Little Whale Cove
Depoe Bay, Oregon
Hooray for spring! I love this time of year. Longer days and more sunshine always makes me happy. Other than various medical appointments (for me, my husband, and my mom), it was a fairly quiet month, as my reading reflects. Looking back at last March, I see that I read two more books this month than in 2025. I also see that I learned how to play American Mah Jong in March 2025. The 2026 cards were recently mailed out and I'm enjoying the challenge of learning the new hands. What a great way to exercise your brain! No trips in April, but we're excited about a two-week RV trip in late May.
My reading was pretty good in March. I had one re-read, which was very entertaining. I finished the Dalton series, and am eager to see what Shannon Bowring comes up with next. Only one of the four new releases was a winner, so it's back to my backlist TBR stacks. I am determined to read the books that were on my fall reading list. (I'm looking at you The Lacuna!)
Books Read (click on the title for my review):
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (3/5)
Where the Forest Meets the River by Shannon Bowring (4.5/5)
In a Distant Valley by Shannon Bowring (4/5)
Heartwood by Amity Gaige (3/5)
The Likeness by Tana French (4.5/5)
Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen (3/5)
A Family Matter by Claire Lynch (4/5)
Gave Up On:
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Flesh by David Szalay
Movies & TV Series:
The Bear (Season Four) - Gloomy. Morose.
The Pitt (Season Two) - Love this show! Great cast and writing.
Shrinking (Season Three) - I probably wouldn't continue with this show if it weren't for Harrison Ford. The tender moments are very good, but the humor falls short.
Miracle: The Boys of '80 - We enjoyed watching this documentary after the 2026 Olympics. I always thought the U.S. team beat the Russians for the gold, but it was Finland they beat in the final game.
Puzzlemania:
Family News:
Mom came home after almost two weeks in rehab after hip replacement surgery (due to a broken hip). We are so happy to have her back home with us!
Ladder:
I joined Ladder at the beginning of the year and am so pleased with Team Elevate. Coach Elise keeps me motivated, and I've been getting in 4-6 workouts every week. I especially love that I can workout from home with my own equipment (weights, bench, Peloton, and yoga mat). Let me know if you're interested and I'll send you a link for a free week.
My dad's wife will be coming home Saturday from rehab after her broken hip replacement. I hope all will go well at their house with just the two of them. Sigh. It's what my dad wants. I'm glad your mom has come home to be with you. You had a good reading month. My new releases reading has not been as good as my backlist reading.
ReplyDeleteDeb, I'm glad Rosa is able to return home. Rehab has its merits, but being able to sleep in one's own bed, and eat nourishing food, is also important. I don't feel as if rehab was all that beneficial for my mom, although she wasn't ready to come home for several days. Just getting in and out of bed was a challenge, but she conquered it! I hope Rosa gets a home health aide to help with showering, as well as some in-home PT. Mom's in-home PT is much better than what she had in the rehab facility.
DeleteMy dad (!) is planning to serve as her home health aide, though I intend to try today to encourage him to hire someone to come in and help out.
DeleteOh, Deb. I hope he listens to reason. The aides and physical therapists are so helpful in evaluating the home environment for risks and also to provide helpful advice. I know you know this. I hope your dad agrees to have some come, if only for a week or two.
DeleteGreat picture of your Mom, Les! Loved it! So glad she is doing better and recovering well at home. Oh, I love that puzzle too. That saying - that's probably about when I'll finish all the books I've bought - LOL!!! Happy Easter!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kay. We're very happy to have her back home! Yeah, that was a good puzzle. Lol! Happy Easter to you and Hayden, as well.
DeleteLove your photo of Little Whale Cove. I am currently planning a tentative trip to Ashland this summer and am wondering how accessible the coast is from there.
ReplyDeleteWe stopped watching The Bear--it was just too much--too gloomy and morose, well put!
I would love to watch Miracle--I remember that game, which I watched in real time back in the day. So exciting.
Hope you enjoy The Lacuna. It took me a while to get into it. I heard that Kingsolver has another book coming out shortly!
Best wishes for a wonderful April! And congrats on your Mom's return home :)
Thanks, Jane. We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful spot. Driving to the coast from Ashland would take you about 3 1/2 hours, which would land you at Bandon. We've camped there in our RV many, many times and enjoy the small town along the Coquille River. There's a pretty lighthouse there, too. Click here if you want to see some posts about Bandon. Of course, you could head further north to Florence, Yachats, Newport, Depoe Bay, Tillamook, Canon Beach, etc., but Bandon is the closest from Ashland.
DeleteI doubt I'll watch more of The Bear if they make another season. I'm over it!
I hope I can get into The Lacuna. It's pretty big and I've heard mix reviews. I'll give it a go as soon as I finish my current book (The Song of Achilles). I'm excited the Kingsolver has another book coming!
I am enjoying Shrinking. It isn't the best show I've ever watched, but it's good.
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased that your mom is home after her surgery and rehab. She looks very happy to be heading home!
I think I watched that same documentary on the 1980 hockey team. The one I watched interviewed the guys in the NOW with clips from 1980. Super interesting.
Helen, I agree. It's not the best, but it's entertaining. I just watched The Pitt last night and Shawn (from Shrinking) made an appearance!!
DeleteYes, I'm very happy my mom is home and doing so well. PT is going well and she's eager to head out tomorrow for a walk now that the weather is improving.
Yes, the documentary I watched had the hockey players as they are today, watching footage from the games when they were young men. Such a good show!
Darn it, I think my browser timed out and my comment didn't post (apologies if this is a duplicate). Your mom looks so happy to be going home! Yay!
ReplyDeleteI am starting Tana French's The Likeness later today. I am enjoying Shrinking even though it isn't the best show I've ever seen. It makes me happy to watch it. And, I also enjoyed the Hockey documentary, which I also watched after this year's Olympics.
Hey, I'll take two comments from you! :) Glad you're starting Tana French's book. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! I plan to re-read Faithful Place later this year sometime. It's the third in the Dublin Murder Squad series.
DeleteSo glad your mum is back at home! I'm sure she's very happy to be back. Our clocks just went back here and it's already light until after 7pm now, which makes a lovely change from the winter. Very much looking forward to our 10pm sunsets.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Keira. We're very happy she's home and doing well with her PT. Now that the weather is improving, she's hoping to get out for some walks with her walker to help strength her legs, as well. Yep, our sunset is edging toward those later hours, too. It will set tonight a little before 8pm. I think the latest will be 9:30ish, but I'm not positive. Hooray for spring & summer!
DeleteAnother good reading month and a nice variety of books, too! I've decided to pass on The of Golden for now and I still haven't been motivated to try The Lacuna either. Your mom looks great and I'm glad her recovery has been smooth. Hope April is off to good start ... must be nice there now before the tourists start arriving. Where are you off to in May?
DeleteJoAnn, I wish I could encourage you to read Theo of Golden, but it simply wasn't for me. I finished my current book and skipped over The Lacuna once again. I'm not ready for a big book, at the moment. Maybe next month. You know, tourist season seems to stretch into off-season months here. People come to see the king tides or escape the heat in the valley. We're heading north to Washington in May. Port Townsend and the Olympic National Forest, as well as a few nights in our favorite spot by Manzanita, OR. Should be fun!
DeleteIt is good to see your Mom looking upbeat, yay! I hope she is okay to recover. You read some good books in March and watched some good shows. I think I'd like to learn how to play Mah Jong again. Perhaps there is a league in my area? I have a set from long ago, though May & summer will be a busy time here. And with Ladder can you choose what type of workout you want ... like dumbbells or biking ? How long are the workouts? I often do ones from YouTube.
ReplyDeleteSusan, my mom's recovery is going well. PT twice a week here at home, which is great. I hope you can find a group to play Mah Jong with. It's a good game to play in the cold, dark months of winter. My group is pretty busy in the summer with visitors and travel, but we still try to get our games in every Friday. Yes, with Ladder you can select a "team" to work with. There's a wide range. My coach has our workouts set for about 35 minutes max. I definitely feel like that's enough, given what we do. Check out the website and if you want to try a week, let me know and i'll send you a link. I love it. Just completed my 75th class. I joined for afull year and the cost works out to about $15 a month. Can't beat that! I actually look forward to my workouts. The coach takes all the guess work out of what to do when. It's progressive program, and I'm already lifting heavier than I did back in January.
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