Life
It's Cyber Monday, my biggest shopping day of the year, so I'll keep this short today! My health is still not great, but my doctor started me on an antiviral that has helped in the past, so I am hoping it will improve things. I seem to be a little better, but it's been hard to tell with the busy chaos of Thanksgiving weekend!
We drove to my hometown, Rochester, NY, for the long weekend and got caught in that awful traffic Wednesday. As usual, our holiday weekend was packed full of family visits. My stamina is still very low, but with lots of naps and extra rest, I enjoyed being with family and friends as much as I could. We stayed with my step-mom; she is a wonderful host, and we enjoy her company. On Thanksgiving, we were with my mom's side of the family at my aunt and uncle's house. Friday, we met one of my oldest friends and her son (who is friends with our sons) for breakfast with lots of laughs and old stories, as well as catching up. Friday evening, we met up with my cousins (and their kids) on my dad's side of the family. All of us cousins there have lost our dads, so we enjoyed the usual reminiscing but also had a great conversation about our dads and uncles. We even heard some stories we'd never heard before! Saturday we were back with my aunt and uncle's house for leftovers and a relaxed, casual hang out. The weekend took a lot out of me, and I was in rough shape at some points (especially by Saturday), but I so enjoyed catching up with family, sharing old stories, and lots of laughter. And it's wonderful to be with other people who knew my dad and how special he was.
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The whole gang on Thanksgiving!
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My husband and I with my step-mom
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On Video
Just one video, before we left on our trip:
Diets for Chronic Illness: Paleo, Keto, Carnivore - I explain what each of these diets is, why it is often recommended for those with chronic illness (especially immune disorders or any medical condition involving inflammation), and tips and ideas on what/how to eat with each. It's focused on those with chronic illness but should be informative for anyone interested in what any of these diets entails. I've been eating keto and carnivore (at various times) all year due to my illness, and my cholesterol and triglycerides are the lowest they've ever been, by a lot!
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What We're Reading
I finished Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson, a
book that's been in my Nonfiction November stack for several years. It's the story
of a German submarine sinking a huge
passenger ship during WWI, but as always, Larson digs deep into the
story to bring us details and aspects that we never learned in history
class. We not only get to know some of the passengers and crew of the
Lusitania on that fateful voyage but also the captain and crew of the
German U-boat. Larson's books are always fascinating and informative,
and this one is no different. The investigation of why this disaster
happened and all the factors that allowed it to occur, as well as what
made it worse, is intriguing and horrifying. I learned a lot, but it's also a gripping story.
Now I am reading Tell Me More: Stories about the Twelve Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say by Kelly Corrigan, a book of memoir essays. I've heard Kelly on several of my favorite podcasts (including her own) and always enjoy listening to her. Her book is similar. She digs in deep, talking about motherhood, marriage, living through cancer, and the losses of her father (which, of course, I relate to) and a good friend. In her signature style, she is honest, warm, and often funny, which helps when you're reading about such difficult topics. So far, the book has made me tear up and laugh out loud.
On audio, I listened to Nowhere for Very Long: The Unexpected Road to an Unconventional Life by Brianna Madia. This memoir describes the author's unique lifestyle
of traveling all over the American West while living in a van (not a
fancy new-style RV, either!). She goes back to her childhood and
examines what led to her unusual lifestyle choices and how she and her
husband (who lived in the van with her) met and ended up living this
way with their two dogs. It's an engrossing and fascinating story, and she reads it herself (which I always
enjoy with a memoir), so I enjoyed it very much.
My husband, Ken, finished Burn by Peter Heller,
one of our favorite authors of outdoor thrillers. This novel is a bit of
a departure for Heller, as it's post-apocaylptic. He said it was excellent. Now, he is reading another book I gave to him for his birthday, An Honest Man by Michael Koryta. This is his first book by best-selling author Koryta, and this one is described as a "breath-taking thriller." Plus, Stephen King said it was the author's best book, so I figured it was a good place to start.
I was able to catch up on my son's (age 30) reading this weekend! After a long period in his new job with little time for reading, he said he is newly committed to get back to it, since he enjoys reading so much. He saw that book 5 in the Arcane Ascension, When Wizards Follow Fools, was out, so, as he often does, he went back and first reread book 4, The Silence of Unworthy Gods, before reading the latest. Now, he is reading book 16 (!) of the The Spellmonger series, Preceptor, by Terry Mancour. He loves this series. I'm so glad he's making time to read again!
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What are you and your family reading this week?
