Friday Favorite

Friday Favorites: A Chinese New Year Card, Call My Agent, Leon Bridges

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A few days ago, I received another unexpected treat in the mail—how lucky am I?—this time from my blogging friend Ju-lyn of All Things Bright and Beautiful. She sent me a Chinese New Year’s card, all the way from Singapore, along with two lovely bookmarks made by “crafty older daughter.” What nimble fingers crafty older daughter has.

Such a delight! Thank you, Ju-Lyn. The card is on the metal bulletin board by my desk, where all I have to do is glance to my right to see  the jaunty lanterns and the impressionistic market. And thank you crafty older daughter. The bookmarks, ready for action, are on my nightstand, next to my TBR pile of books.

On Netflix, Clif and I have been watching—all right, binging—a delightful series, Call My Agent (Dix pour Cent in French).  Set in Paris, the show is about ASK, a company of agents and their assistants that works with promotes, soothes, and takes care of actors. The agents and assistants are quirky, competitive, and flawed without being hateful. Famous French actors—Juliette Binoche, Isabelle Huppert—make hilarious guest appearances. Sometimes the episodes are laugh-out-loud funny, and sometimes they are moving as Call My Agent explores issues that actors, especially women, must face. If you love movies, especially French cinema, then this is a series to watch. As Arlette, one of the agents, notes, “When things are getting you down, there’s always the cinema.”

Yes, there is.

Now onto music! I am a huge fan of R & B, and Leon Bridges, only twenty-six when this Tiny Desk Concert was filmed in 2015, seems to be channeling those who came before him, especially Sam Cooke. Music for the ages.

Here are some favorites and simple pleasures from other blogging friends:

Ju-lyn, of All Things Bright and Beautiful, features a gorgeous pineapple cake that is also a work of art.

Thistles and Kiwis features, along with mouth-watering food, the fabulous Botanic Gardens, which are within walking distance of where she lives.

Piglet in Portugal has many things to smile about: a new website, a new book that identifies wild flowers in her local area, and weight loss.

 

79 thoughts on “Friday Favorites: A Chinese New Year Card, Call My Agent, Leon Bridges”

      3. I hear it’s such a great show, but I find birthing scenes hard to deal with (because of miscarriage). And I do love a good British show so I am missing out.

  9. I so enjoy your Friday Favourites (sorry, I can’t help using my spelling!) for it is often the time I look back on what I have been grateful for this week: my eye operation is seemingly successful, contact with my children, an e-mail from a grandchild, good conversations … a bookmark is a wonderful gift. I have a number of them, each meaningful in terms of who or what they remind me of. Hopefully I will be able to read with ease soon. In the meanwhile, have a good weekend and may more happy things happen to you both1

  16. Hurray!!!!! the card reached you, just before the new year celebrations concluded (yesterday, Fri 26 Feb). I am soooo glad it made it.Older Daughter will be so pleased that the bookmarks are raring to be used.

  17. Lovely gifts from your friend.
    I love R & B too – although back in the day (1970s) I called it ‘soul’ – aided mostly by a boyfriend who was a big Otis Redding fan and he is probably still my favourite (Otis, not my boyfriend). I can definitely hear Sam Cooke coming through in Leon Bridges’ Tiny Desk performance.
    I fancy ‘Call My Agent’ but, now Mr. Tialys is home all the time and is going through a ‘not interested in anything French’ phase, I’ll have to try to grab some time to watch it on my own.

  20. Your card and bookmarks are lovely! I’m glad you have found something that makes you laugh – we all need more laughter at the moment.

  21. Pingback: happy place, happy space: New Blog – All things bright and beautiful

  23. What a fantastic blogging community we have here at WordPress, Laurie. Lucky you to be the recipient of such lovely gifts.
    I am a fan of the Scandi crime fiction shows, but this series sounds like it captured your attention! Have a lovely week.

  24. It is always very interesting reading your Friday Favourites, and getting a card from a blogger friend on the other side of the world is pretty special. I have read so much about ”My Agent” it has to be good….I’ll track it down.

  25. I love Call My Agent, but my husband, who has Parkinson’s, can’t keep up with the subtitles. It may have to be my (guilty?) solitary pleasure. It also helps me to brush up on my wobbly French. I love France, French people, and everything French. If I could speak fluent French I would like to live in France!

  26. A beautiful card, Laurie, and those crafty bookmarks will come in handy! Thanks for the tip about Call my Agent. We’re always looking for binge-worthy programs. 🙂 And as always, thanks for sharing another wonderful Tiny Desk concert. I enjoy those. 😀 Happy Writing!

  28. A beautiful card and bookmarks from Ju-Lyn and her crafty older daughter! I am also enjoying the music, and am always pleased at the variety of genres and styles!

  30. That show sounds good. It kind of reminds me of that Canadian show….the one about a Shakespearean theatre…Slings and Arrows! I will try to seek it out. That’s a beautiful depiction of Chinese lanterns.

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