What a tumultuous year! It is almost impossible to wrap my head around the events of the last 12 months! Obviously, Marla’s heart issues were huge and remain a primary focus but so many things happened! We had beautiful moments with family and friends, travels to new places (a must for Marla!), a sad passing of a friend, an insurrection trying to destroy democracy in Washington, and the continuing COVID TIMES. I must admit I needed a little (actually a lot) of escape and diversion at times. I’ll share a few of my 2021 favorites. Click on highlighted links for more information, songs, trailers, etc. Obviously, special moments with Marla, our daughters, and grandkids are my true happiness tonics.

MUSIC ON MY 2021 PLAYLIST

https://youtube.com/watch?v=mx7Fe5gm_24

Number one for me this year was Brittany Howard and Herbie Hancock doing Joni Mitchell proud in their interpretation of her iconic “Both Sides Now” at The Kennedy Center Honors. The words on this song made Marla and I choke up with tears 3 or 4 times while listening to it. We saw Herbie in fabulous concert this year.

#2. “Welcome To America” by Prince. Originally recorded in 2010 but released this year. Poignant and REAL!

#3. “Leave The Door Open” by Silk Sonic with Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. Old-school with sweet funk.

#4. “Dependin’ On You” by the Doobie Brothers. I took this video at their Denver concert this year. Marla knows why I played this song so many times this year!

#5. “Easy On Me” by Adele. So emotional and beautifully done!

2021 MOVIES

With all the TV streaming services and massive amounts of cool content we didn’t hit the theater very often. I did love these films on the big screen:

#1. “French Dispatch“. If you love Wes Anderson films like I do this is phantasmagoric ride like no other. A superb cast! Loved it!

#2. “Dune”. An escape into the other worlds of Frank Herbert.

#3. “House of Gucci”. Marla and I really enjoyed it and Lady Gaga’s performance was fascinating. Coming from a family business I understood the nuances of politics, hidden agendas, and betrayal! I’ll always remember visiting a Gucci boutique in Rome on Via Condotti and their accommodating staff offering to carry me downstairs to look at shoes as I was on crutches!

I can’t wait to see “West Side Story” in the theater.

MOVIES WE STREAMED

We streamed the incredible “Summer of Soul”, Questlove’s fabulous documentary of a Harlem music festival! “The Hand of God”, Filliniesque, beautifully bizarre, and fascinating. “King Richard” was very good! “Being the Ricardos” was of real interest to Marla being a huge Lucy fan!

I can’t wait to stream: “Bergman Island”, “They Say Nothing Stays The Same”, “The Power of the Dog”.

TV

We all have our favorite 2021 TV, and I must admit to watching a lot of shows. I’ll share a just a few of my favorites this year:

#1. “The Bureau”. French spy drama filmed in Paris, Morocco, Russia, and the Ukraine. French with English subtitles. On Sundance Now via Amazon Prime. Captivating.

#2. “Vera”. There is no one quite like Vera! 11 Seasons. Now on Britbox via Amazon Prime.

#3. “Call My Agent” is simply fabulous. Netflix. French with English subtitles. Unique and wonderfully funny!

#4. “C.B. Strike: Lethal White” was captivating this year! The best dramatization of J.K. Rowling’s mystery series so far! A new one coming in 2022! Read all the books but the TV show is really good. On Cinemax.

#5. “Dalgliesh” is big favorite of ours this year! Classic P.D. James mystery. On Acorn via Amazon Prime.

#6. “The Witcher” Season 2 is just out and it picks up from last season nicely. I must admit Marla is a big Henry Cavill fan and that helps immensely! Monsters, magic, and fate. On Netflix.

#7. “The Only Murders in the Building” Is a great mystery romp with Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. On Hulu. 100 RT.

#8. “Ted Lasso” was fun and light and often full of subtle surprises. On Disney+.

#9. “Arcane”is a high-energy animated thriller and very different! Beautifully creative! On Netflix. New season coming.

#10. “The Madame Blanc Mysteries “on Acorn via Amazon Prime, is fun, a tad silly at times, and sooo British.

#11. “Coast” has been a needed elixir for us during stressful times! The show discovers the secrets and hidden stories of the beautiful British coastline and beyond. Gorgeous filming, educational, and full of history and fun facts. Great hosts! On Amazon Prime.

#12. “1971 The Year Music Changed Everything.” We watched the first episode this week with our grandsons. 100 RT. On Disney+. Wonderful and illuminating historical documentary of this tumultuous year in American history. Highly recommend!

I am sure you can add your best 2021 TV shows to this list. I almost forgot, we never miss “Fareed Zakaria” on CNN and “CBS Sunday Morning”!

2021 BOOKS I’M READING

I have stacks of magazines on topics like travel, design, food, cycling, current events, etc. My novels usually fall into a narrow but very satisfying genre: Spy fiction. Here are a few I’m reading now.

#1. I really enjoy everything by the British spy novelist Charles Cumming!

#2. Le Carre novels are the pinnacle!

GARDENING

I am more of the planter and Marla is the nurturer when it comes to our garden. I planted over 150 bulbs and our spring and late summer blooms were beautiful!

AND FINALLY, THE BEST MEDICINE OF ALL

Quiet evenings with a sunset…and just appreciating the incredible NOW.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year, with good health, a huge heaping of happiness, and hopefully a little bit of adventure and transformation.

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.