Showing posts with label Right Now. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Right Now. Show all posts

Friday, May 1, 2026

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.)

April was still pretty grey & chilly -- there were still some snowflakes in the air (if not sticking to the ground) on April 19th (!) -- but towards the end of the month, the temperatures warmed up enough that we were able to open the balcony door on several afternoons.  The trees (finally) began budding out, and we could see some daffodils in the neighbourhood yards.  It's about time!!  We celebrated Easter with the family, dh had another birthday, and we made plans for another trip west to see my dad (coming up soon). 

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

  • Went to Michaels & Chapters (bookstore) to pick up a few more things for the great-niblings' Easter goodie bags. (April 1st) 
  • Drove with dh into the heart of the city to have my eyes checked by the same ophthalmologist who did surgery on my right eye in July 2022. And was VERY relieved that further surgery is not needed (at least, not at this point in time)! -- see this post. (April 2nd) 
  • Spent Easter with BIL & family, including SIl's two brothers and their partners/families -- 18 people in a not-huge house, including four children between the ages of 1 and 8. It was chaotic, but fun to see everyone, and dinner was excellent. 
  • Shopped for groceries at the supermarket and picked up takeout soup or pizza for lunch (April 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th).  
  • Went to the mall to walk & shop for a couple of hours (April 7th , 14th, 21st & 28th). 
    • Our visits have been a bit shorter than usual this month (and my wallet is a bit fatter!  lol) -- Old Navy is closed for renovations until mid-June. Horrors!!  (lol)  
  • Celebrated dh's birthday with takeout for dinner (Chinese -- see "Eating," below). (April 11th) 
  • Returned to the mall in our old community for haircuts, lunch and shopping/walking. Also visited Katie at the cemetery. (April 17th) 
  • Headed into midtown for follow-up optometrist appointments (April 22nd).  As I wrote here, new glasses (for both of us) are on hold for now, but we'll be back in October and we'll see then...! 
  • Browsed at the bookstore and picked up a few things at the supermarket en route home (April 24th). 
  • Drove with BIL & SIL to dh & BIL's cousin's house (the same cousin who hosts us at their cottage every year)(April 24th). He & his wife are both accountants and they do BIL & SIL's income taxes every year at this time! as well as Older Nephew's and his wife's.  (Dh does ours.) 
  • (Dh went with BIL & SIL up to Older Nephew's on Sunday afternoon, April 26th, to have lunch, visit and deliver their completed income taxes. I stayed home to host a previously scheduled meeting of one of my online book clubs.)
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Also right now:  

Reading: I finished 2 books in April (all reviewed on this blog, as well as Goodreads & StoryGraph, & tagged "2026 books").  Year to date, I've read 8 books,  reached 20% of my Goodreads Challenge goal, and am currently 5 books behind schedule to achieve it by year end.  
Current reads: 
  • "Regeneration" by Pat Barker. Slow readalong with Footnotes & Tangents (April 3rd – May 14th). Currently 60% completed. 
  • "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 34% 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. ;)  
A few recently purchased titles (all in digital format, mostly discounted ($5-10 or less) or purchased with points): 

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Watching: Actually watched a fair bit of new stuff this month! 
  • "Finding Your Roots" (season 12) on PBS, Tuesday nights, which began in January.
  • "The Forsytes" on PBS.  This started on March 22nd and ran for six  (6) episodes, ending April 26th.  I'm still reading the book ("The Forsyte Saga" by John Galsworthy -- see "Reading," above!), but (as I speculated in this previous post) the series is a "reimagining" of the novel and/or a sort of prequel to it, and not a strict adaptation -- highly soap opera-fied, and not particularly faithful to the period it's supposed to be set in (late 1880s/Victorian England). Somewhat entertaining, but... (I'll probably still watch season 2, though...!)
  • "The Count of Monte Cristo" (on PBS, immediately following "The Forsytes" on Sunday nights -- it also started on March 22nd = 6 episodes of eight aired to date). Lost treasure, lost love and ridiculously complex revenge plots! with a huge cast of characters and subplots to keep track of (still not sure I have them all straight??).  But also jaw-dropping sets/locations and gorgeous costumes.  I am enjoying it!  
  • Men's world curling championships in Ogden, Utah. Our Canadian rink, skipped by Matt Dunstone from Manitoba, lost the gold medal match to Sweden on April 4th.   
Playing:  
  • Heardle Decades: (as of April 30th): 
    • Heardle 60s: 74.1% (918/1239, 374 on first guess), down 0.1% from March 31st. Max streak: 21. 
    • Heardle 70s: 74.9% (738/985, 412 on first guess), down 0.4% from March 31st. Max streak: 18. 
    • Heardle 80s:  41.5% (348/838, 131 on first guess), down 0.3% from March 31st. Max. streak: 5.
    • Heardle 90s: 33.3% (313/939, 81 on first guess), down 0.1% from March 31st. Max. streak: 9. 
  • NYT Connections: 
    • By March 31st, I had completed 594 games, won 89% of them (unchanged since Dec. 31st), including 317 "perfect puzzles" with zero errors, and 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.  
    • As of April 30th, I'd played 624 games and won 89% of them, including 337 "perfect puzzles" with zero errors, and 18 where I got the most difficult/purple category first. Maximum winning streak: 45 (unchanged since June 30th). Current streak: 11. 
Listening: To a couple of episodes of The Full Stop and Culture Study (with Anne Helen Petersen). 

Following:  The journey of Artemis II around the moon and back to earth, earlier this month -- with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen on board, as well as the first black man and first woman to orbit the moon (and a childless woman at that!).  From its launch on April 1st to its textbook perfect splashdown on April 10th, this was a joy to follow, and a much-needed feel-good story at a dark time in the world... 

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 ended April 1.4 pounds less than when the month started.  Overall, I'm down more than 14 pounds since late October 2024 -- close to my lowest weight in more than a decade -- and more than 26 pounds from my heaviest-ever weight  (in August 2021). 
      • (Dh is down more than 18 pounds overall since fall 2024.)
  • We celebrated dh's birthday on April 11th with takeout from a popular Chinese chain restaurant outlet (not the healthiest stuff, but we hadn't had it in quite a while!). We usually get their "Dinner for Two," which includes 2 egg rolls, sweet & sour chicken balls, chicken chow mein, and fried rice. (Also fortune cookies, of course!)  It's a ton of food and we always have enough leftovers for another complete dinner later in the week!  
  • Older Nephew's Wife sent home some leftover burgers, hot dogs and pasta salad with dh when he went up there with BIL & SIL for lunch last Sunday (while I hosted an online book club Zoom). Dh thinks pasta salad (or cold pasta anything) is gross (likewise bean salad)... his loss!  (I don't care for the peppers & cucumbers in it, but I just pick those out and eat the rest!)  
  • 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.    
  • Trying to use up what's in the fridge/cupboards as much as possible, and minimize new purchases, leading up to our upcoming trip.  We'll do a big trip to the grocery store to restock when we return.  
Wearing: The weather was mild enough overall that, by mid-month, there were several days when I was able to ditch my socks and go barefoot in the house (if not outside...!), plus switch from long to short sleeved T-shirts and long to capri-length yoga pants (again, not outside yet!). :) 

Buying (besides books, lol):  Plane tickets for our next visit to my dad, next month (at a thankfully/relatively -- and surprisingly, considering current world events and their impact on fuel prices -- reasonable price).  

Also, not exactly "buying," but we both had to pay income taxes (ouch!). 

Planning:  Our next trip to Manitoba to see my dad, and help my sister with the ongoing house cleanout and setting up Dad's new apartment (he took possession on April 30th). Sis has stacked a pile of boxes in the closet of the room where we stay for me to go through while I'm there (and sent me a photo -- see here!)(eeeekkkk....!).  

Missing:  Dh's cousin's daughter's wedding in July. We had to RSVP this week. It's the same week as my dad's 87th birthday and what would have been my parents' 66th wedding anniversary, and I think I need to be with my dad then.  I would have liked to go, though -- I have a nice dress I could have worn, and it's always fun to see everyone. (Plus, it's being held at a barn venue!! -- which is a real departure for dh's family's weddings!  I'm curious!  lol)  

Prioritizing/Trying: To tackle some of the "stuff" in my own house/condo (see above for my inspiration!  lol).  Granted, we did get rid of a lot of stuff when we moved, 10 years ago -- but there's a lot that I haven't looked at/re-evaluated since then, and there's more that can be done...!  (And I'll likely be bringing at least a few more things home with me from my Dad's house too!)  I've made progress on whittling down the magazine pile under the living room coffee table (yay me?). 

Loving:  When I actually get a good night's sleep!  ;)  

Noticing: The trees are starting to bud with leaves and blossoms!  And I've seen some daffodils, in the yards of the neighbourhood houses. Yay!!  :)  

Appreciating:  Being able to have the balcony door open, even slightly, on several days this month. 

Wanting:  I feel like I'm always writing this (lol), but -- what I just said above aside -- I want nicer weather!  I am sick of this winter!! 

Wondering:  When it's going to be warm enough outside to warrant a trip to the gelato shop??  ;)  

Hoping:  That we can get downtown to the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) to see the Paul McCartney photo exhibit that's on there until June 7th. (Which might be difficult, given that we'll be away for two of the remaining weeks the exhibit is on...) I don't think I've been downtown since I met Mel and her family for dinner, two summers ago! 
                        
Feeling: Glad that it's (finally!) starting to feel at least a little bit like spring (even if it's taken its sweet time getting here...!).  A little dazed at how quickly the days, weeks, and this year generally so far are passing by. (How is it May already??)  Sad that this upcoming visit will likely be the last time I spent with my dad & sister in our family home of the past 42 years. :(  Missing my mom. :(   
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Wednesday, April 1, 2026

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

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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!)  
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Sunday, March 1, 2026

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.)

For a short month, February was a LONG month! (It has long been my least-favourite month!)  It included 23 consecutive days of sub-zero temperatures (which began in January) and lots of snow, (more than we've had in quite a few recent winters) -- although it did warm up briefly, mid-month (with temperatures hovering just above zero -- which triggered snow mixed with rain, sometimes freezing rain...!).  

On the personal front, I am still struggling somewhat to get back to "normal," after my mother's death on New Year's Day and an unexpected full month away from home.  (Perhaps related to or adding to this feeling of abnormality/being out of routine, I binged on the Olympics for two solid weeks. ;)  )

And the month ended in disappointment when Little Great-Niece's birthday party was cancelled at the last minute, because she was running a slight fever the day before. :(  (To be rescheduled, possibly for next weekend.) Better safe than sorry, I guess (remembering Little Great-Nephew #1's birthday party in November, which became a super-spreader event...!).  But we've hardly seen anyone all month long, and we were SO looking forward to it (dh especially).  :(   (At this rate, the great-niblings will get their Valentine's Day goodies for Easter...!)

Spring can't come soon enough...! 

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

  • Bought groceries and takeout pizza slices or soup for lunch at the supermarket (Feb. 2nd, 9th, 16th & 23rd).  
  • Walked and shopped at the local mall (Feb. 3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th).
  • Went for brunch at a new restaurant, using a gift card a friend sent me for my birthday (Friday, Feb. 6th). (See "Eating," below.) 
  • Browsed and picked up cards & other things for the great-niblings at the bookstore (Feb. 6th, 11th & 25th). 
  • Had lunch at BIL & SIL's with Younger Nephew, his wife and Little Great-Niece (Feb. 7th). Between sickness and the holidays, we hadn't seen Younger Nephew & family since Little Great-Nephew #1's birthday party in mid-November (i.e., almost three months!). That's the last time to date that we've seen anyone from the family, including BIL & SIL. :(  
  • Stopped at the drugstore to pick up prescriptions, en route home from doing other shopping (Feb. 11th, 23rd & 25th). 
  • Went to the bank (Feb. 25th).   
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Also right now:  

Reading: I finished 4 books in February (all reviewed on this blog, as well as Goodreads & StoryGraph, & tagged "2026 books"  Year to date, I've read 5 books,  reached 13% of my Goodreads Challenge goal, and am currently 1 book behind schedule to achieve it by year end.  
Current reads: 
  • "Gimme a Crisis" by Howard Green.  Currently 13% 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 12% 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 Safekeep" by Yael Van der Wouden (March). (I read this one fairly recently, last fall, and will likely not revisit it, particularly since I'm not leading the discussion.)  
    • (Books for May & onwards to be determined...) 
  • For my D.E. Stevenson group:  
    • (Next books still to be determined...) 
A few recently purchased titles (all in digital format, mostly discounted ($5-10 or less) or purchased with points):  (Not adding links this time around...!) 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** 

Watching: 
  • "Finding Your Roots" (season 12) on PBS, Tuesday nights, which began in January. 
  • The Winter Olympics! (Constantly!  lol -- for two full weeks!! -- figure skating in particular, although I found myself watching all kinds of sports.)  
Playing:  
  • Heardle Decades: (as of Feb. 28th)  
    • Heardle 60s: 73.9% (874/1182, 350 on first guess), down 0.1% from Jan. 31st. Max streak: 20. 
    • Heardle 70s: 75.2% (696/925, 388 on first guess), down 0.7% from Jan. 31st. Max streak: 18. 
    • Heardle 80s:  41.6% (325/782, 114 on first guess), unchanged from Jan. 31st. Max. streak: 5.
    • Heardle 90s: 33.5% (296/883, 78 on first guess), down 0.5% from Jan. 31st. Max. streak: 9. 
  • NYT Connections: 
    • As of Jan. 31st, I had 535 completed games, won 89% of them, including 283 "perfect puzzles," including 16 where I got the most difficult/purple category first (unchanged from Dec. 31st). Maximum winning streak:  45 (unchanged).  Current streak:  12.  
    • By 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 (an increase of 2 since Dec. 31st). Maximum winning streak: 45 (unchanged). Current streak: 12. 
Listening:  The Stingray 80s channel played "Shelter" by Lone Justice the other day -- and now I'm down the Lone Justice rabbit hole on YouTube & Spotify. I had and loved their first two albums on cassette, which went to Older Nephew along with my vinyl collection, and both seem to be out of print, albeit there are used copies floating around. 

Following:  

Eating/Drinking:  
  • 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'm supposed to repeat my bloodwork in the spring.  
    • I ended February 0.2 pounds heavier than when I started -- could be worse!  Overall, I'm down 14 pounds since late October 2024 -- close to my lowest weight in quite some time -- and down 26 pounds from my heaviest-ever weight  (in August 2021). (Dh has gained a few pounds since Christmas, and is currently down not quite 18 pounds overall since fall 2024.)
  • We went for brunch at a new restaurant (Feb. 6th), thanks to an old friend who sent me a gift card for my recent 65th birthday and as a pick-me-up after my mom's death. Dh had an omelette and I had scrambled eggs with bacon (served crisp, as I like it!).  The ambience was lovely, the service was friendly and relatively prompt, and the food was hot and tasty, with generous portions. (The potatos, in particular, were excellent!)  We will be back!  
  • We also indulged in takeout pizza slices or soup from the supermarket, once or twice a week, for lunch and/or dinner. Saturday night takeout dinners included teriyaki rice bowls from the supermarket, rotisserie chicken (baked potato on the side for me;  fries for dh) from Swiss Chalet, and California Sandwiches (which are NOT exactly healthy, but delicious! lol).  
Wearing: Cropped henley sweatshirts from American Eagle (as mentioned in this post). :)  I loved the first one I bought (in light blue) so much, I've since bought a couple more in different colours (on sale).  So soft & cozy!  

Buying (besides books, lol): (and besides sweatshirts! lol -- see above):  Things for the great-niblings' Valentine's Day goodie bags, as well as LGNiece's 3rd birthday.   

Noticing: It's staying lighter, longer, outside these days. Progress?  

Trying: To call my dad more often, since we got back home. 

Wondering: When we should plan to head back west. I'm pretty sure we'll be back in mid-July (as usual), which will be Dad's 87th birthday (and would have been my parents' 66th wedding anniversary), but we should probably go before then to see Dad and help my sister with the house cleanout. (I'll chat with her about it soon...) 
                           
Feeling: Grumpy, isolated, a bit bored (and I'm not bored very often) and out of sorts -- still not back to some semblance of normalcy -- and very much done with winter!  :p  Hoping things start looking up soon...! 

(A few regular categories dropped this time around, because I couldn't think of anything to write for them, and I wanted to get this posted!)  
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