The ABC Life Blog

New Activity – Theater Performance – Let The Right One In

Obviously the attendance at live performance theaters dipped during the pandemic. Unfortunately it has not yet fully returned to pre-Covid levels. So when we noticed “Let The Right One In” playing at the Outcry Theater in Addison, we decided to tuck some garlic in our pockets and support the local theater scene. This play is both a violent vampire myth and a coming-of-age love story based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist. The actress Charli Henn played the vampire and was excellent, and overall the performances and staging were quite good. On a negative note, they had too many spells of wordless movements and a great deal of teen angst. Although it wasn’t our favorite story, we enjoyed the experience.

Since we couldn’t let the vampire theme leave just yet, here are some fun facts:

“Acting” as a vampire must get in your blood, as evidenced by the fact that Bela Lugosi, famous for portraying Count Dracula, chose to be buried in his full Dracula costume, cape and all.

Vampires may like blood but they have their dislikes too. In addition to hating garlic, vampires are also known to hate silverware. Not exactly your preferred dinner guests.

We often get reminded of the reason we started the “ABC Life.” It’s very easy to get stuck in a rut or decide not to do something because it’s less effort to just sit at home if the circumstances are not optimum (say, it’s raining or you’re feeling lazy or you think you’re going to do that project that you’ve put off for 5 months). This past week we could easily have just done the same old, same old but because of our ABC Life we found two terrific places that we had no idea existed near our homes.

New activity: Art exhibit – Sanctuary and the LOSS of Innocence….and Since

(Yes, that’s a stretch for “L” but the great thing about the ABC Life is you can customize it as you wish if it means getting out and doing/seeing things.)

We’ve been to the Studio Movie Grill in Richardson many times but never knew that there was a wonderful place on the street just behind the theatre called Goldmark Cultural Center. They were highlighting this 3-dimensional exhibit by Martin Delabano which presents two figures in a garden. From the description online: “Martin’s work pulls the spectator in and soon: remarkable details of humor and whimsy bring us into this conversation easily and in joy, we belong to this sanctuary for as long as we are willing to be there…. Find the unexpected: the work that watches you; the repurposed dowel, a box for your memories. In every work there is a vessel, literally or figuratively for us to place that which we need to place there. Perhaps it is joy, sadness, longing or surprise: whatever emotion, it and you are welcome here. Stay a while. “

We both found it very interesting and after seeing this, we could then walk around the two floors of the Center which were filled with various artist studios and look at their works on the wall or through the windows. Quite a delightful place and we will be back (maybe with some cash in hand?).

New bakery: LA CASITA

We arrived here thinking we’d find a small storefront with a single case of baked items and maybe one or two customers. Au contraire…it was huge! The left side was filled with people eating either a sandwich or baked good and the right side had a case of fresh breads with a snake line of people waiting to buy them or one of their coffee drinks or a specialty dessert. We split a fresh sourdough bread and shared a Cuban sandwich and a dessert called the Churro Cruffin, which was a churro baked into a muffin-like shape with dolce de leche piped into the center. OMG it was DE-licious. If you visit their website, https://lacasitagarden.com/monthlymenu, you’ll be able to see the monthly specialty desserts which all sounded yummy. This is highly recommended and we know for sure we’ll be back.

New activity: Sixth Floor Museum

Barbara: When my family first moved to the DFW area we visited the Sixth Floor Museum to see where President Kennedy was shot. Everyone I know who was alive during that period of history remembers where they were and how they felt when they heard what happened. But I haven’t been back since so I went with some friends to see if the exhibit had changed.

It was still very moving and informative. For example, I was shocked to learn that assassination of a President was not considered a federal offense. Also, there seemed to be a whole lot more conspiracy theories – in fact a whole wall of them. 

My friends had never been, so we all enjoyed the experience. To shake off the somberness of the occasion we tried a nearby street taco place called Chimalma Taco Bar. The food was delicious, and an unexpected treat was the waitress, Christine, who talked to us about – well, just about everything.

LEARNING CENTER – KENNEDY

Barbara – In preparation for this outing, I learned a couple of interesting facts from the Encyclopedia Britannica about President Kennedy:

An average adult can read about 275 words per minute. U.S. President John Kennedy could read 1,200 words per minute.

John F. Kennedy carved a rescue message in a coconut after his PT boat sank during World War II; it worked, and he kept the coconut on his desk during his time in the White House.

If you remember where you were when Kennedy was assassinated, please let us know.

New Documentaries:

Laura:  I’ve always thought of the kangaroo and the koala as adorable and well-loved animals. What I didn’t realize is that they are both marsupials (koalas are not bears) and that both these animals are dying off in record numbers. I chose to watch two films on these animals, thinking I would be treated to delightful scenes of animals playing and living a comfortable life in Australia. The two films, “Kangaroo: A Love-Hate Story” and “Koalas: The Bare Facts”, proved me wrong and horrified me. So depressing!  Experts believe that koalas could be extinct within 20 years, mainly because although they are protected, the environmental conditions that they depend on to survive are not. Wildfires are not helping. And the fate of the kangaroo is even more horrifying. The kangaroo population is being slaughtered in record numbers, primarily because it is considered a pest by farmers and ranchers. Plus, with all these dead kangaroos, it’s not surprising that they are being turned into a range of marketable products: fashion, pet food and gourmet cuisine. I love documentaries…you learn new things and gain new perspectives. Unfortunately, it’s not always what you wanted to know.

LEARNING CENTER

Barbara: I tried to find a fact that would make us feel a little better after this, so perhaps if it’s the eucalyptus trees in the environment that aren’t protected it’s not as dire as thought.

According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica eucalyptus leaves are full of toxins dangerous to baby koalas. Mama koalas feed their babies microbe-rich poop instead to help them develop immunity.

Luckily for my kids, I am not a koala.

Sometimes things we want to do for a letter work out really well and sometimes they don’t. That was the case for us this month as two activities did not meet our expectations.

New activity – Wanda KING Blues Band

The Allen Library has a very active event schedule for kids and adults alike and it’s always worth checking out their schedule. This past Friday they had Wanda King and her band playing. Wanda is the daughter of blues legend Freddie King. The band was very good and Wanda has a terrific voice but it was a bit of a disappointment as she came out, sang one song, left and the band played the entire remainder of the hour alone with the exception of one more song from Wanda. Could be she had a good reason, but it still left us wanting as we prefer blues singing to blues band by itself. On the plus side, we got out of the house and listened to some good live music.

New activity – KNOX HENDERSON

Barbara had been to this area a long time ago and remembered it having very funky, unique shops and so since Laura hadn’t ever been we decided to take a drive. First, we looked up several vintage shops, one cute sounding store called Froggie’s Five and Ten and an interesting shop called Art is Art. Both wound up being gone from the location we copied from the website and lots of the existing vintage stores were either closed or very high priced.  

BUT although the day wasn’t exactly what we had expected, we decided to reward ourselves with a bunch of K delights from our Kopel childhood memories: we bought knishes, kasha varnishkes and kishka at Deli News and the day ended with a killer blast from the past.

New City: KELLER

It would have been very easy to sit indoors this weekend since it’s been so darned hot, but since it’s “K” month we felt drawn to the Keller Farmer’s Market. On the close to an hour’s drive, we had time to reflect on the pull of K. We were both born Kopel’s and now one of us is a Kroeger and one of us a Katz. The Seinfeld show could have been created for us as we find delight in talking about nothing.  For example, who but the sisters could find Rufe Snow Drive the source of a good ten minute Konversation. Barbara posited that while discussing the name of the street as it was being designed perhaps the person dictating the name had a slight speech impediment and the street was meant to be called Ruth Snow Drive. Laura thought perhaps the designer’s 4 year old son had looked out the window and said, “Daddy, there’s snow on the rufe!”. Kindred spirits indeed!

But on to the farmer’s market. It was located in a pretty area and was of a good size so we had high hopes.

And while the produce was nice, we know for next time that an hour to drive necessitates another sight to see and there was none. But we did come home with some very tasty peaches, blueberries and strawberries so not a total loss.

New restaurant: Purple KIWI

After the exhausting task of shopping for a bathing suit, we were both in the mood for a bit of ice cream but trying to be good. What luck that we happened upon a frozen yogurt shop with a nice selection of non-fat flavors and since it had a K word in its name…well, we just had to, didn’t we?

Purple Kiwi is a delightfully designed shop with purple chairs and kiwi-colored walls.  

We both tried the nonfat, cholesterol free Dreamy Dark Chocolate and dreamy it was! We’ll definitely be frequenting this establishment!

New author: Sophie Kinsella

Barbara: I’ve seen the name Sophie Kinsella on book covers in the past and have skimmed right past them, thinking they were just “fluff” – something to read at the beach when you just want to not have to pay attention. But along came “K” month and I decided “what the heck,” I’d give her a go. And sometimes it’s just good to take a break and not have to analyze the book I’m reading. Well, I’m glad I did because while “My Not So Perfect Life” still isn’t a “book discussion read,” Kinsella’s writing is enjoyable with clever dialogue, not the “fluff” I was expecting. I found myself looking forward to the next chapter and it kept me going till the end. I’ll definitely try her again.

LEARNING CENTER – “K”

Before alarm clocks became popular, British workers called “knocker uppers” were hired to tap on windows to wake people up in the morning.

Can you imagine the great stories they had to tell when they got home? Who wore what to sleep, who was sleeping with whom, who looks absolutely awful without makeup, etc. That would have made a cool part time job; that is, unless the knocker upped knocked out the knocker upper!

New activity – Jelly Bean shopping

Laura: Although there are millions of jelly bean fans, I’m not one of them. Not that I don’t like them, I just wouldn’t go out of my way to get them. But my hubby loves them, so when Barbara and I passed an old-fashioned candy store in McKinney, I wanted to check out their jelly bean options. Bingo! The shop had an amazing selection of, well, everything! I concentrated, however, on these colorful bins of jelly beans:

This shopping experience triggered a curiosity in both of us to find out more about this little bean of distinction. Here are some fun facts:

1. Back in the 1910s and early 1920s, people called a young man who dressed fashionably but had little else going for him a “jellybean.” In fact, F. Scott Fitzgerald published a story about such a man called….you guessed it: Jellybean.

2. In the U.S., fans of the Beatles threw jelly beans at the band, imitating fans in the UK who threw the British candy Jelly Babies at George Harrison, who loved the candy.

3. Ronald Reagan began eating jelly beans to kick his pipe smoking habit. He became so enamored with them, he ordered three and a half tons for his inauguration.

4. There are more than 100 flavors of jelly bean, from normal (cherry, lime) to eccentric (pancakes, maple syrup, ginger ale) to outright gross (vomit, dirty socks).

New movie theme: JAPAN

Barbara: Ever since I graduated from college and went to work for a Japanese company, I had dreams of visiting Japan. Fast forward – I won’t tell you how many years – and I’ve finally planned a trip for 2024. While in the Japanese frame of mind, I thought I’d watch a film that took place there and hit upon the Oscar winner for Best International Film in 2009, Departures. I absolutely loved this movie about a cello player whose orchestra needs to dissolve and who applies for a job that he thinks is for a travel agent or tour guide as the ad mentions “Departures”, but is actually for an undertaker. It provides a bit of humor at first but quickly becomes a drama and by the end of the film I was entranced. What really struck me was how what they call “casketing” was done with such tenderness, while the family watched. It was really quite moving and highly recommended by me.

On that vein I found this lovely (sarcastic) piece of trivia about the burial business in modern day Japan: Japan has the world’s highest rate of cremation—more than 99 percent. Because of the long wait lists at crematoria, a cottage industry of “corpse hotels” has sprung up.

I think I’ll vet my hotels very carefully!

Movie theme: Incarceration

Laura:  Prison Break was one of my favorite tv series, so I always pay attention to when movies or documentaries focus on the topic of incarceration. Recently I noticed that singer/songwriter John Legend was associated with the 30-minute documentary Home/Free and decided I needed to check it out. The film is about what “freedom” looks like to those newly released from prison. Under constant surveillance and being denied access to employment, education and voting rights, the deck is immediately stacked against their successful re-entry into society. No job means no money. No money means no housing, no food and no health insurance. Plus the consequences and devastation to other family members often multiply the risks of eventual imprisonment for those left behind. Legend narrates the stories of three people, so these issues really pack a punch. Also, his experience as a child surviving his mother’s imprisonment lends this documentary an unexpected air of authenticity. I thought the film was succinct and powerful and I admire that John Legend is advocating for change in the public’s attitude toward re-entry and redemption and working toward passing new laws that will change the system now in place.

New cuisine: Indonesian food

We’ve sampled many different Asian cuisines but never yet had a meal from Indonesia, so we grabbed a friend and went off to The Koi Way in Allen. We were a little anxious since we were the only ones in the restaurant but the food did not disappoint. Their take on egg rolls – Kroket/Risoles – was very tasty. Our friend had their satay and we shared a delicious soup called Mie Ayam: Indonesian chicken pho topped with mushroom, chicken, herbs and spices, a green vegetable, and pork wonton. All we can say is YUM!

New activity: Irish music

Extending our enjoyment of Irish entertainment, we headed off to The Celt Irish Pub in McKinney to hear the TIMES (Traditional Irish Music Education Society) Session Players perform. The afternoon we were there they had a fabulous quintet, consisting of a fiddle, banjo, guitar, Irish flute and a bodhran.

The latter was something new to us and we had to look it up to find out its name. Interestingly, the bodhran is a traditional Celtic frame drum considered to be the heartbeat of Irish music. We thoroughly enjoyed the music – and our food and beverages. We split corned beef and cabbage eggrolls (amazing!) and Barbara chose to wash it all down with a Guinness Irish Stout, while Laura went wild with a “Slippery Deck” (blend of spiced rum and coconut rum with fruit flavored schnapps and pineapple, orange and cranberry juice).  Topping off the experience was discovering that The Celt Irish Pub’s current location was actually a brothel in the late 1800s.

New activity: Personal Indulgences

McKinney has such a great downtown area that we just had to browse a few shops after leaving The Celt Irish Pub. Laura has a donkey hand puppet that always makes her smile (it’s his teeth) so she knew she had to buy the twin donkeys sketch and Barbara heeded her love of pithy sayings on towels. It was a fun way to indulge our idiosyncrasies!