So relevant today. Out on the edge of darkness, here comes the Peace Train.
This Peace Train music video was prepared for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in 2006 and Cat Stevens was there and performed. Musicians and singers from all over the world participated.
I am a bit late to this game, I now get free library books using the Libby app. I can choose any book the library owns and Libby loads it onto my kindle, and I think the books load onto laptops and maybe iPads too. My sons both like the audio books Libby also supplies. My sons tell me that listening to audio books prevents eye strain from too much computer use, and is ideal to listen to while driving.
Monica from Beyond the Lone Islands blog mentioned this Elly Griffiths series and I thought I would buy the next one I want to read, which is number 6. Then I decided to get it from Libby. So easy. There are 14 books and counting in this series so I can save quite a few pennies by using Libby.
Ruth Galloway is the main character and she is a forensic archeologist, examining bones from archeological digs and bones from crime scenes when the police need her help. She has interesting friends including the policeman, Nelson and a druid, Cathbad. Ruth lives in a very remote house in a remote and darkly beautiful area near the sea. Sometimes this remoteness leads to danger for her, but she dearly loves the place. If you have not started this series please begin with book one since there are events happening in Ruth's life in those early books.
Do you use Libby or your library's equivalent service? Very convenient and free.
As a way to lighten the mood in these dangerous days, here are two TV shows I found recently and enjoy.
Lie to Me, starring Tim Roth as a facial expression and body language expert who founds a company that helps police and government agencies solve crimes, prevent terrorism, free innocent prisoners, etc. Tim Roth is brilliant in this show. I love the way he carefully studies people face to face up close to decide if they are lying. 2009 to 2011 and good news that there are 48 episodes. On Netflix.
Chef's Table, a documentary about chefs around the world. The two episodes I watched thus far are fascinating. Musa Dagdeviren is a Turkish chef in Istanbul who works to keep regional cuisines from becoming extinct. Wonderful food, a chef with bold ideas to save old type cuisines, and lots of footage of Istanbul and small towns. He was sad to hear people in Turkey insult ethnic cuisines (I won't eat at that restaurant, they serve Kurdish, Sunni, etc. foods) and that sparked his zeal to save those old recipes and showcase them in his restaurant. I attended college in Istanbul for a year my junior year abroad and love Turkish food so I watched this episode first.
Bo Songvisava is a Thai chef who is on a mission to save old style authentic Thai food recipes in her Bangkok restaurant. She is also on a mission to support organic suppliers and her restaurant is all organic, which was difficult to do because Thailand has mainly industrial farming according to her. Lots of beautiful scenes of small farms, countryside and Thai food. I am watching this series on Hulu. Each of these chefs is talented and charismatic and doing work I admire greatly. There are many episodes covering many countries and interesting chefs. The photo above is of Bo in her Bangkok restaurant.
Here is a photo of Will and me in Palm Springs in 2004. That was a fun trip, Will took his mountain bike so he could ride every day in nature. I took books so I could read and a swimming suit so I could swim in the motel pool.
Below is a photo of a note he wrote for me.
I have lots of books in boxes, some of them because I am redecorating a bedroom from carpets to walls painted to a new bed. I bought a new hybrid mattress, foam on the top and inner springs too, supposed to be very comfy and sleep inducing.
I looked through a box of books today and found this sweet note from my husband Will on the cover of one of the books. This is my sixth year of being a widow and it was uplifting to get this note from him. The note reads "Excellent book, plus has some of the places we've been."
This note is one I will treasure forever, with the book. Will and I had 47 happy years together, 45 married. We had many adventures along the way, including hiring a jeep and driver to go to temples and ruins in the Yucatan jungle near Merida, Mexico. In Merida we had met a young couple from France and we enjoyed their company and we split the cost of hiring the jeep and guide with them. We climbed up a steep pyramid in Chichen Itza, with few tourists around. This book includes the Yucatan cities. Good memories. This "Green Dreams" book covers that area of the world.
Below are photos of Chichen Itza in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, near the Gulf of Mexico.
I don't recall too many restaurants from our travels, but one in Merida, Alberto's Continental Restaurant, stood out. It was in a hacienda with Moorish arches and total charm, built in the 1700s. The food was excellent, Lebanese, Yucatecan and Mexican. We loved the lime soup and Lebanese food. Alberto was a charming host, but sad to say, he closed the restaurant when he was in his 80s, back in 2013. So this isn't a place I can suggest you visit. Good times though.
