#MicroblogMondays: Was that you, Mom??

My mother loved chocolate. You could say she was an addict. There was always chocolate around our house when I was growing up.  Most of all, there were KitKat bars. Mom loved all kinds of chocolate, but KitKats were her favourite, and she had at least one finger of a bar every night before she went to bed (and often more). She had a stash in a kitchen cupboard (high up, so the smallest visiting Little Princess couldn't reach them), and more in the pantry, when she died in January. Whenever she travelled to the States (her home country), she took a stash with her. Mom was a proud American, but she always said the KitsKats there aren't the same, the Canadian bars are better. :)  (Apparently the KitKats in the UK -- where the treat originated -- are best, but she never got to find that out for herself. If & when I ever get to the UK, I am definitely doing a taste test...!)  

Santa always filled Mom's Christmas stocking with KitKat bars. The minister of her church had the inspiration to serve mini-KitKats (Halloween treat size) at the lunch after her funeral, which made everyone laugh when they saw them. I told her Mom would have loved it. 

So naturally, I thought of my mom when I heard this recent item on the news. They say you can't take it with you... but given that this happened not too long after Mom's departure from earthly existence, I really have to wonder...!  

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Personally, I like KitKats, and I will often tuck one (usually a chunky bar) into my purse for a snack whenever we're flying somewhere -- but my favourite bars have always been pure milk chocolate -- Aero (which also originated in the UK) -- and Jersey Milk -- a Canadian classic which (horrors!) has apparently been discontinued.  :(  My favourite chocolate indulgence these days is Lindt/Lindor milk chocolate balls (large or small). How about you?)  

You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here.  

Annoying things & small pleasures

Annoying things: 

• The opthalmologist I saw last Thursday encouraged me to start using lid wipes again to keep the bacteria that contributes to rosacea at bay. I'd stopped using them (on the advice of my optometrist) when my eyes were giving me so much trouble last fall. They contain tea tree oil, and the optometrist thought they were exacerbating the issues I was experiencing.  We eventually got the problem under control, and all has been well since then. 
• So I used the wipes again on Friday morning (the day after I saw the opthalmologist), and there was some mild irritation. I chalked it up to the dilating drops I'd received the previous day, which left my eyes feeling somewhat raw and strained.  But within hours of using the wipes again on Saturday, my eyes promptly became very irritated, and the lids red and puffy. Not quite as bad as they'd been last fall, but not great either. 
• So I stopped using the wipes, AGAIN (probably for good this time...!). I'll be seeing the optometrist for a follow-up in about two weeks' time, but until then, I increased my use of the topical ointment she'd prescribed for me last fall (from once to twice a day, which is what I started out with when I was having issues last fall). 
• They're not quite 100% yet, but my eyes ARE looking and feeing somewhat better again. Thank goodness!  
• Realizing the new TV adaptation of Margaret Atwood's "The Testaments" (a sequel to "The Handmaid's Tale") is only available on a streaming network (Disney Plus, which we do not have).. (I watched "The Handmaid's Tale" on the Bravo channel, which we get on cable. It was/is also available on the Crave streaming network). 

Small pleasures: 

• Getting a surprisingly (relatively) good deal on airfares for our next trip to see Dad. 
• Checking out new potential ancestors for dh via Ancestry DNA's ThruLines and common ancestors features. (An easy way to lose a few hours!  lol)  
• Sunshine!! Two days this week!! It's been horribly grey for so long ( = annoying thing). Clear, sunny weather in the winter/early spring can often mean it's cold outside -- and it has been that! -- windchill was -15C when we woke up Tuesday morning! -- but it's somewhat sunny and milder today -- we have the balcony door partly open -- and it's supposed to start warming up over the weekend and into next week. (It's ABOUT TIME!!) 
• Artemis II.  :)   I got choked up when Jeremy Hansen announced the crew wanted to name a newly mapped crater after Commander Reid Wiseman's late wife Carroll. (I think everyone did!)  That group hug after the announcement...  :)  
• Also Artemis-related:  I had a good giggle when I read that the crew broke out some maple cream cookies during the time they were incommunicado on the far side of the moon.  :)  
• Small annoying Artemis-related thing:  I was sadly disappointed by the lack of Pink Floyd references I saw on social media regarding Artemis's trek to the dark side of the moon  ;) --  (although when I posted a complaint about this on Facebook, a cousin promptly responded to by posting this meme to my feed...!  Thanks, F.!)  

"IVF is not a silver bullet." (No sh*t, Sherlock...)

I had high hopes when I a story from The Globe and Mail landed in my notifications this afternoon, with the title "IVF is not a silver bullet."  (Gift link.) 

**SPOILER ALERT/CONTENT WARNING:**  Let's just say I was disappointed.  (If you are not in the mood for miracle baby endings, or happy mommy pregnancy & baby photos, don't click over.) 

While the article does illuminate some of the frustrations and shortcomings of IVF treatment in Canada (and generally), I found it curiously terse and the (inevitably happy, with not just one but TWO "miracle babies" -- apparently born just four months apart?? -- after the author had almost "given up," of course) ending rather abrupt. (Several people in the comments so far seem to have felt the same way.)  The graphics were kind of cool, but Ifelt like more space and attention was given to those than the story itself. I would have preferred fewer graphics/photos and more of the story itself. 

I get that this was likely an excerpt from the author's book (In Fertility: The Story of a Miracle and the Big Business Behind It by Kathryn Blaze Baum, which comes out on Tuesday). .Hopefully the book gives a fuller picture of the many systemic issues, as well as the author's personal story.  I am debating whether I am interested enough in the author's critique of the industry (if not her personal "miracle" story) to pick up a copy. 

(But oh, it would be SO nice, just ONCE in a great while, to have one of these stories end without a "miracle baby" -- let alone babIES, plural! -- and a good life, still, regardless.... Why, why, WHY must EVERY story about infertility treatment in the mainstream media end with a baby?? ) 

Odds & ends

A couple of personal notes: 

• I got a little choked up watching the launch of the Artemis II from Cape Canaveral in Florida yesterday, more than 50 years after the last Apollo lunar mission in December 1972. (There have been space shuttle trips in the interim, of course, but somehow without quite the same cachet.)
• I was 11 (almost 12 years old) and, I will admit, pretty blase by that time about trips to the moon. The early ones *were* exciting, and the first moon walk in July 1969 (when I was 8 -- witnessed on a black-and-white TV set, while at my grandmother's in Minnesota, on my dad's 30th birthday) -- but after a while, the novelty wore off -- and (likewise with the Watergate hearings, around the same time) the wall-to-wall coverage pre-empted my Saturday morning cartoons and other favourite TV programs. (Priorities, people...!)  But if I'd known I'd be a senior citizen before we headed back to the moon again, I might have paid a little more attention...!  
• I've seen a lot of people on social media commenting on how all they could think about was the doomed launch of the space shuttle Challenger, 40 years ago. I'll admit that crossed my mind as I watched too. (I was recently married, unemployed and ironing laundry in our midtown Toronto apartment when that happened.) Very glad that history did not repeat itself in this case. 
• Artemis is also notable for Canadians because there's a Canadian astronaut aboard, Jeremy Hansen. Other Canadians have been in space before, but he'll be going farther than any of them have. Godspeed.   
• Dh & I drove into the heart of the city today for my long-awaited appointment with the opthomologist who did a keratectomy (surgery) on my right eye four (!) summers ago.  As mentioned in this post from November, my optometrist thought she saw something similar happening with my left eye, and sent me to have it checked out. I had all my crossables crossed that I wouldn't need more surgery -- but was pretty much resigned that I'd need to have it done .  
• So I was thrilled when the doctor told me yes, there was a small, shallow area on the left cornea that should be monitored (also the beginnings of a small cataract) -- but she didn't think surgery was necessary, not right now, anyway.  What a relief!  (And this on top of my improved cholesterol readings a few weeks ago! -- maybe I should buy a lottery ticket??)  
• I hadn't thought much about it when I made the appointment, but today is the day before Good Friday (i.e., the kickoff to the Easter long weekend).  Moreover, it's the first day of Passover too -- and the route we took to the hospital where the eye clinic is located runs straight down a long street (about 20 km or 12 miles) through the heart of Toronto's Jewish community. (We counted almost 10 synagogues and temples, and a good half-dozen Jewish schools and community centres along the way.)   Given this confluence of holidays, plus rainy weather, I expected traffic would be heavy -- and it was! (especially heading out of the city in the late afternoon).  
• En route home, we passed by several police cars and vans-- and realized they were probably patrolling the area in case of trouble. :(  I'm glad they were being vigilant, but what a sad commentary on the times we currently live in... 

And now a few recent notable links to share:  

• Elizabeth Day at Daylight ponders "When Did Reading Become A Competitive Sport?"  (Many of her posts are paywalled;  this one isn't!)  
• Ali Hall at Life Without Children on "How Pronatalism Is the Oldest Ism of Our Time" is WELL worth a read!  
• And speaking of pronatalism, Ali Hall also noted this extreme example of pronatalism running amok:  "Russia Is Sending Women, Who Don’t Want Kids, To Have Their Heads Checked." (!) 
• Another wonderful interview with a childless/free woman from Anne Helen Petersen for her "Big No-Kids Energy" series in her Culture Study Patreon newsletter: "Christy, Who Cares For Herself." 

Happy reading! and happy long weekend!  

Right now

Right now...* 

*(A (mostly) monthly series/meme.  Explanation of how this started & my inspirations in my first "Right now" post, here. Also my first (similar) "The Current" post, here.)

March had a few spring-like moments -- we had the balcony door wide open on THREE glorious days -- one mid-month and two this week, when the temperature reached a whopping 18-21C (64-70F). There was also one day when it was so foggy that I couldn't see past our balcony (it was the day of Little Great-Niece's birthday party, which made driving there -- down a couple of winding country roads! -- ummm, INTERESTING...!).  

But for the most part, the weather stayed pretty wintry/blustery -- a few snowstorms, freezing rain, and chilly temperatures, including one morning when the windchill was -22C/-8F (brrrr...).  And SO grey and gloomy!!  

Needless to say, I am SO DONE with this long, cold, snowy, grey winter!! 

Some of the things I/we did this month include: 

• Bought groceries and takeout pizza slices or soup for lunch at the supermarket (March 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th).  
• Walked and shopped at the nearby local mall (March 3rd, 10th & 24th). 
• Drove with BIL & SIL through thick fog (as mentioned above) to Little Great-Niece's birthday party (March 7th). A good time was had by all.  :) 
  
• Drove to midtown Toronto for dental cleanings and checkups (March 12th -- all was well!). 
• Went to BIL & SIL's on Sunday afternoon (March 15th) for coffee/tea and to spend some time with our two little great-nephews, who were there while their parents went out. :)  
• Had an abdominal ultrasound (new screening program for aortic aneurysms offered by Ontario Health to seniors) and mammogram (March 16th).(Stopped off at the supermarket en route home for groceries.) Both came back fine.  
• Did not go to the mall during spring break week (lol) but braved the crowds and went to the bookstore instead for a for a browse (March 17th). 
• Stopped at the drugstore en route home to pick up a couple of prescriptions and a few other things too. 
• Went for bloodwork at a nearby lab to check my cholesterol levels (March 20th). (Gulp.) (The lab is usually packed, but there were just two people in the waiting area when I arrived??  It was spring break, so I'm thinking everyone who might usually be there was in Mexico or Costa Rica, lol.) 
• Since I'd had to fast for 12 hours and hadn't had anything to eat, we went out for brunch immediately afterwards, (See "Eating," below.)  It was spring break, and by the time we left, the restaurant was PACKED!  
• Then we went to a nearby Canadian Tire and picked up a couple of air filters, for both the HVAC unit and the Dyson air purifier/humidifier. (We originally planned to go to a few more stores, but it was cold, windy, grey & dreary, and there was freezing rain -- so we just headed home, where it was warm and cozy!)  

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Also right now:  

Reading: March was not a great reading month for me (too many distractions...!):  I finished 1 book (reviewed on this blog, as well as Goodreads & StoryGraph, & tagged "2026 books"  Year to date, I've read 6 books,  reached 15% of my Goodreads Challenge goal, and am currently 3 books behind schedule to achieve it by year end.  

• "Gimme a Crisis" by Howard Green.  (4-4.5 stars;  my review.) 

Current reads: 

• "The Forsyte Saga" by John Galsworthy. After mulling it over (see this post!), I accepted a commenter's suggestion to do a readalong together!  Currently 18% completed. 
• "The Four Graces" by D.E. Stevenson -- re-read/readalong/discussion with my D.E. Stevenson group, which began Feb. 23 and will conclude in late April/early May. Original 2015 review here;  most recent review here. (Currently 56% completed.)  
• "Childless: A Woman and a Girl in a Man's World" by Fabiana Formica.  This one is beautifully written, but slow going, and I was reading it (or trying to...!) at Mom & Dad's last summer, where there were a lot of distractions. I've put it aside for the moment to focus on other reading priorities, but I've completed 33% to date.
• "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. ;)  

• For my Childless Collective Nomo Book Club:  
• "The Bandit Queens" by Parini Shroff (May)
• "The Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley (June). (I previously read and reviewed this one, here;  rated 4.5-5 stars.) 
• "The Hacienda" by Isabel Canas (July)
• "In Memoriam" by Alice Winn (August).  (I previously read and reviewed this one, here;  4-5-5 stars.)  
• "Young Woman and the Sea" by Glenn Stout (September)
• "The Wedding People" by Alison Espach (October). (I previously read and reviewed this one, here;  rated 4-4.5 stars.)
• "The Women" by Kristin Hannah (November)
• For my D.E. Stevenson group: Next books to be determined... 

• Footnotes and Tangents slow readalongs for 2026 include:
• "Regeneration" by Pat Barker (April 3rd – May 14th)
• "The Inheritors" by William Golding (June)
• "Treacle Walker" by Alan Garner (July)
• "The Children’s Book" by A.S. Byatt (September–December)

A few recently purchased titles (all in digital format, mostly discounted ($5-10 or less) or purchased with points): 

• "Having It All" by Corinne Low 
• "The Phoenix Pencil Company" by Allison King 
• "Let's Just Say it Wasn't Pretty" by Diane Keaton 
• "Say Everything" by Ione Skye 
• "A Cold Day for Murder" by Dana Stabenow
• "Best Offer Wins" by Marisa Kashino 
• "The CIA Book Club" by Charlie English 

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Watching: Actually watched a lot of stuff this month! 

• "Finding Your Roots" (season 12) on PBS, Tuesday nights, which began in January. Lots of reruns on lately, though -- I'm not sure if the season is over yet, or whether they're saving the last few episodes for ratings sweeps month, or...? 
• The Oscars!  (mentioned in this past post). 
• "The Forsytes" on PBS.  This started on March 22nd, and I've seen two episodes (of six) so far.  I am glad I started reading the book by John Galsworthy, because (even though I'm far from finished), it's helped me grasp who's who and how they're all related a lot faster, I think. But, as I speculated in this previous post, this series is not a strict adaptation of the novel:  I would actually call it more of a prequel (I saw a post on social media that called it "fan fiction," and that would work too!). Most of the characters and storylines echo those in the book (or are heading in the book's direction). 
• There are lots of modern touches (rebellious women in very un-Victorian makeup, and colour-blind casting in some supporting roles, for example). There are also a couple of lesser characters who appear to have been invented just for the show (e.g., the Carterets, Jo's office friend Isaac)   
• On its own merits, it's... entertaining.  If you enjoy a glossy soap opera featuring family rivalries, forbidden romances, handsome actors and pretty actresses, and sumptuous sets and costumes, tune in...!  
• "The Count of Monte Cristo" airs on PBS immediately following "The Forsytes" on Sunday nights. (It also started on March 22nd = two episodes of eight aired to date). I have not read the 1844 novel it's based on, but the storyline is pretty well known today: just before his marriage to the lovely Mercedes, young French sailor Edmund Dantes (Sam Claflin) is falsely accused of treason and spends 15+ years in a grim prison fortress on an island off the coast of Marseilles. While there, he connects with the old prisoner in the neighbouring cell, the Abbe Faria (wonderfully played by Jeremy Irons), who tells him about a fabulous treasure buried on the island of Monte Cristo. Together they plot their escape, and Edmund vows to find the treasure and take revenge on those responsible for his imprisonment. I'm enjoying it so far! 
• "Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe:"  I wrote a recent post about this.  
• Curling!  The Brier (Canadian men's curling championships, in St. John's, Newfoundland), followed later in the month by the women's world championships in Calgary, and then the men's in Ogden, Utah (which began this past weekend and continue through this week). Dh & I wound up watching a lot of games, especially the ones involving Manitoba/Canadian teams. (It also gave me something to talk about with my dad when I called him, since I knew he would be watching too!)   
• World figure skating championships, from Prague last week. Network TV coverage was pretty scanty (a two-hour summary on NBC on Saturday night, and one hour on CBC on Sunday afternoon, none of it live -- grrrr....) -- but happily, I was able to access live feeds of all the events (totalling about 8 hours a day, for four days straight!, plus the gala exhibition on Sunday morning) via CBC's Gem streaming service on my laptop. (You can view Gem on some smart TVs -- but apparently our 11-year-old Samsung is not smart enough!  lol).
• "Henry David Thoreau," a 4-part documentary by Ken Burns, airing over the past two nights on PBS. Really interesting, and the footage of Walden Pond, etc., was so pretty -- but I'll admit I was struggling to stay awake the last half hour! (till 11 PM). 

Playing:  

• Heardle Decades: (as of March 31st): 
• Heardle 60s: 74.2% (899/1212, 361 on first guess), up 0.3% from Feb. 28th. Max streak: 21. (up 1 from 20 -- I went for 22, but got tripped up on "Hole in My Shoe" by Traffic...!) 
• Heardle 70s: 75.3% (720/956, 401 on first guess), up 0.1% from Feb. 28th. Max streak: 18. 
• Heardle 80s:  41.8% (338/809, 124 on first guess), up 0.2% from Feb. 28th. Max. streak: 5.
• Heardle 90s: 33.4% (304/911, 80 on first guess), down 0.1% from Feb. 28th. Max. streak: 9. 
• NYT Connections: 
• As of Feb. 28th  I'd played 563 games and won 89% of them, including 300 "perfect puzzles" with zero errors, including 18 where I got the most difficult/purple category first. Maximum winning streak: 45 (unchanged). Current streak: 12. 
• By March 31st, I had 594 completed games, won 89% of them (unchanged since Dec. 31st), including 317 "perfect puzzles," including 18 where I got the most difficult/purple category first (unchanged from Dec. 31st). Maximum winning streak:  45 (unchanged since June 30th).  Current streak: 3.  

Listening:  

• To the Stingray 80s music channel. They've been playing the B-52s "Love Shack" a lot lately, and I am here for it, lol.  That song always makes me want to get up and dance. :)  "Rock Lobster" and "Planet Claire" were staples at university dorm parties in the late 1970s/early 1980s.

Following:  

Eating/Drinking:  

• Over the past 18 months, we've been trying to eat healthier and lower our cholesterol -- and avoid having to take (more) medication -- since some less-than-stellar bloodwork results for both of us in fall 2024 and then again (for me) last November (2025, as mentioned in November's Right Now post). 
• I repeated my bloodwork in mid-March and the results showed improvement -- just one cholesterol measure out of normal range (and even that one was better than it had been). Our family doctor's staff relayed the message to keep up the low-fat/high-fibre diet and exercise, and we'll check again in another six months. Reprieve!!    
• I'm in a bit of a plateau lately:  I ended March 0.2 pounds less than when the month started.  Overall, I'm down a little more than 14 pounds since late October 2024 -- close to my lowest weight in quite some time -- and a little more than 26 pounds from my heaviest-ever weight  (in August 2021). 
• (Dh is down about 20 pounds overall since fall 2024.)
• At Little Great-Niece's birthday party (March 7th -- postponed a week because she was sick!), we feasted on pasta in alfredo sauce, sliders, sausage with peppers and potatos, rice balls (arancini) and salad. And cake, of course.  :)  (It was a huge cake, and we all went home with a big chunk!) (Not quite low-cal or low-fat...!  But delicious!) 
• After bloodwork on the morning of Friday, March 20th to check my cholesterol levels (and fasting for 12 hours prior), we went out for brunch, at the same place we went to in early February (thanks to a birthday/condolence gift card from a friend). Dh had an omelette, while I had scrambled eggs -- with bacon!  lol  (Yeah, I know... but they make great bacon! and I figure it will be a while before we're back, and before I need to have my bloodwork checked again!) 
• I'd kind of forgotten it was still spring break here... there were still a lot of empty tables when we arrived around 9:30 AM, but by the time we left, nearly an hour later, the place was PACKED!  
• We indulged in takeout pizza slices or soup from the supermarket, once or twice a week, for lunch and/or dinner. Saturday night takeout dinners this month included teriyaki rice bowls from the supermarket, and rotisserie chicken (baked potato on the side for me;  fries for dh) from Swiss Chalet.   

Wearing: I was occasionally able to switch to a lighter-weight spring/fall jacket this month (vs my usual down-filled winter jacket), and go without slippers over my socks inside the house occasionally. Progress? 

Buying (besides books, lol):  

• Stuff for the great-niblings' Easter baskets. 
• A new water-resistant spring jacket from Reitmans (black, waist length -- and on sale!). 

Trying: To call my dad, if not every day, then every other day. We usually don't have a lot to talk about, but that's not why I do it...! 

Appreciating:  What my sister & her partner are doing for my dad. They've been there almost every weekend since Mom died, keeping him company, going through closets and taking stuff to the dump and/or the local thrift shop, taking him to see potential apartments, etc. (Also feeling a bit guilty because I live so far away and can't be there more often.  I do chip in financially as needed. )  

Planning:  Our next visit there, likely for sometime in May. 

Wanting:  This winter to be OVER, already...!! 

Hoping: For better weather and sunshine, soon! 

                        

Feeling: Glad that it's (finally!) spring (even if it doesn't quite feel like it yet...!). A little dazed at how quickly the days, weeks, and this year generally so far are passing by. Missing my mom. :(   

(Couldn't think of what to write for a few of the usual categories, so I just deleted them, rather than delay posting!)