The Fence2018 is a traveling outdoor photography exhibit that will go to eight cities across the country including Boston, Atlanta, and Santa Fe. Currently in Sarasota, it is on two sections of double-sided fencing on the perimeter of Benderson Park. The photos have been enlarged and are printed on fabric which is attached to the fence. Depending on the time of day and the light, the cross-hatching of the fence may show through obscuring the images a bit. We were there just before noon and one side was somewhat affected.
The photos are arranged by categories with explanations about the photographer and what he or she was trying to accomplish. Subject matter ranges widely from food to former female prisoners at home to topography to dog grooming to families living on either side of the border meeting at a wall. Whimsy, humor, pathos, and celebration exist in these photos. The exhibit runs through the end of January and is worth a visit.
Part of “Hairy” series by Grace Chon Azalea Trail Maid by Adair Rutledge
A number of my friends have enthused about Robinson Preserve and how much they have enjoyed kayaking here. We had never visited it before, but it’s close by and used my sister and brother-in-law’s visit as incentive to do so. Located in northwest Bradenton, this preserve is very open and includes grasslands and saltwater marsh. There are a number of hiking and biking trails and a pedestrians only path. The pedestrian path is wide and made of a spongy material making it very comfortable under the feet. It winds around several ponds and up and down gentle inclines. We saw a large cluster of ducks as well as white pelicans, anhingas, and herons. Even one lone roseate spoonbill. The preserve is open from sunrise to early evening and has an observation tower and pavilion which we didn’t explore this time. For a change of pace, this pleasant preserve is a relaxing way to enjoy nature.
White pelicans
Note: All photos by JWFarrington (some rights reserved).
If you are at all interested in astronomy, this is an engaging historical novel about Caroline Herschel, sister of famed German astronomer William Herschel. Lina, as she was known, was William’s younger sister by 12 years. Small and slight and scarred by a bout with smallpox, she never married and was mistreated and abused by their mother. William, who had gone to the UK, returned to their home in Hanover and rescued her by taking her back to England.
Smart and quick, she became his devoted assistant in studying the night sky and dedicated her life single mindedly to him. She loved him greatly and gave up any thoughts of marriage and a family for herself. He received fame and recognition for his discoveries and for the telescopes he built while she labored by his side. Only later were her own solo discoveries acknowledged. While based on the historical record and the extensive correspondence the Herschels left behind, this is a work of fiction with a happy, although somewhat unbelievable ending. To her credit, Brown details in her notes where she has deviated from real life. (~JWFarrington)
The Glass Forest by Cynthia Swanson
This suspense novel was my pick for our January book group meeting. When I first read it, I found it slow to get going and feared I’d picked a dud. Turns out that almost everyone liked it a lot, and some couldn’t put it down once they started. In alternating chapters, set mostly in 1960, it’s the story of three women each related in some way to two brothers, Paul and Henry. Angie’s story is told in the first person while Silja’s and Ruby’s are third person. Angie is only 23 and married to the much older Paul and mother to baby PJ. For Silja, we get her life from 1942 to her marriage to Henry, and her successful career, up to her disappearance in 1960. Ruby is Silja and Henry’s daughter and a sullen and withdrawn teenager who doesn’t talk much.
The novel opens with a call to Angie from Ruby that Henry has committed suicide, and from there events unfold as Angie and Paul journey from Wisconsin to Stonekill, NY to be with Ruby. When I reviewed this book for the discussion, I found it more compelling. The period detail is spot on, and there are clues throughout as to what happened to Henry and Silja. (~JWFarrington)
Based on two memoirs, one by father David Sheff and the other by his son, Nicolas, this feature film is a depiction of drug addiction and its effect on one family. Focusing as much or more on the father than the son, it spotlights a loving father’s puzzlement, worry, frustration, and devotion in his determination to help his son. Nic’s aimlessness, cravings, and manic behavior, followed by sorrow and regret, repeat and repeat until he almost dies. For any parent, this is a hard film to watch as nothing seems to make the situation better. Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet are exceptionally good as father and son as is Maura Tierney as Nick’s stepmother, Karen.
This Israeli TV series ran from 2008 to 2012 and follows the lives of a group of single Orthodox Jewish men and women living in Jerusalem. Hovering around 30, they are navigating the dating scene while also figuring out their careers. Most of their contemporaries are already married, many with children.
The women are Yifat, a graphic artist, Reut, an accountant, and Hodaya, a graduate student who studied the Bible, but tries working as a waitress. The men are Nati, a medical doctor, Amir, a high school grammar teacher, and Roi, Nati’s younger brother. All are religious and closely follow the strictures around food, observing the Sabbath, and relationships with the opposite sex. The exception is Hodaya, daughter of a rabbi, who is questioning her religious beliefs.
The series focuses on relationships so don’t expect a lot of action. Nonetheless, I found myself quickly becoming absorbed in the lives of these individuals and am now well into the second season. The episodes are short, 35 minutes, with subtitles, and the video quality is just fair. This program was cited for being the first time the lives of Orthodox Jews were portrayed in a realistic production designed for a general audience. And I owe thanks to Patricia for recommending it! (~JWFarrington)
We enjoyed our brief trip to Winter Park last February so much that we decided to repeat the trip this week. Winter Park began as a refuge for the moneyed set, a winter playground as it were, and it’s clear that it’s still a wealthy place with a cultural life built around Rollins College. Amtrak trains stop at the station in the center of town and there’s a commuter train as well.
Arriving by car, we returned to the lovely Alfond Inn. It’s owned by the college and the proceeds go to support student scholarships. The hotel’s public spaces are particularly lovely and are enlivened by paintings from the college’s contemporary art collection. It was fun to see which ones were new and which we remembered from the last visit.
We lunched outside at the Parkview on Park Avenue, the main street, and then walked the few blocks to Lake Osceola for the 1:00 pm boat tour. Located north of Orlando, Winter Park is charm itself, and this peaceful lake is one in a string of six interconnected lakes.
The captain and guide on our open pontoon boat navigated around the lake and through several narrow canals giving us local history and pointing out the Rollins president’s house and other noteworthy homes fronting on the water almost all with private docks. Inching through the canals, we crept under low bridges and alongside residents’ boathouses. Large trees and lush vegetation, Spanish moss and giant ferns edged the shore. There was no wind and our one hour cruise most pleasant.
CARILLON PAR EXCELLENCE
On the trip home, we made a slight detour to Lake Wales in Polk County to visit Bok Tower Gardens. This somewhat hidden attraction is a real gem and well worth a visit. The gardens, designed by Frederick Olmsted of Central Park fame, feature a bog, wetlands, wildflowers and endangered plants. We noted camellias and other blooms on our walk.
But the centerpiece of this place, and the highlight for us, was the Singing Tower looming 205 feet into the air and on the highest land in all of Florida. Initiated by Edward Bok of Curtis Publishing, and dedicated by President Coolidge in 1929, the tower is made of gorgeous pink Georgia marble and coquina stone and houses one of the world’s largest carillons. Its 60 bells are played daily in half-hour concerts at 1:00 and 3:00 pm.
Before the first concert, we enjoyed salads at the Blue Palmetto Cafe and chanced to see the resident carillonneur, Geert D’hollander, at the next table. The Chief Penguin engaged him in conversation and learned that, Belgian by birth, he came here from UC Berkeley in 2012, found himself a wife, and just last week became a U.S. citizen.
He said that playing here was a treat—the isolated location means that there is no ambient noise from sirens or traffic and no students to complain if he plays too long! The program brochure noted that he has won first prize in more than 30 international competitions for carillon or composition. The afternoon concert was most enjoyable and played by a visiting fellow from the University of Rochester.
There is a modest admission charge to the gardens of $15 for adults, and the visitor center offers an introductory video along with an art exhibit and a gift shop.
In this age of online video and fast migration from movie screen to TV screen, it’s possible to view many first run movies at home almost immediately after their release. Here are two relatively recent films we just watched. We rented each one for 48 hours for the nominal fee of $5.99, much cheaper than two movie tickets even at the senior or off peak rate!
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Mr. Rogers’ groundbreaking television program was after my time, but still available when our son was growing up. This account of its history, how it handled issues that concern small children, and the approach taken by Fred Rogers make for a fascinating documentary. An ordained Presbyterian minister, Rogers was a talented man with a gentle manner, but also a complex individual. You get hints of his complexity and a bit about his childhood from his wife, Joanne. I would have liked to have heard more from her in addition to the reflections from his two sons and several members of the cast. Occasionally, it’s too sentimental, but overall an enjoyable journey down memory lane.
Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!
This is a movie that’s just plain fun. Even if you haven’t seen the original starring Meryl Streep, you will enjoy this sequel. The plot is thin and mostly an excuse for singing, dancing, and the reunion of Sophie’s three fathers. The music is lively, the choreography snappy, and, you know that, despite everything, there will be a happy ending. Starring here are: Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Christine Baranski, Cher, and Colin Firth among others with a cameo by Meryl Streep.
ENGROSSING NOVEL
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Rebecca Makkai is an author new to me, but because this novel was so well reviewed, a finalist for the National Book Award, and on several best-of-the-year lists, it caught my attention. I found it rewarding on many levels. Set in Chicago from 1985 to 1992 and also in Paris in 2015, it is a warm, detailed and intimate story of the lives of several gay men at the height of the AIDS crisis, when testing first became available, and mostly before there were any drugs to combat it.
The main characters are Yale Tishman and his partner Charlie, and Fiona, sister of Nico, one of their first friends to die. Yale works in development for an art gallery and there is the unfolding courtship of Fiona and Nico’s great aunt who desires to donate her art collection. A long drawn out process, its theme of art links the past to the present (2015) when Fiona stays with their much older photographer friend, Richard, as he prepares for a major exhibit of his work at the Pompidou Centre. Fiona is the focus in 2015 and she is on a mission to locate and re-connect with her adult daughter, Claire. She stays with Richard and his partner while trying to sort out her own life and the events of 30 years earlier.
I worked in Philadelphia in the 80’s and 90’s and had several colleagues, one a friend, who ultimately died of AIDS. It was not openly acknowledged at first, but most of us began to realize that this disease was the cause of their suffering.
The novel is alternately tender, graphic, grim and painful, but very believable with its inclusion of real events in Chicago. It is also re-affirming of the goodness and caring of some. I did find the Paris sections less convincing since I don’t think Fiona’s character at middle age is as well developed as it could be. (~JWFarrington)
ON MY BOOKSHELF
I got mostly books for Christmas. Here are a few titles stacked up and ready to go. The first three are nonfiction and the others are novels.
American Edenby Victoria Johnson
Family Life by Elisabeth Luard
Kitchen Yarns by Ann Hood
Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
Love is Blind by William Boyd
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Coloring of drawing in World of Flowers by Basford
