By Sun and Candlelight

Wordy Wednesday

I found this online, but have no idea who originated it ... just thought all my Mystery! friends might like to see it!

By the way, Bill and I have just started Sherlock, season one ~ we're halfway through the first episode and I'm just loving it. :)

Hope you're all having a nice day!

Masterpiece Monday: Sherlock (!)

Oh my!

What a masterful finale last night!

Are you as stunned as I am?

There are SPOILERS ahead, so read on at your own risk!

***

Well, first of all ... thank GOODNESS for that very last shot! The one at the graveyard, right after Watson told Sherlock (or, Sherlock's grave) that he needed him to fix this, to not be dead. (My heart was breaking for Watson - how I love that actor!) So as Watson turns and walks away, the camera pans off to the left and - *cue big sigh of relief* - there's the man in question, and he's very much alive.

How on earth he did it, I have no idea. But I'm so glad he did!

I mean ... in my heart of hearts I knew he could not be dead. First of all, the series would be over! Second of all, the show would lose legions of fans, angry over this turn of events. (Of course it wouldn't really matter because the series would be over!)

But considering how we (and Watson) saw that climactic scene play out, there seemed to be no other possible result. Who would survive such a fall? And we all saw it was in fact him - we saw Sherlock jump - and we saw, not only his bloodied body, but his face as well. How on earth, could it not be him?

My thinking is ... it had something to do with Molly ... the pathologist friend to whom he went for help just before sending Watson off on the goose hunt (Mrs. Hudson being "shot" and near death). I have no idea what Molly did or how she helped him, but the fact that we were not shown what they did, or what he asked of her, tells me this connection must be key. 

But I guess we have to wait till next season to find out!

*

If you have time, I'd love to hear what you thought - your reaction and theories. I'll jump into the comments again later when I can ...

*

For now, I wish you all a pleasant Monday ... have a good day and I'll see you again soon.

:)

Masterpiece Monday: Sherlock & OUaT(!)

Well, that was a great night of television!

First up, we had Once Upon a Time ... thie big 1st season finale ... and it did not disappoint! If you haven't seen the episode yet, please do no read on because there will be SPOILERS!

Some random thoughts - because it's a bit too early for much else - I'm so glad Henry is OK. For a moment, I seriously thought they'd go there ... but thankfully they didn't. And what a great message for Mother's Day: it was his mother's true love that saved Henry's life. Hooray!

And I was surprised (happily so) that Emma finally believed in it all ... I thought we'd have to wait longer for that to finally happen (as in, "next season" longer). The scene in the supply room with Regina (when she was beating her up for poisoning Henry) was so good. I'll admit I was on the edge of my seat saying, "YES, GET HER!" And I'm not typically a violent person but I really wanted Emma to deck Regina, lol. But the moment when Regina admitted it was all true ... that there was indeed magic ... the stories were real ... and Emma saw and truly believed ... ?

Wow! 

And I must say, though I do loathe Regina (as we're supposed to), I do like how they keep her just human enough. She was devastated over Henry, she does love - and has loved - him all along ... and she did help Emma get to the sword. Of course then, as that weird purple fog swept into Storybrooke, bringing the "magic" back to the land ... that smirk on Regina's face tells a lot ... Oh yeah, she's going to soak that all up and be ready to fight.

Of course ... so will everyone else.

So what do you think will happen next season?

Will there be a battle for power in both past and present?

And how about Belle being released and finding Rumplestilskin? And he was SO happy! (In Mr. Gold/Rumple we have another character who is bad, but not all bad ... he has the capacity to love. The same could be said of Jefferson/The Mad Hatter.) What will Mr. Gold's role be in the next season, and what was his true motive for releasing the magic?

And will we now find out who everyone else in Storybrooke really is? Dr. Whale, for example? And what about the clock being set back at 8:15 ... what's the significance of that?

So much mystery! So much to ponder this summer ... but I liked that there was some resolution in this finale, enough to feel satisfied with this season, but quite excited for next.

***

Ok, now for Sherlock!

Another great episode ... I am really so enamored with this show! The acting is fantastic and the way the story is told (and shown) is quite unique and attention-grabbing. I must admit however, I need to go back and re-watch, because honestly, I'm usually half asleep by mid-episode. We don't usually stay up so late!

So I found the whole "hound" storyline intriguing (and creepy) but I love the more personal thread of friendship and tension between Sherlock and Watson. How sweet was it when Sherlock felt badly - or at least was aware - that he had hurt Watson's feelings when he stated that he "doesn't have friends?" Of course, Sherlock, being the aspie he is, meant it quite literally - he doesn't have friends plural, he has a friend: Watson.

And Watson, I just love - he's such a great character. I love his reactions and the way he plays the perfect straight man to Sherlock's oddities. But even more, he's not playing - he truly cares for, and understands, Sherlock. As much as anyone can understand Sherlock. Sherlock is lucky to have him, and I think he knows that.

The previews for next week's (final?) episode look interesting - we're back to Moriarty again. And then Bill and I have season one to look forward to on Netflix, and since we can watch them whenever we want (i.e. before 10 p.m.), I should be able to pay closer attention to the plot!

***

Well, my friends, I'm eager to hear what you thought - please leave a comment if you have time. And I hope you all have a nice Monday ... 

I'll see you again very soon!

Sherlock!

Good morning, everyone. May I direct my Masterpiece friends to this past Monday's post, under which I just left a comment regarding a question I have on the ending of Sunday's episode? (Blah, that was wordy, lol!) Bill and I finally watched the whole episode - and loved it - but we are confused by the final few moments!

More details on my query in the post linked above ... would love to hear your thoughts on that last minute "twist!"

Thank you so much, and have a great Wednesday ... I'm working on a post for a bit later today!

:)

Masterpiece Monday: Sherlock (and OUaT)

Good morning, everyone!

So ... first let me say, that we (meaning, Bill and I - not the kids) started Sherlock last night, and though I liked it very much ... I fell asleep halfway through! But that was all about my busy weekend and not about the show itself. Because I liked it - the characters, the setting, the production - very much. It was sharp and absorbing, and I thought it was reminiscent, in a way, of the RDJ movies (which I love). I like how in both those films and here on TV, they show us how Sherlock thinks (crazy genius) and how the situations unfold through his perspective. He's so calculating and he absorbs so much information - his thought processes are quite intriguing. This particular Sherlock took a bit of getting used to (I warmed up to Watson right away), but I like him. He's a good Sherlock, I think.

So Bill and I will catch up with the rest of the episode tonight and then I'll dive into the comments, but please feel free to discuss your thoughts here. I'll just skim today and pick back up tomorrow. :)

(And oooh, I see Netflix has Sherlock season one on "instant play!" It will be fun to play "catch up.")

As for Once Upon a Time ... well! That was certainly quite an episode!

(SPOILERS AHEAD!)

I just knew Henry would be the one to bite into that turnover! I have had the feeling all along that something happening to Henry would make Emma finally see and believe. Not that she has yet, but I'm sure next week (during the final episode of the season) we will see her struggle with this and finally make up her mind.

I thought it was interesting they brought back the Mad Hatter - I liked his original storyline, and character, and I hope they continue to involve him (and eventually his daughter) in the overall plot.

{I also read somewhere - and this is a bit of a spoiler for next week, so skip the rest of this paragraph if you don't want to be spoiled! - that the Huntsman (Jamie, the late sherrif) is in the final show this season. I believe it's in a flashback, though, and this article hinted he'd be working with someone surprising.}

So how do you think it will end? What kind of cliffhanger will they leave us with next week? I'm sure it will be a humdinger. And then we'll have all summer to stew over it!

*

Well, my friends ... I must get my day going, so I'm going to sign off. I'll be back later today to check in with your comments and hopefully an afternoon post. Till then, take care, and have a lovely Monday.

See you again sometime soon ...

:)

Sunday Night Supper ❤

My man, manning the grill. :)

Dessert for the Kids: "Sunday Sundaes."

(Because Sunday's a special day, you get a special dessert. :))

*

And it was such a lovely evening ... the light at this time of day is so pretty.

I love how our woods "catch" those last fading rays.

Today we saw a bunny in our yard, a hummingbird at the feeders, and I spent some time admiring the new leaves on the big old maple tree ...

(Hence the new banner.)

And when Bill came in from grilling, a cold beer in one hand and a plate of steaks in the other, he said: "Here's the thing: You need to see the idyllic in the everyday." 

That just became my quote of the week.

❤

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful evening ... only ten minutes till Once Upon a Time! But I still have a kitchen to tidy and Bill is currently reading EB a bedtime story - thank goodness, for that DVR! And then after OUaT, and after we've sent the older boys to bed, Bill and I will settle in to watch Sherlock. I've heard such good things about it - I can't wait to tell you all what I think! So I'll see you here again early tomorrow ... but thanks so much for stopping by tonight!

:)

 

Off to the SAT!

Where HAS the time gone?

❤

Quick question for my Masterpiece Theater friends - is the PBS Sherlock series suitable for kids? (In my case, 12 and 16 year old kids - both of them big Sherlock fans?) I see the new season begins tomorrow night - and we're eager to check it out - but I don't know too much about this version ...

Thanks in advance for any advice!

(And have a great weekend, everyone!)

:)

Masterpiece Monday ~ Birdsong (& OUAT)

Well, first of all my friends, I must confess, I did not watch Birdsong, part two last night. I had every intention to do so, but then a busy weekend caught up with me and I made the game-time decision to head to bed early. So tonight I will finish Birdsong, but please feel free to chat about it here in the comments today ... I'll chime in sometimes tomorrow.

Now, I did watch Once Upon a Time with Bill and the boys. And we all commented on how much is happening at last - after weeks of little plot progression - but now there's just one or two episodes left to the season! Isn't that always the way?

So I wonder what it will take to get Emma to believe? In the curse, the tales, the savior role she must play? If she doesn't accept and believe, August is doomed (as are the rest of the Storybrooke characters) ... and what about Henry? The previews from next week indicate he's in trouble of some kind. That will probably be the key to Emma's acceptance. I think only her love for her son will motivate her to take that leap of faith.

And oh my gosh, the whole "Regina attempting to seduce David" thing was pretty awkward. I can only imagine it must come back in some way, because otherwise it seemed pretty pointless. I mean, what was her intention? To hurt Mary Margaret in some way? To keep true love from winning? Of course David was as hapless as ever, but fortunately he put the kibosh on Regina's advances pretty darn quick. Side note: Did you know the actors who play Snow and Charming are a couple in real life?

So, I'm very curious to see where this all ends up in a couple of weeks ... whatever happens, I'm sure we'll be left with quite a cliffhanger! And I'm quite eager to hear about your television viewing this weekend! What did you watch and what did you think? Please leave a comment below ...

I will catch up with you all again soon!

:)

John James Audubon's Birthday ...

I just found out it's today!

The Massachusetts Audubon Society was asking its members to report in on chipmunk activity, and since we just spotted our first chipmunk of the year, I jumped into the conversation ... and that's when I noticed another member wishing the late Mr. Audubon "best birthday wishes."

:)

Well! As long-time members of the MAS (and life-long nature lovers), I consider this a great day to celebrate in some small way or another!

First, we could learn more about the man himself, and the society set up in his name. There are things to read online, but I also found a 55-minute documentary called, John James Audubon: Drawn by Nature. It is available on Netflix as "streaming" video, which means you can watch it immediately if you subscribe to that service (which we do). This will be something nice to watch with the kids after dinner!

There are (of course) a few books at the library I'd like to check out ...

The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon

John Audubon: Young Naturalist

John James Audubon's Journal of 1826: The Voyage to the Birds of America

*

And naturally, we took extra-special care to fill all our birdfeeders today!

Now, speaking of special days that are nature and history related ... tomorrow is Arbor Day ... and I have a very special post planned for that. :)

Hope you're all having a great day!

❤

Masterpiece Monday: Birdsong, pt. 1

So last night we had the return of Once Upon a Time (after a three-week hiatus) ... and there were some big reveals concerning Mr. Gold/Rumpelstilskin and the enigmatic August Booth. What did you all think about that? What do you think August's really up to? And David tried to make amends, but to be honest I'm just so tired of him. He's so far from what I would consider a Prince "charming" I almost don't care if he and Mary Margaret find "true love" again. (I know that sounds harsh ... it might be the early hour and lack of caffeine talking, lol.)

And then we had part one of Birdsong ... which I enjoyed, though I kept thinking I would not. It was beautifully shot ... the French countryside (in the flashbacks) was so lush and serene. Such a contrast with the present day trenches of WWI ... so harsh and ugly with violence. I really had not read up on the story beforehand, so I was surprised by its direction. I knew the protagonists were lovers, but I did not realize she was ... SPOILER! ... married. Was she being abused, or just very unhappy? I could not really figure that out. I know her husband was not intimate with her, but did he verbally (perhaps physically) abuse her about it?

Although I'm not all that crazy about Stephen Waysford (not sure if it's the character or the actor yet), I was glad at the end of last night's show he ... SPOILER! ... was not dead. I really like the supporting cast - particularly Firebrace and Weir.

So next week we'll watch the conclusion and see how this rather somber story plays out!

Well, I hope you all have a nice Monday ... it's raining like crazy here today! It's St. George's Day (belonging to Crackerjack's favorite saint - and England's national day) and it also happens to be Shakespeare's birthday ... so for lunch today it's "fish and chips!" (Fishsticks and tater tots, lol.) And I'll see what I can do about a somewhat "British" supper. :)

See you here again very soon!

Miniseries/Masterpiece Monday

This is kind of a "Masterpiece Monday" post, and yet not exactly ... because I didn't actually watch Masterpiece last night! But perhaps some of my readers did, and I do plan to do so later this week when it reruns on another PBS station. If you watched The Mystery of Edwin Drood, I'd love to hear what you thought of it. It's another Dickens tale - his last I believe - and from what I read it sounded (not surprisingly) a bit dark ... I have to say, I don't think Dickens is winning a lot of Downton Abbey fans, lol! Birdsong, beginning next weeked, looks a little more promising.

Speaking of Downton Abbey, though ... FIRST of all ... did you all hear the rumor that Maggie Smith is leaving DA? I'm hoping it's just a contract dispute, but time will tell. The show just would not be the same without her.

Also speaking of DA ... did anyone watch Julian Fellowes' Titanic this weekend? We did - Bill and I, that is - and we really enjoyed it. I thought it was well done, and, for a five-hour production, quite absorbing. I found a couple of the situations somewhat far-fetched, and I wish there had been more to the end ... maybe a glimpse into the lives of the survivors ... but overall I thought the storytelling was solid. This was the first time I've watched anything related to the Titanic tragedy - I have always found it all so disturbing - but now I am eager to learn more. If anyone has any books or films to suggest I'm all ears!

I'll add more thoughts in the comments as I can later today ... right now I have some kiddoes to supervise. :)

Have a great Monday, my friends!

❤

Masterpiece Monday: Great Expectations (2)

Good morning, my friends!

Now, I did not get to watch the second part of Great Expectations last night, so I will not be joining the conversation till tomorrow. But I wanted to get this post up, in case anyone wanted to start chatting. :)

In the meantime, I am working on an Easter Sunday recap post, which I hope to get up later today. Tonight, I will be watching GE with Bill and the boys, and then will jump into the comments here tomorrow morning.

Oh, and next weekend we have - not only a new Masterpiece Classic - but a Titanic miniseries produced by Downton Abbey's Julian Fellowes, as well. So there will be lots to discuss next week!

So please, come on in and review what you watched this weekend ... I'll catch up with you early tomorrow!

❤

Masterpiece Monday ~ Great Expectations

Good Morning, my friends ... it's time to talk TV!

So, what did you all think of Great Expectations last night? And what was your take on the latest OUaT developments?

I must say I enjoyed GE (the "look and feel" of it most of all) and it seemed pretty true to the original text. I have to say, though ... the young man they chose to play grown Pip, while undeniably handsome, looked nothing like the actor who played young Pip! I found that somewhat off-putting. And Estella was nothing like I pictured her - too plain, actually. I always read Estella as "extraordinarily beautiful" but maybe that was how Pip saw her? And Gillian Anderson was a curious choice for Miss Havisham, but I think she played the part really well. So creepy but also, quite sad.

Love, love, love Joe Gargery - he's my favorite GE character to begin with, but this actor (Mr. Holly from South Riding!) really nailed him. It broke my heart as he watched Pip drive way. And as for Orlick? *shudder* That part was cast very well, too.

The set design and backdrop of the village and marsh - the faded colors and shabby surroundings - seemed quite authentic. I'm curious to see how London is portrayed, and of course, how the rest of the story plays out next week. (Not sure how late I'll be able to stay up Easter night, though! I think the next installment is 120 minutes?)

As for Once Upon a Time ... SPOILERS below ... I found the Queen's backstory interesting and clearly they were trying to make us feel sympathy for her. Truly her mother was awful - abusive and evil - and I can see how losing her true love (Daniel, the stable boy) warped Regina in such a way she became exactly what her mother wanted (and was herself). I thought the actress they chose to play young Snow was perfect ... as we watched, I kept thinking this little girl must have studied Ginnfer Goodwin's style, because she had the nuances and even the voice down so well. In present time, I like August and I hope he and Emma grow closer ... I'm glad she now knows Sidney is a "double agent." I wanted to swat David away like a fly when he tried to appeal to Emma to speak to Mary Margaret on his behalf. (He didn't mean to accuse MM? What else was she supposed to think? He's such a disappointment.)

And against my better judgement I find myseld liking Mr. Gold ... and hoping he'll be a good guy (or more good than bad) in the end. 

Now, I need someone to tell me what exactly happened in that final minute of the show ... right when Emma and August were talking outside the diner and suddenly there was a piercing scream. (I only know it was Ruby because we watch with closed captioning, lol.) Our DVR kicked in to record Masterpiece and Game of Thrones, so we lost that last crucial minute of OUaT! 

So what was the scream all about? And how did the episode end? AND ... what did the previews show for next week? If someone can fill me in, I'd greatly appreciate it!

***

Well, my friends, I'm going to sign off now ... going to pour another cup of coffee and set about getting Bill's lunch pulled together. I hope you all have a nice Monday ... I'll be back again later as I have more things to discuss!

❤

Palm Sunday Breakfast

Happy Palm Sunday, everyone! And Happy April, too!

Goodness, but it was a beautiful morning ... quite sunny and fairly mild for April first. In fact, I wore a light sweater to church - not a jacket! (Though admittedly, I shivered a bit on the way in and out.)

And did I remember to say "Rabbit, rabbit" first thing upon waking today? Why, yes - yes, I did - but only because it was 2 a.m. and Earlybird was talking in his sleep ... and, light sleeper I am, I was awake. So there I was lying in bed, straining to hear what he was saying - to determine if he required help, or was just talking ragtime - when it hit me: Rabbit, rabbit! Lol. So now I'm set for a month of good luck (or so the old tradition goes). And it began with EB not actually waking up, but staying asleep ... though unfortunately, I could not do the same ... *yawn*

Anyways, today we had a little breakfast after Mass. This is one of my favorite days all year ... there's just something about Palm Sunday - I've loved it dearly since I was a young girl. :)

This is a coffee cake I picked up at that bakery on Friday. To be honest, it was not as good as homemade ... but it was still quite nice - especially to have something all ready. :)

We also had a Palm Sunday "punch," toast with fig butter, assorted sweets and a lovely ricotta/ham pie as well as a winter squash quiche my mum brought.

It seems like we had a lot (I tend to do food for 20 no matter how many I'm serving, lol!) but this was a very easy meal to pull together. After all, it was mostly prepared things - we'll be doing enough cooking next weekend!

And not surprisingly, with all those good smells wafting around, Archie was lurking about ...

("Am I invited to Palm Sunday Breakfast?")

And here we have EB, Crackerjack, Papa, Bill (a bit obscured by the forsythia), Uncle Matt, Bookworm and Nana.

Sunday mornings don't get much better than this. ❤

Here's my sunshiney mug ...

... filled with the caffeine that keeps me sunshiney, too. ;)

And here's our palm cross:

We had a palm cross for many years, but it finally fell apart, so I "splurged" on a new one last weekend. We usually hang ours on our front door (or as in this case, the sliders to the deck) but the stake design intrigues me ... is this meant to stick in the ground?

And here's another lovely cross, this one in front of our church:

*†*

Well, my friends, I hope you've had a nice Sunday, too. I must say, I'm quite excited about our television plans tonight! First we'll watch Once Upon a Time with the older boys ... then we'll shoo them off to bed and tune in to Masterpiece Theater ... Great Expectations begins promptly at nine. So I'll be back here tomorrow morning with my "Masterpiece Monday" post ... where we can chat about all our viewing experiences, the good, the bad and the ambivalent.

In the meantime, take care of yourselves and your loved ones. I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend. :)

Masterpiece Monday (& OUaT)

Well, we here in the Boston markets did not see MT last night - on any of our PBS stations - so I don't have much to discuss on that front ...

And though I did watch Once Upon a Time last night with Bill and the older boys, I must admit I was rather immersed in (i.e. distracted by) a current project, and only paying half-attention ... so I'd love a recap if someone can share! I know this episode featured the "Mad Hatter," and the kidnapping of Emma and Mary Margaret, but I'm wondering what his story means to the overall plot. Despite his "madness" he seemed a bit more "aware" (re ~ the curse, etc.) than other Storybrooke characters.

So it was a slow television weekend for me, but did you watch anything good? And have you been to see The Hunger Games? I'm very curous about that film (enjoyed the books very much) as there's much buzz about the PG-13 rating. (Bookworm has read the books, but not Crackerjack - they're a bit too dark for him just yet.) I'm wondering just how graphic the movie gets.

But here's some good news ... there's only one more week till Masterpiece resumes with all new programming! First up, Great Expectations ...

 You can see a preview here ...

I think it looks amazing and I'm sure we'll have much to discuss!

Well, have a great Monday, my friends ... hope your week gets off to a good start. I'll see you back here again sometime soon!

❤

Masterpiece Monday ~ & Once Upon a Time :-)

Good morning, everyone ... So what did you watch last night?

(Warning: Spoilers ahead!)

Once Upon a Time was pretty good last night, I thought. I like how the two storylines (the "past" and "present" lives) always seem to connect, and yet never run quite parallel. Like last night - Snow and Charming resolved the "lost love" between them, but then it ended on quite a cliffhanger: Charming was caught and Snow swore to find him. (Nice twist - her using his promise.) In "present day," David really messed things up and broke Mary Margaret's heart ... and we were left with yet another cliffie. MM told David to get out (can't say I blame her) and "escaped" jail (I wanted to throttle her! She'll only look guilty!). 

Now, let me ask this ... the heart is Kathryn's, but we all know the Queen keeps everyone's hearts in her special vault. A person is only dead when she destroys the heart (as she did with the Sherriff). So Kathryn is not necessarily dead, right?

(More OUaT thoughts inside later on ... )

As for Masterpiece, well, we watched the last part of South Riding last night, and to be honest, I'm glad to be done with it, lol. It's not that I regret watching it - but I was not very pleased with it. In the end I felt rather ambivalent. For example, this last installment was quite tragic, and yet I didn't cry. Now, I cry at everything, so this really says something! As I said to Bill last night, I think if I cared more about the characters I'd feel more sympathy/empathy about all this drama. 

There were some ends tied up nicely - I liked the shack family storyline, with Mr. Holly finding someone for his family (and himself) and young Lydia returning to school. I liked that Huggins and the other "schemers" got ripped off in the end. (Though I would have loved to have seen more public disgrace for that despicable man.) I felt badly about Carne - yet oddly enough, not so badly for Midge or even Sarah. I just never warmed up to either of them. I liked Askell a lot and was glad he left because he deserves someone better than Sarah (not that she led him on, but she would have just hurt him eventually).

Now, our previews for next week's Masterpiece showed Murder on the Orient Express for next Sunday. And I'm quite excited about that actually, because for one thing I've never seen it, and for another, Bookworm just read the book a couple of weeks ago. (He's become quite the Agatha Christie fan!) So there's something to look forward to, and in the meantime, we're getting closer to all that wonderful April programming!

So, my friends ... I'd love to know what you're watching and how you're liking it. If you have thoughts to share on Masterpiece, Once Upon a Time or any other shows/movies you've been watching ... please leave your comments below. :)

And of course, I hope you all have a good day. I'll be back here again later on ...

❤

A Rose Sunday Hello

Today I baked a Guinness Cake ...

... and played with my pretty, new papers.

I arranged some flowers for "Rose" Sunday ...

... and spotted the first dandelion of the year.

I laughed with my kids about this ...

And I thought long and hard about this.

To sum up, I am feeling very grateful for an easy, happy day just like this.

❤

 My friends, I hope you all had a nice weekend. I hope you find yourselves feeling refreshed and restored, ready to face a new week ahead ...

Tonight we are having our "St. Pat's" supper since yesterday went all kerflooey. Nothing fancy at all ... just corned beef and cheddar panini, roasted potatoes and salad ... and of course, that pretty Irish cake for dessert.

After watching Once Upon a Time with the older boys (EB will already be asleep), Bill and I will tune in to Masterpiece Theater, to catch (endure? lol) the last segment of South Riding. And as always, I'll be here bright and early tomorrow morning to talk about both shows ... perhaps other shows ... and whatever else stikes our fancy. :)

So have a good night, everyone ... take care of yourselves and your loved ones!

Masterpiece Monday ~ South Riding, Part 2

Good Morning, everyone! I hope you all had a nice weekend. :)

So, this morning I'm curious to know ...  what did you watch on TV last night? And - whether you watched Masterpiece - or something else entirely, what did you think?

For our part, we watched Once Upon a Time with the older boys at 8:00, and then Masterpiece (which in Boston was South Riding, part two), right after.

Once Upon a Time had grown a bit stale for me lately, but last night's show really caught me by surprise. Some interesting (if not confusing) new developments. (Anybody else watching this?)

Part two of South Riding was more likable than part one, so I find myself eager to see how it all plays out. It's still a rather grim and, in many ways, disturbing story ... and I'm still not very fond of the lead character ... so it's hard to really get into the story. (I have a question about the scene in which Carne needed his meds - was that a heart-related issue or his nerves? And what did he take?)

More thoughts to come on the inside later on ... as I say, I'm curious to hear what you all have to say!

As for the "Spring Package Giveaway," well, I'll be posting a winner here later today ... I will say around 1 p.m. as that will be when our busy morning winds down. So I will see you here again a bit later on!

Have a good one, my friends ...

❤

Now Let's Not Panic ...

I'm sure this will all be resolved very soon: 

Downton Abbey: Are Dame Maggie Smith And Dan Stevens Walking Off The Estate?

At least we know they're already filming season three!

Well, have a great Thursday, my friends ... I'm still catching up on comments, and as it is a busy day for us (both older boys have classes and I have a few errands to run) I'll most likely be slow in my replies. Thank you, though, as always, for stopping by and taking the time to read and perhaps "review."

I'll be back here again very soon!

:)

Masterpiece Monday ~ South Riding, Part 1

Good morning, my friends!

So it seems we are all, for now, watching different things on Sunday nights, depending on what our local PBS station is airing. We here in Boston were shown Behind the Drama of Downton at eight o'clock, and then the first of a three-part series called South Riding, at nine.

The behind-the-scenes show was wonderful, of course. I really enjoyed hearing from (and seeing!) the various Downton actors as they described what it was like to work on the production, and offered their opinions on the plotlines. How different they all look in "real life!" 

As for South Riding ... well ... I wasn't sure I was going to like it at first (and I still can't say I like it, but it grew on me). South Riding is set in depression-era Yorkshire and it felt, well, rather depressing. The look of the show was washed out and dreary - though I think that's the point - and the main character, Sara Burton, really did not appeal to me at first. I felt a little better about it (and her) by the end of the installment, though, so we will watch again next week. 

More thoughts on the inside ... once I get caught up with my coffee. ;)

Well, I hope you all have a nice day ... I'll be back here again very soon!