Life Lately | April 2018

+In My Head

• Stopping to just look at the garden, to see where the light falls.
• Enjoying the funny and interesting things that Forest says.
• The ERA is Back: That would be really damn awesome! There have been other people writing about this thought I’m about to say—-as much as I’m still bitter we didn’t end up with a female president in 2016 I think some of the fall out from that (as sucky as it has been) has triggered some things into our general conscience and awakened a new revolution of pushing forward some issues with equality I think we all got complacent with. And if we can *crossing fingers, legs, arms, toes* get a Democrat majority in the mid-term elections maybe we can push forward some of these things that have been sitting on the back burner for far too long.
• I have been using my FitBit once again after a long dormancy. My parents got me one for Christmas 2014 and eventually that first one fell apart and FitBit replaced it, though with a refurbished one. When FitBit updated the software it now turns on any time I move my hand and it is even the least bit dark so the battery runs down rather quickly. I could go several days on the first one before needing to charge but I can barely get to 12 hours with this one. It was one reason I stopped using it. But I’m now taking it off in the evening and charging it by my bathroom sink which has been a better incentive to use it.

  +Watching

  The Big Bang Theory: Not much to say here other than I’ve been enjoying the episodes lately!

  Homeland: Whoa! That final episode of the season was a shock in all senses. We started the season unsure of who President Keane really is, was she a treasonous president? And after a few episodes we saw what was really going on and in the end she is vindicated after the 25th Amendment was used against her. I was left feeling that what we were shown this season was what would have potentially happened to Hillary had she won. Different women in office but under a similar threat, with people not wanting to trust her no matter what she said and a foreign government willing to go the lengths to keep that message spread.

  And then Carrie?? Oof…held hostage by the Russians as basically a POW and then off her meds for nearly a year? Initial talk about season 8 is there will be a time jump so I’m wondering how they will cover what happened and how she recuperates from all of that, because, well, at the end she doesn’t even recognize Saul. But we won’t get a the final season until maybe summer of fall of 2019 since Claire Danes is pregnant and they won’t begin filming until early next year.

  Call the Midwife: *sobs* Thanks for pulling a Sybil on us, show creators.

  Timeless: I’m glad they revived this show—it was on the block to be canceled after season 1 but fans protested and they brought it back for a late spring second season. I’m really enjoying it and they have upped the game with the show. I’m wondering how they are going to keep advancing the show because we definitely got some wrenches thrown into the plot lines this season.

  The Letdown: I found this show on Netflix the other day and thought it was hilarious and spot on! It’s an Australian show about motherhood/parenthood, those initial months of navigating the awkward change in life. They are only about 30 minutes so there’s not a huge time commitment and only 6 or 7 episodes. I thought it was rather funny and I enjoyed seeing a tv show shot in a different country.

  Death Comes to Pemberley: Also on Netflix and a movie I had seen before, I rewatched it because I was feeling a need for a Jane Austen fix. Perfectly suited.

  +Outside My Window
  Full-fledged spring! And it’s been cooler than typical—or maybe we’re being normal and the heat is our not normal? I have no idea anymore and it seems so many others this spring aren’t even sure which way is up with their regional weather and climate. That said, it has been fairly pleasant lately, maybe a bit chilly in the morning to mild during the day. I’ll take it!

  +Making
  Nothing much. Taking photos and editing podcasts is really my only method of creativity these days.

  +In The Garden
  Monarchs and Mulch!

  I’m slowly weeding each individual bed and getting them mulched for spring and summer. And keeping on top of spraying fish emulsion in hopes of fending off the deer somewhat this season. I need to get into the edible garden this weekend (presently as I’m writing…not sure yet when this will post) pull out the bolting lettuce and get some summer crops going. I’m thinking amaranth, beans, pumpkins, maybe we’ll try some squash. Definitely need to be basil going.

  I’ve been working to add some flowers into the perimeter bed this season and they are all starting to thrive! Excited about that and the sweet peas are finally starting to bloom—heavenly smell!

  The monarchs have started eclosing, though I had to euthanize one the other day because it came out with deformed wings. And a lot of the new milkweed I cold stratified are germinating! I’m hoping they all thrive and I can have a diverse amount of milkweeds to offer the monarchs later this year. We’ll see if they can grow large enough this year though, they may take a year to grow good roots and be better for the monarchs next year.

  +Reading
  I finished North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail by Scott Jurek about a week ago. Loved it! It’s about his record FKT in 2015, beating Jennifer Pharr Davis’ record from 2011. That record has gone on to be beaten twice now by other people, including someone who supported him on the trail. I’m in the middle of finishing Difficult Women by Roxane Gay, a book I had started last year but stopped reading due to interest. One of my goals this year is to complete a few half finished books I have started over the last few years and this was one of them.

  +Loving
  Spring! Growth! Running (Yeah, I’m trying to get back into that)! Decaf Coffee! Forest!

What’s up with you?