Life in Mexico
Club Santiago is a wonderful place to live, nestled between a beautiful beach that stretches for several kilometres along Santiago Bay and the environmental reserve surrounding Juluapan Lagoon.
Unfortunately, even paradise has pests, and these take the form of racoons. Known locally as mapaches, these nocturnal creatures make a habit of breaking-and-entering in search of food; the last time I forgot to lock my patio screen, I found Coco-Puffs scattered all over my kitchen.
Even when you’re careful, they still make a mess. Club Santiago supplies big plastic barrels for residents to place their daily garbage; resourceful racoons then knock them over every night and nibble at will.
My neighbour Mike got fed up with shoveling the mess back in and sought my help. We came up with the idea of screwing a large hook into a light-pole and drilling a hole into the lip of the barrel so that the mapaches can’t tip it over.
What we forgot is that they have very sharp teeth. The following morning, we went out to check on our brainstorm only to find they had chewed through the bottom of the barrel.
Once again, outsmarted by nature.
Movie Review
There’s a pivotal scene in Love Actually where Bill Nighy, playing washed-up rock star Billy Mack on a quest to top the Christmas charts, utters his most famous line; “Hey, kids, don’t buy drugs… Become a rock star and they give you them for free.” According to The Mirror, the award-winning British actor reckons it will be ‘etched on my tombstone.’
Love, Actually, is without a doubt the schmaltziest Christmas movie ever made. Set in London, it features an ensemble cast of some of the finest British actors (and one or two Americans), in a series of intertwined story lines.
Bachelor David (played by Hugh Grant), has just been elected Prime Minister and is moving into 10 Downing Street. He becomes infatuated with Natalie, a potty-mouthed, working-class girl. Meanwhile, Daniel (Liam Neeson) is suffering depression after the tragic loss of his wife, Jamie (Colin Firth) discovers his girlfriend is cheating on him with his own brother, and self-styled sex god Colin is running off to America to find his true lust!
You get the picture.
While it sounds terribly complicated, director Richard Curtis does a stellar job interweaving each story line so that they build to a heart-warming finale that will have you clutching the extra-large Kleenex box. This is a big holiday treat, one that the whole family will enjoy!
Buy The Hotel Seamstress on Amazon!
“We are all aware of WWII, the atrocities and the outcome of the war, but Cope goes deeper into the struggles of the Parisians during this time…there is compassion, love and understanding.”
The year is 1944. Paris has been under German occupation for four years. The French Resistance knows that an Allied invasion is imminent.
Veronique Grenelle is growing up in an impoverished inner-city neighborhood, scrambling to feed herself and her family.
The Resistance recruits the vivacious young woman to befriend Lieutenant Gunther von Clause, an aide-de-camp to the German Army’s Military Governor. She gradually gains his trust and affection.
James Gallagher, a lieutenant in the US Army’s Military Intelligence unit, frequently parachutes behind enemy lines to deliver funds and instructions to the Resistance. He meets and befriends Veronique, who falls madly in love with the dashing American officer.
D-Day approaches, and Veronique finds herself in a bind; should she pursue her heart or her duty? In the end, her decision will not only determine the fate of Paris, it will reverberate down through her family for generations to come.
TV Series Review
Blindspot
Streaming on Netflix
A naked woman is discovered in a duffel bag in Times Square. She has no memory; the only clue to the identity of Jane Doe (played by Jaimie Alexander), is the name of FBI Agent Kurt Weller tattooed to her back.
You gotta admit, that’s a nice start to a mystery thriller series.
It gets better; she is literally covered in tattoos, each one a harbinger of some malevolence against the US. As the FBI races to stop the bad guys, they are also trying to figure out who the mysterious woman is, and why someone would wipe out her memory and completely ink her exterior.
This NBC series ran for five seasons, so there’s lots of fun and action. If you like well-written mystery thrillers, then this worth a binge!
Recipe: Mussels in cream sauce
Bivalves (clams, mussels and oysters), first appeared on ancient reefs 500 million years ago. They’ve been gracing tables in the finest Cambrian era seafood restaurants ever since. Here’s a great meal that’s easy to make and tastes fantastic! You can buy frozen mussels at La Comer.
(Serves two mains or four appetizers)
1 kg mussels (thawed)
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 shallots, chopped (or ½ white onion)
2 Tsp butter
½ cup white wine
1 tsp salt
1 cup cream
½ cup of chopped parsley
½ cup of fried lardons (chopped bacon)
Garlic toast
Directions
Melt butter in a Dutch oven or pan with lid and fry garlic and shallots.
Pour in white wine and add salt. Let simmer for two minutes.
Turn off heat and let cool for a minute before pouring in cream.
Add the mussels, return to simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes, covered.
Pour mussels into bowls, sprinkle with parsley and lardons, and enjoy!
Gord, I loved your latest book, The Hotel Seamstress, and highly recommend it. It was riveting and kept me engaged all the way through! I read it in one sitting! I wonder what happened to some of the characters, before and after the time that the book was set in, and hope that you are planning a follow-up. Cheers!
Hi Wilma I’m glad you enjoyed it! I do have some ideas for a follow-up, but I’m working on the sequel to Magnus the Magnificent right now (he’s on a mission to rescue Joan of Arc).