We have a monthly standing engagement at this place, Blues Under the Stars. Located in the historic part of Englewood, Florida, a mere 15 minutes from our home. Pretty nondescript from the street but enter from the street, walk through the restaurant and bar until you exit to the outdoor courtyard.
Reservations are a must, usually, a month ahead of time if you want to be seated. It could be just BH and me but usually it includes whoever is in town. Our biggest party included 15. The trees are sprinkled with white, fairy lights, tables are candlelit, nights are usually in the mid 70s, and, of course, there are the starry skies. The food is not gourmet but I’ll take their baby back ribs any day.
We come for the music. Not just any music. We come for Mike Imbasciani and the Blues Rockerz. Naturally, there are a lot of other excellent musicians…blues and rock…who make their way to the courtyard. But, we’re die hard Mike groupies….as are many local boomers.
The first time we heard him at a local concert, he was barely 16, still in high school, in 2013. The headliner at that event was another Mike, Michael Allman, Gregg’s oldest. Gregg met Michael’s mother, a go-go dancer at a discotheque near Daytona Beach. At 18, he fathered his first child. Mary Lou’s parents, a bank executive and librarian, were none too happy about it and ran him out of town.
I would venture a guess that Mary Lou was in the throes of a major rebellion. Ya think? I’m guessing they didn’t have much to do with her or little Michael, because when I met him at that concert, he was missing quite a few teeth at the age of 47. However, I will say that didn’t interfere with his amazing voice….he sounded exactly like Gregg, except younger. Listen to him on YouTube, you’ll see what I mean.
But, I digress. At the age of 5, Mike Imbasciani pleaded with his father for guitar lessons. So, they both took it up, but little Mike could run circles around his dad within a few months. The dad quit, but he agreed to continue lessons for Mike as long as he learned “his” music. We’re talking The Band, Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers, Santana, Eric Clapton, Arlo Guthrie and lots of old blues legends. And, wow, did he learn them. Listening to him play is pure joy! No one can sit still….we turn into a whole lotta boomer shakers! As bad as my structural issues can be, I cannot help but get up and dance!!
And, so, last night was no exception. I was sitting next to a very old friend from our Florida State days back in the late 60s. You can’t help but hear that fabulous music (I admit, I am biased) and reminisce. Songs evoke some fairly strong memories and emotions.
Last night, I was back in Northampton, Massachusetts, living with my young husband in a boarding house paying in rent exactly what we were paying for a two bedroom furnished home in Florida. We had graduated from Florida State and threw all our possessions into a VW bug and took off for New England. Two reasons: Jim had gone AWOL in New Haven and Mass voted for McGovern in 1968. Of course, we had no jobs or contacts. We never thought we were risk takers. It was the 70s!!
We exited Interstate 91 at Northampton and drove down Main Street. Hippie types everywhere smoking out in the open and I’m not talking tobacco. No arrests! No one batted an eye. This was 1970!! OMG! I stayed 13 years.
Saturday, April 20, 2019
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Family Time
I love my Aunt Helen, famous for lots of clever quips. I often laugh when I think about all of us gathered in her living room watching something on television—probably Jeopardy, Andy Griffiths or Keeping Up Appearances. No one has ever listened to a commercial because once it starts, the mute button is hit and Helen announces, “Family Time!”
And, BH and I are about to embark on some “Family Time” this week. It’s spring break. Time for those precious family members to fly south, hit the pool and the beach and entertain us with their boundless energy.
There’s a routine for getting ready. Just as we have our division of labor outside, we also divide it up inside. How do these things come about? Was there a prenup involved? Who would do what and when? Is it a mutual decision or is it a fight to the finish?
We err on the mutually agreed upon side. Both of us are fairly neat, although hardly fastidious. We can go weeks on end without sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, polishing and washing baseboards (really, does anyone do that?!). We may be orderly but we’re also lazy. Who wouldn’t rather go to the movies, play bridge, watch live sports or read one book after another?
We need a boost to go into a higher gear and what’s better than having guests? Even if it is your family who definitely have no agenda. Today was our “work” day. I was up by 7 a.m., pretty early in my book. By 9, I had finished my cup of coffee, my coffee and cream yogurt, read the Herald Tribune from cover to cover, and cleaned out the refrigerator. Now, that is a job…taking everything out, examining the sell by dates and cleaning the shelves. By the time it was done, I’d filled the recycling bin to overflowing!
Naturally, that has to happen before I can go grocery shopping. You would think we needed everything from looking at the cart. I actually thought about getting another one, it was so full. I think back to raising family days…this is what the cart looked like every week! Being retired gives you the luxury of shopping ANY day of the week….not just the weekend….AND my weekly shopping usually puts me in the under 10 items line. Pure luxury.
So, now the refrigerator is filled again but clean and well organized. Time to start a new Deborah Crombie mystery, the fifth in her series. She’s from Texas but writes about a detective and his female deputy in England. I’ve read so much I’m now thinking in British colloquialisms. “I’ll take a cuppa.” “Be up in a tic.” You get the picture. A bit of rest ’til I hit the salon for a polish change and brow and chin wax. Must look my best…lol.
I wrote a list so I don’t forget the obvious. Wash sheets, make the beds, clean the kitchen counter and sink along with the sliding glass doors and lanai table. The only things left are making a fruit salad and chicken salad. Moving right along.
You notice I didn’t include vacuuming, polishing, and dusting. Those are on BH’s list. We have three bathrooms…he does one, I do one and we share the other (ours).
Time to get out all the pool and beach toys. We store them in the garage ceiling so that’s on his list, since he’s a foot taller. I ordered a new pool basketball set…my grandson eats, breathes, loves basketball. Probably a good thing since his dad is 6’5” and his grandad is 6’7”, He’s a coach’s dream. He’s 11 and towers over me….of course, that’s saying absolutely nothing.
At the end of the day, we both sit back and say….”ahhh, everything looks so nice.” It’s Family Time. Come on down!
And, BH and I are about to embark on some “Family Time” this week. It’s spring break. Time for those precious family members to fly south, hit the pool and the beach and entertain us with their boundless energy.
There’s a routine for getting ready. Just as we have our division of labor outside, we also divide it up inside. How do these things come about? Was there a prenup involved? Who would do what and when? Is it a mutual decision or is it a fight to the finish?
We err on the mutually agreed upon side. Both of us are fairly neat, although hardly fastidious. We can go weeks on end without sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, polishing and washing baseboards (really, does anyone do that?!). We may be orderly but we’re also lazy. Who wouldn’t rather go to the movies, play bridge, watch live sports or read one book after another?
We need a boost to go into a higher gear and what’s better than having guests? Even if it is your family who definitely have no agenda. Today was our “work” day. I was up by 7 a.m., pretty early in my book. By 9, I had finished my cup of coffee, my coffee and cream yogurt, read the Herald Tribune from cover to cover, and cleaned out the refrigerator. Now, that is a job…taking everything out, examining the sell by dates and cleaning the shelves. By the time it was done, I’d filled the recycling bin to overflowing!
Naturally, that has to happen before I can go grocery shopping. You would think we needed everything from looking at the cart. I actually thought about getting another one, it was so full. I think back to raising family days…this is what the cart looked like every week! Being retired gives you the luxury of shopping ANY day of the week….not just the weekend….AND my weekly shopping usually puts me in the under 10 items line. Pure luxury.
So, now the refrigerator is filled again but clean and well organized. Time to start a new Deborah Crombie mystery, the fifth in her series. She’s from Texas but writes about a detective and his female deputy in England. I’ve read so much I’m now thinking in British colloquialisms. “I’ll take a cuppa.” “Be up in a tic.” You get the picture. A bit of rest ’til I hit the salon for a polish change and brow and chin wax. Must look my best…lol.
I wrote a list so I don’t forget the obvious. Wash sheets, make the beds, clean the kitchen counter and sink along with the sliding glass doors and lanai table. The only things left are making a fruit salad and chicken salad. Moving right along.
You notice I didn’t include vacuuming, polishing, and dusting. Those are on BH’s list. We have three bathrooms…he does one, I do one and we share the other (ours).
Time to get out all the pool and beach toys. We store them in the garage ceiling so that’s on his list, since he’s a foot taller. I ordered a new pool basketball set…my grandson eats, breathes, loves basketball. Probably a good thing since his dad is 6’5” and his grandad is 6’7”, He’s a coach’s dream. He’s 11 and towers over me….of course, that’s saying absolutely nothing.
At the end of the day, we both sit back and say….”ahhh, everything looks so nice.” It’s Family Time. Come on down!
Thursday, April 4, 2019
BJ's Book Club
That’s my childhood nickname, by the way. BJ. Abbreviated from Brenda Jorgensen. The book club part is really tongue in cheek, since I’m no fan of them. I’ve joined several but I never last long. I’m not enamored of their book choices, there’s way more wine and personal discussion than book critiques, I don’t like feeling obligated to finish the book before the pseudo discussion. I probably just haven’t found the right mix but I’m pretty much done trying.
Besides that, we now have multiple Oprah type book clubs. There’s the Reese Witherspoon Book Club aka the Hello Sunshine Book Club….I kid you not. About 50 recommendations there. There’s SJP for Hogarth…aka Sarah Jessica Parker with close to 40 books, which I will say tend to be on the ultra serious side of bibliophiles.
There’s the Washington Post suggestions, which I used to read religiously in the Style section weekly. Until, of course, we left the DC life and transplanted ourselves to a quieter world. How I loved going to the annual book festivals in Baltimore meeting writers I could only look at with envy. When I was younger, I aspired to be a writer. Now, I’m older and wiser and know I don’t have the discipline and never possessed it at any point. It’s a lonely life…I need my peeps.
I think the best recommendations I get from my friends. Donna, who’s about to take off her federal judge robe, has sent me at least a half dozen in the past few weeks. Can’t wait ’til she retires….maybe we’ll do a conference call book club thing.
I’ve always been a much more enthusiastic reader than writer. My childhood goal was to read every book ever written. Back then, I didn’t realize thousands of books were being churned out daily all over the world. Besides, most of those books I have no interest in.
This year, I’m averaging just over a book a week…16. They range from the soft, romantic Sweetgrass by Mary Alice Monroe (I’m a sucker for those Isle of Palms beach novels) to the daring brave women in The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, one amazing read! Here are some of the best from BJ’s Book Club…lol.
Less by Andrew Sean Greer. This is Greer’s fifth novel and his first Pulitzer Prize winner. For the first 50 pages, I kept wondering, “Why is this a prize winner?” Then, it completely swept me away. I couldn’t love Less more!
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, her first novel. Yes, I’m a Southern girl. Yes, I love Southern literature but this book set in coastal North Carolina is heart wrenchingly beautiful. It’s a Hello Sunshine choice but a great one. A New York Times bestseller for several weeks now. Jump on the bandwagon.
Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo. Recognized as a gifted Nigerian writer, this was her first novel, written when she was in her late 20s, published in 2018. A SJP book selection as well as one of the best books of the year by NPR. A powerful look at traditional marriage and family at a time when the old ways are being tested. This book will definitely stay with you.
A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza. Another acclaimed first novel, published in 2018 by a 20 something year old. SJP’s first recommendation, its praises echoed by the New York Times, the Washington Post and NPR. The story of a Muslim California family with its roots in India, it is beautifully layered and chock full of wisdom that few can claim in their 20s.
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton. I love historical fiction and this poignant story of the Cuba of the 50s and modern day Cuba is no exception. A gripping story that will give you a convenient excuse not to do laundry or any other household tasks. Another Hello Sunshine pick.
I did just finish Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which I devoured in a day. Definitely a fascinating read if you’re a certain age (old) and were fixated on rock and roll bands of the 70s. Not sure you’d love it if you didn’t fit in that fairly narrow category.
And, now, it’s time to visit my Kindle again. Happy reading!!
Besides that, we now have multiple Oprah type book clubs. There’s the Reese Witherspoon Book Club aka the Hello Sunshine Book Club….I kid you not. About 50 recommendations there. There’s SJP for Hogarth…aka Sarah Jessica Parker with close to 40 books, which I will say tend to be on the ultra serious side of bibliophiles.
There’s the Washington Post suggestions, which I used to read religiously in the Style section weekly. Until, of course, we left the DC life and transplanted ourselves to a quieter world. How I loved going to the annual book festivals in Baltimore meeting writers I could only look at with envy. When I was younger, I aspired to be a writer. Now, I’m older and wiser and know I don’t have the discipline and never possessed it at any point. It’s a lonely life…I need my peeps.
I think the best recommendations I get from my friends. Donna, who’s about to take off her federal judge robe, has sent me at least a half dozen in the past few weeks. Can’t wait ’til she retires….maybe we’ll do a conference call book club thing.
I’ve always been a much more enthusiastic reader than writer. My childhood goal was to read every book ever written. Back then, I didn’t realize thousands of books were being churned out daily all over the world. Besides, most of those books I have no interest in.
This year, I’m averaging just over a book a week…16. They range from the soft, romantic Sweetgrass by Mary Alice Monroe (I’m a sucker for those Isle of Palms beach novels) to the daring brave women in The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, one amazing read! Here are some of the best from BJ’s Book Club…lol.
Less by Andrew Sean Greer. This is Greer’s fifth novel and his first Pulitzer Prize winner. For the first 50 pages, I kept wondering, “Why is this a prize winner?” Then, it completely swept me away. I couldn’t love Less more!
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, her first novel. Yes, I’m a Southern girl. Yes, I love Southern literature but this book set in coastal North Carolina is heart wrenchingly beautiful. It’s a Hello Sunshine choice but a great one. A New York Times bestseller for several weeks now. Jump on the bandwagon.
Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo. Recognized as a gifted Nigerian writer, this was her first novel, written when she was in her late 20s, published in 2018. A SJP book selection as well as one of the best books of the year by NPR. A powerful look at traditional marriage and family at a time when the old ways are being tested. This book will definitely stay with you.
A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza. Another acclaimed first novel, published in 2018 by a 20 something year old. SJP’s first recommendation, its praises echoed by the New York Times, the Washington Post and NPR. The story of a Muslim California family with its roots in India, it is beautifully layered and chock full of wisdom that few can claim in their 20s.
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton. I love historical fiction and this poignant story of the Cuba of the 50s and modern day Cuba is no exception. A gripping story that will give you a convenient excuse not to do laundry or any other household tasks. Another Hello Sunshine pick.
I did just finish Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which I devoured in a day. Definitely a fascinating read if you’re a certain age (old) and were fixated on rock and roll bands of the 70s. Not sure you’d love it if you didn’t fit in that fairly narrow category.
And, now, it’s time to visit my Kindle again. Happy reading!!
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