Carolina Comments: Trees, Advent Mystery, Garfield

CHRISTMAS TREES The Chief Penguin and I gave up having a live Christmas tree some years ago since we were almost always out of town.  We thought we moved one of our 2 ft. blinking-colored-lights trees, but alas, we had not.  Consequently, we enjoy all the decorated trees in our building. And yesterday, the North Carolina extended …

Carolina Comments: A Mystery & Reflections

MYSTERY: JIMMY PEREZ IS BACK The Killing Stones by Ann Cleeves It’s been seven years since Ann Cleeves published the final Shetland mystery, Wild Fire.  She thought she was done with detective Jimmy Perez and ready to move on to other stories.  But earlier visits to the Orkney Islands called out to her.  It’s gentler than Shetland, and she’s set …

Carolina Comments: Watching, Reading, Eating

VIEWING:  HISTORY MADE VIVID The American Revolution (PBS) Ken Burns has done it again!  The American Revolution, his latest series, is fascinating, compelling, and a rich viewing experience.  The Chief Penguin and I just completed the second episode (each is two hours, so we watch half at a time), but we are finding it eye-opening.  Burns has assembled a wide …

Interlude: Maine Photos & Crime

LEAVING MAINE BEHIND Almost a week ago, we left our idyllic Maine abode.  Life there is quieter and slower-paced but punctuated and enlivened with visits from various family members.  We made one final visit to the botanical garden, finally got to Camden, browsed once more in Sherman’s bookstore, and savored our last lobster rolls of the season …