A Month in Summary - November 2022

Little Whale Cove

Depoe Bay, OR 

November 2022

Yikes! It's already the beginning of the second week in December and I'm just now getting this posted. That's how my life has gone this fall, and I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling a little overwhelmed with all that needs to be accomplished before Christmas. But that's for another story. Let's chat about how busy November was, shall we? We had a total of four days with absolutely nothing on the calendar. Every other day was scheduled with at least one or more activities, appointments, or social gatherings. It was a fun month, but a little hectic. How did we manage our lives when we were both working?

For those who have asked, Rod is going to cardio rehab twice a week and feeling great. We celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary early in the month, and once again, I felt particularly grateful to his doctors and the first responders. 

Despite the busy month, I managed to finish six books. I loved three, enjoyed two, and was somewhat disappointed with one. Ann Patchett has always been one of my favorite authors, but her nonfiction works really are quite remarkable. I'm still toying with the idea of sending her a fan letter...

Books Read (click on the title for my review):

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker (5/5)

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett (5/5)

House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister (4.5/5)

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May (2/5)

Suddenly 60 [and other shocks of later life] by Judith Viorst (3/5)

More Home Cooking: A Writer Returns to the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin (3/5)

Movies & TV Series:

Hinterland (Season Three) - We are finished with this show unless they decide to do a fourth season. I was happy with how it ended, but don't ask me for any details. It's all a blur at this point!

Shetland (Season 7) - I enjoyed this season (which, sadly, is the final season) much better than Season 6. The last episodes were just wonderful.

Karen Pirie - A very good show based on Val McDermid's series. Each of the three episodes is two hours long, so we really got engrossed! Fingers crossed it will be renewed for a second season.

 

Case Histories (Season One) - Based on Kate Atkinson's novels, this show is pretty confusing. The final two episodes were great, and I'm looking forward to watching Season Two.

Visitors!

We had a very nice Thanksgiving with family and neighbors, and thankfully, it only rained a little bit. I forgot to take any pictures except for this one.

Peloton

Despite the crazy, busy month, I finally got back on my bike. Instead of taking instructed classes, I've opted to ride the scenic routes (while listening to my favorite music on Spotify), which are a lot of fun. I've ridden in Big Sur, Monterey, London, Barcelona, Brisbane, Canyonlands, Oahu, Trentino, South Africa, Grand Tetons, Haleakala, Rhone-Alpes, Tierra del Fuego, French Pyrenees, and Westfjords (Iceland). It's a fun way to see other parts of the world while getting in some good cardio! 

Only 17 days until Christmas. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! 

Not-So-Wordless Wednesday

A cycling class followed by a cool-down (virtual) ride thru the Olympic National Park, fish tacos (take-out) from The Taphouse, a walk along the bluff (king tide with huge waves), and enjoying a drink with my loving family, with a warm fire blazing, made for a very nice birthday. Thanks for all the messages, calls, emails and cards. I feel very blessed.

 I love my Peloton!

Hard to take a picture while pedaling,

 but these scenic rides are wonderful.

That's a ceiling light, not a UFO!

 Delicious, in spite of the wimpy avocado.

Pictures just can't depict the enormity of these waves!

Cozy and warm.

And, yes! I got books!

A Month in Summary - October 2020

Little Whale Cove

Depoe Bay, Oregon

October 2020

I had hoped to get this posted before the election, but it's been a busy few days and I am only just now able to sit down and reflect on the past month. As I write, I am feeling anxious about the outcome of the election, which has yet to be called. I never expected it to be such a close race and I will never again trust the polls. I'm heartbroken that we remain so divided and that the underbelly of this country is filled with so much hatred and racism. Moving on...

I didn't have a very good month of reading with regard to quantity, mainly because my current audiobook (which is over 22 hours in length) is slowing me down. The two books I did finish were very good and I'm eager to read more by those authors. I also finished the RIP XV reading challenge and did much better than I anticipated. You can find my posts about that event here. 

Books Read (click on the title for my review):

Blood Harvest by S.J. Bolton (4/5)

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (4/5)

Abandoned:

The Good Daughter by Alexandra Burt

First Lines:

'She's been watching us for a while now.' (Blood Harvest)

A bottle of wine. A family-sized packet of Nacho Cheese Flavoured Tortilla Chips and a jar of hot salsa dip. A packet of cigarettes on the side (I know, I know). The rain hammering against the windows. And a book.

What could have been lovelier? (Magpie Murders)

Movies and TV Series:

DCI Banks - We love this series. I think it's as good, if not better than, Bosch.

Game of Thrones (Season 7) - So good! I loved the last episode of this season and am ready to finally watch Season 8.

The World Series - Yay, Dodgers!! I grew up in Southern California and even though we lived in San Diego (home of the Padres), I was always a Dodger fan. This was such a great series and I was thrilled when we were able to watch the final game on our TV in our RV. If all goes well, there are only 148 days until Opening Day.

Puzzlemania:

We completed just one puzzle this month, but it was very difficult and 1000 pieces (although that's the average size we typically work on). Nonetheless, it was enjoyable and quite satisfying. Pomegranate puzzles have become a favorite brand, with gorgeous images by world-famous artists.

Peloton - We received an early Christmas gift from my daughter and I can't tell you how much I love it! I had no idea that I could not only take cycling classes, but I can also use the app for yoga, meditation, strength training, walking, running, cardio, bootcamp and stretching. This will help motivate me to keep up with my exercise during the long, cold & rainy winter. 

Outings:

Rod met with the orthopedic surgeon and she recommended shoulder replacement surgery. Once we had that surgery on the calendar, we decided to take the RV out for a little trip up to Nehalem State Park, which is only a couple of hours north of us. We spent 11 days there (which is the longest we've stayed in a single campground) and we had it pretty much to ourselves, with the exception of the first weekend. Even then, it was maybe only 10% full. The weather was great, with temps in the low 60s and only one day of rain and one overnight shower. It was perfect for sitting outside, reading in the sun, or taking walks to the bay or along the beach. In addition to the wonderful weather, we were treated to multiple visits by a herd of elk, many times right in our campsite! We've experienced this before at a campground in Washington, but never at Nehalem. We probably won't get back out for another camping trip until next spring, so we're very happy we were able to manage this one.

That pandemic continues to rage on. To date, we have seen daily numbers reaching almost 100,000 new cases, which is astonishing. Please, wear your masks, wash your hands and stay 6 feet apart from those outside of your household.