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