January - March Books 2022

•January•

* The Clue of the Velvet Mask by Carolyn Keene

* The Legs are the Last to Go ¹ by Diahann Carroll - A great lady with oodles of class. This was a good start to reading more celeb memoirs. Now I'm out to check out more of her films and maybe re-watch Dynasty.

•February•

♥ Far from the Madding Crowd ¹ by Thomas Hardy - One of my favourite stories of all time featuring Gabriel Oak, my favourite fictional character. I wanted to start February with a classic love story and this one never disappoints.

The Secret of the Forgotten City by Carolyn Keene - This wasn't one of the better Nancy Drew books and I think it's because it wasn't written by Mildred Wirt Benson.

The Return of the Native ¹ by Thomas Hardy - The only way I was able to get through this dreadfully dull novel was that it was narrated by Alan Rickman. It may have been boring but I was swooning the whole time.

♥ Love Monster by Rachel Bright

♥♥ Somewhere in Time ¹ by Richard Matheson - This was my third time listening to this Matheson masterpiece and the ending once again just destroyed me. I was sobbing at the end. 

Love ¹ by Toni Morrison

* If Beale Street Could Talk ¹ by James Baldwin - I wanted to include more black authors for the second half of February, in honour of it being Black History Month. Bishop loves James Baldwin and warned me that it was intense. It was a great book and I was especially touched by how deeply Tish's family cared for Fonny. It was infuriating at times, but it was the love part of this story that kept me listening. 

* Here's Hank: Bookmarks Are People Too ¹ by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver - I read this in book form last Summer and when I saw Henry Winkler read the audio version I just had to buy it!

•March•

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief ¹ by Rick Riordan - I read this because Jackson has read the entire series and loves it. It was okay, but I'm clearly not the demographic. 

** The Picture of Dorian Gray ¹ by Oscar Wilde - Greg Wise did a phenomenal job narrating this brilliantly original story. 

The Dubliners ¹ by James Joyce - Chris O'Dowd was an excellent narrator but Joyce just isn't for me. I'm not an intellectual and I tried Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and had to give up because I was utterly lost.

Believe Me ¹

¹ - audiobook
² - abridged version
* - liked
♥ - loved
Any unmarked titles were, in my opinion, so-so.

Keeping Up Appearances

I saw a couple episodes of this a handful of years back when I was at Pax and Bishop's place. Now that I finally scored a BritBox subscription, I can binge on all the classics, starting with Keeping Up Appearances. It is an out and out riot and I'm so lucky to have it on while I'm working as it makes the workday that much better.

(photo kidnapped from rottentomatoes)

Blast from the (Not So Distant?) Past

Visionary Arts with Jax

May 6th, 2018 Jax and I spent the day in Baltimore and we had an absolute blast at the Visionary Arts Museum. We definitely plan to go back. Hopefully this Spring!

Scott Arboretum

This afternoon Anne and I trekked across the bridge to the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College. It was a bit of a disappointment as it was more of a luxurious college campus than a small side garden. Plus it was cold and snowing. But.....it was free of charge and we plan to go back again when Spring is in full bloom. It's a lovely campus and I think next time I'll have loads more photos featuring colourful flowers and flowering trees. Here's a few to hold you over til then!

We Need to Talk About Cosby

W. Kamau Bell's Showtime documentary series on Bill Cosby was an astounding achievement. It covered Cosby's early career and all the way through his despicable behaviour and crimes, to his conviction, and, naturally, since life for women is nothing if not truly unfair, his release back into polite society. The interviews were beautifully done and I was so, so impressed with Kamau Bell's direction and handling of this docu-series.

(photo kidnapped from blackenterprise)

While listening to so many of the women tell of how they went home with Cosby, thinking it was to play backgammon or whatever, or even those that were invited to a "party" only to arrive and find they were the only ones, I kept thinking to myself, "Why didn't you just leave?" "Why would you take a pill or a drink from him??" Then I instantly thought, "Okay, what if this was you and say, Hugh Jackman." Now I get it. Because Hugh Jackman is known as the good guy. He's married. He's a family man. He's in musicals. If he asked me and Amy after The Music Man to come back to his place for pizza, I would not hesitate in saying yes. Now while I wouldn't take drugs from him if he offered (cause I'm a total square), I would absolutely take a drink from him and not give it a second thought as to what might be in this drink. Cosby convinced society that he was a kind, warm man who cared about education and was a devoted husband and father. That persona is why he was able to infiltrate himself into the lives of so many intelligent, confident women and take advantage of them and their ignorance of his true self. What a hugely disappointing and pathetic human Cosby turned out to be. 

(Kamau Bell photo by Aundre Larrow kidnapped from nytimes)

The Infamous Dolphin Texts

Dieter

The Colonial Lego Style

At the Reading Public Museum

(I believe the photo is by Kirk Trate and the Lego rendition of the Colonial is by @whataslacker.)

Manhunt: The Night Stalker

I signed up for a month of Acorn so as to watch the last season of Doc Martin, the second series of Manhunt, Delicious season 2 & 3, plus check out some other shows that sound kinda cool. Today I watched all four eps of Manhunt and it was sensational. Who knew I could love Martin Clunes more? Well his portrayal of DCI Colin Sutton and the scene of him comforting an elderly woman after she'd been attacked had me in tears. He was so brilliant and sincere in that moment. Oh, so good! 

(photo kidnapped from amazon)

Black Icarus

by Andrew Logan

photographed 6 May 2018

Visionary Arts Museum - Baltimore, MD

Columbo + Me + Bishop

Fridge Front

A different take on the Fridge Series I've been doing, here's the crazy outside of my fridge.

Gemeenschap van Sant'Egidio

17 Days of Irish Cinema

• Easter 1916 - A well done documentary series on the men who were the signatories of the 1916 Easter Proclamation.

• Evelyn - I saw this in the theatre years ago and was so impressed by Pierce Brosnan. It was nice to see it again and I love when he sang, especially The Parting Glass. 

• 1916: The Irish Rebellion - Another docu-series on the Rising that went beyond the info provided in the previous series. I definitely want to look around for an audiobook that will go into further detail and really learn and retain the information about such an important moment in the history of my beloved Ireland.

• Bridget and Eamon - I know of this series because my neighbour in Dublin has a bit part in a couple episodes. It's a pretty hilarious show and my fave episode is the pilot, The Trócaire Box. The scene where they are in the warehouse in the North just cracked me up.

• Once - Sensational music and it was so great to see a little piece of the city I miss so much.

• In America - I think this may be my favourite of all Jim Sheridan movies. The cast is spectacular and it's a beautifully done film.

• Sing Street - I stopped this film at the second humiliation scene. Then I looked up the film to figure out why I wanted to watch it in the first place. It mentioned the main character being an outcast and forming a punk band. "Okay, okay," I thought to myself, "I'll fast forward the scene where that stupid kid is mean to him and give it another try." I'm glad I did, and I'm really glad I skipped those scenes. The music was so good - fun and poppy - and in the end, I really loved the film. Minus those moments.

• The Commitments - I remember when this film came out my friend Lori was obsessed with it and it's a good film but the soundtrack is fabulous.

• Veronica Guerin - I feel like this story of a brilliant journalist's fight against drugs and crime could have been so much more riveting. Cate Blanchett was good, but the film was lacking in many ways.

• Kisses - I originally saw this in April 2014 and it was just as good the second time around. Stunning performances from the two leads.

• Philomena - Judi Dench at the top of her game and even Steve Coogan was pretty good. 

• The Guard - I really only watched this to see Brendan Gleeson. He didn't disappoint.

• Striking Out - I still get such a charge out of seeing this show and all the little spots in Dublin that are so familiar to me. Plus the bonus of Michael Ford as Nigel Fitzjames!

• Michael Collins - I had tried a few times before to get into this film but I couldn't. This time I was better prepared, having learned a bit more about The Rising and the Irish War of Independence.

• My Left Foot - Do I really need to say how remarkable this film is and the performances from Daniel Day-Lewis, Brenda Fricker, and Ray McAnally? It's all been said before, I'm certain.

• Calvary - The ending on the beach had me in absolute tears. Chris O'Dowd was incredible. Brendan Gleeson's portrayal of a village priest was unique and utterly flawless.

• Frank of Ireland - Watched this whole series tonight with Xavier and we were cracking up. Those Gleeson boys sure are a riot. Perfect end to my seventeen days of celebrating Irish celluloid culture.

The Black Church

My first visit to Phibsborough was in 2015 to photograph The Black Church, which was listed in my Secret Dublin guide book. Three months later I would be back in Dublin and staying for the first time a mere two blocks from the church at SLP.

Have a Super Gay Paddy's Day!

Visionary Farts Exhibit

May 6th 2018 Jackson and I went to Baltimore for the day. The highlight was checking out the Fart Exhibit on the lower floor of the Visionary Art Museum. The fart machine wasn't working but Jax more than made up for it.

Eire

Bono and Gavin Friday "In the Name of the Father:

Seamus Egan "Fermoy Lasses"

The Pogues with Cait O'Riordan "Haunted"

The Commitments "Destination Anywhere"

Beyond the Pale Tiarna De"

Victor Young "The Isle of Innisfree"

Flogging Molly "Salty Dog"

The Cranberries "Ridiculous Thoughts"

Tommy Makem "The Parting Glass"

Mychael & Jeff Danna "The Blood of Cuchulain"

Bob Geldof "The Great Song of Indifference"

The Dubliners "Whisky in the Jar"

The Irish Rovers "Danny Boy"

Van Morrison "Someone Like You"

U2 "Angel of Harlem"

Sinead O'Connor "You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart"

Boomtown Rats "I Don't Like Mondays"

Mary Black "Columbus"

The Pogues "Summer in Siam"

The Dropkick Murphies "Good Rats"

22 October 2004

St. Paddy's Day at the Double K!

The Lep is super scary this year but the other donuts are totes adorbs!

The Northern Irish Countryside

It feels so long ago that I was last in Ireland. In 2019 Xavier and I took the train up to Belfast, a first for both of us. I didn't go too crazy with taking photos around the city but here's one I snapped on the train that I quite like.

From Jax

Then tonight I went over and he met me at the door with his hands behind his back. I thought it would be an old postcard or sticker or something antique-y. Then he showed me a Mario Bros. star magnet!! He told me it cost five bucks and when I asked him if he wanted me to pay him back he said no. Then he said he got a Yoda one for himself. I came home and it has made a lovely addition to my already crowded fridge!