Weekend Dispatch

Monday, January 11, 2021


What a year it has been, and we are only 11 days in. Sheesh! Not off to a good start, but I have hope that the year will get better. It's been hard to focus on anything this week. For the first time in months, I actually watched TV. On Wednesday one of my Facebook friends posted that protestors had stormed the Capitol and managed to make it inside. Immediately I turned on CNN. I don't think I've watched an actual TV in over a year. I stick to Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video. So, you know it was a thing when I watched TV. Anyway, how is everyone doing? I know things are pretty heavy right now. Just want to check in to see how everyone is handling our current state of the union.


If you need a distraction, here's how I've been spending my time lately.


Last night I finished Bridgerton, a period drama that takes place in London from 1813 to 1827. It centers on two families, primarily the daughters who are members of London's high society. The Bridgertons and the Featheringtons are introducing their daughters as debutantes to London's most eligible bachelors. It's fascinating to watch, and the costumery is magnificent. And who can resist the chemistry between Daphne Bridgerton and The Duke of Hastings (swoon!). It's been a great escape at the end of a stressful day. Come for the Duke of Hastings, stay for everything else, especially the music (see below). The Netflix series is based on a book series by Julia Quinn if you'd rather read than watch.


It didn't take long to get sucked into the music of Bridgerton. In the first episode, an instrumental version of Maroon 5's Girls Like You played. You know when you know a song but just can't place the song? Like when you hear a cover version of the song and you're happily singing along all the while you can't name the original artist or the name of the song? Yeah, so that happened when this instrumental version of Girls Like You was playing. And then I thought, "No! This can't be that song. This takes place in the early 1800s. Why would that song be playing?" But sure enough it was that song, and there are more instrumental versions of contemporary songs that play throughout the Bridgerton episodes. You can listen here on Spotify.



Where are my Elin Hilderbrand's fans? Last month and over the Christmas break, I read her Winter Street series, a collection of four books about the Quinn Family, a Nantucket mainstay, and owners of one of the island's most popular inns. It's a four-book series, so there is a level of commitment involved, and I have to admit...I read the books out of order, which I would not recommend. I thoroughly enjoyed this series, and especially the fourth and final book in the series. It ended well and wrapped up the story of the Quinns perfectly. The books take place in the early fall through the Christmas holiday season. Because of that, I tried to read them in December. It just sort of made sense to me, but it's not necessary. If you are an Elin fan, you'll love the books no matter when you read them.



If you've committed to getting fit in 2021 (just in case you put on the dreaded COVID 15), this treadmill workout is an excellent and challenging way to get started. It's challenging but just enough that it won't discourage you or defeat you. It gives you a place to start if you have no idea where to begin, and you'll feel great after you do it. And once it no longer becomes challenging, you can tweak the numbers to suit your intensity and stamina levels.
photo via


So, tell me. What do you have planned this weekend?

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