Category Archives: Life

Bookish Talk, Life

Sunday Matters: Back to School (Not Really)

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Sunday Matters

The high schools in my city start school this Tuesday. They will be online for the first five weeks and then the district will determine if they can return to campus in a limited capacity. We haven’t gotten too much information yet and no textbooks but as of today schedules are still being finalized so that probably makes sense.

This year “back to school” feels so different, doesn’t it? I was at Walmart the other day and the aisles of back to school supplies are usually packed with parents but those aisles were empty. Totally empty. I’m glad they are starting online though because they weren’t ready to head back to campus.

Right Now:

Not much going on at the moment. We will watch church online and just relax I think. I’d like to grill something later. Grilling always sounds good but then I never know what to make.

This Week:

I took last Friday off to visit the botanical garden and I have this Monday off too. Nothing exciting planned because my daughter has her last driving lesson scheduled for Monday afternoon. I will be very glad to have those lessons done with. We are behind because the driving school closed for nearly two months but they extended us, thankfully and so we are cramming it all in.

School begins on Tuesday. She is a senior. Wow. Some of you remember when she was pretty little.

The rest of the week is filled with virtual dance classes and just random stuff.

Reading:

I read and reviewed The Boy from the Woods. It didn’t work for me. Sadly. I am a huge fan of Coben’s TV shows on Netflix but I don’t know if it was just this book or what but the style didn’t appeal to me.

My next book will be In a Dark, Dark Wood. I lost my library copy on my Kindle because I accidentally turned WiFi on but I found a used copy at the bookstore. Both the Coben book and this one are on my summer reading list so I am doing well this summer with that! I only have two more books to read on that list and although it’s August it still feels very much like summer so I have time.

Is anyone thinking about the R.I.P. Challenge yet? September is coming. I hope it happens.

Watching:

I’ve been watching reruns of things like Seinfeld and Roseanne but I saw a teaser for Ratched and it looks so good. Remember Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest? American Horror Story’s Ryan Murphy is the creator. It comes out 9/18.

Grateful for:

  • I’ve tasked my husband with cooking at least one meal a week because I am so tired of planning and cooking meals. He cooked his first one and it was really good. BBQd chicken, corn, asparagus. Extremely grateful for the break. He will make Taco Spaghetti next!
  • My daughter was offered direct admittance into Rider University’s BFA for Musical Theatre. This happened right after the intensive. She is still considering many schools but it’s nice that she is already accepted somewhere without an audition!

I am trying to focus on losing (sadly) the fifteen pounds I’ve gained since March. Trying to eat more whole foods and less wine. Ugh. Anyone else with this problem?

Bookish Talk, Life

Sunday Matters: Reading for Fun

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Sunday Matters

I try to read and review two books a week but this week I stuck with one because it was long, and I was enjoying it too much to rush through it. Reading for fun is not a new concept but us book bloggers often find ourselves weighed down by dates and how many books we need to read that week. I let all of that go this week and just enjoyed an older title and it felt good. It is listed below. We should all read for fun, don’t you think? Especially now, in these pandemic days of ours.

Right Now:

Coffee, online church, and then my daughter’s theatre intensive virtual showcase. Two weeks of singing, dancing, acting along with master classes with some well-known peeps will all come together in the final showcase. She made a lot of friends and really enjoyed the experience.

Later… a youth-group meet-up for tea to discuss how fall will look for us since we can’t meet indoors. We do live in California so meeting outside can be done very late into fall. The only thing I worry about is the lack of daylight (depending on the time) and bugs. No matter how much repellent I put on, I am always eaten alive by insects.

This Week:

I was told to use some vacation time since I am way over the max and need to use up about 165 hours before December. It’s a good problem to have but who wants to use vacation time when you have no place to go? So, I am taking days here and there to extend the weekend. The first of those days is this Friday! I booked tickets for my daughter and I to go to the botanical garden. Timed-entry, face masks, limited attendance. It will be hot but also good to get some fresh air.

My hair appointment was cancelled but I am okay since I did get a cut about 5 weeks ago. Most of our salons are closed again unless they obtained special permission to operate outside. Mine, has not.

Not much else happening. Still practicing driving with the girl. Her final professional lesson is 8/10. I want her to get her license before the DMV closes again.

Reading:

The book that I enjoyed this week was Truly Madly Guilty which I reviewed this past Friday.

The next book on my summer list is In a Dark, Dark Wood. I had it all ready to go but forgot to turn Wi-Fi off and now it’s gone from my Kindle. So, if I can’t quickly get another copy, I may move on to this Coben book The Boy from the Woods which is also on my summer list.

Watching:

I introduced my daughter to Steel Magnolias. It’s funny and charming and sweet and based on a play, which really appealed to her. We laughed and cried. So many stellar performances in that one.

My daughter has been on a crime kick so we watched a little of the The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann on Netflix. That case still gets me after all these years. I can’t lay guilt on the parents because I feel that most parents do the best they can but leaving your child in a hotel room with the door unlocked, while enjoying a meal halfway across a resort in Portugal seems a bit reckless. Perhaps they were just too trusting? Anyway, I can’t finish it because it makes me angry to think about.

Grateful for:

  • Coffee or really any food enjoyed on the patio. We are hitting the dog days of summer (104 degree temps) so I go out early and come right back inside once it gets too hot. The Otter Pup likes it too!
  • Plants. I have been having fun placing plants in and around my home. My friend just gifted me this sweet little beauty. I name my plants… this is Midge. She is a succulent.

Midge

How are you? This past week was filled with school thoughts, including the final year of high school and also college stuff. I just worry too much about everything.