tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37598237674037030422024-03-14T04:38:10.829-02:30sunday morninglife, travels, food & photosJesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.comBlogger746125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-53261341591151386412021-04-06T14:13:00.001-02:302021-04-14T16:04:32.947-02:30End of March Reading List<p><img id="id_efc2_a4d6_636d_442f" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/7v9LCD0kW9ix3Bu4FGvZ_OfOMyoWcYruoukOd63tTqdLMgOKg4ncHYI_Nh3omMPG8Co" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br></p><p><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/paper-towns/9780142414934-item.html?ikwid=paper+towns&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=1#algoliaQueryId=34392e9d44e41f1a6d0aca6b596fb5b9" target="_blank"> Paper towns</a> by John Green. 4/5. Loved it. I've read lots of his books, and they are so nice to read. His characters are in high school and really smart. And there is an epic road trip, which is the best. I want to check out the movie now. </p><p><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/your-erroneous-zones-step-by/9780060919764-item.html?ikwid=your+erroneous+zone&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=ddffccb3a5eec585f1d1c0e054f61e13" target="_blank">Your Erroneous zone</a> by Wayne Dyer. 5/5. This book is intense. It kind of has a Byron Katie vibe to me. Some stuff from the book:</p><p>- Most sickness is a choice. This is a little much, but I absolutely believe a majority of illness comes from stress. And of course stress is a choice. So I guess I agree in a way. He talks about how illnesses get us so much benefit like attention and being able to avoid certain things that scare us. </p><p>- Complaining is useless and so is apologizing. He says it's so much better to realize you have made a mistake and then vow to do something differently. </p><p>- Do what you want. I think this is the main takeaway I got from the book. He says we all need to do exactly what we feel like doing way way more. He uses really simple examples like going to sleep when you want, eating when you want, giving gifts when you want. He says we should all avoid following cultural and societal conventions as much as we can. </p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-9-steps-to-financial/9780307345844-item.html?ikwid=9+steps+to+financial+freedom&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=cb9efa3b5bf0a8265fee90f3e1604e8e" target="_blank" id="id_6c7f_8d29_7fff_5ebe">The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom</a> by Suze Orman. 4/5. This book is really old (pre-2000) and also American, so a lot of the advice does not apply here in Canada. But I still really liked the book. Some tips from the book:</p><p>- Believe you deserve to have enough money. If you always feel like you don't have enough, you will never have enough</p><p>- Give away money every month. She really feels you need to give money away to get more money. She says never to give money to friends or siblings, ever. She recommends you donate anonymously to a charity you care about every month. </p><p>- Obvious tips you will find in every finance book like get rid of credit card debt, start investing really early, etc. </p><p>- Be cool with losing everything. She talks about how her dad lost everything three times, and each time he came back with more abundance than before. </p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/too-close-to-the-falls/9781550223965-item.html?ikwid=too+close+to+the+falls&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=3d1ee35e365cb55a4f3b8c2f99f249f3" target="_blank">Too Close to the Falls </a>by Catherine Gildiner. 2.5/5. </p><p>Hmmmmm. I dunno, but I just wasn’t really into this. It was slow. I think I would have enjoyed these cute little stories of her life in essay format like David Sedaris. Nothing really exciting or extreme happens in this book. But it was cute sometimes. And funny sometimes. I think I would love having coffee with the author. </p>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-16301217733943257422021-03-22T12:48:00.000-02:302021-03-22T12:48:13.317-02:30Mid-march reading and media consumption<p> Reading so much and also just loving so much tv lately. It's such a weird time because we all remember how we were feeling a year ago. I'm feeling extra grateful we are able to do things like shop for Easter basket stuff, and see my sister and her family. We are getting our first dose Covid vaccines on Saturday, which really makes it feel like the home stretch is happening. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_9017_7e82_d16f_bd40" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/z19O10CNs3sqijKC-qBGt1RTVW9Bu89D74Kz2zDv4RLAQHwXFpNV_26vbmgAhLeyLss" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><br /><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/creating-money-attracting-abundance/9781932073225-item.html?ikwid=creating+money&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=6aced62cebb5042a95f66e8a3ff08a9a" target="_blank">Creating money</a> by Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer: 5/5. Another book "written" by spirit guides. I am kind of falling into this weird world where spirits are a huge thing (I don't know why! I am kind of a skeptic). So the deal with this book is you need to think about what you would do if you had millions of dollars. How would you spend your days? Then you need to try to do those things even if you don't have the millions. For me, I would still work my normal day job, but just with a more relaxed, joyful attitude. So I can try to adopt that carefree happy attitude about work now. And I would do more things that are a "waste" of time, including: reading more, writing on this blog more (even though only a couple people read it), doing yoga classes, taking classes on stuff like meditating, and weirdly, doing reviews on stuff. Anyway, I am going to try to work some of that useless stuff into my life now instead of waiting until I'm 60 and able to retire. </p><p><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/inside-out-and-back-again/9780061962790-item.html?ikwid=inside+out+and+back+again&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=bf6a24f8c77049a31c8b2a8ba53dc9bd" target="_blank">Inside out and back again</a> by Thanhha Lai: 5/5. This is a book of poems about moving to the US during the Vietnam war. I loved how so few words could so fully explain such a complicated and difficult time for the author. </p><p><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/hunger-a-memoir-of-my/9780062420718-item.html?ikwid=hunger&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=2#algoliaQueryId=d29617016d5c498afd445e0c0ddb07fe" target="_blank">Hunger</a> by Roxane Gay: 5/5. I feel like lightbulbs are turning on all around me so I am suddenly seeing something I never once thought about because it was in the dark and I had no idea it existed. This is about being "of size" and black and female. The part where she talks about buying a second seat in the airplane because that's what the airlines tell you to do hit me the hardest. The flight attendants are so confused by two boarding passes and one person. And then that second seat you paid for doesn't really feel like yours because the other people in the aisle don't know you paid for it, so they feel it's theirs too to put their bags on. </p><p><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/dress-your-family-in-corduroy/9780316010795-item.html?ikwid=dress+your+family+in&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=ca1ba6b028cc060be1a2924f9227ef9c" target="_blank">Dress your family in corduroy and denim</a> by David Sedaris: 5/5. I have read so much of this author that I end up rereading so many short stories. But they are so good every time. I love knowing that he used to work as a house cleaner, even as his stories started to be read on the radio, and he started to get a hint of fame. </p><p><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/siblings-without-rivalry-how-to/9780393342215-item.html?ikwid=siblings+without+rivaly&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=0f8e4ad7896fa5275c0225e36fdf30b3" target="_blank">Siblings without rivalry</a> by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. I loved their <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/9781451663884-item.html?ref=item_page:richrel:rr_carousel:json1" target="_blank">other book</a>, and this one has the same vibes. Basically, when someone is expressing an emotion, do whatever you can to not minimize it. Let the person have the feelings. No one in the world wants their emotions to be brushed away. It's a good reminder. </p><p><br /></p><p>Ted Lasso: 5/5. Jon got a year of Apple TV for free with his new phone, and the first thing we did was watch the entire season of Ted Lasso over a couple days. It's just so great!! It's cheesy for sure, but perfectly so. A favourite thing for me is when characters on a show have such good friend chemistry that they finish each other's sentences. The coaches in Ted Lasso had that excellent chemistry down. Such a feel good show. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Morning Show: 5/5. Somehow, I had never heard of this one, even though it has so many huge names in it. We are halfway through, and it's just so great. I love the #metoo aspect of it. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Bachelor: 4/5. My mother and sister were not fully into this season. I LOVED it. I fully loved the "after the final rose" episode that was about the picture of Rachel at the plantation party. I think they did a great job (not perfect!!) of introducing systemic racism to your average white middle-class middle-age home (aka my parents). I think we are collectively learning SO much about systemic racism right now, and we all need to wake up to what is still happening. I also really liked Matt James. He seemed so open and down-to-earth to me. </p><p>Superstore: 4/5. This show feels like it goes on and on. I for sure miss when the show was about Jonah and Amy potentially hooking up, but I do love that this show deals with huge issues like misogyny and unions and immigrations in a super light way. </p>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-57552033444097292572021-03-09T13:46:00.003-03:302021-03-09T13:46:59.114-03:30Reading from the last week or two of FebruaryJon and I are lucky enough to get a few hours together on every other Friday morning. Sometimes we go out for breakfast, sometimes we go for a run, sometimes we go get groceries. We feel SO SO grateful that our life allows for this time together. Anyway, the other week we used our couple hours to go to both a bookstore and the other bigger library we don't always go to. I had to put a limit on myself, otherwise I would have come home with thirty books. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7272_8d50_168_4f1c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xdcpKVS4_efLBknHIa8UXSus41O0JvcEwGwIbkgNTDuGpZ_3vyTBbN_yCkvaZIVoyvg" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_ca53_1c13_54ff_61f3" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/lmOKP0h7jFOUhYuENaicDcu51EKxZhC6cxdTohU2jxYz48feL1K_UjuMnpi9ZwEmZeo" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/we-are-never-meeting-in/9781101912195-item.html?ikwid=we+are+never+meeting+in+real+life&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=2a757e811f2476c7f81cef52daed6909" target="_blank">We are never meeting in real life</a> by Samantha Irby. 5/5. Oh my gosh. I loved this book so much more than I thought I would. I loved reading about her experiences as a receptionist at a veterinary clinic. I loved when she wrote about her body with so much honesty and self love. It made me want to love my body more. Can't wait to read her <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/9780525563488-item.html?ref=item_page:richrel:rr_carousel:json1" target="_blank">other book</a> of essays. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/super-attractor-methods-for-manifesting/9781401957193-item.html?ikwid=super+attractor&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=cae1400e240990377b672b6664e9713d" target="_blank">Super Attractor</a> by Gabrielle Bernstein. 4/5. I mean, I liked this book. It reminded me of <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-secret/9781582701707-item.html?ikwid=the+secret&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=4#algoliaQueryId=75058b2ac5c0005a290d46d32952cf27" target="_blank">the Secret</a>, and also a lot of other books about manifesting. She writes about meditating and talking to your spirit guides and always trying to feel good. And I'm pretty down for all those things. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/when-the-body-says-no/9780676973129-item.html?ikwid=when+the+body+says+no&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=1cefd703958109ac9196b91460e1ed5f" target="_blank">When the body says no</a> by Gabor Mate. 5/5. This one is a life-changer. I would recommend this book to every single person who has any autoimmune issues at all. Plus, anyone who has stomach issues or cancer. Basically everyone. Which is so many people in my life. Jon is reading this book now because he is super interested in the connection between stress and illness. A couple surprising things I learned from this book: </div><div>- Stress is often not obvious. It is low level and chronic and you probably are not aware of it. It's usually from childhood stuff. </div><div>- positive thinking is not the same as positive being. Like, just saying things are good and trying to have a good attitude is really not great for you. You need to be positive from the inside, deep down. Which involves tons of work and facing things from your childhood. </div><div>- Being "nice" is so bad for your health!!! No one is just super nice all the time on the inside. If you are being nice all the time, you are not being real. If everyone says how nice you are all the time, you need to make some changes and really look at if you are doing what you want to do in life. </div><div>- Feeling guilty that you did something wrong often means you are on the right track. If you avoided feeling guilty all the time, you would only be living for other people. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-best-of-me/9780316628242-item.html?ikwid=the+best+of+me&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=a006a59a96ef141c23e6ae9bed73df27" target="_blank">The best of me </a>by David Sedaris. 5/5. I devour everyone he writes. Loved all these stories. I had already read many of them, but his writing is the kind you can read over and over. My favourite stories usually involve his sister Amy, but I also enjoyed reading about his father. I laughed out loud so much. <br /><br /> </div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-50146745610751570712021-02-22T10:29:00.000-03:302021-02-22T10:29:13.161-03:30How I made our guest room saferI have such good memories of having sleepovers at friends homes and at my home throughout my childhood. Some of my friends would stay for many nights in a row or even weeks. I had a double bed and a double papasan chair in my room. <div><br /></div><div>Our oldest kid has been doing sleepovers for a few years now with family members and also with one friend of his who we know really well. When Will grew out of his crib last year, I was so excited to move the bed situation around in our house so Cohen could have a double bed in his room for sleepovers (until now, we would blow up a little mattress on his floor). </div><div><br /></div><div>I was telling a family member (not in my immediate family) about our new improved sleepover situation. They said they wouldn't recommend having kids who aren't siblings sleep together in the same bed. I was like, huh? Why not? I have slept in the same bed with so many of my friends so many times. I mean, they are the same age, and they are little kids. But this person didn't grow up like me. They had to sleep in the same bed with friends and cousins sometimes due to situations I couldn't even dream about (like because a guardian was just gone for days on end, so a friend or relative had to step in). And this person had been in situations where they felt forced to cuddle, touch, etc another kid their own age who was probably just physically curious or maybe lonely or whatever. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm telling you, that never ever crossed my mind in a million years. Of course, I don't actually think that would happen in my house where J and I are super involved with our kids and keep a really close eye on them and their friends. And also in school now they learn about their body and consent and stuff so early. BUT. I just want everyone to feel safe and comfortable in our house. And when I think more about it, there are lots of times where two people sleeping in two separate beds is better than two people sharing one bed. Examples in my own life include my brother-in-law and his dad, my separated in-laws who still travel together sometimes, Cohen and his female cousin. Even if a couple of my girlfriends were spending the night, they would for sure prefer to have their own bed. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_da80_2098_8b3a_e4d9" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/WbJe-Vr5T_ZJYZERfP6Hti5o7NVTGwPgO1uikYQXztY5SpqnTMRPAiMsvNwBFyqwhdw" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_9329_be75_3080_42ed" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/wrWRaVPrky-ZnDAOysGXOVWBQRZOHGCnxRwMgzbHDasIpVq7tFR6Fi47u6YvdtWISXw" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_cfc3_ce45_ec2b_c300" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/n-BHtMLc2Abt89frdWL11YYSIu2BVlrQ8JUFSa4J_A2hMXMUTV2mJ6-Q9BNItniH3TA" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I think we have all had these lightbulb moments this past year (#BLM, #metoo) where we learn something that just completely changes the way we see the world. I love learning more and trying to be better. So now, our guest room is a pair of twin beds, and I actually think it looks way better. I am no decorator, so it's pretty basic, and also we did it on a budget so we just used a lot of what we already had (who would have guessed cushions can be so expensive!!). We aren't really having any guests right now, but we are so ready to have sleepovers as soon as it's safe. <br /><br /><br /> </div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-11064977080131467342021-02-19T23:12:00.002-03:302021-02-19T23:12:51.809-03:30My February library list<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_da7b_b2ea_d5b0_8f27" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/dGC0lgOLZe-GLdDDVhwhRrXHNo6cFqtlNVKSSrsLWO4WtoxNtap5Mxdh2X26ycY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/when-bad-things-happen-to/9781400034727-item.html?ikwid=when+bad+things+happen+to+good+people&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=89536d117d9cd1f39f4f8a058944ea31" target="_blank">When Bad Things Happen to Good People</a> by Harold Kushner. 4/5. So this book is written by a rabbi who lost his son at a young age after a long illness. <div>A couple things that stuck out for me: </div><div>- When someone has something bad happen to them, never ever say anything that might seem like you are blaming them or God. Like if someone's parent dies, I am pretty sure they don't want to hear that "it's God's will" or "God must know you are strong enough for this burden." Also if someone is getting a divorce, definitely don't ask them if they were having enough sex or talking enough or going on enough date nights. That's the last thing someone wants to hear. So I loved the chapter about how to talk to people who are dealing with tough life stuff</div><div>- Prayers. Praying has always rubbed me a little the wrong way (asking God to fix things for you feels weird to me). BUT. I think they are so helpful in making the person who is praying feel better. And I think sending good vibes to people is actually helpful. Which I guess that's what prayers are? For years I have been sending good vibes to my friends and family. Maybe I was actually praying that whole time. </div><div>- The main thing I got from this book is that God's main way of helping is sending people. So when you are super down and feeling totally screwed, God will send you people who will help you. It's some sort of guarantee. I have found that to be so totally true. When we were about to <a href="http://sunnymorning-jess.blogspot.com/2017/11/our-dandy-walker-diagnosis-part-1-20.html" target="_blank">terminate my pregnancy</a>, I had just started at out clinic, and so had 12 brand new coworkers. And with one, I just broke down. And she said she knew how I felt. And I said, well, no, you couldn't know unless you had to terminate a pregnancy due to a medical issue. And she had done exactly that ten years earlier. I remember being shocked that someone who went through my exact situation landed right in front of me just when I needed it. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/she-came-to-slay-the/9781982139599-item.html?ikwid=she+came+to+slay&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=67a44a3d55895cfb46f45ed3d9b8277d" target="_blank">She Came to Slay</a> by Erica Armstrong Dunbar. 4/5. This was a kind of info book about Harriet Tubman. Of course I learned about her in school, but it was cool to get a refresher and learn a little more. I didn't remember that she had epilepsy from a head trauma. She believed that whenever she fell asleep, she was getting direct orders from God, so she was really grateful for her sleeping spells. Also she was taking care of a newborn at the age of five because her parents had to work all day long. And I never really knew the story of her working during the civil war for the Union army. Super interesting. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/white-rage-the-unspoken-truth/9781632864130-item.html?ikwid=white+rage&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=12447f4db340eaec251ab13ea174ee78" target="_blank">White Rage</a> by Carol Anderson. 4/5. I read White Fragility, which is more explaining what systemic racism is. This book was different. It was really a history lesson about slavery in the US and what came after slavery that was basically still slavery. This book felt really really well-researched, like the best textbook ever. The thing that I'll still thinking about is this: Black people in North America can't possibly have any kind of generational wealth. They were not allowed to own anything or really have any freedoms until very recently. Very recently. For Black people, for sure their great grandparents had less than nothing. For some white people, maybe that is also true, but it had nothing to do with the colour of their skin. There is no comparison. I think everyone should read this book and probably at least ten other books about the history of systemic racism. PS: Canada is not all cool when it comes to racism. More on that in the future. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/my-dark-vanessa-a-novel/9780062976802-item.html?ikwid=my+dark+vanessa&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=8362373a0ff21bdd1181020902a098ad" target="_blank">My Dark Vanessa</a> by Kate Elizabeth Russell. 5/5. Some books keep me up at night thinking about them. This was one of those books. I was reminded of a time in my life when I was a teenager and an older man I knew really well asked me to come into his office and look at his computer screen. Which was open to a website with naked women. It felt so weird and horrible, and this book made me realize he was testing me to see if I would act cool about it. And I just really think that absolutely no one can judge what a teenage girl does when an older man in a position of power does weird unacceptable stuff like that. Twenty years later, and I still cringe about that moment. </div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-5308691451329933682021-02-04T20:37:00.000-03:302021-02-04T20:37:16.701-03:30Library list lately and all the other stuff I've been consuming<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_e850_cc80_3aa5_c657" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/eSlrFWwgMYZS6LYgQumaOAWz9UWi87b_O864RXZEPMisQfdpt1G2uoCB1w3xwl8" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_5a44_9030_305a_5011" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_4bea_f14_411c_fe73" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/v9uks3tKN4Xsig7HGwPkLjCOzo4O3jj1Gvr9uMyHtYH_adqmOmi1Cea9gsvjlO4" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />I read so much, so my method is I order a bunch of books from the library, and also buy a bunch of books from the secondhand store. So then I have to read the library books as they become available, and leave the books I actually own for last. I can get a little bit hoarder-ish with books, and I have this fear of running out of stuff to read. Which is insane, I know.<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/sober-curious-the-blissful-sleep/9780062869043-item.html?ikwid=sober+curious&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=1#algoliaQueryId=6c8a1e55eb18af9cf5aa26c33bc20825" target="_blank">Sober Curious</a> by Ruby Warrington. 5/5. I have been "sober curious" since I got engaged the day before I graduated from dental school. That was the day that I realized that alcohol was going to be a complicated issue for the rest of my life. Jon and I decided to take a break from drinking the day after we graduated. My version of "not drinking" was actually just drinking way less than we had in school. And for Jon, he didn't drink for a year, and then slowly eased back into having a few beer here and there. Anyways, this book. My favourite part was about how so many people are really into wellness, like drinking special shakes, doing special workouts, avoiding certain foods, using essential oils, but still drinking. And alcohol is a poison (you can tell because it makes you sick for 1-3 days after you take it). I'm so into the sober curious movement. I am so moderate about everything, so I will probably never not drink, but I will not drink much. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/revolutionary-road/9780375708442-item.html?ikwid=revolutionary+roa&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=7db37267eac02dfe224ad1605897e091" target="_blank">Revolutionary Road</a> by Richard Yates. 2/5. This book is such a downer, and maybe a kind of accurate depiction of how some marriages can be. I haven't seen the movie but I kind of want to now. Overall the book was pretty "meh" for me. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/birdie/9781554682942-item.html?ikwid=birdie&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=2#algoliaQueryId=e44d551fdb8bcb6f80899cc449c186d5" target="_blank">Birdie</a> by Tracey Lindberg. 5/5. LOVED. Just so into this book. The main character is a shape shifter, which would normally be too sci-fi for my tastes, but it was done in such a good way. Loved all the characters and still think about them weeks later. Lots of reviewers describe the writing as lyrical, and I really get that. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-simple-favour-a-novel/9780062666338-item.html?ikwid=a+simple+favour&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=bcffaed9df57c6ce3a4822097d780fe5" target="_blank">A simple favor</a> by Darcey Bell. 4/5. Such an easy and kinda fun read. I want to watch the movie on Netflix now for sure. Some of the book is actually "blog posts," which felt cringey and addictive. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/all-adults-here-a-novel/9781594634697-item.html?ikwid=all+adults+here&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=84c3b75740860cd3823c8451597045b4" target="_blank">All adults here</a> by Emma Straub. 4/5. I liked it and it was a light, easy read. Not changing any lives, but cute. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/homegoing/9780385686150-item.html?ikwid=homegoing&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=5219bfdd0b8344179d299a195dfa71ef" target="_blank">Homegoing</a> by Yaa Gyasi. 5/5. Just amazing. The slave trade is absolutely mind blowing, and this book is just so easy to read. And also so hard to read. There is so much I don't know about slavery and also systemic racism. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/commute-an-illustrated-memoir-of/9781419736742-item.html?ikwid=commute&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=3#algoliaQueryId=ddee39c10338165bdc7f1868e7586557" target="_blank">Commute</a> by Erin Williams. 5/5. I just love a graphic novel depicting something really normal with complete honesty. This book made me feel inspired to share sexual experiences that have happened to me because I am a woman and because of alcohol. Almost. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/living-with-joy-keys-to/9781932073515-item.html?ikwid=living+with+joy&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=2e2e2af8f13a67ad6be41e50f23b9886" target="_blank">Living with Joy</a> by Sanaya Roman. 4/5. Ok, this one is kinda intense. The idea is that this book is actually written by a spirit, who just told this author what to write verbatim. So it's actually written by a spirit names Orin. For real. And Orin has actually written a few other books. And what's crazy is this is not the first book I have read that was "written" by a spirit. I am so 100 for Oprah and Martha Beck, which is where I get these book recommendations. Anyway, the main thing with this book is about manifesting. Which is the same idea as that book the<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-secret/9781582701707-item.html?ikwid=the+secret&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=2#algoliaQueryId=3916a9b4173aa5b15409b6c812b96a74" target="_blank"> Secret</a> from a while ago. So you need to imagine the things you want and ask for them and believe you will get them. I know it maybe sounds super woo-woo, but I am so into this stuff. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/9780142410318-item.html?ikwid=charlie+and+the+chocolate+factory&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=1#algoliaQueryId=5ac5015e5bbccb8df51b26d23b073ad6" target="_blank">Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</a> by Roald Dahl. 5/5. This still holds up, and my seven-year-old was laughing so hard throughout most of the book. I really enjoyed reading it too. </div><div><br /></div><div>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie directed by Tim Burton. 5/5. Was so close to the book, and Johnny Depp was so creepy and good. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/charlie-and-the-great-glass/9780142410325-item.html?ikwid=charlie+and+the+glass&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=9d3d9e096c9d6d033bd3838a5ea2034b" target="_blank">Charlie and the great glass elevator</a> by Roald Dahl. 2/5. Ummmm, nope. This one got so weird and used a lot of racial stereotypes. These creepy brown alien lumps took over for a few chapters, and neither me or my seven-year-old was into it. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-bfg/9780141365428-item.html?ikwid=BFG&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=2d6aa1c9703aa3ebe97ab4a01c32a2d4" target="_blank">The BFG</a> by Roald Dahl. 5/5. So good! I was worried my son would be freaked out since the story starts with a giant stealing a little girl out of her bed, but he loved it as soon as we finished with that scary part. He laughed so much with this one too. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/freaky-friday/9780064400466-item.html?ikwid=freaky+friday&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=0e43c6c02265c9ebc7cfc1f2cd66e1c3" target="_blank">Freaky Friday</a> by Mary Rodgers. 3/5. So maybe my seven-year-old is too young for this one. I had to bail halfway through because of the intense racial slurs that I have not heard since I lived in Texas. It was bad. And the way the dad treats the mom in the book!! I remember loving the movie with Lindsey Lohan, so maybe we will just watch that in a few years. </div><div><br /></div><div>Superstore. 5/5. For us, this one is kind of like Parks & Rec or VEEP. Cute and funny and it grows on you with every episode. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Bachelor. 4/5. For some reason we aren't as into this season as we usually are, even though we love that it's for sure the most diverse season. We were surprised we loved the La Quinta season as much as we did, but there was something to addictive about the Covid aspect that time. I think this season feels more produced, and some of the girls seem more like actresses. There seems to be less real, normal not-looking-for-fame girls. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I own these ones and so I am saving them until I run out of library books to read:</div><div><br /></div><div>Paper Towns by John Green. I've read so many of this author's YA books. I pretty much love them all, so I know this will be an easy good read. </div><div><br /></div><div>Girl with a pearl earring by Tracey Chevalier. I mean, I'm sure it will be decent?</div><div><div><br /></div><div>Life of David Hockney by Catherine Cusset. This one I got fully because I liked the cover art. </div></div><div><br /></div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-90808007218979942792021-01-05T13:45:00.002-03:302021-01-05T13:45:40.364-03:30New Year, new books. And my media diet.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_ee28_ca59_7411_b147" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/YFR0GwTFdFhv9v3T_fiVNNa0MnbGVJKtxom0UGfODokwRmz7HX3Ri6-9L5o61eE" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /> <div><br /></div><div><p>I try not to buy too many books new (and when I do, I try to go to the one local bookstore we have), so many of the books I read just fall into my lap. I find them at the thrift store or on Jon's section of our bookshelf or a friend passes them to me. And the library of course. </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/you-and-i-as-mothers/9781419742972-item.html?ikwid=Laura+prepn&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=054b3e202fa70ab0270a4181cf9cdcdc" target="_blank">You and I, as mothers</a> by Laura Prepon. 2/5. I actually read her first book, <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-stash-plan-your-21/9781501123108-item.html?ikwid=Laura+Prepon+Stash&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=b6c700b40eb48c47798a3903db13bf5b" target="_blank">Stash</a>, I long time ago, and didn't love it, but it was fine. This book about Laura becoming a mom is totally fine too. I liked reading all the quotes from her celeb friends, and I now know for sure that Ashton Kutcher is amazing. Instead of asking Mila what he can do to help, he just looks around and figures out how to help, and does it. Amazing. Also I liked this one line in the section on meditating when she said that our thoughts in our head will continue to stream for our whole entire lives until we die. All we can hope for is to slow the thoughts down with meditation sometimes. </p><p><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-promised-land/9781524763169-item.html" target="_blank">A promised land</a> by Barack Obama. 3/5. I love him, and I love the way he writes and speaks. I just couldn't get through this book because I think my tastes are so much more low-brow than Barack can offer me. I just don't find it that interesting to learn about his political aspirations and about his work life. I want to know about his love life and his marriage, which there is a little bit in this book, but not a ton. </p><p>I<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=indeh#internal=1" target="_blank">ndeh</a> by Ethan Hawke and Greg Ruth. 3.5/5. I love so much how graphic novels are changing the way we learn about history. I liked this, but I felt like I needed a little more hand-holding while reading. I wanted a bit more narration. As it was, I feel like I now need to go and find more info about the history that the book was depicting. Which is maybe a good thing. The illustrations were so amazing and great. Jon wished that the Spanish dialogue was translated in the back of the book or something. Can't wait to read the next graphic novel by these guys. </p><p><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/loving-what-is-four-questions/9781400045372-item.html?ikwid=byron+katie&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=23e7e01b682eadbe81fec16ae43c0436" target="_blank">Loving what is: Four Questions that can change your life</a> by Byron Katie. 5/5. This was technically the last book I read in 2020. I read it super fast and then swiftly returned it to the library because I want everyone to have a chance to read it if they want to. I have read <a href="http://sunnymorning-jess.blogspot.com/2020/01/i-heart-reading-thousand-names-for-joy.html" target="_blank">a few book</a>s by Katie now, and I'm pretty into it. Some of the stuff is a little hard to swallow, but for me in my very privileged life, this book is amazing. She talks about how we don't make any decisions. None. You can just get up every morning and let life live you. And that seems totally crazy. But then I think about the big decisions I have made in this life. And honestly, they kinda happened in spite of me. Even the stuff that took a lot of work like getting into dental school. When I look back, it was inevitable for me. And though I worked hard and studied hard, I was doing exactly what I felt like doing the whole time. </p><p><br /></p><p>And a couple other things I have been consuming in the past week or so:</p><p><a href="https://www.crave.ca/en/tv-shows/your-honor" target="_blank">Your Honor</a>. 4/5. This show on Crave is so good because Bryan Cranston is so good. I still think of Breaking Bad as the best show we have ever watched. Uggg, just so good. Jon and I have to watch a light funny show after this one since it's intense and I'm just so worried about the judge and his son! </p><p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3152592/" target="_blank">Scoob!</a> 2/5. The boys and I watched this one the other day. We also recently watched the live action <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0267913/" target="_blank">Scooby</a> movie from 2002, so I couldn't help but compare them. This cartoon was so much better! I found it pretty clever sometimes, and definitely bearable, which is basically what I'm looking for in cartoon movies I watch with my kids. They LOVED it. </p><p><a href="https://www.hbo.com/veep" target="_blank">VEEP</a>. 5/5. We tried watching this years ago and just didn't love it. But this time, we are so into it. It reminds me of Parks & Rec in that it is super funny but not necessarily laugh out loud funny. We sometimes watch multiple episodes in a night, and by now are in love with at least 5 characters. The relationship between Ben and Kent is just so unexpectedly delightful, honestly. Love love. </p></div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-85833807470688792182020-12-23T21:16:00.001-03:302020-12-23T21:16:38.903-03:30The last few books and my favourite book of the yearI think I ended up reading around 50 books this year, which is probably average for me. I thought I would have read way more since we were on lockdown for so much of the year, but it turns out that I can't read as much when I'm super duper stressed. <div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_b4c7_d238_532d_261e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/J5IYBiziGe7V23osFQcLcFt5XDCVoz0UlbOvOkhYdPGKVepflw3PxNqtN09fECs" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/transcendent-kingdom/9780385695176-item.html?ikwid=transcendent+kingdom&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=764b66f862ff2193e0e54acddc03729e" target="_blank">Transcendent Kingdom</a> by Yaa Gyasi. Loved it so much. Now I need to go read Homegoing also. The main character is a grad student researching mice brains, which I just loved. All of it. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/washington-black/9781443459587-item.html?ikwid=washington+black&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=7e53c93b00cba847df03b9bf768edd00" target="_blank">Washington Black</a> by Esi Edugyan. Oh man. This one is still with me. It was a little hard to read just as it will always be hard to read about slavery. I loved how part of the story happened in Nova Scotia. I need to learn so much more about how "free" black people lived in Nova Scotia. Also the author is Canadian, which is just cool. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/french-exit/9781487004835-item.html?ikwid=French+exit&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=9c723a304f54dfb962110f41e6a168b0" target="_blank">French Exit</a> by Patrick DeWitt. This one was so quick and easy to read. I liked that it was light and cute and also a teeny bit dark. Also loved the cover artwork. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=a%20thousand%20splendid%20suns#suggest=1&internal=1" target="_blank">A thousand splendid suns</a> by Khaled Hosseini. I was so wrapped up in this book for a couple days. It's hard to read. I have never really understood much about the details of the Afghanistan war, and this book helped me understand things a tiny bit more. But really this was a love story about a woman and her husband's second wife's kids. Love love love. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>After thinking about all the books I have read this year, there is no question which one I loved the most. <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/american-dirt-oprahs-book-club/9781250754080-item.html?ikwid=american+dirt&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=f9349404d24e033b522d0b981a9a781f" target="_blank">American Dirt</a> by Jeanine Cummins blew my mind. I still think about if all the time. My mom read it after me, and she still brings it up sometimes. </div><div><br /></div><div>And there is one book I read twice this year. I never ever read books more than once. I have a friend who just loves to dive back into a book she has read multiple times. I could never do that. But Pema Chodron's <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/when-things-fall-apart-heart/9781611803433-item.html?ikwid=pema+chodron&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=b25e38ea5e2040f0fde17a362adddef5" target="_blank">When things fall apar</a>t is just so great to read anytime, and for sure when things are feeling kinda hard. The first time I read it, I highlighted sentences that were so true for me that I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of them before. The second time I read it, I had totally different sentences to highlight. If I had to distill the book into a couple lines, I would say that it's about finding the thing you dread the most and walking straight into it. Except that you don't have to go looking for hard stuff in life. You can sit patiently and wait and the hard stuff will come, and when it does, face it and lean into it. </div><div><br /></div><div>So this concludes my book reviews for the year, and I promise I will be back next year with lots more books. <br /><br /> </div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-82919027516147994552020-12-15T13:57:00.005-03:302020-12-15T13:57:44.943-03:30A weekend on PEI<div>We usually see Jon's parents every few months, and even though we saw them <a href="http://sunnymorning-jess.blogspot.com/2020/09/three-nights-on-pei.html" target="_blank">over the summer</a> for a few days, we were eager to see them again before Christmas. My mother-in-law turned 80 last month, and for the last few years we have talked about renting a hall and having a big open house type party for her birthday. She has lived on PEI since she was in her late twenties, and knows tons of people! Anyway, of course the big party wasn't happening, but we still wanted to see her. We got really lucky and were able to come the week before the border closed. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_8615_4c71_74d3_f6bf" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mRLPnV6hw3Zl2Wmsi5l-17GHgo9Q7v3qqA_9KeVocQF9wCXdl4-eg0wF4JYZBxs" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(birthday cake time)<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_3f1b_d6fb_bfc4_d249" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/t85a3toAvpe9Y-MWdmQd1ouKurlYWLRcEDORZaH-kcHMVxCWtRhA9jPHjNnsYR8" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We had such a nice little visit. We stayed in a little Airbnb 5 minutes from my mother-in-law's house, and right on the water. Two highlights: we went to Jon's childhood home where his dad still lives. The house has never been upgraded (save for necessary things) since Jon was a kid, so it was really cool to see. I hadn't been there since Jon and I were dating and we stayed there for a few nights. I liked showing the boys a different kind of house. And Jon showed me tons of old pictures and newspaper articles and yearbooks. And we had a look at the old poster from Jon's modelling days. <div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_8b0e_2b4f_b539_4a69" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/J_z49RVoen2UDYjTGa-OCt-DQ0dVPzhBO4NFZ8-kkSn82R84oC7eGiEGN5R3qlA" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br />The second highlight for me was going for a walk all by myself through the downtown. It was a rainy afternoon and no one wanted to go with me, so I just walked around, popping in to different stores here and there. I think working in a little alone time on a family vacation is so awesome. <br /><br /><br /> </div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-21468853072098013372020-11-16T10:27:00.003-03:302020-11-16T10:27:18.574-03:30Recent books<div>I am reading and reading and reading. This month I was really favouring nonfiction by women. Maybe that is what I favour all the time. The book that had the hugest effect on me this month is actually not pictured: <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/three-women/9781451642308-item.html?ikwid=three+women&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=2#algoliaQueryId=0e3312b5d3139f01564305f7ff739260" target="_blank">Three women</a> by Lisa Taddeo. </div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_ed6a_4bb4_a6d7_ec24" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/39PkNmDNvC-NS60O53STzY03aW9dsiiEpH59DDa-8ipSjNLF_C6OPUAGijcMtOw" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/wild-game-my-mother-her/9780358272670-item.html?ikwid=wild+game&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=6#algoliaQueryId=e3b589600531a056849c7e5ed012ff0e" target="_blank">Wild Game</a> by Adrienne Brodeur. LOVED it. One of my favourite type of book is a true story about rich people who do things that seem crazy to middle-class me. This book is so that. And it's also about breaking the cycle in parenting and not doing things that your abusive/alcoholic parents did to you. So good. <div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-man-called-ove/9781444775815-item.html?ikwid=a+man+called+ove&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=fd1f2ba8b3f6501d6e9b632cc881b0af" target="_blank">A Man called Ove</a> by Fredrik Backman. Meh. I read Beartown, and wasn't super into it, but this is the book that gets more attention, so I wanted to try it. I found the writing really repetitive and slow. The story is good, just really slow. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/dear-girls-intimate-tales-untold/9780525508830-item.html?ikwid=dear+girls&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=1#algoliaQueryId=d453aabd8059b2af73ccb2defc4c4017" target="_blank">Dear Girls</a> by Ali Wong. I loved her Netflix specials like everyone else. And I loved this book. I was definitely not laughing out loud with this book (like with Tina Fey's Bossypants). The book is for sure more of a love letter to her husband, and I really liked learning about how they met. This was a cute and quick little memoir. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/trick-mirror-reflections-on-self/9780525510567-item.html?ikwid=trick+mirror&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=c7530774584993852c4e968affce49d3" target="_blank">Trick Mirror</a> by Jia Tolentino. This book is a lot. It's the kind of book that takes a lot of energy to read because it is so dense and feels so well-researched. I found myself copying sentences out of it into my little journal because they were so true. I liked it, but was always reading it with something easier to read at the same time. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/three-women/9781451642308-item.html?ikwid=three+women&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=2#algoliaQueryId=0e3312b5d3139f01564305f7ff739260" target="_blank">Three Women</a> by Lisa Taddeo. Oh wow, this book. It is the true story of three women and their sex lives. This is the main thing I learned/remembered from my own life while reading this book: Women always blame women for the bad behavior of men. Women blame themselves and they blame victims. Also, women deep deep down don't really like seeing other women happy and successful and sexually satisfied. I think this is changing right now with #metoo and #imwithher. In my own life, a man behaved badly and absolutely nothing bad happened to him. And a whole bunch of female relationships were destroyed by what the man did. I could talk about this forever. It is what keeps me up in the middle of the night. This book is such necessary reading for women alive in this time in the world. </div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-10812849383113236922020-10-26T20:11:00.003-02:302020-10-26T20:11:59.020-02:30An overnight in Fredericton<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="640" id="id_4984_7651_f015_104d" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/5QXa4mLC51UVBJxV6zm-5lX7bGgKRUqK2jIVT4Q7DcAExYficWz_A4LGv3H52mg=w482-h640" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" width="482" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(I will miss this little guy when he is too big for the front of my bike!)</td></tr></tbody></table><p> Like everyone, we are trying to stay closer to home, especially with school being on the go and so much talk of a second wave. So we decided to do an overnight in downtown Fredericton, which is about 15 minutes from our house. We opted to bike there, which is about 21 KM on a trail that used to be the train tracks. We planned for about three hours for the bike ride, with lots of stops for snacks. And there is a gas station about halfway, and we had promised 7-year-old Cohen that he could get a Powerade there (highlight of the trip for him). The bike ride was super easy and flat. I was surprised by how good it went! We brought everything we needed (clothes, bathing suits, toothbrushes, water, snacks) on our bikes in dry bags. </p><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_665e_c560_c55f_ea2c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ztzHPZcjjMUhGYmlUUIFxoRCtfGVe-NqwxuCpV9wC3pZVS3VNv0XjWibBufY9MQ" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(snack break time)</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_b860_b483_7671_c39c" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/7fqEbwUULk1PCoXLuYPGb2AbUHXIMlGkMSROlpmz7Ws7FWJ8PO07v9tBQCl28p0" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">(Will and I are all about the hot tub)<br /><br />When we got to the hotel (which is right on the trail-super convenient), we checked in and stored our bikes in a room off the lobby. We hung out at the room, swam in the pool, and then headed to the restaurant beside the hotel for supper. That evening we laid in bed, watching tv together. I love that part of hotels so much!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7373_657e_6fa4_6306" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/f7oEKa9B7EpIeELcuzx8Dd0vkvBHYKEOTWPL9CqIaST2Yyei_ItuOe0L5mXAN-E" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(always elevator selfies)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_fc85_97be_dcce_de4f" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/aeRe8VF_FZD1Bop0f9MCKNWW4aCFgECcbDpcqM2rvxKJyLFlPMMqLGuNkeGzJko" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">(this sweet guy at our pre-breakfast)<br /><br />In the morning Cohen and I woke up first so we snuck down for coffee and apple juice and playing uno. Then an hour later Will and Jon joined us for breakfast downstairs. A quick swim in the pool and some more relaxing, and then we headed home (by car). </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We had the best time. Weirdly (or not weirdly I guess), the hotel was super empty. This feels like a pretty good time to do some staycations right in our town. And it's nice to know we are contributing to keeping a local business supported. Also, where we live there are super good deals for locals to stay in local hotels. So I feel like we got a steal of a deal. Such a great time with our little family. </p></div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-27056688531047353442020-10-20T13:47:00.000-02:302020-10-20T13:47:24.575-02:30October 2020 Library list <img alt="" id="id_1670_b131_8669_a950" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/3EXUGGWMMWKgcerR4wR0UEOVr3gpFLf6cE3nvlMkIBcajOdjHZhmT_UoTPRAY5A" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /> <div>I read all these books in the last couple weeks and wasn't super into any of them. Let me explain:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/their-eyes-were-watching-god/9780060838676-item.html?s_campaign=goo-DSA_Books&gclid=CjwKCAjwlbr8BRA0EiwAnt4MTvZ8GCXC2fiNXU4yfUByxKCG4h0n1Ng8XypJSr7PyVGwiNmSTV3ImRoCh6QQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">Their eyes were watching god</a> by Zora Neale Hurston. This was necessary reading for me. The main character's grandmother is the product of a rape by a slave owner. It's just really important for me to continue to read books by non-white people. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/gods-joyful-surprise-finding-yourself/9780060645816-item.html" target="_blank">God's Joyful Surprise</a> by Sue Monk Kidd. I have loved a few other books by this author, but this one was kinda meh for me. It is the story of how Sue goes from being totally busy with young kids and church duties to finding solitude and meditation. Basically, meditating is a good thing and we should all be doing it. Still so excited to read more of her books. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/think-like-a-monk-train/9781982134488-item.html?ikwid=think+like+a+monk&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=4aec5593e0297ba275e613bf33b69c0b" target="_blank">Think like a monk</a> by Jay Shetty. This guy is a legit celebrity at this point. And he meditates for an hour a day! He was a full-time monk for three years before pursuing his current career. The idea here is that meditating is pretty much essential, and also we should all be living to help others. I am fully into that idea, but preferred this o<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/when-things-fall-apart-heart/9781611803433-item.html?ikwid=when+things+fall+apart&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=e4711c5893581ee60f2a652111f3918a" target="_blank">ther book</a> that he referenced a lot that <a href="http://sunnymorning-jess.blogspot.com/2020/09/lots-more-books.html" target="_blank">I recently read</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-last-story-of-mina/9780778311171-item.html?ikwid=the+last+story+of+mina+lee&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=e433022a0bb73dae2d243aefeabd32f7" target="_blank">The last story of Mina Lee</a> by Nancy Jooyoun Kim. Something about this story felt rushed. The same imagery was used over and over, and the last half of the book felt like it dragged on a little. Still, I will pass it on to my mother and sister. It was decent for sure. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/stay-sexy-dont-get-murdered/9781250178954-item.html?ikwid=stay+sexy+and+dont+get+murdered&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=3351287f6ae894f8db062b4b7912b42e" target="_blank">Stay sexy & don't get murdered </a>by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Pretty funny. I have actually only listened to a few of their podcasts, but in print they were super likeable and funny. It's always fun to learn about people going from struggling along to having success by doing the thing they love. Although for these two ladies, their idea of struggling was having their own cooking show and writing for a sitcom. Reading stuff like this makes me feel like LA is a whole other world. </div><div><br /></div><div>Right now I am two pages in to <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/three-women/9781451642308-item.html?ikwid=three+women&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=1#algoliaQueryId=f47e3ecf0f58cb15d213fb04261efab0" target="_blank">this book</a>, and I am OBSESSED. I will of course review soon. </div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-7910780890334953132020-10-02T09:42:00.001-02:302020-10-02T09:42:16.391-02:30Our haphazard master bathroom reno<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="320" id="id_ebbd_14c9_bc66_eb81" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/vnj6QvsbxZOinZp8G-E1qTVXDQgWEDfr6iptBe561qjamQnZ_bbJJMvjvSZyyRI=w240-h320" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" width="240" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>We had been wanting to renovate our master bathroom since we moved in four years ago. The main issue was the bathtub. It was one of those huge ones with the jets, and the jets didn't work when we did the house inspection. We had a plumber come in before we bought the house to see how much it would cost to fix the jets. The plumber couldn't find the box that controls the jets, so he figured it was behind drywall. He said it would cost LOTS to fix it. But we wanted the house, so we had the seller knock $1000 off the price and figured we would deal with it later. </div><div><br /></div><div>The first quote we got was $50K, which is insane. Our house is small. This bathroom is small. Our home is a rowhouse, so the likelihood of getting back that kind of an investment when selling was not going to happen. Looking back, I blame myself for that insane quote. The designer who we had come in and look had made a bunch of suggestions, and I had said yes to everything. Jon and I just didn't really care or have major visions for this bathroom. So the designer had included things like all marble floors, a marble walk in shower with fancy glass inclosure, and a custom marble counter. Marble, marble, marble. I was so disgusted with that quote, that we put the master bathroom on the backburner for another year or two. </div><div><br /></div><div>The second quote we got was way more reasonable at $14K. This was from the local hardware store that also does full installs of bathrooms and kitchens. We were really excited to work with them. The catch: they weren't able to order any double sink vanity except the exact one we already had. The one we had was totally fine, but I was hoping for something with legs or floating. I couldn't wrap my head around getting thing big renovation but still being stuck with the same vanity. </div><div><br /></div><div>So we went with the third option, which was a contractor who had done a lot of work for a friend of ours. He told me what to order, and then he came in and installed. So I ordered the vanity from wayfair, the tub from the local hardware store, the faucets from ikea. What I liked about doing it this way was that I bought things little by little, and the contractor/handman gave me a bill for the hours he worked each week. So financially, it felt way more do-able compared to having to write one huge cheque at the beginning. </div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_c81d_b5aa_5ff_118a" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/bH9u7wNw06rAfu0ir_4Cc6PUXnc7qP7EPXXZZcWoK7Io5-hfFVgruRgEloXPB4c" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Jon and I just don't care that much about the details. Like, the contractor wanted us to go to the tile store to choose tile. We were like, please, just choose whatever you think. And really, we are so happy with the tile he chose. And then we had our painter come in and paint. He asked us what colour we wanted. We just didn't care. White, I guess? So he said he had a pewter colour he had just used on another home and it looked good. So we went with that. And I love it! </div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_c296_9be8_7c56_2924" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/h5NYQnRm4S4iurjz1yIHDXfA3gLZBQvjDV-sK8UeTDPnPPBwuf4LgyLgWS4bTF4" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <br /><br />These pictures are obviously not styled, but they show the changes. We are really so happy with our new bathroom. What I love the most is that the ceiling of the tub area was raised a foot. It makes the tub feel so much more spacious. I also love the open shelves instead of the huge cabinet that was built into the wall.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OmLA8mEyw3c/X3cTAVumkRI/AAAAAAAAH9M/6X8gJAzd9dAN2u6f8T-WcD1eDlQWhZs2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/25268A6E-CC8F-4C08-AB35-2EEABF6B6385.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" id="id_d837_4e57_a043_f957" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OmLA8mEyw3c/X3cTAVumkRI/AAAAAAAAH9M/6X8gJAzd9dAN2u6f8T-WcD1eDlQWhZs2gCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/25268A6E-CC8F-4C08-AB35-2EEABF6B6385.heic" style="height: auto; width: 240px;" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-45691846952325820112020-09-25T09:52:00.001-02:302020-09-25T09:52:03.711-02:30Lots more books<img alt="" id="id_b8d7_8efc_3b33_e7a6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/m_Y38WO9VmVZhgaeMPvIV9C_PqpzvsmtFuEUI2XpYC3Z0KqNFkHdfINfXq9H2zc" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /> <div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/beartown/9781982114350-item.html?ikwid=beartown&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=5c1f326e3456cd691986a72cd2c6bc3c" target="_blank">Beartown</a> by Fredrick Backman: Jon read this one first, and liked it, and so I read it after him. I felt pretty reluctant to get into the style of writing. Lots of the sentences are super short. I found it hard to get used to. And then at the end everything gets wrapped up in a pretty bow, which is something I used to love when I was a teenaged reader, but now I'm not so into. This book dealt with a lot of stereotypes and also rape. In the end I really did enjoy it, and I really want to read his other bestseller, A man called ove. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/when-things-fall-apart-heart/9781611803433-item.html?ikwid=when+things+fall+apart&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=e4711c5893581ee60f2a652111f3918a" target="_blank">When things fall apart </a>by Pema Chodron. Oh my gosh. This one is amazing. I first heard about Pema on the Oprah podcast (my true fav). I can't gush enough about this book and this author. This book talks a lot about leaning into hard things. That just resonates so hard for me as someone who loves to avoid difficult decisions. I will probably read this book again in a few months. Also, we should all be meditating. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-to-all-the-boys/9781534427037-item.html?ikwid=to+all+the+boys+ive+loved+before&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=b48e7907d507929b23b497e7b8f61b0b" target="_blank">To all the boys I've loved before</a> by Jenny Han. Now I need to check out the Netflix movie. This was a really light easy read, and I loved it. I have always wanted to write about teenaged love because it can feel so intense, and I feel like this author nailed it. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-book-of-longings-a/9780525429760-item.html?ikwid=the+book+of+longings&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=55aca10dd69438b55b8fdf264e3d9666" target="_blank">The book of longings</a> by Sue Monk Kidd. So this book was pretty intense. It is the story of Jesus's wife if he had a wife. I had to keep looking stuff up to see what was fiction and what was true. I know VERY little about Jesus, so I feel like I learned a lot from reading this book and then looking up parts from the book. I loved talking to Jon, who went to Sunday school every week as a child, about this book. Now I wonder if Jesus actually did have a wife. I always love this author's writing, and this book was no different. </div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-63791233285385612572020-09-24T20:15:00.002-02:302020-09-24T20:15:50.710-02:30Rainbow shag cake and Will's 3rd birthdayI don't think about <a href="http://sunnymorning-jess.blogspot.com/2017/11/our-dandy-walker-diagnosis-part-5.html" target="_blank">almost giving Will up</a> every day anymore, but the memories were creeping in as Will's third birthday approached. Three years later, what sticks in my mind are those last five minutes or so before they reversed the diagnosis, and also the conversations we had with the higher ups at the hospital months later. The head of OBGYN at our local hospital was so condescending and dismissive, and sometimes I wish I had had better words to tell her how she could help us instead of what she actually said, which was so unhelpful. Sometimes I think about the geneticist who was rubbing her super pregnant belly the whole time she was telling me how hopeless the fetus in my belly was. I am clearly not over it completely, and maybe I never will be fully. <div><br /></div><div>But when my mind goes through all these moments, I always end with the very last meeting we had with the head of the hospital and the head of radiation. The result of that last meeting was that our hospital agreed to permanently change their practices so no one had to go through what we did. I felt so heard and understood, and I felt like these two super educated and busy and strong women were so compassionate. I learned a lot about how to listen in that meeting from these two doctors. So grateful. <div><br /></div><div>Anyways, this cake!! Will had been asking for a "paw patrol mission paw lookout cake" over and over again. And I wanted to try a shag cake. So I made this cake, Jon printed out a lookout tower, and we stuck it on top. Will loved it, though he later asked me where his real cake was. The shag icing was super easy to do. I just bought a two dollar grass tip, and kept changing the colour in my icing bag. <br /><br />If I'm honest, the cake didn't taste great. I find if the colours of the icing are bright like this, all you really taste is the food dye. And the shag made the icing extra crusty, which I found pretty unappealing. But I'm glad I tried it for sure. <br /><div><br /></div><div><img alt="" id="id_2e75_67be_834d_818d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/X1ncc3_GA6iVj56BVChkRNi9DH0Qt09SubvHn7a1L--K5FxHU9e810S3ilTBTsw" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Will at three:</div></div></div><div>- He just started preschool three mornings a week. He never seems that excited to go, but then he goes right in with no tears. I think he likes it! </div><div>- The potty training is happening. I would guess we are averaging one accident a day. For us, that feels pretty good. </div><div>- He asked for a Barbie food truck for his birthday, and loves playing with it with his dragons and other toys.</div><div>- He answers many questions with "kinda." Like, did you have fun at school today? Kinda. Are you hungry? Kinda. Was Grace at school today? Kinda. </div><div>- He loves eating tons of fruit. He can eat so many peaches, oranges, apples, pears. He is significantly less interested in supper. </div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-9168222982885475642020-09-13T21:07:00.000-02:302020-09-13T21:07:06.259-02:30An overnight in Fundy with kids<div>This is the year to visit all the spots in New Brunswick that we have never seen. Jon and I are lucky that our friends sometimes let us piggyback on to their day trips. They grew up visiting Fundy (they are both from the Moncton area), so they know all the cool hikes and spots to see around Fundy with kids. I know you can google a lot of this stuff, but really, I have found it hard to find really good info about local stuff. For example: the pump bike track in Fundy. I had never even heard of it. And Cohen LOVED it. It's this little dirt track that has all these small hills you ride your bike on. So cool. </div><div><br /></div><img alt="" height="589" id="id_5d45_e418_338a_4566" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/jTWz9drsh_7D0iTwKmKmROdslFKD7ObRruOTIm4d0y_v2D1kuqjny4m8Abf13PQ=w441-h589" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" width="441" /><div><br /></div><div>We have only done this twice, but both times my friend and I each took either lunch or supper, and were completely in charge of it. On this day I was in charge of lunch, and we did mini-quiches, pesto pasta salad, and pumpkin scones. My friend had supper, and she did chicken sandwiches and potato salad. The six kids all ate everything. I really think giving kids less choices can be better sometimes. The only thing I would do differently in the future is to buy a huge insulated cooler just for ice water. By the end of the day we were all running low on water, and the water we had was warm. I predict that we will be doing more road trips and day trips in the next few years, so investing in a nice huge insulated water thermos seems smart. </div><div><br /><img alt="" id="id_6fb3_740b_358e_f1f6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/i1F5k8rYXFHDoMfGERWGCkPfGp5DLVv7PElJ1RD1W8_ofLOFM-ur3a3bkn4Hxxk" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Will is almost three, and he has never been into being carried in a backpack type thing or even riding in a stroller. So when we were doing more challenging hikes, Jon and I would just take turns being one-on-one with him. It's a lot slower, but he loved it. Sometimes on easier parts of the hikes he would ride on Jon's shoulders or mine. <br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_9677_f042_ca54_dded" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/gssPksejg_dTfm_MHspkzkI480UQWxlYx9ARWGmBpCd3vwGfXkZ0TfpL6dyRmWA" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />We stayed in Alma for the night after one last over supper hike with our friends. The hotel was totally fine. In the morning we walked around on the little main street in Alma. The sticky bun bakery usually has a huge line to get in, but at 8 am, we were able to stroll in and grab sticky buns, donuts, milk, and coffee. We ate back in our hotel room looking out at the ocean. Perfect breakfast. <br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_b2dd_2967_8197_df1d" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/AJB4CRsJC7R0_uLwBMaCbsVi4dRol8D8BAbkADEou2JnC2NqGcm-ZYQSBlOijpk" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />We didn't have a real plan, but we figured we might as well visit the hopewell rocks. The low tide was conveniently at around 10 AM. Wow, the flowerpot rocks were amazing. There was no line, so we strolled right in and did the 15 minute walk that leads to the stairs that take you down onto the ocean floor. I am so glad we did it. <br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_20a3_78ed_db97_4d87" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/0vN_xCse5cUAgTrHiwGpS0DKZgeGwJ4OO7HzQk1H1qslQ6MkdC7E6_ShII-Hp-M" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><br /></div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-53045523596709148752020-09-07T20:39:00.006-02:302020-09-07T20:39:34.816-02:30Three nights on PEI<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I feel like I've said this so many times, but our summer ended up being completely different from what we had planned. For the last 5 or so years, we have done a week in Cavendish with Jon's entire family (his parents, his three siblings and their families, and also extended family of spouses). So this year no one from out of province could come, so we cancelled everything. Later when we found out about the Maritime bubble, we opted to go for three nights to a quiet part of the island, and just see Jon's parents and brother. We ended up at an airbnb in Canoe Cove. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-joOivXeg2V4/X1a3o4-f4vI/AAAAAAAAH7w/nwz3vHLt2K8YVu5oNwC1pbbIRP_o_8MVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/0E05049D-202F-4992-9D9F-44C7FC914820.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-joOivXeg2V4/X1a3o4-f4vI/AAAAAAAAH7w/nwz3vHLt2K8YVu5oNwC1pbbIRP_o_8MVQCLcBGAsYHQ/w375-h500/0E05049D-202F-4992-9D9F-44C7FC914820.heic" width="375" /></a></div><p>Canoe Cove was so pretty. It was a lot closer to the bridge than we are used to, so less driving was a plus. Once we arrived, we did a lot of relaxing. This was our day: check for when the tide is low. For sure go to the beach and explore during low tide. Eat meals and snacks. Read. Play cards. Let the boys have screen time while we have another coffee. That's it. It was super relaxing. I probably wouldn't have wanted to do it for much longer, but it was perfect for a last minute 2020 vacation. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yCnuUaaQKP4/X1a4CnxS_FI/AAAAAAAAH8I/cFDHpzrk36YmfsUGfeL7QXj4YTaJioN-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/8CD501C9-DB76-47EB-B797-9AAFF7106953.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yCnuUaaQKP4/X1a4CnxS_FI/AAAAAAAAH8I/cFDHpzrk36YmfsUGfeL7QXj4YTaJioN-wCLcBGAsYHQ/w375-h500/8CD501C9-DB76-47EB-B797-9AAFF7106953.heic" width="375" /></a></div><p>The beach was perfect for searching for jellyfish, making sandcastles, taking long walks with water up to your ankles. The beach was no good for swimming or laying on a towel in the sun. This was an exploring beach. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hUfRVoLZV2s/X1a3vUiKKfI/AAAAAAAAH74/8fGArWGkYR8UozgMNPE1AO3nA9JRse3PACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/40AC86C7-8E3D-4218-A2E1-5B180D314828.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hUfRVoLZV2s/X1a3vUiKKfI/AAAAAAAAH74/8fGArWGkYR8UozgMNPE1AO3nA9JRse3PACLcBGAsYHQ/w500-h500/40AC86C7-8E3D-4218-A2E1-5B180D314828.heic" width="500" /></a></div><p>This beach was covered in jellyfish in some areas. The boys loved it. We also found tons of shells and a starfish. I am so amazed by how much kids love being outside. We brought no snacks, toys, or anything at all to this beach. We would walk barefoot with nothing at all to the beach and be there for a few hours. We loved it. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AXtKf6ULfiQ/X1a4HJMF-NI/AAAAAAAAH8M/Y9ayj7UV5UgmMjH2D1zfOuwDauUXOrVigCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/55A45D35-1EB0-4DA0-95CD-60E7BE580EB1.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AXtKf6ULfiQ/X1a4HJMF-NI/AAAAAAAAH8M/Y9ayj7UV5UgmMjH2D1zfOuwDauUXOrVigCLcBGAsYHQ/w375-h500/55A45D35-1EB0-4DA0-95CD-60E7BE580EB1.heic" width="375" /></a></div><p>The one little outing we did was a small easy hike at Fort Amherst. I had no idea the history of Acadians being pushed off the island at this site. Many acadians died on boats that were not equipped properly for their journey. I loved/hated reading copies of the real letters that were being sent back and forth about the acadians and indigenous people in the area. So interesting. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WGZ-t9f51HA/X1a4ZQNeQZI/AAAAAAAAH8c/xcx7wzmNeFcDwh7bP6AHm26XQgEjtHqRQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/984A75E1-47CE-4324-A239-8D3CB6E48F8C.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WGZ-t9f51HA/X1a4ZQNeQZI/AAAAAAAAH8c/xcx7wzmNeFcDwh7bP6AHm26XQgEjtHqRQCLcBGAsYHQ/w500-h500/984A75E1-47CE-4324-A239-8D3CB6E48F8C.heic" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-__5Ka-8LgB4/X1a3vE-xXCI/AAAAAAAAH70/5T5djyRlkLMW7VtOqhw3jlSnEiAeQk0IwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/18225126-1E75-4068-BE55-8EF97C12610D.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-__5Ka-8LgB4/X1a3vE-xXCI/AAAAAAAAH70/5T5djyRlkLMW7VtOqhw3jlSnEiAeQk0IwCLcBGAsYHQ/w375-h500/18225126-1E75-4068-BE55-8EF97C12610D.heic" width="375" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-76GuiLaGSow/X1a4PrnoSEI/AAAAAAAAH8Q/r2R6fRY4lUwp9ewEwpqPBZRBPsnMpuUHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/62316506-11E0-4099-8395-39C36C783D00.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-76GuiLaGSow/X1a4PrnoSEI/AAAAAAAAH8Q/r2R6fRY4lUwp9ewEwpqPBZRBPsnMpuUHQCLcBGAsYHQ/w375-h500/62316506-11E0-4099-8395-39C36C783D00.heic" width="375" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d0YDaZwBXf4/X1a4fQB0-KI/AAAAAAAAH8k/xDLqJPwH2WUvfpba9kv9kuU74-twPcNCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/EF7798F5-BD94-4FD2-9623-214F96BD7221.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d0YDaZwBXf4/X1a4fQB0-KI/AAAAAAAAH8k/xDLqJPwH2WUvfpba9kv9kuU74-twPcNCwCLcBGAsYHQ/w375-h500/EF7798F5-BD94-4FD2-9623-214F96BD7221.heic" width="375" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The airbnb we stayed in was filled with stuff. Every drawer and cupboard and flat surface was crammed with objects. The boys loved looking at all the stuff, and it was nice to have board games and books to check out. In the times of Covid, I for sure feel more interested in how everything is cleaned, so that would be my only real issue with this particular cottage. It would be pretty hard to disinfect every little knick-knack sitting on every single shelf. Oh, and a huge highlight for the boys was the outdoor shower. The indoor shower was super duper small, so the boys and I ended up using the outdoor shower exclusively, and man, outdoor showers are amazing. <br /> <p></p>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-91348947092823615622020-09-01T21:39:00.000-02:302020-09-01T21:39:12.837-02:30Two nights in Moncton<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Like everyone else, we had to completely change our summer vacation plans this year. We usually do two weeks off work, spending one in Cavendish with Jon's family, and another doing something else with just us. This year it was going to be Niagara Falls. Last year it was Halifax. This year, we ended up only being able to take one week off from work, so we did a few nights on PEI with Jon's parents, then a couple nights in Moncton. We opted to stay in an Airbnb that looked kind of like a castle. The boys loved it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-syxnGnduUrw/X07d0akHhtI/AAAAAAAAH6w/rzPBuw2UhXckB_ja-FQvgzUIyx_-kjx6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/373E5BD6-6FA2-44C7-B03A-883392C52DE6.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-syxnGnduUrw/X07d0akHhtI/AAAAAAAAH6w/rzPBuw2UhXckB_ja-FQvgzUIyx_-kjx6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/373E5BD6-6FA2-44C7-B03A-883392C52DE6.heic" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rw-fUbZkOIY/X07dqKc_UdI/AAAAAAAAH6s/WLjrQ5DnC-Ma_eF8Q4J8EJp_tB2yyRETQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/0D326DD7-4DE0-4BFE-BA90-1E1AF62EDC95.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rw-fUbZkOIY/X07dqKc_UdI/AAAAAAAAH6s/WLjrQ5DnC-Ma_eF8Q4J8EJp_tB2yyRETQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/0D326DD7-4DE0-4BFE-BA90-1E1AF62EDC95.heic" /></a></div><p>We love to have a little down time at the apartment where the boys can use their screens while Jon and I chat and split a beer or a kombucha. This place was kind of fancy, but in such a great location in Moncton. We were able to walk to take out restaurants, and I also ran out to grab coffee and croissants each morning. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8ApQj1fx-4/X07eTuEuc7I/AAAAAAAAH7M/XFps-EU38rYkknYEM5Szd66SiqfflSecwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/61BE1DE4-88E8-403D-A8A9-D95F60D4C051.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8ApQj1fx-4/X07eTuEuc7I/AAAAAAAAH7M/XFps-EU38rYkknYEM5Szd66SiqfflSecwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/61BE1DE4-88E8-403D-A8A9-D95F60D4C051.heic" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70zZcB9sQfE/X07efMDFnUI/AAAAAAAAH7Y/2-GLfiNdIx0Y3DKyfJVsM8zmQNidC398QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/C9CEB1C7-D1D6-45D5-81F8-B1580291D7AB_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1539" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70zZcB9sQfE/X07efMDFnUI/AAAAAAAAH7Y/2-GLfiNdIx0Y3DKyfJVsM8zmQNidC398QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/C9CEB1C7-D1D6-45D5-81F8-B1580291D7AB_1_201_a.jpeg" /></a></div><p>Our main goal was to check out Parlee beach. Jon and I hadn't been there since long before we met. We LOVED it. We want to go back soon. The beach was really pretty empty for a Friday, and so clean. We saw lots of staff cleaning up and also lots of lifeguards. The water was a perfect temperature, and the waves weren't too big. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R72DKOkNg6o/X07eTqirnNI/AAAAAAAAH7I/vwqfPj42GPE7qRerzOLmNL1cJh1Wo-OTQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/108D9AC0-8C18-4293-A23C-698F354D527C_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R72DKOkNg6o/X07eTqirnNI/AAAAAAAAH7I/vwqfPj42GPE7qRerzOLmNL1cJh1Wo-OTQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/108D9AC0-8C18-4293-A23C-698F354D527C_1_201_a.jpeg" /></a></div><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4XlX6w5w3pY/X07eZnksrLI/AAAAAAAAH7Q/S6kE17UBPGUllXtRiPYE-vdA8zhDoJ9AgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/B96F8984-22B1-41B0-9AB3-FC948D853D8F.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4XlX6w5w3pY/X07eZnksrLI/AAAAAAAAH7Q/S6kE17UBPGUllXtRiPYE-vdA8zhDoJ9AgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/B96F8984-22B1-41B0-9AB3-FC948D853D8F.heic" width="640" /></a></p><p>For meals, our main goal was to stay outside. We did a few patios including a sushi restaurant right on main street. The boys hadn't been to a restaurant since February, so they were very very excited to be eating out. We also did some drive thru meals and grocery store meals. As for sushi, our boys can eat so much avocado maki. They love it. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9dOV6M7sh9k/X07eCP8ECVI/AAAAAAAAH64/2c3QgroukEQ0sm--bd1p6lRzcztimewFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/538F4C1E-E980-4096-A16A-7B8A88C238D0.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9dOV6M7sh9k/X07eCP8ECVI/AAAAAAAAH64/2c3QgroukEQ0sm--bd1p6lRzcztimewFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/538F4C1E-E980-4096-A16A-7B8A88C238D0.heic" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5CO26g4W11Y/X07eMsnjVII/AAAAAAAAH7A/IncGPvnW6B8pxa0OUSo3BM3qlrH0noECgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1166/AC9D2F1D-53ED-4A80-976B-3446030A66F1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="1166" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5CO26g4W11Y/X07eMsnjVII/AAAAAAAAH7A/IncGPvnW6B8pxa0OUSo3BM3qlrH0noECgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/AC9D2F1D-53ED-4A80-976B-3446030A66F1.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also squeezed in a trip to the zoo with my sister and her kiddos. The zoo felt like such a great activity to do in Covid times since we were outside the whole time. The kids fully loved it. I think also our kids were just thrilled to be out and about doing stuff. We have kept to ourselves since March 13th, and I don't know if we even realized how much we missed going out and doing things. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On our way out of Moncton on our way home we did the magnetic hill. Jon was amazed! We absolutely got a little thrill out of it, and the little wharf village is just as cute as when I used to work there 18 years ago. We love Moncton so much! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-15052809819120045852020-08-10T20:30:00.000-02:302020-08-10T20:30:38.483-02:30More books! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="589" id="id_b334_e235_edeb_bf39" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ay_m1Tb_Yqg3JyXxd9_-NnhrYuuRU1WlxFBoW5Prlx0XxKMknxU8M_qrt-SK7uk=w441-h589" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" width="441" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/an-american-marriage/9781432861308-item.html?ikwid=an+american+marriage&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=47cc02e8e921b5fa27725776f88e3b8f" target="_blank">An American Marriage</a> by Tayari Jones<div>Oh this was good. It took me a while to get used to the large print that I accidentally ordered, but after that, I was so in. This book really surprised me by being about a Black man who is incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. I loved it. Oprah knows how to pick a book. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/normal-people-a-novel/9780735276499-item.html?ikwid=normal+people&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=56d5e6af4eda792171eebb00ff74ab53" target="_blank">Normal People</a> by Sally Rooney</div><div>This book is getting so much hype right now along with the show based on the book. I wanted to read the book first, especially since I am hearing that this is one of those situations where the show is actually better than the book. I flew threw this one. I think I had it read in less than two days. The relationship between the two main characters is so intense, and I can't wait to see that play out on the show. Loved it. <br /><div><br /> </div></div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-31793361419957750712020-07-28T13:59:00.000-02:302020-07-28T13:59:50.763-02:30Road trip fictionI am forever feeling like my life is running on a theme. The theme changes all the time. These two books I read one after another were both about road trips where you don't really know where you are going. I found one at the secondhand store and Jon picked the other one up at the library for me. <div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="589" id="id_4307_5f45_3672_ca5c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xpAd6ZyLnTRk_f66GcRVahKE7wVNvup7pJBYXKRFE9IKL7S2nWTbc8E3VWk-mqI=w441-h589" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" width="441" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/an-abundance-of-katherines/9780142410707-item.html?ikwid=john+greene&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=4#algoliaQueryId=6b51b52cfb77ab6a4a295a014a7e05a8" target="_blank">An Abundance of Katherines</a> by John Green. I loved <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/turtles-all-the-way-down/9780525555377-item.html?ikwid=john+green+turtles&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=197540a8060ad7ba3dd4cd99731a3145" target="_blank">Turtles All the Way Down</a> and also <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-fault-in-our-stars/9780142424179-item.html?ikwid=john+greene&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=6b51b52cfb77ab6a4a295a014a7e05a8" target="_blank">The Fault in our Stars</a>. My favourite thing about this one was the relationship between the main character and his best friend. The dialogue between them was so fun to read and imagine. The book made me feel like road trips are so great for creating memories, especially when you are a teenager. I need to try to remember that when my boys want to drive to Montreal when they are teens. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-flying-troutmans/9780307397515-item.html?ikwid=the+flying+troutmans&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=579587759c82f79336baf8830c1c8177" target="_blank">The Flying Troutmans</a> by Miriam Toews. So good. I loved the weirdness of the characters and the relationship between the main character and her sister, who is mentally unstable and hospitalized for the duration of the story. It made me think about my own relationship to my sister, and how unique and huge that relationship is.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm still reading so much. My kids are getting to the age where I can lay on the couch and read for 20 minutes while they are playing together. If reading and writing about said reading were a job (I know it is actually a job, but not really realistic for me), I would love it. <br /><br /> </div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-84246241480417208032020-07-20T20:07:00.000-02:302020-07-20T20:07:33.111-02:30A birthday party in the year of Covid<div>Cohen's birthday party is usually pretty big. He invites his whole class, and we plan a bunch of activities here. This year was totally different, just like everything is totally different this year due to Covid. In our area, we have very little community transmission, and our borders are mostly closed, so a couple weeks ago Jon and I realized we could probably actually have a little party for Cohen's seventh birthday. We tried to make it as safe and easy as possible for the four kids who were invited. This is what we did:</div><div><br /></div><div>- We only invited four kids. Three of the kids have already been in each other's bubble because one of the moms babysits the other two kids. And the fourth kid has been socializing with Cohen since the bubbles opened a month ago. All the parents knew who was coming.</div><div><br /></div><div>- We kept it outside. We know that the research is showing that being outside is WAY more safe than being indoors. So we committed to a completely outdoor party, which was a little weird for us because we live in a condo-style house, so the only way to get to our teeny backyard is through the master bedroom. But it was totally fine. </div><div><br /></div><div>- I kept party shopping to a minimum. I am always trying to keep my potential contact tracing to a minimum, so for this party, I made one special trip to a store (the Bulk Barn), and bought everything else during my weekly grocery store trip. I didn't order anything online. In some ways I feel like it saved me money, because I wasn't just going to party stores getting more stuff like I normally would. But in some ways I spent more because I wasn't looking for sales, and I knew I had to buy everything in one shot, so I was throwing everything possible into my shopping basket. The party was for sure cheaper though, just because we only had five kids (plus little brother Will) attending. </div><div><br /></div><div>- We didn't order any food. Normally I would order pizza for lunch and also order a cake from Dairy Queen. But I wanted to keep the risks super low, so I bought frozen pizza from the grocery store during my normal grocery store run, and we made the cake. Wow, the cake was a lot of work! Cohen's favourite food is for sure avocado maki, so he really wanted a sushi cake. Cohen and I worked on it together, and we were so happy with how it turned out! We used the tutorial from <a href="https://chelsweets.com/2017/11/03/salmon-avocado-sushi-roll-cake/" target="_blank">chelsweet</a>, which worked out awesome. I borrowed a cake spinner from my assistant, and I was glad I did. I don't think you could make this cake without a spinner. </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="435" id="id_a634_16f1_2454_aedd" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/t3jokFK5CSZioKXvC6fs4xEMMJcUFZZQrRQ5aLv2PP9HYlEP693y9ohMgPR8ltY=w441-h435" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" width="441" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(giant buttercream avocado maki)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_dfac_bc29_5603_6ecb" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/HjJ3SjWSRBPtA-lwAf0fl16OtV3r6WBCb3Wf2BVRTOTsgkcXfI_C0PsjacA_fbM" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(the low-key setup)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br />- Totally unrelated to Covid, I have been trying to buy less party decorations for the last couple years. So all the tissue paper decorations are our hoarded ones that I pull out for every party, I leave out certain colours depending on the celebration, and of course I make a pinata with whatever craft paper I have. I feel so much better about these decorations compared to the hundreds of balloons I used to blow up for arches, and then pop them and throw them out right after the party. </div><div><br /></div><div>- We set out every single piece of outdoor equipment we own, which wasn't much. I borrowed a sprinkler from my parents, put out soccer balls and nets, and washer toss. We had colouring and a really lame craft that I found in the back of our craft closet. And the kids had a great time. They loved the sprinkler, and were very into kicking the soccer ball around. Normally I would be trying to pack as many activities as possible into two hours. This time, there was no schedule. We did the pinata halfway through, which was full of pokemon cards. The kids loved looking at their cards and trading them. Cohen opened his presents slowly, and for the first time, I was able to watch him since there weren't 20 kids running around. His friends all gave him thoughtful gifts like a homemade pokemon book and hand painted rocks. </div><div><br /></div><div>Jon and I feel like even though we were forced to have this kind of small, measured party due to Covid, we will not go back to the way we used to do it. We feel like all the kids had a better time because it was so small and freeform. </div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-74726184394621275132020-07-08T21:19:00.001-02:302020-07-08T21:19:28.089-02:30American Dirt<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_55a7_5340_8fcb_aea1" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pj_eIQGxmPF3QtofSlnOBoQFQxuNOp-l7ePovNJ76iCQES4ZO_gPxOFQPWZCO2o" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /> <div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/american-dirt-oprahs-book-club/9781250754080-item.html?ikwid=american+dirt&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=ae4ac196f39ab40fe00d54f113ebf544" target="_blank">American Dirt</a> by Jeanine Cummins:</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh my gosh. This book. I can't even believe how good this book was. I haven't read anything this good for so long. I would say the book that came the closest to being as good as this for me was <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/where-the-crawdads-sing/9780735219090-item.html?ikwid=where+the+crawdads&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=8f5ef6ed084a1355098be05516e69952" target="_blank">Where the Crawdads Sing</a> by Delia Owens. </div><div><br /></div><div>As a middle class white Canadian lady, I know about as much about the immigration issues from Mexico to the US as This American Life tells me. When I was a kid we would sometimes cross from Texas to Mexico to have lunch when we were vacationing south of our home in Killeen, Texas. I think it was really different at that time. Anyway, I feel like this book was really well-researched. The situation that immigrants fleeing violence face when they hit the American border is so horrible. Everyone should read this book, and then maybe donate some money to help immigrants seeking safety. </div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-21968056266515038942020-07-01T20:53:00.001-02:302020-07-01T20:53:59.521-02:30One textbook-like book about the brain and a book about being broke and white in America<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="441" id="id_76a1_ed52_7053_56c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3MHpiHFSKOeyJMGZhZDphxxDmHsXzTTSk_qu7A6OERBg0RA2fkVOqex6j00v74w=w441-h441" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" width="441" /></div><br /><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-body-keeps-the-score/9780143127741-item.html?ikwid=the+body+keeps+the+score&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=39c1f1308873c429115f5b59b742cdda" target="_blank">The body keeps the score</a> by Bessel Van Der Kolk:<div>My usual routine is to push myself super hard in life until my body forces me to slow down by feeling sick. Like, I get an actual sinus infection or a bad cold, and so I spend a few days laying low, and then start the cycle again. Anyway, this book is not about that. But it does talk a lot about how our bodies feel things physically when we are emotionally hurting. That's probably not groundbreaking for anyone who works in healthcare. If you are having chronic stomach pains or back pain for no obvious reason, it might be an emotional issue. This book talks about the science of that. I found it really interesting, but also intense and also dense. So I read it on the side for like a month, while I flew through a bunch of other books. I would highly highly recommend this book to anyone who works with people with PTSD, or if you survived trauma during childhood. One thing that really stood out to me is that people with severe recurring trauma during childhood have huge blank spots in their memories. Their brains physically change so they are protected from those memories. So amazing. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/hillbilly-elegy-a-memoir-of/9780062300553-item.html?ikwid=hillbilly+elegy&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=dc0547504407971ae0ba696f6dc7accc" target="_blank">Hillbilly Elegy</a> by J.D. Vance:</div><div>This book was a little weird to be reading right in the middle of #Blacklivesmatter and #defundthepolice. It is about poor white people (hillbillies) in Kentucky and Ohio. The author manages to go to law school and make a success of himself, maybe at least partly due to white privilege? That's what it felt like to me as I was reading this and also watching videos on my social media of police beating up peaceful Black protestors. I enjoyed the book for sure, and I will probably watch the movie when it comes out. </div><div><br /></div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-41420399223889975012020-05-30T23:10:00.000-02:302020-06-07T20:18:47.832-02:30The last of the quarantine reading: Jon and I pretty much have a mini book club now<img id="id_662c_ce8a_1739_1aea" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/su8fWvoKfyI_BcHvKZ1RZCWERGI3PP0WdkzzAOlPo2Holu95ZM_b-NB56IsvPi4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br>Because of coronavirus, Jon and I have ended up reading more of the same books than ever. These are two books I normally would not grab. I tend to prefer memoirs and true stories. And of course I am into reading all the popular books that make it into Oprah's and Reese's book clubs. Some friends dropped off a box of books for us a couple weeks ago, and we dove right in:<div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/breath/9781554680948-item.html?ikwid=breath+tim+winton&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=515dac12bb00ea874734a15f64219a9e" target="_blank">Breath</a> by Tim Winton: </div><div>I need to start by saying how much Jon and I both were not into the cover art. Very unappealing cover. Anyway, Jon and I both really really loved this book. It is completely about surfing. The sentences felt very calming and meditative somehow, and I was so hooked. Jon felt the same way. Can't wait to read more from this author. </div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-ravine/9780307356154-item.html?ikwid=the+ravine&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=3380996b710f0f4ed3c599d8e3c8ab01" target="_blank">The Ravine</a> by Paul Quarrington:</div><div>I was pretty skeptical about this one due to just reading <a href="http://sunnymorning-jess.blogspot.com/2020/04/more-quarantine-reading-jons-library.html" target="_blank">Life of Hope</a> and not being that into it. The Ravine was so much better for me. The book explores how traumas in childhood can have lasting effects throughout adulthood. So into that. </div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759823767403703042.post-8920742798750345462020-05-30T22:37:00.000-02:302020-05-30T22:37:10.073-02:30Why I am still doing this whole blog thing<div class="separator"><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">1. I just can't write a lot with a pen and paper anymore. I used to keep journals, and I have boxes and boxes of them now. But I don't really write anymore, so my fingers are just more used to typing. I still do keep a journal (well, multiple journals really), but when I want to write a lot, I turn to the laptop</div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">2. I suck at backing things up. It's a little different now that we have the cloud, but I have lost so many pictures and so much writing to crashing computers. I think my age (36) makes me just on the cusp of being someone who completely trusts computers. I definitely don't fully trust. For a few years of my life, all I have of my personal writing and pictures is what is on this blog. And I love looking back at it. I fully write this blog just for me.<br />
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3. I never regret it. Sometimes I feel that teeny sense of shame if I am revealing something about myself that is really personal, but then after I feel liberated and as though maybe I will help someone else who is going through what I went through. I am for sure an oversharer in real life, and I just feel compelled to write all this stuff down. And I try to always do what I am compelled to do. A sense of longing to do something feels as important as any motivation to me.<br />
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4. I still LOVE following blogs. It's still my absolute favourite form of social media. My true favourite forever and ever is <a href="https://cupofjo.com/">cup of jo</a>. And I also love d<a href="https://www.designmom.com/">esign mom</a>. And <a href="https://doorsixteen.com/">door sixteen</a>. And <a href="http://heart-of-light.blogspot.com/">heart of light</a>. Normally I am so over a blog when the original blogger hires other writers to also write posts. But for some reason cup of jo still works. I just think blogs are a really fun medium.<div><br /></div><div>5. Blogging is so different from what I get paid to do at my job. So I think writing stuff down about my life balances my more serious healthcare job where I maybe don’t get to share my inner self as much. </div><div><br /></div><div>6. Blogging feels so minimal. It's a hobby that I don't need anything for. I am not really into accumulating things, so I am less interested in painting or knitting or I dunno, making cakes with fondant icing. I just write on our family laptop and that's it. No clutter. </div><div><br /></div><div> </div></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">I am not really good about posting regularly, but I still love writing on this blog. This is why:</div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div> Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00667244561143122357noreply@blogger.com0