September was a bit of a ride for us this year. Two brain surgeries for the boy in three weeks, recovery times, anxiety… it was a lot. We did have some good times wedged in there though.
Wyatt had his first day of kindergarten, and we started picking books up curbside from the library. We missed all the books!
We harvested peanuts (we grew maybe like 15, but still exciting!) We also visited the orchard with Chrissy and my niece.
We took a mosquito laden walk around the grounds of the Henry Ford Estate, went on a picnic and hike, and attended a backyard fire with my brother and his family. And then last week I had cake with my friends at one of our distanced gatherings.
And now we welcome October, usually my most favorite of all the months!
So.. I realized something this week. If you ask me about my gecko, I will tell you everything I can think of about her and about geckos in general. I should come with some sort of warning label, like ask me about my gecko and you may be forced to listen to my answer for an hour. I am not sure how this happened totally, but I am ok with who I am.
We got Harry in July, but I started thinking about adding a new family member (NOT a baby lol) during the longest months of lockdown. I needed a project, and a new little creature I guess. I was thinking rabbit for a long while, but landed on gecko. Wyatt really likes the Daniel Tiger episode where he finds an anole, and I have always thought that lizards were sort of cute. In July, we adopted Harry (a leopard gecko) and we all adore her. We started with the Leopard Gecko Kit from Reptizoo, and as the months have gone on and she has grown, we upgraded her to a bigger, bioactive tank with live plants and lots more room.
I am not alone in my love for small creatures though, this year – two of my besties are also in the same boat, with their little toad friends. Chrissy has a toad named Cupcake, and Kelly has two toads, Theodora (Teddy) and Betty. We actually sit around now and discuss our bioactives, clean up crews, substrate, isopods, and have tossed around the idea of breeding crickets. All over glasses of wine. They are just as obsessed with their littles, and Kelly and I actually send each other photos of Harry and Teddy and Betty. Who are we now?
This is Cupcake’s abode. She likes to hang out in her little house.
And this is where Teddy and Betty reside. You can see them sitting in their water bowls waiting for breakfast…
Kelly also added two more amphibians to her menagerie as well, two axolotls named Pearl and Faye . They give her more grief than the toads though, and technically belong to her tween..
All in all, they make us happy. Harry is like a cat, and I tell people that leopard geckos are apparently the reptile version of felines. She loves to be pet under her chin, she can be a little moody, likes to bask in warm spots, and is a cute hunter, shaking her tail when she is about to strike. She also honestly was put out with me when I got home after staying in the hospital with Wyatt, much like my cats, giving me the cold shoulder for a day.
These little critters, which we thought would be a nice distraction, turned out to be so much fun and sources of happiness. We just love our Harry! (or as my mom says, we are just wild about Harry!) And if you ask me about her, you might get more than you bargained for!
How about you? Did any of you develop any surprising new hobbies this year?
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Last week we kept things low key, and then Friday I had a social distance night with my friends – where we had cake and celebrated Kelly and Chrissy’s birthday. It was lemon raspberry and so delicious! Then Saturday we had a much needed distance picnic with my brother and his family, and my cousin and his girls. I haven’t seen my cousin in months, which is not the norm as we are as close as siblings, but..2020. So it was really good to be able to sit and chat with him again, around the chatter of all the kiddos. We finished with a small hike in the woods and said we would have to do something similar again soon.
Read Last Week:
I really loved this book, but then I usually enjoy Goodman’s work. I love a school setting, and she layers modern life against classic works in such clever ways.
Reading this Week:
I feel like reading some Gothic books this season! All that atmosphere is perfect for the moodiest season. I would love any suggestions that you have!
We finished both Wild Bill and Father Brown and are still searching for their replacements. I miss Father Brown! We are still watching Cobra Kai, and started the new Great British Baking Show as well.
And that is it from my corner of Michigan! Stay safe everyone.
So Wyatt is giving us the gray hairs this month! After being home two weeks recovering from his first emergency surgery, we were back in the ER then headed to the OR again for a repeat of the same surgery Saturday morning. The doctors explained that this is how it happens with shunt revisions sometimes, nothing for years then boom boom. It was another long anxious weekend but I am glad that my kiddo is home and healing again.
Read Last Week:
I started both of these books and am enjoying them both!! Carol Goodman never fails me, I love her work so much. And The Brave Learner is inspiring!
Reading This Week:
Just finishing up the above.
Posted Last Week:
My fall clothes shopping wish list – I kind of talked here about the sad state of my closet and how I hope to revitalize it a bit, but also thinking about what is needed right now due to staying closer to home
Watching:
Wild Bill, Father Brown, Cobra Kai – Johnny finally won me over!
And that is it from my corner of the world – hope all is well in yours. Stay safe everyone.
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Last week I mentioned that Wyatt had to have emergency surgery – he is recovering well, and is acting more like himself, just with a few more naps than normal. We spent most of the week laying low, but then braved an outing out to the apple orchard for my SIL’s birthday. We had a nice although slightly damp time. Thursday night I also had a lovely socially distanced evening with my BFF Kelly, where I masked up and went in her house for the first time in 6 months to see her axolotls. Or rather, her daughter’s. I also saw all the new cool pieces that she has added to her home – she has excellent style. Then Saturday my family got together for a quick fire at my brother’s house – drinks and conversation were much needed for our mental health after our past week!
Read Last Week:
Nothing. I didn’t think I would get any reading done, but I tried. I picked up and started reading to DNF three different books. I blame me, not the books though. I did listen to quite a few podcasts though.
Reading This Week:
I am going to start The Sea of Lost Girls by one of my favorite authors, Carol Goodman. I am also hoping to read The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart which has been on my TBR for a while.
Wild Bill, Parks and Rec reruns (so much Rob Lowe in my life right now), Father Brown, and.. Cobra Kai. Which took me a minute to love but now I am all in with it’s 80s cheesy goodness.
And that is about it for now! We are leaving to go for a hike in a few minutes so I need to get ready. I hope to visit all of you soon!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
It was quite a week. Wyatt had emergency surgery on Wednesday and since then it has been all about healing and recovery here.
Read Last Week:
I absolutely inhaled this book on Sunday and Monday. It was so good!! It actually freaked me out in parts and I loved the ending and the characters, and well everything really. Review soon. After that, I didn’t read at all, due to circumstances listed above. I did listen to lots and lots of podcasts!
Reading This Week:
I am not sure how much reading I will do. When I am anxious I tend to not be able to read very much. I did curbside pick up my grab bag of books for Wyatt at the library and my own library holds, so I have a few cozy mysteries to choose from. I may end up reading this. We will see!
Father Brown, Wild Bill (Rob Lowe…), Teenage Bounty Hunters for our watch list right now. And the podcasts I am listening to like crazy are Casefiles, Redhanded the Podcast, Homemaker Chic, and Lore.
Didn’t I just write my August post? Sure feels like it. And yet, here we are in September already. Time is moving so weird this year.
Appreciating: my family – despite still distancing from them, we are still strong and united. We continue to support each other, and work as a community as much as we can. How we do it is a little different than normal, but we are working out ways. My brother and my mom have bubbled, as my brother and his wife work full time and my niece is going to be homeschooled, so my mom is on the job. My brother is helping my mother out in her home when something goes wrong, and if he needs to know how to do it, he calls my husband, who is usually the fix-it person. In return, I am coordinating all of my niece’s homeschooling, pulling together the lessons and resources and curriculum, and we are even having chat meetings to discuss materials needed for the weeks ahead and what the lessons will be covering. We are a team! And because I am me, I have given a name to our school – James Herriot Primary. I didn’t know how Wyatt’s transcripts would look in the future with our homeschool year, and I wanted to have a name in case it was needed. I am new to this whole thing! And I want to give a shout out to my dad as well – he lives farther away but has helped in his own ways. He and my stepmom drove an hour and half to drop off McDonalds to Billy and I at the hospital then turn around and head back home.
Anticipating: The changing of the seasons, from summer to autumn. These past weeks have been muggy and damp and hot, and I have not enjoyed them. I can feel fall in the air, and have even spotted evidence of it in the leaves on the trees and the ripening of the pumpkins growing in our garden. I am looking forward to jeans and boots and warm drinks on chilly nights, cozy mysteries, backyard fires, and more hikes in the woods.
Starting: School! My son started kindergarten this week here at home. A different situation and beginning than we had ever imagined, but that is ok. We can do this! We are also working on some room redos – repainting the family room and freshening it up, and completely overhauling the office. And our house is not the only one getting a new look and a refresher – Harry our gecko is getting new digs this week too! We have been doing a lot of research and she will hopefully soon be enjoying her new bioactive enclosure! We are just waiting on everything to arrive! It will be bigger and have a much nicer atmosphere and substrate.
Finishing: Old projects! My hubby finally hung the shelves in my son’s room that I’ve been wanting him to hang for quite some time. Otherwise not too much – we are starting more right now than finishing anything.
How about you guys? Anything you are appreciating, anticipating, collecting, starting or finishing?
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
I took an unplanned break last week – from everything it seems like. Wyatt and I were super lazy. The weather was horrid and humid, and we didn’t want to go outside. We seemed to have lost motivation for everything. Friday night though I had a socially distance social gathering my friends, despite the stormy weather. We just gathered in the garage, all spread out, with the garage door open. It was a good time. Finally, today, the weather is much cooler, and we might have our mojo back. Just a little. We went for a family hike in the woods, the first in months, then had a little picnic.
Read Last Week:
I really enjoyed this third book in the Vine Witch series! This book focused on Sidra the fiery jinn, her past, and the new danger facing her – as well as Elena and Yvette, who have found themselves entangled in each other’s fates it seems at every turn. Review soon.
Reading this Week:
I can’t decide between these two. As for Maniac, I am sure this book will freak me out but having been to Bath, MI on a brief visit while my husband interviewed for a job there, I have been curious to know what happened there. While my husband was at his interview, I explored the town which is pretty small, and saw the memorial that stands at the site of this tragedy. And Southern Book Club – well, that might be the winner in this race. I have wanted to read it for a while now! We will see which grabs me more while reading. UPDATE: I started Southern Book Club and was sucked in…it’s riveting and I think scares me more than Maniac would have!! Terrifying but so good!
Watching:
Father Brown, Teenage Bounty Hunters, and we are also rewatching Parks and Rec. I find myself saying “literally” a lot more right now..
And that is about it from where I am sitting! Wyatt’s first day of Kindergarten homeschool is Monday – I am looking forward to it!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Last week was our last week of our summer homeschooling sessions. It was a good week! We started one of Wyatt’s ancestry weeks where we learn about the places his family comes from, and our first stop was Hawaii! Billy is Hawaiian and I felt like it was a good week to end the summer learning on. Otherwise, our week was just a week – nothing super exciting happening around here. We have been spending our weekends working around the house, just puttering around. We have been working on little projects, like this soap we made!
Read Last Week:
Finished up the last bit of 100 Things to do in a Forest and posted my review. I also read Enduring Spirits, which is the newest in the Witches of Palmetto Point series I began and devoured at the beginning of the pandemic.
Reading this Week:
I am super excited to begin this one! I have loved the first two in the series and have high expectations for this third installment in The Vine Witch series.
We are still watching Father Brown and finishing up The Umbrella Academy. We added Wild Bill and Teenage Bounty Hunters to our watchlists though to start as soon as we finish up. Wild Bill is on Britbox and stars Rob Lowe in a British series – should be fun!
That’s all from here this week – stay safe everyone!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
The weather here last week was super gross, and Wyatt and I had to stay in more than we usually do. We did have a picnic lunch on my mom’s lawn one day, visiting my mom (socially distanced) and then I had a socially distanced night at my friend Kelly’s. But really, it was a pretty slow week around here! I did get one of my big book orders in that I had placed for Wyatt’s school year, which was super exciting for me. It took me back to when I worked in the school library and all of our orders would start showing up – just on a much smaller scale.
Read Last Week:
Mary Stewart is a go to author for me, and this one was no different. Love revisiting her every so often.
Reading this Week:
I had started this a few weeks ago, but I was reading an egalley version and for some reason I could only read it on my phone, which was annoying. I had read enough of it though to know I wanted it, so I ordered it. I will finish reading it this week – I am so excited! This book is gorgeous by the way. Review soon.
We are watching a few things – The Umbrella Academy, Evil Genius, and Father Brown. Evil Genius is insane. My brother had told me to watch it a while ago, and we are just getting to it. It takes place in Erie, PA, a place that some of my extended family has lived, so I was intrigued just by that alone.
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 