Lynden Sculpture Garden
The address is 2145 W Brown Deer Road, Milwaukee, WI 53217. Just off I-43 and Brown Deer Road is the estate and former residence of inventor and manufacturing tycoon, Harry Lynde Bradley.
Today the gardens cover over 40 acres with over 50 monumental sculptures. It is a delightful way to spend a few hours and enjoy a walk when weather is favorable.
Transformers: The Last Knight
The story is complicated, building on the previous productions. It is a bigger story, bigger spectacle and the survival of the planet depends on it! It is also confusing, unintelligible and unsatisfying as it bounces around the planet, over, under and through it.
There is too much to follow and after a while, frankly, who cares. Audiences seem to agree with only 15 to 25% responding favorably in some markets.
There is a huge cast: Mark Wahlberg, Isabela Moner, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Hopkins, Peter Cullen, Tyrese Gibson, Stanley Tucci, John Tuturro, John Goodman and a dozen more.
It is rated PG-13 although there is quite a bit of violence and conflict. The genre is listed as a Science Fiction/Thriller. It runs a hefty two hours, 29 minutes.
Rating 
47 Meters Down
Sisters go to Mexico for some sun, fun and adventure. Soon they decide to go scuba diving in a shark cage… Well, of course everything goes south from there and anything that can go wrong does.
Some moments are very tense, other moments are less remarkable. The story is pretty simple and the concept is often gripping. The small cast of actors are believable and include Mandy Moore, Claire Holt, Matthew Modine, Yani Gellman, and Chris Johnson.
Unfortunately, good acting is not enough to save this movie. It is rated PG-13 but should not be viewed by young children. It is listed as a Thriller/Horror and runs 1 hour, 29 minutes.
Rating
Rough Night
What a shame. All that talent wasted on a really bad script. It is often filthy with gross humor and moments of weird dialog that is just not worthy of the actor’s or the audience’s time.
The acting was disappointing. Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Zoe Kravitz, Ilana Glazer and Jillian Bell are all good actors. It begs the question: What were they thinking?!
The guys were OK but most played dead (or near dead) characters. No matter because the plot is stupid. As Forrest Gump once said “Stupid is as stupid does.” This film should be a shoe in for the Razzie Awards.
It is rated R (for raunchy and ridiculous). It’s listed as a comedy (if only for a few chuckles early on). It runs a painful 1 hour, 41 minutes.
Rating 
Holy Hill: Basilica and National Shrine
Located less than 10 minutes away from the Lake House is a jewel that attracts half a million visitors each year. The views are expansive. There is a huge gift shop. There is also a rustic cafe serving breakfast and lunch/snacks.
Most importantly, there are elevators from the visitors entrance to both the Basilica and the lower level chapels making it easier for little ones and the elderly to enjoy this facility. If you are in the area, it is a pleasant way to spend a morning or afternoon.
Holy Hill, 1525 Carmel Road, Hubertus, Wisconsin. (30 miles Northwest of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.) www.holyhill.com
The Mummy
The reviews have been quite mixed. Some have as low as 16% approval ratings. Others rated as high as 60% approval from audiences. While we generally do not pay too much attention to the review ratings, we would tend to rate this on the lower end of the spectrum.
This movie has a large cast. Over 20 actors. The lead, Tom Cruise, was a surprise. Perhaps that is why it felt more like an action film. In any event, it was different. It was not at all like the previous renditions with the exception of the storm effect, right out of the first couple of Mummy films.
I suppose the “human element” was new and inventive. We were surprised with the PG-13 rating as it is not suitable for younger children. The gore, creepy, and violence factors were pretty intense. The genre is listed as a Fantasy/Thriller. Run time was a long 1 hour, 51 minutes.
Rating 
Megan Leavey
This movie is a true story about Megan Leavey who completed more than 100 missions in Iraq along with Rex, a military combat explosives dog.
Kate Mara plays the Megan character. Her performance is believable and realistic. Edie Falco plays a shrill Mom, Bradley Whitford is the divorced Dad, and Will Patton is the stand in male figure.
Other notable performances that help make this film work are Common and Tom Felton as Marine Corp mentors.
Overall, the story gets better as time unfolds. The rating is PG-13 but much of the subject matter is not appropriate for youngsters under 13 or 14. The genre is Drama/Biography. It runs 1 hour, 56 minutes.
Rating 
The Book of Henry
We loved this movie, blemishes and all. No surprise we disagreed with the majority of critics who poo pooed this film. Naysayers called it flamboyant, tedious, and weepie. We think those descriptions are callous, jaded and misguided. And what is wrong with weepie and flamboyant?!
We prefer to think in terms of caring, innovative and inspiring. (Did we see the same movie?!)
The acting was impressive. Naomi Watts plays the insecure Mom. It was nice to see Jacob Tremblay (from The Room) as the little brother to Jaeden Leiberher who delivers a solid performance beyond his years.
It is accurately listed as a Drama/Thriller and rated PG-13 though much of the subject matter is not suitable for young children. It runs 1 hour, 45 minutes. We thought it was worth it. For those who saw it, what did you think?
Rating 
A big HELLO to everyone!
After only 10 days in Wisconsin, we have learned the June mornings come early and the evenings linger. They are our favorite times of day. Morning walks are becoming the norm.
This morning we encountered squirrels, bunny rabbits, a wild turkey, chipmunks and all sorts of birds. We also explored an old 19th century graveyard, discovered a charming old barn and a lovely little pond.
And a beautiful ending.
Greeting to all!. Today is our fifth day since our arrival at our family lake house in Wisconsin. John and I have been settling in on our own until now. Today we met with dear friends for brunch, Susie and Gary from Minneapolis. What fun it was to meet old friends and get caught up on all things of interest.
Today I must report on the last 24 hours. Yesterday about this time, the sky darkened and slowly became windy and thunderous. It lasted for hours, wave after wave of downpours. (This is something common to Midwest residents but non-existent to West Coast folks like us.)
Fast forward 18+ hours : still no power. This is a problem, that means, no water (well water requires a pump!), no water for sewage (that requires water too!). Torrential rains overnight and this morning means excessive water requires sump pump to deliver excess water away from the house (that requires power again).
As a side bar, the gardeners yesterday excavated an old suffering garden and replaced it with new soil and fresh seed only 30 minutes before the storm hit. Today they came back to fix the damage. Awesome tradesmen.
Now, I can report the power has been restored. Most household systems have been restored and all but the garage opener are functioning as normal. So has the image outside our window, a pristine blue lake with glorious sunshine and a beautiful horizon.
What will tomorrow bring?! We send best wishes to you all!
J&J
Wonder Women
Critics and audiences are liking this film…a lot! And so did we. Finally a female superhero dominates in a leading role. It is a great story with a great cast, and beautifully produced. It is brilliantly directed by Patty Jenkins and will likely upgrade the power of love and faith universally.
The film is set in World War I just before the Germans are about to use early chemical weapons against the forces in continental Europe. But it is the blending of history and the fantasy of super powers that mix so nicely with Hollywood film making that makes this film so good.
The acting chemistry between Gal Gadot and Chris Pine are off the charts, as characters Diana Prince and Steve Trevor. There are least 17 other actor that also contribute to this film.
It is listed as a Fantasy/Science Fiction with a PG-13 rating. It runs a hefty 2 hours and 21 minutes.
Rating
My Cousin Rachel
On one hand, this was a very good film. The acting was overall impressive. Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin both deliver solid performances. The production creates a genuine sense of time and place. It is well done as a period piece.
That said, the chemistry between the leading actors is chilly and confusing. The story line is equally illusive. Trying to figure out who did what to whom and when was tiring. Ultimately the chemistry with the leading characters just doesn’t come together.
It is rate PG-13 but we do not think it would be suitable for children. The Genre is listed as Mystery/Drama. It runs 1 hour, 46 minutes.
Rating
Churchill
Hmm…We were a bit surprised to see the low marks from both the critics and audiences after seeing Churchill yesterday. Perhaps seeing it in the vintage Downers Theater in Milwaukee built in 1916 and beautifully restored had something to do with our viewing experience.
Brian Cox is extraordinary as Winston Churchill. So is Miranda Richardson as the wife Clementine Churchill. Other strong performances are credited to John Slattery as Dwight Eisenhower, James Purefoy as King Richard VI, and Ella Purnell as British Intelligence Staffer.
Granted the Churchill character was relentless and overbearing against the timing and scale of the attack. But that was an accurate recreation of history. The film is rated PG and is listed as a Drama/Thriller. It runs 1 hour, 50 minutes.
Rating
Adjusting to a new living environment is always an incremental process. The lake house will be our summer residence but it will also be a gathering place for family and friends.
The first thing of note is the light. Mornings come early and evenings linger. There is almost always a breeze off the lake that softens the afternoon heat. Another quality of note is pacing. The environment encourages pause. Watching the birds forage for breakfast or a baby squirrel exploring a big old tree.
The seemingly endless activity on the lake is a focal point as most of the main rooms face the lake. Kayaks, rowboats, pontoons boats of all sizes. Water skiing, jet skis, and watercraft of all of shapes and sizes. And yet there is an overarching sense of calm and beauty. We are starting to like these qualities very quickly.
Today, we will are off to explore the local farmers market. Later maybe a movie or explore one of the many little towns or hamlets in the area.
As Day 7 comes to a close we are in La Crosse, WI. We are are officially in Wisconsin, albeit tomorrow before we make it to Hartford. We will be happy to unload and unpack.
Today’s journey seemed slower than usual. Maybe because Minnesota’s speed limit was the slowest of the last several states. Perhaps it was because there were very few cities or stops available on Minnesota’s section of I-90. By lunchtime, we decided to shed the Interstate and take a chance on the only route noted as a scenic byway ending at our destination, La Crosse.
What we discovered was an excellent road, unspoiled with virtually no traffic, MN Highway 16. It was a pleasant ride. We arrived in La Crosse with time to explore the town and enjoy some time walking along the Mississippi River.
It was a long and exhausting day. It was also filled with lots of discovery and exploration. Shortly after leaving Rapid City, we left the Interstate and took a back entrance to Badlands National Park. There was a big storm that passed though over night with residual rain this morning.
Nonetheless the scenery was spectacular. The road was only 39 miles long but we made numerous stops for photos as each scene seemed more beautiful than the last.
Reluctantly, we were back on the interstate for the long drive to Sioux Falls. After checking in to our hotel and a brief rest, we decided to explore Sioux Falls, a city of 150,000 people.
We discovered a charmingly gentrified downtown, a vibrant public art scene and a wonderful public friendly urban park. We finished the day with a couple of local beers, shared a wedge salad with blue cheese, bacon and chopped tomatoes and topped it off with a thin crust pizza with olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, fontina, and bits of spinach. It was awesome.
Our total driving miles, including today and yesterday, was 570 miles. But we are now getting excited to get to our destination and start our next adventure at our family lake house. One and a half days!!