Friday links: 13 May, 2022

Good sunny morning! It’s going to be another hot one today, but I wouldn’t care if it were a zillion degrees or even snowing, because that good thing I said might happen on Friday, happened yesterday! I’ll get into it in my Monday post, but I’m one happy camper this morning. : )

With that said, let’s get right into it! Here’s what I found interesting online this week:

 

The Children Left Behind by Long Covid

Oof. Kids get long COVID as well, and the effects can be devastating. And our kids, who are only 28% vaccinated  (which provides some but not 100% protection against long COVID), are really vulnerable to this – to say nothing of our under-5’s, who have no protection, and the youngest of this group can’t even wear masks! The number of families I’ve seen announcing they all have COVID for the second, third, or fourth times is really high. And how does an 18-month old tell you they’re dizzy and they’ve been dizzy for weeks, or that they’re having trouble coming up with words and that their brain feels fuzzy? Some of these doctors who are trying to treat long COVID patients are seeing kids who have been sick for half their lives…but I guess that's the sacrifice that kid just has to make so that Bob from Texas doesn’t have to wear a mask. (Can you feel my eyeroll?) I’m so sad that this is a thing.

 

Goodbye to grass? More Americans embracing ‘eco-friendly’ lawns and gardens

Yes! Goals! I would *love* to do this with our front yard so we don’t have to mow anymore. I have no vision when it comes to things like landscaping (or decorating, for that matter), so I’m going to have to do some serious research. We don’t water our lawn anyway, but I’ve always felt grass is a waste of space and that space could be better dedicated to growing food or pollinating plants. Definitely something to think about.

 

The perfect example that you do not have to sacrifice any part of your life to go Tiny.

My current obsession is tiny homes. I’ve followed a few pages on Instagram and have several books checked out from the library about them. It gives me such a feeling of peace to look at the pictures of them and imagine paring down everything I own to the bare necessities. I’ve got plans to go through my stuff this summer and do a massive purge thanks to everything I’ve been learning. Could you ever live in a tiny home?

Speaking of which…

 

Downsizing and Decluttering: The Irreplaceable Pleasure of Purging Your Stuff

And here we go! I’m not going to live on houseboat, but I could definitely stand to go through my clothes and get rid of things that no longer fit or that are no longer my style. We’re going to take a little bit of time off from school after the 27^th so we can get a few of these types of projects done, and I’m *really* looking forward to it. More space, fewer things to clean or worry about, it’s going to be amazing!

And finally, in other amazing news…

 

Researchers Pinpoint Reason Infants Die from SIDS

This. Is. INCREDIBLE.

How many of us had a constant low-level panic when our kids were babies because we knew that SIDS was always a risk, that all those horror stories we heard from bereaved parents and saw on TV shows could be our terrible reality? One doctor, who lived that reality and turned it into the world’s gain, has solved this mystery. An enzyme called butyrylcholinesterase, which helps do things like rouse babies from sleep, was present at lower levels in babies who died of SIDS, and the idea is that when their breathing becomes compromised, babies with normal levels would wake up, but these babies wouldn’t, leading to their death. My hope is that this leads to newborn screenings and treatments or supplementation for babies with lower levels of this enzyme, so that no other parent ever has to live through the horror of losing their baby to SIDS ever again.

 

And that’s all I’ve got this week! It’s gearing up to be a decent weekend around here, hopefully a relaxing one. My husband and daughter are going backyard camping likely on Saturday night, so I have a few things planned for that evening. And I might get some potting soil and some plants this weekend; all our garden centers are open and I have some pots in need of things that grow!

Wishing you all a relaxing, peaceful weekend. Shalom, friends. : )

What's Been Going On: Monday, 9 May - Wednesday, 11 May, 2022

It’s HOT.

Remember last week, when I was still wearing two pair of socks to keep my feet warm in the house? Now we’re having record highs, and last night, it got up to 89 degrees in the house. PHEW.

But it’s all good and while we turned the AC on so that we could sleep without melting, I’m loving it. My swing is out on the back porch and I’ve been able to spend many happy hours reading on it already. I don’t think anything relaxes me more than reading on that swing. It’s my happy place

It’s been a pretty chill beginning to the week! Not temperature-wise, but I’ve adjusted a few things in our schedule to make sure I get my outside reading time in. It makes such a huge difference in my mood! Do you find that time outside helps you as well?

Here’s what I’ve been up to so far this week!

 

Monday, 9 May, 2022

I woke up early and decided to get out of bed so I could finish writing Monday’s post. I edited it and posted it, then posted my review of Chosen by Stephen Mills over on my book blog (warning: this book review contains mentions of childhood sexual abuse, since that’s the topic of the book) and on NetGalley. I had breakfast and coffee, then did 20 minutes of volunteer work. I got dressed, took out the compost, filled and ran the dishwasher, and we did a fast cleaning blitz of the living room before starting schoolwork.

We did On This Day in History and Geography (Namibia), followed by math. While my daughter worked on her math sheets, I cooked the soyrizo for dinner. Spelling was rough; my kiddo is so hard on herself when she gets things wrong (even when it’s the first time she’s encountered a word! I’ve definitely mentioned that to her counselor). We did Language Arts, and then it was time for lunch.

I squeezed in 30 minutes of volunteer work during our lunch break, then it was time for school outside! We did two chapters of history, one chapter of Be the Change, a little bit of Lighthouses for Kids, and some fashion history. We did our 30 minutes of Read Harder/silent reading (I’m reading The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music History; my daughter is reading more Judy Moody books), and then I headed inside for a few minutes to make Spanish rice in the rice cooker. And then it was time to read out on the swing! I started reading Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African-American Jew by Michael W. Twitty, from NetGalley. SO relaxing to read while I swing!

I emptied the dishwasher and refilled it, took out the recycling, and made a box of macaroni and cheese for my daughter (soyrizo is a little too spicy for her yet!). We had dinner and I did my Duolingo, then I biked for 30 sweaty minutes. Ewwwww. I showered, put dinner away, then put my daughter to bed (we began reading Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander). I continued reading my book, and my husband and I watched an episode of Unusual Suspects before bed.

 

Tuesday, 10 May, 2022

After breakfast and coffee, I filled and ran the dishwasher, then got dressed. I did 30 minutes of volunteer work, and then we started school.

We did On This Day in History and geography (Nauru, which I hadn’t heard of before this!), math, spelling (which went much smoother!) and Language Arts, and then it was time for lunch! (We start at 8:30; lunch starts at 11-ish. Some days this all goes quickly enough that we have room to cram in something else, but it doesn’t always happen.)

After lunch, I chopped and steamed some veggies, took out the compost, then made peanut sauce (I always add mint) and put the tofu on to press. We watched an episode of Horrible Histories, and then it was time to take school outside!

We read two chapters of history, thus finishing our history book with the signing and ratifying of the Constitution; I think we’ll leave history there and pick it up in the fall. We read one Hans Christian Andersen story, one chapter of Be the Change, and some Lighthouses for Kids. We read more fashion history, then did 30 minutes of Read Harder/silent reading. And then it was time for me to relax and read on the swing! Unfortunately, I had a headache, but I still enjoyed every moment.

I emptied and refilled the dishwasher, then boiled some rice noodles to go with the tofu, veggies and peanut sauce (I love this dish, and it’s even better cold the next day). After dinner, I did my Duolingo and showered, then went back outside to read on the swing! I read upstairs after going in, and my husband and I watched an episode of Unusual Suspects before going to bed.

 

Wednesday, 11 May, 2022

PHEW. Hot day!

I had coffee and dealt with the gross parade of ants that had made their way into my living room, then scooped the litterbox. I filled and ran the dishwasher, wiped down the countertops, and got dressed. My daughter and I cleaned up the living room and I swept, then I started a load of laundry.

We started school with On This Day in History and geography (Nepal), then did math. We paused to watch a TED talk on food waste by Tristram Stuart. We did Language Arts and spelling, and then it was lunch time.

I did 30 minutes of volunteer work during our break and switched the laundry and emptied and refilled the dishwasher (87 degrees in the house!). Then I squeezed in 10 more minutes while my daughter was watching an episode of Horrible Histories. School outside involved one chapter of Be the Change, one Hans Christian Andersen story, some fashion history, and we finished Lighthouses for Kids. I left my daughter doing her math and spelling work with my husband, and it was off to groceries with me!

No great deals, but at least I got some veggies on sale. There’s road construction on the road to one of my grocery stores, so that meant an extra twenty minutes there each way in traffic. Ew. After hitting two stores, I returned home and put the groceries away, and cooked the pizza (89 degrees in the house! Double ew). We broke down and turned the A/C on after dinner. I did my Duolingo and showered, then read out on the swing. I put my daughter to bed and finished reading Koshersoul, then picked up Tiny House: Live Small, Dream Big by Brent Heavener. My husband and I watched one episode of Unusual Suspects before bed, but I barely slept, yikes!

 

And that’s it! I should have some good news for Monday’s post *crosses fingers* but I’m sitting on that info so that I don’t jinx it. If what I’m not talking about pans out, it should happen on Friday and will take up part of my day, so we’ll see!

It’s gearing up to be possibly rainy here throughout the weekend, so I don’t know how much reading I’ll get done on my swing – but if that’s the case, I have plenty of knitting I can do and a bunch of documentaries bookmarked, so either way, I’ll be perfectly fine. Hope you’re all staying cool out there!

What's Been Going On: Thursday, 5 May - Sunday, 8 May, 2022

Happy belated Mother’s Day to the moms out there! It was a lovely weekend around here. Sunny at least one of the days, and still cool, but I got to read outside on my swing!!!! That alone makes life like 84% better. I hope your weekend was also as delightful!

So, even though it was still like 50 and rainy here on Friday, by Tuesday it’s going to be in the upper 80’s. Oh, Midwest, you just can’t give us a lovely, gradual warm-up, can you? But I’m not complaining. I will read outside as I slowly bake to death in hellfire temperatures if that’s what we’re offered here. I just like being outside. : )

I love the second half of the week. It’s always so much more relaxed: my volunteer work is done, the grocery shopping and major errands are done, and it feels like things are so much less hectic. (Maybe it doesn’t seem that way, but it definitely feels like it!)

Here’s what I was up to the second half of last week!

 

Thursday, 5 May, 2022

After coffee and breakfast, I wrote and posted Thursday’s post, then got some beans in the Instant Pot. I got dressed, and then it was time to start school!

We began with On This Day in History and geography (Mozambique), did a unit of math, and did spelling and language arts. We read one-and-a-half chapters of Be the Change, and then it was time for lunch.

I scooped the litterbox, got the dishes into the dishwasher, and started a load of laundry. We watched an episode of Horrible Histories, read two chapters of our history book, and finished that half chapter of Be the Change. We read one Hans Christian Andersen story, read some fashion history, and then did our 30 minutes of Read Harder/silent reading. We did our 15 minutes of journal writing, and then my daughter opened a package my childhood friend sent her (our daughters play together via FaceTime from time to time!). She was super thrilled to receive a Calico Critters toy and a dissecting frog (not a real frog, of course!).

My friend, who also does ceramics, also sent me these! The clown, while absolutely terrifying, is a LONG-running joke between us. The lemon is in my kitchen now, where it brightens everything up. :)

 

While my daughter dissected, I chopped up some sweet potatoes and got them into the air fryer, then I blended the beans into refried beans. I looked for some library books on the library’s website, and then it was time for dinner, sweet potato and refried bean burritos.

I did my Duolingo, showered, then put dinner away. I picked up my knitting and got to work, and then I logged in to the virtual book talk with Riva Lehrer, artist and author of Golem Girl. Even being in virtual community with so many other Jewish women felt extremely calming, and I deeply enjoyed her talk. I read for a bit after the talk was over, and my husband and I watched an episode of Unusual Suspects before bed.

 

Friday, 6 May, 2022

After coffee, I wrote out my Friday post and got dressed and ready. We started our school day with On This Day in History and geography (Myanmar), then did math, spelling, and a whoooooole lot of language arts.

We stopped for a quick early lunch, and then we were off to an appointment with the counselor, followed by my daughter’s yearly check-up with her doctor. All is well! We celebrated by going to Trader Joe’s and picking up some fruit leather along with a few sides for dinner. At home, I loaded and ran the dishwasher, and we watched an episode of Horrible Histories. I did some computer stuff (including applying to be a paid book reviewer. Just a few books a month and so the pay isn’t high. I don’t think I’ll get it, but since you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, I had to try, right?).

I brought in the fake chicken from the garage freezer and brought up toilet paper from the basement, then got our dinner going. After dinner, I biked for 30 minutes, showered, and did my Duolingo, then pulled out my knitting. Virtual Shabbat services were lovely as always, and then I hung out on the computer for a bit and also wrote a book review. My husband and I watched one episode of Unusual Suspects before bed

 

Saturday, 7 May, 2022

After coffee and some computer stuff, I got dressed and headed off to the Science Surplus store alone. My daughter had decided that she wasn’t sure if she could keep herself from having a tantrum there (like last time), so she and my husband went to the garden center instead. I needed their pack of dry erase markers for our schoolwork, and then I also picked up something I’ve been eyeing there for years: a mortar and pestle. There have been so many times when I’ve thought, “You know, a mortar and pestle would come in *really* handy right now,” and it turns out, it does! My onion powder *always* ends up in hard clumps (I once ruined an entire food processor trying to save the bottle of onion powder), and I was able to grind the entire bottle down in minutes! Check this out:

 

Since I was out, I also stopped by Walmart; my daughter’s math assignment Monday calls for toothpicks and we had none. I of course also brought home something from the marked-down baked goods shelf! : )

At home, I emptied and refilled the dishwasher, then took out the compost and recycling. After lunch, I grabbed my foldable chair and went outside to read in the sunshine the rest of the afternoon. I finished reading The Matzah Ball, and then went in to make tostadas with some leftover refried beans. I started reading The Girls in the Wild Fig Tree by Nice Leng’ete, and after dinner and Duolingo, I went for a 4-mile walk.

 

I put dinner away and showered, put my daughter to bed, read my book, and my husband and I watched one episode of Unusual Suspects before going to bed.

 

Sunday, 8 May, 2022

Happy Mother’s Day! My daughter had the idea to bring me breakfast in bed, so I was surprised with this:

 

After breakfast, I made coffee (I’m the only coffee drinker in the house, so no one else knows how I make mine), I did some computer things and wrote part of a book review. I did a few outside things, like sweeping up where my husband and daughter had planted their flowers Saturday, and then it was time for lunch.

I ran across town and picked up a decent-sized bag of yarn from Freecycle:

 

And when my daughter finished lunch, she and I were off to the library. She got more Judy Moody and Rainbow Fairy books, and I got a stack for myself:

 

It was still a little cool out (mid-60’s, but cloudy and breezy), but I didn’t care, because my husband had brought my swing out of the garage, so I threw on some sweatpants, brought out a blanket and pillow, and my daughter and I spent the rest of the afternoon swinging and reading! I finished The Girls in the Wild Fig Tree and started reading The Kissing Bug.

We ordered Indian food for dinner, and while my husband went to pick it up, I chatted with my mom on the phone. Dinner was awesome (I miss the days of the Indian buffet, but alas…), and I did my Duolingo afterwards, then showered my daughter. I showered myself, and I finished reading The Kissing Bug. My husband and I watched one episode of Unusual Suspects before going to bed.

 

And that’s it! We may actually have some record highs here this week. I’m just happy we’ll be able to do our afternoon schoolwork outside on the swing. We’ll drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and put up a sheet on the canopy for extra sun protection, but it’ll be so nice to be OUTSIDE!!!

Nothing on the schedule this week, with the exception of the counselor on Friday, so it’ll be just the usual. Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead! : )

Friday links: 6 May, 2022

Good morning, and happy Friday! It’s raining here…again. *sigh* We’ve had the cloudiest May on record so far, so that’s why it feels so sloggy and dark and gross. Things are supposed to be warmer on Monday; this weekend at least gets into the 60’s, though it’ll be cloudy, and then we head toward the 80’s…and maybe at least a little sun?

A few plans for the weekend, but I’ll get into those down below. Nothing fancy, and who knows, they might not even happen, so we’ll see.

Here’s what I found interesting online this week!

 

When the Next Covid Wave Breaks, the US Won’t Be Able to Spot It

Oof. We’re in a tight spot, folks. So many testing places have closed down or have started charging for tests (I’ve seen signs where COVID testing now costs upwards of $80 for a PCR test), and with the advent of at-home tests (which is a good thing, but there is fallout), we’re not getting an accurate count of what’s going on out there. There are signs, but they’re not official: Walgreens still posts its data, and right now, it’s about the best we’ve got (so keep an eye on that. Right now? Not good). Our school cases have exploded again; Five cases at my daughter’s former school this week, and thirty-two cases at our district this week. SO FAR. Guys. This is not good, and we’re not doing anything about it. Not reinstating masks, not talking about any precautions whatsoever, just…letting it happen. And with the prevalence of long COVID, under-fives STILL without any protection, disabled and immunocompromised people who exist… I really have no idea why we just collectively gave up. This is a bad place to be.

And more on the COVID front…

 

Higher COVID-19 Death Rates in the Southern US Due to Behavior Differences

Not shocking. The entire time, it’s seemed as though my friends in the south have been living through an entirely different pandemic. Even at the height of the worst wave, they posted about going into stores and being the only ones wearing masks (and getting nasty comments for doing so), and I’ve seen *so* many comments by people who have eyerolled the entire pandemic (some of them whom are shocked, just shocked when they get terribly sick or lose someone they love to COVID. Because then it’s the hospitals killing them, of course, and not the deadly virus everyone has been warning them about for two years).

So it’s no surprise that the death rates are higher in a place where so many people have been pretending like COVD isn’t real. Propaganda kills, y’all. : (

 

The Librarians Are Not Okay

Basically, anyone that works in any kind of forward-facing service position right now is not okay. Teachers, retail workers, and now, librarians. Too much is being demanded of them, with zero respect given, and way too much hatred is being flung their way. People have suggested that libraries become COVID-testing sites (look, I’m for increasing COVID testing sites, but ABSOLUTELY NOT) or places to hand out free COVID tests, and now they’re dealing with book bans from zealous nutcases who likely haven’t picked up a book since they were required to read Edgar Allen Poe in seventh grade. Don’t forget a library near me had to close down due to threats because of this a few months ago. It’s too much. Librarians deserve better – as do all our service workers.

 

How to Shop for Groceries When Everything Is More Expensive

The advice we all need these days! Milk is up to $3 per gallon, eggs are $2.50 a dozen, the cheap bread is $1.35 (and these are Aldi prices!); I haven’t seen canned tomatoes on sale since before the pandemic. It’s rough out there. Likely most of you reading this already know all these tips and tricks, but sometimes it’s nice to get a little inspiration, and hey, you never know where you might learn something new!

And one last thing, which isn’t good, but it’s important…

 

Abbott says Texas could ‘resurrect’ SCOTUS case requiring states to educate all kids/

This is bad. Bad, bad, bad. Not just because they’re coming for children’s right to be educated (pfffft, what has education ever done for us anyway? Who wants to live in a society where everyone is educated???), but because of whom they’re going after. This article talks about how they want to stop educating children of noncitizens (who also deserve an education!), but they’re not going to stop there. Parents of kids with special needs are rightfully terrified about this, because so many of them know that their schools would ditch their kids at the first opportunity. Special ed and support services are costly for schools to provide; often, they get little extra help when a child’s needs increase, and parents have to fight nearly to the death to get their children the education they deserve. With this statute in place, schools could weasel out of providing support to kids who desperately needed – and in what world has less education EVER worked out well for a country??? It’s amazing how far we’re willing to drag ourselves down.

 

It's been a rough week, folks, so I hope you’re able to find some relaxation and peace this weekend. I need to hit up the science surplus store; as much as I don’t want to obtain more stuff, they sell a sizeable package of Expo markers, which we desperately need for homeschool stuff. And they also sell a mortar and pestle, which I’ve long needed for grinding spices. My daughter is also hoping to go to the garden center to pick out some plants to grow, so we’ll see if we get all of that done. I have some book reviews to write, and I’m hoping to go for a walk or two, but who knows if that’ll happen.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. Shalom, friends. : )

What's Been Going On: Monday, 2 May - Wednesday, 4 May, 2022

Chilly morning here, but that’s okay, because warmer days are coming! (Just, uh, not today. Cool and rainy. Boo.) We’ve even got some 80+ degree days in the forecast, including one that’s 87 degrees! I was right when I said it would go straight from the 40’s to 90. No happy medium here!

Fortunately, this week has been a little less hectic than last, and I’m glad. I don’t mind when things get a *little* crazy, but when I have 784327438927498 things to do on top of it, that’s when I start getting overwhelmed. Not quite so much this week. Much better! : )

Here’s what I’ve been up to so far this week!

 

Monday, 2 May, 2022

After coffee, I finished writing and posted my Monday post. I got dressed, scooped the litterbox, emptied the dishwasher, and put some beans in the Instant Pot.

We started our school day with On This Day in History and geography (Mongolia). We did math, spelling, and language arts, and we started a book called Lighthouse for Kids (super neat; talks about kids who lived in families where Dad was a lighthouse keeper and all the unique challenges they faced, along with lots of technical info about the different types of lighthouses and the history of them).

After lunch, I made a batch of sweet potato chili in the Instant Pot and emptied and refilled the dishwasher. We started our afternoon with a fairy tale from Hans Christian Andersen, did two chapters of history, read from our science book, and read more about fashion history. And then it was time to pile in the car to hit the library!

Our first order of business while we were there was to sign up for summer reading, both my daughter and me (yup, my library has a summer reading program for adults! I won a gift certificate to a craft store five years ago thanks to the summer reading program, but mostly I just do it to see how many books I can read in that time period). And then, of course, we got a few books. : )

At home, we did our 30 minutes of Read Harder/silent reading (I’m still reading The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music History; my daughter is plowing her way through a stack of Judy Moody books), our 15 minutes of journal writing, and then I hopped on the computer and did 30 minutes of volunteer work. (I will say that the language that most rehab and addiction treatment centers use is a lot more respectful and kinder to their clients than that used by food pantries. It’s a bit of a relief…)

After dinner, I did my Duolingo. I took out the trash and recycling and hauled the cans to the curb, then replaced the trash bag. I showered, then put Sylvie to bed (we read half of Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith). I read my book, and my husband and I watched two episodes of Toe Bro.

 

Tuesday, 3 May, 2022

I had coffee, then I got dressed. Easy morning!

We started our school day with On This Day in History and geography (Montenegro). We did math, spelling, and language arts, then we read more from Lighthouses for Kids. I loaded and ran the dishwasher, and then it was time for lunch!

We watched an episode of Horrible Histories, did two chapters of our history book, a little of a science book, and one Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. We read a chapter of a book called Be the Change, about sustainable living, and then it was time for 30 minutes of Read Harder/silent reading. 15 minutes of journal writing, and then we were done!

I did 45-ish minutes of volunteer work, then emptied the dishwasher and ran it on a cleaning cycle. I tidied up the area at the end of the bed and took some extra books downstairs, then mended several holes in a pair of my daughter’s pajamas. I visited a few homemaking blogs, then it was time for dinner (leftovers) and Duolingo.

I did a 20-minute Boho Beautiful pilates video (their videos are SO pretty! Juliana used to be a rhythmic gymnast, so that’s why she’s that flexible. Just in case you decide to do one of her videos and wonder why you’re not that bendy!). I showered, put dinner away, and then finished reading Chosen by Stephen Mills before going to bed.

 

Wednesday, 4 May, 2022

Up early this morning! I had coffee, then read a chapter of The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer while waiting for my computer to load up (absolutely loving this book so far! I don’t read a lot of fiction – mostly because I just love learning so much, but also because I’m so picky about my fiction – but this is really great). I checked the grocery ads, but there was nothing good. I got dressed, started a load of laundry, filled the dishwasher, took out the recycling, cleaned off the stovetop, and swept the kitchen.

We started our school day with On This Day in History and geography (Morocco). We did math, then I switched/hung the laundry. We did spelling, language arts, and read some Lighthouses for Kids.

After lunch, I folded and put away the laundry, then switched out the garbage bag in the bathroom and took the full one out. I took out the compost and recycling, then ran the dishwasher. We watched one episode of Horrible Histories, read two chapters of histories and one chapter of Be the Change. We read one Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, then read more of fashion history. And that was it for the day!

I stopped by my son’s to pay his phone bill, then picked up a prescription from Walgreens and dropped off some library books. And then it was off to Aldi for a few groceries. LOTS of empty shelves there, no eggs whatsoever, and a bin of $7 watermelon. Yikes! Times like these, I’m happy I’ve learned to be really versatile in the kitchen, along with having a well-stocked pantry.

At home, I put everything away, then settled down for 45-ish minutes of volunteer work (could’ve been more, actually. I wasn’t keeping track very well). I cooked the pizza, and after dinner, I did my Duolingo, changed my clothes, and headed out on a walk, since it was nice enough! I saw this lovely flower:

 

Let’s not talk about how I fell over trying to take a picture of it, mmkay?

At home, I showered immediately because I was disgustingly sweaty (it was only in the 50’s, but I was wearing a sweatshirt, plus I really hoof it when I walk), then I put my daughter to bed (we finished reading Chocolate Fever), and read more of my book. My husband and I watched an episode of Unusual Suspects before bed.

 

And that’s it! I definitely feel more relaxed this week than last. Tonight, I’m attending a virtual book talk with Riva Lehrer, author of Golem Girl, so I’m really looking forward that. Not much on the agenda for this weekend, either, so I’m hoping to get plenty of reading done, along with – ugh – mowing the lawn. My left hip is really unhappy about the walk last night, so we’ll see how that goes.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

What's Been Going On: Thursday, 29 April - Sunday, 1 May, 2022

Some weekends just deliver exactly the relaxation we need, and this was one of them. (Honestly, the bar was pretty low, though!) Last week was just so hectic, with so much to do, and I really needed some down time to do nothing but what I wanted (and not what I had to). I wish every weekend were like this!

Here’s what I was up to the past few days!

 

Thursday, 29 April, 2022

After breakfast and coffee, I finished writing and posted my Monday post. I loaded and ran the dishwasher, got dressed, and brought in a fruit and yogurt bowl from the garage freezer.

We started our school day with On This Day in History and geography (Moldova), then did a unit of math. While my daughter got started on some math problems, I chopped onions and zucchini, folded a load of laundry, and brought another load upstairs. We did spelling and language arts, and then we finished our book about food history.

After eating lunch, I sauteed the onions, garlic, zucchini, peppers, and some mushrooms I chopped, then emptied and refilled the dishwasher. I scooped the litterbox and took out the recycling and compost. I folded the second load of laundry, then put both loads away (some lunch break, right???). I also tidied the mess of clothing on my daughter’s floor.

I swept the kitchen floor, then it was time for an episode of Horrible Histories. We did two chapters of our history book, read a story by Hans Christian Andersen, read about evolution, then read fashion history. We did our 30 minutes of Read Harder/silent reading, and then I headed out to a local grocery story to pick up mandarin oranges and chickpeas. I also came home with some marked-down cheese ends and marked-down pears.

At home, I put everything away, grabbed a bag of tater tots from the garage freezer, then made a breakfast casserole. And finally, I sat down to read for a bit. Phew!

After dinner, I did my Duolingo, then biked for 30 minutes while listening to an episode of the Stark Raving Dad podcast, which seems pretty interesting. I showered, put dinner away, and put my daughter to bed. I read my book, and my husband and I watched an episode of Under the Banner of Heaven. I read the book years ago (I love anything Jon Krakauer writes); it’s a fascinating book, but it does describe some brutal murders, so it’s not exactly a light read.

 

Friday, 29 April, 2022

After breakfast and coffee, I wrote and posted Friday’s post, then got my daughter’s carseat back in the car (it had been in my husband’s car since Monday’s trip to the museum). I got dressed, and then it was time for school!

We started our day with On This Day in History and geography (Monaco). We did math, spelling, and language arts, and then it was time for an early lunch, because we had an appointment with the counselor at noon. It went well again, and I’m hopeful that we’ll eventually see some progress.

We stopped by Trader Joe’s for soyrizo and a frozen spanakopita (yum!), then headed home. I loaded the dishwasher and ran it, and we watched two episodes of Horrible Histories. We spent the rest of the afternoon finishing our book on evolution, which was super interesting! Dinner was spanakopita and fake chicken strips, because I cannot homeschool, take my child to the counselor in the middle of the day, and also cook from scratch. Not enough hours in the day!

After dinner, I did my Duolingo and showered, then picked up my knitting. I logged on to virtual Shabbat services at 7:30 and kept knitting afterwards. My husband and I watched another episode of Under the Banner of Heaven, and I knit through that as well. : )

 

Saturday, 30 April, 2022

THIS is the relaxing day I needed!

After coffee, I farted around doing various things on the computer, then got dressed. My daughter and I went off to the library in search of a book she wanted (which she read entirely on this day!) and a few extra books for school. I also grabbed a few cookbooks, because I’m sick to death of all the recipes I normally make and am in desperate need for some new ones.

At home, I went through a cookbook while my daughter read and we listened to relaxing piano music. Ahhhhhh. This was nice. I finished that cookbook after lunch, then I chopped a whoooooooooole lot of veggies for dinner.

 

My husband and daughter went out to yank out some of last year’s plants in the front yard, and I decided I’d better help (because otherwise he just leaves the huge heaps of dead plants piled in the front yard *cringe emoji*), so I made approximately 14892374032304 trips carrying them to the pile of dead plants and branches that have – I swear I am not joking here – been piling up for three years now (I am SO sorry, backyard neighbors…). My back was NOT happy with this activity, but I managed to get them all out of sight of the main road, so that’s good.

Inside, I was going to read, but I ended up dozing on the chair for a bit. When I got up, I made dinner – a pasta dish that was chock full o’veggies, but ended up not being all that great, and I won’t make it again. (Our tornado sirens went off while I was cooking, so I hung out in the basement for a few. A tornado touched down apparently like seven or eight miles away, something like that. Yikes!) After dinner, I did my Duolingo and showered. I put dinner away, put my daughter to bed (we finished reading Follow My Leader by James B. Garfield), and read my book. My husband and I looked for something new to watch and settled on – get this – a show about a podiatrist called Toe Bro. It’s the foot version of Dr. Pimple Popper, and it’s horrifying. SO many ingrown toenails and foot infections. It literally made my stomach turn and I horror-laughed through the entire thing. Don’t watch it while eating!

 

Sunday, 1 May, 2022

Cold and rainy on this first day of May, because of course!

After coffee, I finished writing and posted my monthly blog update on my book blog, then wrote and posted yesterday’s monthly goals update. I emptied and refilled the dishwasher, tidied the kitchen, and took out the compost, then I settled down to read my book. After lunch, I finished One People, Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues That Divide Them by Ammiel Hirsch and Yaakov Yosef Reinman.

I returned my stack of library books to the library a few towns over, then stopped by Aldi for milk. At home, I filled and ran the dishwasher, took out the recycling and compost, then swept and tidied the living room. And then I sat down to do some mending. I fixed my daughter’s squishy pillow and a skirt while watching a VICE documentary about people who have left the Jehovah’s Witnesses (warning: this documentary discusses the physical and sexual abuse of children that runs rampant among the Witnesses. It’s a very well-done documentary, but this is obviously a very difficult subject for many people), then darned a sock while starting to watch a documentary on Lou Perlman and the boy bands of the 90s. I haven’t finished the documentary yet, but I did finish the sock! The darn looks vaguely like a backwards South Carolina, which amuses me.

 

After dinner, I did my Duolingo, worked on this post for a few, then went upstairs and did a 24-minute Boho Beautiful Pilates workout. Ugggggggggggh, Pilates has NOT gotten any more fun, though I’m definitely better at it! I only had to modify the side plank exercises (in part because my wrists cause me some pain if I plank on them too long, and in part because I know my muscles needed in those exercises need work!).

I showered, then showered my daughter, and came downstairs to work a little more on this post. I started reading a review book from NetGalley, Chosen: A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood by Stephen Mills. My husband and I watched two stomach-turning episodes of Toe Bro before bed.

 

And that’s it! I’m hoping this week is a little less hectic than last. The technical last day of school is May 25^th; we may or may not go a little longer than that. It really depends on how much more math we need to get done (and if I’m being honest, the weather – why bother if it’s still cool and gross out? – and our moods at the time. We’ll see! Lots of projects to get to this summer as well, though… We’ll see.

Ooh, we can sign up for summer reading today, too! Field trip to the library after school!!!

Have a great week, everyone!

Monthly Goals update: April 2022

 Welcome to May! The promise of warmer weather is right around the corner. Our temps are sloooooooooowly creeping up; we have a day or two in the 70’s in about a week or so, and more days in the 60’s – which is better than the 40’s and 50’s we’ve been having! We’ve had some Mays when it’s STILL in the 50’s at the end of the month, so I’m trying to not get my hopes up too much, but it’s hard!!!

April was an entirely ridiculous month for getting much  of anything done on my list of goals. Homeschooling just sucks up so much of my time, and then throw in the daily cooking, cleaning, and exercise (which is not helping my back hurt less, but I’m still doing it anyway!), and my time to do anything else is fairly nonexistent. Which is a bummer, but I’m doing the best I can.

Here’s what I mostly didn’t get done in April!

 

Read 100 books.

 

Ten more than last month! Not quite halfway there, but not bad. Could be worse. Ten is a really slow month for me, but slow is the name of the game right now!

 

Subgoal: read all the ebooks on my list.

I did read one ebook this month from my list, so there’s that! Nine more to complete before I knock all of these off the list.

 

Sew at least one thing..

So, no progress on this yet, but I did have a very informative conversation with someone online who was talking about how she learned how to hand-sew, and she does all her sewing like that, even quilting and clothing. This absolutely fascinated me, so I asked her a few questions and she provided me with a list of links and resources, which I immediately bookmarked. I still need to fix my sewing machine, so this appeals to me because of that, but there’s also something lovely about the idea of sitting here in my cozy chair, stitching away. Something to consider!

 

Knit at least one thing.

In progress! Not enough time to work on it, but it’s lovely when I do.

 

 

Crochet one thing.

Not yet! I’ll likely wait until I get done with my blanket to start this (or wait until I’m at a pause point, meaning, I need more scrap yarn and am on the lookout for it on Freecycle).

 

Finish my grandmother’s cross-stitch.

Completed!

 

Work my way through Prayerbook Hebrew the Easy Way.

No progress this month. I’m thinking I’ll get much more done on this during the long summer days out on my porch swing. Little bit of study before I read whatever I’m reading for fun is usually my MO, so hopefully you’ll start seeing more progress in this category by the end of this month or next month!

 

Read at least one book in French.

Nope, not this month. This is also something I’ll work on more out on the swing: a chapter or two of Le Petit Prince before moving on to my regular reading.

 

Bonus: write something and get it published.

LOLOLOLOLOLOL I’ve struggled keeping up with my blogging this month. No progress in this category.

 

Do at least six drawings.

NOPE.

 

Watch more Karl Johan.

Absolutely not.

 

Creeping along and doing my best. I wonder what this list would have looked like if I’d been homeschooling when I wrote it. I just have to keep reminding myself that slow progress is progress, and some things take priority, like ensuring my daughter gets an excellent education (which she is! I’ve been so impressed by her progress. Her counselor asked her this week if she knew the word ‘perspective,’ and she whipped out an excellent definition right away. And just now, she brought up a scenario about evolution to my husband – who is a molecular biologist – that showed me she was very much paying attention to that book we just finished about evolution). I’m at least doing *something* right here!

Happy working towards your goals in May, friends! May (heehee! Pun absolutely intended) we all make excellent progress this month.