(Flowers from my birthday.)
This week was pretty routine and I can’t believe that August is here! We’ve had such mild temperatures this summer and spent a lot of time outside, too. It’s been a long time since we could spend an August evening outdoors, so the change is very welcome. Here are a few things that caught my attention this week.
Shackling pregnant prison inmates in labor continues, despite a ban on the practice.
Along the same lines, immigrant mothers are forced to wear ankle monitors.
“It’s just a glorified prison.” A new immigration detention facility opens today south of San Antonio in a remote farming area. It’s being touted as “family friendly,” but was built by a private prison company. “If it walks like a duck…”
The search for an anonymous war artist.
Children’s nightmares interpreted by a photographer.
Capitol Hill interns could use a course in American history.
And an interesting theory on Kate’s casual uniform.
I’m taking next week off to spend time with my family, but I’ll be back in a week with stories about my adventures. Have a wonderful weekend!
(A promotional photo for “Last Tango in Halifax.”)
Ryan and I finished the second season of “Orphan Black” recently, so we’re currently waiting for the next season to air. In the meantime, I’ve fallen in love with a PBS series, “Last Tango in Halifax.” The second season is currently airing on PBS, but I first read about the show last year and told my mom, thinking she might enjoy it. She didn’t watch it then, but discovered it recently on Netflix and recommended it to me, so I gave it a try and was instantly hooked.
Without giving too much away, the show’s basic premise follows the story of Celia and Alan, a widow and widower in their 70s, who were childhood sweethearts but lost touch through a small miscommunication sixty years ago. When their grandsons help them join Facebook, they find each other again and fall in love, realizing that they were really meant to be together all along. Celia and Alan’s love is palpable, and their newfound joy infects everyone around them as their children and grandchildren struggle to find the same meaning in their own lives.
And while the romantic aspect is sweet and even tear-inducing, there’s a darker side to the series, too. It’s extremely modern and uses Celia and Alan’s relationship as a means to explore current social issues in provocative ways. “Last Tango in Halifax” has earned critics’ attention for its accurate portrayal of today’s older adults, and I really like the focus on small details like smart phones and different cars.
I’m also smitten with the gorgeous family home of Caroline, Celia’s daughter, and I discovered a listing for it online! The house has since sold, but there are quite a few pictures of it here, though the furnishings are not those used for the series. The house features heavily in the show and is, in some ways, another character that causes its own conflict.
If you’re looking for a fun show to watch this summer, I can definitely recommend “Last Tango in Halifax.” It’s incredibly well-written and entertaining.
I wear a lot of black and other solid colors these days, but I’ve had my eye on this blouse by Mata Traders for months. I finally ordered it in time for my birthday, and wore it out for brunch one Sunday morning recently. The boys spent that weekend with my parents, and Ryan and I did a bunch of work in our backyard the day before, so we celebrated with a yummy breakfast at Noble Sandwiches, a local place that serves simple and delicious meals made from scratch.
The On Tour top is very comfy and versatile, and while my favorite look utilizes my trusty black skirt and belt, it also works well with jeans and will be perfect with a cardigan this fall. The hand block print is classic Mata Traders and the fabric is cotton, which is ideal for summer and layering in cooler months, too.
I almost passed on this top because I worried about the fit, but it is really flattering and I’m so thrilled that I bought it.
