Reading: I read 4 books in April (and reviewed them here on my blog):
- "The German Girl" by Armando Lucas Correa
- "The Seed" by Alexandra Kimball
- The Mueller Report (lol -- at 450+ pages, I think it counts...!)
- "Daisy Jones & the Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Earlier this week, I attended my second meeting of the local library's book club, where we discussed "The German Girl" (above). The selection for our May meeting will be "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng. I haven't started it yet. Anyone read it? What did you think?
Current read: It's Okay to Laugh (Crying Is Cool Too) by Nora McInerny Purmort.
Recent purchases/additions to the TBR pile:
- "Foe" by Iain Reid
- "I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death" by Maggie O'Farrell
Listening: My most recent podcast find: a Canada 2020 project called "No Second Chances," about the experiences of women in Canadian politics -- with a particular focus on the 12 (yes, just TWELVE!) women (out of more than 300 men...!) who have served as prime minister or a provincial premier in Canada's 152-year history -- all of them within just the last 30 years. I'm really enjoying it, and I think it would be interesting/instructive for non-Canadians who cares about women in politics, too. (There was an article about the project in the Globe & Mail this past weekend -- "Why has Canada had so few female first ministers?" -- unfortunately, behind a paywall, I think.)
Following: (albeit not especially closely, lol) The Toronto Raptors in the NBA playoffs -- especially since both the Toronto Maple Leafs & my beloved Winnipeg Jets have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup hockey playoffs. :( Nice there's still a team we can cheer for right now! Dh was a big Raptors fan when the team was first established, 20+ years ago, albeit he's lost some interest over the years. We've been to a few games (although not lately), and SIL managed to get us courtside seats from her boss at work for dh's birthday one year. The face value of those tickets was $650 EACH (& that was a good 10 years ago = they would be much more expensive now!). Yikes!
Drinking/Eating: Lindor chocolate mini-Easter eggs. (I stocked up at the outlet store after Easter, when all the Easter stuff was heavily discounted, lol.)
Wearing: We're in that in-between time -- sweaters are too warm but short sleeves generally too cold. I've put away my winter hats & gloves, and been able to wear my denim jacket outside a few times, which is nice. I remember that last year, I was able to wear capris & sandals for the first time on May 1 or 2. Not gonna happen this year! -- but hopefully later this month!
Buying (besides books, lol): Summer clothes -- probably too many of them (erk!) -- especially since it will probably still be a few weeks until I actually get to wear them...! I need to weed out my closet again!
A new kitchen sink faucet, almost identical to our current one, which has become increasingly difficult to completely turn off. (It's only four years old, for crying out loud...!)(And I can't believe how much these things cost... this was $139, and it was one of the cheaper models!) BIL has promised to come install it for us this weekend.
Wishing: That I could buy more clothes for our little great-niece or nephew-to-be... but so many of the baby clothes in the stores these days are very specifically gendered. Hard to shop when you don't know yet if it's a boy or a girl! :( (When we do find out... look out, wallet! lol)
Contemplating: Setting up an RESP (registered education savings plan) or savings/investment account for this little one (keeping in mind that whatever we do for this baby, we'll be obliged to do for any other great-nieces &/or nephews that come along...!).
Trying: Not to think too much about Older Nephew's Wife's upcoming ultrasound this weekend. Please send prayers, positive thoughts & vibes, etc., their way (and ours, lol).
Anticipating: Several medical appointments coming up this month, including our annual physicals, and my final visit (after 21 years!) with Dr. Ob-gyn, who is retiring in June. :( Also, a return visit to the optometrist to check on my PVD. Dental checkup in early June!
Contemplating: When we should schedule our usual summer visit to Mom & Dad's... my dad will turn 80 in mid-July, so we'll probably go sometime around then = should probably book some flights soon.
Wanting: To plan a trip soon for somewhere else other than to visit Mom & Dad. Several potential destinations in mind. ;)
Loving: The milder weather, even if it's been rather gloomy & rainy lately. :p Progress?!
Feeling: Slightly impatient: wanting the roadwork & other construction around us to be finished (not happening until at least the end of this year) and the weather to improve.
Oooh - Little Fires Everywhere is really good...but it may be a little triggering on the infertility front. There are a couple of terribly reductive tropes in there. But still - interesting characters and a pretty good story.
ReplyDeleteThank you to Areyoukiddingme for the above warning!
ReplyDeleteYour reading is impressive. One day I'll get back to it. Sigh.
I can't wait to hear of your travel plans. Somewhere exciting? And is now the time to start suggesting house swaps? lol (Perhaps it's the time to start convincing my husband it won't end up with our house burnt down!)
I'm kind of glad that I'm going to be away when The Big Bang Theory finishes. I hate the way they made Bernadette have not one but TWO children when she didn't want them. Now Penny doesn't want them, and if they do that, I'll be furious! It will be such lazy writing.
Autumn/winter is well under way here, so I hope your spring takes hold. The only time we've been to Canada was in May (13 years ago), and we had freezing days (Quebec City and Halifax) and glorious warm days (Montreal and PEI). We felt right at home with the unpredictable weather! lol
I just starting reading Little Fires Everywhere. Reading the book description, you can tell the plot is full of topics and themes that relate to motherhood, but it sounded interesting so I decided to try it. So far I am really enjoying it. I like the characters and the structure of the story. I was hopeful that it would be a good book overall, but I'm glad I read areyoukiddingme's comment so I now I am mentally prepared for mild annoyances. If you read it, I'll be looking forward to your post about it.
ReplyDeleteAh, so I'm going to warn you about Little Fires Everywhere AND I Am, I Am, I Am... I did like Little Fires Everywhere but I agree with areyoukiddingme that there are annoying tropes for adoption and other family-building related things in there. I read it without throwing it, so there's that, and I did enjoy it (I loved Everything I Never Told You by the same author).
ReplyDeleteI Am, I Am, I Am was my book club pick last year, and it sounded so interesting and I'd heard her talk on NPR, and so I was pretty much suckerpunched when there was a clear infertility piece and a fairly graphic pregnancy loss. I didn't realize miscarriage was a part of it even though when we started the discussion my book club friends were like, "We were sort of surprised you picked this one, because the reviews said that was a part of it" -- well, there you go! I don't often read the reviews because I worry about spoilers. :( It's good, but maybe skip that chapter (Baby and Bloodstream is the hardest, Daughter at the end has some fertility stuff in it). I may have sobbed uncontrollably when reading Baby and Bloodstream. So there's that.
Ooh, travel plans! And baby buyings! Interesting that in a world where gender is increasingly fluid and separated from sex, that baby clothes are declaring it in a more binary way. Fascinating... I'll be thinking of that ultrasound and sending good thoughts!
Oh dear, I remember that book now ("I Am I Am") & your reaction to it! I did know there was a miscarriage in it when I bought it.
DeleteInteresting idea to set up an RESP for nephews. I didn't know that was possible. We have two nephews and talk about helping with their education, but it's interesting to think about doing it in a formal way through an RESP. Do you know what's involved with setting that up?
ReplyDeleteI don't know a lot about them -- I worked for a bank for almost 30 years, but in the communications area, not in a branch, lol ;) -- but I am sure that any personal banking/investment officer at any bank branch should be able to advise us/you. :)
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