May Flowers

This post would normally be a Five on Friday but I honestly don't have even two or three things on my mind...much less five! :) So having said that and since it's the last day of May, I thought I'd just go ahead and share my May recap of all things entertainment and enjoyment! Y'all have a good weekend!

Books I Read 

Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin - Okay, well I am honestly still in the process of reading this book because I got distracted by re-reading the original Game of Thrones books. #Nerdalert with this one though - it's a history of the Targaryen conquest and rule in Westeros and I'm absolutely eating it up. George Martin just writes so incredibly well and it's so easy to read his books!

Now if he'd only hurry up and finish Winds of Winter - that'd be great!

Books on the Shelf

I have still got so many books on the shelf that have fallen to the way side and I'm sure I'll eventually pick them back up and give them a read. But as predicted, I'm a little distracted by all things Game of Thrones right now... ha-ha! I've even been reading chapters of A Clash of Kings in between chapters of Fire & Blood...

Must See TV

Game of Thrones - Well. I don't know that I completely believe that the final season of Thrones is over and done with, but I suppose it must be! April contained the first three episodes of the six episode final season and May contained the last three episodes - which were also the weaker episodes of the season. *sigh* I loved the first half of episode four, pretty strongly disliked episode five and quite honestly held my breath when it was time for the finale - and breathed a sigh of relief when the episode ended and I discovered I'd actually really liked it.

The performances by the cast this season (as with every season) were spectacular but there is just no way to deny that it all felt so very rushed - which I do hate. I am happy with how the show wrapped up the story lines, even if my heart breaks a little bit for the complete destruction of a favorite character and his arc... When all is said and done though, Game of Thrones will always be my favorite television show and I will enjoy being able to revisit Westeros again and again for the rest of my life. Jon Snow, Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth will always be my three favorite characters and I will always be glad I took this cinematic journey - because let's be honest - it might be a TV show, but it was nothing short of cinema quality!

The Spanish Princess - The Starz series follows it's predecessors The White Queen and The White Princess in telling the stories laid out in Phillipa Gregory's novelizations of the women that established and created the Tudor dynasty. The Spanish Princess follows Catherine of Aragon as she travels to England to marry Prince Arthur... and also follows the decisions made for her and about her after Arthur's untimely death. She would eventually be Henry the 8th's first wife - and the show certainly plays fast and loose with historical details - but the costumes and sets are fabulous and the acting is delightful too!

This show is four episodes into it's eight episode season - so we shall see how the rest of the story plays out in June!

The Last Watch - This two hour documentary premiered a week after the finale of Game of Thrones and was an immersive look into the people that brought the final season of Thrones to life. It was a fascinating watch and allowed the spotlight to be shone on the crew members who work so hard behind the scenes to make sure each shot is just right (barring a rogue coffee cup or water bottle...). The story introduces watchers to Andy McClay who has worked as an extra for all eight seasons, Barry & Sarah Gower who work on prosthetics, David Nutter & Miguel Sapochnik who directed five of the final six episodes and so many more...

The brief bits and pieces involving the main cast are sparse - but honestly - they get to shine each week in the show itself! The table read of the final season is a delight to watch and seeing Kit Harrington say good-bye to Jon Snow is also a really interesting watch. I thought the documentary as a whole was so fun and fascinating!

Movies of the Month

Tolkien - This movie was perfectly lovely and as a fan of Tolkien's books, there are so many little nods and tips of the hat to the stories he would write in the scenes of this movie. I'm glad I went to see it and I thought Nicholas Hoult was wonderful in the title role. I thought the love story was nice, but the real heart of the film (for me) was the fellowship of friends he made in his school days that inspired so much of his life. I did think the movie was a bit slow at times - but overall it was enjoyable.

Aladdin - I went into this movie with some reservations... the reviews I'd read were not positive, but I should always know better than to trust reviews. I thought the movie was really fun, well done and extremely colorful! I'm also surprised to say that while Will Smith certainly could never replace Robin Williams as the Genie, he made the role his own and was (much like Robin before him) the best part of the movie! He added levity, personality and laughter to the movie. I think if you're a die hard Disney fan like I am - you'll love this retooling and retelling of the story. It's great!

Tunes & Talks

Game of Thrones Season 8 Soundtrack - Oh my gosh...just when I think Ramin Djawadi can't outdo himself, he goes and crafts the most perfect soundtrack for the final season of Game of Thrones that has been on repeat in my office...my car...my house...for the past week (it came out on the 19th). Some of my personal favorites are: The Last of the Starks, The White Book and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms...but honestly y'all, I love it all so much.

And honestly - before the season eight soundtrack was released, I was listening to the soundtracks from seasons 1-7! Between the eight soundtracks, I have 10 hours and 56 minutes of music that is Thrones-themed, so I'm absolutely loving it!

I've also loved listening to Still Watching: A Game of Thrones podcast, Storm of Spoilers and Game of Thrones: The Podcast this month. I told y'all that my brain is consumed with all things Game of Thrones!

Tasty Treats 

Well this month was filled with so many good eats - starting the month with grilled kabobs; some made with sausage and veggies and a whole other group made with fresh fruit. Yum. I had a Smores Frappucino at the beginning of the month too and it was just as delicious as I remembered! The Apple Blossom Prayer Brunch had delicious Chick Fil A brunch items and of course - apple cheesecake!

I celebrated the end of Thrones with some divine cupcakes from Sprinkles and when Danielle and I made our way into DC for the day, the Chicken and Waffles from Due South was to die for...and my drink was pretty good too...ha-ha! I finished out the month with a divine Bacon Bianca pizza from Regions 117 and delicious New Deal Turkey and Blackberry Ice Cream Pie at Skyland Lodge. Yum!

Anticipations

For the most part, the month of June is pretty wide open - just like May was! I do already have tickets to Star Wars Day at Nationals Park and so I'm looking forward to that. The Nationals always do an exceptional job of bringing together baseball and Star Wars and the day is usually really enjoyable - and it will be even more so if the Nationals can get a win!

The rest of June is open so I'll probably catch some movies, maybe go hiking with a friend... who knows what all I'll get up to next month? I cannot believe that the year is almost halfway over - didn't it just start?

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And just like - tomorrow is the first of June! 

Watson Wednesday

When you're only interested in watching the portions of Game of Thrones that include dragons, so you fall asleep once they've left the TV screen....

Memorial Day Weekend - Hit the Rewind Button

Another long weekend has come to an end - it was a good weekend, it was a full weekend and it passed so quickly! No more three day weekends until the first weekend of July - and that will actually be a four day weekend - but until then, lots of pictures and some words about the long weekend!

Friday night we went to see Aladdin and I have to report that I was skeptical because all the reviews I'd read were just terrible, so I was bracing for the worst. I thought the movie was really enjoyable and fun, I'll go into it more on my end of the month entertainment post but I really thought it was pretty fabulous! I also thoroughly enjoyed my club sandwich, watching Game of Thrones once we got home and sleeping in on Saturday morning... sometimes it's the little things.

Saturday morning around 10:30, my friend Danielle and I headed for DC for the rest of the day. We took the Metro into the city and made our way to Due South for a late lunch - I had some seriously divine Chicken and Waffles with Tabasco Butter and Maple Syrup and I sipped on a Blackberry Smoke, which was seriously strong! The food was delicious, the company was great and we ended the dining by popping into Ice Cream Jubilee where I got a scoop of Whiskey Toasted Marshmallow and a scoop of Cookies & Cookie Dough.

 

 

It didn't seem that warm out but while we stood on the bridge eating our ice cream and watching boats on the Anacostia River, it started to melt like crazy... it almost poured like a river out of the bottom of the waffle cone and the breeze caused it to splatter on everything. Eek! It was delicious but it was also a struggle - every time I get a waffle cone, I am reminded that I should always get a cup! Oh well!

We decided to go in one of the side gates that didn't open until 2:30 - we ended up waiting about ten minutes in a very short line, collecting our bobble heads and then wandering the park for a little while before heading to our seats. The temperature on Saturday was not that warm - but let me tell you - when we realized that our seats were in the sun, it became very warm. So very warm. In that way where you alternatively stick to your seat or slip around in your seat depending on the sweat level...

 

It was Marvel Super Hero Day at Nationals Park, so all the players on the opposing team (the Miami Marlins) were represented by Ultron on the Jumbotron...while the Nationals players were drawn cartoon style. The bobble head was Ryan Zimmerman, dressed as Captain America and brandishing a shield emblazoned with the Washington National logo - pretty cool, right? 

The game was actually really good - Patrick Corbin pitched a complete shut-out and the Nationals scored five runs in the fifth inning - which were all the runs they needed to win the game 5-0. I do believe somewhere in the fifth inning it began to cloud over and the temperature became much more manageable after that. Regardless of the cloud cover, by the time the game was over and the Nationals had gotten the W - I was in desperate need of a shower and I'm sure the people near me on the Metro were thrilled, ha-ha!

The drive home was remarkably uneventful and I was all too happy to take a shower, relax a bit and crawl into bed. Sleeping in on Sunday was lovely and we had brunch at Regions 117 which is always so yummy! I had a divine Peach Bellini, a cup of the Tomato Basil soup and took a chance on the Bacon Bianca Pizza: bacon, ricotta, garlic, chili oil, spinach, mozzarella and EVOO - yes it was divine. I think you only need to look at the picture below and your mouth will water...

After brunch, we headed into the Shenandoah National Park for the afternoon - and blessedly escaped the warmer temperatures: as the elevation went up, the temperature went down! And of course, the views were lovely as always! The warmer temperatures were evident from every view point though, with haze in the distant but happily it was much cooler up on the peaks as opposed to being in the valley. 

 

We took our guests to the visitor's center at Big Meadows and the back down to see Massanutten Cabin, which was part of the original Skyland Lodge - and was also where I found a small bunny that I watched intently while the rest of the group explored the cabin (I'd been before). I watched the bunny from the back porch and the side yard as it scampered around here and there - I can only assume nibbling grass. He finally hopped into the brush and I couldn't watch him anymore, so I had to go back to checking out the views...

 

We arrived at Skyland Lodge at 4:45 and got in line for the dinner seating that began at 5:30 - we were the second group in line and that turned out to be a good thing because we were able to have a seat by the window looking out at the mountains! The food at Skyland never disappoints and Sunday evening was no exception. I had a bowl of Vegetarian Chili to start my meal, had the New Deal Turkey with Whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes, Dressing and Green Bean Casserole for my main meal and finished off (as always) with the Blackberry Ice Cream Pie - it was divine! It's always divine! After supper, we headed back down the mountain and home!

 

Monday morning I slept in and after coffee I got in my exercise before enjoying the empty day laid out before me. I read out on the back deck in the sunshine (it was much more pleasant on Monday), watched The Last Watch - a documentary about the final season of Game of Thrones, took the pup on some walks around the neighborhood and even took a short nap on the back deck... it was lovely. Also, please look at how the roses have absolutely exploded into bloom!

We had a divine dinner on Monday night - grilled chicken and beef kabobs, over roasted potatoes and bright green salads that were so delicious, I helped myself to a second salad. It was the best meal after a relaxing day and just writing about it makes my mouth water a little bit - it was all so tasty. After dinner, we chatted with my younger sister and watched an episode of Game of Thrones before calling it a day. 

And now - it's Tuesday. I almost wanted to write "it's Monday" but at least that day of the week is done and we are already almost at the halfway point... thank goodness! I wore my new t-shirt to work today - I might be adopting that "Not Today" motto every day, ha-ha! It was a good weekend - and now I'm counting down the days until the next weekend begins! 

Five on Friday

It's finally Friday y'all! I have to level with you - this week has seemed long and the latter portion of the week was rough. *sigh* I am so looking forward to this weekend and I'm especially looking forward to the fact that it's a three day weekend. Those always seems to arrive just in time - don't they?

One. Aladdin - Well...Summer movie season is upon us, although I guess Avengers: Endgame really kicked all that off but it only recently started to actually feel like Summer. I digress! I'm going to see Aladdin tonight, the first of two (three?!?) Disney live action remakes coming out this year - and I'm hoping it's good! I dressed as Jasmine for Halloween once when I was younger and I remember thinking I was very sassy in my two piece costume... here's hoping some of the original charm has translated to the live action version...

I'm still not sure how I feel about Will Smith as the Genie... but I definitely also still think the man playing Jafar is insanely attractive. We shall see. We shall see.

Two. Nationals Baseball - Y'all. This season has not been pretty. Frankly, putting it that way is saying it really nicely. The Nationals currently sit at 19-31 on the season, we are in fourth place in the NL East and I read an article yesterday that said our bullpen is setting itself up with the worst ERA in history. Not just in this season - but in the history of baseball. Suffice it to say, there have been better seasons to be a Nationals fan. In spite of all this - my friend Danielle and I are headed to Nationals Park tomorrow for the match-up between the Nationals and the Marlins (the team in 5th place in the NL East).

There are rumors that the Nationals may not have a manager once the weekend is over - who knows? What I do know is that it's Marvel Day at the Park, so I plan to grab myself a Ryan Zimmerman bobblehead, eat some tots from See You Tater and just enjoy a day in DC with my friend!

Three. All Things Fruity - Perfectly Posh recently launched a Spring line filled with products that have the goodness of all things fruity in them: think citrus, berry and melon! Yesterday they released two additional goodies: Nice Melons Big Fat Yummy Hand Creme and Kiwi, Do You Love Me Shower Jelly! The hand creme is $10 and the shower jelly is $17 - and I know they both smell divine!

If you want to give them a try, or give any product a try you can shop at: http://NatalieSummerlin.po.sh

Four. The Cupcake Catastrophe - A fun little story for you all, complete with before and after pictures! Sprinkles had special Game of Thrones themed cupcakes availabe last weekend only, via pre-order and my younger sister picked up a box while she was in Vegas for the weekend. I didn't get to place an order with our local (Georgetown) location - so she kindly wrapped up and shipped four of her twelve cupcakes to me on Monday morning via two-day shipping. I asked her to snap some pictures before she sent them because I knew they'd never hold up with the USPS processing them...

She wrote "fragile" and "this side up" on the box in multiple places - but as predicted, they arrived on Wednesday and the view that greeted us when we opened the box - well, it was slightly disastrous. We laughed about it all day on Wednesday but let me tell you what, they may have looked like hell but they tasted divine!

Five. Weekend Plans - It's a long weekend, hallelujah! This evening I'll be hitting the Alamo Drafthouse to take in Aladdin and I do certainly plan to sleep in a little bit on Saturday morning! My friend Danielle and I are headed into DC on Saturday to have lunch at Yards Park, get some delicious ice cream from Ice Cream Jubilee and take in the Nationals game - I know we'll have an excellent time!

I plan to sleep in again on Sunday morning! My parents have friends coming in over the long weekend and so on Sunday we are having brunch at Regions 117 and then heading into Shenandoah National Park to take in all the absolutely gorgeous scenery. We'll close out the day with an early dinner at Skyline Lodge and maybe we'll get a table by the window with stunning mountain views?

I do hope I'll get to sleep in on Monday morning too... but we shall see. We are going to head over to Maryland for the day and take in Antietam Battlefield, among other things. It should be a good but busy weekend - busy in the nicest way though! I love being able to take in all the sights and sounds in the area and see so much of what this area has to offer.

I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend - and as a military kid, I also hope you take the time to remember why we celebrate Memorial Day. It's certainly nice to have an extra day to sleep in and enjoy the early Summer weather, but take a minute from your day and remember those who will never celebrate again - those who paid the ultimate price, so we could have that extra day of vacation!

Y'all have a good weekend! 

And Now My Watch Has Ended...

It's been almost a full week since the final episode of Game of Thrones aired - I've had plenty of time to mull over the episode - to mull over the series as a whole. I can honestly say, without hesitation that Game of Thrones will easily always be my favorite television show - from the near flawless first seasons, the uncertain middle portions and through to the hiccups and stalls of the final season - the story that was told was nothing short of spectacular and I will always be glad for my time spent in Westeros!

I don't actually remember what inspired me to start watching Game of Thrones - I originally signed up for HBO because I was an avid watched of True Blood and somewhere along the way, a friend recommended Game of Thrones to me as something to watch while I waited for True Blood to return. I remember sitting in my computer room at home, watching the first episode on my computer via the HBO website and being instantly intrigued by the honorable Starks, the crafty Lannisters and the far flung Targaryens... and the Iron Throne they were all vying for.

Shortly after watching the first episode of the first season - I hit Amazon Prime and purchased the first two seasons on DVD with that two day shipping - if I was going to keep watching this show, I would do it on a screen much larger than my computer monitor. After binge watching the first two seasons, I also purchased a box set of the first four novels in Martin's A Song of Ice & Fire and immediately devoured them.. By the time the media campaign for the third season began to premiere, I was well and truly hooked and there was no looking back...

 

When the third season premiered; mostly spurned by my reading of the books - which at this point were well past the show's story lines, I'd become fiercely loyal to three characters: Jon Snow, Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth. Granted, on Game of Thrones it was a dangerous practice to get too invested in any one character - the first season taught viewers that anyone you loved could be snatched from you at any moment. The world of Westeros was a brutal place and as Cersei Lannister told Ned Stark: "when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die - there is no middle ground."

I began watching the show in real time when the third season premiered in March of 2013 - I lived in central Mississippi and watched the show each week curled up on my couch, with only my dog to listen to my commentary as the events played out on screen. I braced for Jaime's hand to be cut off and watched enrapt as Nikolaj Coster-Waldau translated the unburdening of Jaime's biggest secret from the pages of Martin's novels to the screen with absolute perfection; cementing the bond between Jaime and Brienne. I "swooned" as I watched Jon Snow forsake his vows and fall in love with the wildling Ygritte... their chemistry was perfect and it would only be years later that fans would discover their chemistry was so real because they were literally falling in love on screen. I watched The Rains of Castamere with tissues on hand, knowing the fate that would befall Robb and Catelyn in the ill-fated Red Wedding... and even knowing it was coming, sobbed all the same. 

I relished the fourth season in the midst of great changes in my life - as the show began to move past the books, I boxed up my home and prepared to move past my life in Mississippi and forward into a new life in Virginia. When my move necessitated my cable being cut off almost a week before my move, I joined my friend Lilah at her house to witness the ninth episode of the season: "The Watchers on the Wall" and while the fourth season had begun in Mississippi... I watched the final episode of the season from Virginia - bidding farewell to the characters for another year. I opened a new chapter in my life - and I knew when the show returned again, it would be starting a new chapter: with no new book material to pull from, the show would step beyond the books and into the unknown. 

I jokingly reference that Game of Thrones helped me get my job here in Virginia - during my interview, the office manager and I discussed Game of Thrones and my Mom was certain this meant there was no way I'd get hired. However, a month before the fifth season premiered - I started my job and when the new season began I had a co-worker to discuss the ins and outs of each episode with! Season five was a tough one...some of the narrative choices were less than stellar and I spoke out each week at work about how "out of character" Jaime's story lines (really all the story lines related to Dorne) were... but with "Hardhome" and the "Dance of Dragons" near the end of season five, the show proved it's mettle once again and managed to close out on a poignant and stirring note with "Mother's Mercy". 

Season Six was the final season to have ten episodes and they filled those ten episodes with rich story lines, sweeping character arcs and some of the best moments in the entire series. I will never not get chills when I see Jon Snow unsheathe Longclaw as he faces the oncoming Bolton cavalry charge in the season's ninth episode, the "Battle of the Bastards". The swell of the score combined with the cinematography make it one of the most memorable moments in the show's eight seasons - and it's not hard to see why. 

Ramin Djawadi's use of piano in the final episode of season six was a clear signal to fans that something big was about to happen - piano had never been used in the show's gripping score and it made everyone watching sit up and take note. The season six finale, Winds of Winter is consistently voted the best episode of the series and with it's explosive start, uplifting finish and a reveal in the middle of the episode that fans had speculated on for years - it's not hard to see why it's a favorite. 

The seventh season arrived and saw characters who had never laid eyes on one another becoming regular scene partners and characters who had been separated for years finding their way back to each other. The story that had spanned the continents of Westeros and Essos were all finally situated solely in Westeros, alliances were forged and familial bonds tested as the game became ever more intense and the cost was higher than ever. One of the largest casts in television was finally brought together in one extended scene that forecast the beginnings of the end of the series. And with that end in sight, the reveal of one of Thrones' greatest mysteries - much to the delight of eagle eyed book readers who pieced together clues years before the show premiered - vindication that R+L = J was true. 

The Wall fell - and suddenly the wait for the final season began - almost two years.

 

The final season of Game of Thrones finally arrived in April of this year and while it started with an absolutely stunning episode that was filled with callbacks to the premiere of the show, the second episode of the season called "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" was absolutely the best episode of the final season. The dialogue and heart, the character moments so beautifully brought to life as the episode unfolded - it was Thrones at it's best and reminded watchers how much these characters meant to each other and to the viewers.

I seem to find myself in the minority where the third episode of the season is concerned - I thought it was excellent and thoroughly enjoyed everything about it - even that shocking twist near the end that had me yelping in surprise at my TV. Sadly, the fourth and fifth episodes of the final season were fairly disappointing - while the fourth episode started with promise, the final half fell of the edge (for me) and the fifth episode continued the spiral - seeing character arcs that had been put in place for sometimes years be cut down in a single line of dialogue. It was; quite frankly, a little heart-breaking.

I went into the finale of the show bracing for - perhaps the worst? I'm not sure what I thought but when the dust settled (the ash? the snow?), I found that I was perfectly pleased with how the end wrapped up. I know now that I'm also in the minority where that is concerned but I find that I don't care - having spent almost ten years with these characters and in the world of Westeros, I am more than happy to find that I consider the end of it all to be perfectly fine by me. The ending was certainly bittersweet - but I think that's the reality of life, isn't it? Most all aspects of life tend to be bittersweet to one degree or another and so I think at it's end, Game of Thrones was true to that.

The finale of the show also gave us another scene that will no doubt become one of the most iconic shots of the series as a whole...

The characters I latched on to from the start - well perhaps you're reading this and you've never watched Game of Thrones, which would lead me to believe you've been living under a rock - but my parents are only halfway through the series at this point, so there are certainly people who have no clue how things will play out... yet. The characters I latched on to from the very beginning held my mind and my heart throughout the series eight year run and I'd probably defend each one of them all day, every day in a conversation...ha-ha!

So - I'm probably in denial here after the final episode has aired. I know that there won't be any new episodes but I have tickets to Game of Thrones: The Concert Experience in September and so I'm telling myself that the concert will be the real ending to my Game of Thrones journey... ha-ha! My parents have finally decided to jump on the band wagon and they're currently in the midst of season five.. so experiencing the show through their eyes makes for a new and different experience. And don't even get me started on the music from the shows: I have all eight season soundtracks that total up to almost eleven hours of glorious music that will likely always be my favorite musical option for all time.

I do think I've likely rambled on about Game of Thrones enough in the past week - hopefully you've enjoyed it but if it's not been your thing, that's cool too! Fear not, I'll be back at least in September with a post about the Game of Thrones concert - but until then I'll try to keep the Thrones talk at a minimum...ha-ha! So until then, if you've never watched - go ahead and jump on the band wagon...it's a wild ride for sure!