Corona Quarantine Day: ??

I've seen a meme going around:

Yup. That's how it feels. What day is it?

I bought a couple of puzzles online from a local toy store. They were super quick and delivered it the next day! We finished one:

It was super hard to get the space pieces in after we got the planets all done! But good and brainy at the same time.

We Watched: The Sandlot. We showed it to G a couple of years ago but he didn't remember it much and when I keep saying "You're killing me, Smalls! You're really killing me!" he now understands what I'm talking about! he he. Plus, The Sandlot is a classic for me. I was 12 or 13 when it came out and it was filmed in my home state so we heard a lot about the making of it while it was happening. So it was nice to share that bit of myself with him.

I started Locke & Key on Netflix. It's interesting but isn't quite pulling me in yet. I started the Tiger King on Netflix as well. Wow. That's a rough one. Fascinating but also the poor wild cats who are caught between all of it. It's heartbreaking. What else? Westworld season 3 on HBO. Very confusing so far but I'll let a few more episodes drop and then binge and see if it comes together more. I started Schitt's Creek as well. Not sure yet on that one either. Nothing is coming together for me on TV right now. I finished the latest season of The Sinner... I did not like that season. At all. I thought it was terrible. Boo.

But I have watched some of my favorite movies. Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2. So good. I'm crocheting a new blanket while I watch my old faves. And Pride and Prejudice with Kiera Knightley.

Reading: I am almost done with The Histories! The last 200 pages are all about Persia invading Greece and how each city-state comes into play to fight back. That movie 300 was about the Spartans who stood up to the huge Persian army. So it's been kind of interesting. I have about 70 pages and then I'm done! I'm super proud of myself. I didn't think I'd make it.

G and I finished March Forward, Girl: From Young Warrior to Little Rock Nine by Melba Pattillo Beals. I think G was a bit too young for this one. But we had some important conversations about race and the Civil Rights era. We're almost done with The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman. 

Right now I'm working on Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. I really thought this was going to be a light fun read but it is not. It's full of heartbreaking trauma and it's going to take me a while to get through even though it is a very short book. Don't listen to lists about what to read during the quarantine... Spillover: Animals Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by Daniel Quammen is quite fascinating. It's big so I'm slowly working my way through it but he talks about a lot of the big outbreaks that have happened over the last 100 years or so from bacterial infections like Q fever to SARS and Ebola. So interesting. 

I'm also listening to Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland. It's the second book to Dread Nation. It's about what would have happened had a zombie apocalypse hit America during the Civil War? It's a fantastic series.

G is slowly getting the hang of online school. We've got a pretty good schedule for the mornings and afternoons. He plays online with his cousin and friends after he gets his school work done. Then we have some family time after dinner. Last night we went for a quiet walk around the neighborhood, played a couple of games and ate ice cream before bed. 

My schedule has fallen apart. It's hard to keep it all going while I'm trying to manage the household. So my online schooling and transcription have been placed a bit on hold. I try to find time on the weekends or after G is done with his daily school work but it's exhausting, all of it.

But we try to remember what we're grateful for. DH is able to work from home so we're able to pay our bills. Our family and friends are staying healthy as well. We're grateful for those who are putting their lives on the line to make sure we have food and water and the health care workers as well. I've heard some horror stories about how mean people are to grocery store workers, etc. Let's remember to keep calm and say nice things and be patient. It's a tough time for all but it's really tough for a lot more of us out there. Hugs and stay safe and healthy.

What's been slim in the stores? I don't need TP but it's still scarce and so is flour, sugar, rice, beans, pasta, eggs, and yeast. We have some great friends and neighbors that are looking out for each other. People post something they need and so many people are willing to help and drop off items for each other.

The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West

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The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West

Published: November 5th, 2019 by Hachette Books

Genre: Non-fiction, Essays, Politics, Current Events

Format: Hardcover, 260 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

Summary:

In this wickedly funny cultural critique, the author of the critically acclaimed memoir and Hulu series Shrill exposes misogyny in the #MeToo era.

THIS IS A WITCH HUNT.
WE’RE WITCHES,
AND WE’RE HUNTING YOU.

From the moment powerful men started falling to the #MeToo movement, the lamentations began: this is feminism gone too far, this is injustice, this is a witch hunt. In The Witches Are Coming, firebrand author of the New York Times bestselling memoir and now critically acclaimed Hulu TV series Shrill, Lindy West, turns that refrain on its head. You think this is a witch hunt? Fine. You’ve got one.

In a laugh-out-loud, incisive cultural critique, West extolls the world-changing magic of truth, urging readers to reckon with dark lies in the heart of the American mythos, and unpacking the complicated, and sometimes tragic, politics of not being a white man in the twenty-first century. She tracks the misogyny and propaganda hidden (or not so hidden) in the media she and her peers devoured growing up, a buffet of distortions, delusions, prejudice, and outright bullsh*t that has allowed white male mediocrity to maintain a death grip on American culture and politics-and that delivered us to this precarious, disorienting moment in history.

West writes, “We were just a hair’s breadth from electing America’s first female president to succeed America’s first black president. We weren’t done, but we were doing it. And then, true to form—like the Balrog’s whip catching Gandalf by his little gray bootie, like the husband in a Lifetime movie hissing, ‘If I can’t have you, no one can’—white American voters shoved an incompetent, racist con man into the White House.”

We cannot understand how we got here-how the land of the free became Trump’s America—without examining the chasm between who we are and who we think we are, without fact-checking the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and each other. The truth can transform us; there is witchcraft in it. Lindy West turns on the light.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed West's first book "Shrill" a lot better. I liked her personal story and her thoughts about everything. This collection is more "personal essay" rather than "personal story," which is fine but I just wanted a bit more from her.

Each essay has something fantastic to say, though. But some were more misses for me. Like I don't care about "South Park" and didn't really think the essay had a lot to contribute.

But overall I love West's down-to-earth style. She pulls no punches and gets you thinking. Where are my privileges and how can I show up to help and be an ally? How can I show up and be my own damn adult and get shit done?!

Some thought-provoking quotes:

"When faced with a choice between an incriminating truth or a flattering lie, America's ruling class has been choosing the lie for four hundred years."

"I got older, too, my conscience matured and solidified, and eventually I realized that the taste of it had changed in my mouth. "Common sense" without growth, curiosity, or perspective becomes conservatism and bitterness. I moved on."

"The truth of abortion is that people need abortions and always will. You cannot legislate abortion out of existence--you can control only who has safe abortions and who has dangerous ones, who is considered a full person in the eyes of her government and who is a state-owned incubator, who is free and who is not."

"Today, the anti-PC set frames political correctness as a sovereign entity, separate from real human beings--like an advisory board or a nutritional label or a silly after-school club that one can heed or ignore with no moral implications--as though if we simply reject political correctness we can keep, say, the Washington Redskins without harming native communities. But the reality is that there is no such thing as political correctness; it's a rhetorical device to depersonalize oppression.

Being cognizant of and careful with the historic trauma of others is what "political correctness" means."

"Of course now I know that there is no effective activism without the passion and commitment of ordinary people and it is a basic duty of the privileged to show up and fight for issues that don't affect us directly."

"We've won this war before, and we will win it again.

Tomorrow can be the first day.

The witches are coming, but not for your life. We're coming for your lies. We're coming for your legacy. We're coming for our future."

Covid 19 Family Update

We're still trying to keep the sanity here at our place. Online schooling has been tough. G has a really hard time sitting and learning on the computer for hours on end. Typing is also a problem. There have been quite a few tears. But we take breaks, laugh, give hugs, pet kitties, make goodies, and pet kitties.

G has been enjoying "Brain Games" on Disney+. He usually watches two during lunch and maybe one after dinner. He's absolutely loving the games and discussions on how our brains work and perceive nature.

I'm also not letting him play with other kids outside right now. I really want us to do our part to quarantine and stay home. So it's been really hard on him to not play with a few kids. It's a bit easier since more and more of the neighborhood kids are also staying inside. But he is an only and it makes it a bit harder. He's getting online more with friends. He's had a few Facetime calls with friends and a cousin. He's been playing some online games with friends from school.

I've learned Audible is providing a huge portion of their library for free during this time for kids and parents alike. Scribd is offering its online library for free for a few more weeks. I've already started two books! I think I may sign up permanently once the free offer ends.

Coursera is offering a course on the novel coronavirus and giving daily updates. I just started the course and have been enjoying learning more about infectious disease in general and Covid-19 in particular.

A really great YouTube channel is Science Mom. She is uploading almost two-hour daily videos on science along with projects and experiments.

Reading: Right now I'm still working on The Histories by Herodotus. I'm over halfway! It's actually fairly interesting. Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by Daniel Quammen. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. I bought this one a few months ago and I read somewhere that this would be a good quarantine read... I'm enjoying it but it's a lot darker than I was expecting so I'm not sure but I'm hoping it comes with a good ending! And on Scribd I'm listening to Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland.

Watching: DH and I started Altered Carbon on Netflix, season two. So far it's pretty good. Season 3 of The Sinner. I don't know how I feel about this latest season. It's a bit weird and kooky but I'm hooked so I'll stick with it. But season one is the best. And before our libraries closed down I picked up season one of American Gods. I haven't dived in yet but I am planning on it this week. And I may pick up Emma even though I've seen it and Invisible Man cuz it looks scary and I may need that this weekend!

Favorite Pics: I don't usually post this many but it's helping the sanity. And Spring is around the corner, hopefully! It's been gloomy the last few days with scattered showers and wind but I figure that's just Spring doing it's thing!

Warren the 13th and the Thirteen-year Curse by Tania del Rio

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Warren the 13th and the Thirteen-year Curse by Tania del Rio

Published: March 24th, 2020 by Quirk Books

Genre: Juvenile Fiction, fantasy

Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages, Own

Rating: 5 stars

Summary: 

At the conclusion of the second book in the Warren the 13th series, The Warren Hotel had transformed into a giant ship, and set sail for the open seas! When Warren 3 opens, Warren is adjusting to the demands of running a floating hotel and is planning his 13th birthday party when disaster strikes--the hotel is shipwrecked on a strange island. To make things worse, his octopus-like friend Sketchy is kidnapped by a traveling circus! Warren and his friends must solve a series of riddles to find the next location of the circus and rescue their friend before it's too late. Along the way, they meet a new cast of characters, including some elderly pirates, a sea witch, a talking clam, and a giant sea monster. As Warren pursues Sketchy's kidnappers, he will learn the truth of his friend's mysterious origins--as well as one final secret of the Warren Hotel.

My Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed the third book in this fantastic series. Warren the 13th has a good heart. He loves his friends and his family. He tries his best. And he gives everyone and I mean everyone the benefit of the doubt! What a great example. I've really enjoyed his growth and the growth of everyone in his hotel.

This book they're out for a pirate adventure! We love pirates and enjoyed all the treasure hunts and pirate-related themes throughout the story. This one has some fun puzzles to try and solve along with Warren and his crew.

The story ends on a bittersweet note and it made G tear up. But it all ends good and he can't wait/hopes for another chapter in Warren the 13th's life and his traveling hotel!

The illustrations are as amazing as ever! Lots of fun drawings to help bring the story alive.

My Son's Thoughts: (lightly edited)

Okay, to start I think this book was really good. I think all the parts of this book were interesting cause usually at the beginning of books it's not as interesting. Every single chapter of this book was just as interesting as the last.

Now down to the specifics. I enjoyed the part where they start saving sketchy and I also enjoy the end part where even when Rustyboots and his granddaughter are kinda evil, Warren still thinks they're worth saving.

If there is anything that I don't like as much, it would be at the end... because it made me sad but that is meant to happen. So honestly I think it's amazing that [the author] did that. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I hope [the author] makes a fourth book.

P.S. I would really a fourth book and maybe a fifth!

*We received this book from the publisher Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review. They sent the book with a beautiful poster of one of the illustrations in the book and some fun Warren the 13th tattoos.

Cat Thursday-- Memes!

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by Michelle at True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite lolcat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats!

Here are some of my favorites for today:

I'm Scrambling... Like We All Are

It's been a crazy week. G's school has been canceled for two weeks but I'm betting it'll close even longer. So we are scrambling to figure out online class stuff for his school and schedules here. Also, it's hard to find supplies at the stores. We're self-quarantining and trying to limit our outdoor times by just playing by ourselves outside and only going to the grocery store when needed. But the panic is real. Being at the store today, my emotions told me to buy ALL THE THINGS! While logically I had to keep telling myself we just need these few items, we have plenty of other things at home to last awhile... It's so hard to be human sometimes with these brains!

We managed to make Krispie treats! 

I'm trying to let G know what's going on but without freaking him out. We've been listening to the podcast BrainsOn. It has some great information on the Covid-19 virus as well as some episodes on critical thinking when it comes to media.

We're just trying to figure it out and not be so hard on ourselves. I read an opinion piece in our local newspaper about journaling and recording this experience of living through the worst global pandemic in recent history. Future generations (if there are any... ) will want to know personal experiences about this time. So I figured it sounded like a good idea. I've been encouraging G to write about his thoughts and I'm following along with him.

We got a book from the publisher Quirk Books for free in exchange for a review. G and I will be reading this one aloud soon! Lots of fun stuff to promote the book. We can't wait to read it!

I've been on Facebook more in the last few days than I have in months. But I am OK with that. It's helping me to connect with people. There are funny memes. There are groups forming to help those who need supplies. I'm seeing humanity again. I'm connecting with people I care about and hearing about their positive experiences and also their struggles. I've got a group chat with a bunch of my friends that keeps it real. I'm getting great ideas for what to do with G now that school's canceled. We were finally introduced to Fiona, the Hippo, from the Cincinnati Zoo. We have loved her videos.

We're hunkering down. We know it's going to get worse before it gets better. We're trying to help out where we can and trying to stay connected and informed. We're all in this together.

Here are some great resources for having kiddos at home during this time:

Imagination Soup-- Her resources are priceless. Booklists for every age group and resources for just about everything.

Big Life Journal-- It's an amazing resource to teach kids about the growth mindset. It's got a free podcast and lots of free downloads. It's been invaluable to help mitigate stress and anxiety.

KiwiCo-- It's one of those box subscriptions with science, art, history, culture, etc. But they have some great tips and free ideas.

This is just a small sampling. But PBS has a ton of stuff from the Crash Course series to smaller videos on science and culture. Lots of museums offer virtual tours. The Met Opera is offering free performances as well online. Khan Academy is top-notch as well. Disney+ has a ton of fun documentaries on different subjects. So many ideas.

I just had to get some of this out of my head. May you all stay safe and healthy! And I hope you find more time to read some good books!

I won't lie... I am reading

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And we watched this over the weekend

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Someone told me to STOP and watch Schitt's Creek instead. I definitely need to do this.

Here's some kitty love. Nala has been super clingy lately and loves to climb up on my back and rest around my neck. I wonder if she'll continue to do it when it gets hot. I'm guessing I'm a heat source and I give her some head scratches!

Cat Thursday-- 120-year-old Cat Photos

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by Michelle at True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite lolcat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats!

According to an article from PetaPixel, a YouTuber Mathieu Stern found a 'time capsule' in the basement of his family's old home. The box contained two glass plate negatives dating to about 1900. Being a skilled photographer he was able to develop them using an old photographic printing method called the Cyanotype.

The photos that follow are pretty sweet. What cute kitties! Click on the above link for more info on how he did it.

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Spring Into Horror Sign Up

'Tis that time again for the month-long Spring Into Horror marathon hosted by Michelle over at Seasons Reading. I'm always excited for an excuse to read more horror and mystery.

Here are a few I'll try to get to (in no particular order):

• Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland
• The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters
• Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
• The Likeness by Tana French
• Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

Mini Movie Reviews: The Peanut Butter Falcon

I am finally getting back to movie reviews! Well, mini ones, at least.

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Storyline:  A look at how Alabam attorney Bryan Stevenson struggles to create more fairness in the legal system. 

My Thoughts: I was disheartened and enlightened by this documentary. There are people fighting the good fight. But the system is so broken and corrupt.

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Storyline: The gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to rescue one of their own, the players will have to brave parts unknown from arid deserts to snowy mountains, to escape the world's most dangerous game.

Tagline: The next level.

My Thoughts: Not as good as the first one but I still enjoyed the new characters and adventures. Awkwafina rules!

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Storyline: A pop singer's songs and artistic identity have been stolen by her ex-boyfriend/manager and shamelessly pasted onto his new girlfriend/protege. Locked together in a small concert venue after hours, the three of them confront the emotional abuses of the past...until things turn violent.

My Thoughts: As it does in every Into the Dark episode from Hulu things get pretty crazy really fast. It's not one of their better ones but it's worth a watch. Revenge is sweet.

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Storyline: A Chinese family discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies.

Tagline: Based on an Actual Lie.

My Thoughts: I loved this movie. Awkwafina continues to show her acting chops. And I loved the ethical quandaries of whether or not to let their mother/grandmother know. Sweet and beautiful. I really wish it had gotten more award buzz.

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Storyline: Sarah, a socially isolated woman with a fondness for arts and crafts, horses, and supernatural crime shows fins her increasingly lucid dreams trickling into her waking life.

My Thoughts: It was interesting. But I didn't know what it was trying to say. As someone who deals with family who has schizophrenia, I didn't like what it implied. The actors were great but the material was not there, unfortunately.

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Storyline: Zak runs away from his care home to make his dream of becoming a wrestler come true.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this coming-of-age story with Zak. He was truly a delight. We get to see Shia LeBeouf gain some perspective too along the way. Though the romance was forced, it didn't detract from the overall feel-good story.

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow

Published: October 15th, 2019 by Little, Brown and Company

Genre: Investigative Journalism, Nonfiction, Memoir

Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages, Library

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher's Summary:

In a dramatic account of violence and espionage, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Ronan Farrow exposes serial abusers and a cabal of powerful interests hell-bent on covering up the truth, at any cost.

In 2017, a routine network television investigation led Ronan Farrow to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood's most powerful producers was a predator, protected by fear, wealth, and a conspiracy of silence. As Farrow drew closer to the truth, shadowy operatives, from high-priced lawyers to elite war-hardened spies, mounted a secret campaign of intimidation, threatening his career, following his every move and weaponizing an account of abuse in his own family. 

All the while, Farrow and his producer faced a degree of resistance that could not be explained - until now. And a trail of clues revealed corruption and cover-ups from Hollywood to Washington, and beyond. 

This is the untold story of the exotic tactics of surveillance and intimidation deployed by wealthy and connected men to threaten journalists, evade accountability and silence victims of abuse - and it's the story of the women who risked everything to expose the truth and spark a global movement.

Both a spy thriller and a meticulous work of investigative journalism, Catch and Kill breaks devastating new stories about the rampant abuse of power - and sheds far-reaching light on investigations that shook the culture.

My Thoughts:

I was riveted. Disturbed. Horrified. I cried. Just when you think the world isn't as bad as you think it is... no, it's worse. Thank the gods there are humans who are willing to risk everything to bring into light this awful darkness.

And now I know how there are still executives and people running all the companies that are still protecting predators and committing predatory acts themselves.

This is an important book. I'm thankful Ronan and his associates are putting themselves out there to get these stories into the light.

And if you're wondering about the title... catch and kill refers to what the tabloids do to stories. They are paid by people like Weinstein or Trump to get the stories from the accusors with the stories to tell. They pay them and make them sign NDA's and then they effectively kill the stories. And they can't talk about them later when they don't come to light because of the NDAs. So they catch and kill. Awful. Farrow talks about how connected people are and how they are willing to overlook and protect in order to keep going in their business or to have a future in a different industry.

It's an eye-opening look at how journalists and reporters and the news and magazines that employ them are in jeopardy. Many are being threatened and stalked. This all amounts to killing our democracy when we do not have freedom of the press. One of the spies that contributed to the story is an immigrant from Eastern Europe and knew the value of freedom of the press and was horrified when he was employed to stalk and harass journalists. He came from state-controlled press and news and knew he had to come forward to keep America's press and media as free as possible.

February Wrap-Up

February was busy busy! G had his birthday. Eleven years old. I can't believe it. He took some friends to the local trampoline park. Cupcakes were made. Fun was had! Then the week after that we went to the grandparents' house for a little family party.

Spring is popping up slowly but surely! It's a lot warmer, though we are still getting a few snowstorms. But last weekend was very nice with temps in the mid-60s. But I have hope since my crocuses and tulips are starting to spring up!

G climbed the big jungle gym and made it to the top!

To finish off the month I and my lady friends hit the local karaoke bar and lit it up! It was so much fun to get out--literally, out of the house. Ha! I have been hibernating since January. I even made it to a movie with another friend yesterday! Emma! I loved it. Another great adaptation.

                           

7 Books Read:

• In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
• Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
• Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• In the Woods by Tana French
• Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
• Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow (This was a very tough read. In line to pick up G from school, I bawled like a baby... I need to read some funny books this month)
• The Courtier and the Heretic: Spinoza, Leibniz, and the Fate of God in the Modern World by Matthew Stewart

2 Books Listened to:

• Midnight Son by James Dommeck, Jr. on Audible.
• Red at the Bone by Jaqueline Woodson

Watched:

TV:

• Ares on Netflix. It's a Dutch series and it is phenomenal. It's creepy and mysterious but has a fantastic ending. Each episode is less than 30 minutes so it's very bingeable and highly entertaining!
• The World According to Jeff Goldblum on Disney+. It's a fun docuseries on various topics like how tennis shoes are made, ice cream, to bicycles. All done with the Goldblum charm and curiosity!

Movies:

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• True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight for Equality. Super sad but important.
• Jumanji: The Next Level
• Into the Dark: My Valentine
• The Farewell. Another favorite. Should've done better during awards season.
• Horse Girl
• The Peanut Butter Falcon. My favorite last month. So cute.
• All three Lord of the Rings movies. G finally watched these with us. He had basketball practice that next Wednesday and while defending he yelled: "You shall not pass!" Yes! He gets it! lol.

Made:


I finally finished G's blanket! I technically just finished it like March but I'm including it now cuz I am so freakin' proud of myself for finally finishing this thing off! It took over a year and some help from my fellow crocheting neighbors. Thanks, ladies!

Reading Goals:

I'm all over the map right now! My main goals are to finish The Histories by Herodotus this month and reread Little Women the annotated version. I'm also trying to get one classic book read each month so I have some catching up to do. I think I'll add some re-reads as well. After watching Emma yesterday I am in the mood to read me some Jane Austen again!

Currently Reading:

• The Histories by Herodotus
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Parting the Waters: Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement 1954-1963 by Taylor Branch
• Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce
• The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (reading with G and we should finish this month)
• Warren the 13th and the Thirteen-year Curse by Tania del Rio (sent for free in exchange for a review and reading aloud with G)
• Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen (I just can't get enough of human pandemics, apparently)

Currently listening to:

I'm not currently listening to anything right now book-wise but I have been listening to lots of podcasts. I'm trying to stay current on news and politics.

I have plans to listen to "Freedom Is a Constant Struggle" by Angela Y. Davis, "Furiously Happy" by Jenny Lawson, "We Are Never Meeting in Real Life" by Samantha Irby. And maybe a couple of others but that's all I want to commit to right now!

Looking forward to:

DH's birthday is Wednesday! We'll be hitting a nice spot to eat and celebrating with some ice cream cake from Coldstone. Then Saturday we'll be celebrating with friends, drinks, and food!

St. Patrick's Day and the Spring equinox are coming up next week. I plan on making some special food like bangers and mash, and soda bread. And maybe some blonde Guinness since neither of us enjoy the dark kind.

I'm hoping for better weather soon so I can get into my little garden and weed, trim, and plant!