My Everyday Life [Week 47]

My everyday life posts will probably look the same most weeks (expect lots of cat photos, books, walks, hikes, and vegan food), but I'm going to bring them back and record what it's like to live in a pandemic.

These two bring Craig and I so much joy every day. I'm so thankful to still be working from home with them.

I had a PTO day on Monday and Pema was so snuggly. I couldn't resist that adorable face and let him cuddle with me as long as he wanted to. 

PTO days now include going to the grocery store when it's slower to avoid being exposed to as many people. I finally found this and it was ok. Definitely satisfied my chocolate craving. 

After the kitties eat breakfast, they like to sit on top of the couch and bask in the sun.

Now that I have my portable heater going off and on again, the cats curl up under my chair and fall asleep there. 

I listen to podcasts during my work day. Here are my two favorite episodes of the week.

This was an excellent podcast episode. It was about political divisiveness and The Better Angels Society. 

This was very sad and maddening. 

Our wonderful President-Elect celebrated his birthday on Friday!

I had book club via Zoom on Tuesday and we discussed Verity by Colleen Hoover. If you haven't read it, I recommend it for a fast and easy suspenseful title. We all liked the book for once!

I started reading this title and I really like it so far. 

On Saturday morning, mom and I headed out to Oconomowoc and I picked up Barack's new book at Books & Company. I could have purchased it for less at Costco or Amazon, but I wanted to support a local indie bookstore instead. I'm looking forward to starting it this week.

Mom and I walked north of downtown Oconomowoc and checked out the gorgeous mansions along Lac La Belle and Fowler Lake. 

This beauty has an amazing history, including the fact that Mark Twain once stayed there. I might not work in the history field anymore, but I still get so excited about the topic. When I go home from walks like this one, I immediately do research on the houses and people who lived there. 

I'd love to sit on that huge porch and read a book. 

More views from our walk...

The Oconomowoc area's first physician lived here and those columns are from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition!

My mom liked this swinging bench. It'd also be nice to sit here and read in the summer or fall. Such a gorgeous view of Lac La Belle. 

Poor mom had to deal with foggy glasses because I made her wear a mask while we walked. The COVID positive numbers are high right now and there were too many other people walking nearby or running past us. 

This is the sprawling Knollward Mansion. When we walked by it, I had no clue it had a neat history and former owner. Just read this article on it and check out the amazing photos. 

We walked around downtown Oconomowoc too. I always forget the worldwide premier of The Wizard of Oz took place there! 

This was so sad and impactful. 

Do yourself a favor and go watch this movie for free using the Peacock app! It's about former Reagan and Obama White House photographer Pete Souza. I cried a handful of times, even when they talked about the Affordable Care Act, as it was so refreshing to see politicians with empathy, humor, and intelligence again. Pete lives in Madison, WI now, so I am hoping he speaks somewhere nearby once this pandemic is over.

Most weeks, I'm composting my coffee beans, fruit peels, veggie scraps, etc. Trader Joe's now has compostable produce bags that you can throw in your at home composter. I do have reusable produce bags, but the pandemic has forced me to use the store's. 

I made Nora Cooks's vegan banana muffins and they're delicious. I like having a snack mid-morning with my coffee during the work day, so these will be nice to look forward to all week. 

Pema and Shiva both love banana bread. Pema really wanted to lick this bowl. 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!