Writing...drawing...walking...Zoom book club...yoga at home...Zoom Christian meditation group...early BookExpo on Zoom...birds in the backyard...baking bread with cake flour...reading...checking in on people...people checking on me...a wee bit of coughing...Inprint Houston Reading Series with Colum McCann and Emily St. John Mandel on Zoom...Scrabble online...blogging...having conversations from afar with friends...putting on mask and gloves to pick up books at the library...All About Trees on Zoom...watching as others get haircuts and talk about returning to the Y and plan for the reopening of our town's museum, but not ready to join in...ordering pizza and watching the end of season three of The Good Place, and that's a big night...
That's my week.
Leave Only Footprints: My Acacia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park by Conor Knighton
We forget, but there are lots of ways to read a book. I read a book last week. It was an immersive experience. The book is Leave Only Footprints: My...more
Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process by John McPhee
John McPhee shares his path to becoming a writer in this combination memoir/how-to-write book. I took lots of notes from this book, which I'll note...more
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Devotions by Mary Oliver
50 Ways to Draw Your Beautiful Ordinary Life: Practical Lessons in Pencil and Paper
The Book of Forgotten Authors by Christopher Fowler
Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living by Krista Tippett
A Bad Birdwatcher's Companion by Simon Barnes
Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
Letters to a Young Writer by Colum McCann
I wrote three posts this week.
Good Thing #2. My husband and I participated in the Texas Invasive Species Bioblitz this week. So far, we've photographed seven invasive species in our area. It was nice to get out and walk around the county park for a couple of hours.
Good Thing #3. Quotes I ran across and wrote down this week. Former first lady Michelle Obama: "When they go low, we go high. And that ain't always easy, y'all." Author Graham Joyce, just before he died: "Why can't our job here on earth be simply to inspire each other?"
Bonus Good Thing. My grandson Wyatt is walking a little. He is so proud. I love the excitement of his four-year-old sister Annie, too.
I'm very happy you found your way to the Sunday Salon. There are no requirements for linking up at Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is simply a place for us to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. Sunday Salon is a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there.
Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:
- What was your week like?
- Read any good books? Tell us about them.
- What other bookish things did you do?
- What else is going on in your life?
Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.
My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.
I haven't used Zoom but some friends and I have been playing games on Tuesdays and use Discord to see each other while we play. I sure do miss getting together with them.
ReplyDeleteWe're like you with the reopening of our state - we're taking a wait and see approach. It feels like we're in the minority around here.
Wyatt is so cute!!
I feel like people are taking the opening-up decisions as indicative of the virus receding, when, if people look at cold facts, that is certainly not the case here. In my town, our numbers have risen from 2 to 11 active cases this week. I wish people would be more cautious.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you only have a wee cough left. We had our second book club Zoom meeting this week and it went so much better than the first. We're considered a hybrid next month, outside spaced seating for who feels comfortable and Zooming in for those that don't. I hope we're able to do that. Our library opens up for curbside June 1 and I'm excited about that. I watch Seinfeld in the middle of the night when I can't sleep. It's always on somewhere and I've seen every episode at least a handful of times :)
ReplyDeleteOur book club will probably try to meet outdoors in June if it isn't too hot. I like the idea of offering both ways for those of us who might not feel comfortable meeting in person.
DeleteWow! You've had a busy week! :-) I love that Graham Joyce quote, by the way. Thanks for sharing--and have a wonderful week. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt was a busy week, even though almost everything I did was online.
DeleteWe are doing a lot of zooming, cooking, reading, and movie watching. We love Seinfeld too! Things are starting to open up here too including Homegoodsm, Tj Maxx, and restaurants. I'm not ready to start shopping or eating out. I'm waiting another three weeks to see how this all goes!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you.
DeleteI love that you're on ZOOM as well! I recently took a client to the library to pick up her books and she seemed so happy that the libararians were putting them aside for her and we got into conversation about books on the way, and I found out that she was an international flight attendant at one point, which sounded so fantastic!
ReplyDeleteInternational flight attendant sounds like a great job to me, too.
DeleteZoom book club sounds perfect. I have to start going out for a walk/run again. I am becoming a couch potato - thanks to all these restrictions.
ReplyDeleteI saw a backyard blowup pool for grownups. I may get one. I miss the pool at the YMCA so much.
DeleteI am glad that your coughing is down to a wee bit! :) And so funny - I just mentioned Zoom Yoga today on my post. Lol. What did you think? I am considering trying it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I need to add that National Parks book to my list!
Yoga is a wonderful stress relief for me.
DeleteZoom is great for getting together online:)). Our writing group has been using it, which I've found really helpful. Sadly, I missed the family games night last night as I was feeling awful - but hopefully they will have another one sometime soon... Have a great week, Deb.
ReplyDeleteI forgot that I joined my writing group on Zoom this week, too!
DeleteI haven't tried using anything with Zoom yet, although of course, I've heard a lot about it. I just started using Skye at the insistence of my mother, of all people. She's the only one I Skype with and only a couple of times.
ReplyDeleteEverything here is re-opened, and like you, I'm still hesitant. We only went out to eat a couple of times, but still don't feel comfortable yet. We mainly take out. I canceled my wellness dental visit for the second time because that just feels too enclosed right now. We're going to try for mid-July. By then things may be a little better, but who knows? I'm still not going for a haircut although I desperately need one. Like you, I'm afraid people are going to let their guards down because things are re-opening and they think that means it's getting better. It sure doesn't sound like it is, though.
I hope you have a great week and stay safe!
I would rather wait and look a little shaggy for a while longer.
DeleteIt sounds like you had a very busy week, I have no idea what happened to mine it just sort of went...
ReplyDeleteWishing you a great reading week
Maybe I need to separate out Virtual Life and Real Life. My Real Life was nil last week.
DeleteYou are so busy, I am envious! lol
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week!
I wish I had less of a virtual life and more of a real life.
DeleteI love watching babies as they take those first steps. It has been way too long since we had any babies in the family. All of my grandchildren are twenty-somethings or teens.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen Seinfeld in ages, either. It once was on in the early evenings in reruns. I haven't discovered them anywhere...but I'll bet they are on Netflix or Hulu!
Enjoy! Thanks for sharing, and stay safe.
My two grandchildren are four and one, and I am enjoying them so much.
DeleteLots of Zoom! :) And looks like you're making the best of your quarantine time. I'm with you. I'm taking a go slow approach to reopening.
ReplyDeleteHave a good week!
Apparently all the go-fast approachers are not readers. lol
DeleteWow, you had a busy week. Things are slowly getting back to normal.
ReplyDeleteI just worry that our active case numbers are going up so much and so quickly.
DeleteThank you. Wyatt is adorable.
ReplyDeleteYour week sounds like mine! I keep telling my husband that I have yet to be bored. I sit down at the computer to read or write blog posts and the time flies. I go for a walk and an hour later, I'm ready for lunch. I feel like it's difficult to squeeze everything in that I want to do each day, so I'm happy that I'm busy and not climbing the walls with boredom. I Zoomed with my book club (discussed Sapiens) and our HOA for our monthly board meeting. We also Zoomed with our granddaughter who just finished her first year of college. This will be the first year since she was born that we won't see her during the summer. It's just too risky to have her fly across the country this year. :( We are definitely staying home and waiting to see if there's a spike in numbers around here. We live in a touristy area and I'm afraid it won't be as safe once we start seeing visitors from out of town. I have no intention of going for a haircut and we will continue to cook at home or get take-out. No dining in! That little Wyatt is a doll! Stay safe, Deb. xo
ReplyDeleteYes, I feel like I have been surprisingly busy. And I keep seeing things others are doing that I want to try. One blogger is writing little poems according to different poems, and that looks like so much fun. Another is doing Instagram, and I keep thinking I should do more of that.
DeleteI am sad for you, but I think you have made a good decision. The people in our area have gone crazy with the opening up of restaurants and the beaches.
Pretty well the same here. Library is opening for curbside this week, but I use their online book service.
ReplyDeleteThe library staff sets the books in my trunk, and both they and I wear masks and gloves.
DeleteI use Zoom a lot as well (to teach and to talk to my grandmother, sadly my other grandmother doesn't have a webcam).
ReplyDeleteI hope you are enjoying your books! I have been having some trouble to focus on reading lately.
Have a wonderful week!
I feel sad for your other grandmother. I bet she feels so closed off.
DeleteSounds like a busy week. Way to go Wyatt!
ReplyDeleteThat Wyatt!
DeleteGlad the coughing is getting better. Coughs just seem to last forever! Our library has opened for curbside and I'm really loving it. It was probably the think I missed most. Hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteMe, too.
DeleteThat’s a lot of Zoom. I haven’t been very social during lockdown. I’ve mostly just been talking to my blogger friends. Have a good week!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I think some people enjoy the imposed alone-time more than others. I've discovered that I love people.
DeleteHappy Sunday! Thank goodness for 3-day weekends. This spring in education has been exhausting so an extra day off is really appreciated.
ReplyDeleteMost of my teacher friends seem to be working much more with the online classes than they did when things were all done in real time in real life. And they worked an incredible number of hours back then. I hope you are setting aside some time for yourself, Helen.
DeleteThat is a lot of current reads, and a cool set as well.. We love Seinfeld and watch reruns whenever.. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd the Leave only Footprints sounds like a good read
We would love to visit all of the national parks. This is a good substitute for now.
DeleteI actually haven't used Zoom a lot. My daughter's met with her teacher/class via Zoom and that's about it. You certainly had a VERY busy week - a lot of fun too!
ReplyDeleteHow awesome that your grandson is walking. Now he won't stop and y'all will be chasing him for a long time. LOL!
With everything that has open in Ohio, I'm surprised the library has not. I hope it will open soon. Curbside pickup is good enough.
They are planning to open the library itself soon. I am worried about that.
DeleteHow was the Zoom with Emily St. John Mandel? McCann and her are big time! Hope it was good. Seinfeld reruns are a big plus during these times, so many funny episodes. I enjoyed Michelle Obama's book ... quite fascinating. Hope you have a great weekend & week ahead.
ReplyDeleteThe Zoom with Emily St. John Mandel and McCann was brilliant. The Inprint series is always filled with wonderful authors. I don't see myself going out into Houston to the series next fall. I hope they come up with a good alternative.
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DeleteI'm glad your cough is getting better. I've never done Zoom but certainly hear a lot about it. Cases are still increasing here too. So I am quite content to stay at home most of the time. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathy.
DeleteI've had some pretty Zoom-heavy days as well. Once distance learning is over, there will be less time on Zoom--but I think it will be a while before we are done with it. Sigh!
ReplyDeleteIt can be very convenient.
DeleteAt first glance at your thumbnail I thought you had added a mask to your blog header picture, but it was just the eyeglasses chain.
ReplyDeleteI'm on Zoom a lot for work and also for social time and group stuff. I have always been an introvert but my husband and I got into dancing and would be out every night doing a class or attending a dance. So we're missing all our dancing and dance friends! I thought I would be getting more reading and blogging in but am still working full-time from home, so that takes up a fair amount of time.
I bet you do miss your dancing friends. I'm sorry you are not getting to do more reading and blogging, but working from home sometimes takes more time than going into work, I think.
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