‘Tooni Musing: Holiday Downtime!
As things often go, I’ll be working next week (ah, the ‘freedom’ of being self-employed!) However, (as always – who am I kidding?) I’ll fit in some reading and watching. So, here are a few wildly eclectic recommendations for your downtime:
Reading:
The Widow of the South, by Robert Hicks. Based on real people and the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Gives you a whole new perspective on the hardships of life and love. Folks back then didn’t waste a lot of time whining about “self-actualization.” And, if you lost a leg – tough. You strapped on a wooden one and got back to work. But fair warning – it’s hard to put down (Take the cookies out of the oven BEFORE you start…)
Deep In the Green, An Exploration of Country Pleasures, by Anne Raver. If you love gardening and – well – living, you’ll enjoy this collection of essays. (This is an Amazon info link – but you can probably find at your local library to check out or buy; that’s where I bought my copy.)
Old favorites to read and re-read: Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast; The Collected Works of O. Henry; The ghost stories of Edith Wharton; Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series (action thrillers…bullets fly…women sigh [and are often the shooters])
…and, of course…Dickens’ Christmas Carol. Forget the warm, fuzzy (and often awful) movies and television shows. Good, entertaining writing.
Watching:
Sons of Anarchy, Season One. As is my wont, I got interested in this series late in the second season, and was missing a lot of the character history. I’m now addicted. Sure, it’s about a motorcycle club, but it’s also about the complications of human interaction. Terrific performance by Katy Sagal as the queen of the Sons (you’ll never think of Peg Bundy again); rip-roarin’ plots; and creative writing. (They still can’t say some things on FX, so the writers have to come with alternative dialogue that sounds natural coming from rough, tough, MC members. And, it’s actually more shocking than throwing the boring F-bomb around.)
Bones – any season. The crime investigation process is total fantasy (FBI agent and forensic anthropologist quickly solve weird murders, using about a bazillion dollars in technology) However, it’s really a screwball romantic comedy with wonderful ensemble acting. (The actors seem to be having fun, so you will too.) However, don’t plan on eating dinner during the first five minutes or so…
P.S. TAKE some downtime…enjoy the holidays. Shopping shouldn’t be a competitive event.
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