Monday, January 6, 2025

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.)

I am late! (lol) I normally try to post "Right now" on or around the first of the month. But to say December threw me for a loop would be an understatement... I am SO FAR BEHIND on everything. So this December/early January summary (and the rest of January, next month/early next) will be a bit of a mishmash, but it will all get get sorted out, eventually...! 

December was busy, getting ready, not only for Christmas, but to go away for Christmas/New Year's -- and to welcome a new little great-nephew! who was born shortly before we left.  (We still haven't seen him yet, but hope to do so soon!) The gloomy grey and cold weather was offset somewhat by the pretty Christmas decorations & lights in malls and homes, including our own tree, which we put up early in the month.

We arrived at my parents' home in Manitoba on Dec. 21st. On the one hand, it feels like we didn't do a whole lot. On the other, we really WERE busy (especially me!) -- prepping for (and recovering from!) Christmas, helping out my elderly parents with meal prep & cleanup and other assorted things around the house, playing cards (almost every night), and being entertained by almost-daily visits from Parents' Neighbours' Daughter and the youngest Little Princess (#3, now 16 months old).  I had very little laptop time (and I find it difficult to type out more than a couple of sentences on my cellphone...!)! 

Pandemic diary/update: December was month #57 since the covid pandemic began in March 2020 (now in Year FIVE, going on SIX). :(   We (still!) remain covid-free (so far as we know... knocking wood, loudly...) -- although dh came down with a nasty cough/cold in late November (and brushed off my suggestion of testing...). He felt pretty tough for about a week (which kept us mostly at home), then started feeling better, albeit the cough lingered for a while longer. 


I did test -- twice -- both times negative. Nevertheless, it was the worst cold I've had in quite a long time, with a very nasty & long-lasting cough and a lot of fatigue for the first week or two (no doubt because all the coughing kept me awake at night...!).  As a result, I didn't quite finish my Christmas shopping (and had to scramble for stocking stuffers in the few days remaining before Christmas once we got to my parents' house). We couldn't go to BIL's to see Little Great-Nephew, let alone to the hospital to meet his baby brother, our new Little Great-Nephew #2, who arrived just before we were scheduled to fly west for the holidays. :(   

By then, I felt slightly more human, but still had a pretty bad cough. So I masked up at the airport & on the plane -- as I would have, anyway (and will do again on the return trip). (I'm mostly better now, but the cough lingered for almost the entire two weeks I was at Mom & Dad's.)   

We continue to 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 has been slacking off, whenever I'm not around to hand him a mask...!) (Non-maskers are still in the vast majority, but I noticed a lot more people masking at the airport and on our flights than I've seen lately.) 

I thought this was a great piece in the Toronto Star recently, which asks "Why doesn’t Doug Ford’s government want you to know if you have this dangerous disease?"  Here's how it opens:  

Once upon a time, rapid tests for COVID-19 were widely available and free of charge at groceries and pharmacies. Public health sent a clear message: results matter.  The current absence of tests is a striking departure that implies testing is no longer relevant and that SARS CoV-2 has ceased to be a threat. Both are false. 

The scarcity of rapid tests is Ontarians’ most recent loss to their ability to gauge COVID-19.  First came the shut-down of Ontario’s Science Advisory Table. Then Ontario stopped providing timely data to Canada’s Long-term Care Covid Tracker, leading to its closure. Two months later, funding for nearly all of Ontario’s wastewater surveillance sites ended. 

No one should be fooled into thinking that COVID-19 no longer matters...

Among other things we did this month, we: 
  • Assembled the Christmas tree and brought the boxes of decorations (as well as our luggage) up from our storage locker (in the parking garage in the basement of our building)(Dec. 3rd). 
    • Decorated the tree! (Dec. 4th)
  • Did a little Christmas shopping at our local Chapters (bookstore), Carters (children's clothing) and Laura (women's wear) on Dec. 5th, while dh (with a nasty cough) waited in the car. 
  • Drove into midtown Toronto for checkups & cleanings with the dentist (Dec. 10th).  Mine had to be postponed (first until Dec. 18th and then into early January) because I took a tumble and then came down with a cold!  :p  
  • Visited Katie at the cemetery, and then had haircuts, lunch, and did some Christmas shopping at the mall in our old community (Dec. 13th). 
  • Travelled to see my parents & sister over the holidays (and got back home yesterday). :) 
    • Since we got here, we've been out a few times, shopping for last-minute stocking stuffers, drugstore sundries and healthy snacks & other food at the grocery store (including some fresh fruit, crackers, Greek yogurt and sparkling water). 
  • Went out for coffee one afternoon last week with a woman who contacted me via Ancestry, after noting that I had some of her ancestors on my posted tree there.  Turns out: (1)  we are not related, BUT we have cousins in common (one of my great-great uncles married one of her great-aunts -- and then married her sister, after his first wife died!  (2)  she & I were born in the same town, and thus she knows lots of my relatives -- her husband worked with one of my cousins, her dad curled with my uncle, and our parents knew each other quite well too, and (3)  she now lives in the same town where my parents live! (And (4):  She doesn't have children either.)  We had a very enjoyable chat.
  • Went with dh to the supermarket this morning to load up on groceries and restock our rather bare cupboards and refrigerator!
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Also right now:  

Reading: I finished 5 books in December (reviewed on this blog, as well as Goodreads & StoryGraph, & tagged "2024 books").  
  • "The Windsor Knot" by S.J. Bennett, the January pick for my Childless Collective Nomo Book Club (previously read in 2021 and reviewed here;  most recent review here).   
  • "Miss Buncle’s Book" by D.E. Stevenson, read chapter-by-chapter with my DES fan group. (Original 2015 review here;  review from my initial re-read in October here;  most recent review here.) 
  • "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" by Helen Simonson. (My review.) 
  • "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy (!). As I wrote here, I needed another book club/readalong obligation like a hole in the head  ;)  but nevertheless, I took part in a year-long readalong of this book, hosted by Simon at Footnotes & Tangents -- a chapter a day for a full year, which began Jan. 1, 2024. (And I really enjoyed it!) Review here. 
    • If you've ever thought about reading W&P, Simon is repeating the readalong in 2025 for paying subscribers, starting Jan. 1st -- and I highly recommend the experience! (and yes, I'm probably doing it again!). Details here!  
  • "The Mirror and the Light" by Hilary Mantel (book #3 in the Thomas Cromwell Trilogy) -- part of a year-long "slow readalong" hosted by Simon at Footnotes & Tangents (which participants dubbed "Wolf Crawl,"  lol) -- about 40 pages per week.  :)   
    • We started during the week of July 21st.  I chose to focus on some of my other books over the late summer/early fall, and as a result, was 9 weeks behind the posted reading schedule at one point (erk). I managed to catch up over the past two weeks and finished on Dec. 30th!  Review here. 
    • Simon is repeating the Cromwell Trilogy slow readalong in 2025 for paying subscribers. I highly recommend the experience! (and am considering whether I'm up to another round of it myself...!). (Yes, I'm nuts...!)  Details here!  
This brings me to 37 books read in 2024, 82% of my 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. (See my 2024 Reading Year in Review post!) 

Current reads: 
  • "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). This will be our last book with our wonderful administrator of the past five (!) years, Andrea, who is moving on to other projects. I just (re)read this one right at this time last year, so I chose not to read it through (again) on my own first (as I normally would), but I will count this one as a re-read when we're done. (My previous review here.) 
  • "Others Like Me" by Nicole Louie. (Not a selection for my Childless Collective Nomo Book Club, but Katy Seppi will be interviewing the author in January!) 
  • "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy, with Footnotes & Tangents. One chapter a day for an entire year -- round #2!!  Yes, I couldn't resist -- I'm doing it again!  (See above.) (And if I slack off, well, having done it once already, I'm good...!).  
  • "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 (which I missed) covered Chapter 5.  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...! 
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): (I haven't added links, in the interest of getting this posted sooner vs later...!) 
  • "Long Island Compromise" by Taffy Brodesseur-Akner
  • "The Widow's Guide to Dead Bastards" by Jessica Waite
  • "The Wedding People" by Alison Espach 
  • "Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret" by Benjamin Stevenson 
  • "Conclave" by Robert Harris 
  • "Precipice" by Robert Harris 
  • "Charlie's Good Tonight" by Paul Sexton 
  • "A Well-Trained Wife" by Tia Levings
  • "The Saturday Place" by Alice Peterson 
  • "Intermezzo" by Sally Rooney 
  • "Earth to Moon" by Moon Unit Zappa 
  • "What I Ate in One Year" by Stanley Tucci 
  • "Walking Disaster" by Deryck Whibley 
  • "The Art of Power" by Nancy Pelosi 
  • "Over Work" by Brigid Schulte 

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Watching:  
  • "Wolf Hall" on PBS, based on the books "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies" by Hilary Mantel, both of which I read earlier this year (click on links for my reviews).  The first of six episodes aired on Oct. 27th;  the last aired on Dec. 1st, and I hugely enjoyed it. It really brings the books to life! 
    • An adaptation of "The Mirror and the Light," the final book in the Cromwell Trilogy (which I'm reading right now -- see "Reading," above), with most of the same cast members, will begin airing in March 2025 on PBS. (It's already been seen in Britain.)  Looking forward to it! 
  • Endless game shows, including The Price is Right, Family Feud, Let's Make a Deal, and Cash Cab (as well as vintage game show reruns, some of them 40 years older or more...!) -- which my dad LOVES (and which drive dh absolutely bonkers...!), while at my parents' house over the holidays!  (My sister confessed that SHE's the culprit who added the Game TV network to their favourite TV channels! lol -- and she has lived to rue the day...!)  
    • Also re-runs of "The Big Bang Theory," which are somewhat more tolerable...! 
Listening: Beyond our usual listening fare (Stingray music channels, including Classic Rock and 70s), we were also listening to the 80s channel and Christmas/seasonal music, while at home!  

Playing:  
  • Heardle Decades: I mostly slacked off on playing Heardle while I was at my parents' house.  Stats as of Jan. 5th (but really more like Dec. 22nd): 
    • Heardle 60s: 76.5% (613/801, 242 on first guess), same as last month. Max. streak: 15.
    • Heardle 70s: 78.4% (422/538, 237 on first guess), down 0.4% from last month. Max. streak: 18. 
    • Heardle 80s: 39.4% (162/411, 61 on first guess), down 0.7% from last month. Max. streak: 4. 
    • Heardle 90s: 28.8% (148/513, 30 on first guess), up 0.9% from last month. Max. streak: 5. 
  • NYT Connections: 
    • By Nov. 30th, I'd completed 125 games and won 79% of them, including 62 "perfect puzzles" with zero errors and a maximum winning streak of 15.  :)   
    • By Jan. 5th, I'd completed 161 games and won 81% of them, including 78 "perfect puzzles" with zero errors. I maintained my maximum winning streak of 15.  :) 
Following:  

Eating/Drinking:  
  • We continued our efforts to eat healthier since our family doctor warned us about our rising cholesterol levels back in mid-October.  By the time we left for the Christmas holidays, I was down about 6 pounds. (Dh had lost more than 11 -- MEN, right?? lol)  
    • I couldn't NOT indulge in some of the holidays goodies that I generally only get to have once a year (turkey, gravy, stuffing, cabbage rolls and perogies, shortbread and butter tarts) -- but I made an effort not to OVER indulge, watch my portion sizes and make the healthy-ish choices. (This was complicated by the fact that my 85-year-old dad does a lot of the cooking, and has never met a pound of butter that he didn't want to slather all over everything...!  Lots of roasts -- beef, pork, chicken and ham, as well as turkey -- mashed potatos whipped with sour cream and half-and-half and veggies loaded with butter and/or cheese.)  Dh & I made a few trips to the local grocery store to stock up on our own (healthy(er)) snacks, including Greek yogurt, apples and clementine oranges, almonds, Triscuit thins, and sparkling water (as an alternative to pop/soda).  
    • I was delighted (and relieved) to step on the scale this morning and find I'd only gained 0.2 pounds while we were away. (Then I was annoyed to find that dh LOST 2+ pounds (!) -- for a grand total of 14+ to date.  Good for him, but WHY is it always easier for men to lose weight??). The battle continues...!  
    • More bloodwork to come this month. Hoping neither of us will need another prescription, depending on the results! 
Buying (besides books, lol):  Christmas and birthday presents, including things for dh, Little Great-Niece, Little Great-Nephew and his baby brother!   

Wearing:  Our heaviest/warmest winter jackets and boots (December/January in Manitoba!!).   

Enjoying:  Our Christmas tree (and other decorations), and the extra light it gives off at this time of year (which tends to be dark, grey & gloomy in southern Ontario...!).  (We left it up while we were away, and will likely take it down later this week.)  

Missing:  Receiving Christmas cards and displaying the photos people send on my refrigerator! -- no thanks to the Canada Post strike, which began Nov. 15th. The workers were ordered back to work on Dec. 17th, but there's a big backlog to deal with, and by the time we returned yesterday, we'd only received two cards in the mail so far.  And even pre-strike, I've noticed that fewer and fewer people are sending out Christmas cards these days.  :(   I didn't get any done myself this year (didn't see the point when I didn't know if or when I'd get to send them out), and am debating whether to send something out this month or just skip this year all together...?? 

Appreciating:  Heat!!  lol  My sister & her partner drove us to the airport yesterday morning with minimal/NO HEAT in their car!!  There was enough to keep the windshield/windows clear of frost, thankfully, and my parents sent blankets with us, but it's an hour's drive, and those last 20 minutes were pretty chilly! Besides the blanket over my lap/legs, I had my tuque/hat on, coat hood pulled up, scarf pulled up on my face, gloved hands shoved inside pockets, and was wiggling my toes inside my boots to try to keep the circulation going. The temperature outside when we left was -25C, with a windchill of -33C (by the time we got into the city, it had warmed up (??) to -21C).  (That's -33, -27.4 and -5.8F, respectively.)  It was funny to get to Toronto and hear people complaining about how cold it was (it was a relatively balmy -3C/+26.6F, lol).  

Noticing:  My knees (and the left knee in particular) have been KILLING me, after two weeks at my parents' split-level house, going (hobbling) up and down stairs between the three levels. I've had knee issues for well over 15 years now, but stairs just seem to exacerbate things, and I am so thankful to live in a condo, all on one level!  My elderly parents -- both of whom have mobility issues and use canes outside and sometimes inside the house -- insist that it doesn't bother THEM...!  

Prioritizing: I did a lot of that this month...!  Our respective colds really cut into the time we had for Christmas shopping and other prep work before we left for the holidays -- and while we were at my parents' house, I had very little uninterrupted time to myself. I really had to think about what I REEEEALLLLY NEEDED to get done, what would be good to do if I had some time, and what I could let go or postpone till after we got back. I glance at my social media feeds now & then but I'm sure I've missed a ton of news from friends. Likewise, I scanned my emails and flagged the ones that need immediate attention, but most of my newsletters and the like have sat unopened.  I have two weeks' worth of new Ancestry DNA matches to look at (for my mom & dh as well as myself), and have barely kept up with checking my Kobo wishlist for anything on sale, let alone checking out the daily deals. Sigh... 

Trying: To maintain my focus on what needs to be done first/most, now that we're back home (and to not get distracted by my phone, lol).

Wanting: To get organized for the new year (struggling so far...!). 

Anticipating: Looking forward to getting to meet Little Great-Nephew #2 soon!!  (Not enough photos posted/sent by his parents & grandparents while we were away to satisfy us...!) 

Wondering:   Will 2025 FINALLY be the year we get to do some serious travelling?? (particularly since we have a big anniversary coming up...!)  (And if we do, will my knee hold out??)

Loving:  Being back in my own bed again!! 

Feeling: Sad that Christmas always comes & goes so quickly. Sad to leave my elderly parents. (But happy to be back home and in my own bed again!) Nervous anticipation for this new year:  will our cholesterol levels be low enough to avoid additional medication??  
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