If we were having coffee, I would tell you that the events in Eastern Europe have made my own life’s worries seem small. Watching news reports here about what is unfolding. Sheer madness. I hope my country is supporting Ukraine as much as possible. The Ukrainians and their leaders are so brave.
Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.
Featured image of ‘Sunflowers’ by Alessandro Caproni on Flickr.com
If we were having coffee, I would tell you we are settling back into our daily routine at home. Since our recent trip, we are better acquainted with our pet grandchildren. Things are a lot quieter here. At first, I expected to have a dog jump up at me as I moved around the house. Marley and Caesar were good companions too.
Mask mandates have been rescinded but masks are still recommended in indoor spaces if you are unvaccinated or at high risk for infection. We needed to go grocery shopping and decided we were still going to wear masks. Our infection rates are still high here although going down. With all the home testing I don’t think the case rates are accurate anymore. I wondered if we would be in the minority with masks, but there were many other shoppers and grocery workers wearing masks as well. I have some books group meetings coming up next month and a bridal shower. Have to see if I feel comfortable without a mask then.
The recent world news has been bad. I was not alive during WWII but the attack on Ukraine reminds me of Hitler’s attacks on neighboring countries. Dictators don’t win in the end and this one won’t either.
Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer
If we were having coffee, we would be in a different house. I am off visiting my son and family this weekend. My son and daughter-in-law have put us up in their newly furnished guest bedroom. They have made us feel very welcome and comfortable. Their pets have accepted us in their own unique ways. Marley, a golden retriever, bowled us over with sloppy kisses and hugs. Caesar the cat, was a bit put out, literally and figuratively. The guest bedroom is usually his room, where he can escape Marley and other unwanted attention. When I went in to put my suitcase down, he made a swift exit from the bed to the closet. I am happy that he has recovered from the intrusion. This morning he was back on top of the bed sitting on my husband’s suitcase calmly watching my comings and goings.
We are pet sitting for part of the week so my son’s family can get away for the long weekend. I was not sure how it would go with Marley. He hasn’t outgrown his puppyhood yet and is still jumping up on people. When I got up the other night to go to the bathroom, he thought it was time to play. When I went back to bed, he jumped on top of me. He is calmer today. I think Marley and Caesar are getting used to us and it will all be fine in the end.
Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.
Featured image Open Clipart-Vectors via Pixabay.com
If we were having coffee, I would tell you that herbal tea is losing its appeal. But I haven’t found an un-caffeinated substitute yet. Things remain pretty quiet here. Maybe quiet is good. We have to start thinking about when we will feel safe to take off our masks. Next week the State of California is ending some of the mask mandates. California counties can make their own decisions about it. The infection rate here is still high but starting to decrease. The weather is a bit hot for February. It’s supposed to be 93 F today. I had to put on the AC the past couple of days. I hope it cools down again before Spring.
I continue on with my book list. I’ve almost finished ‘The Dark Hours’ by Michael Connelly. He remains one of my favorite writers of detective/crime fiction. This book has a steady pace and does not get boring. It stars two great characters, Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch. They team up to solve not one but three cases.
On PBS streaming I have been watching Vienna Blood. In this series Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt teams up with Max Liebermann, a psychoanalyst protege of Sigmund Freud, to solve murders in 1900s Vienna. Max helps determine the psychological profile of the murderer to reveal clues missed in the initial investigation by the police. We learn about the society in Vienna during those times as well.
You may think that I only like detective stories, but I also like science fiction. I have enjoyed ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ on Disney Plus. The season finale was this past Wednesday. Hoping for a Season two.
Thinking about Valentine’s Day coming up next week. The Washington Post had an article this morning by Donald Liebenson which asked several different actors, including Miss Piggy, what were ‘The best movies for Valentine’s Day.’ Miss Piggy likes ‘Breakfast at Tiffanys,’ with Audrey Hepburn…”not only because it stars the incomparable Audrey Hepburn and her fabulous little black dress, but any movie with a meal and a jewelry store in the title has to be an instant classic! ”
So, I started to think about what my favorite romantic movie would be. There is probably more than one that I will remember after finishing this post. But one that came to mind right away is ‘Moonstruck’ with Nicholas Cage, Cher, and Olympia Dukakis. The acting ensemble is terrific. It is romantic and very funny.
What is your favorite book, movie, or song about love?
Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.
Featured image ‘Cup of coffee in a cafe bar in Madrid’ by Gvjekoslav on Wikimedia.org (cropped)
‘A random challenge’ from Bee at The Bee Writes for February. The prompts are about music but can be anything about love. Today’s prompt is ‘ choose your own.’
Stardust was written by Hoagie Carmichael as a jazz song in 1927. Nate King Cole released his version on his album ‘Love is the Thing’ in 1957.
My friend Bee at The Bee Writes is hosting ‘a very random challenge’ for February. Today’s prompt is ‘a love song from February 7, 1942.’ My selection is a favorite that was a 1942 Billboard Hit by Glenn Miller, actually written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren in 1941. My favorite rendition is by Etta James. The song is ‘At Last.’
#Love Is In Da Blog 22 ❤
My friend Bee of The Bee Writes is hosting a ‘very random challenge’ for February with a different prompt every day related to love. The prompt for February 6 is “A Love Song from an artist born on February 6.”
Natalie Cole was born February 6,1950. One of my favorite recordings of hers in ‘Unforgettable’ in which she sings a duet with her father’s recording of the same song.
Love Is In Da Blog is hosted by Bee at The Bee Writes.
If we were having coffee, I would tell you I turned over a new leaf, tea leaf that is. I’m having a cup of honey chai turmeric this morning. I do have coffee available if you prefer.
The weather continues moderate here and good for walking outside. We did have some wind the other day which kicked up quite a bit of sand into the air. But none of the extreme weather like I read about in other parts of country and world. Life here continues mostly indoors.
Our book group is starting up again this month. I had already purchased three new books and I am in the process of starting to read the third one. We will meet on Zoom but the plan is for in person in March.
The three books:
‘The Sentence’ by Louise Erdrich
‘State of Terror’ by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny
‘The Dark Hours’ by Michael Connelly
The book group book for this month:
‘The Vanishing Half’ by Brit Bennett
Of the two books on the top list that I just read; ‘State of Terror’ is the page turner. ‘The Sentence’ centers around a haunted bookstore in Minneapolis. It includes current events like living through the pandemic lockdowns and protests after the killing of George Floyd. The bookstore is able to remain open and sell books by curbside pick-up and sometimes home delivery. I picked up a couple of books curbside, but now I order them online for delivery. I did have a book arrive damaged recently and had to go to the local Barnes & Noble to exchange it. I didn’t expect to see so many people in the store, all wearing masks. Like in the book, bookstores are a balm during these times.
Maybe we’ll turn the page on Covid soon.
Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer
And Stream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by Linda G Hill. The prompt word for Saturday is ‘page.’
If we were having coffee, I would be having herbal tea. It is a habit I have developed after being advised to give up caffeine. The paper tab attached to the tea bags I use has sayings or words of advice printed on it. So, every morning I get words of wisdom with my tea. This morning’s selection said
Inner peace creates peace in the world
I do aspire to find inner peace since there is plenty going on in the world that makes me feel upset. Like reading about the ‘son of Omicron’ in the paper. I did read an expert’s opinion that it was not a son but a sibling. But whatever you call it, it’s not good. This kind of news keeps me up at night. It’s constantly being required to adjust to this pandemic on into the future.
On the local front, some indoor exercise classes have resumed here. Everyone is required to wear masks, but I am not ready to start up with it again just yet. I have lost my trust in the management here since they allowed people to go maskless in those same classes a few weeks ago and then they had an outbreak. I will continue walking outside for now. Walking does contribute a lot to my inner peace.
And so did harvesting our grapefruit tree this week. I did not realize how many grapefruit were on the tree because they were hidden from view by the leaves. We had over 50 grapefruit. I gave nine away so far to the neighbors, so only forty-one to go.
Always glad to spot my roadrunner friend, too.
Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie the Explorer.
If we were having coffee, I would still be having herbal tea, mango ginger to be exact. I continue on with my daily walks. I am noticing more people out doing the same thing. Not sure if it is the moderate temperatures or that our indoor exercise classes were canceled due to Omicron.
The roadrunner was out for a morning walk the other day. He usually walks or runs everywhere, so this was not new for him. If he had a pedometer or smart watch, I wonder how many steps he would record a day? Probably a lot more than me.
Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.
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