February Fever
Three Days in June, Three Days of Dining, Leo Kottke, Nikola Jokić, Birthday Boy
Welcome to my weekly newsletter. This issue includes a list of Anne Tyler’s 25 novels, her latest novel, three days of dining, my favorite fingerstyle guitarist, a sensational Serbian center, and Noah navigating Papa’s pate. I hope you like the picks and pics.
Today is our grandson Noah’s third birthday. He has been sick with a fever, and we will celebrate with him once he is back to his normal cheerful self. Noah loves penguins, Mickey Mouse, raisins, ice cream, going to the donut shop, riding his scooter, spinning in chairs, climbing on sofas, running around in circles, pointing his magic wand and exclaiming “Expecto Patronum!” (approximately), upside down rides, blanket boat rides, dance parties, throwing anything and everything, going to Papa Grammy’s house, and wrestling with Julian (whom he calls “Ba,” short for brother).
When my brother David noticed that TOTO was featured in last issue, he referred me to the 1983 video of his band Karizma that included guest appearances by three members of TOTO: Steve Lukather, David Paich, and the late Jeff Porcaro. Here is the video of Blues For Ronnie:
It also includes other magnificent members of Karizma (the late Carlos Vega, Lenny Castro, and Dean Cortez) and great guests (Dean Parks, Neil Larsen, Ernie Watts, Steve Tavaglione, and Tom Scott).
In last week’s issue I mentioned our recent visitors, Cora and Bill Sterling. Our dining adventures are included in this issue. We also finished a 1,000-piece puzzle of the United States at the Goleta Valley Library on a rainy day.
Before we march into March Madness, we are feeling the February Fever. On Friday when Michigan State played Michigan in Ann Arbor, Julian said, “Go Blue” while I said, “Go Green!” and Noah replied, “Go White!” The Spartans prevailed and just took a half-game lead over the Wolverines in the Big Ten race on a fantastic February Fever feat:
Michigan State Hits Buzzer-Beater from Beyond Halfcourt to Stun Maryland
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Fave Five 125: February Fever
Tyler’s Twenty-fifth (Three Days in June), Food with Friends (Clark’s Oyster Bar, Olio e Limone, Cajun Kitchen, Country Meat Market), Fantastic Fingerpicker (Leo Kottke), Nifty Nugget (Nikola Jokić), and the Birthday Boy.
Fave Five List: Anne Tyler’s Novels
The 18 of these I have read are indicated by ✔
If Morning Ever Comes (1964)
The Tin Can Tree (1965)
A Slipping-Down Life (1970)
The Clock Winder (1972)
Celestial Navigation (1974)
Searching for Caleb (1975)✔
Earthly Possessions (1977)
Morgan's Passing (1980)✔
The Accidental Tourist (1985)✔
Breathing Lessons (1988)✔
Saint Maybe (1991)✔
Ladder of Years (1995)✔
A Patchwork Planet (1998)✔
Back When We Were Grownups (2001)✔
The Amateur Marriage (2004)✔
Digging to America (2006)✔
Noah's Compass (2009)✔
The Beginner's Goodbye (2012)✔
A Spool of Blue Thread (2015)✔
Vinegar Girl (2016)
Clock Dance (2018)✔
Redhead by the Side of the Road (2020)✔
French Braid (2022)✔
Three Days in June (2025)✔
Book Best Bet
Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
I preordered this one so it would be delivered on the day it was released. It’s short and sweet, and I read it in less than a week. It lives up to the high expectations I have for each of her novels. The final paragraph was phenomenal, beautifully releasing my pent-up emotions.
From Amazon: A new Anne Tyler novel destined to be an instant classic: a socially awkward mother of the bride navigates the days before and after her daughter's wedding.
What a treat.” —Washington Post
“Simply exquisite.” —Liane Moriarty
“Nobody understands human nature better than Tyler. And nobody understands the complexities of love the way she does.” —Boston Globe
“Three Days in June is like reading a hug.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune
Gail Baines is having a bad day. To start, she loses her job—or quits, depending on whom you ask. Tomorrow her daughter, Debbie, is getting married, and she hasn’t even been invited to the spa day organized by the mother of the groom. Then, Gail’s ex-husband, Max, arrives unannounced on her doorstep, carrying a cat, without a place to stay, and without even a suit.
But the true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband to be. It will not only throw the wedding into question but also stir up Gail and Max’s past.
Told with deep sensitivity and a tart sense of humor, full of the joys and heartbreaks of love and marriage and family life, Three Days in June is a triumph, and gives us the perennially bestselling, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer at the height of her powers.
Restaurant Recommendations
Food with Friends: Three Days of Dining
Bill and Cora Sterling love dining out, so when the weather did not cooperate during their visit, it was not a problem. We enjoyed seven meals with them over three days. Here are the highlights of each one.
Wednesday Breakfast: Renaud’s
Sticky Bun made with croissant dough, glazed with a brown sugar honey smear and loaded with pecans (the Cinnamon Hazelnut Maple Roll is even better.)
Wednesday Lunch: Dutch Garden
Reuben Sandwich (one of the best I’ve had)
Wednesday Dinner: Clark’s Oyster Bar 1212 Coast Village Road, Montecito, CA 93108
Shells & Cheese with Lump Crab: Clark’s Breadcrumbs, Fines Herbes
Thursday Breakfast: Jeanine’s
Cinnamon Roll (get it heated up—it’s excellent)
Thursday Lunch: Country Meat Market & Catering 5925 Calle Real Santa Barbara, CA 93117
Tristrami: 50/50 tri-tip and pastrami, grilled onions, pepperoncini, melted provolone, lettuce, tomato, chili garlic mayo, and mustard on a toasted French Roll (this is outstanding, as is the Italian, but skip the Pork Belly Cuban)
Thursday Dinner: Olio e Limone 11 West Victoria Street, Suite 17, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Scaloppine di Vitello con Carciofi e Limone: Thinly sliced veal tenderloin cutlets, sliced fresh artichoke hearts, lemon sauce (this was great, and so were the pasta dishes and the desserts)
Friday Breakfast: Cajun Kitchen 6025 Calle Real, Goleta, CA 93117
Beignets: bite-size Drench-style doughnuts topped with powdered sugar, caramelized bananas, strawberries, whipped cream & caramel
Marvelous Musician
Barb and I had tickets to see Leo at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara on February 7. Unfortunately, that was the same night that my brother David was performing in LA. So we gave our tickets to our friends Barbara and Ben Eisley, who told us they loved the show. We’re sorry we missed seeing Leo again, but glad the Eisleys liked it so much.
Leo is my favorite fingerstyle guitarist. I was introduced to his music by my friend Nick Robins. I bought all of Leo's albums. My favorite songs are "Stealing," "The Fisherman," "Mona Ray," "Born to Be With You," and "Julie's House." I have seen him perform many times, including in St. Louis, at the Kalamazoo State Theatre, and at The Ark in Ann Arbor. His humor makes his shows a delight.
From Wikipedia: Leo Kottke (born September 11, 1945 in Athens, Georgia) is an acoustic guitarist. He is known for a fingerpicking style that draws on blues, jazz, and folk music, and for syncopated, polyphonic melodies. He overcame a series of personal obstacles, including partial loss of hearing and a nearly career-ending bout with tendon damage in his right hand, to emerge as a widely recognized master of his instrument.
Focusing primarily on instrumental composition and playing, Kottke also sings sporadically, in an unconventional yet expressive baritone described by himself as sounding like "geese farts on a muggy day". In concert, Kottke intersperses humorous and often bizarre monologues with vocal and instrumental selections from throughout his career, played solo on six and twelve string guitars.
Born in Athens, Georgia, Kottke moved with his parents so frequently that he was raised in twelve different states. As a youth living in Muskogee, Oklahoma, he was influenced by folk and delta blues music, notably that of Mississippi John Hurt. Kottke learned to play trombone and violin before trying the guitar and developing his own unconventional picking style.
Last Steam Engine Train - Stealing - Airproofing
The Fisherman
Mona Ray
Julie's House
Louise
Living In The Country
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
My Playlist
Sports Star
Nikola recently dished 19 assists in a game. Among current NBA leaders, he is second in assists and third in scoring, rebounding, and steals. High scoring and rebounding for a center are not unusual, but assists and steals are not normally the domain of centers. Nikola is a unique talent in the history of the game, and I greatly admire him.
Nikola Jokic has career-high 19 assists
Denver's win marked Jokic's 28th career game with at least 15 assists, the most by a non-guard in NBA history. His final total is also tied for second most in a game by any center in the league's history. Only Wilt Chamberlain, according to ESPN Research, has had more, posting 21 assists against the Detroit Pistons back in 1968.
"The guy is just an amazing, complete basketball player," Denver coach Michael Malone said. "And I think the most remarkable thing is not just 19 assists, but the satisfaction and joy that Nikola gets from making his teammates better. And he'd be happy getting 19 assists ... and us winning [more] than any other superstar that I've ever come across."
From Wikipedia: Nikola Jokić (born February 19, 1995 in Sombor, Serbia) is a Serbian professional basketball player who is a center for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Joker", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players and centers of all time, and is often considered the greatest draft steal in NBA history. A seven-time NBA All-Star, Jokić has been named to the All-NBA Team on six occasions (including four first-team selections), and won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the 2020–21, 2021–22, and 2023–24 seasons. He represents the Serbian national team, with which he won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Jokić was selected by the Nuggets in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft. He was voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2016. In the 2018–19 NBA season, while leading the Nuggets to the Western Conference Semifinals, Jokić received his first All-Star and All-NBA First Team selections. The following season, he once again received All-Star and All-NBA honors, while leading his team to the Western Conference Finals. In the 2022–23 NBA season, Jokić was awarded NBA Finals MVP after leading the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA championship. He ranks among the top three on the all-time list of the NBA players with the most triple-doubles (regular season and playoffs), where Jokić is the leading international player and center, and he holds the record for the fastest triple-double (achieved in 14 minutes and 33 seconds).
Nikola Jokić’s plays get increasingly more absurd
Picture Pun
Noah driving his car down Mount Baldy.
