Monday. Labor Day. Temps in Houston are down 20 degrees. Didn't win the lottery, but what the hell....
Monday, September 5, 2011
Girl-Night-In Indulgences
My husband went out of town for a few days last month, and I held a girl-night-in party every evening of his trip. Neither men nor martinis were harmed during his time away: I watched movies, read books, and got hooked on a television show recommended by Younger Daughter.
Movies with too much pondering and not enough plot put my guy to sleep. He doesn’t find romantic comedies particularly funny, and he’s bitter that I put Black Swan into our Netflix queue.
While the Swan-hater wasn’t around, I re-watched Love Actually and The Holiday, and saw Eat, Pray, Love, all thanks to Netflix. The three movies proved a fun, zesty treat-- the zero-calorie equivalent of Key Lime pie.( Love Actually might be more like Sticky Toffee Pudding, a dessert I adore. Look for it at the menu at Feast in Houston.)
My night-time reading included Jojo Moyes’ The Last Letter from Your Lover, a touching, heart-breaking read. The letters from fictional Anthony O’Hare made me swoon, but neither lamps nor small breakables were harmed.
When Younger Daughter told me I had to watch TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress, I thought she was hinting at an upcoming wedding. Wrong. She thought I’d like the internal and external conflicts brides-to-be and their families and friends take to the bridal shop when hunting for dream wedding dresses.
Thanks to Younger Daughter, I’ve gotten half a ream of ideas from the show. Some moms chip, chip, chip away a their daughters’ self-esteem, some bridesmaids hijack attention from the bride-to-be, and for every Bridezilla, there’s a girl who’s reluctant to claim as much as five minutes of limelight for herself. The program’s a mother lode for writers of women’s fiction.
After a few days of girl time, I was ready for ESPN. Marriage is about compromise, a shared remote control, and separate lights for reading in bed.
What movies, books, TV shows are your favorite indulgences?
Movies with too much pondering and not enough plot put my guy to sleep. He doesn’t find romantic comedies particularly funny, and he’s bitter that I put Black Swan into our Netflix queue.
While the Swan-hater wasn’t around, I re-watched Love Actually and The Holiday, and saw Eat, Pray, Love, all thanks to Netflix. The three movies proved a fun, zesty treat-- the zero-calorie equivalent of Key Lime pie.( Love Actually might be more like Sticky Toffee Pudding, a dessert I adore. Look for it at the menu at Feast in Houston.)
My night-time reading included Jojo Moyes’ The Last Letter from Your Lover, a touching, heart-breaking read. The letters from fictional Anthony O’Hare made me swoon, but neither lamps nor small breakables were harmed.
When Younger Daughter told me I had to watch TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress, I thought she was hinting at an upcoming wedding. Wrong. She thought I’d like the internal and external conflicts brides-to-be and their families and friends take to the bridal shop when hunting for dream wedding dresses.
Thanks to Younger Daughter, I’ve gotten half a ream of ideas from the show. Some moms chip, chip, chip away a their daughters’ self-esteem, some bridesmaids hijack attention from the bride-to-be, and for every Bridezilla, there’s a girl who’s reluctant to claim as much as five minutes of limelight for herself. The program’s a mother lode for writers of women’s fiction.
After a few days of girl time, I was ready for ESPN. Marriage is about compromise, a shared remote control, and separate lights for reading in bed.
What movies, books, TV shows are your favorite indulgences?
Friday, September 2, 2011
OFF THE BEATEN PATH: THE TALLEST SAND DUNE IN EUROPE
At the end of a ten day sojourn in the Bordeaux region of France, one of our traveling companions proposed a visit to the tallest sand dune in Europe. The Great Dune of Pyla (in French: la Dune du Pyla) is located in La Teste-de-Buch in the Arcachon Bay area, 60 km from the city of Bordeaux.
I’ll admit I wasn’t enthralled with the prospect of climbing a mountain of sand, but enjoyed the drive along the coast where we stopped at quaint seaside towns along the way. Arcachon Bay is on the Atlantic coast of France where the water level varies dramatically with the tide. At high tide, boats large and small sail or motor merrily in the bay. At low tide, they list in the sand like beached whales miles from the sea—a curious and strangely disturbing sight.
The day was sunny and warm, but we didn’t stay long. The slide back down the dune, a swift and exciting falling through fine white sand, beckoned and didn’t disappoint. All in all, the Great Dune was well worth the excursion—a memorable experience off the beaten path.
I’ll admit I wasn’t enthralled with the prospect of climbing a mountain of sand, but enjoyed the drive along the coast where we stopped at quaint seaside towns along the way. Arcachon Bay is on the Atlantic coast of France where the water level varies dramatically with the tide. At high tide, boats large and small sail or motor merrily in the bay. At low tide, they list in the sand like beached whales miles from the sea—a curious and strangely disturbing sight.
When we finally reached the Great Dune, this is what we found:
We climbed the stairs to the top along with a steady stream of people ranging from small children to old women. Some visitors wore shorts, tee shirts and sneakers; other arrived in their Sunday best (probably because it was Sunday.) From the peak the bay spread out three hundred feet below—a spectacular view worth the climb. On the sandy plateau families picnicked, couples napped, groups of teenagers played ball or Frisbee as though it was a beach.
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