Tidy Tidbits: 2/27/22

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COZY CRIME SERIES 

Hope Street (BritBox)

Finn & Leila (gizmostory.com)

Hope Street is set in a small town on the coast of Northern Ireland where everyone seems to know everyone else and their business.  Finn O’Hare heads up the Port Devine police department with his colleagues, Marlene and Callum.  When Detective Constable Leila Hussain arrives as the first Muslim officer, she causes a stir and initially meets with mistrust and suspicion.  

There are crimes to be solved, even the occasional murder, but this series is as much about the family affairs (wives and kids) and quarrels that consume the townsfolk.  Finn’s mother, Concepta, is a busybody who wants to know all, while Barry Pettigrew, taxi driver and retired police officer keeps his hand in too.  There are open secrets and real secrets.  Season 1 has 10 episodes, but it is not known if there will be a Season 2.   For me, it’s great treadmill fare—engaging enough to hold my interest and keep me moving!

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Lady Bird Johnson:  Hiding in Plain Sight by Julia Sweig

Lady Bird Johnson (paintboxgarden.com)

I thought Hiding in Plain Sight might be a biography of Lady Bird’s entire life, but actually, it’s focused on her years as First Lady during the Johnson presidency.  During that tumultuous time, she recorded her thoughts daily. The result is a comprehensive source document covering her feelings and activities, LBJ’s concerns and moods, and the stresses of the Vietnam War and the battle for civil rights.  

Swieg masterfully details hows how carefully and skillfully Lady Bird crafted her image.  Following the elegant and popular Jackie Kennedy was initially challenging.  Lady Bird was a talented businesswoman before coming to the White House, yet this was a time when women were expected to be deferential and on the margins of serious dealings.  

Lady Bird made beautification her cause, but within it she worked tirelessly to raise broader awareness about the environment, urban blight, and poverty.  Always appearing feminine, she was a powerful voice in her husband’s ear on a wide range of issues.  She also traveled the U. S. solo giving speeches and campaigning for him and for her causes. Lady Bird Johnson was the most active First Lady since Eleanor Roosevelt.

This is fascinating reading (am about halfway into it), and I’ve come to appreciate the much greater role she played than many of us realized.  I lived through this period on the cusp of adulthood so, it’s informative to see events from a deeper perspective.   Highly recommended! (~JWFarrington)

Note: Header photo ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).

Tidy Tidbits: Music & Food

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LIVE MUSIC

Sarah Hicks (datebook.sfchronicle.com)

Last week for the first time in two years, we attended a symphony concert.  It was such a joy to hear the music in person and not be glued to a small screen!  This was the Sarasota Orchestra’s Be Mine concert, part of their Great Escapes series.  Guest conductor Sarah Hicks was a lively and informative presence on the podium, and in honor of Valentine’s Day, the musical theme was love.  We heard Gershwin’s Overture from Girl Crazy, two selections from Carmen, and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March, along with several other works.  This was a short concert, just an hour, and perfect for the pre-dinner hour.  

ENGAGING DRAMA

The Gilded Age (HBO Max)

Marian & Peggy (smithsonianmag.com)

The reviews of Julian Fellowes’ latest series have been mixed. But, I like historical drama and am especially fond of the 19th century so, I decided to subscribe to HBO Max to see The Gilded Age.  It’s set in New York City in the 1880’s and is rife with snobbery, social climbing, and meanness, coupled with large fortunes.  Newcomers, albeit wealthy ones, are not well received unless blessed by the formidable Mrs. Astor. 

Young Marian Brook comes from Pennsylvania to live with her aunts, Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook, after the death of her father.  She has no resources of her own, and in her directness and naivete, questions and challenges the ways of society.  One fascinating aspect of this series is its inclusion of educated affluent Blacks.  They are exemplified in Peggy Scott and her parents.  Peggy befriends Marian and is hired as secretary to Aunt Agnes.  

Overall, it’s a darker drama than Downton Abbey.  Denee Benton as Peggy is very well played, and it is fun to watch Christine Baranski as the acerbic, dictatorial Aunt Agnes.  There are four episodes, and it’s already been renewed for a second season. I’m hooked!

LOCAL EATERY

Pesto

I’m slightly reluctant to blog about Pesto since this neighborhood restaurant has become very popular!  We dined there twice in the past two weeks, once with visiting family, and it’s now a favorite.   There are three dining areas (the one in the back has a bar) plus tables and heaters outside.   The food is Italian, and there’s a wide variety of pasta and meat selections.  

We enjoyed the veal and chicken Milanese preparations and their veal scaloppini and have sampled the shrimp-cargot and several of the salads.  The wine list is extensive, and several beers are also available.  Prices are moderate, portions are substantial, and the food is good! 

Note: Header photos of foursome dining out from istock.com.

Tidy Tidbits: On Wall, Screen & Page

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Last week one of my sisters and her spouse visited and then they departed, and my other sister and husband arrived. Having house guests is always an excuse for fun outings we’ve put off taking. One such outing was exploring the Bradenton Riverwalk (last week’s blog); another was a live concert (more in my next blog); and yet another was a return to the Sarasota Art Museum. And there are always TV programs to watch and a never-ending supply of books to read!

LOOKING

Sarasota Art Museum

This small museum, connected with Ringling College, has lovely gallery space and presents several changing exhibits each year.  We had not visited in a while and took my younger sister and brother-in-law.  

The main exhibit focused on paintings by Judith Linhares and several artist friends of hers.  Linhares is represented in several museums including the Whitney in New York.  Here were large scale female nudes midst colorful quilts along with works featuring tigers and woodpeckers.  Her paintings are vibrant and alive.  

Woman with Woodpecker, 1983

I also enjoyed the small paintings of everyday objects by Mary Jo Vath.  Especially appealing were the fuzzy yellow monkey hat and a bowl of red roses reflected on a tabletop.

Red Reflection by Vath

The museum’s shop is chock full of tempting items from jigsaw puzzles to note cards and jewelry.  They also have a café which we haven’t yet tried.  Worth a visit!

VIEWING

Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (PBS American Masters)

February is Black History Month and appropriately, PBS is offering relevant programming.  We watched this two-hour documentary about Marian Anderson, and it’s superb!  There’s archive footage of Anderson performing in a variety of venues including at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939.  Details of her early life, her travels abroad, and her eventual marriage to architect Orpheus Fisher round out the film.

It’s well known that the DAR denied her the right to sing in Constitution Hall in DC, but probably less so that, in Europe, Anderson suffered none of the indignities of being Black that were widespread at home.  She was an extraordinary woman with a great gift which I appreciated even more so having watched this.

As a staff member in the Penn Libraries, I well recall when Marian’s nephew donated her papers to the collection.   The library is credited in the documentary.

READING

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Michelle Zauner (vogue.com)

H Mart is a Korean supermarket and Zauner’s memoir is about her mother’s illness and subsequent death from cancer.  It’s also pop musician Zauner’s coming of age story as the child of a Korean mother and an American father growing up in Philadelphia and Oregon.  Her mother is demanding and picky, and she and Michelle are often at odds, particularly during Michelle’s teenage years.  Their shared love of food and Korean dishes figures prominently in their relationship, both the dishes her mother cooks for her and those that Michelle makes to tempt her mother when ill.  

Annual trips to Seoul to visit her mother’s family are noteworthy events, and one aunt in particular a real comfort after her mother’s death.  Michelle’s relationship with her father is also a tense one, and she is frequently very critical of him.  Rebellious in trying to find her place, she vacillates between her Korean heritage and her American roots. 

 Zauner writes candidly, in raw detail, about her mother’s decline and death. Some readers may find this more than they want or need to know.  Nonetheless, I recommend this memoir.  (~JWFarrington)

Note: All unattributed photos by JWFarrington. Header photo is of Tigress by Judith Linhares, 2009.

Meandering in Manatee County

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My younger sister and her husband spent much of this past week with us.  Visiting from North Carolina, they were happy to trade bone-chilling temperatures for sunshine, warmth, and even time at the swimming pool. We focused several of our outings on Bradenton and the surrounding area.

THE BISHOP MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND NATURE

A and P hadn’t been at The Bishop for several years.  The Mosaic Backyard Universe was a new addition.  Although this area with its tree house, science hut, and rocket ship is geared toward young children, it’s a fun area for adults to explore as well.  We sampled some of the short videos in the rocket, tried out several different types of blocks and building materials and climbed to the treehouse overlook.  

Spending time viewing the manatees was an essential for this visit. Three manatees are currently in residence being rehabilitated before being released to the wild.  These funny looking blimpy mammals are soothing to watch as they float gently around their pool, periodically surfacing for air and lettuce leaves.  

We also wandered upstairs to browse in a fascinating exhibit about early days in Florida, the contributions of the Seminole Indians, and the role of the Bradenton River in Bradenton commerce and settlement.  The museum currently has an outdoor exhibit of robotic dinosaurs, Dinoventure, which is bound to appeal to kids and even some adults.  The dino exhibit is an extra charge and will remain until mid-March. If you haven’t visited this museum in a while or ever, it’s worth going—with or without children!

BRADENTON RIVERWALK

Catching the rays on the Riverwalk beach

I confess that the Chief Penguin and I had never been on the Bradenton Riverwalk even though it’s been open for some years.  Its boardwalk is accessible across the street from The Bishop and winds along the Manatee River for more than a mile.  We walked from the museum almost to the end.  Along the way there is a fishing pier, splash pad, skate park, spot for beach volleyball, and some whimsical concrete chaises on a small sandy beach.  Before lunch there were few people out, but when we walked back afterwards, the walk was much busier.  It was a different experience with lots to see.

EATING 

For lunch, we made our first visit to Mattison’s Riverwalk Grille conveniently located set back from the river.  The restaurant is covered outside seating with heaters for cold days.  There’s a wide variety of soups, salads, burgers, and more substantial entrees on the menu.  Two of us tucked into the half sandwich of the day (tuna melt) with either a cup of mushroom soup or a salad (Caesar for me). The others tried the fish tacos, artichokes Esther-Style, and fried green tomatoes.  Our server was a friendly young man, and it was the perfect meal for the occasion.  Wine and beer are available and there is live music on certain days.  At the other end of the Riverwalk, also with outside seating, is the Pier 22 restaurant.  

PERICO PRESERVE

Section of scrub with jet trails overhead

On a lovely sunny morning, we made our way to Perico Preserve.  Those of us who live in Manatee County are fortunate to be able to choose from among 12 nature preserves, all with trails for walking and some biking. Perico Preserve was created from farmland and has been transformed to include wetlands and scrub along with blinds for better bird watching overlooking the bay.  It’s not far from Robinson Preserve and one of the trails we didn’t take connects to it.  

Unlike other local preserves, Perico does not allow any dogs, and bicycles are limited to just certain parts of the trail.  It’s a very quiet spot, only a few other people were around, and we enjoyed being in nature here.  For my sister and brother-in-law, active birders, it was a chance to see a variety of songbirds as well as ibises, egrets, and blue herons.  

Note: Header photo was taken at Perico Preserve. All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).