ofearthandstars | Entries tagged with books

Overslept this morning, which is just as well because we went to sleep very late while trying to watch Brahmāstra: Part One - Shiva, which, as of the half-way point, is just as delightfully over-the-top, corny, and bonkers as we would hope for it to be, though the lighting and scenery is a feast for the eyes.

The meal-planning and food shopping has been done for the week, with some grace as we have Friday evening plans and are hoping to host a small Friendsgiving next Sunday (which we'll shop for later in the week). After lunch, we headed out to the Bailey and Sarah Williamson preserve, since we didn't get outdoors last weekend. The temps dropped 20 degrees overnight and the high today was 55, with a steady cool breeze, so everything was very crisp.

Bailey and Sarah Williamson NP - 11-13-22

Photo of a medium-sized pond with autumn-tired trees in the distance;
the sky is a brilliant deep blue that is reflected in the pond's surface.

( +3 )

Even with much of the fall foliage having dropped away, there are still plenty of interesting things to look at and explore. I'm trying to reprogram my dreading-winter mindset to look for the beauty that comes with the stillness and dormancy of the season, as well trying to learn about those plants and fungi that are sturdy enough to thrive through it. However, a lot of local trails/preserves have altered their hours for the slow season, and of course there is much less daylight, so we'll have to be more proactive about planning.

Other than those brief outings, I'm simply trying to rest up a bit before diving back into work tomorrow. I just barely started reading The Body Keeps the Score, which I have heard good things about, but haven't yet completed enough of to form a real opinion. I'm hopeful there will be something in that is helpful. I have a huge pile of books that are just-started, though, so we'll see how it goes. As we move into cooler weather, I am looking forward to curling up with more books.

After a monstrously slow day at work, I came home and went for a tiny 1.25 mile run, followed by 15 minutes of walking. During that I finished listening to The Book Thief, which was just wonderful - it's my first ever audiobook (well, since childhood), and the story-telling style of the novel just suits it so well in audio. Allan Corduner’s voice is just amazing here. I cannot recommend it enough. It is lovely and sad and yet very full.

Last night I'd prepared a meal for the crockpot (an African-style peanut stew) and refrigerated it overnight, so today I just called L. at noon and kindly asked him to plop the ceramic bowl into the crockpot, such that I only had to add a little spinach and cook a little couscous when I got home. It was a pretty good meal, and not having to cut up vegetables = priceless. Win!

I've been working on collecting a number of canning/old sauce jars of various sizes to store my bulk-bought items in the pantry. I've been having some trouble with a pantry moth infestation (double ick), and so tonight I set out to clean up the top two shelves of the pantry (which hold all the flours, sugars, grains, and legumes). I moved almost everything that I could into a tightly sealed glass jar, with the exception of a few things that are in sealable bags, and I threw a lot of crap away. I also found a few things, like that giant bag of hemp seed that I did not know existed.

I am too ashamed to show you the bottom shelf, which is full of spices and is a gorram mess. I hope to tackle that one tomorrow night.

I really need some gallon-jars to house the larger bags of flours (those are on the top right at the back, behind the oils), but the last time I went in to buy some I dropped one and it shattered everywhere, which left me too mortified to buy one.

I also cleaned out another half-cabinet that houses the dried fruits, nuts, and seeds in smaller jars - most of my nuts/seeds are in the fridge because of spoilage concerns, and that's a huge mess because they are mostly kept in the paper bags they are bought in.

Also, I hate pasta boxes with the fury of a thousand burning suns. They just *barely* fit into my cabinet standing upright, and they never, ever stay closed, even if I tape or band them. I swear half of tonight's cleaning was brushing away broken pasta shells. *grump*

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Of Earth and Stars

Entries tagged with books

Un domingo tranquilo.

Fear me, for I am in throwing-crap-away mode.

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April 2025

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