Next week, I'm cooking Thanksgiving dinner for wayward family and friends. I never know how many to expect, but all are welcome. Then, I'm burrowing in for the weekend with a few books, a list of movies to watch, a bottle (or two) of wine, and lots of leftovers. It's my holiday happy place.

I'll be publishing my Holiday Gift Guide for Travelers on Monday, and you'll be getting a dedicated email with all my recommendations. There are a few splurges, but most of these items are in the VERY affordable range. Order online and save the aggravation of venturing out with the crowds, while supporting our content creation at the same time. Win-Win!

I hope your Thanksgiving plans are full of friendship, love, and laughter!

Till next time,

Mary Jo & Tony

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Have You Read:

Bulgarian Wine: An Introduction to the Wines of Bulgaria Bulgaria and wine are not generally two words that you’ll find next to each other in the same sentence. But there was a time when the Bulgarian wine industry was the 4th largest in the world. Read story

101 Movies Set in Italy You'll Love (or Hate) This list represents films set in Italy, not necessarily filmed in Italy – we all know that set designers can make a studio backlot look like the meandering streets of pretty much anywhere. While most of these movies are in English, no Italy movie list can ignore the many fine sub-titled Italian movies, so I’ve included some of those. Read story

Fairy Forts: A Magical Look at Ireland In Irish mythology and tradition, these forts are believed to be inhabited by the fairies or the “sidhe,” a mystical and often mischievous supernatural race. The fairies are said to guard the numerous fairy forts, and disturbing or interfering with them could bring bad luck or consequences. ​ ​ Read story ​

Here's what else is going on:

Traveling: Home

We're heading to a wine event this weekend, POUR 2023, which celebrates and supports over 20 Urban Wineries. Washington wine isn't just about the large wine areas - Woodinville, Yakima, Walla Walla - there are lots of choices within the Seattle city limits.

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Reading: The Exchange by John Grisham

When a mentor in Rome asks him for a favor that will take him far from home, Mitch finds himself at the center of a sinister plot that has worldwide implications—and once again endangers his colleagues, friends, and family. Mitch has become a master at staying one step ahead of his adversaries, but this time there’s nowhere to hide.

This sequel to The Firm, Grisham's first best seller, is set in Manhattan, 15 years later. The book features many of the familiar themes of The Firm - huge financial dealings, offshore accounts, and convoluted loyalties. If you are fans of the first book, you'll want to put this on your must-read list. I thought it was one of the best from Grisham in quite awhile. Can a movie be far behind?

By the way, did you know the my annual reading challenge is now in its 6th year? Find more information about the challenge and what I'm reading here.

The 2024 challenge will be launched on January 1st.

Watching: Beckham (Netflix)

Although I'm not a big sports fan, I enjoyed the four-episode docuseries that follows David Beckham's meteoric rise from working-class beginnings to global football (soccer in the US) stardom. I enjoyed Ted Lasso, so this didn't seem like a big step away from the norm, plus there were lots of photos of Posh and Becks.

There were lots of soccer bits, of course, but also fashion, hair styles, ruthless media, pop culture, and reflection on mistakes made. Victoria's appearance felt more like a supporting role, and David came across as very likeable and humble, despite his OCD. Take a look at his closet!

I'm sure the fact-checkers have lots to say about accuracy, but for me it was an enjoyable diversion into a genre I usually avoid.

Listening: Slow Burn: Roe v. Wade

Host Susan Matthews explores the path to Roe—a time when more Republicans than Democrats supported abortion rights. You’ll hear the forgotten story of the first woman ever to be convicted of manslaughter for having an abortion, the unlikely Catholic power couple who helped ignite the pro-life movement, and a rookie Supreme Court justice who got assigned the opinion of a lifetime.

You can find the episodes here, or queue it up on your favorite podcast app. :

Till next time --

Mary Jo

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