Right now... (an occasional meme, alternating from time to time with "The Current"):
Not believing: It's December!! A little over three weeks to Christmas (and less than that until we travel to be with my family).... eeekkkk.....
Counting: The days until we head out to spend Christmas with my family. (And the days I have left to get my shopping done before then...!)
Not believing: It's December!! A little over three weeks to Christmas (and less than that until we travel to be with my family).... eeekkkk.....
Counting: The days until we head out to spend Christmas with my family. (And the days I have left to get my shopping done before then...!)
Redecorating: Katie's niche at the cemetery. We visited there today and swapped the fall-themed decorations for Christmasy ones.
Reading: I just bought & started Jann Arden's new book, "Feeding My Mother," which appears to be part cookbook & partly the story of dealing with her mother's Alzheimer's disease. Jann is a national treasure here in Canada -- a multi-talented singer/songwriter, writer & media personality (to name a few of the hats that she wears). I was lucky enough to hear her speak earlier this year, and adored her earlier memoir about growing up in rural Alberta, "Falling Backwards" (reviewed here).
Margaret Atwood's "Alias Grace" (and the TV miniseries adaptation) are still on my to read/view list.
(Some) other recent purchases/additions to the TBR pile (!):
- "The Great Halifax Explosion" by John U. Bacon. This happened 100 years ago this month, and -- prior to Hiroshima -- was the largest man-made explosion ever recorded. If you are ever in Halifax, the Marine Museum of the Atlantic is well worth seeing... they have a great exhibit about the explosion (a great Titanic exhibit too).
- "Sticky Fingers" by Joe Hagan, about Jann Wenner & Rolling Stone magazine.
- "The Vanity Fair Diaries: 1983-1992" by Tina Brown.
- "It's All Relative: Adventures Up & Down the World's Family Tree" by A.J. Jacobs.
(Very much doubting: Whether I am going to meet my goal of reading 24 books in 2017... although I still have a few weeks to go, & I do usually manage to cram in a few books over the Christmas holidays...! I have finished 17 so far; Goodreads helpfully informs that is 4 behind schedule...!)
Watching: Lots of figure skating on the weekends (Grand Prix events; final coming up shortly). Still watching "Designated Survivor," although more out of habit than anything else (season 1 was much more exciting). Looking forward to a binge session of season 2 of "The Crown" on Netflix shortly...! ;)
Eating: Very carefully these days, after one too many bouts of gallstone discomfort lately. :p Hoping to get through Younger Nephew's wedding this spring, and then will talk with my dr about the pros & cons of possible gallbladder removal surgery.
Drinking: Chamomile tea or ginger ale, when my gallbladder starts acting up.
Wearing: My new/recently purchased down winter jacket.... wonderfully lightweight yet still warm. (I kept my older, heavier jacket for really cold days, extended time outdoors & Christmas visits home.) It looks really cute on me too. ;) The (quite literal??) downside? Little feathers. Everywhere. All over my clothes & the seat of the car where I sit. Yikes!! (I've never had a down jacket before -- is this normal??)
Buying (besides books, lol): Christmas gifts!! The Little Princesses will each be getting an outfit and a new pair of PJs from Gymboree (same designs, different colours), as well as two fondly remembered books from my own childhood: "Ramona the Pest" & "Beezus & Ramona" by Beverly Cleary.
Hoping: For a decent's night's sleep, one of these days... :p
Enduring: The endless roadwork on the highway that runs directly in front of our building. Traffic here is nuts enough as it is, and this just makes it worse (if such a thing is possible...!).
Looking forward: To another royal wedding (as well as William & Kate's royal baby!) in the spring! :)
Buying (besides books, lol): Christmas gifts!! The Little Princesses will each be getting an outfit and a new pair of PJs from Gymboree (same designs, different colours), as well as two fondly remembered books from my own childhood: "Ramona the Pest" & "Beezus & Ramona" by Beverly Cleary.
Hoping: For a decent's night's sleep, one of these days... :p
Enduring: The endless roadwork on the highway that runs directly in front of our building. Traffic here is nuts enough as it is, and this just makes it worse (if such a thing is possible...!).
Looking forward: To another royal wedding (as well as William & Kate's royal baby!) in the spring! :)
Feeling: Startled to realize that it's actually December, a little stressed by my to-do list, but happy the Christmas season is finally here!
Thanks for the book recommendation! Feeding My Mother sounds really good. I lost the most important person in my life, my paternal grandmother, to Alzheimer's and I just took a class over Dementia, so I am very interested in learning more about how to care for people who receive this diagnosis.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I love love love Ramona Quimby!
Enjoy your to do list! I put up a tree for the first time in a couple of years. I am really enjoying it. And the stockings too. Happy Holidays! :)
I'm not sure I could bear reading Feeding My Mother. After losing my mother to dementia/Alzheimer's, and seeing an aunt suffer too, I'm a bit nervous about my own chances, and it's all a bit too close to home!
ReplyDeleteWhen Goodreads tells me how far behind schedule I am, I swear I can almost hear it "tut!"
And yes, December??? Already??? Argh!