We’ve been in the hospital four months now. In some ways it feels like a lifetime, in others it feels like a flash. I will never measure time in the same way again.
As you know, some parts were so awful I wanted to die; others were okay and a few were quite pleasant. Like the day we took a nature walk with Lydia and the sun was shining and she learned about cattails and thistles.
And here are a few things I’ve enjoyed.
Books
Veronica Mars: Mr. Kiss and Tell by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham. This second novel sequel to the TV show and movie was another fun read. A real treat for any VMars fan. I didn’t like quite it as much as the first one (which was perfect), but it was still a good time. The dialogue is its greatest strength — Mac, Wallace, Keith, and Cliff are as clever and lovable as ever.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. In a complete change of pace, genre-wise, I finally got around to reading this delightful classic. Please forgive me, but thanks to the TV series from the 90’s I always kind of assumed it would be boring. I was surprised how lively and charming it was. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I want more Gilbert Blythe.
Movies
We re-watched Guardians of the Galaxy on DVD which I still adore. (Hilarious! Exciting! Quirky!)
And we also re-watched Ever After on Netflix since everyone else is Instagramming pictures of themselves going to see Cinderella with their little girls and it was making me crave something romantic. Such a great movie.
We also saw The Birder’s Guide to Everything, which is funny, sweet, winsome, and sad. I recommend.
We finally saw Mockingjay: Part 1. An utterly fabulous half-a-movie. Dark, haunting, and sublimely acted. The only thing I didn’t like was that they chopped off the second half, only to sell it next November for the cost of another whole admission. Jerks.
Then there was Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist on Netflix. A waste of time. I was expecting something charming and funny. Instead, Michael Cera said about seven adorable things and the rest was totally dumb. When the climax (NO PUN INTENDED) of a movie involves a teenage girl reaching orgasm with a guy she’s only known a few hours . . . I give it a big fat no thanks.
Television
Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Netflix — it took a bit of coaxing to get through the first few episodes, which were only so-so; but eventually Ben and I fell in love with this very funny TV show (starring Andy Samberg). Once you get to know the characters they’re all hilarious in their own way. Jake in particular is a hoot to watch. I’m also intrigued by the way the show subverts stereotypes about gay men with the stoic Captain Holt. Can’t wait for Season 2!
We also finished up Flight of the Conchords (Season 2) on DVD. I could sing Murray’s praises all day. His Friendship Graph is one of the funniest TV moments of my life.
Crochet
And once again, this has been taking up the majority of my down-time:
This super-simple colour block baby blanket was a great opportunity to master the single crochet stitch. I just chained 100 and single-crocheted into every stitch with an H hook. I went back and forth until I used up the whole ball of yarn and then switched to the next colour. It couldn’t get any simpler. But if I were to do it again, I might use a bigger hook or a bigger stitch — it’s a little stiffer than I would prefer.
I used Mary Maxim Starlette worsted weight acrylic yarn, simply because there’s a Mary Maxim store five minutes away from the hospital and I wanted to start with something inexpensive for learning. (The colours are turquoise, soft aqua, burnt orange, light grey, and medium grey). The colour scheme was inspired by this one by Rescued Paw. But it ended up being a little shorter than I’d hoped, so I added the fifth colour.
It ended up being approx two feet by three feet — a decent size for a baby or lap blanket.
Speaking of babies . . .
This little dude is four months old. He’s been doing great! He’s started to drink from the bottle again, he loves tummy time, and he only smiles for his favourite nurses. (Being five feet tall or less seems to be a prerequisite.) He sleeps through the night like a total WEIRDO (seriously: what four-month-old does that?!) and he screams like he’s being murdered when we bathe him. We love him to death!
Linking up with Leigh Kramer.
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