I'm totally loving Olivia Rodrigo's album "you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love". It's awesome!
I also got a fun new game to play. It's called Trailblazer: Hiking the John Muir Trail. It has lots of pieces and parts and takes about 2 hours to play, but I like it. Up to 4 people can play at one time, and there's also a solo version. I'm eager to play it again.
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For me, the end of August/beginning of September means canning season, and I've been busy bottling peaches and pears and making zucchini relish and blackberry jam. We had early blossoms followed by hard frosts this past spring here in Utah, so I couldn't get any Gala apples to do applesauce this time around. Hopefully next year. Canning always cuts into my reading time, but nothing beats eating yummy bottled fruit from off your own shelf all winter long.
And while I read several really good books last month, I also ended up DNFing six. Which is unusual for me. I don't know if I was stressed, running extra tired, or just too impatient to deal with slower plots, aggravating or unlikeable characters, or stories that felt like they were going nowhere like The Correspondent. But I just couldn't make myself finish any of those six books. I'm hoping for better books this month. And more reading patience.
Happy Reading!
'Trailblazer' sounds interesting. I'm presently obsessed with a game called 'The Long Dark' which is a walking survival game based in Canada. Essentially you're on your own in a frozen landscape with no monsters, no zombies or aliens or killer robots and the object is simply to explore an empty world and survive.... It's VERY peaceful & restful even with the odd blizzard or wolf. SO different from what I usually play!
ReplyDeleteThe Long Dark sounds like a great game! I think I would really like that one. :D
DeleteTrailblazer sounds fun! I've been playing Disney Dreamlight Valley on the switch lately and have been really enjoying it. It's very much a stress reliever game. I really like Olivia Rodrigo's voice but haven't listened to any of her new songs. I need to fix that. DNFing 6 books! Wow! I go through periods where I have no tolerance for nonsense which does increase my dnfing!
ReplyDeleteI think that's what happened to me last month. I just had no patience for any books I wasn't immediately drawn into. And Dreamlight Valley sounds like a fun game to play.
DeleteThat game sounds like a lot of fun! Hopefully this month will be a better reading month. I go through phases like that too though.
ReplyDeleteI hope it's a better reading month. I've checked out a variety of books from the library hoping some will appeal.
DeleteI agree that Trailblazer sounds fun. And canning - haven't though about that in years. I haven't done it, but my grandmothers and my mother canned a lot. As to your reading and liking/not liking the books - I hear you! This summer has been a bit of an up and down thing for me. I have not finished a bunch of books, but I've read some that I enjoyed a lot. And I've re-read several favorites. Let's hope for some good reading this fall. Think I will likely turn to some 'spooky' reads before long or that's my plan anyway. Take care!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading some spooky books this fall, too! And this was the first year I had to do canning without my mom. She's the one who taught me...and she learned it from my Grandma. One of those pioneer skills that was handed down in my family. ;D
DeleteHave fun with all that canning.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm glad it's all done for another year.
DeleteI have never canned fruit before, but I'm always fascinated when I hear others talking about it. I hope you have a good September!
ReplyDeleteIt's not too hard to learn. Frozen jam is the easiest thing to do, and so yummy.
DeleteAh, canning. You reminded me of growing up on the farm where our canning season stretched from summer right up through fall. My mother was a prodigious canner and she preserved food from her extensive garden that kept us fed through the year. There was a small room of our house with shelves filled with the products of her labor. As I grew up, she dragooned me into helping her and, of course, I hated it! Now I remember those times fondly.
ReplyDeleteIt's not always fun to can fruits and veggies...it's often hot and messy...but I do love the finished product. :D It reminds me so much of my mom, because we did it every year together since I was young. I really missed her this year having to do it without her.
DeleteI've really liked that Olivia Rodrigo album as well.
ReplyDeleteHomemade pizza sauce is our big canning project here, and yes, yum! All winter long.
Mmm...homemade pizza sauce sounds yummy. I've done spaghetti sauce before, but not in awhile.
DeleteHmm zucchini relish ... I'll have to look into that. Good luck with all the canning. My husband recently canned 17 jars of beets, lol. I guess you didn't like The Correspondent .... it's okay - not everyone's cup of tea.
ReplyDelete17 jars of beets! That's a lot. And the zucchini relish is SO yummy. And not too hard. And I tried to like The Correspondent. I normally love epistolary novels. But I was not liking the main character and after 100 pages I just gave up. I don't even care how it ends.
DeleteOn a non book note, I so enjoy clips on you tube about how many people do the preserving stuff. The effort, time and knowledge that goes into the process is amazing. Other than pickles (almost non existent now) we don’t do anything like this.
ReplyDeleteI like doing pickles because they're pretty easy. And I learned to bottle peaches and pears and do jam from my mom, who learned it from her mom. But you're right, not many people do it any more. It's very satisfying to see your finished preserves when you're done. And home bottled peaches and pears taste 100% better than storebought.
DeleteIt's been such a weird summer in the UK, ridiculous heat taking away our lovely green countryside and gardens. Thank goodness we've now had rain and the green is returning. I wondered about The Correspondent, it's been hyped and hyped and hyped, but I can't decide whether it's for me. Happy Fall, Lark!
ReplyDeleteHi, Cath! I tried reading The Correspondent...got over 100 pages into it...and wasn't enjoying the main character, couldn't see where the story was going, and when two of my more favorite characters who she was corresponding with seemed to disappear, I just gave up. Because I wasn't enjoying it. And I usually really like epistolary novels.
DeleteAnd I'm glad you're finally getting rain. We've gotten rain this past week...too much in some cases. It's caused flash floods all over Utah. What a summer!
I have been struggling with my reading, I think since my mom died, and we still have so many stressors. I have DNFed more recently, and just haven't loved some of them. Yet, at times, I find ones I love...so hopefully I am coming out on the other side, and you will as well.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed. I can relate to finding everything a little harder ever since my mom died. Hopefully things will get better for both of us!
DeleteLark, I am praying so. I feel like the tide is starting to turn.
DeleteI've done a bunch of canning, too. Blackberry, peach and plum jam. I should've done some just as fruit, too. We vacuum sealed a bunch of blackberries, though. I'll be doing apples soon after we get home. I'm in Montana, flying grandkids back to Texas while my daughter and her husband stay a few days on their own. I'm flying back home Monday. I think. :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the grandkids and all that traveling!
DeleteCanning sounds like a lot of work, but I'm sure it's worth it to have all that yummy fruit waiting for you! I hope you are able to find some better books to read.
ReplyDeleteIt is a lot of work...but only for a few days. And it is worth it imo. :D
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