book, podcast, movie, tv

sunrise walk at kailua beach

It’s a beautiful early morning, as I sit and drink my coffee and listen to the birds in the trees. There is a little breeze so it’s comfortable still. I’ve got some chores around the house to do and then this afternoon is my shift at our local PD resource center. I take calls and walk-ins and provide information to people about PD and work on our newsletter. The saying about getting back more than I give, is really true. I’ve met the most interesting people from all walks of life and learn so much more about PD than I’d know otherwise.

I just finished reading The Art Thief by Michael Finkel. It’s a true story of master thief Stéphane Breitwieser, who over a ten year period stole over 200 pieces of art from museums and cathedrals all over Europe. He never sold the pieces but rather kept them in one room, in the attic of his mothers house where he lived. It’s an easy read at 240 pages and a good end of summer book. I part read the book and listened to the audio version.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is funny. From her role as Elaine in the classic TV show Seinfeld to her hysterical mile a minute snarky sayings in Veep, she now has a podcast call Wiser Than Me. In it, she interviews celebrity women older and presumably wiser than her. What I love about the podcast is that the women are at an age where they have clearly reflected on their lives and honestly share their regrets and the things that really have meaning to them. I came away with some gems.

Oppenheimer - I haven’t been to many movies in the theater lately, so going to a three hour movie seemed a little daunting, but I’m glad I went. It’s about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the group of scientists who in the 1940’s developed the atomic bomb and how it forever changed the course of history. He is played by Gillian Murphy, who I loved in Peaky Blinders, as well as Robert Downy Jr. and Matt Damon.

I just look at Martin Short when he scrunches his face and it makes me laugh. Only Murders in the Building is in it’s third season on Hulu and I just adore it. It’s a silly murder mystery series with Steve Martin and Selena Gomez and this seasons many guest stars include Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep.

Hope you’re well and that your summer is just what you want it to be. 💗

reading, watching, listening

Here is a round up of things I’ve been enjoying lately. I’m always looking for new suggestions, so if you have anything you’d recommend, please let me know. A friend of mine last week said he thinks he has watched every single show on Netflix this last year, which is what it feels sometimes when you’re scrolling through the feed trying to find something good!

Webinars

Dr. Laurie Mischley does extensive research on PD and food. I try to watch anything I can with her and always take away a little new nugget of information. This webinar was presented by APDA a few weeks ago. The theme is Neglected Clinic Topics: things your PD provider should be talking to you about but probably isn’t.

The Science of How the Body Heals Itself with Dr. William Li- Interesting talk about how our diet can impact and help heal itself. I enjoyed how he gave insights on specific foods and impacts on different illnesses. If you enjoy it, at the end he talks about his new book, which I have just reserved at my library.

TV Shows

Behind Her Eyes (Netflix)- This British six part series was brilliant. The story starts out as the usual mystery thriller sort of premise and keeps turning into something different. I won’t share the plot with you because the less you know about before watching, the better. Super interesting to the very last line in the series. Side note, the wife in the series “Adele” is singer Bono’s daughter. Yes I am getting old.

Lupin (Netflix) - This is based on a French book series of the gentleman thief Arsene Lupin by Maurice Leblanc. It’s a light take on a James Bond sort of show but much more fun. Omar Sy who plays Lupin is fantastic. It’s in French so be sure to turn the language to French on your Netflix settings and then read the English subtitles. I didn’t know you could do that until after I watched a few episodes, which were dubbed in English, which is so weird to watch.

For All Mankind (AppleTV) - When Marc first suggested this, I thought ugh, another astronaut show. But this one is really good. It takes a few episodes, but with each episode, the suspense of how things are going to turn out builds. Based on the astronauts and their families from the early Apollo missions, it mixes real life and fictional events so you don’t know whats going to happen next.

Books

The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi - Kendra has a popular podcast where she gives her take on how to life hacks that I enjoy. They are practical things like how to clean your bathroom or kitchen, different household routines, batch cooking, etc., that if you are a self improvement junkie like me enjoys. Her motto is to be a genius about the things that matter to you and lazy about the things that don’t. Her style is warm and casual and with small children, is flexible in her approach.

The Best of Me by David Sedaris - This fabulously funny book is a compilation of stories and essays from David’s twenty-five year+ career of writing about his life. He has a unique way of capturing the humor, the heartache, the depth and silliness of different moments in his life. You must listen to the audio version because his voice lends so much of the story. I’ve read many of his books and I couldn’t tell you from which book I read different stories. It’s not a knock on his books but the opposite. They are all wonderful and are a continuation of his genre creating style of writing.

Podcasts

Everything is Fine - It’s a chat show for women over 40. The hosts Tally & Kim talk about all things that most women over 40 are experiencing in their lives. They have interesting guests who share their perspectives of how their lives have grown and changed over time. One of my favorite episodes was when they had Stacy London as a guest. Stacy was the host of the hugely popular TV show What Not to Wear, and shares her challenges after the show ended. It’s honest and insightful.

Don’t Ask Tig - Tig Notaro is a hilarious comedian who has this deadpan, sort of Bob Newhart style of humor that makes me crack up. She and a guest give advice and answers to questions that people write in. You’ll find me most Saturday mornings giggling while I garden and listen to the show.

Enjoy your weekend ;)