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Sunday Matters

There’s a lot I could say about our current numbers here in LA County but I will refrain. You’ve all seen the news. It’s not looking great. We are following the recommendations as much as possible. We go out for walks and let me tell you, they are much needed. I’ve never craved sunlight before but these days, it’s all I want. We are doing alright. I told my dentist this past weekend when he asked how we were that we are still employed and healthy. What more could we want?

Right Now:

By the time you read this, my daughter’s audition with PACE University in New York will be in full swing. The three of us, the Hub, the pup and myself will be out and about trying to keep active without running into people. The weather is warm and is supposed to stay that way through most of this week. Should be easy to spend more time outside.

My youth group is on break so my evening is free!! Time for a Christmas movie. Maybe Christmas with the Kranks.

This Week:

Christmas is this week and we still don’t know what we will be doing. We normally go to my In-Law’s place for Christmas Eve but that of course has been called off.

Christmas day my son is off work but if we drive up to see him, nothing will be open so that would be hard meal wise. We will probably just stay home and then drive-up after Christmas to see him for the day. It’s a beach town so a fish taco on the beach is really all we need, you know?

Reading:

You will all be so proud of me!! I am almost done with Pride and Prejudice. It’s like my white whale. Years and years it’s taunted me and no matter how many times I tried to read it, it did not work for me. This time, it’s clicking. Pandemic reading? The need for something lighter? Who knows, but it’s happening! I just need to finish it and review it before the end of the year and I can check that puppy off my list.

Pride and Prejudice

A funny little aside. I was reading it in the park as you can see above. It was beautiful and golden out and everything was so perfect. Then, a bird pooped on my book. Bird poo on my book is so 2020. How fitting. Do not zoom in on my hand as I currently have HAG hands since I do not have access to my fancy hand cream.

Watching:

We have been creeping our way through my Christmas movie list. Friday night we watched Deck the Halls. We have seen it before but this time I fell asleep pretty early on. Last night we watch Love Actually. Who doesn’t love that Hugh Grant dance scene?

Grateful for:

As you get older, you appreciate a good dental visit. No issues this past Saturday.
I’ve gotten a lot of “business” out of the way this past week so I am finally in a place to begin enjoying my time off. For a good vacation, you really need a vacation BEFORE the vacation to do all the required things just so you can relax.
The vaccine. I’ve heard from many nurse friends and a few teachers that they’ve gotten the vaccine this past week. This is really good news.

That’s it from me. I hope you are all having fun choosing your first book of the year. I’ve chosen mine and will be posting about it soon. Take care of yourselves!! Don’t chance it if you don’t need to go out. We are all getting tired of being at home but make it cozy and pleasant and try to enjoy this forced downtime.

Parable of the Sower
By Octavia E. Butler
Grand Central Publishing, 9781538732182, (1993) 2019, 368pp.

The Short of It:

The California that Butler writes about in this 1993 novel is in essence where California is headed towards today.

The Rest of It:

The story takes place in the early 2020’s. Much of California is a wasteland, depleted of resources and occupied by bands of thieves who are addicted to a drug called Pyro. This drug makes them want to burn down everything around them, including innocent people taking shelter for the night.

Lauren Olamina is only 15-years-old but has witnessed some horrible things. She, along with her family are the lucky ones. They live in a gated community with other families who support and protect one another when they can. But anytime anyone in the community leaves the protection of those gates, no one knows if they will ever make it back because it’s bad out there. A simple trip for supplies is never simple when desperate people want what you have. Even within the gates, each night they are subjected to thieves jumping the wall to pillage and destroy. Lauren, at such a young age is taught to shoot and yes, to kill. The only catch is that Lauren is a “sharer”. She suffers from an illness of empathy and can feel the pain and pleasure of others. There are few like her, but when she chooses to shoot someone she has to be sure because she could end up crippled by their pain if she doesn’t kill them outright.

Nothing lasts forever. Lauren is eventually forced to leave the safety of her community and hooks up with others also looking to survive. Her plan is to start a new community once she finds the right place. If you are familiar with the Bible at all, you will recognize the title choice for this book. The Parable of the Sower is all about planting seeds. Some take, others don’t. What survives are the plants with deep roots. In this case, trusting one another and putting your life on the line to protect someone you hardly know for the sake of community is how such a community will survive.

This was a very hard book to read during this pandemic. The pace is a little slow and the writing is the type that you must sit with for awhile. Reading about a California that has been decimated by climate change and seeing how its inhabitants deal with the lack of water and other resources was a tad depressing but also eye-opening. Butler always seems to know what’s coming and she didn’t hold back here. California is walking a fine line. We are battling drought, brush fires that force our power grids to shutdown as a preventative measure, increased poverty and homelessness. NOT to mention what the rest of the country is battling right now, the pandemic. Chilling.

Parable of the Sower is a worthwhile read. Just know that if you read it now, it might take some time to get through and might send you into a downward spiral temporarily but I enjoyed the writing quite a bit.

Source: Purchased
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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