I wanted to post this last weekend...but I got my second Covid jab and it really put me under all weekend. So I got nothing done except some movies and reading...My symptoms were mild fatigue a few hours after on Friday and then my muscles started to ache a bit before bed. I woke up around 2 AM with chills and a fever. Then it was hot sweats and chills and really weird dreams all night. Saturday was aches and pains and a headache all day. Sunday my aches and pains were done but I was just worn out from it all and so so tired. Finally felt human again on Monday! I feel terribly behind on all the things...
But oh what a feeling! Jack Black's video explains it all!
Nala gave me some comfort after my jab Friday.Last week we got out on a little walk as a family before spring weather hit again here in Utah and we had three days of clouds, rain, and cold. And a little family game night. Takenoko is a winner! You can play up to 4 players. It's perfect for our little family.
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| G made his first dinner of turkey burgers last week as well! Yum! |
Grateful For:
1. G decided he wanted to start making meals on a semi-regular basis. America's Test Kitchen put out a great little book for young bakers/cooks that I picked up. He's been picking recipes from out of there and his first was super yummy! I helped cut the fixings up but other than that it was all him. This week is homemade pizza!
2. Covid vaccine! So exciting.
3. We enjoyed a nice birthday dinner at my mom and dad's house Monday. We brought in some takeout and enjoyed chatting and eating since everyone in the house is now vaccinated we felt comfortable going over and spending a couple hours there to celebrate.
Reading Life:
I finished up Broken Harbor (#4 in the Dublin Murder Squad series)(read for my spring into horror challenge) by Tana French, Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes edited by David Roessel, Floating Staircase by Ronald Malfi (read for my spring into horror challenge), and The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling (read for my horror challenge in the scary cover prompt.)
My ebook The Deep by Alma Katsu was returned to the library. I wasn't able to finish it in time, unfortunately. But it wasn't quite what I wanted right now anyway. I have plans to finish it maybe in the fall, though.
I'm 3/4 done with The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas for my French Lit challenge! Two more months and I'll be done!
G and I are still reading through The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. We're a little over halfway now. I bet we'll be done mid-May. G is also learning a lot about World War II in his history class so he's really enjoying it in a new way.
I'm currently reading Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin (really interesting!), The Secret Place (#5 in the Dublin Murder Squad series) by Tana French, and The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco.
Watching Life:
I started Mare of Easttown on HBO Max. I'm really liking it. Kate Winslet is stellar! I love seeing her weekly.
Also caught the Oscars on Sunday last. I liked the quaint feel of it this year. I enjoyed all of the films I was able to catch before the big night. I have a few more to see still. Really happy Nomadland got best picture. Happy to see Chloe Zhao get best director!
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| Source Wall Street Journal |
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| Source Reuters |
Go Youn Yuh-Jung for best supporting actress who has no f's to give for Hollywood!
Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always was a great little Indie film on HBO Max. About a teen girl and her cousin who head to New York City to get an abortion. It's about all the things along the way. It's quiet and introspective. Highly recommended! I really feel this one should have gotten a nod at the Oscars.
Run is a fantasticly creepy horror film on Hulu starring Sarah Poulson. The main protagonist is actually a person who has disabilities. She was able to collaborate on the film and make sure things were done right and not in an ableist way. Loved everything about this!
I watched The Mole Agent on Hulu and PBS. It's a documentary about an elderly gentleman in Chile who goes into a nursing home in Santiago undercover. A PI hires him for a client who feels her mother is being abused. But it doesn't go where you think it will. Insights and just some great footage. A lot of thought on how we take care of or don't our elderly community and who truly makes up a family? Good stuff in there. It was nominated for Best Documentary in Oscars.
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| Source IMDB |
Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always was a great little Indie film on HBO Max. About a teen girl and her cousin who head to New York City to get an abortion. It's about all the things along the way. It's quiet and introspective. Highly recommended! I really feel this one should have gotten a nod at the Oscars.
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| Source IMDB |
Run is a fantasticly creepy horror film on Hulu starring Sarah Poulson. The main protagonist is actually a person who has disabilities. She was able to collaborate on the film and make sure things were done right and not in an ableist way. Loved everything about this!
Boys from County Hell is a fun Irish horror comedy about a Celtic vampire who run amok in their quaint little town. Lots of blood and humor.
Looking forward to:
A new Japanese-style donut shop opened up close by so me and my brunch ladies are going to hit it this Saturday morning. We're all vaccinated and feeling frisky! Japan's donuts are the best! I'm hoping it lives up to its name or heads will roll. I haven't had a fantastic donut since I lived there so I have high hopes...
Mother's Day should be nice. My boys are planning on making me breakfast. I may even talk them into a hike! We'll also stop by my mom's and visit for a bit in the evening.
Hope you all have a lovely week! Any plans for Mother's Day? Anybody watch the Oscars?
Joining in with Deb from Readerbuzz's Sunday Salon
Wow. Your vaccine hit you hard. My sister had a similar experience with her second vaccine. But you are right. Now we all feel like Jack Black.
ReplyDeleteI think it is wonderful that G is cooking and baking. I wish I had learned to cook and bake when I was a kid. My mom wouldn't let us kids in the kitchen.
I'm going to look for Mole Agent. It sounds like my sort of film.
Yeah, it's a great skill for him and he's been having a great time learning! the pizza was a fail but that was on me! lol. We had a plan b!
DeleteI hope you enjoy The Mole Agent. It was surprisingly really good.
I recognized a lot of your reading -- I have read all the Tana French books (I think) and I read many by Umberto Eco, Langston Hughes, and Dumas in the past. Good choices!
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
There's just something about Tana French's books. Some are better than others but I always get pulled in! Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteMy son enjoyed cooking as a youngster. These days he cooks one night a week
ReplyDeleteI loved The Book Thief when I read it years ago, and I am super interested in Mare of Easttown. I am hoping to maybe watch it this week.
The Book Thief has been tough but it's also entertaining so G is enjoying it.
DeleteMake sure you watch the first two episodes together for Easttown...the first episode has just a lot of back story so I suggest the first two together, especially if you're unsure after watching the first episode! But so far i'm enjoying it.
Yikes that does not sound fun, but glad to hear the side effects have passed. I'm not looking forward to my second shot haha. That Jack Black video lol. At least you had a cat to provide comfort. :)
ReplyDeleteI like America's test Kitchen. And homemade pizza is always good!
I've never read the Name of the Rose but I thought the movie was very interesting. Happy reading this week!!
America's Test Kitchen usually steers us rights in the kitchen! But the homemade pizza was a fail this last week! lol. He will try again. Glad we had a plan B!
DeleteI forgot Name of the Rose had two movie adaptations. I'll watch both once I'm done with the book. There's something I'm really enjoying with reading a story about 14th century monks and murders thrown in. Just what I needed right now! lol
Oh I didn't know there were two! I saw the Sean Connery one once or twice. It's dark (I imagine the book is too in some ways) but the whole abbey/ hidden library thing entranced me.
DeleteAaah, sorry to hear you got sick from the vaccine, but at least it's all done now. We are still anxiously waiting for vaccines.
ReplyDeleteYes, the Oscars was really cool and as a fellow South African, we couldn't be more proud of the Oscar for My Octopus Teacher. Yea!!
I hope you and G will enjoy The Book Thief. It really is a wonderful read. How do you find The Name of the Rose? I've tried it years ago, but just couldn't get into it.
Hope you will have a good week ahead!
Elza Reads
Yea, just glad to be done with that! I sure hope you guys get access to vaccines soon!
DeleteI read the Book Thief a few years ago when it first came out and I loved it so I'm reading it again out loud with G. He's enjoying it, though it is a tough read from time to time. He's been learning about World War II as well in his history class so that's made it extra fun for him.
There's just something about The Name of the Rose...14th Century monk craziness. It's just the thing I need right now. lol.
I wish one of my kids would have wanted to try cooking when they were young.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to look for The Mole Agent.
I hope you have a great week!
I hope you enjoy The Mole Agent. It's on PBS and Hulu.
DeleteI saw the film Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always ... and thought intense in a subtle way - well done. We were glad that Nomadland won Best Picture. It was one of the few we've seen nominated. And we are liking Mare of Easttown on HBO! It's good. I'm impressed by all the Tana French you are reading. I have not read her yet (hard to believe) but I will sometime. Jack Black is crazy ... but I laughed at the video. Which vaccine did you get Moderna? My Dad was pretty sick from the vaccine for 2 days ... but luckily he's done with it now in Calif. Glad you are finished with it. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteRight? Such a subtle but intense movie!
DeleteWe all have gotten the Pfizer vaccine.
I hope you have a great week too!
I'm glad you got your 2nd shot, but sorry for the side effects. I'm happy to hear you are feeling better now.
ReplyDeleteI read The Book Thief years ago. Such a good book.
I hope you have a great week!
Thanks! Feeling better. I hope you have a great week too!
DeleteI can relate to the feelings that Jack Black conveyed about the vaccines. It was such a RELIEF to get my second one. Congrats to you! I think I will look for the Jane Austen: A Life book. My Sunday Salon post
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the Jane Austen: A Life book. Very interesting and just a new look on Austen's life that I had no idea.
DeleteSorry you had such awful side effects from the second vaccine. I had fever and chills, too, but was fine again in 24 hours. Such a relief to finally get to full immunity, too. I've had Jane Austen: A Life on my shelf for years... really need to pick it up and read it.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get it to it! Such a good one so far.
DeleteI am glad you are feeling better. I'm sorry you were hit so hard by the side effects. My husband gets his second dose next week and took a couple days off work just in case. I am glad you were able to get out and walk and game night sure looked like fun!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are reading some great books. I loved The Book Thief. My daughter isn't quite there yet, but perhaps someday she'll be interested in reading it. I'm really curious about the Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes and Jane Austen: A Life you mentioned.
I hope you have a great week and a Happy Mother's Day next weekend!
I've got a few great books going. It's been fun to read The Book Thief with G. It's a lot different than we normally read together so glad it's going well for him!
DeleteHappy Mother's Day to you too this weekend!