Currently: It's the Final Countdown

Current Book

Current Song

Love of My Life by Queen - I am obsessed with this right now!

Current TV Show

Current Audiobook/Podcast

I'm still rotating between Parks & Recollection and Office Ladies.

And enjoying both so much!!

Current Drink

My current attempt at trying to break up with sugary drinks, ha

Current Food

My in-laws are sending these over later today, YUM!

Current Shame-Inducing Pleasure

I can tell you what I hope it isn't - too many cookies! {grin}

Current Outfit

Different day, same workout outfit {grin}

Current Celebrity Crush

I miss Matthew Crawley!

Current Mood

After the last few days, I'm feeling very raw.

I had to take a social media break for my own mental health.

Current Anticipation

THURSDAY IS THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!

I can't believe this picture was 9 months ago, it's really flown by.

Current Wishlist

Our own pool, ha! May has been SO HOT - 

we've already been swimming several times.

Speaking of swimming, I ordered 7 bathing suits from Target this week,

they are having a sale through May 30 if you need some.

Here's hoping 1 or 2 fit!

Current Movie

Something for everyone in the coming weeks!

Current Picture

The Swope Six do Hat Creek!

Movie Review: Downton Abbey: A New Era

After what has felt like an ETERNITY, and multiple delays, Allison and I FINALLY saw the 2nd Downton Abbey movie last week!!!!

Plot: The Crawley family goes on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the dowager countess's newly inherited villa.

Review: Holy cow, this was AMAZING!!!! A++++++ In the moment, I enjoyed the first movie, but the plot was silly at times. And it felt like they were struggling to figure out how to use all the characters. Well, they worked all the kinks out and THIS WAS A MOVIE. M.O.V.I.E. The plot was so, so good - it was so funny {multiple moments where the whole theater was laughing}, it was so touching {I cried twice}, it was just incredible. It felt like it could be a good conclusion but also it felt like they could keep going or move to the next generation of the Crawleys. I loved every minute of it and CANNOT wait to see it again!

Girl Scouts Do Sea World

Drew's Girl Scout troop went to Sea World last weekend, and I got to chaperone! It was such a cool experience, and she has had such a great year as a Girl Scout. I'm so glad she is going to continue in the organization next year.

We stayed overnight and got to participate in several 'behind the scenes' activities. We had our own guide, and everything was planned out perfectly.

We saw seals/sea lions, the orca show, the penguins {where we did an activity}, slept in a shark aquarium, got to pet a bamboo shark, pet/feed sting rays, and pet a dolphin, plus the girls had a chance to ride a ride - they packed in so much!

Feeding the seals/sea lions.

Some big sea turtles!

Can't make a straight face!

Drew and Zara on a spinning ride

Making an ID bracelet like the penguins have

Brownie Troop 45014

So sweaty at the end of a long, fun, hot day!

Where we slept!!

Ready for bed with the sharks swimming by, no biggie!

Glad we didn't get eaten over night

Sting rays!!

Cisco, the dophin

 I'm excited to see what next year, as a Girl Scout Junior, brings!

April 2022 Book Review

This week has been a doozy! I can't believe I'm so late in posting my monthly reads, but work is busy and life is busy. Nothing bad just a lot going on!

I read 8 books this month bringing my total for 2022 up to 37 compared to my goal of 100 for the year. I read 3 nonfiction, 5 fiction; 1 audiobook, 1 physical book, 6 ebooks; and 3 books written by POC. Pretty good mix if I do say so myself!

The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish [audiobook] - I knew Tiffany Haddish's name, but nothing about her, before listening to her memoir. I liked the cover picture and was curious about the title. Well, this was so, so good! Her life story is one that will break your heart and also be amazed that she overcame so much! She has a special talent for comedy because parts of her book were making my heart hurt for her yet laugh at the same time. It was also great to listen to her voice, loved the way she told her story.

Recursion by Blake Crouch - Holy mind-bending mental f*ck. This was such an absolute crazy story. It was so original and unique and I flew through it. Only thing that kept it from being 5 stars is I felt like the end didn't totally work for me. It got a smidge off-kilter. But seriously crazy and fun.

Never Fall For Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath - This was a fun, light historical romance. Trope of fake fiancée. I truly liked the characters and flew through this. It didn't set my world on fire, but it's the first book of a series, and I'm definitely going to read the others.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson - This was my work book club selection, and it was a WINNER! I love multi-generational family stories, and this one was done especially well. We travel from the Caribbean, to the UK, to California and New York, from the 1960s to the present. Carrying us through the story is a family with lots of secrets and misunderstandings that sometimes made me SO ANGRY at the characters, ha. It was truly a work of art though from a story-telling perspective! My boss even said it was the best book she'd ever read! I highly, highly recommend.

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun - A queer Bachelor-esque love story that focuses on mental health?! Sign me up! Loved this! I finished this in less than 24 hours and loved it!

Evidence of Love by John Bloom - I read this because they filmed scenes for an HBO Max series {not the Hulu series advertised on the cover picture above ha} in my town a few months back. This book was written in 1983 and it has held up! It was fantastic! The beginning was a smidge slow, but you can tell the authors put a ton of research into creating this book. I'm very excited for the show now!

Begin Again by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. - We read this for another work book club, and honestly, it fell flat for me. I blame user error because I don't know anything about James Baldwin. I have heard so much about him over the last handful of years but didn't know much. And I think this book would be much better with a good understanding of him and his works. I just didn't connect with the book, boo.

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier - I ended the month with a little banger of a thriller. I've shared before that this isn't my favorite genre, but I devoured this book. There are a lot of trigger warnings with this one, so this definitely isn't for everyone, but I couldn't put it down! [Trigger warnings: kidnapping, child abuse, suicide, depression]

And that was my month! May is off to a great start. Hope you are reading something great!!