Review:
I think by now everyone who reads this knows how I regard Penny’s Gamache
works. This is the 11th in this astounding series that combines
mystery with philosophy, psychology, religion and a great deal of angst…. all
told by an absolute master storyteller. This one has a now retired Gamache
newly settled in the idyll of Three Pines in the Eastern Townships of southern Quebec-
just a throw from the Vermont border……grappling with the discovery of the
largest weapon of mass destruction ever assembled which has been hiding in the woods
for almost 30 years. There is murder, mayhem, The Whore of Babylon (no shit!),
Neil Young and the ever more revealed cast of wonderful characters. Did I mention
we also have Saddam Hussein? I though this one might be a wee bit more farfetched
than the previous tall stories-but still almost impossible to put down. The next
one is by my bedside, but I need to read a few other books first, to avoid feeling
like an addict.
Notable People: Mark
McKenna, Ciara Bravo, Joshua J. Williams, Stephen Kearin, Created by: Shawn Simmons
Title: Wayne
Review:
This from the IMBD summary on “Wayne”: “Wayne, a 16 year-old Dirty Harry with
a heart of gold, sets out on a small two stroke road bike from Boston to
Florida with his new friend Del to get back the shit-hot 79′ Trans-Am that was
stolen from his father before he died.” I have never before used someone else’s
review, but could not figure out how to summarize this truly bizarre show.
Despite the show seeming to be nuts at times, it captured our attention in a constant
“are you puling our legs on this, or not”, kind of way. I also could not give
it a rating- it’s definitely a love it or hate it show, but Wayne is an unforgettable
character- along with several others on the series.
“Tilling the field in the shadow of a hill. Not a bird sings” ………………Buson
“Little by little- one travels far” ……………………………Some Astute Spaniard
“Silence is so accurate” ……………………………………………Mark Rothko
“Don’t confront me with my failures- I have not forgotten them” ..Jackson Browne
“Well, the first days are the hardest days- don’t you worry anymore” ……Garcia/Hunter
GREEN is the color of the moun-tain lair……in the
morning when I rise (Donovan-ish) ……I’m just wild about Saffron…………. First full
week on The Mount produced many observations…….
Fourth of July………..first gathering around The Town
Green in two years……..lots of hugging, hand slapping…..that’s what happens in a
state with a near 90% Vax rate….in a state with a Republican governor, mind you…..though
thankfully not named DeSantis, Abbott or Noel (the Unholy trio)…..still apparently
a Plaque hoax in those places……..but, I digress…….the eight minute parade was magnificent….and
The Queen….well you got to see the pix…nuff’ said……resumed Sunday rituals
(what, if not rituals?)…and made the short mountain drive down trough Weston, Londonderry, to Stratton mountain, for the call-
in exotic sausages at Honeypie and a short dirt road walk….
Days spent whacking and whacking and whacking (machine
induced whacking, that is) ……uncovered The Pond from its four-foot surround of
weeds and got the poor man’s pump/fountain going…. got the 55-year-old mower
running and slayed the yard…. posted on line for yard boy/girl……no takers….
just ol’ Nanna and Papi with the ancient power tools …. gonna need a better caretaker……
The gym at Okemo has fully reopened now…. but ONLY for hotel guests and condo owners …. locals left out…. ugghh….so got The Gym in the barn set up and back to cosmic, barnyard exercising (or exorcising?) …. but who’s complaining?
The Queen is reclaiming her throne with many planning
events with the local Association yentas and starting up her multiple volunteering
efforts……busy enough that after ten days we still have not vacuumed the house……but
then again, who’s gonna know?
The Dumpmaster expressed great dissatisfaction,
on our return, that we had said we would be back in June, and it was the first week
in July……. which apparently left him more cantankerous than usual……
Made it down to Sal’s’ Red- Gravy dive for its
many iterations of the same pasta dish on Thursday night…and on the way stopped
in our tracks in Cuttingsville to check out the familiar looking Subaru for sale
on the side of the road……which drew our eyes, because it was our Subaru that we
just sold in January….we could tell by Lucy’s footprints embedded on the console…..guess
our buyers (once were friends of friends- wanting to be our friends- but probably
not anymore) did not care for the ol’ clunker- although did notice they were selling
it for 2K more than they bought it….a bit surreal…
Friday, we geared up for a full day in the city
(well, Rutland, which is as close as we get, but not to be confused with The Apple,
or Boston or even Burlington)….Aside from shopping and lunch at Ernie’s Hand Carved
(shockingly good corned beef and pastrami on rye for the hinterlands)….we bit the
bullet and visited both the Verizon and AT&T phone emporiums……to me that is
like used car shopping….but, what are you gonna do, when you’re going on ten
days of no phones through Sprint….time for a change, no….The monopolizers were
by far more professional and service oriented…..so hopefully we can make the jump
this week and have some form of contact with the flatland..
During the shopping, I came close to having my first physical altercation in probably 45 years….when an Old Vermont codger took exception with my sliding by him to get milk, after he ignored my three “excuse- mes”…started yelling at me and got in my face…luckily a store manager intervened before I went for the KO…then he followed me around the store, giving me the stink-eye, while guzzling beer from one hand and maple syrup from the other…..I’m going to assume he was unvaccinated….
After a week of mostly cold and rain, Saturday dawned
a perfect mountain day – 75, sunny, blue skies, zero humidity, so we headed into
town early to hit the post office to see if our mail, which has been floating around
since some time in April, had found us (it can wind up in any of the 3 post offices
within two miles of us)….don’t get me started on the postal service unless you
plan to give me a rifle and show me a bell tower (how many times can I use that?)…..suffice
to say that no amount of funding will fix that venerable institution. After only
having to visit two of the three offices, we got a few floaters, and made for
Ludlow to pick up breakfast sandwiches at The Café-at –Delight ( it’s at the only
light in Ludlow, get it?)…..calling in the order turned out to be a long term commitment,
the young woman can only be described as resembling the woman from the Dr. Rick
“how to not be your parents’” commercials…the one who has the no cussin’, no
fussin’ sign)-had to tell her the simple two- sandwich order four times and literally
spell out wheat toast for her…….
….After a protracted wait, we got our grub and stumbled
on to the magnificent Ludlow Cemetery with many levels of ancient stones and beautiful
view of the slopes and valley…..and….a phone signal….my phone rang for the first
time in ten days…and I was so excited I talked to a robo-caller…..Satiated by
the breakfast, views and a good walk….we continued on to Shrewsbury to impromptu
visit the Trout King and pick up the annual bucket of Pond Elixir…he said he had
no time for us, but let us go down to the tanks anyway, and then yakked at us for a half hour,
with the mantra “what Pond Sins shave you committed so far this year”?…… eventually
we left with our $300 bucket…and on to see Farmer Jeff to buy three months worth
of organic Yogi meats…thus stocked, we headed home, where The Queen engaged in
hours of garden restoration, while Papi hit the couch….
And, so, here we are…another day, another dollar…what’s
in your wallet?
Notable People: Omar
Sy, Herve Pierre, Ludivine Sagnier, Antoine Gouy, Created by: George Kay and Francois Uzan
Title: Lupin
Review:
this French series (sub-titles) is the bomb- a magical recounting of Assane Diop
(the wonderful Sy) – a gentleman French burglar, trying to avenge the plotted death
of his father by a corrupt French millionaire. Diop models himself on his
childhood hero, the internationally known French thief, Arsene Lupin, and the
show is a whirlwind of sleight of hand, Houdini like escapes and brilliant
ploys. The cast is outstanding, the filming in Paris magnificent and each plot
a barn burner. Just captivating serial TV. A third season is in the works- can’t
wait.
Notable People: Tom
Hollander, Saskia Reeves, Tom Taylor Created
by: David Nicholls
Title: Us
Review: this two part, four-hour miniseries on the ever- fulfilling Masterpiece theater, is adapted by Nicholls from his own novel. A married couple in their 50s, Douglas and Connie Petersen (Hollander and Reeves), plan to take one last “grand tour” of Europe for the sake of their teenage son Albie (Taylor), who is about to leave for college. The story begins with Connie announcing to Douglas that she thinks their marriage should end, and follows Douglas’ awkward attempts to win her back by proving he can be more spontaneous. Though no great shakes, it an honest look at real family struggles, as they traipse around Europe trying to find themselves. Hollander is a bastion of dry English humor and the cast is generally very good. On site filming in Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, Sienna, Barcelona and the Spanish seacoast is wonderful. The shows are lighter fun and good for summer watching. This is one and done mini-series.
Review:
Absolutely marvelous second novel by this California wittier, who won all kinds
of awards for her first effort “Mothers”, which I loved and reviewed here last
year. The second book is even better. Gripping from the very start, with great
plot twists, dead on psychological insights and a challenging forum for looking
at racism through a variety of lenses. The book travels from rural Louisiana to
DC, Los Angeles and New York and back in this radiant story of two twin sisters
raised in a community exclusively of extremely light skinned black people (fictional
Mallard, LA.), who pursue their adult identities in dramatically different fashions,
and the effects on their lives, their daughters, their communities and each
other. Very, very powerful and exceedingly well written book that was a gift from
my daughter, who continues to challenge me on issue of social significance.
Greetings Fellow Travelers –and Happy Independence
Day to all:
“Summer Lightning! Yesterday in the East, today
in the West” …………………………………………………………………………………………………. Takari Kikaku
“After all, if I can’t be myself, who can?” ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Patrick
Dennis
“We WILL Survive” …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Garcia/Hunter
Got back on Thursday after a uniquely uneventful
two-day drive, with the animals all roaming about the packed cars. Overnight in
Binghamton with classic Chinese from a dive near the hotel. Not a lot has YET
happened, but thought to get in a little BLOG practice with quick hello to all……Welcome
Back, Kotter………. thus, a simple few observations:
We left weeks of 90 degrees plus tropics in the Heartland
to arrive to three straight days of all day rain and fifty degree temps………welcome
to the mountains…
Already missing the three granddaughters (and the
one due shortly) who we spent four plus months seeing a lot of…as Ohio began to
return to some sense of normal….the birds came out….the Cicadas went nuts….had
people in our house and even staying over for the first time in 15 months, actually
got on plane and went to see The Prodigal for a glorious week in Paradise, went
to TWO real baseball games, and The Band started to play again….so will be more
jonesing than usual for the kids, grandkids and old friends
We may need a property management company if we
are going to stay in the Heartland this late in the season. We had Ancient
George mow for us, but clearly that is more like bush hogging, so the yard is a
mess with four foot stalks surrounding THE POND, trees and rocks. May need
triple chiropractic appointments after we get it all wacked……hard to tell
what shape The POND is in, as can’t see it yet…but, MURKY, seems apparent……
Cable companies……. I’m looking for a rifle and
bell tower…. Comcast promised a simple “plug it in, it will work” internet experience…which
went fine until they then wanted a security check by sending me the ubiquitous security
code via text……problem being no internet, no phones, no text, no nothin’…… Well, internet got up and
running –after two trips to the closest mountaintop to get a one- bar -cell – signal
if I stood on one leg and faced north by northeast with the wind at my
back…just so I could call Comcast and tell them we could not get a security
text code because we had no phones without the internet. Had to change all our
security settings…spent hours and hours……. but now working……BUT phone booster
not working –so still no phone service and no help from sprint…….so may be on
non-speaking terms with the rest of the world…. Zoom, anyone?……………….Country
livin’………
Aging
does not boost moving- in experiences…seems like what used to take us a day,
may be taking a week…even with our level of obsessiveness….175-year-old houses need
lots of opening up love…. gettin’ there, but really need a yard/house boy badly…takers?
Have not left
the manse except for the most expensive grocery trip in history, two trips to Rutland
to find dam printer ink, and quick hitters to replenish at Ramuntos, Java Babas
and Taco-Taco……the grand culinary trifecta for homeless people……………………
Today is
first community event in Mt. Holly in two years…and The Queen is off to help get
the Association float ready for the eight-minute parade at noon…. will be our
first venture into a (mostly) maskless Vermont world (almost 90% Vax rate here)….so
will see how much our friends and peeps have aged in two years….hoping for an exotic
sausage run down to Londonderry later today…and a much needed dirt road walk….
And
finally, now that Vermont is legalized and edibles are the rage…. date night
has been re-dubbed “Cookie and Nookie”….only in Vermont….the Brave Little state…..
May the year
ahead be a lot better than the year behind…. for all of us, I’ll be in touch…and
we’ll keep the light n for you……..
Review:
Got this book as birthday gift; one in a long series by the prolific Coben, that
features Myron Bolitar. Bolitar is fledgling sports agent, former pro football player
and FBI special agent, who has a pension foe trouble. It’s an interesting premise
and wicked whodunnit with some innovative characters. The writing is above
average, but not sterling. Bolitar is somewhat in the classic private eye mode
and the book is an illuminating take on the down and dirty of sports agents. Coben
has a number of series he writes, and is, coincidentally, the author of “No Second
Chance” which was made into a fresh steaming series that I recently watched and
was quite good. His books seem to be particularly suitable for transfer to the
screen. If you are a big mystery fan, this is a good book- if you are not, it’s
a skip.
Notable People: Elizabeth
Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Created by: Bruce Miller
Title: The Handmaid’s Tale
Review:
Season Four completed last night, was way out on the fringe emotionally and
intensely. Everyone either loves or hates this show. I lean towards love, but
with some reservations. Season four dragged at times with too many flashbacks
and felt completely over the top at others. Moss’ PTSD seems caricatured some episodes,
and the dialog wavers at times. That all said, this is brilliant television.
Moss redefines living right to the edge, Fiennes is brilliant in his almost
nice man ultimate evil, and Strahovski, as Serena Joy, turns in a career performance
(check her out a few season on “Dexter”). The show is uber-bizarre at times,
but forces us to face the realities of a world run amok, which we have stuck
our feet into the water with, in recent years. The finale of season four left me
wondering how there could be another season, but have not heard anything to the
contrary. This show is not for the over-sensitive or squeamish.
Review: If my previous dozen or so
reviews have not motivated you to check out Penny’s extraordinary Chief Inspector
Gamache series……. well……you’re missing something. These books are brilliantly
written- blending crime fiction with masterful psychological drama and a wonderful
sense of both place and humor. Penny is simply the bomb. These books are very
hard to put down. This one has it all. Gamache has seemingly retired and moved
in to his muse, the fabled village of Three Pines, Quebec……but that does not
end his internal and external investigations to solve complicate crimes and resolve
life arcs. The cast of characters only gets better with each work, and this one
takes us on a wild ride to the remote and mysterious corner of Quebec along the
St. Lawrence Seaway….to the beauty of the Charlevoix region (a must trip).
Along the way we have forty year old cults, crazed artists, a road trip for the
ages….and…..the Garden of Cosmic Speculation (NO SHIT!!!!). I’d say you can’t
make this shit up, but Penny does and with reverence and aplomb. Masterpieces!
