- I started a new job on 30 April. It is going well so far, and I like the people I am working with. I am coordinating special projects, which is something I really wanted to transition into after 12 years in event management. (Perhaps I'll even lose some weight now that there isn't a ready supply of cookies or hors d'œuvre two or three times a week.) It has been a long time since I have had a new job, and I had forgotten how frustrating it can be not being up to speed in the beginning. But I have been in the position for a month now, and I have definitely become more comfortable with the office and what I am doing. I do still feel like a "newbie", but not like a fish out of water!
- I have started house hunting in the greater Hartford area, which is a bit more challenging than I thought it would be, despite the whole "buyers' market" buzz you hear on the news. (Buyers' market does not automatically mean "lots of awesome things to choose from" and/or "Going Cheap!") Looking through all the listings, weeding out what you want to take a closer look at, and then visiting the houses is like a second, full-time job! Fortunately, I am working with a FABULOUS Realtor, who is making the process loads easier than it would have been if I'd tried doing this on my own. Can't even begin to fathom house hunting on my own. But as much as I miss all my friends in Boston, I am really happy to be in CT and closer to my family because...
- The best thing that happened last month: Sister B had a baby!! I am an auntie!! It is all very exciting. I'd post a photo, but I have a feeling that she and her hubby would not be very keen on that so I will just say that the baby is a boy, and he is super cute and very squirmy. I just love him to bits. I predict a lot of babysitting in the future.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
My Absentee Note
So I wasn't around much on line during the month of May. Was on Twitter a bit, but no posts whatsoever on the blog, which isn't really like me, but I had a good reason. Well, actually, several good reasons.
Friday, June 8, 2012
A Reading "Refill" for My "Downton Abbey" Rx
First off, hello to everyone who stopped by for the first time the other day!! Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog.
Because most of the people I know who like "Downton Abbey" are also big fans of reading (shout out to that lady on the plane), I thought that it might be helpful to recommend some cool books that recapture that "Downton" Abbey espirit.
To Marry an English Lord: or How Anglomania Really Got Started by Gail McCall and Carol McD Wallace is the first book I'd recommend. (This book was out of print until Julian Fellowes mentioned it was one of his inspirations for "Downton Abbey". It is newly reprinted in paperback.) If you are at all interested in how an American gal like Cora could become the Countess of Grantham, then this book is for you! This non-fiction work details the conquests and exploits of Lady Grantham's real life counterparts from among the "new money" families in America. Snubbed by the members of the New York elite "400", these intrepid young women went to Europe and took the social scene by storm. Following their marriages into the aristocracy, their fortunes propped up some of the oldest and most respected families. But not all of the matches were happy, and this book recounts all of the juicy gossip and scandal of the day. Infidelity, accidental pregnancies, STDs: this all took place 100 years ago? Lots of photographs and factual inserts help the reader keep all the people straight and the text from becoming dry. I bet I can guess what you are thinking: was there a real life counterpart to the late Mr. Pamuk? Read this book to find out!
[Also recommended in this line are four novels by Edith Wharton: The Buccaneers, The Age of Innocence, The House of Mirth, and The Custom of the Country. I really loved the first three, but I disliked the main character in the last one so much (which is intentional on the part of the author) that I had to put the book down only halfway through. There was a cool article in the New York Times about this subject earlier this year.]
Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria by Julia Gelardi is also a great read. Five of Queen Victoria's granddaughters married into other royal families and became queens themselves. Before reading this book I had known about Tsarina Alexandria of Russia, but I didn't know anything about her cousins: the queens of Spain, Norway, Romania, and Greece. Each of these (essentially English) princesses has a different story on their way to the throne, and they are fascinating people. The period of time in which their stories took place is fascinating too. Mix the girls in with a big dash of their boy cousins/brothers, Wilhelm of Germany and George of England, and World War I becomes one big bad dysfunctional family nightmare. (Of course, I am oversimplifying, but it did made for some nasty family politics.) If this was a book about just one of these ladies, I would say that would be pleasantly interesting, but the fact that Gelardi draws comparisons in the experiences of five women of this generation in the broader context of the Great War makes the book really appealing. But it isn't just the war that is interesting; the dramatic divergence in family life is compelling. (One of the biggest issues of interest to me was the disparity in the way that two of the royal families dealt with the hemophilia issue when it hit.) This is relatively fast read for a biography, and it isn't too dry or detail heavy and there are lots of photographs.
I love a good murder mystery novel, provided it isn't too bloody and I can't figure out who the killer is in the first five chapters. I have just started reading the Maisie Dobbs mystery series by Jacqueline Winspear, and even though I am only one book into the series, I am totally in love! After the death of her mother, young Maisie starts out in service as a housemaid in the London home of Lord & Lady Compton. Her kindly employers recognize her intelligence and encourage her to continue her education. She is admitted to university at Cambridge, but leaves at the start of WWI and joins the front lines as a nurse. Following the war, she apprentices under the brilliant investigator Maurice Blanche, returning to London upon his retirement and setting up as a private investigator in her own right. Maisie's first solo case seems at first to be a straightforward case of infidelity, but it leads her to a suspicious home for injured veterans of the war, making her address her own wartime emotional scars. Part gumshoe/part therapist, Maisie's unique approach to solving a mystery is less Sherlock Holmes and more Miss Marple with Nancy Drew's energy and a hint of the mystic. (The way that Maisie Dobbs is described actually makes me think of Michelle Dockery, who plays Lady Mary Crawley. If ever there was a Maisie Dobbs movie, she'd be perfect!)
Not only am I a fan of detective novels, but I am also a fan of historical fiction. The next set of books I am recommending combines both of these loves. They are the Robin Paige Victorian-Edwardian mysteries, written by husband and wife team Bill and Susan Albert. These twelve mystery novels, set at the turn of the 20th century, feature amateur sleuths Kate Ardleigh Sheridan, an Irish-American "lady novelist", and her husband, Sir Charles Sheridan, an amateur pioneer in forensic science. The stories are set all over England, so you get a feel for the landscape of the country, and feature a great number of historical figures as characters. I feel that they do a great job tying together people, locations, and mystery to make the stories believable. You can tell that the Alberts have done their research (they always include a little of the real history at the end of the book along with a bibilography). Some of the people the Sheridens "meet" as they move among society include: Beatrix Potter, Jennie and Winston Churchill, Lilly Langtry, Guglielmo Marconi, and Bertie, the Prince of Wales. These books are really fun and fast reads, perfect to bring with you on your next vacation.
So these are my summer fun reading recommendations for folks who want to take their Anglophilia with them on the road. If you have read/end up reading these books, I'd love to hear what you think of them and would appreciate any suggestions of books that you might have!
Because most of the people I know who like "Downton Abbey" are also big fans of reading (shout out to that lady on the plane), I thought that it might be helpful to recommend some cool books that recapture that "Downton" Abbey espirit.
[Also recommended in this line are four novels by Edith Wharton: The Buccaneers, The Age of Innocence, The House of Mirth, and The Custom of the Country. I really loved the first three, but I disliked the main character in the last one so much (which is intentional on the part of the author) that I had to put the book down only halfway through. There was a cool article in the New York Times about this subject earlier this year.]
Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria by Julia Gelardi is also a great read. Five of Queen Victoria's granddaughters married into other royal families and became queens themselves. Before reading this book I had known about Tsarina Alexandria of Russia, but I didn't know anything about her cousins: the queens of Spain, Norway, Romania, and Greece. Each of these (essentially English) princesses has a different story on their way to the throne, and they are fascinating people. The period of time in which their stories took place is fascinating too. Mix the girls in with a big dash of their boy cousins/brothers, Wilhelm of Germany and George of England, and World War I becomes one big bad dysfunctional family nightmare. (Of course, I am oversimplifying, but it did made for some nasty family politics.) If this was a book about just one of these ladies, I would say that would be pleasantly interesting, but the fact that Gelardi draws comparisons in the experiences of five women of this generation in the broader context of the Great War makes the book really appealing. But it isn't just the war that is interesting; the dramatic divergence in family life is compelling. (One of the biggest issues of interest to me was the disparity in the way that two of the royal families dealt with the hemophilia issue when it hit.) This is relatively fast read for a biography, and it isn't too dry or detail heavy and there are lots of photographs. 
I love a good murder mystery novel, provided it isn't too bloody and I can't figure out who the killer is in the first five chapters. I have just started reading the Maisie Dobbs mystery series by Jacqueline Winspear, and even though I am only one book into the series, I am totally in love! After the death of her mother, young Maisie starts out in service as a housemaid in the London home of Lord & Lady Compton. Her kindly employers recognize her intelligence and encourage her to continue her education. She is admitted to university at Cambridge, but leaves at the start of WWI and joins the front lines as a nurse. Following the war, she apprentices under the brilliant investigator Maurice Blanche, returning to London upon his retirement and setting up as a private investigator in her own right. Maisie's first solo case seems at first to be a straightforward case of infidelity, but it leads her to a suspicious home for injured veterans of the war, making her address her own wartime emotional scars. Part gumshoe/part therapist, Maisie's unique approach to solving a mystery is less Sherlock Holmes and more Miss Marple with Nancy Drew's energy and a hint of the mystic. (The way that Maisie Dobbs is described actually makes me think of Michelle Dockery, who plays Lady Mary Crawley. If ever there was a Maisie Dobbs movie, she'd be perfect!)
Not only am I a fan of detective novels, but I am also a fan of historical fiction. The next set of books I am recommending combines both of these loves. They are the Robin Paige Victorian-Edwardian mysteries, written by husband and wife team Bill and Susan Albert. These twelve mystery novels, set at the turn of the 20th century, feature amateur sleuths Kate Ardleigh Sheridan, an Irish-American "lady novelist", and her husband, Sir Charles Sheridan, an amateur pioneer in forensic science. The stories are set all over England, so you get a feel for the landscape of the country, and feature a great number of historical figures as characters. I feel that they do a great job tying together people, locations, and mystery to make the stories believable. You can tell that the Alberts have done their research (they always include a little of the real history at the end of the book along with a bibilography). Some of the people the Sheridens "meet" as they move among society include: Beatrix Potter, Jennie and Winston Churchill, Lilly Langtry, Guglielmo Marconi, and Bertie, the Prince of Wales. These books are really fun and fast reads, perfect to bring with you on your next vacation.So these are my summer fun reading recommendations for folks who want to take their Anglophilia with them on the road. If you have read/end up reading these books, I'd love to hear what you think of them and would appreciate any suggestions of books that you might have!
Monday, June 4, 2012
An Rx for "Downton Abbey" Withdrawal
My friend and former work colleague D has recently become a fan of "Downton Abbey", having caught up on the first two series on Netflix. (Whatever were you waiting for, girlfriend?!? I knew you were going to love it!!!)
But now that she is done watching "Downton", she was looking for some recommendations of tv series with similar feel to get her through until the third series of "Downton" comes out. I gave her a few suggestions, which I thought I would share here for other people who are going through similar withdrawal pangs. (There is some definite overlap with this list and my Top Ten Costume Dramas list.) The common thread of all of these series is a fantastic ensemble cast.
[ETA: I watched each of these programs initially on dvd from Netflix. (I now own most of them.) Many of them are available on Netflix Streaming. However, if you don't have Netflix or are on a budget, most of these, if not all, can be borrowed from your local library.]
1. "Cranford" & "Return to Cranford":
Downton tie-in: Mr. Carson/Jim Carter &
Lady Mary Crawley/Michelle Dockery
These mini-series set in a small town that is slowly trying to adapt to changing times as the Industrial Revolution reaches out to their agrarian community. But the story is really all about the wonderfully strong and kind ladies of Cranford and their relationships and "adventures". Jim Carter plays Captain Brown in both series, the man in the village on whom the ladies rely for help and good judgement, while Michelle Dockery plays the strong willed heiress Erminia Whyte in the second series (which, honestly, isn't as good as the first, but it does have Tom Hiddleston in it, and I think his smile is just, GAH, amazing! Love it!! And the curls! Yes, crushing, right there.)
2. "Larkrise to Candleford":
Downton tie-in: Mr. Bates/Brendan Coyle
Americans of a "certain age", if you grew up watching "Little House on the Prairie" and loving it, I pretty much can guarantee you will enjoy "Larkrise to Candleford". The story follows young Laura Timmins as she leaves her hamlet home in Larkrise to work in the Royal Post Office in the more urbane Candleford. She matures/falls in love/makes mistakes/fixes mistakes, all the things you do growing up. Fellow members of Team Bates!® should enjoy this series, where Mr. Coyle plays Laura's loving, proud, and somewhat stubborn (remind you of anyone? Batesy!) father. A great cast of characters rounds out the populations of both Larkrise and Candleford.
3. North and South:
Downton tie-in: Mr. Bates/Brendan Coyle
This mini-series set in the Victorian industrial north of England definitely has some serious moments as it takes on the struggle of the laboring classes and the cultural disparities between life in the north and south of England. But it's the struggling love story between John Thornton (Richard Armitage) and Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe) that I love the best. Mr. Coyle brings that same warmth and strong moral fiber to his role as union leader Nicholas Higgins that he has in both "Larkrise" and "Downton", although he is a little more rough around the edges in this one. All three of these series are set in the later half of the 19th century.
4. Island at War
Downton tie-in: Anna Smith/Joanne Froggatt
Moving into the 20th century, we are at war. World War II, to be precise. A great story focusing on three families living on a fictional English Channel island following the Nazi invasion. In one of the storylines, Joanne Froggatt plays a conflicted young woman, torn between her loyalty to her country and the memory of her father, who was killed in the invasion, and her romantic interest in a thoughtful (and handsome) Luftwaffe pilot played by Laurence Fox (Gosford Park). Philip Glenister ("Cranford") plays the fascinating German commanding officer.
5. Sense and Sensibility
Downton tie-in: Matthew Crawley/Dan Stevens
A very good interpretation of the Jane Austen novel, (although I am partial to the Ang Lee version with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet.) Dan Stevens plays the lovely Mr. Edward Ferrars, with whom our heroine, Elinor Dashwood, has fallen, sensibly, in love. And because in this day and age, you can't have an Austen dramatic interpretation without a wet white shirt scene for the hero, one of those has been written into this adaptation!
6. Wives and Daughters
Downton tie-in: Isobel Crawley/Penelope Wilton &
Sir Richard Carlisle/Iain Glen
IMDB has a fantastic description of this miniseries: "The daughter of a country doctor copes with an unwanted stepmother, an impetuous stepsister, burdensome secrets, the town gossips, and the tug on her own heartstrings for a man who thinks of her only as a friend." This is SO good. Bring tissues. You will melt!! Penelope Wilton plays Mrs. Hamley, the kindly neighbor who is as good as a mother to the heroine while Michael Gambon (Cranford, Gosford Park) plays her husband Squire Hamley. Iain Glen's cunning Mr. Preston is rather reminiscent of his Downton Abbey character!
7. Daniel Deronda
Downton tie-in: Lord Grantham/Hugh Bonneville
Again from IMDB: "It is across the roulette table that Gwendolen Harleth first locks eyes with the enigmatic Daniel Deronda. Gwendolen is beautiful, vivacious, and a gambler, but desperate for financial security; something that possessive Henleigh Grandcourt would be able to provide for her. Daniel is the adopted son of an aristocratic, but doubtful of his own identity. He pours his energy into selflessly helping his friends, including poor Jewish singer Mirah Lapidoth. As Gwendolen's situation becomes dire, and Daniel seeks to uncover the mystery surrounding his own birth, their lives become intertwined." The role of Henleigh Grandcourt is about as far away from Lord Grantham as you can get for Hugh Bonneville. He is EVIL!! (But kind of hot in his evilness.) You be the judge.
8. Lost in Austen
Downton tie-in: Lord Grantham/Hugh Bonneville
This miniseries is really sort of wonderful, provided you aren't overserious about your Jane Austen. Pride & Prejudice fangirl #1 Amanda Price trades places with her favorite fictional heroine of all time while Lizzy Bennet tries her hand in 21st century London. But despite knowing the whole of Pride & Prejudice by heart, Amanda isn't QUITE ready for the 19th century, the haughty Mr. Darcy, the scheming Mr. Wickham, or the delightful Bennet family. Hugh Bonneville plays the patriarch Mr. Claude Bennet with the same kindness and charm that he has in Downton. Yes, it is cheesy, but it is fun. And Guy Henry is the SKEEVIEST Mr. Collins ever.
9. The Forsyte Saga
Downton tie-in: same pre- and post-WWI time period in England
There haven't been any major cast overlaps in "The Forsyte Saga" and "Downton Abbey" as yet, but I really think that anyone who is a fan of the complex characters of "Downton" will appreciate the story of the Forsytes: money, class, and morals at the end of the Victorian era/start of the Edwardian era. (The costumes are even more elegant and intricate than Downton. Stunning!) These guys definitely know how to bring on the drama. You are going to want to have a hanky handy in certain parts, and there are some characters that you are going to love to hate, just like Thomas and O'Brien. (Well, not in quite the same way as Thomas and O'Brien, but trust me, there are some nasty pieces of work in this miniseries, WONDERFULLY nasty!)
10. Gosford Park
Downton tie-in: Lady Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham/Dame Maggie Smith & Julian Fellowes, writer
Julian Fellowes' first attempt to capture equally the lives of those both above and below stairs won him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. This is a murder mystery/social commentary, set in a country manor house in the 1920s, complete with an all star cast of the best of Britain and directed by Robert Altman. What's not to love!?! The fact that it has to end!! Maggie Smith gives a performance that is clearly a rough draft of her character in "Downton Abbey". There will be a lot of recognizable faces in this cast for any fan of BBC dramas (a good number of them will be in the dramas mentioned above.)
So this has been long in coming, but here are my suggestions for how to get through the remaining months until we get to see the third series of "Downton Abbey". Brew yourself a pot of tea, bake yourself up some scones, and tune into these programs to try to reclaim the enjoyment you felt earlier this year!
ETA (8/27/2013): This post has now had over 12,000 views since I first posted this back in June 2012. It is great to know that so many people are into Downton Abbey and are looking for more shows like it!! (Hopefully, American TV people will get the hint!)
Comments are still open on this post so please feel free to share your own recommendations for additional ways of getting through the withdrawal. Please also check out my blog entries where I list my top 10 mystery series recommendations and my top 10 costume drama recommendations!
But now that she is done watching "Downton", she was looking for some recommendations of tv series with similar feel to get her through until the third series of "Downton" comes out. I gave her a few suggestions, which I thought I would share here for other people who are going through similar withdrawal pangs. (There is some definite overlap with this list and my Top Ten Costume Dramas list.) The common thread of all of these series is a fantastic ensemble cast.
[ETA: I watched each of these programs initially on dvd from Netflix. (I now own most of them.) Many of them are available on Netflix Streaming. However, if you don't have Netflix or are on a budget, most of these, if not all, can be borrowed from your local library.]
Downton tie-in: Mr. Carson/Jim Carter &
Lady Mary Crawley/Michelle Dockery
These mini-series set in a small town that is slowly trying to adapt to changing times as the Industrial Revolution reaches out to their agrarian community. But the story is really all about the wonderfully strong and kind ladies of Cranford and their relationships and "adventures". Jim Carter plays Captain Brown in both series, the man in the village on whom the ladies rely for help and good judgement, while Michelle Dockery plays the strong willed heiress Erminia Whyte in the second series (which, honestly, isn't as good as the first, but it does have Tom Hiddleston in it, and I think his smile is just, GAH, amazing! Love it!! And the curls! Yes, crushing, right there.)
Downton tie-in: Mr. Bates/Brendan Coyle
Americans of a "certain age", if you grew up watching "Little House on the Prairie" and loving it, I pretty much can guarantee you will enjoy "Larkrise to Candleford". The story follows young Laura Timmins as she leaves her hamlet home in Larkrise to work in the Royal Post Office in the more urbane Candleford. She matures/falls in love/makes mistakes/fixes mistakes, all the things you do growing up. Fellow members of Team Bates!® should enjoy this series, where Mr. Coyle plays Laura's loving, proud, and somewhat stubborn (remind you of anyone? Batesy!) father. A great cast of characters rounds out the populations of both Larkrise and Candleford.
Downton tie-in: Mr. Bates/Brendan Coyle
This mini-series set in the Victorian industrial north of England definitely has some serious moments as it takes on the struggle of the laboring classes and the cultural disparities between life in the north and south of England. But it's the struggling love story between John Thornton (Richard Armitage) and Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe) that I love the best. Mr. Coyle brings that same warmth and strong moral fiber to his role as union leader Nicholas Higgins that he has in both "Larkrise" and "Downton", although he is a little more rough around the edges in this one. All three of these series are set in the later half of the 19th century.
Downton tie-in: Anna Smith/Joanne Froggatt
Moving into the 20th century, we are at war. World War II, to be precise. A great story focusing on three families living on a fictional English Channel island following the Nazi invasion. In one of the storylines, Joanne Froggatt plays a conflicted young woman, torn between her loyalty to her country and the memory of her father, who was killed in the invasion, and her romantic interest in a thoughtful (and handsome) Luftwaffe pilot played by Laurence Fox (Gosford Park). Philip Glenister ("Cranford") plays the fascinating German commanding officer.
Downton tie-in: Matthew Crawley/Dan Stevens
A very good interpretation of the Jane Austen novel, (although I am partial to the Ang Lee version with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet.) Dan Stevens plays the lovely Mr. Edward Ferrars, with whom our heroine, Elinor Dashwood, has fallen, sensibly, in love. And because in this day and age, you can't have an Austen dramatic interpretation without a wet white shirt scene for the hero, one of those has been written into this adaptation!
Downton tie-in: Isobel Crawley/Penelope Wilton &
Sir Richard Carlisle/Iain Glen
IMDB has a fantastic description of this miniseries: "The daughter of a country doctor copes with an unwanted stepmother, an impetuous stepsister, burdensome secrets, the town gossips, and the tug on her own heartstrings for a man who thinks of her only as a friend." This is SO good. Bring tissues. You will melt!! Penelope Wilton plays Mrs. Hamley, the kindly neighbor who is as good as a mother to the heroine while Michael Gambon (Cranford, Gosford Park) plays her husband Squire Hamley. Iain Glen's cunning Mr. Preston is rather reminiscent of his Downton Abbey character!
Downton tie-in: Lord Grantham/Hugh Bonneville
Again from IMDB: "It is across the roulette table that Gwendolen Harleth first locks eyes with the enigmatic Daniel Deronda. Gwendolen is beautiful, vivacious, and a gambler, but desperate for financial security; something that possessive Henleigh Grandcourt would be able to provide for her. Daniel is the adopted son of an aristocratic, but doubtful of his own identity. He pours his energy into selflessly helping his friends, including poor Jewish singer Mirah Lapidoth. As Gwendolen's situation becomes dire, and Daniel seeks to uncover the mystery surrounding his own birth, their lives become intertwined." The role of Henleigh Grandcourt is about as far away from Lord Grantham as you can get for Hugh Bonneville. He is EVIL!! (But kind of hot in his evilness.) You be the judge.
Downton tie-in: Lord Grantham/Hugh Bonneville
This miniseries is really sort of wonderful, provided you aren't overserious about your Jane Austen. Pride & Prejudice fangirl #1 Amanda Price trades places with her favorite fictional heroine of all time while Lizzy Bennet tries her hand in 21st century London. But despite knowing the whole of Pride & Prejudice by heart, Amanda isn't QUITE ready for the 19th century, the haughty Mr. Darcy, the scheming Mr. Wickham, or the delightful Bennet family. Hugh Bonneville plays the patriarch Mr. Claude Bennet with the same kindness and charm that he has in Downton. Yes, it is cheesy, but it is fun. And Guy Henry is the SKEEVIEST Mr. Collins ever.
Downton tie-in: same pre- and post-WWI time period in England
There haven't been any major cast overlaps in "The Forsyte Saga" and "Downton Abbey" as yet, but I really think that anyone who is a fan of the complex characters of "Downton" will appreciate the story of the Forsytes: money, class, and morals at the end of the Victorian era/start of the Edwardian era. (The costumes are even more elegant and intricate than Downton. Stunning!) These guys definitely know how to bring on the drama. You are going to want to have a hanky handy in certain parts, and there are some characters that you are going to love to hate, just like Thomas and O'Brien. (Well, not in quite the same way as Thomas and O'Brien, but trust me, there are some nasty pieces of work in this miniseries, WONDERFULLY nasty!)
Downton tie-in: Lady Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham/Dame Maggie Smith & Julian Fellowes, writer
Julian Fellowes' first attempt to capture equally the lives of those both above and below stairs won him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. This is a murder mystery/social commentary, set in a country manor house in the 1920s, complete with an all star cast of the best of Britain and directed by Robert Altman. What's not to love!?! The fact that it has to end!! Maggie Smith gives a performance that is clearly a rough draft of her character in "Downton Abbey". There will be a lot of recognizable faces in this cast for any fan of BBC dramas (a good number of them will be in the dramas mentioned above.)
So this has been long in coming, but here are my suggestions for how to get through the remaining months until we get to see the third series of "Downton Abbey". Brew yourself a pot of tea, bake yourself up some scones, and tune into these programs to try to reclaim the enjoyment you felt earlier this year!
ETA (8/27/2013): This post has now had over 12,000 views since I first posted this back in June 2012. It is great to know that so many people are into Downton Abbey and are looking for more shows like it!! (Hopefully, American TV people will get the hint!)
Comments are still open on this post so please feel free to share your own recommendations for additional ways of getting through the withdrawal. Please also check out my blog entries where I list my top 10 mystery series recommendations and my top 10 costume drama recommendations!
Monday, April 30, 2012
A Day Around Savannah
"Georgia, Georgia,
The whole day through
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind"*
"He's leaving,
On that midnight train to Georgia,
And he's goin' back
To a simpler place and time.
And I'll be with him
On that midnight train to Georgia,
I'd rather live in his world
Than live without him in mine."**
*lyrics from "Georgia on My Mind"
**lyrics from "Midnight Train to Georgia"
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The Holy City*
The things that I like about Charleston: the sense of history comfortably mingled with the present day (much like Boston); the architecture (especially the side porches that run the length of the houses-on each story!); the delicious food & great restaurants (try Tristan's - you won't regret it - $5 cocktails!); the friendliness of the people (we met a lovely woman in the Market making/selling sweetgrass baskets that Friday night); and the walkability of the city. I was sad when it was time to say goodbye.
* Charleston is nicknamed "the Holy City" because the skyline (which is otherwise pretty low - no skyscrapers here) is peppered with the steeples of the many churches within its limits.
* Charleston is nicknamed "the Holy City" because the skyline (which is otherwise pretty low - no skyscrapers here) is peppered with the steeples of the many churches within its limits.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
"What's a Grit?"*
Back in the summer of 2010, my book club read Kathryn Stockett's novel The Help, and we held our discussion meeting at Tupelo in Cambridge. At that meeting, I had my first taste of grits (along with some amazing chicken and waffles and Southern sweet tea!) Someone ordered grits for the table, and I felt obligated to try them in an attempt at Southern authenticity. (The only thing I really knew about grits was that Flo on TV's "Alice" used to tell people off by telling them to kiss hers!)
Uneasily putting that first spoonful into my mouth, the taste was surprising and delightful. Where I had expected something bland and grainy, there was heavenly, mushy, buttery goodness. With my second spoonful greedily in my mouth I asked, "What are grits again?" To the amusement of my fellow book clubbers, I ended up finishing off the bowl. Turns out, grits are a corn meal porridge. What's not to love about that, right? Right.
This year, I drove back north from Florida, and, for the first time in my life, I got to visit a number of towns in the South (as opposed to having layovers in the Charlotte or Atlanta airports). Stops were made in: Jekyll Island, GA; Savannah, GA; Beaufort, SC; Charleston, SC; and Williamsburg, VA. I ordered shrimp and grits (a popular combination) at a number of restaurants along the way; some places served it traditionally (more soupy), while other places served it more firm, so that it was almost like a polenta. My favorite version of the dish was at 82 Queen in Charleston. I had the seared shrimp and scallops over stone ground grits with sauce Newburg, which was positively AMAZING. (I highly recommend dining out at 82 Queen if you are in Charleston. They also have really wonderful she-crab soup.) I don't know if I would ever try cooking grits myself, but I can guarantee that I will be ordering them at Southern style restaurants in the future!!(But if you do make grits regularly and want to make a suggestion for a brand to try at home and/or a recipe in the comments, I would be glad to have that info.)
*the classic line from My Cousin Vinny
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| Paula Deen's version of shrimp and grits |
This year, I drove back north from Florida, and, for the first time in my life, I got to visit a number of towns in the South (as opposed to having layovers in the Charlotte or Atlanta airports). Stops were made in: Jekyll Island, GA; Savannah, GA; Beaufort, SC; Charleston, SC; and Williamsburg, VA. I ordered shrimp and grits (a popular combination) at a number of restaurants along the way; some places served it traditionally (more soupy), while other places served it more firm, so that it was almost like a polenta. My favorite version of the dish was at 82 Queen in Charleston. I had the seared shrimp and scallops over stone ground grits with sauce Newburg, which was positively AMAZING. (I highly recommend dining out at 82 Queen if you are in Charleston. They also have really wonderful she-crab soup.) I don't know if I would ever try cooking grits myself, but I can guarantee that I will be ordering them at Southern style restaurants in the future!!(But if you do make grits regularly and want to make a suggestion for a brand to try at home and/or a recipe in the comments, I would be glad to have that info.)
*the classic line from My Cousin Vinny
Monday, April 9, 2012
Down in the Selby Gardens*
It has been really hot here on the Gulf Coast the last few weeks, far too hot to be at the beach during the middle of the day. (I know: boo hoo, poor me.) So one day last week, I went to visit the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, which was definitely a lot cooler place to be, both literally and metaphorically. (Bad pun, sorry! I am out of practice with blogging.)
Their website describes the gardens as "an open-air and under-glass museum of thousands of colorful and exotics plants. Many of these plants have been collected from the wild on more than 200 scientific expeditions to tropical rain forests by Selby Gardens research staff." This doesn't do the place justice - it is orchid heaven!! There is a whole green house full of orchids, and then there is an outdoor rain forest of sorts with a waterfall and orchids growing up in the nooks of the trees! It was really something. Here are some of my photos so that you can get a look.
Part of the gardens is a designated butterfly garden. (The plantings there are chosen specifically to attract butterflies.) There were a several of them flying around very quickly, which made it difficult to get a good photograph of them feeding on the flowers.
We did get to see this male Monarch butterfly that had *just* come out of its chrysalis. One of the volunteers helped the little guy by putting it on this bush so that he could dry out his wings.(Very shortly thereafter, he had his first amorous adventure with another male butterfly. And they say it isn't natural...) ;-)
*Another bad pun, sorry fans of Irish traditional music!
Their website describes the gardens as "an open-air and under-glass museum of thousands of colorful and exotics plants. Many of these plants have been collected from the wild on more than 200 scientific expeditions to tropical rain forests by Selby Gardens research staff." This doesn't do the place justice - it is orchid heaven!! There is a whole green house full of orchids, and then there is an outdoor rain forest of sorts with a waterfall and orchids growing up in the nooks of the trees! It was really something. Here are some of my photos so that you can get a look.
Part of the gardens is a designated butterfly garden. (The plantings there are chosen specifically to attract butterflies.) There were a several of them flying around very quickly, which made it difficult to get a good photograph of them feeding on the flowers.
We did get to see this male Monarch butterfly that had *just* come out of its chrysalis. One of the volunteers helped the little guy by putting it on this bush so that he could dry out his wings.(Very shortly thereafter, he had his first amorous adventure with another male butterfly. And they say it isn't natural...) ;-)
*Another bad pun, sorry fans of Irish traditional music!
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