Friday Favorites - September 2021

September 10, 2021


Hello blog friends.

I can't believe that it's already the beginning of September.  Summer is one of my favorite seasons because of the warm sunny days.  I will miss summer but I'm still going to enjoy it until fall arrives in another two weeks.  


My daughter who is on the left started her first day of senior year at college on August 30, 2021.  I'm amazed at how fast time has gone by and we look forward to visiting her on campus this year.

I'm amazed that I managed to read two books for the month of August.  I usually read a book a month since I'm a slow reader. 

I enjoyed reading Beach Read by Emily Henry.  My daughter recommended this book to me after she read it and I'm glad I did.

August Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction.  January Andrews writes bestselling romance.  When she pens a Happily Ever After, he kills off his entire cast.  They're polar opposites.  In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke and bogged down with writer's block.  Then one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts:  Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel.  She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously).  Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.
   

I just finished reading The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.  This is another book that was recommended to me by my daughter.  This book is a totally different book from what I usually read but I still liked it.

Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful-irresistible to all who meet him.  Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence.  Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.  

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word  comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name.  Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins in their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows.  Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

My husband and I watched this series The Kominsky Method on Netflix together.  We had a lot of laughs and enjoyed Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin.  Acting coach Sandy Kominsky and best friend Norman Newlander keep each other laughing as they navigate the ups and downs of getting older.

Kim's Convenience - This is another Netflix series my husband and I enjoyed watching together.  While running a convenience store in Toronto, members of a Korean-Canadian family that deal with customers, each other, and an evolving world around them.  

The White Lotus - This is another series on HBO Max that my husband and I watched together and liked.  The White Lotus is a sharp social satire following the exploits of the employees and guests at an exclusive Hawaiian resort over a span of one week.

My husband and I decided to dine at a local Italian restaurant that we haven't been to in a long time.

We both enjoyed our Peroni Italian beer and Italian bread with hummus.
We enjoyed sharing baked clams for an appetizer.


I had braised short ribs with mashed potatoes and carrots.


My husband liked his steak, roasted potatoes, and broccoli rabe.  We both look forward to eating there again in the future.


I enjoyed walking around the neighborhood taking photos of the water and pretty flowers.
On Labor Day we decided to go to the beach at Coney Island.  Coney Island is a city beach located in Brooklyn, New York.  The weather was beautiful and we got to the beach early in the morning.  This beach attracts a lot of people and when we left in the afternoon the beach was very crowded.
It's a tradition that we like to go to Nathan's for their hotdogs.  We enjoyed our hotdogs and shared the french fries while sitting on the beach.

Poor Bosco had a urine infection when I took him for his check-up a few weeks ago.  He had to be on antibiotics for three weeks and he is now feeling better.  He spent most of the summer laying on the couch or in his dog bed.  

We sat outside in the yard one evening last weekend.  I found some stale bread that the birds must have dropped in the yard and Bosco is seen trying to get at it.  Bosco looked so funny trying to go under the small table and the plant stand.  When I shared these photos with my daughter, she said that he looked old and depressed in these photos!  Bosco will be turning 14 in October.
Tomorrow marks the 20th Anniversary of 9/11.  I will never forget what I was doing on that day...
Our thoughts and prayers are with those families who lost loved ones.



Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.

Julie

8 comments

  1. Some great faves here. We liked The White Lotus too! We started The Komisky Method and need to get back to that. Going to the beach, seeing beautiful flower and good food all sound amazing. Poor Bosco. I'm glad he's feeling better. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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  2. We also enjoyed the Kominsky Method and the White Lotus. That day in Coney Island looks wonderful! What perfect weather.

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    1. It's nice to be able to watch shows on Netflix or HBO Max other than regular tv. The day at the beach was wonderful and I was happy for the sunny hot weather. Thanks for the blog visit and I hope you enjoy the weekend Joanne.

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  3. Ohhhh poor Bosco glad he is feeling better. Terry and I are looking for some new shows so thanks for the mentions. Have a great weekend. xoxo

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  4. Julie - Coney Island (with hot dogs) was the perfect choice for Labor Day. How lucky to be so close to a great beach! We loved the Kominsky Method...sorry to see it end. White Lotus was addictive...but strange. Glad you enjoyed your reading...we just read The Four Winds for Book Club. I loved it...our next read is The Night Circus. Enjoy September !

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  5. Hi Julie!
    I too managed to read a couple of books (left unimpressed by both) this past month, but watched a lot of series while crocheting. The Kominsky popped up a couple of time in my Netflix, but I always put it off for some other time. Maybe I should give it a try? Me and Eva binge-watched the Outer Banks and now we cannot wait for the new season. Have a lovely Saturday!

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  6. We loved The Kaminsky Method, too. I couldn't get into Kim's Convenience, but maybe I'll try again. I'm really enjoying Atypical on Netflix, but Ted Lasso on Apple+ is my new obsession. My husband would have enjoyed your day at Coney Island, including Nathan's, as he grew up near there. Glad Bosco is feeling better. 9/11 must never be forgotten. Too bad 20 years later, we're fighting amongst ourselves in this country.

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  7. We just finished watching The Kominsky Method, too. SO funny!! Now we're watching Only Murders In The Building on Hulu. Very good...but it only comes out once a week. I'm not used to having to wait for episodes. It's like the old days of tv!! Haha!!

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