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Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Right now

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.)

Pandemic diary/update: December was month #45 (going on FOUR YEARS...!) since the COVID-19 pandemic began. While I did develop a cold during the week between Christmas & New Year while at my parents' house (which I still have...), we remain covid-free (knocking wood, loudly...), and continue to mask in most stores and other public places, especially where there are a lot of people. Hard data is difficult to come by -- but anecdotally, we know that case numbers are on the rise, and we continue to hear about others -- including friends & relatives, and friends & relatives of friends & relatives -- who have recently tested positive, many of them for the first time.  Among them:  my sister and her partner had covid for the first time in mid/late November, and BIL & SIL in mid-December. More than a month later, my sister still has a nasty cough. 

December was a blur.  It was a mad dash to the finish line, i.e., the airport on Dec. 16th, to head west to spend Christmas with my family.  We never seem to do a lot while we're there, but somehow, the days just go whizzing by...!  My online time was minimal, especially while we were there -- I am sooooo far behind on blog & Substack reading and commenting, and my inbox is overflowing with unread emails...  (Getting a better handle on all my to-do/want to do lists and regular routines, etc., will be one of my goals for 2024...!)    

Among other things this month, we: 
  • Went with BIL & SIL on Saturday, Dec. 2nd, to visit a cousin who recently got the "all-clear" following surgery & treatment for cancer. Her brother also stopped by when he heard we were all coming, and a good visit was had by all. :)  
    • Four days later, on Dec. 6th, we got a text from the cousin:  her daughter (a junior kindergarten teacher, who lives at home and was present for part of the time we were there, including hugs in greeting and goodbye) just tested positive for covid. :(  
    • BIL & SIL also tested positive, 10 and 12 days after our visit (so not sure they picked up there from her, or from somewhere else in the meantime?). 
  • Returned to the mall on Dec. 5th to return some things to Old Navy and do a bit more Christmas shopping. 
    • Had an unmasked early lunch in the food court. 
  • Headed back to our old community on Friday, Dec. 8th:  brought some holiday decorations to the cemetery for Katie's niche, got haircuts, and then headed to the local mall for a little more Christmas shopping. En route back home, stopped at the supermarket to pick up some takeout soup for lunch. 
  • Went to the drugstore on Dec. 11th to pick up some prescriptions, buy some stamps at the postal outlet there and pick up a few other things I needed (including a few stocking stuffers for dh). 
  • Flew west from Toronto to Winnipeg on Dec. 16th to spend Christmas with my family. 
    • While in Manitoba, we made a few (masked) trips to the grocery store, drugstore, chicken restaurant for takeout, and a wholesale greenhouse operation for (gorgeous, CHEAP!) pointsettias for Mom. 
    • Saw Parents' Neighbours' Daughter & one of more of the three Little Princesses almost every other day, including Little Princess #3, who is now 4 months old and adorable.  :)  (She's the likely source of my cold...! -- or possibly her next-oldest sister, Princess #2.)  
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Also right now:  

Reading: I finished 4 books in  December (reviewed on this blog, as well as Goodreads & StoryGraph, & tagged "2023 books").  
This brings me to 48 books read in 2023, 107% of my 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. :)  

Current read(s): 
Coming up: Most of my book groups have their next reads plotted out for a few months in advance -- and listing them here helps me keep track of what I should be reading next. ;)  
A few recently purchased titles (mostly in digital format, mostly discounted ($5-10 or less) or purchased with points):  

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Watching:  I can't think of anything memorable that we watched during December...??

Listening:  
  • To a lot of April Wine songs, following the death of its lead singer and guitarist Myles Goodwyn on Dec. 3rd, which I wrote about here
To Heardle Decades: Stats as of  Dec. 31st:  
  • Heardle 60s:  76.9% (349/454, 152 on first guess), down slightly from the same as last month. Max. streak: 15.
  • Heardle 70s:  81.3% (161/198, 91 on the first guess), about the same as last month. Max. streak: 18. 
  • Heardle 80s:  45.2% (33/73,  15 on the first guess), up slightly from last month. Max. streak: 4. 
  • Heardle 90s: 32.6% (61/187, 13 on the first guess), down from last month. Max. streak: 4. 
Following

Eating/Drinking:  All the Christmas goodies that I only get once a year at Mom & Dad's, including  pickerel (walleye pike to you Americans), turkey, stuffing/dressing, gravy, cabbage rolls and perogies, nuts & bolts, shortbread, and those Canadian delicacies:  Nanaimo bars and butter tarts (gift links). :)  

Buying (besides books, lol -- and Christmas gifts!):  Not much! 

Wearing: Holiday-themed waffle-weave PJ tops from Old Navy. :)  And I pulled out my heavy winter jacket and boots to wear "home" to Manitoba -- but I didn't really need them, as they're having one of the mildest winters in years (so far...!), with barely enough snow to make it a white Christmas. 

Noticing:  How much milder/less snowy this Christmas season was, even in Manitoba, where (I've always told people) a white Christmas has always been practically guaranteed. Closer to home, Older Nephew built a backyard skating rink for Little Great-Nephew, but so far, it's mostly been just a pool of water... 

Enjoying:  Spending time with Parents' Neighbours' Daughter and the Littlest Princess (now 4 months old), who came to visit almost every day we were there. Also enjoyed the nightly card games (and even won a few...!).    

Trying:  (and failing!) To gently convince my parents (and my mother in particular) that they need to move from their overstuffed split-level  house with the big yard, into something smaller and more manageable (and less costly) to keep up. 

Appreciating: The comfort of my own bed!!   

Wanting: A return trip home this summer to celebrate my dad's 85th birthday -- which would be the first time we've made it there in the summertime since 2019!  

Wondering: What to do to celebrate my upcoming birthday...?  (I have a few ideas. Nothing elaborate!)    

Prioritizing: A trip to the supermarket today, to restock our fridge and cupboards, and visits this week to BIL & SIL's house:  Little Great-Nephew doesn't start school again until next Monday, and his parents had to return to work after being off over Christmas week, so he's there all this week!  

Hoping:  To wade through all the emails that have piled up over the past two weeks and weeding out my inbox...! 

Loving:  Being at Mom & Dad's and spending time with my family -- but also being back in my own space! 

Feeling: Glad to get 2023 behind us.  Hoping for better things in 2024.  

3 comments:

  1. OMG! It's so exciting to see my book on your recently purchased list! I will be eager to hear your thoughts on Ch 19, at least.

    And as for Trying? I'm with you in that trench.

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    Replies
    1. It may take me a while to get to it...! But I was happy to download a copy to my e-reader the day it became available! :)

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  2. Good luck to you both for the Trying task. As always, I love reading your Right Now update and snapshot of your life.

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