It’s been a busy week…
How has your week been? Mine feels as though it got away from me, even though it was ultimately productive. I’ve been feeling distracted and unfocused lately. I don’t know whether it’s the upcoming election, or just having little projects pop up that require shifting my attention, or both.
Daily distractions
Monday we finished filling out our ballots and walked them over to the nearest drop box. We had discussed voting in person, but decided not to add to potentially lengthy lines if we didn’t have to.
Tuesday I had my second round of the Shingrix (shingles) vaccine. I’m glad to have it done; le Monsieur had a shingles infection a few years ago and it was not a minor thing. The first vaccine injection I had over the summer was pretty easy, just a little soreness in my arm for a day or two. This time I have a lot of redness and itching near the injection site, which is common.
Wednesday we had a handyman replacing some rotted trim along our roofline, which meant lots of noise. Glad to have that done too, as it was providing a possible opening for critters to get in.
Yesterday it was getting my car in for routine service that I’ve been putting off. Glad to check this off my list. Now I just need to take it in for a smog check so I can renew the registration before the end of the month.
And I’ve been working on getting my weekly newsletter set up, sorting out some glitches and formatting issues. I’ll be sharing some exclusive content for email subscribers, from new finds to flash sales to answering (in greater depth) some of your style or travel questions. And I’m open to suggestions too!
We’ve been watching…
Many of you have recommended “Borgen” on Netflix. We started watching a few days ago and are now a couple of episodes into Season 2. It’s quite good, even though we’re rather at sea when it comes to understanding Danish parliamentary politics. It’s intelligent, with complex characters. It reminds us both a little of “Madam Secretary.”
We’ve also been enjoying “Flesh and Blood” on PBS Masterpiece. I think there’s one more episode left, and they’ve managed to keep us guessing not only on “whodunit,” but also “who it was done to.”
Best sales of the week
Colleen Rothschild is running a Fall Favorites Sale. Included are some of my CR favorites, including the Jumbo size of the Radiant Cleansing Balm, the Intense Hydrating Mask, and the Complete Eye Cream.
Madewell – up to 50% off with code SNEAKPEEK
Vince – Vault Sale, up to 75% off
J.Crew – 50% off full-price styles with code FRIDAY
Aquatalia – 30% off sitewide (!!!) with code FAMILY30
Madewell – extra 30% off sale items with code SPREETIME
Chico’s – all ponte pants $39
Soma – Buy 1, Get 1 50% off Underwear, bras, sleepwear and loungewear!
Talbot’s – Friends & Family, 40% off entire purchase
Banana Republic – up to 50% off Must Have styles
Net-a-Porter – Seasonal Edit, 25% off select styles
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You may be doing this already – or you may think it is rather eccentric – but Borgen is MUCH better in Danish with English subtitles, as the dubbing is just woeful and detracts from what were originally much more believable, complex performances. (On my first attempt I found myself watching in English with Danish subtitles – slight Old Lady/Technology interface problem – but it was well worth persisting.)
We watched it years ago, it wasn’t available on Netflix streaming so we got DVDs in the mail.
The new released notes the subtitling is new, must be the dubbing. I might re-watch it, but it sounds like I should do so with the subtitles running, like the original version I watched.
I watched some other show on Netflix recently, European where it’s all set in the police interview room, and it was dubbed. There must be some new technology that lets them do that. I went back to the subtitles on that as well because the English was so awkward.
I’m with you on “Flesh and Blood.” Intriguing.
Me too…who and who
We finally got around to watching “Dix Pour Cent” and love it! Thanks for your recommendations.
We just finished Endeavor on PBS last night after watching the debate. I’m always a bit sad to see my favorite characters leave me but I’m happy to know they’ll be back for an eighth season. Never have I ever sat down for nightly television watching but COVID has given me time to do this. I hear The Crown returns November 15; something to look forward to!
We loved Borgen too. We watched one or two episodes each evening through all three seasons. That parliamentary system is quite confusing but the show is intriguing. We watched it in Danish with English subtitles. I’ve never like movie that are dubbed. We’ve even learned a couple of Danish words. Thankyou and I’m sorry. Ha! We just finished Van der Valk on PBS. We’ll check out Flesh and Blood now. Thanks for the recommendation. We don’t have cable so we watch PBS.org and see all the good shows. We connect our iPad to the TV.
We are almost through the first season of Borgen and can’t believe I could find Danish politics so fascinating. Also, before viewing I did not realize that the actor who played the dastardly Euron Greyjoy in Game of Thrones is Kasper in this production, making it a bit more fun.
I’m still decluttering, or trying to. (I figure I’ll be doing this until I’m on my deathbed.) I am losing weight but have decided not to buy anything new until my old clothes are falling off. Even then, I might just have my favorites altered. We mailed our ballots a few days after we received them and have already gotten word that they’ve arrived and will be counted. I returned a book from the library, picked up a book from the library.
Next week I’m getting my hair cut for the first time since last Thanksgiving. My husband was going through radiation treatment and by the time he was recovered enough that I felt able to leave him, everything had shut down for COVID. My stylist moved out of state in August, but she’s coming back and renting a station for a week in her old salon! This is the longest my hair has been since I graduated from college. I’ve been wearing it in a ponytail all summer. I hate it. I’ll probably have it cut a bit shorter than usual because who knows when I’ll get a chance to get it cut again–or by whom.
Oh, I’m with you on the decluttering. The amount of clothes, many new and never worn is embarrassing and shameful! I managed a certain amount of success on eBay a couple of years ago and must start doing that again. It does take me ages though, as I’m not particularly fast with camera or entering details! I just can’t bear the thought of my sons having to deal with all my mistakes, that is just not fair.
Just to say that this blog is my favourite, I can give up all the rest, but not this one!
I’m back to my college length hair as well. It makes me feel younger, but I don’t like having it constantly in my face. And a ponytail is not a flattering look for me. I have a picture of Sue’s pixie haircut ready for my next appointment!
Hi Susan, I just hit the button to subscribe to your weekly newsletter and after putting in my email address, etc. it says I’m already subscribed. I’m wondering if the weekly will be different than the ones you drop now on a more random schedule?
Hi Wren, if you already subscribe to the blog updates, you’ll be getting the weekly newsletter as well. Thanks!!
LOVED Borgen and was sorry to see it end (possible 4th season acc to online gossip) but I know what you mean about being confounded by Danish politics! We watch European shows almost exclusively except for PBS offerings (which often are European LOL!). We enjoyed Call My Agent (Dix Pour Cent) so much we’ve watched it twice. Keep the suggestions coming- these shows are the closest thing to travel we have these days! Love your blog, Susan.
Love Endeavor and so happy that it will be coming back for another season. So well written and produced. A must for fans of the old Inspector Morse series which we have been lucky enough to catch on occasion on BBC Canada or PBS. Unfortunately that series has not held up as well and seems very dated though John Thaw never disappoints. Recently we have started watching the Midsomer Murders on our local PBS. I think they are mostly reruns because some shows have the main character and his wife played by different actors and the film quality is not as good as the newer shows. Then there is good old Father Brown! My French husband is beginning to think that living in small British villages is quite dangerous!
So looking forward to The Crown returning in November and still waiting on news of Victoria. Apparently its on unspecified hiatus so no word on a new season.
For those wanting to clean up the clutter Home Edit on Netflix comes highly recommended. I have not watched it myself but a young colleague says that it just makes her fingers itch to purchase some clear containers and purge her closets!!
Really all the current discussion here in Ottawa is about the American election and the televised debate last night, a government town is a government town…even more so when it is the Nation’s capital.
At least it’s a break from Covid updates:(
Bonne fin de semaine à tous!
Fellow Midsomer Murders fan, here. The first half, approximately, of the shows had Tom Barnaby & his wife Joyce. I assume the actor wanted to retire at some point, and they brought in his cousin, John Barnaby, with HIS wife. I suppose the episodes are pretty formulaic, but they’re enjoyable and a nice diversion from reality. We are currently watching Murdoch Mysteries, a similar vibe but set in Toronto around 1900. It features an independent minded female pathologist in addition to the usual male detectives!
You might enjoy Seaside Hotel on Amazon Prime. It’s a Danish production with English subtitles. One of my all-time favorites.
I recommend another Danish-language offering on Netflix, “A Fortunate Man”; an interesting, well-acted film that was nominated for Best Foreign Film a few years back.
Another outstanding series on HBO Max is “Patria”, an eight-part series that takes places in the Basque country of Spain and France during the separatist (ETA) movement. Be sure to watch the subtitled version in lieu of the dubbed one.
“Call My Agent” debuted it’s final season this week in France, so Netflix should be airing it soon. Charlotte Gainsbourg is one of the guest stars.
That little dog is so danged cute!
Thanks! She is, and gets away with a lot because of it, LOL!
Hi Susan, please help! You have a blouse that I would love to try to purchase but don’t know the brand. It is a button-up, long sleeve style with (I believe) tigers on it. The color is either red or an orange-red in color. Do you know the one I’m asking about? Please let me know the brand so I can begin my search. Thank you! Have a beautiful weekend.
Hi Carol, was it this one? https://shopstyle.it/l/bnHC5
Yes, Susan! Thank you so much. I’m making this blouse mine. Would love to have the Taryn Rose Sage suede booties but, unfortunately, they’re sold out everywhere. I can find a few here and there but not my size. Thank you for sharing beautiful clothing and your awesome sense of style with us.
I absolutely love “Flesh and Blood” on PBS! I am on the fence after the first episode of “The Trouble With Maggie Cole,” but will give it a couple more episodes.
Haven’t watched Borgen, but just finished the Russian series, The Lake and started watching Barbarians. It was interesting to see you have specific letterboxes for ballots and don’t blame you for not wanting to wait in long lines. I like voting day here in Oz as it can be a bit of a social thing, with sausage sizzles, ladies selling home made baked cakes etc and even a Barista with coffee machines.
Kudos on voting. Although I was quite worried when I read about the director of the post offices being a Trump fan and eledged to be tampering with the votes by mail.
We thought Borgen was a fantastic series and the political arena is very much alike the Dutch so that wasn’t a problem for us. America is quite different in that respect.
In the Netherlands I tried to get a vaccin for the shingles after my 65 birthday. My GP looked into it but in the Netherlands they think differently about this. They say, once you have had it, it is no guarantee you won’t get it again, so vaccinating is not a solution. Fortunately (in hindsight) I got it two years ago, not too bad, so I hope I am safe.
Greetje
Oh I sure hope hope your GP is wrong! I had what my doctor called a geriatric case of shingles when I was about 35 and never ever want to experience that again! I’ve had both varieties of the vaccines they’ve come out with here and pray that I don’t have a reoccurrence. I was off work for several weeks and even then wore loose sweat pants when I was able to return. Since then I’ve advised everyone to take advantage of the vaccine but I’m a firm believer in medical science.
Thank you for the recommendation of Borgen. Started watching it and it’s great. The parliamentary system is easy to understand. The party with the most seats wins but if it isn’t a majority then you have a minority government. Then they have to get another party or more to join with them to form a majority. At any time the other party can defeat with a no confidence vote so it gives the party with less seats power.