The equipment I am using...is not a traditional stationary bike: not even one of those souped-up Peloton bikes that are so highly promoted.  it is one of my own road bikes, minus its rear wheel.
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As a child, we wouldn’t do anything resembling Christmas decorations, but, for some reason, I always had a nice, new straw hat for spring. You might even call it an Easter bonnet. We didn’t celebrate Easter, of course. I remember one such hat was navy blue with an up-turned brim and a velvet ribbon band which trailed down the back rather like the Madeline character from the French children’s books.

My grandparents would travel from Toledo, OH to Mt. Clemens, MI where there was a Kosher resort. It smelled of sulfur. There, they could keep the dietary requirements for Passover without the need to turn their own home upside down. I remember attending the Seder and chanting the Four Questions for my grandfather when he was quite elderly as he wept; he was so proud of his youngest grandchild. I was always nicely turned out in hat and white gloves.

That is my first memory of a special hat, not just something I wore in the winter for warmth.

Summer is something else entirely. I did the typical sun worship, covered in baby oil when I was younger, but started taking skin care seriously when I turned 30. I also learned that sun beating on my head is a migraine trigger, so I have a series of hats to wear outside, some for beach, some just for walking round town, some straw, some made of stronger material to shield from the strong rays while lounging on the beach, as you see in the photo below.

The hat in the Featured photo was purchased at the Peter Beaton Hat Studio on Nantucket in 2017 in their historic downtown area. No doubt about it, I turn heads when I wear that hat. Strangers compliment me. It is very Audrey Hepburn “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and I adore it! But I never wear it to the beach.

Below is a photo from an Alumni Board meeting up at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Northern Michigan in November, 1993 with the incomparable Peter Norlin, a leading star from my brother’s era. The hat is pictured in the upper right corner in the group shot, below.

I have a collection of hats for warmth, for sun, for fun, for rain, for “just because”. A few I rarely wear, others I wear all the time, whatever the weather calls for. The red Canada Goose hat is new and warm. It is my current go-to hat this winter.

The beige knit hat on the bottom was my winter hat for years and years. It is special to me. Let me show you why. Can you read the label below? “Made Especially for you by Patti”. Yes, this hat was handmade for me by my dearest friend, Patti, one of Retrospect’s founders, my friend since 10th grade, one of my bridesmaids. I’ve worn it so much that I’ve stretched it out. I’ve tried to have it blocked, but it is still loose now, which is why I bought a new winter hat in December. But this hat will be with me forever.

Here is a link to my tribute to my friendship with Patti: No Friend Like an Old Friend.

 

 

 

Let me just clarify at the outset: I have been stress knitting for months now, ever since this lockdown, shelter-in-place, doomscrolling life we are living began. I need something to look at so my eyes don’t cross (or close) while I’m knitting away. I say this because I have binge watched a staggering amount of television these past few months.

I have covered the gamut from Tiger King to The Queen’s Gambit with plenty in between.

A couple of things I haven’t seen mentioned in other posts are British game or panel shows that I’ve been watching (beside the GBB show): one is called  Task Master,  which pits comedians against each other in creative and ridiculous ways. Very amusing and droll. The other show is called  Only Connect,  which pits two teams against each other in a battle of wits that covers music clues, picture clues, math, word play, trivia, and British royalty. It’s hard to describe, but worth checking out.The host is saucy and takes no nonsense.The categories for clues are listed as Egyptian hieroglyphs (“I’ll take twisted flax, please”). This should tell you something about the difference between this show and Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader! (Shameless plug: my son has been pitching questions and has had a number of them accepted.)

I finally got around to watching The Durrells in Corfu, which I loved. The actor who plays Prince Charles on The Crown (Josh O’Connor) is Lawrence Durrell in this series, based on the books written by his little brother, Gerald. It’s a charming story, and I tore through it rather quickly. Beautiful scenery and memorable characters, and Corfu.

Another new (to me) show I’ve been enjoying is Somebody Feed Phil, which checks many boxes: travel, food, history, humor, and dad jokes. Phil visits places I will never see as well as a few I have seen, and every episode has been a delight. If you don’t mind watching a guy eat LOTS and LOTS of food, check it out.

Because I can’t knit and watch things with subtitles, I had to take a break for Call My Agent, which is in French. Very enjoyable and a great cast with cameos by many famous actors. And: Paris!

I blitzed through Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, both of which feature singing and dancing and clever writing. Much fun, but both deal with some serious issues as well.

Yes to Outlander and Ozark, the new Perry Mason and even a few episodes of the old Twilight Zone and West Wing. Back when Quibi made its brief appearance, I even watched a couple of their shows– which were surprisingly good– with Christophe Waltz playing yet another smooth villain. I made it through Succession, and watched Last Chance U Season 5 , which focused on the local community college football coach and his roster of complicated  and challenged players. It isn’t really about football; it’s about relationships. If you are adverse to F-bombs every two seconds, this may not be for you. But I loved it. Also loved watching Cheer on Netflix. Both of these shows are about so much more than the sport, just as The Queen’s Gambit is about so much more than chess.

I also watched Away, The Undoing, Hollywood, and Never Have I Ever, Mrs. America, The Last Dance, Russian Doll, Schitt’s Creek… and I have barely scratched the surface of all the wonderful stuff in Master Class. My favorites so far are Ken Burns, Neil Gaiman, and Ron Howard–but there are so many more great people to watch! Actors, musicians, directors, artists, chefs, and Steph Curry. Lots more to see here.

Trust me, I have produced prodigious amounts of knitted items during all this. The knitting brings me to the couch and keeps my hands away from the popcorn, but the bingeing keeps me there. Who needs a sweater? Or a bee?