Susan here, on yet another rainy day -- that’s over two weeks of rain here in Maryland, just peachy for flowers, trees, and grass – not so peachy for humans after a while. Yesterday afternoon there was a strange glow in the sky…and someone reminded me that it was, in fact, the sun. Today, there’s more rain, thunderstorms even, with a wee chance of sun, and more rain for the weekend.
So this seems like a good time to turn to a few favorites for comfort - books, TV shows, movies, tea ... lately I’ve discovered some new and wonderful treasures well worth sharing, especially if you’re just so over the rain, rain, rain, and could use something new.
The Detectorists
We recently discovered this BBC show – and binge-watched as much as our schedules would allow. It's a brilliant, intelligent, soft-spoken comedy about two friends and metal detectorists, Andy (Mackenzie Crook/Pirates of the Caribbean) and Lance (Toby Jones/Hunger Games), and their devotion to their shared hobby and dream of finding gold—Saxon gold, to be exact, buried somewhere under the gently rolling English countryside in Essex, where these two fellows stroll about, swinging detectors and finding everything—ring pulls, toy cars, soda cans—but gold. Every aspect of this show is a pure joy, from the gently funny dialogue and the very real, very touching personal and family situations and dilemmas the characters face, to the beautifully filmed English countryside. Having finished the two seasons and pining for more, I’m tempted to just start it all over again. Written and directed by Mackenzie Crook, it’s indeed a treasure.
Big Magic
I’m in love with this book at the moment—Elizabeth Gilbert is one of my favorite authors, and Big Magic, her newest, is full of juicy insights and sparkling aha! gems. Her thoughts on creativity and being creative—the elusiveness of it, its strengths and delicacies, its quirkiness, its essential usefulness to all of us—are fascinating, including her notion that ideas are entities looking for the right creative soul to play with, whether artist, writer, crafter, and so on. I’m listening to the audiobook, and Gilbert’s voice, as she reads her own, is perfect—smooth, warm, compelling.
A Good Cuppa
Hot tea while I'm reading or watching a favorite show is the perfect thing for me. A few months ago I discovered Williamson Tea, grown in Kenya, when I found a whimsical elephant tea caddy in a shop and tried the English Breakfast tea that came with it. I was hooked—strong with a good clean tea flavor, very, very good black tea. I’ve since been ordering Williamson teas, and it’s so good that I can barely go back to the brand I was using before!
Nataya
My son got married a couple of months ago, and they had a 1920s-style wedding in a beautiful mansion, with 1920s music and décor, and guests were encouraged to dress to the theme too. The bridesmaids wore dresses by designer Nataya whose beautiful creations, with lace, chiffon, embroidery and wonderful lines and details, are based on fashions from the early 20th century, similar to those worn on Downton Abbey. I picked up a couple of Nataya pieces myself (though if you are short - plan to alter!). Gorgeously romantic, affordable, graceful styles that suit plenty of occasions, these can look fabulous on just about everyone.
So there you go, some lovely new treasures that I've recently discovered -- new to me, and each one has a little spin on history or creativity or both, and I'm delighted to share them with you. What new favorites have you discovered lately? A TV series, a movie, a book, a great pair of shoes or the perfect cup of tea? We want to know!
Susan, off to get a fresh cup of tea
