How are you doing this week? Speak up, and if you need some emotional support, let us know. I’m here, and I’m always willing to listen. Take care of yourself.
What worked for you as distractions this week? Celtic music, Broadway & ice cream! Distractions don’t get any better. I’ll admit, I’m back into reading, but even I can’t read all the time. So, Sunday afternoon I watched a Stageit show. Stageit “is an online venue for LIVE & interactive virtual concerts”. Some of the members of Celtic Thunder do half hour or 45 minute concerts. Sunday, it was Emmet Cahill and Colm Keegan. They were in their separate homes in Ireland, while the show was controlled from a third location. Sunday night at Broadway.com, there was a 90th birthday celebration for Stephen Sondheim.
And, then my question is, what is your food distraction? Ice cream!
Salted Caramel & Truffles ice cream. Mmmmmmmm. I only go back to the grocery store when I run out of ice cream. (Sort of kiddling.)
How have you been this week? Did you find something to distract you?
Feeling much better this week, Lesa. The weather here in Ottawa has been unseasonably chilly. We had snow flurries on 2 days, and one day we were the coldest capital city in the world (-6C/20F with a windchill of -15C/5F). Spring is slow to arrive here.
One nice distraction I was not expecting was being asked by Kaye Wilkinson Barley to write about my Paris memories for her blog. So I rooted through my closet and found old travel photos from trips that I forgot I had saved in scrapbooks and 1000s of hard copy photos (not sorted!). Looking through the different Paris trips brought back many happy memories. I finally had the energy and focus this weekend to write my Paris piece, edit the photos and sent it to Kaye yesterday. Lesa, I hope you enjoy seeing my Paris memories piece when it goes live.
A daunting new project could be to start scanning these old photos. Maybe someday, but not in the near future.
I am out of all-purpose flour, so no distraction baking this week. That's ok since my chest freezer and fridge are almost packed full. But I am still searching and saving new recipes…
And I did read 2 ARCS for the first time since March and posted my reviews, so yay for that. Still not reading at my normal pace (1-2 books/day) but |I am making progress.
Yum. Salted caramel ice cream sounds good to me. Distractions? Actually, I did more reading this week. We did watch a couple of new(ish) movies: first, Bad Education on HBO, a true story about a Long Island School Superintendent and his assistant who each embezzled MILLIONS of dollars for their own use. Hugh Jackman in an unusual dark turn was the lead, and Allison Janney the co-star, and both were terrific.
Yesterday we watched a Lifetime movie The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel, another "based on fact" story (no, I don't know much about the gospel world and had never heard of them) notable and worth watching mostly for the powerful performance of Aunjanue Ellis as their mother, Mattie Moss Clark, a real force of nature.
Grace, I'm looking forward to your pictures from your trip to Paris. I love that Kaye is asking friends to share heir memories. If anyone is curious, they'll be at MeanderingsandMuses.com. Why flour? That's just weird, Grace. You're not the first person to say that. For a while, my sister in Ohio couldn't get it. Now, my nephew's wife in Boston is having a hard time finding flour. Sometimes, I just don't understand the shortages.
I don't get HBO, Jeff, but I saw a commercial for Bad Education. I wondered what the scandal was. Embezzlement. Thank you for clearing that up.
Oh, that ice cream is good. Just not every day. (smile)
It takes a while to get it. You notice something is wrong when he goes to Vegas for a weekend and brings TEN expensive suits. Then you see where she lives (in the Hamptons, right on the water) and the car she drives (a Corvette) and begin to get the scale. What interested me was, clearly he did do his job in the schools, as he seemed to remember every child who had passed through the school, their interests, their families, etc. Quite interesting, and more than just a simple story of crooks.
Hi Lesa, glad to hear you are enjoying that delicious-looking ice cream!
I am still reading away – just finished two books that Saraband Books sent to me for review. The first was 'Payback' by Claire MacLeary. I think it is possibly the third in a series, but I haven't read the others. It is set in Aberdeen, where I lived for many years, and the two main characters are neighbours – Maggie, who has 'come down in the world' since her policeman husband was accused of corruption and then died, and who is struggling to make ends meet for her children, and Wilma, who has moved in the other direction, having started life in one of the worst parts of the city but now enjoying her second marriage to a respectable man. Both women have several part-time jobs, but together they run a private investigation firm. When a wealthy socialite is found dead, Maggie wants to steer as clear as possible; the women are supposed to be looking into a series of petty thefts from vulnerable women. Wilma is much more of a wild card and can't resist going 'off piste'. And it's not long before connections begin to emerge between the two cases.
The second book was The Scribbler by Iain Maitland, whose Mr Todd's Reckoning was one of my books of the year in 2019. Iain really is the master of the psychological thriller, and although I usually hate this kind of thing his writing is so good that I can't keep away from it. In the new book he introduces a police duo, Roger Gayther and Georgia Carrie. Gayther is returning to duty after personal problems and is given the task of reviewing cold cases. The Scribbler was the name given to a man who killed many closeted gay men in the 1980s. Now Gayther thinks he has struck again. The investigation is taut, edge-of-the-seat stuff, the red herrings are convincing and the professional relationship between the two police officers develops nicely. The final showdown takes up over one hundred pages of the book, and it is a credit to the author's ability to keep the tension ratcheted up so well that I never felt my attention wandering from that old, dilapidated barn in the wilds of Suffolk.
So apart from that – ! I've been gardening, doing a bit of baking, going for long walks, and trying to keep up with my children, my mother and my friends.
Having finished all those thrillers I have started reading Rumer Godden's The Battle of the Villa Fiorita. It was written in 1963 and it is about a wealthy woman who leaves her husband and three children to go and live in Italy with her film director lover. The two younger children (rather improbably) decide to travel to Lake Garda (where the lovers are staying in the most sumptuous villa you can imagine) to try to get their mother to come back. So far I am not sure what I think. The children's characters are well written, but the mother – Fanny – is annoying me, with all her indulgent crises of the heart while being taken out to 5* restaurants, having breakfast in bed, and spending half the day 'resting' while her new partner reads scripts to her. I am curious to see what attitude Rumer Godden will end up taking to the situation. At the moment we are just beginning to see issues arising from the new man's predictable annoyance at the children's arrival, and his sulking when Fanny's attention is inevitably turned to them rather than focusing exclusively on him.
I hope you are having a good day Lesa.
Best wishes, Rosemary
Hi again Lesa – this is the rest of my comment, which the site did not let me include in the first one…
Lesa, I have not been buying ice cream (Americans would just laugh at the size of our freezer here – three small drawers and that is it) but I do think it's important to keep your spirits up with favourite foods and meals. I still have a little flour, so I have my home made scone every morning, and I buy my rhubarb and ginger jam from the shop in the village – which charges almost 100% more for it than the supermarket, but I justify this by reminding myself that I can't meet friends in cafes at the moment, so I must be saving quite a few pounds every week (if only I were saving lbs as well as £)
In the evenings we often have a glass of red wine, and after dinner I have a bit of chocolate, though I can't get my favourite brand of that – it comes from Aldi but they seem not to have it in stock just now. Luckily I am flexible on this (to a point…)
And PPS – flour has been a huge problem here in the UK! We have been told it is because the grocery store market accounts for only 4% of the flour mills' total sales, so they do not have enough small bags to stock the shelves. They have, however, had over a month to catch up now and we still don't have any in the shops here on Deeside, though my daughters say the Edinburgh shops have now been re-stocked. I think some of the Zero Waste shop owners were enterprisingly taking the matter into their own hands, buying wholesale sacks of flour and bagging it up in smaller amounts for customers. We don't have one of those within walking distance – I am hoping the supermarkets have some by the weekend, as I am now being asked to make cakes for my mother's various elderly friends!
Your ice cream looks yummy. I'm not familiar with the brand name but I could still totally get on board with it!
Since both my husband and I were already trying to losing a bit of weight before' stay at home' orders, we have been pretty good about avoiding a lot of treats (flour shortage has factored into less baking as well). A glass of wine (Sangria with very low alcohol) and a piece of Dove's dark chocolate is our indulgence. And, Veggie Straws are the go-to for something to munch on. So far, so good!
Stay safe everyone!
Escrow should close today on my current home and tomorrow for my new home, so that has been a great distraction. Now I will have a full-time job getting ready for my move. My buyers suddenly discovered they didn't want to pay both rent and mortgage for up to 90 days (as they had offered me earlier), so now I have to move right after Memorial Day (they wouldn't sign the loan docs otherwise). Very disappointing, but at least the sale didn't fall through
Still reading, although still with a more critical eye. And I continue to look for and enjoy streaming Broadway shows and concerts. Last night there was a fabulous 90th birthday celebration for my favorite, Stephen Sondheim, with tons of stars. I didn't start watching it till bedtime because I was watching American Idol, but I look forward to seeing the rest today. And speaking of American Idol, I thought it would not be great seeing the top 20 sing from their homes, but it turned out beautifully. You can actually hear all of the nuances of their voices, rather than often having them drowned out by the band and the crowd. I don't know how the show coordinated backup singers and musicians as well, but it was seamless.
Stay safe and healthy, everyone!
Yay, Ice Cream! We're going through a good bit of it here in Meat Camp.
And I'm doing lots of cooking and baking; trying new recipes.
And they're all turning out to be good enough to eat, which may not be such a great thing, but oh well!
Fell in love with Gigi Pandian's Accidental Alchemist series.
Working on a piece of needlepoint that had been tucked away for a long time.
And our house has had a good cleaning.
xxoo
Sending hugs!
I like ice cream but I can’t have the lactose so I don’t have it very often . I like fruit so mostly I snack on that or dried chickpeas when I want something crunchy.
I’ve been reading more this week and I have a batch of ARCs on my kindle I need to get to. Our yoga class started back up on Zoom so we have that and Zumba. And I have yard work to do if it ever stops raining.
Lesa, the flour shortage is due to a baking binge in most cities. Supermarkets don't have bread or bakeries are closed, so it is forcing many people to be home bakers. I actually like to bake but don't do alot since I live alone. But I took the plunge and made my own sourdough starter and baked several sourdough loaves and other goodies. They were yummy but time intensive for sure. I may continue baking bread after flour/bread shortage eases since the starter can stay alive for years if well-maintained.
Stopping by the local gelato shop is one of the things I really miss.
I'm still working, so that takes up some time. Here in California, it's warm enough to swim, so I've started swimming again. Gas is cheap, so I've been taking drives.
I was reading a book, written early this year, and it seemed to me I was reading historical fiction. That was depressing for a while.
Overall, just trying to get through it. Probably have at least two more weeks of this.
The show does sound interesting, Jeff.
I haven't done any baking, Rosemary, because I would just eat it, as I do the ice cream. But, that's interesting that there's a shortage of flour in your section of Scotland, as well as Ottawa in Canada, and here in the States. Interesting.
That second book you suggested, the police procedural, sounds interesting. The Rumer Godden book does sound exasperating, though.
Hugs to you. As I said, I really enjoy hearing what's happening in Scotland.
Good for you, Jane! Fortunately, I haven't overindulged in the ice cream. I had a phone conversation today with the nurse at our clinic from work, and I was able to say I hadn't gained any weight while we've been in isolation. Haven't lost any, but haven't gained any either.
Margie, I thought of you and escrow when I asked about distractions. I do understand, though, why they wouldn't want to pay both rent and the mortgage. But, you're going to have to pack faster. I hope your escrow goes through okay today.
Wasn't the Stephen Sondheim celebration wonderful? I watched it all, despite the one hour delay at our end. You probably didn't have to worry about it. I really enjoyed it, the music and seeing the Broadway performers.
Kaye, I saw your comment on Facebook about Gigi Pandian's gargoyle. It isn't often that I get to introduce you to a series, so I'm happy about that one. I'm glad you fell in love with the little guy.
That brand of ice cream also has a black cherry amaretto that is really good. Wasn't crazy about their raspberry, though. Enjoy the ice cream, the baking, and the hugs I'm sending to you, Donald, and Annabelle!
Sandy, I admire people who have the incentives to exercise. I admire you, but that doesn't mean I"m willing to emulate you. (smile) Sounds as if you have plenty of distractions, though.
Well, everyone in the world except me must be baking, Grace. At least I don't have to worry about that shortage.
And, you're going to and from work, Glen, so you probably miss the gelato shop more than most of us because you could stop and get it.
Weird how soon books can seem to be historical fiction, isn't it?
It's been only 6 weeks! Almost might as well be WWII.
The gelato shop used to bring in a new designer flavor created by the owners every week.I'd pop in, give it and a tried and true flavor a try.
I've also stared taking longer walks. I'm grateful I live in a warm part of the country.
We didn't even know about the Sondheim until a friend mentioned it this morning. We just watched it on YouTube on the television. The highlight (for us) was Christine Baranski, Meryl Streep, and Audra McDonald doing "The Ladies Who Lunch." We haven't seen all of his shows (not Assassins, or Merrily We Roll Along), but we've seen most of them at least once and a number of them several times each – Company, A Little Night Music, Follies, Sweeney Todd in particular.
Glen, I'm not happy with the new "normal", but I'm so lucky I'm not younger with kids at home.
Wasn't that great? I loved "The Ladies Who Lunch". I actually haven't seen much Sondheim, Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods might be it. But, I enjoyed the show.
Everything is just fine. I’m reading the third in a SF trilogy by John Scalzi, and have several mysteries and more SF ON “The Pile”. Beautiful weather, blue sky, Lilacs are blooming. No ice cream, but I had oatmeal-raisin cookies.
Oh, I love oatmeal raisin cookies, Rick! And, I haven't read John Scalzi's trilogy, but I do enjoy some of his books. Enjoy the lilacs!
I look forward each week to whatever show is playing on The Show Must Go On…Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies most recently. And books, of course. I just finished New of the World by Paulette Jiles and thought it was excellent.
I have lactose intolerance but have a passion of ice cream. Yesterday, I spent a while looking at the different kinds of ice cream. I have tried almond milk ice cream but it more like ice milk. I love cookies as my second favorite. I used soak the raisins in hit water so they would extra plump before adding them to the cookie mix. My husband found some cookies with only one gram of sugar but then, they did not agree with me and I found out that they have milk in them.
Yesterday, my husband went to buy some Chinese Noodles at the local Chinese grocery. It had been about 5 weeks since he had been there and he bought a package of cookies from Taiwan that I love. I had no idea what the name of them was. Taiwan uses the traditional Chinese characters while China uses the simplified form. I can read some but not enough to read a newspaper. Any way, the English translation of the cookie name is "classic eastern delicious"! They are big, only 1 gram of sugar and no dairy. They look like a cross between a molasses and an oatmeal cookie. Chinese usually do not like anything sweet and these are not and they do not like ice cream because it is cold1
Began a mystery. Dead Silence by Robin Caroll. So far a it has a good beginning,
That's interesting, Carol. I had no idea the Chinese usually don't like sweets or ice cream. I like the little tidbits I learn here about other cultures. Thank you.
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