Right now

Right now... (an occasional meme, alternating from time to time with "The Current"):

Reading:  Finishing up D.E. Stevenson's  "Five Windows" for my online Stevenson book club. Next up, I think: Margaret Atwood's "Alias Grace" (before I watch the new television miniseries (adapted by Sarah Polley)(although it's a toss-up whether I'll watch it on PVR from the episodes broadcast on CBC, or on Netflix in November...!).  

Recent purchases:  "The Best of Us" by Joyce Maynard, "Thanks Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years" by David Litt, and "What Happened" by Hillary Rodham Clinton.  

Watching:  We were recently enthralled by Ken Burns's 18-hour documentary "The Vietnam War" on PBS (we even watched the last two episodes from our hotel room on our trip).  I'm Canadian, but my mother is American, and I grew up with the Vietnam War in the newspapers every day and on the TV news every night;  I was 12 when it ended. The little county in rural Minnesota where my mother grew up lost four young men over there, all between the ages of 21 & 23. Their names are inscribed on the memorial wall in Washington, and if/when I ever get there, I am going to look for them. One of my mother's cousins' daughters wore a MIA (missing in action) bracelet for one of them. He was a helicopter pilot, shot down in 1973. His body was finally recovered and returned to his family in 1995, more than 22 (!) years later.  

I PVRd the first episode of season 2 of Designated Survivor while we were away,  and watched it last night. Not as compelling as some of last year's episodes, but I do like Kiefer Sutherland in the role (channeling his grandfather, perhaps??), and it's mildly entertaining.    

I am revelling in the new season of Poldark to watch on PBS. :)

And I am looking forward to the return of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates on PBS tonight. :)

Eating:  Got out the crockpot/slow cooker this weekend, for the first time in months, and made a great roast beef with potatos & carrots. Lots of leftovers for lunches this week. Yum!! 

Drinking: Lots of tea. The cooler weather calls for it. :) 

Listening:   Current earworms:  Tom Petty songs, especially this one. Rest in peace, Tom. :(  He was one of my favourites (& definitely one of dh's).  Too damned many of the musicians who provided the soundtrack of my youth have been dropping like flies lately. Seriously depressing. :(  

Wearing:  Still wearing sandals & capris on nicer days -- but they are becoming fewer and further apart. :(  I had to put on long jeans, socks & shoes for the first time on our recent road trip. SIL did too -- and got a blister and had to change back into sandals.   

Buying (besides books, lol):  I'm actually trying not to accumulate a lot of stuff that we don't have room for -- although somehow, I still can't resist buying cheap new T-shirts, especially with the change of seasons and all the new fall stuff in the stores. I recently bought a couple of new throw pillows for the couch that I liked better than the previous ones (I LOATHED the ones that actually came with the couch -- colours did not match my decor at all), and a new fall-themed tablecloth, although I haven't used it yet. 

It's still a bit early, but I've been doing some preliminary browsing for a dress for Younger Nephew's wedding in the spring!  

Wondering:  If/when Aunt Flo will make her next appearance. It's day 59 & my last cycle was 69 days, so things are (finally!!) starting to slow down. About time, no??  

Recovering: From our recent road trip. Did a LOT of walking, and I've only just started to lose my stiffness and feel somewhat rested again. 

Wishing: That I was attending the NotMom conference in Cleveland this weekend. (One of these years...!)  Why does everything always have to happen all at once??  We were invited to a family wedding in Minneapolis;  not going to that either -- but I didn't feel like I could brush off my family and then jet off to Cleveland, right? (Some people probably could & would do it;  I'm not that brave. ;)  )  Plus we just got back from a road trip with BIL & SIL, not quite as far away as Cleveland, but still time & energy & money spent.  Plus (note to the organizers) it is the Thanksgiving long weekend here in Canada... and we've actually been invited to join BIL & family for dinner on Sunday. (And not at the last minute as an afterthought, either, which is even nicer...!).

Remembering:  The fun and excitement of Older Nephew's wedding, which was one year ago this past weekend. 

Anticipating: Younger Nephew's wedding, coming up this spring! :)  

Reeling:  After finding an obituary online this morning for our hairdresser of the past 15 years. :(  Even after we moved last year, we kept going to see her -- not only are good stylists hard to find and we had a long history with her, she was married to one of dh's childhood buddies -- he was an usher at their wedding (something they realized only after he was sitting in her chair for the first time -- one of those "small world" coincidences!).  She was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year (hasn't worked since then, referred us to one of the other stylists there), and died last month, just two weeks after we last visited the salon. Leaves her husband & two sons, about the same ages as our nephews.  I hate to admit this, but I have been Googling her name the last several times before I called the salon, just in case... we all knew it was coming, but it's still just so damned sad. :(   She was always so full of fun & laughter, and she was a damned good hairdresser to boot. The coworker she referred us to is very nice & does a good job. But I miss her. :(   

Feeling:  A little tired from our trip, a little melancholy over all the recent bad news (personal & public), a little sad that summer is (for the most part) done, but looking forward to the rest of October, which is one of my favourite months. 

Realizing: That it's not THAT long until Christmas (eeekkk!!) &time to start thinking about booking flights to Mom & Dad's.