A Virtual Hug
Depoe Bay, Oregon
July 2020
As I look back on my list of books read in July, I am truly surprised. Didn't I read The Warmth of Other Suns in June? And what about State of Wonder? I could swear I read that book a couple of months ago. Does everybody feel like July was a year long? Of course, everyone is saying that at the end of every month in 2020, but for some reason this past month felt especially long. Perhaps because the last week felt like a lifetime. If you don't follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you may not know that in addition to caring for my husband who broke his arm on the 25th, I've been visiting my mom who was hospitalized on the 28th with an obstructed bowel due to a umbilicus hernia. I am happy to report that she is now home! So, one 911 call and two ER visits within three days is very reminiscent of last November when Mom wound up in the hospital with pneumonia after Rod's emergency gallbladder surgery. Eight months from now, I putting them in isolation so they don't have another joint health issue! ;)
In spite of all that medical craziness, I managed to stay on track and finish five books. State of Wonder, which is by far the oldest and one that I've had on my shelf for a decade, wound up being my favorite with a perfect 5/5 rating. Loved it! The others, with the exception of Kingdom of the Blind, weren't so good. And all but two were borrowed, so I didn't do very well reading from my own shelves.
But it's a new month, right? And my current reads (print and audio) are both very entertaining, so I'll keep a positive attitude.
Books Read (click on the title for my review):
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (5/5)
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson (3/5)
Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher (2/5)
The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg (2/5)
Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny (4/5)
First Lines:
The news of Anders Eckman's death came by way of Aerogram, a piece of bright blue airmail paper that served as both the stationery and, when folded over and sealed along the edges, the envelope. Who even knew they still made such things? This single sheet had traveled from Brazil to Minnesota to mark the passing of a man, a breath of tissue so insubstantial that only the stamp seemed to anchor it to this world. (State of Wonder)
The night clouds were closing in on the salt licks east of the oxbow lakes along the folds in the earth beyond the Yalobusha River. (The Warmth of Other Suns)
Women Rowing North is about the specific issues women face as we transition from middle age to old age. The core concern of this life stage, with all of its perils and pleasures, is how to cultivate resilient responses to the challenges we face. (Women Rowing North)
For Confession Club, Joanie Benson is going to make Black Cake. It seems right: dense, mysterious, full of odd little bits and pieces of surprising ingredients. (The Confession Club)
Armand Gamache slowed his car to a crawl, then stopped on the snow-covered secondary road. (Kingdom of the Blind)
Movies and TV Series:
New Tricks - We finished Season Two and probably won't watch anymore. It was good, but not enough to continue.
Hamilton - We really enjoyed this, but were thankful for closed captioning. I've been listening to the music nonstop.
Captain Marvel - I wasn't sure I was going to like this, but after about 15 minutes, I couldn't stop watching. Can't wait to see Captain Marvel 2 (due out in 2022)
Wanted - We really enjoyed this Australian drama series and are a bit sad that we're finished with all three seasons.
The Old Guard - Very good! Highly recommend. I wouldn't mind watching it again.
Bosch - We watched the first two episodes and are hooked!
Puzzlemania:
Loved this one!
Very difficult, but fun!
Outings:
New Recipes:
Strawberry Rhubarb Galette
Peach Galette
Spaghetti al Limone
Social Distancing:
Pretty masks from Johnny Was
Wash your hands, stay 6-10 feet apart and please WEAR YOUR MASKS!
Be sure to check out the sidebar links for Rod's music videos (posted each Monday) and the new recipes I sampled this past month.
so many puzzles! And your galettes look fab! We really enjoyed The Old Guard too!
ReplyDeleteMarg, actually we only did two puzzles in July. I just took several photos of different parts of the Rivera puzzle. :) I am so pleased with the galette recipe. However, I need to start cutting back on the desserts...
DeleteAll your food looks so yummy! And Edward Gorey! I love him but never thought to look for a puzzle!! How fun!
ReplyDeleteJinjer, the Edward Gorey puzzle was so much fun. The company (Pomegranate) has several of his and the quality is very good. Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment!
DeleteOh my goodness! So sorry your Mom had an issue too. Glad she was able to get it resolved and could get back home. Hope she and Rod do well in recovery. And you take care of yourself, OK? Lots of stress going on for you. Big hugs!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the well wishes and hugs, Kay. Mom's doing great and Rod is slowly recovering. It could have been much worse for both of them!
DeleteSounds like you have had a crazy month, but still accomplished lots! Thanks for the movie and show recommendations. We have been looking for something new to watch. Take care!
ReplyDeleteIt was a pretty crazy month, Gretchen. Enjoy your tv viewing!
DeleteBeautiful flowers! Love the Edward Gorey puzzle and the face masks!
ReplyDeleteAren't the flowers amazing, Jenclair? They lasted a long time, too. The puzzle was a lot of fun and I'm so pleased with the company. Their puzzles are beautiful and well-made. Yes, aren't those face masks lovely?
DeleteI was waiting on the galette post! They all look so good. I also like your puzzles. I am the only puzzle person in the house and haven't tried one in ages.
ReplyDeleteWe also had our RV in for some warrenty work and just got it back so we planned a short trip for the end of the month. It will probably be too hot but it will be great to get out again.
Happy baking, Tina! The galettes are so easy and so addictive. My mom and I work on puzzles almost daily, but my husband's not a fan. Glad you are going to be able to get out in your RV. We're still planning on our trip right after Labor Day, but we'll see how my husband's broken arm is doing.
DeleteSuch a difficult July you had, and yet you found time for beauty and joy. I'm so glad to know that both your mom and Rod are home and recovering. Stay well, all of you, and keep on enjoying the simple pleasures of your lives and sharing them with us. Sending hugs!
ReplyDeleteLaurel, as you well know, one must look for beauty and joy during stressful times. Thanks for the virtual hugs. They are much appreciated!
DeleteI'm so glad to hear your mom is home and doing well. What a scare! Good health vibes for both of them for a speedy recovery. And, tell Rod we are missing his music! I need to check out a couple of the shows you mentioned. I love Bosch. We've started a new Netflix series but probably need to watch another episode to see if we'll continue with it. Here's to a safe and healthy August!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Iliana. It was quite a scare, but my mom is almost completely recovered. I wish I could say the same about Rod. Poor guy is still struggling with the pain. And, he's really missing his guitar!
DeleteOMG, I am just catching up. So sorry both your mom and Rod are struggling. Glad they are now on the mend and hope August is better for all of you. Thank goodness they have you!
ReplyDeleteThose puzzles look so hard; I don't have a lot of patience so for me instead of destressing they would cause me stress. LOL
Thanks, Diane. The past couple of weeks were pretty intense! I find working on puzzles pretty relaxing, unless I'm doing one with a lot of solid colors and not a lot of detail. I keep telling myself it's not a race and to just try a few pieces at a time.
DeleteOh my, Les... no wonder your month seemed so long! I'm glad your mom and Rod are both recovering. We were driving back to NY, then awaiting our test results (negative, thankfully) so have been out of touch for a while. Here's to a healthier August!
ReplyDeleteThanks, JoAnn. It was quite a month! I am glad to hear that your tests were negative and that you had a safe journey back to NY. Glad you got out of FL when you did! Stay well, my friend.
DeleteI'm glad everyone on your end is on the mend.
ReplyDeleteI want all of your puzzles!!! I'm hoping there's an Old Guard 2 someday. And we breezed through all seasons of Bosch fairly quickly and were sad when we finished.
You and me both, Stacy! My mom is much, much better, but my husband's recovery is very slow. I've never broken a bone, so I have no idea what it's like, but this sounds pretty painful, especially since he isn't in a cast (only a sling). We have really enjoyed our recent puzzles and love the company (Pomegranate), so we've bought four more! We're still have five more seasons of Bosch, which should keep us entertained for several weeks.
DeleteAll those health troubles. Oh my! I'm glad both your mother and your husband are on the mend.
ReplyDeleteLove those puzzles. Wouldn't it be fun to do a puzzle of artwork?! I never thought about that.
And your foods look fabulous!
Deb, oh my is right! It was a month, that's for sure. We've done quite a few puzzles of famous paintings and it's a lot of fun. I hope to get back to trying new recipes later this month. Right now, I'm falling back on a lot of simple favorites.
DeleteWow the puzzle is awesome as are the desserts! The Bosch show is addicting, all 6 seasons worth (done). Sorry to hear about all the medical craziness you've been dealing with / ugh that can add a lot of anxiety to one's days. I'm similarly dealing with figuring out my parent's care at the moment (here in Calif.) and I can relate. Not easy. I hope medical things will calm for your family. Gosh they've had their share. take care.
ReplyDeleteSusan, we had a lot of fun with those puzzles. Our current effort (Winslow Homer's Snap the Whip) is even more challenging and we're not working on it quite as often. The desserts were wonderful, but I've taken a break from baking for a little while. Those COVID pounds are real! I think we'll get back to Bosch sooner than later. We tried Ozark the other night and aren't too sure about that one! My mom is fully recovered, but my poor husband is still suffering quite a bit. He sees his primary care physician tomorrow and we hope he'll get some positive answers about his recovery. Good luck with your care issues for your folks. It's tough to figure it all out. We are fortunate enough to be able to live with my mom (87 yrs old) and help her age in place. Atul Gawande's book (Being Mortal) inspired us to make the leap to move in with her and it's worked out very well for everyone.
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