Friday Five: April

Happy day, reader dear!

It’s the last Friday of the month already, so it’s time to share what kind of trouble I’ve been getting into. Aside from trying to keep a business afloat, blogging, taking care of my peeps and our home, etc., etc., etc. And praying. I’ve been doing a LOT of praying this month. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in that one. But the point of a Friday Five is to share what I/we’ve been enjoying so that we can share the love, and find new things to enjoy with our senses. It seems especially important in these home bound times!

You probably remember hearing this before, but please feel free to Pin or share on social media images or ideas that tickle your fancy! Your introduction to others is one of the kindest things you can do for me and the blog. Neither of us is getting out much these days… Wink.

See & Read

A murder a day keeps insanity away. Well, it does if you are my mother! She is a voracious reader. Of murders. And biographies. Those are her reading preferences. Which means we are always on the lookout for new authors, sleuths, and series. With all the decluttering going on Chez Closet Play, Mama has been choosing books to release back into the world, and I scooped up her Verlaque and Bonnet mysteries to reread before they return to the wild. The Provencal juge (Not the same as an American judge!) and his lady-love Marine, a brilliant law professor, live, eat, and sleuth in the south of France. Aix (and environs) in particular. I have a soft spot for Aix; my uni friend and roommate, Bella, spent a year abroad there, and we visited her on a European tour… Ah, to be young, footloose, and spending someone else’s money!

My Watch for the past month has been Grace and Frankie. I’ve been watching an episode (or two) each evening. (My equivalent of binge watching…) I prefer half hour shows, especially in the evening when I am tired. Grace and Frankie has been the perfect combination of laughs, tension, great scripts, and flat out fabulous acting. Some reviews say it gets grim in a few seasons, but I’ll keep watching and hope for the best!

Hear/Listen

Now that I’m spending a whole lot less time in the car, I’m missing my radio programs. Fortunately, many of them are available as podcasts. Hidden Brain, with host Shankar Vedantam, is a fascinating look at human behavior, and why we do what we do. I’ll just share right from the website: Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships. That explains it better than I could.

Three of March’s episodes shed light on how humans behave in times of stress, pandemic, and close quarters. Very apt, sad, and amusing to see ourselves reflected. For better or for worse…

Smell & Taste

These two go together, especially in my book, since scented candles, perfumes and products do not float my boat. But the smell of dinner cooking, fresh veggies, or baking? Yes! Bring those on. I was lucky enough to run across a bag of bread flour the other day! (I had to pick up a prescription for Mama and took a gander down the baking goods aisle.) I’ve made a very similar recipe with all-purpose flour; it worked, but this one was AMAZING!

It is hands-down the easiest loaf of bread I’ve ever made. And it was DELISH! I’m making it weekly, and that’s not how I roll. (Ooooh! I made a pun! Love puns. Especially bad ones.)

Touch

This may be the toughest category. I think I’ll throw my kitchen drawer and cabinet fronts in for this one. The sanding and painting are touch intensive! We live in a 1970’s ranch with the original cabinetry. They painted the cabinets when the house was flipped 15 years ago. We had plans to renovate, but the money we had saved was spent on the surprise foundation work that needed to be done. Bye-bye new kitchen. Hello more solid foundation. I know it was the right choice, but I’ve been grumpy at my battered cabinets and UGLY counter ever since.

With the extra time at home, I thought some spray paint and new hinges might just be enough of a sprucing to hold us over until we can afford to redo the kitchen. And since I can’t go out and meet clients or network IRL, I can go outside between computer tasks and spray some doors and drawers. It’s a slow process, but gratifying. Now if we could just figure out a way to improve the counter…

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So, how about you? What have you been getting up to (at home) this past month! I love your recommendations; I’m always looking for new things to read, watch, listen to, etc. Because there’s so much out there! And so little life to do it in!

Stay safe and sound, sane and stylish!