March Musings

Beautiful views in San Juan

It’s been a crazy year—and we’re only three months in. Between the headlines, the brutal winter weather, and a string of other misadventures, it’s been a challenging start. But not all is gloom and doom. Even in interesting times like these, there are still a few simple pleasures to fill whatever spare moments we can find.

For me, I have been focused on catching up on a few television series and movies.

Here are a few of my favorites:

• Amy Madigan in Weapons – Talk about going for broke! I could not stop thinking about Aunt Gladys for days and even thought I saw her when I was getting out of my car in the parking garage – it was that creepy. I have always been a fan of Madigan, as she was in Streets of Fire, which was a favorite of ours when we were growing up. Really a great turn for a veteran actress who hasn’t been in a lot of movies in recent years.

• Rhea Seehorn in Pluribus – This is a somewhat dark post-apocalyptic sci fi series that follows an author, Carol Sturka, living in New Mexico who finds herself immune to a virus. I really enjoy Seehorn’s continual switches from angry to sad and even happy in some episodes. It feels real and is very immersing.

• Everyone in Sinners – This was definitely one of the best films of the year and I’m happy it is getting the praise it deserves. Michael B. Jordan and the whole cast is top notch and takes a story that could have been one note and turns it into something engrossing and even at times places vampires in a sympathetic light.

• All of the Cast of The Pitt – I look forward to this show every Thursday and worry about what I will do when the second season is over which is quite soon. Like The Bear, this show feels completely authentic and for some even traumatizing – particularly those who work in hospitals or emergency rooms. Stand outs for me are fellow Marylander Shawn Hatosy, Katherine LaNasa and of course Noah Wyle. But everyone is fantastic and worth watching. You care about these characters and want to know more. I am looking forward to more seasons of these excellent series.

• Everyone in The Gilded Age – I practically squealed when Cynthia Nixon, who I follow on IG, mentioned she was getting ready to film the next season of this wonderful show set in 1880s New York and Newport, RI. Train Daddy has become iconic and of course Carrie Coon’s Bertha is fabulous. I also really enjoy seeing the fashions from this period and love that they film the show at the Breakers, which is not too far from where my sister lives.

Travel

Pelham, NY: I started the year with a quick trip to New York to bring my son Ryan back to college. It was quick, but we found time to make a stop in Pelham, a charming village just over the border from the Bronx in Westchester. It’s apparently the oldest town in the county and has a unique history, along with a town hall and a few shops and eateries. In our explorations of the area, we have been trying to learn about new areas and this is one we have enjoyed a few times with visits to DeCicco & Sons, a nice grocery store.

Puerto Rico: I had a take a quick trip to San Juan, PR for work and discovered beautiful Old San Juan, which is quite atmospheric at night. I particularly enjoyed El Convento, a former convent, where we hosted a happy hour. On the advice of my friend Vasuki, we also traveled to La Placita for dinner and walked around the area, which resembled Bourbon Street in New Orleans with live music and dancing in the streets. My favorite place we ate on this trip was an Argentine restaurant El Viejo Almacen.

Newport, RI: With my friend Monique, I made a weekend trip to visit my sister where she lives in Newport. It was quite cold, but we still had a wonderful time exploring Tiverton, shopping in Warren, and dining in a few of the area’s best restaurants. Always at the top of my list is Thames Street Kitchen, where the Caesar salad is a must! We had fun watching Heated Rivalry on TV and caught up with our friend Amber who joined us for a glass of wine at Gardiner House.

San Diego: I had another work trip to San Diego, but this time I was over in Coronado at the Del, which is rare as I’m usually located downtown for conferences. I enjoyed waking up early to grab coffee and walk in the sunshine, although it was a little blustery on a few occasions. I made a trip to Normal Heights to check out an authentic Turkish restaurant, Bosforo, during the trip and went over to have some really good tacos on my first day in town. We also dined at Little Frenchie, which was adorable and Il Fornaio, which has an amazing view of the city from the water. It was fun catching up with Alison, the daughter of my dear friend Rachel and my former colleague and friend, Ryan.

Interesting Food

Cauli Pizza Skillet - I made a cauliflower pizza skillet a few times and I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s not hard to make and uses cauliflower as a base with all of the ingredients for a pizza. Hearty and perfect on a cooler evening with a salad.

Zucchini Lasagna – This lasagna which I made with zucchini ribbons, beef and pork was served at my son Luke’s birthday party. I didn’t have any ricotta, but I did have a lot of cottage cheese and used it for filler (my grandmother literally would faint, but I digress) with a bottled pesto (again more fainting).

Eggroll in a Bowl – My husband John and I have been making what is basically an eggroll in a bowl – cabbage, slaw, garlic, ginger, and ground pork all made in a wok and served on rice or cauli rice with a healthy dose of siracha on top.

Sicilian Chicken Salad – I make a lot of tuna and chicken salads on weekends, but this one was very interested as it has fennel, currants, and pine nuts in it – all hallmarks of Sicilian cuisine.

After three months of movement—across places, plates, and taking in stories both real and imagined, I’m left with a deeper appreciation for the small, steady pleasures that anchor it all. Travel blurs together, meals fade into memory, and even the best films roll their credits, but the feeling of having paused long enough to notice any of it still lingers. If the rest of the year carries even a fraction of the things I experienced in this season, it might turn out to be a pretty good one after all.