Showing posts with label family/friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family/friends. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 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.)

August (and the entire summer, really) went by too fast.  We spent the first 9 days of the month with my dad (three weeks total, beginning in July), and I still feel like I'm trying to get back into the swing of things here...!  Now it's September, school is returning next week, and we are rapidly barrelling into fall... 

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

  • Visited my 87-year-old dad in Manitoba (and wound up staying an extra week for a total of three, July 18th - Aug. 9th):  
    • Visited Dad several times daily in the hospital, until he was able to come home, a few days after we got there.  
    • Took Dad to several medical and other appointments. 
    • Helped him with some banking and other admin tasks related to my mom's estate and the sale of the house (which closed on July 1st). 
    • Fetched things and made meals for Dad (who has mobility issues and uses a walker). 
    • Made umpteen trips to the local Co-op grocery store, and two to the weekly local farmer's market (fresh local garden vegetables, yummmmm!).  
    • Made two side trips during those outings to the local drive-in restaurant  (a local institution for 60+ years!) for ice cream, including one on Aug. 7th in tribute to our Katie (since we couldn't be home to visit the cemetery and carry out some of our usual traditions there).  
    • Played Saturday night TV bingo with Dad on three consecutive Saturday nights (a family tradition dating back about 50 years!) -- and card games just about every night we were there too!    
    • Welcomed a number of visitors, including Parents' Neighbours' Daughter, the Little Princess and her two older (not-so-little anymore) sisters, and PND's parents;  (other) former neighbours from the house, and one of my cousins on my dad's side, whom I hadn't seen in about 25 years.  :)  
    • Helped Dad to choose and purchase a niche at the local cemetery and organized the interment of Mom's ashes there, with a few close friends present (Aug. 8th).  Arranged for lunch back at Dad's apartment afterward. 
    • Sat on hold with the airline for 2+ hours to change our tickets and extend our stay an extra week (was not able to do it online, for some weird reason??).  
      • Flew back home on Sunday, Aug. 9th, one week later than originally scheduled. 
  • Back home:  
    • Went grocery shopping and picked up some soup and/or pizza slices for dinner/lunch (Aug. 9th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 24th & 31st).  
    • Spent a few hours with the Little Great-Nephews, and stayed with them while SIL went for an appointment (Aug. 11th). Returned for visits on Aug. 19th & 26th. 
      • Visited the Little Great-Nephews AND the dog (yay!) at their grandparents' house while their parents were at a wedding, and stayed for dinner. (Aug, 29th) 
    • Shopped and walked at the mall (amid hordes of tourists and back-to-school shoppers...!). (Aug. 12th, 18th & 25th). 
    • Activated a new bank card at the ABM/ATM, browsed at the bookstore and picked up a birthday card, picked up a few more groceries at the supermarket, and picked up a prescription at the drugstore. (Aug. 14th) 
    • Got some cash at the ABM/ATM, bought a new CO2 detector at Canadian Tire (and installed it when we got home) and browsed at the bookstore (Aug. 21st).
    • Drove to the mall in our old community for haircuts with our longtime stylist, walking & shopping (Aug. 28th). Also stopped at the cemetery and changed Katie's niche decorations to a fall theme.  :)  

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Also right now:  

Reading: August was a highly productive reading month for me, for whatever reasons?? (Not complaining!)  I finished 7 (!) books in August -- the most I've read in a single month in a very long time, I rhink!  (all reviewed on this blog, as well as Goodreads & StoryGraph, & tagged "2026 books").  Year to date, I've read 25 books,  reached 63% of my Goodreads Challenge goal, and am currently 1 book 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 69% 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 (2025), 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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Listening:  

Following: A couple of new people on Substack (how many Substack/newsletter subscriptions is too many??).  

Watching: 
  • Too much Game TV (game show network), Cash Cab and Judge Judy (good Lord, she's obnoxious...!), while visiting my Dad...!  (Thanks but no thanks...!)  
  • CFL football and Toronto Blue Jays baseball games (also Dad's viewing choices, but far preferable to the Game Show Network!  lol)  We've continued to watch some Jays games since returning home (they've been doing well again, after a bad start to the season..! -- hoping to make the playoffs...!). 
Playing:  
  • Heardle Decades: I didn't have much time for the daily Heardles while we were in Manitoba, but since we got back, I've also added Super 60s, 70s & 80s Heardles to the list, which include more obscure/album cuts! Here the stats (as of Aug. 31st):  
    • Heardle 60s: 74.4% (982/1320, 398 on first guess), up 0.1%. since July 31st. Max streak: 21. (Current streak: 9) 
    • Heardle Super 60s: 43.8% (7/16, 1 on first guess). Max streak: 5. 
    • Heardle 70s: 74.7% (793/1062, 445 on first guess), down 0.3% from July 31st.. Max streak: 18. 
    • Heardle Super 70s: 61.1% (11/18, 7 on first guess). Max streak:  3. 
    • Heardle 80s:  41.4% (380/917, 154 on first guess), up 0.1% from July 31st. Max. streak: 6.
    • Heardle Super 80s: 50.0% (9/18, 3 on first guess). Max streak: 4. 
    • Heardle 90s: 33.0% (335/1016, 86 on first guess), up 0.1% from July 31st. Max. streak: 9. 
  • NYT Connections: 
    • During July (up to Aug. 2nd), I completed 717 games, won 90% of them (unchanged since June 30th), including 385 "perfect puzzles" with zero errors, and 20 where I got the most difficult/purple category first (unchanged since Dec. 31st). Maximum winning streak:  45 (unchanged since June 30th, 2025).  Current streak to that point: 18..  
    • As of Aug. 31st, I'd played 746 games and won 90% of them (unchanged since Aug. 2nd), including 400 "perfect puzzles" with zero errors, and 22 where I got the most difficult/purple category first (an increase of 2 since Dec.  31st). Maximum (and current!) winning streak: 47! (an increase of 2 since June 30th, 2025). 
Eating/Drinking:  My eating habits took a nosedive while we were away... I may have some explaining to do to my doctor when I have to redo my bloodwork this fall, particularly re: my cholesterol levels (gulp)...! 
  • Over the past almost-two years (since some less-than-stellar bloodwork results for both of us in fall 2024), we've been trying to eat healthier and lower our cholesterol levels -- and avoid having to take (more) medication. Results have been mixed (initially good, less so more recently...), and it's been a struggle to maintain momentum. 
    • I'm up 0.6 pounds this month, since we returned home. Overall, I'm down 15 pounds since late October 2024 -- close to my lowest weight in more than a decade -- and 27 pounds from my heaviest-ever weight  (in August 2021). 
      • (Dh  has gained a little weight back this summer, and is currently down about 14 pounds overall since fall 2024.)
  • Takeout meals included the usual pizza slices, soup and teriyaki rice bowls from the supermarket, and rotisserie chicken from Swiss Chalet. (It's gotten a little boring lately, to be honest -- but it's not easy finding takeout meals that are (a) cheap-ish -- especially lately! (b) not too horrible in terms of cholesterol and (c) something dh & I can agree on...!)  
  • My dad gets meals delivered directly to his building from a subsidized community meals program for seniors -- and since dh & I are also seniors, we can get them too, when we're there!  They're available every week day -- the menu is published a month in advance -- and dad gets them several times a week (as do many seniors in his building). It's not exactly gourmet fare, but it's tasty, balanced, and filling, always including a protein, starch, veggies or salad, dessert and a bun (often homemade) -- all for the grand price of $7.50 (Canadian) -- plus a few dollars extra delivery fee.  Not bad!  
Not eating:  Lettuce from the U.S. ( = fewer salads lately, since so much of our produce comes from there...!), since the cyclospora parasite outbreak there...!  Happily, the supermarket where we shop recently stocked some local/Ontario organic lettuce! -- I'm enjoying it while it's still in season!

Wearing:  I WAS wearing lots of shorts, tank tops and T-shirts... but I'm shifting back towards short sleeves vs tank tops again, and I even dug out my capri yoga pants earlier this week (vs shorts), as the weather has been slightly cooler recently.  

My sister loaned me a really cute (and very comfortable) black sleeveless dress with a tiered skirt and a zipper down the front to wear to our Mom's committal service at the cemetery. (I'd brought a pair of black capris and a top with me, just in case, but this was nicer!) 

Appreciating:  The cooler temperatures and lower humidity! (if not the recent lack of sunshine...) 

Buying (besides books, lol):  Cute fall clothes for the great-niblings (from Old Navy and Carters/Oshkosh).  I also bought a few tops for myself at Old Navy, as well as a burgundy & navy-striped soccer shirt with a white collar at the Gap outlet (why are so many women's shirts these days cropped??), and a cute burgundy "rugby" sweatshirt at American Eagle.    

Noticing: The days/hours of light are already getting shorter...  :( 

Wondering:  Whether we're getting an invitation to dh's cousin's cottage this fall??  We've been there with BIL & SIL every fall for the past five years, and they've usually asked us well before now.  However, they DID have ALL the cousins there in May (16 of us!! -- which was really very generous of them!!), and I know they've had a very busy summer. I wouldn't blame them if they wanted some cottage time to themselves! 

Loving:  Getting more books read this month! 

Feeling: (Still) Tired.  A little "blah."  Glad to be back home and to spend some time with the LGNephews.  (Missing:  Little Great-Niece -- we haven't seen her since Easter!!)  A little sad that summer is drawing to a close (already! -- I guess it's because we were away for three weeks, but it seems to have been really short this year...!).  But... 

Anticipating/Looking forward to: Fall, which is generally a lovely time of year here (if not what follows later...!).  Also looking forward to: kids returning to school (if not all the hype and last-minute-rush to enjoy the last of summer), and having fewer people crowding the stores and malls during the week!  lol  We're planning to go out for brunch on or around the first day of school to celebrate!  ;)  

Coming up in September: Older Great-Nephew heads back to school (to Grade 2!!). And World Childless Week. 

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Wednesday, August 12, 2026

The best-laid plans....

I'm back! (did you notice I was gone??)  

I am dead tired, and I am sure I am forgetting some things, but I wanted to break my silence (aside from my book reviews) and tell you about my recent trip west to visit my Dad.  .  

We arrived there on July 18th, as scheduled... but the situation was not what we'd been expecting.  Earlier in the week, my sister called me, in tears, to tell me one of Dad's former neighbours had taken him to the local hospital emergency room. He was having intermittent abdominal pain and (ummm...), shall we say, bathroom issues?  He was not in very good shape, severely dehydrated with some concerning bloodwork results. I asked her if we should change our flight and come earlier.. She told me she was on her way out there to see him, and not to do anything until she'd seen him for herself and reported back.   

When I talked to her again, she told me they were admitting him. They weren't sure what the source of the problem was (and they were ultimately not able to determine that), but he was being closely monitored, and the drugs and hydrating fluids they were giving him seemed to be helping.  He told her (only half-joking, I think!)  to bring a deck of cards and some money (we play for quarters, lol).  That made me feel better! so we decided to stick to our original plan. 

We stopped briefly at Dad's apartment to unload our stuff when we arrived on Saturday afternoon, and then headed over to the hospital.  Dad was in bed with the covers drawn up, but that was because the air vent was right above his bed and he was cold.  He looked and sounded a lot better than I expected, and he was anxious to get home again, but they told him they were still waiting on some test results from the city, and that he'd be there until at least Monday.   

We visited him at the hospital a few times every day for the next two days -- and then on Monday, he was discharged. It was his 87th birthday.  :)  He didn't feel much like cake just then, but he was very happy to be home.  

My sister had planned to take a week off work while we were there -- but since she'd already been off for a week unexpectedly while Dad was in the hospital (on top of other recent time off to help clear out the house, etc.), she decided to return to the office while we were there to look out for Dad, and come out on the weekends. Dad's apartment only has two bedrooms, but his old neighbours generously offered to let her & her partner stay in their basement while we were there, so that worked out very well.  

Dad didn't sleep very well at the hospital, so I was relieved when he declared, the first morning he was back home, that he'd had the best night's sleep he'd had in months. While in the hospital, he developed a taste for vanilla Greek yogurt (lol), and so we bought him some at the local store, and he ate several helpings of that every day.  One of the neighbours gave him some vanilla Boost to try, and he actually liked that too (my grandfather loathed the stuff -- maybe they've improved it since then??). He also tried and loved the bottled iced tea that my sister was drinking. He doesn't drink nearly as much water as he should, but he would drink iced tea (and it's fluids!), so dh & I were kept busy running to the store to stock up!  He has his meals delivered several times a week (and ordered meals for us too), so we didn't have to do a lot of cooking -- although we did have some fresh vegetables from the weekly local farmers' market while we were there (yum!). So he seemed to be eating a little better -- I heard him telling someone he had more of an appetite than he'd had in a while -- and my sister said she thought he looked and sounded better (and much more like his old self) than he had in months.  (I thought so too.)  

Dad asked us, early on, if we'd stay an extra week.  For some unfathomable reason, I was not able to change our tickets online (as I did when we extended our stay in January, after Mom died) -- I had to call the airline's 1-800 customer service line -- and sit on hold for more than two hours before I was able to speak to an agent!  It cost us a ridiculous amount of money to change our tickets (on top of the ridiculous amount it already cost us to buy the tickets in the first place -- travel within Canada is not cheap!) -- but I paid up, because it was clear Dad really wanted us to stay longer, and I wanted to make sure he was OK before we left. Plus he needed our help with a lot of stuff related to Mom's estate and the recent sale of the house):  we took him to the lawyer's office, the bank, and another bank in another town where we'd lived in the 1970s (we took Dad there when we were there in May, too!)  

We shopped for groceries, picked up the meals that were delivered to the building's door downstairs and reheated them later for dinner, and cooked on the nights we weren't getting those. We got Dad's yogurt, Boost, iced tea and breakfast cereal for him whenever he asked for it.  I dusted the main living areas (which needed it!), cleaned the bathroom and swiffered the floor. (The cleaning lady he & Mom had at the house is going to start coming in a few times a month, which will help.)  We picked up prescriptions at the local drugstore. We bought TV bingo cards, and I played with him every Saturday afternoon.  

Dad watches Game TV for hours on end (the game show network -- much to our consternation -- arrrghhhhhh... he's also fond of "Judge Judy"...!), but he also watched a lot of CFL football games and Major League baseball (especially the Toronto Blue Jays). I'm not a huge sports fan, but that was infinitely preferable, lol.  

We watched the construction of a new gas station next door from the balcony.  And we played cards just about every night we were there.  

We also had visitors:  Neighbours from the house dropped by several times to see how he was doing.  Parents' Neighbours' Daughter brought over all three Princesses when we had cake for his birthday, and returned with the Littlest Princess (#3) several times a week while we were there.  Her parents also came by to visit when they were in town for the day.  And one of my cousins, in Manitoba visiting family, stopped by for an hour, before heading home to Alberta. I hadn't seen her in about 25 years, so it was great to catch up!  

And we went (back) to the funeral home:  Dad purchased a niche at the local cemetery, which fits two urns, and we made arrangements to have Mom's ashes interred while we were there.  We did that last Saturday, just before we returned to Ontario. There were just the five of us (me, dh, my sister & her partner, and Dad), PND, three of Mom & Dad's former neighbours/friends, and the minister at Mom's church who presided at her funeral.  We were only there about 15 minutes, and then we went back to the apartment for lunch.  I'd ordered a tray of deli meats, pickles and cheese a couple of loaves of rye bread and some potato chips from the local grocery store, and my sister brought some Mom's favourite KitKat bars for dessert  We all had a nice visit.   

On the downside: Dad fell twice while we were there:  once, heading from the waiting room at the medical clinic, into the doctor's office (!). He insisted on using his cane and not bringing his walker with us in the car -- reached out for the counter to steady himself -- missed, and fell. :(  Everyone came running to help him (and would you believe the doctor threw out his back trying to help dad up??).  He skinned his knee (which the doctor cleaned and bandaged), and I think his pride was bruised, but that seemed to be the extent of the damage, thank goodness.  

The second time was two hours before we were scheduled to leave for the airport (!!), in the bathroom, just after he got up. I think he was still half asleep and lost his balance. With a little help from me and his walker, he was eventually able to pull himself up off the floor, and again, aside from his pride, he didn't seem to have sustained any injuries. THANK GOODNESS.  (I called him when we got home that night and he insisted he was fine. Hopefully he wasn't downplaying things...)  My sister is looking into getting him a Lifeline ASAP (and hopefully he will wear it...!).  

The doctor had mentioned he would refer Dad to homecare services too -- someone to look in on Dad regularly and maybe help him with his bath/shower.  That would be a load off my mind (although I also have memories of my mother arranging a similar service for my grandmother, 30 years ago, only to have Grandma refuse to let the person into their apartment...!).  

A few personal notes:  Staying an extra week meant we were not at home on Katie's day (Aug. 7th -- 28 years later!) to do all the traditional things we usually do. It's not the first time we've been away fro home on that day, but it's been a while. We did go out for a while that afternoon on our own to spend some private time remembering her together.  One of our traditions is a visit to the Dairy Queen for Blizzards  :)  -- there is no DQ in my parents' town, but there is a great little drive-in restaurant that's been around 60+ years (as long as I have!), and so we went there for ice cream, just the two of us. :)  

We also went to the local cemetery, to scout out the site ahead of the committal service. I said to dh as we drove there that I wished I knew where my old boss (the owner of the local weekly newspaper who gave me my first job after journalism school) was buried. Would you believe he (and his wife, whom I also knew) were both cremated, and their ashes are in the same wall where Mom & Dad's niche is, just a few rows above them?  I patted the marker in delight, said, "Thanks for my career, H." --  and dearly wished my late friend R., who worked for him too, was still here, so I could tell her.  :(  

My sister & her partner brought me "the box" from their house in the city (the one I'd filled with all the stuff I wanted to keep, when we were there in May, clearing out Mom & Dad's house). We brought an extra empty suitcase with us, and I was able to bring home the rest of my diaries/journals and other youthful writing projects, autograph books from my school days, part of an old scrapbook with concert tickets and reviews in it, etc. My sister had thrown in our great-uncle's letters home from Italy during WWII, which I had insisted should go to the county museum where my mother's family is from. I decided to take those home too, to look through and scan. I'll figure out how to get them to the museum later.  What's left in the box is mostly some books, and I should be able to take all or most of those with me when we're back again at Christmastime.

We got back here on Sunday night.  We were sooooo tired!!  And then (wouldn't you know it?), the stupid carbon monoxide detector (wall plug-in unit) started beeping at 5 AM on Monday morning!!  We bought it 10 years ago when we moved in, and I remembered the manual said it had a 10-year shelf life, and sure enough...!  I found the manual, found the switch to turn it off and that was that -- but of course by then, we were pretty much awake. Needless to say, it was an early bedtime...!  

We're still really tired, though. Extending the fatigue (lol):  we spent Tuesday morning with the Little Great-Nephews (lol) -- SIL/their grandmother asked if we'd stay with them for a few hours while she went out for an appointment, and of course we said yes. They are/were pretty good, but noisy and full of energy. Dh spent half the morning chasing LGNephew #2 around the house. Then the little guy wrapped himself up in a blanket and conked out (on the floor!) before his grandmother got back -- and dh did likewise this afternoon when we got back home!  

I tried to keep with reading and commenting on your blogs while I was away, but I will admit I was not very successful...!  (Likewise, I barely looked at my social media accounts.)  I'm hoping to catch up a little, now that I'm home. 

(Did I say I was tired??)  This eldercare stuff is not easy.  (And my sister has been shouldering most of the responsibility for many years now.  And Dad is in better shape than many elderly people, I know.)  Kudos to all of you who have caregiving responsibilities of any kind! 

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Tuesday, August 4, 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.)

July was mostly hot, humid, smoky (wildfires in northwestern Ontario) and very busy! -- both at home and at my Dad's in Manitoba (which is where we are right now -- and which is why this post is both later and shorter than usual...!).    

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

  • Tried to stay cool (mostly at home with the air conditioning...!) during a major heatwave in early July! (At one point on July 1st, the temperature was 36C and humidex 48C!!).  
  • Went out for an early anniversary dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant (yum!). (July 4th) 
  • Drove up to Leaskdale, Ontario (about an hour away) on Sunday, July 5th, for afternoon tea and a performance of "The Blue Castle" (musical), based on the L.M. Montgomery novel (a favourite of mine!).  Details in this post! 
  • Shopped for groceries at the supermarket (July 6th & 13th). 
  • Had another (!) dinner out on our actual anniversary (July 6th) at another local (Italian) restaurant.  
  • Spent the morning at the mall, walking and shopping. (July 7th & 14th) 
  • Visited SIL & the Little Great-Nephews for a few hours (July 8th & 15rh). 
  • Drove out to our former community for haircuts with our longtime stylist at the mall. Also did some walking and shopping and had lunch while we were there, and stopped by the cemetery en route to spend a few minutes with Katie.  (July 10th) 
  • Stopped at the bank for some cash from the ABM, and shopped for birthday gifts for BIL & SIL at Chapters. (July 13th) 
  • Stayed indoors as much as possible, and ran the air purifier to counter the thick wildfire smoke and poor air quality outside. (We could smell it in our unit when we woke up in the morning.) (July 15th & 16th) 
  • Got myself a pedicure! (July 16th) 
  • Headed west (flew) to spend two weeks with my dad (July 18th) -- which have turned into three. (A post on that to come...!)  Since getting here, we have:  
    • Taken dad to several medical and other appointments, done some banking and other admin tasks related to my mom's estate and the sale of the house (which closed on July 1st). 
    • Made umpteen trips to the local Co-op grocery store. 
    • Made a side trip during one of those outings to the local drive-in restaurant  (a local institution for 60+ years!) for ice cream. 
    • Played Saturday night TV bingo with Dad (a family tradition dating back about 50 years!).  
    • Welcomed a number of visitors, including Parents' Neighbours' Daughter, the Little Princess and her two older (not-so-little anymore) sisters, and PND's parents;  (other) former neighbours from the house, and one of my cousins on my dad's side, whom I hadn't seen in about 25 years.  :)  
    • Fetched things and made meals for Dad (who has mobility issues and uses a walker). 

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Also right now:  

Reading: I finished 4 books in July (all reviewed on this blog, as well as Goodreads & StoryGraph, & tagged "2026 books").  Year to date, I've read 18 books,  reached 45% of my Goodreads Challenge goal, and am currently 5 books behind schedule to achieve it by year end.  
  • "London Falling" by Patrick Radden Keefe. (5 stars;  my review)   
  • "Treacle Walker" by Alan Garner.  (Three-week slow readalong with Footnotes & Tangents.  2.5-3 stars;  my review). 
  • "Marble Hall Murders" by Anthony Horowitz -- the third book in his series featuring book editor Susan Ryeland and fictional detective Atticus Pund. I read this one in advance of the PBS Masterpiece Mystery TV series, coming Sept. 6th!  (4.5-5 stars;  my review.) 
  • "The Queen of Poisons" by Robert Thorogood (The Marlow Murder Club #3). Season 3 of the PBS Masterpiece Mystery TV series, based in part on this book, also starts Sept. 6th! (3 stars;  my review.) 
Current reads: 
  • "Young Woman and the Sea" by Glenn Stout (the September choice for my Childless Collective Nomo Book Club.)  Currently 62% completed. 
  • "Still Glides the Stream" by D.E. Stevenson, with my DES group. We started reading & discussing this book on June 22nd and will finish in mid-August. Last read in 2021 (my reviews here & here). Currently 71% 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 65% 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 (2025), 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. ;)  
    • "The Children’s Book" by A.S. Byatt (September–December) (Planning to take part in this one, as I've never read Byatt and this one sounds interesting.)    
A few recently purchased titles (all in digital format, mostly discounted ($5-10 or less) or purchased with points): (Titles not linked this time.)  
  • "Famesick" by Lena Dunham 
  • "The Astral Library" by Kate Quinn 
  • "John of John" by Douglas Stuart
  • "Polished" by Melissa Osborne
  • "Strong Ground" by Brene Brown 
  • "Straight Man" by Richard Russo 
  • "The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts" by Robert Thorogood 
  • "The Outsourced Self" by Arlie Russell Hochschild 

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Watching: 
  • World Cup games. We weren't as into it as some people were (and dh was more interested than I am) -- and the fact that Italy is not in the tournament was a huge disappointment locally (it would have been bonkers in our particular suburb if they had...!)  -- but it was still fun watching some of the games and the local coverage -- particularly since Toronto is one of the host cities!  AND Canada did so well!   
  • Too much Game Show Network, Cash Cab and Judge Judy (good Lord, she's obnoxious...!)...!  (Thanks but no thanks, Dad...!)  
  • CFL football and Toronto Blue Jays baseball games (also Dad's viewing choices, but far preferable to the Game Show Network!  lol) 
Playing:  
  • Heardle Decades: I haven't listened to the daily Heardles since we got to Manitoba, but here the stats (as of July 30th):  
    • Heardle 60s: 74.3% (965/1298, 390 on first guess), up 0.1%. since June 30th. Max streak: 21. 
    • Heardle 70s: 75.0% (781/1042, 438 on first guess), unchanged from June 30th.. Max streak: 18. 
    • Heardle 80s:  41.3% (370/895, 148 on first guess), unchagned from June 30th. Max. streak: 6.
    • Heardle 90s: 32.9% (328/996, 85 on first guess), unchanged from June 30th. Max. streak: 9. 
  • NYT Connections: 
    • As of June 30th, I'd played 684 games and won 90% of them (a gain of 1%! since Dec. 31st), including 370 "perfect puzzles" with zero errors, and 20 where I got the most difficult/purple category first (unchanged since Dec.  31st). Maximum winning streak: 45 (unchanged since June 30th, 2025). Current streak: 9.
    • I have been playing every day we've been in Manitoba -- but I forgot to note the stats for July 31st!  So these include up to Aug. 2nd: I completed 717 games, won 90% of them (unchanged since June 30th), including 385 "perfect puzzles" with zero errors, and 20 where I got the most difficult/purple category first (unchanged since Dec. 31st). Maximum winning streak:  45 (unchanged since June 30th, 2025).  Current streak: 18..  
Eating/Drinking:  Not as healthily as we do at home...!  The results on the scale when we get back will be interesting...!  (although I have been more active while we've been here, to counterbalance the less-healthy stuff we've been eating...!).  I may have some explaining to do to my doctor when I have to redo my bloodwork in the fall, though, particularly my cholesterol levels (eeekkkk)...!  
  • Over the past almost-two years, 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 again more recently... (not as bad as fall 2024, but not as good as early 2025 either).  
    • Before we left home in mid-July, I was 0.4 pounds less than when the month started.  Overall, I'm down more than 15 pounds since late October 2024 -- close to my lowest weight in more than a decade -- and more than 27 pounds from my heaviest-ever weight  (in August 2021). 
      • (Dh is down about 16 pounds overall since fall 2024.)
  • Takeout meals included the usual pizza slices, soup and teriyaki rice bowls from the supermarket. (It's gotten a little boring lately, to be honest -- but it's not easy finding takeout meals that are (a) cheap-ish (b) not too horrible in terms of cholesterol and (c) something dh & I can agree on...!)  
  • My dad gets meals delivered directly to his building from a community meals program for seniors -- and since dh & I are also seniors, we can get them too!  They're available every week day -- the menu is published a month in advance -- and dad gets them several times a week (as do many seniors in his building). It's not exactly gourmet fare, but it's tasty, balanced, and filling, always including a protein, starch, veggies or salad, dessert and a bun (often homemade) -- all for the grand price of $7.50 (Canadian) -- plus a few dollars extra delivery fee.  Not bad!  
Wearing:  With the advent of consistently warmer/(very) hot, sometimes (very) humid weather, shorts and tank tops have been added to the wardrobe roster, along with short sleeves, capris & sandals. :) 

Buying (besides books, lol):  Not much!  Mostly groceries since we got here.    

Not attending: Dh's cousin's daughter's wedding, which was July 24th at a rural barn that's been converted into an "event space." We sent our regrets and a gift with BIL & SIL (cash, which is the norm hereabouts and in dh's family's culture -- albeit not as much as would have brought if we'd been attending the wedding ourselves).

Prioritizing:  Taking care of my dad, doing things for him and making his life a little easier, while we're here.  

Trying: To be patient and stay busy, although it's hard in a small shared space that's not my own... 

Wondering/Enduring:  Which is more annoying to have blaring in the background -- "The Price is Right," "Family Feud," "Cash Cab" or "Judge Judy"?? (All staples of my dad's daily TV viewing, unfortunately...!)  

Wanting: At least one more trip to the local drive-in restaurant for ice cream before we leave. :)  

Loving:  Manitoba's big skies.  :)  
                        
Feeling: Tired. A bit stressed. Worried about my dad (albeit less so since he got out of the hospital).  Tired of heat & humidity!! (It IS cooler and less humid today, thankfully...!)  

Anticipating: Spending a little more time with the great-nephews, once we're back home, before Older Great-Nephew has to head back to school in September.   

Coming up in August: Heading home (eventually...!). Remembering our Katie on her day from afar, 28 (!!) years later. 

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Friday, July 3, 2026

Bicentennial memories

I was 15 years old during in the summer of 1976. I'm Canadian, but my mother was American, and I spent a lot of time in Minnesota with my grandparents and extended family during the holidays -- especially the summertime -- every summer (until I was 17 and got a part-time summer job that cut into my traditional lazy summers,  anyway). In 1974, we'd moved to a town that was closer to the border and to where my grandparents lived -- an easy drive for a weekend's visit -- so we were able to spend a lot more time there than we had in the past. 

So I was in the U.S. a fair bit during the two years leading up to U.S. Bicentennial celebrations, as well as on/around July 4, 1976, itself.  My memories from 50 (!!) years ago are not as sharp as they once were, but I do have some from that time. 

You couldn't NOT notice what was going on!  There was a huge buildup in the years, months and weeks ahead of July 1976 -- including two-plus years' worth of Bicentennial Minutes -- brief snippets of American Revolutionary history, broadcast nightly on the CBS TV network, narrated by CBS actors.  You can watch some of them on YouTube! (of course!)  Moving closer to the border meant we could pull in some U.S. TV stations with our rotary antenna (cable came to our town a few years later) -- CBS was a little out of our range (although we could sometimes pick up a fuzzy picture on an especially clear night, or after a thunderstorm), but there was plenty of other Bicentennial-related content on the ABC and NBC affiliates we could pick up. I think it's safe to say that Canadian kids of my generation grew up knowing more about American historical events/mythology and figures from watching American TV than we did about our own country's story.   

Norman Rockwell, the artist whose work is synonymous with "Americana," was from New England, but I used to see his paintings and immediately think of my mom's small hometown in Minnesota (population about 1,400, back then).  It was that kind of place and that kind of vibe.  As part of its Bicentennial celebrations, the town organized a huge all-school reunion -- which meant that, even more than usual, my grandmother's little house was full of neighbours, old friends and relatives who had come "home" for the occasion, dropping by to visit. Grandma always had a pot of coffee percolating on the gas stove, home-baked goodies in the pantry, and a warm welcome for everyone who came through the door. The screened-in back porch, covered in Virginia creeper, was always full of people, sitting and chatting and laughing. It wasn't a big porch, but I'm always amazed when I think of how many people we were able to pack in there!  

On the 4th of July itself, we all went downtown to watch a big parade and, later that evening, drove to another nearby town to watch fireworks. In between, we hand-cranked homemade ice cream on the screened-in back porch, in an old-fashioned ice-cream making tub (packed with ice and rock salt), which we ate with fresh local strawberries. I remember my uncle and cousins setting off their own fireworks in the field behind Grandma's house, and lighting sparklers in the back yard, although I'm not sure if those memories are from Bicentennial 4th or other Fourth of Julys, growing up. 

There were lots of cousins and extended family in the area at that time -- the ones who lived there then, and others who were visiting -- and we drove to my great-aunt's house, about about an hour away, for a barbecue/mini-reunion with relatives from my grandmother's side of the family.  Those present included our hostess (Grandma's sister-in-law, divorced from Grandma's brother, but still close to everyone in the family), her son (Mom's cousin, 22 years old at the time), who lived with her, and her daughter, who lived/lives in California, was there with her husband and two kids; my parents, grandparents & sister;  my uncle, his wife and my two cousins; another great-aunt (Grandma's older sister), her daughter (another cousin of Mom's, who was also my godmother) and her two daughters. Years later, the California cousin's husband sent me some digitized photos from that day, including a group photo of all the kids, and another of me, my sister and the next two oldest girl cousins, sitting in one of the cars, windows open, listening to music on the radio (and running down the car battery, no doubt...!) and reading Tiger Beat magazine. :)  

All the kids in those photos are now in their late 50s and early/mid-60s. (I am the oldest cousin of my generation on that side of the family. Interestingly, only three of the eight of us who were there that day have kids.) Of the adults in the photos, my grandparents, my two great-aunts, my mom, her brother (my uncle), their then-22-year-old cousin and the California cousin's husband who sent me the photos, are gone. Just two of my mom's cousins who were there, as well as my uncle's wife and my dad, are still with us today.  

Maybe it's the loss and the absence of these wonderful people. Maybe it's the charged political atmosphere today (although 1976 wasn't too far removed from the turmoil of Watergate and Vietnam, etc.).  Maybe it's because I haven't been to the States in several years, and haven't been able to absorb the atmosphere for myself. Maybe there just doesn't seem to be as much hoopla, that I've noticed from the other side of the border, anyway. Maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic, fuelled by so many reminders of the past while helping my sister clear out our parents' house recently.  Maybe I'm just getting older, and looking back through rose-coloured glasses.  

But I'm not feeling the same sense of anticipation and excitement about tomorrow's milestone holiday, from where I sit across the border, or from my family & friends there...  

I miss them all. 

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Monday, June 8, 2026

Recent odds & ends

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