Poldark started on PBS Masterpiece a few weeks ago, but Sunday morning I watched the first two episodes of Season 5 and can’t wait for the rest.  The espionage sub plot is really interesting and Ross is the perfect reluctant spy.  Ross and Demelza are happy at the moment, but I fear (because it’s Poldark) that storms are coming.  There is a sweet new romance blossoming for Geoffrey Charles and some new dastardly characters up to no good with the help of George Warleggan.  This is a series I will be sad to see end.

Happy Monday!

Outlander Thoughts

 

 

I have a lot of thoughts about Outlander Season 4. But first, a little background. Over twenty years ago, I discovered the Outlander book series and have read each one many times and have eagerly anticipated each new one as is was published and the story continued. The wait time between books is anywhere from three to five years. There are currently eight books in the series, with book nine set to be published in 2019 and then a book ten (the final book) to come. So, you could say that I am invested in this book series. Being a lover of history, I find these books facinating, especially the detail of life the Scottish Highlands and in colonial America.

I had high hopes for the Outlander television series and while very good, it also has issues that as a book reader, I find hard to overcome. I have lowered my expectations and learned that the books are the books and the show is the show and that is fine. The characterizations at times aggravate me, but the sets, and especially the costumes are outstanding and bring the words on the page to life in ways I never imagined.

Season four (based on book 4, Drums of Autumn) has been really good for the most part. There has been a lack of chemistry between Claire and Jamie that is troubling, Claire's characterization has been wrong many times, but Jamie's is the best it has been since season one. Casting continues to be amazing and the newest villian, Stephen Bonnet, is deliciously bad. The costumes, especially the native American's, are something special and so interesting. The dialogue is best served when it comes from the book, otherwise it can be extremely clunky. Fraser's Ridge is something the show runners and set production got very right.

Here, along with photos from the episodes, are my favorite season four scenes, so far.

 

 

 

From Episode 1 - the Gaelic funeral lament at the colonial tavern. Such a great way to give our Highlanders a welcoming link between Scotland and America and the many Scottish immigrants in North Carolina.

 

Also from Episode 1 - Ed Speleers (Jimmy from Downton!) as Stephen Bonnet is amazing in every scene, but especially in the harrowing final scene on the river boat.

 

 

Jamie meeting Aunt Joscasta and our first glimpse of her plantation, River Run

 

Roger and Bree at the Highland Festival. Loved her clothes from the 1970's.

 

Jamie and Bree meet for the first time. Straight from the pages of the book and couldn't have been more perfect.

 

Life at home on Fraser's Ridge has always been my favorite part of the books.

 

Lord John and Bree's friendship translated well from the book to the screen and it was my favorite part of last week's episode.

For other posts on Outlander, just type Outlander in the search box on the sidebar and they will all come up. If you are an Outlander reader or watch the show, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Happy Tuesday!

 

Lately

 

 

 

My daughter Melissa was in Orlando for business and was able to drive to see us this past weekend, after her work trip was done. It was a quick visit, but we had beautiful weather and she loves to get her beach and pool time in, so that is what we did. We went to Siesta Key beach one day and spent another day at our pool. We had some fun dinners at restaurants on the water and she had her fill of sun and pina coladas, before heading back to the colder temps in Michigan. It's always hard to say goodbye, but this time it wasn't so bad, since she will be back in one month for Thanksgiving.

 

 

On Saturday, we were sad to see our Spartans lose to Michigan, but still had fun watching the game with some friends and fellow MSU fans here in Florida. Melissa came to the party with us (she is a Spartan alum too) and also enjoyed spending half time by their pool. There were a lot of rivalry shenanigans both before, during and after the game and I can't wait to see what next year's game brings. The photo is what I took to the watch party - pineapple salsa in my favorite MSU dish. Recipe coming soon, since it was delicious.

 

 

Yesterday, I went with some friends to see A Star Is Born and I loved it. I don't see a lot of movies, but this was one I really wanted to see. I have fond memories of the Barbara Striesand version and was really looking forward to seeing Lady Gaga in the role. I thought she was mesmerizing on the big screen and more than held her own with Bradley Cooper (also great). As a pop star, she does a lot of semi weird things in my opinion, but in this stripped down, vulnerable version of herself, she became interesting and believable to me. She is a very talented singer, but now a legitimate actress as well.

Happy Tuesday!

 

This and That

 

 

 

The photos are starting to come in from our photographer and I couldn't love this one more. It just captures all the emotion of being a mother of the bride and making sure your daughter looks just right on her wedding day. This will be going in a frame.

 

 

A little hot and sweaty at the end of our round, but we had a fun morning on the golf course for my husband's birthday. Golf in Florida this time of year is an adventure and you learn to get your round in early in the day to beat both the heat and the inevitable late afternoon thunderstorms. We had a nice lunch in the clubhouse grill, followed by ice cream from an orange grove farm stand nearby. Low key, but that's how he likes it.

 

I forgot to take a photo, but last night I helped to start a Bunco group in my neighborhood. A little different from my old group, because we play in our clubhouse and different people may sign up each month, but it's a great way to meet people. I had to teach the group how to play during the first few rounds, but since I've been playing for about 25 years between 2 different groups in two different states, I know all the ins and outs.

 

Watched on Netflix over the summer:

 

 

Marcella season two is a show I had a love/hate relationship while watching. It's a great British police show (my favorite) and the acting is amazing, but it's oh so dark and twisty. The finale lost me for a while, but they reeled me back in at the end and I want to watch season 3.

 

 

There is a new season of The Great British Baking Show on Netflix, even though an older season was just shown on PBS. Confused? Me too! But, the Netflix season is the newest version from the UK and the new judge and hosts are not bad. It seems like a softer version of Paul and I don't mind the new judge, Pru. The new hosts are a strange choice and do not seem to go together personality wise, but they grew on me as the season went along. Still the same amazing bakes and sweet, quirky contestants.

 

 

The last book in the Shetland series was available on Amazon this month and I read it with both enjoyment and sadness. I think this police series is one of my all time favorites and I knew while I was reading it, I would be saying goodbye to the characters at the end. Luckily, there is still the television series to look forward to and I hope it continues for some time. I'm not ready to leave DI Jimmy Perez and the beautiful Shetland Islands.

 

 

I did buy one thing from the Lilly sale, but I waited until the last day to avoid the madness of waiting in a virtual line. I didn't want anything specific, so while a lot of items had limited sizes in stock at that point, there were still plenty of choices. Also, I used a gift certificate, so it was practically free :-)

Happy Thursday! When you read this, I will be packing and getting ready to leave for the airport and a quick trip to Michigan for a good friend's son's wedding. I'll be seeing a lot of other friends too, so it will be a great time. I also get to see my daughter, Melissa, albeit briefly, but I'll take what I can get.

 

July So Far

 

 

 

The day before the 4th of July, we had a new palm tree put in and I hope we have finally found one that will thrive in this spot. This is try number three and it's very odd, because palm trees basically grow like weeds here in tropical Florida. This one has a warranty and is being watched closely by the landscape company. It wouldn't be a Florida house without a palm tree, right?

 

 

I wrote about our sailboat trip on my birthday weekend post, but I found this photo on the Sail Venice Facebook page and thought it was a good one to share. We love retirement and Florida and this photo just about sums it up.

 

 

 

 

There are three shows that I am watching this summer and loving them all. First, the second season of Anne with an E is on Netflix. The cast is wonderful and while this new season doesn't follow too closely with the original Anne of Green Gables, it still is a lovely period piece.

The Great British Baking Show is back on PBS and it is just as good as ever. Delicious bakes and sweet contestants in all their quirky, British glory, make this one of my all time favorite shows.

Season two of Marcella is also on Netflix and while I haven't started it yet, it's next on my list. Season one was very good. It's a dark and gritty police drama with an interesting and flawed heroine. In my opinion, British crime shows are just so much better than those in America.

 

 

Speaking of British crime shows, I am a big fan of Shetland and caught up with the current season a few months ago. While I am waiting for Netflix to add the newest season, I decided to read the books that the tv show is based on. I'm finding the books quite different and a favorite character (Tosh) is missing, but the writing is really good and the use of different points of view, moves the story along very well. I'm on book three, so I will be enjoying this series for awhile.

Happy Thursday!