Weather: In transition. Yesterday and the day before the sun was out, the sky was blue, and the last nice weather of the year was glorious. Earlier in the week, it was cold and rainy. It is raining today. We are transitioning to Fall weather. The flowers are the happiest they've been all summer as the weather cools. I guess it was too hot for them all summer.
Fair Day: For Ian's fourth birthday we gave him tickets to go to the Western Washington Fair with us. Then he and his family got COVID and they had to quarantine for ten days. Just off quarantine on that Friday we whisked him off for a fun day of baby pigs, petting zoo, a musical adaptation of Cinderella, the Hall of Heroes, and rides! We all had a blast. The collage above is highlights from our day.
No Sunday Salon last week: We were down in Oregon last weekend for a football game. I thought we'd get home with plenty of time to make a Sunday post. Then we had to make an emergency stop at an urgent care medical facility as my husband got sick. He's OK now, thank goodness, but we got home much later than I expected. (One of the highlights of the game was when our mascot dressed up as one of those swingy things that attract attention at businesses. I hope you can view it.)
Books:
- Completed (since Sept. 18th):
- The Plot by Jean Hantz Korelitz. Don and I listened to this audiobook together. It has a plot twist that you won't see coming. Wow!
- Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau. The blogosphere is chattering about this coming-of-age story set in the 1970s but I would recommend you read it. 3 out of 5 stars. E-book.
- The Souvenir Museum by Elizabeth McCracken. I loved the stories in this collection. Most of them were populated with quirky, oddball people. I found quite a bit to laugh about in them. Click on the title hyperlink to read my review. Audiobook.
- The Hours by Michael Cunningham. Another past Pulitzer Prize winner. Of the six books I read for this challenge this summer, this one is my favorite. Click hyperlink for my review. Print.
- We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. A crime thriller, coming-of-age, love story, western. We are reading this one for an upcoming book club. Audiobook.
- This is Your Time by Ruby Bridges. A children's/junior book written by the woman who was once the little girl that desegregated her school in the 1950s. I picked it up from the little library outside a home in a nearby town. The little library was dedicated to justice and equity issues. Print.
- Currently reading:
- The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates. For an upcoming book club. Print, 5% completed.
- The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons. Another book club selection. Audiobook. 7% completed.
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Classic. E-Book. 5%.
Some other things you might want to read this week:
- I am fascinated and horrified by how anti-science so many people are right now. This list on BuzzFeed is of 22 Anti-vaxxers who had their bad excuses taken apart. (Very funny, but also eye-rolling stuff.) Link here.
- The Dunning-Kruger effect: People who have the least amount of knowledge have the most confidence. It appears this is what is happening today with anti-vaxxers who think they know more than scientists and experts.
- Cool things companies are doing to suck up excessive CO2 that is warming our planet. This gives me hope. (Reasons to Me Cheerful)
Funnies of the week:
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| We have a cat and a dog. I love them both. But this is true, for sure. 😅 |
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| We just did a test ride in the new Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck. No tailpipe! |
And the cat photos, of course:
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| Work from home? No problem. Er.r., one problem. |
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| The golden boys enjoying the remains of the day. |
-Anne
Looks like you had a wonderful time for Ian's birthday, even though it was delayed. Going to fairs with little kids really is a great time.
ReplyDeleteAs always, I love your memes! I remember hearing about the tailpipe comment/discussion on Fox and as a Tesla owner, I just rolled my eyes. Fox talking heads really are dumb.
OMG have these anti-vaxxers gotten other vaccinations in their lives???? Did they have a problem with the smallpox, measles and whatever other vaccines we all get???? I do not understand them at all. I'm the biggest chicken in the world when it comes to needles and doctors in general so if *I* was able to endure it twice, so can everyone else!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes I know fear of needles is not one of their reasons. I'm just saying.
I can't decide if I want to read The Plot or not. Was it really REALLY good or just really good? lol
The Plot was really good. But the twist is so shocking.
DeleteLoved the vaccine excuses! So funny!
ReplyDeleteI'm fascinated with the anti-vaxxers' excuses and the rebuttals. Who would have ever thought that these folks would find platforms in which to share these ridiculous ideas to others? I would have thought there were protections, especially for the poorly educated.
ReplyDeleteGlad you were able to enjoy a birthday celebration with your grandson. It looks like everyone had a great time.
Interesting that the LFL is dedicated to justice and equality issues.
I have no patience or empathy for the anti-vaxxers, even those who get sick. Did you like the ending of "Mary Jane?" It sounds like you would recommend that people read it, or did you mean not read it. I'm not a fan of the two BC books I'm reading now, but they will (hopefully) elicit good discussions.
ReplyDeleteNo. I didn't care for Mary Jane. The last bit of the book was better than the first and middle bits but I still only gave it a rating of 3 (up from 2 if not for the ending.) You already know I don't care for We Begin at the End. I also rated it a 3. I'm about 10% into Eudora Honeycutt and so far I am not sure if this one will do it for me, either. We should have stuck with The Plot. It has a doozy of a plot twist.
DeleteEudora isn't particularly well-written and has a lot of sap to it. She seems like a female version of Ove. The past story is a little more interesting, but unless it develops a plot, I don't see what we'll find to discuss.
DeleteMy sister loved The Plot. She keeps telling me to hurry up and read it! Your day at the fair looks like so much fun.
ReplyDeleteOMG, Anne!!!! That Buzzfeed list (and the Fox News interview, too) - I laughed a lot, yes, but it's really not that funny - are people really THAT ignorant? That is seriously scary. Someone at Breitbart wrote an article suggesting that the vaccines are a Democrat conspiracy to kill off Republicans "because they knew if they recommended everyone get vaccinated, Republicans would do the opposite." ??? This stuff is just insane - you couldn't make it up. My son loves to watch Colbert, Noah, and the like with me when he's home - will definitely send him the Buzzfeed link!
ReplyDeleteOk, now for the important stuff - books! I've been hearing good things about The Plot - sounds like that is one to add to the list! I hadn't heard of Mary Jane yet. I haven't read The Hours yet, but I should. I didn't love the movie. And I would like to read Dorian Gray, too.
Oh, and so glad your family is all OK after their COVID bout. The fair looks like fun! I used to LOVE thos huge slides - do they still hand out burlap sacks to ride on?
Enjoy your books this week!
Sue
Book By Book
I know. That BuzzFeed list is astonishing. Can people really be so ignorant to think that the moon is made up of shiny rocks. OMG!
DeleteYes, the slide uses mats not burlap bags. My grandson was freaked out at first but after sliding down once he screamed, "Let's do it again!!!!"
I was so irritated by my friend telling me that her daughter has COVID at college but won't report it because she doesn't want to quarantine off campus. Now, all of her roommates have it (three of them). This is her third time getting COVID. Asked if she was going to get the vax now. Nope. I do not understand.
ReplyDeleteOur weather here was interesting on Monday. Rain, thunder, lightning. My dog did not approve of it.
I'm glad your husband is ok now. Trips to urgent care are not fun.