Thursday, May 4, 2023

Really Random Thursday, 5/4/23

 Welcome to May in the Central Valley of California. Where it "may" be cold or it "may" be hot. The weather changes from day to day.

On Saturday, Levi had a swim meet and it was HOT! With no shade in the stands. He was swimming in the 2nd and 4th events, and then not again until the 18th and 20th. I admit to leaving after the 4th, but it was great seeing him swim in both a relay and individual event.


Gabe, who is in fifth grade and has only been playing the trumpet since the fall, was invited by his band teacher to participate in the junior high band concert last week. His band teacher sees much promise for the future. He's also a pro at silly faces.
 




I sent this to Christa. She dislikes Oreos (what?) but thought she couldn't help but laugh at this...

I read/listened to 12 books in the month of April. The two books by Ragnar Jonasson take place in Iceland. Turns out that the Libby app has the order of the books listed incorrectly. Nightblind is not second in the series, which explains why it seemed like a lot of the story was missing in the second book. I have written down the list so I'll read the rest in proper order. The other mystery series I'm enjoying is the Cork O'Connor series by William Kent Krueger. It takes place in the northern Minnesota area, not too far from Duluth, one of my favorite cities. Ms. Demeanor was an enjoyable romcom about two people on house arrest for minor offenses. The two books by Peter Swanson raise some interesting questions--have you ever wondered how many murderers are among us who have never been caught? Romantic Comedy was basically a behind-the-scenes story of an SNL-like show writer. It was interesting to see how the show develops in the first half of the book but I really enjoyed the second part of the book where the writer and a former host form a relationship. My very favorite book of the month was The Stationery Shop, a beautiful story about a woman from Tehran who falls deeply in love with someone she meets at the stationery shop during the revolution in 1953. She believes he has died, and she ends up moving to the United States. That is all I will say--but I highly recommend it. It is beautifully written (I recommend the audible version), so I immediately began reading the other book by the same author and am enjoying it very much.


Anyone else??




3 comments:

05 08
FlourishingPalms said... #

Once again, it's heart-warming to see how you can attend and appreciate your grandchildren's activities - a swim meet, a band concert, and plays I know you've seen. It's fantastic that you have family near enough that you can do that. I always enjoy the funnies you share. And really? You know a person who doesn't like Oreos? My goodness, how can that be?! I haven't read a single title that you shared. I guess that's reassuring because it means I'll never run out of titles to look for. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and recommendations about them!

Anne / Springleaf Studios said... #

Your grands are so much older now. How can that be? Thanks for sharing all your books. As you know, I also really like the Cork O'Connor series. Probably one of my favorites when it comes to series after Louise Penney's Inspector Gamache series. I'll be needing some new titles soon so will consider some from your list. Have a great weekend.

OPQuilt said... #

Twelve books is a huge achievement! I like having readers like you as friends because it means I'll never run out of titles to search for. Congrats!
I laughed out loud at that last meme. How did it get this way, but it's so spot on. Sleep, sometimes, is so elusive I just get out of bed and wait until I'm exhausted before trying again.
Fun to see all your grandchildren participating in their different activities; Yes, I would have left the swim meet, too. But at least you are never bored, right? Have a happy summer!