“It’s Monday! What are you reading?” is a weekly event hosted by Sheila at Bookjourney to share with others what we’ve read the past week and planning to read next.

 

 

 

Happy Memorial Day!

    We spent our Monday morning at Ardenwood Farm, a working historic farm in our city which had a free day and open house. We got there just after they opened at 1005 and there was already a long wait for their little train ride but we managed to get on for a ride on their open carriage. The train used to be a horse-drawn one, which we did ride a couple of years ago, but these days it’s a diesel engine that powers it back and forth. It goes through fields of cauliflower, broccoli, various lettuces, as well as a little forested area. It was a short ride but the kids had fun. Had lunch at a Taiwanese cafe. Came home, tried to put the 2-year-old to nap at first unsuccessful, then, after letting him run around a bit more, finally, sleep came. The 4-year-old of course has considered himself too old for naps since last year so he dig a jigsaw puzzle while I typed out this post!

Our long weekend included a trip to the nearby outlet for some shoe shopping for everyone, getting the kids hair cut – always an event for the kids even if it is just in our backyard. And lots of resting in general as we were still all recovering from bad coughs and colds.

 

 

 

Currently…

 

Reading:

 

The Hobbit – J R R Tolkien

Something I read once a long time ago and which I wanted to read before watching the trilogy

From Hell – Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell

 

Watching:

I’ve been watching more 30 Rock (Season 2), House M.D. (Season 8) and The Crazy Ones. They all satisfy my need for watching eccentric people do odd things on screen. Oh and an episode of Angel, as I want to read the graphic novel adaptation but never did watch the whole series finish.

 

Eating:

Homemade vanilla pudding. Vanilla pudding is not something you eat in Singapore so it was only when I came here to the US and the doctor recommended it one day when one of the kids was sick with a sore throat that I tried it. My two-year-old really likes it, and I figure since that I’ve been told to fatten him up (he’s in the third percentile weight for his age group), it would be a good way to do so. And all the better if I made it myself so that I could make a less sweet version. I used the recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Didn’t have any vanilla beans on hand but the vanilla essence version was yummy enough.

Drinking:

Decaf latte

Cooking:

Erm so I bought some bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin from Costco the other day, figuring that I could pop it in the oven with some Brussels sprouts and potatoes and call that dinner. I say erm as I really hate to admit having bought a pre-prepared meat thing. It’s probably going to be saltier than we are used to but eh, some days I just throw my hands up in the air and wish we could just live on crackers and water. This is meant for one of those days. As is that lasagna (thanks Costco) in the freezer.

Browsing:

Over at Electric Literature, 24 books you can read in under an hour!

Cathy at 746 Books has a list of 20 books she will read this summer. Do you make summer reading lists? Do you plan to?

The Millions interviews Anne Enright

The Estella Project Season 3 is on!

A new-to-me webcomic: Jason Shiga’s Demon (Booklist reader)

Last week:

I read:

Men explain things to me – Rebecca Solnit
Come in, we’re closed: an invitation to staff meals at the world’s best restaurants – Christine Carroll and Jody Eddy
Dicey’s Song (Tillerman cycle #2) – Cynthia Voigt
The Borden Tragedy: a memoir of the infamous double murder at Fall River, Mass., 1892 – Rick Geary
Pride and Prejudice (Marvel adaptations) – Nancy Butler and Hugo Petrus

I posted:

 

Mama’s Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen by Donia Bijan