a few days before that

Recounting our week in reverse in a number of posts makes it somewhat confusing but just think of it as my own little homage to Pinter LOL - like life which sometimes seems to come in no particular order - this post is about a number of things that happened last week during the week.

I went to Evita with my friend Barb Totaro (whom we met on a trip through the Greek Islands in 201?)

They finally finished the landscaping cleanup post Hurricane Irma and we can again see the "lake" from our screened porch in the back of the house - YEA! And now we can also see our fabulous stag horn fern much better (it lives in a Live Oak tree right outside our front courtyard)

and this is our beautiful staghorn 

if you don't know about these waaaay cool epiphytes you aren't probably as impressed as we are-

Once an uncommon plant find, staghorn fern is now quite a popular fascinating tropical plant.  Staghorn fern thrives in Florida's heat and humidity; it grows quite well in South Florida and can be grown in North and Central Florida if protected from frosts and freezes.

With its beautiful and unusual foliage, staghorn fern is found throughout much of the tropical world. Staghorn fern is a member of the Polypodiaceae family; there are presently eighteen known species, as well as many varieties and hybrids of this plant. This plant is an epiphyte, meaning it gets moisture and nutrients from the air. Staghorn is found growing harmlessly on tree trunks, branches, or even rocks.

Staghorn fern produces two distinctly different fronds which are either basal or foliar. Basal fronds are also called shields; they are small, flat leaves that cover the root structure. These fronds are sterile and help with nutrient uptake by collecting water and fallen plant debris. Foliar fronds are the more eye-catching upright fronds produced by the plant. The underside of foliar fronds is where you'll find brownish reproductive structures, called sporangia.

here is a photo from the Internet where you can see the structure of the plant a bit better-

and we had lost a nice natural "screen" in the hurricane damage so we are hoping to get something new to grow in the spot where this palm blew over and the stump was removed (last week)

So we had a house "fail" over Thanksgiving and had to have a toilet (that had been on the blink all last summer) replaced... which involved dismantling bathroom cabinetry (handmade by yours truly but manufactured in China with thousands of parts and dozens of steps to complete the assembly - see post called "I Build Furniture" LOL) This is partly the reason why I had not been keeping up with the posting but really it is just that we have been busy and I haven't made the time LOL

Anyway- back to the week we have completed - Evita- staged by the Asolo Rep...you know the story and the music (even if you think you don't you do) - at one point it was inescapable.  The revival was designed to kick off the 2017-18 season for Asolo Rep. Each year they do a musical to start and so far I would say this was the first I found appealing.  The music of ALW is so ubiquitous that anyone could sing along to many many songs - mocking the "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" etc....

however that being said I personally find the music of this show and Phantom likeable if not laudable.  "A new Argentina..."  "She should get it through her head..." "On this night of a thousand stars..." they stick and not in a horrifying way like - oh say, for instance, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (aaaacccckkkkk NO!) So it was an enjoyable few hours now that it is no longer on the airwaves non stop...

the three terrific leads

 

and I know Madonna was panned in the film version but I swear she was actually born to play the role- it was so her- I might have to go back and watch it...

So Eva Peron and the whole movement----

The whole cult of personality seems more frightening today than it did two years ago.  I found some of the scenes unsettling in the world of Trump voters and Charlottesville marches shouting "Jews will not replace us" - mob psychology of "lock her up" and such, cannot be a good thing regardless of from the "left" or "right." Extremism whether communism or fascism has proven itself to be unfriendly to the greater good... so in that way it is a good time breath new life into Evita...

and along the way this week - we made a run across the river to the Riverhouse for a quick dinner and got these views as we had our meal outside -

a busy and fun week - and we got some things accomplished LOL... stay tuned