Week-in-review: A Hike and School Begins...

 It's been a really hard two weeks or so. DH's parents both tested positive for Covid last week. And my FIL was admitted to the hospital earlier this week and is still there. We think he'll be OK. But we're all taking it one day at a time. He's breathing on his own; but he has a blood clot and is recovering from pneumonia. My MIL had mild symptoms so she's recovering well.

As Covid continues to spread, more and more of us will know people who get it and will see the extreme ways the disease can devastate whole families, unfortunately. My sister's husband's nephew passed away last week from Covid; he was only 35. I've provided a story one of our local paper's did on his nephew's family and the toll Covid takes on everyone, especially on communities of color.

Things I'm Grateful For:

1. Gabe went back to school online! He started Tuesday with live classes. It's a learning curve but I am grateful we are in a position that we can have him stay home for school this year. Which means I'm also very grateful to his school for providing the options for online as well.

2. We finally made it on a hike last week! It was beautiful. A much needed getaway to the mountains and away from the smokey air caused by California's fires.

3. Nala is doing well on her anti-seizure medication! She's a little loopy and unsteady at times but she's sleeping and seizure-free. Next month we'll try to begin to figure out why and how and what the next step is but for now I am grateful she is doing well.

4. I was able to see some family today. My nephew was able to finally feel safe enough to celebrate the birth of his 6 month-old baby. We all came together today for a little lunch and conversation. I just hope no one was asymptomatic and that my parents will not get sick! But we stayed masked as much as possible so I'm gonna stay positive.

Brighton Lakes hike. We only made it to 2 lakes out of 4 but I'll take it! There was a way too friendly chipmunk we had to scare away!

5. I finished my blanket for my great-niece and I started a couple of Fall crochet projects and I have an idea on what I want to make friends for Christmas.

 

Reading:

I finished Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks and Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.

I'm still reading What Language Is: And What It Isn't and What It Could Be by John McWhorter, How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi,  Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi, (honestly, I've had to take a break for a bit but I'll get back to them), I started Mary Trump's new book Too Much and Never Enough, I also started the Magnus Chase series by Rick Riordan. Gabe and I are reading it together but separately. He finishes the first book and then I read and so on. It's pretty fun. I also started Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff and with Gabe I'm reading the third book in the His Dark Materials series The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. I'm also listening to Braiding Sweet Grass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I had a hard time reading last week so I started a couple of others. I'll get through all of these one day! Ha!

Watching: 

Movies:

I watched An American Pickle with the DH on HBO Max, and as a family we watched The One and Only Ivan on Disney+.

TV:                           

I've mostly been watching the NBA playoffs! The Utah Jazz are playing the Denver Nuggets and I'm loving it! Love watching basketball again. It's been a great week for that.

I had to upgrade my streaming stick/device this week. Roku still had not brokered a deal with HBO Max to stream on their device. I was hoping it would happen or a time-frame would've been announced but nothing. So I decided to go with an Apple TV system. It's a bit different and I don't like their tiny remote that will get lost in our couch one day soon but overall it works and has everything I need and HBO Max. Plus they threw in a free year of their streaming service. So I decided to start Defending Jacob. It's not bad. I know how it ends but it's interesting enough I'll probably finish the season over the next week or so.

Image from PBS

The new season of Endeavour on PBS is on as well so I've been catching up. But mostly, it's basketball viewing.

This week: More crocheting, salsa making with fresh garden tomatoes, errands to run, keeping Gabe on track for online school.

Looking forward to my haircut! I'm going to add some fun color. Can't wait. I also have an appointment to pick up some library books Tuesday. Can't wait to make some fresh salsa as well.

Joining in with Readerbuzz's Sunday Salon

Mini Book Reviews: Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, Devolution

 

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

Published: September 5th, 2017 by Sterling Children's Books

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Format: Ebook, 262 Pages, Scribd

Rating: 4.5 stars

My Thoughts:

Aven is a middle schooler with some different abilities. She can do almost anything with her feet since she was born without arms. Her life is good. She's got friends who understand her and a life that she's used to...until her parents uproot their lives to Arizona in order to manage a run-down desert and cowboy theme park. That means a new school and new people who don't know her and aren't used to her amazing abilities. Along the way she meets some other differently-abled friends and they set out to solve a mystery about the park and her past.

I read this aloud with Gabe and we both enjoyed it immensely. Aven is hilarious! She faces life's obstacles with humor and insight while making mistakes along the way. It's a great book that talks about people who are differently-abled and what some of their experiences both good and bad and in between are as they interact with humans in this crazy world. 

The Shadows by Alex North

Published: July 7th, 2020 by Celadon Books

Genre: Horror, Crime Thriller

Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I loved most of this book. It was super creepy. It had a great atmosphere. This one takes place in the same world as "The Whisper Man" that North wrote last year, I think. The same detective comes to town to investigate. It's a really creepy premise that ends up being pretty lackluster, unfortunately. The ending was a bit of a letdown. But overall, I'm enjoying the worlds Mr. North puts down. I look forward to the next one.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

Published: October 22nd, 2019 by Oni Press

Genre: Graphic Novel, Supernatural, Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQIA

Format: Paperback, 256 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

This was a fun supernatural fantasy with witches, ghosts, demons, and werewolves. Throw in some romance between the two fantastic leads and it's quite a fun story. The illustrations were pretty and detailed as well. I look forward to more in this series.

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

Published: April 2nd, 2019 by Versify

Genre: Children, Poetry, History

Format: Hardcover, 40 Pages, Library

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

This was a beautiful book to read out loud with Gabe. We learned so much about many diverse Black artists, activists, athletes, musicians, writers, etc. Alexander had little bios of each person in the back we were able to read after the book. The illustrations are gorgeous. This is a must-read for all ages.

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks

Published: June 16th, 2020 by Del Rey Books

Genre: Horror, Sci-fi

Format: Hardcover, 286 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

This was a really fun book. It's very similar to World War Z but not as long or detailed, and a little more tongue-in-cheek, I think. But the brother of Kate Holland hires a reporter to look into her mysterious disappearance after Mt. Rainier explodes and chaos ensues in her little commune of Greenloop, Washington. Looks like Bigfoot and her brood are chased out of the mountains and attack Holland and her group. We get her firsthand account with the reporter adding in details about sasquatch and its many myths, and park rangers, and Kate's brother. I also enjoyed Brooks' social and political commentary, which is very relevant. Overall, it's a quick, fun read. Just what I needed right now.

Week In Review: It's August?!

 I'm not sure where the time is going? Living in a pandemic warps time and we're all feeling it so somehow it seems even more pronounced than usual. Summer is usually marked off by how we got out of the house and had some fun. We usually visit our friends in Washington for a week or so in July. June is still warming up from spring so we can get a lot more outside time in. It's my birthday so we usually have some fun that weekend. Gabe usually has a physical summer camp or two. August ends up being pretty hot so we usually do a camping trip with some friends towards the end of the month and sometimes in September. In between all of that we usually get some hikes in with friends. Brunch usually happens once a month with friends. Outdoor neighborhood barbecues usually happen a couple times each month. And throw in some museums, bowling, and movie outings, swimming trips, summer is usually full of fun and entertainment. Usually is the keyword. We didn't quite get that this summer...

We had planned on one outing for this weekend but with the continual illness of our cat Nala we weren't able to. She's been having seizures and we finally got her on some anti-seizure medication a few days ago and not one since Thursday morning! We're taking it day by day with a recheck and assessment in September. We are hoping we can figure out a cause. Because if it's actually a form of epilepsy, she will be on those pills for the rest of her life, which makes leaving for any great length of time impossible. Right now we can handle it. But I'm hoping it's only temporary.

So this has been an unusual summer. I'm trying to look for things to look forward to for our little family. We plan game and move nights. I prepare extra special meals from time to time. We may even try for an arts and crafts fair that is happening each Saturday up north. 

And now it's time to start school...we've opted for online only this year. It starts a week from Tuesday. While I don't feel my state has done enough to combat the virus, I truly feel that his school has been doing their best to be accessible with how everyone feels comfortable. Plus our numbers are going down since more people are wearing masks and taking it seriously (though, not enough).

This is all to say that we have not been doing our usual this summer. Getting outside has been a lot harder this summer. I miss the hikes and camping trips and getting out into nature. So we just make do the best we can. 

This is what we've been doing inside...forts, foxes, and boxes

My cat was sitting on the back of the couch with the sun coming through and I decided the shadow play was appropriate. I'm hurting for pics around this time...ha!

Three Good Things:

1. Nala is actually feeling better since we figured out she has been having seizures and she is on anti-seizure medicine and no seizures now for two whole days!

2.  We celebrated Lammas/Lughnadsah/First Harvest this weekend. I made some no-knead bread, ate chicken and veggie kebabs, and fruit kebabs. We plan on having a fire pit celebration soon depending on the weather and burning our dried sage and giving thanks for the first harvest of the season.

3. I got out of the house this morning. It was cool and quiet. I needed to drop of my library books and I got a breakfast sandwich and a latte to go. Just what I needed.

Reading:

I finished The Shadows by Alex North and Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker.

I'm still reading What Language Is: And What It Isn't and What It Could Be by John McWhorter, How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi,  Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi, Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr., and with Gabe I'm reading the third book in the His Dark Materials series The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. I'm also listening to Braiding Sweet Grass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I had a hard time reading last week so I started a couple of others. I'll get through all of these one day! Ha!

Still reading those above! I also started Devolution: Firsthand Account of the Ranier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks

Watching: 

Movies:

I watched You Should Have Left with Kevin Bacon. Not bad at all. A little hokey the last third but a satisfying ending. I rented this on demand with Vudu.

TV:                                              

I'll be finishing up Perry Mason on HBO this week and TNT's The Alienist. I also watched the entire first season of The Babysitter's Club on Netflix. It's a kids show with a G rating but I was so impressed with how they handled really tough and sensitive subjects. I think it's a must-watch for kids and their parents. Astounding.

This week: I've got plans to get Gabe ready for back-to-school. His school is hosting a virtual back-to-school night on Thursday. I'm also hoping to get some of my classes going again.

Looking forward to a hike! As long as Nala stays stable, we plan on heading out for an early morning hike on Thursday or Friday this week. Fingers are crossed.

Joining in with Readerbuzz's Sunday Salon

Mini Book Reviews: Stamped, Giovanni's Room...

Stamped: Racism, Anti-racism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

Published: March 10th, 2020 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult, History, Non-fiction

Format: Hardcover, 294 Pages, Own

Rating: 4.5 stars

My Thoughts:

Jason Reynolds adapted Ibram X. Kendi's award-winning history book Stamped from the Beginning into a book for young adults. That book is almost 600 pages! So that's quite the condensing. Reynolds turns it into more of a dialogue about history and race and how it's all connected. Black history is American history. My son was probably a little too young for some of it since he didn't quite get some of the references. And the book came off very sarcastic--which makes sense if you're talking to someone face to face. That style will work most of the time but sometimes it felt a bit off. But I think it's an excellent book to start to understand, especially for young people, America's true history. There are lots of references and other sites to check out in the back. I'm also still working through Kendi's history book. Gabe and me had some excellent discussions. America needs to change how it teaches and discusses and talks about our history. We can't know how we got here if we don't truly understand what has happened.

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

Published: 1956

Genre: Modern Classic

Format: Kindle, 178 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Baldwin writes a beautiful and thoughtful novel on what it means to be gay and black in a world that doesn't really accept either, and especially not together. Giovanni's room haunts him and as us. Paris has never felt more sad or closed and encroaching than in this story.

"And these nights were being acted out under a foreign sky, with on one to watch, no penalties attached--it was this last fact which was our undoing, for nothing is more unbearable, once one has it, than freedom."

"Their decisions are not really decisions at all--a real decision makes one humble, one knows that it is at the mercy of more things than can be named--but elaborate systems of evasion, of illusion, designed to make themselves and the world appear to be what they and the world are not."

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Published: October 11th, 2016 by Riverhead Books

Genre: Literary Fiction

Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

We follow Nadia Turner from high school as she loses her mother to suicide and the consequences that follow. The themes throughout are about motherhood and what it means to choose or not choose to be a mother. We learn more about Nadia's mother and what made her tick. How her life changed when she became pregnant with Nadia. What if she hadn't kept her? Where would her mother be?

It's a short but powerful story. I look forward to her next one.

"...Upper Room had encircled the wailing mother and held her up, soundlessly, because hard deaths resist words. A soft death can be swallowed with Called home to be with the Lord or We'll see her again in glory, but hard deaths get caught in the teeth like gristle."

"We see the span of her life unspooling in colorful threads and we chase it, wrapping it around our hands as more tumbles out. She's her mother's age now. Double her age. Our age You're our mother. We're climbing inside of you."

A Kid's Guide to Native American History: More Than 50 Activities by Yvonne Wakim Dennis

Published: November 1st, 2009 by Chicago Review Press

Genre: Juvenile, Non-fiction, History

Format: Kindle, 256 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I read this out loud with Gabe. We've been diving into history together and this one talks about each Nation in the Americas. Culture, history, famous people. There are activities to do at the end of each chapter and lots of resources to learn more. I thought it was an excellent introduction to Native American history which is also American history.

Morning Girl by Michael Dorris

Published: 1990 

Genre: Juvenile, Historical Fiction

Format: Paperback, 80 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Dorris does a fantastic job of letting us experience Morning Girl, Star Boy, and their people on the Caribbean Islands before Columbus arrived and murdered them all. Gabe and I were both sad to learn about Michael Dorris' life. He died a few years after he wrote this book.

No Cats Allowed by Miranda James

Published: February 23rd, 2016 by Berkley

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Format: Paperback, 275 Pages, Own

Rating: 2 stars

My Thoughts:

I shouldn't be too hard on it but it was one of the more poorly written cozy mysteries I've read in awhile. This is number 7 in the series and I haven't read any others. But like a good cozy, you don't need to. The author catches us up on anything we need to know in various ways. The mystery is OK, nothing out of the ordinary. But I didn't like the protagonist. He's a do-gooder with no personality. His kids have no personalities. And it takes place in the south with some benevolent racism thrown in. Meh. Plus the cover has a tabby cat but his cat is a Maine Coon cat so false advertising. Even his girlfriend was someone he only talked to over the phone and it's all very chaste. I know there is an audience for super clean cozy mysteries, but I am not that audience. I got this as a gift so I just wanted to read something easy peasie. It wasn't good but it was OK.

The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp

Published: March 10th, 2020 by DC Comics

Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Mystery

Format: Paperback, 208 Pages, Librart

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this one. It takes place in Batman's world. Commissioner Gordon's daughter is the ultimate hacker until one night she gets shot and her world changes forever. She ends up in a rehabilitation center where she hears voices in the walls and patients disappear overnight. It's a compelling mystery and it looks like the story will continue in more comics.

July Movie Reviews

Hamilton

Best play ever. This is one you just throw on whenever you need a pick me up or don't know what to watch! Watch the documentary on his hip-hop comedy troupe Freestyle Love Supreme on Hulu. 

Wonder Park

A cute movie that deals with grief. It's Inside Out lite.

The Vote

Powerful documentary on the biggest movement in history to demand the right to vote. It doesn't gloss over how white women refused to work with black women and tried to leave them behind.

Palm Springs

I highly enjoyed this new take on the repeating day. Samberg and Milioti have great chemistry and it was a much-needed break from reality.

Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil

This was a surprisingly fun Basque movie. It's based on a Basque folk story and it was brilliantly executed! 

The Old Guard

I enjoyed this superhero movie. Lots of kick-ass characters. The plot was a bit derivative but overall a thoroughly enjoyable action movie.

Shirley

I loved this Gothic psychological drama based on a fictionalized story about Shirley Jackson and her life with her writer husband.

Devil's Gate

Was this a great movie? No. But it was entertaining. I enjoyed the twist.

Relic

This was a fantastic horror movie. It's a great metaphor for what it feels like as a loved one succumbs to Alzheimer's.

Offering to the Storm

This is the third and final installment in the Baztan trilogy. It's an original crime thriller series from Spain that takes place in Basque territory. It's so pretty but wow the plot is terrible. But you just can't look away from the train wreck.

Athlete A

I listened to the podcast that is basically this documentary. It's an awful thing to hear about but oh so necessary. How we fail our children due to money and prestige and reputation is disgusting. This is what we care about as a culture, winning over humanity. When we care about people first then we can see change. I don't know if I can ever watch Olympic women's gymnastics again until they are held accountable and I know their program has changed.

The Rental

This was a fun horror. It's not fantastic and the plot falls apart in the end but overall a great directorial debut for Dave Franco. This is the movie we need when we're fighting a pandemic and we need people to stay home! Don't leave your house.

Week-in-Review: July

It's been a tough couple of weeks but things are looking up. Our sweet kittie Nala got really sick; we even had to take her up to the emergency vet. But it looks like her tonsils got infected with some extra tartar buildup. We already had an appointment to get her teeth cleaned and it seems to have done the trick. She is acting like her normal self now!

Things are so different under a pandemic. We couldn't go into the building. We had a numbered stall we pulled into and called and checked her in from our car. After they took her in the building (the tech was gloved and masked and we were too), we waited in our car for three hours till they brought her back out. We never saw the vet who checked her out but talked with her on the phone. It's surreal.

Now that it looks like she's recovering we've finally made a plan to travel a few hours south and enjoy a couple nights away next weekend. It'll be good for us!

Three Good Things:

1. Nala is feeling better! I'm now sleeping a bit better and hoping next week I can finally feel a bit more normal.

2. NBA has restarted! The Utah Jazz won their first game by two and are set to play again in just a few minutes. This isn't the Jazz game but it's the Lakers and Clippers right after and I realized it would be a good idea to take a quick pic or two. All the players from both teams are kneeling during the anthem. It was a really powerful display on behalf of Black Lives Matter. Loved it

3. It was my oldest brother's birthday last week so we were able to do a socially distanced visit and give him a card and sing. We also ate dinner on the weekend at the park with our friends. Gabe and my friend's son were able to chit-chat and catch up. It's the little things you gotta look forward to.

Reading:

I have finished Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin, The Mothers by Brit Bennett, The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp, and No Cats Allowed by Miranda James.

I'm still reading What Language Is: And What It Isn't and What It Could Be by John McWhorter, How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi,  Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi, Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr., and with Gabe I'm reading the third book in the His Dark Materials series The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. I'm also listening to Braiding Sweet Grass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I had a hard time reading last week so I started a couple of others. I'll get through all of these one day! Ha!

I'm planning on starting The Shadows by Alex North who wrote The Whispering Man last year and I really enjoyed it. Creepy and I need a little fun horror right now.

Watching: 

Movies:

I caught up on some horror this weekend and last weekend with the third movie in the Baztan trilogy on Netflix The Offering to the Storm and The Rental directed by Dave Franco.

TV:

I watched the docuseries on Netflix Athlete A about the abuse by Larry Nassar against young girls. Awful. I watched Little Fires Everywhere and Looking for Alaska on Hulu. I did not like the book Little Fires Everywhere but I thought the TV series was well done. The overall storyline I didn't buy but I liked the themes. Little Fires shows how color blindness doesn't work and how detrimental it can be. Looking for Alaska could have been a 4 or 5 hour series rather than 8 but I always enjoyed the book and its topics of death and grief.

Perry Mason on HBO has been pretty good. I've been enjoying the escape. TNT's The Alienist is also a great historical crime drama. It's gritty and violent and if you like that this is one for you! The second season is just as good as the first.

This week: I'm hoping I can get going again with some classes and other online learning. I took a couple of weeks off to deal with my kitty. We have some cleaning goals to get the basement cleaned up.

Looking forward to heading out of town for a couple of days next weekend. It's also Lammas today.

It's name comes from the Latin for Loaf Mass Day. But it was taken from the pagans to celebrate the first fruits and grains of the season. We will celebrate this week instead of today. I plan on making root veggies and chicken and baking some bread. We'll probably get our fire pit out and burn some sage we've harvested.

Joining in with Readerbuzz's Sunday Salon