It’s been a while, friends.
I was sick for much of Lent (a virus that wouldn’t leave and then turned into a nasty sinus infection) and feel like I’ve just been playing catch-up since then despite feeling SO much better.
Needless to say, I don’t have very many words of wisdom or tidbits to reflect on, other than what a gift it is to have understanding employers. I do freelance work online and had to start a new social media position three weeks later than we’d originally scheduled. Not the best start to a new gig.
My other boss and dear friend, Laura, picked up the slack I was dropping right as she was starting to investigate her own health concerns which ended up being a cancer diagnosis. (If you know and love Laura, you’ve probably already heard the news, but just a reminder, you can follow her journey HERE and even though the GoFundMe goal has been met, any donation is still such a help to her family with five growing boys.)
Rather than waxing poetically about learning to accept help and surrender control, let’s just dive into the random thoughts I’ve collected since February, shall we?
An Assortment of Thoughts from April
I caved and bought a Stanley cup. It was put down on the wrong shelf at Target and I’d been hemming and hawing for a while. Honest review, it’s too big for me to consider carrying in public. Like, aggressively large. I have been filling it up at home to get more hydration and will put it in my car to have water on hand in between errands, but the handle didn’t make it worth it. We’re definitely a Yeti family, despite my maiden name being Stanley.
A couple anemone buds from the lot I mentioned in February are popping up in the garden which is a miracle considering the way I neglected them while I was sick. We’ll see if any ranunculus show up before the weather gets too warm. My rule of thumb for gardening is always that if I can grow one, it was a success (even if the other 45 fail to thrive).
Our favorite meal lately is a deconstructed egg roll. I cook a package of ground turkey with a clove of garlic and umami seasoning from Trader Joe’s and then add soy sauce and a package of shredded cabbage and carrots (also from TJs) and cook until tender. The easiest thing ever and both kids love it. I added an over-easy egg to the leftovers this week and it was extra tasty. If you need a more precise recipe, this one looks a little more complex, but delicious. Let me know if you try either one!
Reading Update
Here are the rest of the books I read in February (way back when) and those I’ve finished so far in April. I gave up audiobooks for Lent with the exception of one for book club, and really just never felt great enough to sit and read a hard copy without falling asleep.
(This is a little further out than I like to write notes on books, so please bear with my memory.)
Bread and Wine - I think I mentioned previously I’m trying to learn more about the charism of hospitality. I heard about this book on a podcast and it is by far my favorite that I’ve read by Shauna Niequist. In it, she shares stories revolving around dinner parties and meals shared during times of grief and pairs each story with a loved recipe.
The Stories We Tell - I love a celebrity memoir and I am that basic Magnolia fan, so I was excited to learn more about Joanna Gaines. I thought she got a little more vulnerable discussing things like her childhood moving around and navigating predominantly white spaces as a woman of color, but I felt like the book was still pretty surface level. It was fine, but not oneI’m going to jump to recommend.
Remarkably Bright Creatures - This book was on my to-reads last year and I never got around to it. I forget which celebrity book list it was on, but whoever on their staff chose it has a good picker. It’s a charming story that bounces between the viewpoints of multiple characters, including an octopus who you grow to love. 10/10 would recommend.
Living Beyond Sunday: Making Your Home A Holy Place - Meh. I don’t remember much about it other than not finding any material covered especially new.
The Hiding Place - This was our book club pick for March. It’s the autobiography of Corrie ten Boom and her family as they lived in the Netherlands before and during the German occupation and then at a work camp. Her family was a large part of the resistance movement in their town and opened their home to Jewish refugees. A story in the book raised the question of whether or not lying is permitted/not a sin in certain circumstances which lead to an interesting discussion in our book club.
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun - This is the third in the Finlay Donovan series. Finlay is a writer turned accidental hitman who is accompanied by her former nanny, Vero. I think I enjoyed this book more than I did the second in the series. Not the most amazing writing, but if you’re looking for a light and funny murder mystery/who-is-the-bad-guy type novel, the series is worth checking out.
Better Than the Movies - This was such a sweet YA novel about a romantic comedy-obsessed teen whose middle school crush moves back to town leading her to a scheme with her annoying neighbor to win the former crush’s affection. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know how the story unfolds, but it is a great read nonetheless.
The Violin Conspiracy - I first heard about this book via an interview with the author on the What Should I Read Next podcast and am so glad I did. It’s about Ray, a young Black musician whose violin (valued at over 10 million dollars) is stolen. The book goes back through his childhood first learning his love for the violin, through his career as one of the small percentage of Black orchestral musicians (I think the stat was somwhere around 1.2%) and the racism he encounters along the way having to constantly prove his worth despite his incredibly talent. The author’s new book, Symphony of Secrets, was released earlier this month and is up next in my Libby queue.
I need to pick up another hard copy book from my nightstand, but for now, I’m enjoying listening to Someone Else’s Shoes by JoJo Moyes
In the past, I’ve closed these posts with a quote I’ve been thinking about that month, but nothing is coming to mind. I have been praying with Caravaggio’s The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, so that is what I’ll leave you with this time.
I hope your Easter season has been a blessed one and you’re still nibbling on some chocolate from your kids’ baskets.
AMDG,
Sarah