Saturday, February 26, 2011

Suddenly Sunday - Goodbye, Winter -- Hello, Spring!


Good morning, everyone! It's been quite a while since I've posted a Suddenly Sunday (hosted by blogging friend, Svea, at her lovely blog, Confessions and Ramblings of a Muse in the Fog), so I thought I'd stop in on this beautiful weekend. Hope everyone is well, and for those that have been snowed in for many weeks, I hope you are beginning to get some relief from the cold. The weather here has been absolutely springlike, with warm breezes and blue skies....perfect weather to kick off the Mardi Gras season. That means I haven't accomplished much reading, but I have been getting in the spirit of the city to get out and relax and have some fun.

Spent a lovely day yesterday Uptown to watch my son march in a parade, and since I always have my camera with me, I took a few pics while waiting for the parade to begin. I so love the charm and history of my city, and everywhere you turn there is something beautiful to see....


Lazy streetcars rumbling down the tracks on St. Charles Avenue....



Intricate architectural details on Creole mansions.....


Glowing gaslights and ancient oaks.....


Lovely antique wrought iron gates of Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart Convent)....


It wouldn't be a parade without the U.S. Marines.


And the most colorful part of Mardi Gras, the floats with riders throwing those all important beads and cups!


In books news, I received an ARC of Margaret George's Elizabeth I (I love her book, The Autobiography of Henry VIII), and I'll be participating in her virtual book tour in May.



Have you heard the buzz about The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry? It seems to be getting strong reviews and looks like a fascinating mix of Victorian mystery and Tudor history, so I immediately added it to my Must Read NOW list!



Book Synopsis: (from the publisher)
London, 1876. The painter Amos Roselli is in love with his life-long friend and model, the beautiful Daphne - and she with him - until one day she is discovered by another man, a powerful and wealthy industrialist. What will happen when Daphne realises she has sacrificed her happiness to a loveless marriage? What will happen when the artist realises he has lost his most cherished source of inspiration? And how will they negotiate the ever-increasing frequency of strange and bizarre events that seem to be driving them inexorably towards self-destruction. Here, amid the extravagant Neo-Gothic culture of Victorian England, the iconic poem ‘The Lady of Shalott’ blends with mysterious and ghostly glimpses of Tudor history. Romantic, atmospheric and deeply dark.

Can't wait to read this one!

Have a wonderful week!

2 comments:

Marg said...

Great photos! Thanks so much for sharing them.

Joanne said...

Thanks, Marg -- taking photos and memory keeping is my "other" hobby. :)

Favorite Period Dramas

Mount TBR

Joanne's to-read book montage

On a Highland Shore
A Light on the Veranda
Entwined
The Queen's Vow: A Novel Of Isabella Of Castile
The Edwardians
Maisie Dobbs
Howards End
Lady's Maid
Instruments Of Darkness
When Maidens Mourn
Where Shadows Dance
What Remains of Heaven
Where Serpents Sleep
Why Mermaids Sing
When Gods Die
Shadowfever
Before Ever After
The Sugar Queen
Garden Spells
After the Night


Joanne's favorite books »
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