Right now...*
*(an occasional (mostly monthly) meme, alternating from time to time with "The Current"). (Explanation of how this started & my inspirations in my first "Right now" post, here. Also my first "The Current" post, here.)
March started out cold & blustery, with a few more blasts of snow, on and off, ending with a icy blast of freezing rain over the weekend (frankly, I'd prefer a blizzard!). But also (FINALLY! by mid-month) a few days that began to feel like spring! (One glorious day we hit 21C -- about 70F!)
March hereabouts also means school spring break (mid-month) -- which for us meant staying close to home to avoid the mobs of frazzled families everywhere -- but which also meant we got to spend some time with the Little Great-Nephews! :) (See below!)
March also included lots of politics -- more threats coming from south of the border :( and here at home, the federal Liberal party's leadership convention, quickly followed by the dissolution of Parliament and the launch of a federal election campaign. (We only just got through a provincial election in late February!) On the bright side, the campaign is only 37 days long! -- the election will be April 28th. (Americans, take note! lol)
Pandemic diary/update: March marked month #60 -- FIVE years since the SARS-COV-2 (covid) virus entered our lives in March 2020. :( We (still!) remain covid-free (so far as we know... knocking wood, loudly...!). We still mask in stores, malls and (most) other such indoor public spaces hereabouts -- especially if/when there are lots of people around. (Well, I do -- I know dh does not, when I'm not around to hand him a mask...!)
Reading this article (part of the New York Times's 5-year milestone coverage) reinforced my resolve to keep doing what we've been doing and keep taking covid seriously: "A Clearer Picture of Covid’s Lasting Effects on the Body." (Gift link.)
- Attended Little Great-Niece's 2nd (!) birthday party at her maternal grandparents' house on March 1st. :)
- Went to the mall to walk around and shop (March 4th, 18th & 25th).
- Drove out to our former community for haircuts, and did a little shopping and walking at the mall (March 7th). Stopped at the cemetery en route to visit Katie & change her niche decorations from Christmas stuff to something more Easter/spring-y.
- On March 11th (during spring break week), we picked up SIL (at her suggestion) & drove up to stay with the two Little Great-Nephews while their mom got a much-needed haircut... and then stayed with LGN #2 while she took LGN #1 to see a movie. (BIL had to work.)
- Unfortunately, the movie was sold out -- but she bought them tickets for a later showing (when Older Nephew could stay with the baby), and took LGN to an indoor playground for a while instead -- and then for ice cream!
- The dog got a lot of snuggles from me (probably more than he's had in a while! poor neglected doggie!).
- We were EXHAUSTED -- but we had a LOT of fun! :)
- Dropped off several bags of stuff at the local thrift shop, then went to Staples and Canadian Tire for a few things, with a final stop at the supermarket for few grocery items, plus some takeout soup for lunch. (March 14th)
- Had a nice browse at the bookstore, then stopped at the drugstore to pick up a few things. (March 19th)
- "The Siege of Krishnapur" by J. G. Farrell -- the first new Footnotes and Tangents slow readalong for 2025, which started Jan. 13th, for 9 weeks. (3.5-4 stars; my review.)
- "I'm Sorry for My Loss: An Urgent Examination of Reproductive Care in America" by Rebecca Little and Colleen Long. (5 stars; my review.)
- "Peter West" by D.E. Stevenson (Re-read; original review, 2-2.5 stars; latest review, same.)
- "Miss Buncle Married" by D.E. Stevenson ( (re)reading in advance of our DES group chapter-by-chapter discussion (start date still TBA) -- which I will count as another re-read once it's done). (Original 2015 review here).
- "Anne of Windy Poplars" by L.M. Montgomery (called "Anne of Windy Willows" in the U.K., with some text variations). My L.M. Montgomery Readathon Facebook group started reading & discussing this book together today (Jan. 6th). (Previous review here.) Currently 60% completed.
- "Living the Life Unexpected" by Jody Day. I'm once again taking part in a chapter-by-chapter group read of this CNBC classic! The most recent Zoom meeting covered Chapter 8. This is the 5th (!) time I've read this book, or the earlier version of it ("Rocking the Life Unexpected"). (Most recent review, with links to earlier reviews, here.)
- "L.M. Montgomery and Gender," an essay collection edited by E. Holly Pike & Laura Robinson. Slowly working my way through, in between the other books...!
- For my Childless Collective Nomo Book Club:
- "Can’t We Be Friends" by Denny S. Bryce & Eliza Knight. (May)
- "A Burning" by Megha Majumdar. (June)
- "Rules For Visiting" by Jessica Francis Kane (July)
- "Drive Your Plow (Over the Bones of the Dead)" by Olga Tokarczuk. (August)
- "The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands" by Mary Seacole. (September)
- "The Secrets of Blythswood Square" by Sara Sheridan. (October)
- For my D.E. Stevenson group: This list of upcoming books should keep us busy through 2025 or even into early 2026! (A couple of the books are ones we covered shortly after I first joined the group back in 2014 -- you know you've been around for a while when....!)
- The Two Mrs. Abbotts (original 2015 review here).
- Crooked Adam
- The Four Graces (original 2015 review here).
- Footnotes and Tangents slow readalongs planned for 2025 include:
- "A Place of Greater Safety" by Hilary Mantel -- starts May 5th, for 20 weeks.
- "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe -- starts Sept. 29th, for 5 weeks.
- "The Blue Flower" by Penelope Fitzgerald -- starts Nov. 3rd, for 7 weeks.
(Simon is a big fan of the late great Hilary Mantel, and the other books he's selected were all ones that she loved, so he figured they would probably be worth reading!)
- Culture Study (Europe): next book TBA.
A few recently purchased titles (all in digital format, mostly discounted ($5-10 or less) or purchased with points):
- "A Very Private School" by Charles Spencer
- "The Sky Was Falling" by Dr. Cornelia Griggs
- "The Fortnight in September" by R.C. Sherriff
- "They Thought They Were Free" by Milton Mayer
- "From Here to the Great Unknown" by Lisa Marie Presley & Riley Keough
- "Big in Sweden" by Sally Franson
- "Holding it Together: How Women Became America's Safety Net" by Jessica Calarco
- "The Lightning Bottles" by Marissa Stapley
- The Oscars! (March 2nd) I only saw one of the nominated movies ("Conclave"), and I don't follow the awards season as religiously as I once did, but it's still fun to watch. (And it's tradition! ;) )
- Several more episodes of "Only Murders in the Building" (season 2) on Disney Plus (Older Nephew is a subscriber) while staying with Little Great-Nephew #2 while his mom took LGN #1 to a movie (see above). I thought I could watch the few remaining episodes in the season on the CTV website when we got home -- they were there when I checked after watching a few on TV over Christmas/early January -- but maddeningly, they're not available there any more. And I don't want to subscribe to another streaming service! (We don't use our Netflix subscription as it is; I've been contemplating dropping it.)
- The World Figure Skating Championships from Boston (March 25th-30th), which I wrote about here.
- Heardle Decades: Stats as of March 31st:
- Heardle 60s: 76.0% (671/883, 262 on first guess), down 0.3% from last month. Max. streak: 15.
- Heardle 70s: 78.4% (486/620, 275 on first guess), up 0.6% from last month. Max. streak: 18.
- Heardle 80s: 38.9% (192/493, 71 on first guess), up 0.2% from last month. Max. streak: 4.
- Heardle 90s: 29.8% (177/593, 36 on first guess), up 0.1% from last month. Max. streak: 5.
- NYT Connections:
- By Feb. 28th, I'd completed 215 games and won 81% of them, including 78 "perfect puzzles" with zero errors. I increased my maximum winning streak from 15 to 21 (and counting!). :)
- By March 31st, I'd played 246 games and won 84% of them, including 123 "perfect puzzles." And I increased my maximum winning streak from 21 to 30!
- As I've mentioned before, we achieved our goal of lowering our cholesterol levels in late January, after less-than-stellar bloodwork last fall earned us both serious chats with our doctor. We'll be doing more bloodwork later in the year to check again -- so we're continuing our efforts to eat healthier -- reduce portion sizes, cut back on fatty & processed foods (fewer casseroles, more chicken and beans/lentils), eat more fruits, vegetables and fibre, snack less (and make better snacking choices), and be at least a little more active.
- Since then, I've continued to yo-yo a bit, but I still ended the month about a half pound lighter. (I'll take it!) Overall, I've lost about 10 pounds since our chat with the doctor last October, and 22 pounds from my heaviest-ever weight a few years ago.
- The last few times we've flown west to see my family (on Air Canada), one of the free snacks we've been offered has been a small package of pretzels -- buttery herb & garlic flavoured, from a brand called Twigz. I really liked them.
- And then I got the brilliant idea to Google them. They are marketed as "craft pretzels," and a couple of local stores carry them. They're a little pricey, but I find it doesn't take a lot to fill me up, so a bag will last me a few days/up to a week. Nutritionally speaking, they're not bad (not great, but not bad) -- AND they are Canadian (an important consideration, especially right now).
- Apparently there are four flavours. I've seen two -- the buttery herb & garlic I mentioned, and zesty dill pickle. (You can have the dill pickle flavour. I'm that weird kid who hated pickles when I was growing up, and I still take them off my hamburgers before I eat them.) Sometimes the buttery herb & garlic flavouring is a little intense but I do like the texture.
- Some notable recent takeout meals: soup, pizza slices and teriyaki rice bowls from the supermarket takeout counter, wood oven thin crust pizza, and rotisserie chicken. (Trying to avoid the stuff that's really calorie & fat-laden!)
- More Canadian (or, failing that, international) products (vs American -- as are many of my fellow citizens), in light of the threats a certain U.S. leader (cough!) has been making against my country recently. :( (It's not always easy, though, given how intertwined our two countries' economies are...!)
- Easter goodies for the great-niblings.