Hidden Magnolias

Last year, I was attracted to Nordic Noir TV Shows. Read about that here. http://www.nordicnoir.tv/newsletter/120314/ Well, that led to reading, researching, looking, talking about Scandinavia. And of course, with the election this past year and all the discussion about life in and moving to Denmark, Sweden and Norway (strange few people actually mention Finland, I must research) I found myself caught up in it all. Is life really better? One of the things I found very interesting is the Danish concept of hygge . https://copenhagenhostellife.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/cup-of-coffee.jpg By definition is it the Scandinavian concept of getting cozy to create feelings of well being and contentment. Web pages and blogs are full of pictures of quiet contentment. http://www.hannahemilylane.com/2016/08/what-is-hygge-12-ways-to-hygge.html Warm coffee, a fire cheerfully burning, candles, a flower or two, warm wraps, pastries -- yes, lots of pastries, being outside with fr...

At work we were talking about various TV shows we are watching and a much younger, trendier co-worker said, " I think it so cool that you like Nordic Noir." Nordic Noir?  What is that? Well, I googled it and found:  Scandinavian noir or Scandinavian crime fiction, also called Nordic Noir, is a genre comprising crime fiction written in Scandinavia with certain common characteristics, typically in a realistic style with a dark, morally complex mood. According to one critic, "Nordic crime fiction carries a more respectable cachet... than similar genre fiction produced in Britain or the US". Language, heroes and settings are three commonalities in the genre, which features plain, direct writing style without metaphor. With its roots in the ground-breaking TV dramas The Killing, Borgen, Wallander and The Bridge, Nordic Noir has become a genre in its own right, influencing screenwriters far beyond the Scandinavian Peninsula. I just love Bron/Broen (T...