Derry Girls

I’ve sped through two 6 episode seasons of Derry Girls and loved every minute. Set in Londonderry in the 1990s when Northern Ireland was experiencing the “Troubles” a time of military occupation and bombings by the IRA, Derry Girls focuses on a tight knit group of teenage girls growing up amidst violence. In spite of all this we see Erin Quinn and her friends and family dealing with taking exams, the goody-two shoes at school, mothers, the fragility of a friendship.

Writer Lisa McGee is adept at weaving stories together and taking her audience on a funny and meaningful tour of teenage Ireland. I commend her for the funniest laundry joke I’ve ever seen and for adeptly mixing hilarity and pathos. She protects no sacred cows. Now there is a lot of swearing, so you’ve been warned.

Each actor superb and as an ensemble they produce delight from start to finish. There is no weak link in this cast.

I can’t wait for Season 4.

Derry Girls is available on Netflix and www.meilju22.com.

Weekend Coffee Share is a time for us to take a break out of our lives and enjoy some time catching up with friends (old and new)!

I’d tell you that I loved the Joffrey Ballet’s new version of The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky. The classic music still plays in my head and I still envision the brilliant sets of 1892 Chicago and the World’s Fair. I’d love to go back next year.

In my head I’m also hearing Irish accents as I’m watching the sitcom Derry Girls, which is set in Northern Ireland during “The Troubles.” Who’d expect someone to set a hilarious comedy in a place that’s beset with bombings and violence? Yet Lisa McGee has done just that.

There is a lot of swearing, but if you can get past that, you’ll be treated to a fast-paced lampoon of teenage Catholic girls’ in 1990’s Londonderry.

I started working for the Census helping to recruit 1000 workers for this part of the county. Across the country, they’ll need 1,000,000 people to help finish the census. Something like 25% of people don’t complete the census so the government sends people out into the field to get everyone to finish it. My current position entails getting people to apply at 2020census.gov/jobs .

I’d also share the recipes I got at the Holiday Appetizer program at my library. Chef and instructor Susan Maddox returned with four recipes, which I’ll share soon.

I’ve started reading Scott Adams’ newest book Loserthink, which helps readers understand how slovenly thinking keeps you from seeing things clearly. We all have pet ways of looking at ideas or situations and some of those should be scrapped.