April showers bring May flowers? In my world, it did rain a lot, so bring on the flowers! What about you? Please copy and paste the questions at the end and add your answers to the mix!
1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that?
January: Baguettes and Many Steps
February: In Like Minnesota; Out Like Hawaii
March: Wet and Wild
April: My Life is in Ruins, and Beaches Too
(the old stone kind, not anything psychological)
2. What did you learn last month?
I learned that the Friday market has the best prices for produce, cheeses, nuts and even eggs. I also learned the Turkish have a cheese just like the Greek haloumi which I love. It's called hellim and it's just as good. I also learned to say a few more words in Turkish and can now say "let's go," "I'm here" and "you're welcome!" I also learned the word for loquats (yenidünya), and they are ripe right now. Also they are known as Malta plums, which I never knew!
3. What was the weather like where you are?
It was rainy a lot, but then also was in the 70s/80s, and there was some bad smog for a while. But it ended on a wet note again on the 30th! Make up your mind, weather!
4. What event last month was your favorite?
I had a fun group hike where I met some interesting people! We saw ruins and the ocean and it was a nice day!
5. What was the best thing you listened to or watched last month?
I am going to tell this in book, movie/show, podcast format.
Book: Crow Mary. Yup, I'm jumping on that bandwagon.
Movie/Show: nothing. I watched nothing.
Podcast: I'm binging Stephany's Friendships Paradox! Almost caught up to present day! I love binging and hate having to wait for real time episodes so I am kind of dragging out the catching up!
6. Tell us one funny recent story.
This is not necessarily a funny story, but I saw this odd conga line chain of caterpillars attached head to tail all traveling together and I had never seen it before. İt was fascinating. Here's the explanation.
The pine processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopea pityocampa) is known for traveling in long head-to-tail lines, a behavior that helps them stay together and avoid getting lost while searching for a safe place to pupate. This procession is guided by touch and scent—each caterpillar follows the silk trail and pheromones left by the one in front. Staying in line also protects them from predators, as the group can appear larger and more intimidating. While fascinating, these caterpillars have tiny toxic hairs that can harm humans and animals, so it's best to observe them from a distance.
7. What are you looking forward to this month?
Finishing the hike I'm on, having a hamburger if I can find one, wildflowers, and maybe a little beach time before I head inland.
APRIL:
1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that?
2. What did you learn last month?
3. What was the weather like where you are?
4. What event last month was your favorite?
5. What was the best thing you listened to or watched last month?
6. Tell us one funny recent story.
MAY:
7. What are you looking forward to this month?
Bonus question! Have you ever heard of a Malta plum? Or a loquat?
I didn't know about the price in farmer's market, good to know. I love those markets, fresh and variety of produce.
ReplyDeleteMay: I am looking forward to some rest after two weeks of biz trips. And receiving our things from US.
I bet you are ready for a break! You've been on the go a lot lately!
DeleteThe insect world is fascinating to me, so I loved the info about the caterpillar. Let's see, let's see. I'm going to pick and choose here as it's 4:30 and I barely remember what happened yesterday, let alone in April. It's raining right now but it's been a nice mix of beautiful sun and enough rain to keep things lovely and green. My birthday was the big event in April! Best thing I read in April was Girl, Woman, Other. I have heard of both Malta plums and loquats although I've eaten neither.
ReplyDeleteLuckily they are the same thing with a different name!! They grow wild in Oakland so I used to stop and eat them when I went running. They are good! They also grow wild in Türkiye and so you can pick and eat them at will!
DeleteYou definitely made the most of your birthday month!! Now what are you going to do??
I haven't heard of loquats/Malta plums!
ReplyDelete- What is the name of your last month's chapter? April: Sun and Cloud - A Mix of Happy and Hard Things.
- What did you learn last month? That April can be a very dismal month - lots of rain, cool temperatures, and waiting for "spring" to really show up.
- What was the weather like where you are? Ha. See above. It wasn't my favourite.
- What was the best thing you listened to or watched last month? I'll tell you my favourite book last month! It was Go As A River.
I liked Go As A River too! It's been a little while since I read it but I did remember enjoying it!!
DeleteAPRIL:
ReplyDelete1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that?
Better Living Through Pharmaceuticals
2. What did you learn last month?
Spring may no longer be my favourite season
3. What was the weather like where you are?
It was cold, cool, warm, rainy, clear, sunny, cloudy, sleety, hot, windy
4. What event last month was your favorite?
Family Easter at my house
5. What was the best thing you listened to or watched last month?
I finished the new season of "Love on the Spectrum"; that show always makes me happy.
6. Tell us one funny recent story.
Not really funny, but as I was on the porch at 7AM, putting peanuts out for blue jays, a woman and her gorgeous German Shepherd walked by. He saw the jar and immediately whimpered. She said, "No, those aren't for you." I said hello and a hello to the dog, and she explained that he is crazy for treats but doesn't get them because they put weight on him and he has arthritis. I said, "Oh, I'm sorry, sweetie boy, I have arthritis, too." I then found out his name was Panzer and he is a retired police dog who responds to German commands. And she proceeds to demonstrate, right there in my front yard! So, at 7AM, I have a woman snapping German commands at her police dog as he performs a private show for me.
MAY:
7. What are you looking forward to this month?
Well, I already had my birthday on the 3rd. We'll be putting the boat in the water this month. Lake season will start up in earnest. Hopefully the weather straightens out. I'll get my herb garden in and my pond and waterfall up and running. Patio time! Porch time.
Better Living Through Pharmaceuticals: best title so far!! I can just see you standing there watching your neighborhood yell at her dog in harsh German commands! I had a friend whose dog only knew Spanish commands and that's how I learned how to say sit down!
DeleteWow, the conga line of caterpillars is so interesting!!
ReplyDelete- Let's see, theme of April "that sucked". Ha. No positive spin from me... Between surgery and illnesses, it was not my favorite.
- I learned how challenging the recovery is from a tonsillectomy, no matter how young the patient is. I stupidly thought it would be easier since Will is only 4 and he's usually great at taking medicine.
- The weather was not great generally. It snowed several times at the start of the month and then we windy and rainy.
- The best 'event' was meeting up with 2 bloggers in MI and another reader of my blog!
- I'm thoroughly enjoying this season of Top Chef. It's set in Canada!
In May I am looking forward to the long Memorial Day weekend. We aren't going anywhere since it's my MIL's birthday on Saturday of that weekend. Hopefully the summer-like weather we've had lately will continue so we can spend lots of time outdoors!
No spoilers! I can't watch TS until I leave Türkiye due to VPN issues. However, I don't know that my next destination will be much better so it may not be until July! ☹️
DeleteI also used to like Memorial Day weekend. Usually that kicked off the beginning of the high mountain hiking season and I would take my first long hike that weekend! Whaaaah. I miss my mountains sometimes.
That is fascinating about the caterpillars. I love finding out those random kinds of facts. I’m also a fan of halloumi so good to know about the turkish version. In April the weather in Melbourne was much warmer than usual and in London was variable. My favourite event was probably the Soho food tour.
ReplyDeleteYes! The Hellim is delicious and I suggest you get a place with a kitchen if you come to Türkiye because the produce is great and you can make nice local meals at home for a good price!
DeleteLast month: Hmm, I'd call that chapter Catch Up, If You Can (I couldn't)
ReplyDeleteLearn: Last month, I learned more about the legal side of the adoption process
Weather: April was cold with only a few spring-like days mixed in. Grrr.
Favorite event: the launch of Curly's AAU basketball season, so I get to watch her play while hanging with the other parents/getting out of dodge to chill out in hotels away from home. Relaxing and social. Checks so many boxes.
Watched: We watched American Gangster, a movie from like 2007, maybe. I'd never seen it. Denzel Washington is in it. It was good.
The thing I'm looking forward to: Tank's graduation this weekend. We're bringing four of our older kids. Should be lots of fun.
I've not heard of that plum and I've never seen caterpillars do that.
I hated Denzel in that movie! I mean he did a good job with the character but he was a horrible person. Right? Am I thinking of the right movie?! Yay for Tank!!that sounds like good fun. I like graduations; they are so symbolic.
DeleteI loved reading about your April! I have blocked most of April from my mind! Ha! Ha! It was a rough first half and a much better second half. I binge watched White Collar, a show that ran from 2009 to 2014. I enjoyed it! I listened to a compilation of books by Agatha Christie. I have never heard of a Malta Plum or a loquat. The line of caterpillars is cool, but a bit freaky!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing what creatures will do to mate, produce offspring, and live. I mean, where are they going and when they get there, they will just turn into moths, mate, and die!? So much work!
Delete
ReplyDelete1. Why Am I Like This? (translation: after a lot of grand talk about quitting my job, I find myself working on the same high stress project that I did in a different job four years ago and not enjoying life because of it.)
2. I think I am learning to say no and mean it. Stay tuned
3. The weather is all over the place. We had some lovely warm days, some very cold days, and a lot of wind and rain – the normal spring fare for where I live.
4. Gah, nothing stands out. I literally don’t remember what happened in April. Travel wise I did a long weekend trip to PA and Maryland and spent a night each in the state capitals/toured the state capitols which was fun but when I sat down to blog about it I got bored and never finished the post.
5. Media run down:
Books – meh. I’m in a reading slump.
Shows – hey out of nowhere I watched a lot of TV which might explain the reading slump. Season 3 White Lotus and The Pitt.
Podcasts – I’ve been listening to The Friendship Paradox as well. I don’t know why/how I never listened to the show before now. I can't change the past but I can change the future!
6. See #4 – the month is a blur. Goal for May – start a line a day journal.
7. I don’t have to look forward to it anymore because it’s started!!! I’m in CA for the next week!!!
Yay CA! The only thing better than that would be if I were also in CA.
DeleteI am looking forward to hearing how you leaned to say no. And hearing more about your job decisions!! And hearing about your time in CA!!
I get what you mean about the blog posts. I sometimes do that with hiking. I want to get down all the details but it sometimes feels like work to write it all down!
I’ve seen loquats in Berkeley, and maybe even around here, but I’m not sure. Trying to remember if I’ve ever tried one…I think once when my SIL was here she grabbed one for me, so maybe?
ReplyDeleteOur April was varied weather, as expected. Some days were warm, others were cool. I went to protests every Saturday (YAY!) and I got my mammogram (not fun, but the results were good, so I’m glad about that.)
I’m looking forward to having dinner with San, Birchie, and Meike tonight in Sacramento! YAY! This weekend my husband and I are going to a concert in Los Angeles, we’re driving. My husband’s birthday was the 3rd, and we had a fun party.
That caterpillar conga line is amazing. Nature is amazing. The ruins in Türkiye must be amazing. Also, spell check just put the little dots over my u for me, and I LOVE THAT.
Yes! The loquats grow wild in Oakland and I used to eat them when I was on runs around the neighborhood. You should try one again, they are really quite good.
DeleteHave fun with the girls!! I can't wait to hear all about it.
That procession of caterpillars is super cool! I have never heard of loquats. Your chapter title for this month made me giggle!
ReplyDeleteWe had a ton of rain in April... and have already had a ton of rain in May. I enjoy rain, but I would prefer if it were spread out a little more.
I agree re the rain. We used to get a lot in January and February, but at least it wasn't cold or snowy... And the rain will make for nice wildflowers!
DeleteThank you for the podcast shout-out! It means a lot. <3
ReplyDeleteAPRIL:
1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? When Hard Work Pays Off (getting really good bloodwork results and NOT a diabetes diagnosis was really inspiring!)
2. What did you learn last month? I learned a lot about cholesterol numbers and iron numbers as I did some googling after getting my bloodwork back, haha. I was so fascinated!
3. What was the weather like where you are? HOT. That will be my answer for the next 6 months.
4. What event last month was your favorite? Book club! We did a cheesy JC Penney photoshoot and it was the BEST.
5. What was the best thing you listened to or watched last month? Favorite book was I'm That Girl by Jordan Chiles.
6. Tell us one funny recent story. This is always the hardest question for me to answer every month. I need to do a better job of remembering the funny moments of my month.
MAY:
7. What are you looking forward to this month? Some very busy weekends followed by low-key weekends!
You're welcome. I am all caught up now so will probably take a break for a bit as I really do like listening to several at a time! I feel like I know you better now and am impressed by how not shy you are as far as being honest about things and sounding confident!!
DeleteI am sure you had something funny! What does your line a day journal say??
Ohhh love these posts!!! I could not figure out from your post where you were in April- Turkey and Greece?..
ReplyDeleteAPRIL:
1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that?
"Better than March!" And "spring break!" We had an OBX road trip.
2. What did you learn last month? Road trips can suck and be beautiful at the same time. OBX beaches are so much nicer than NJ :(
3. What was the weather like where you are? In NJ - warm-ish. In OBX - 80s and high 70s.
4. What event last month was your favorite? Event... A summative meeting (yearly review of sorts in education) with my supervisor and receiving tenure as well as a raise and a contract for next year).
5. What was the best thing you listened to or watched last month? The Four Seasons show. I am not much of a TV person but I loved that show! Also, secondly Stephanie's podcast- I love it.
6. Tell us one funny recent story. Ha. Not funny but one of my students leaves for the weekend and goes "bye!" I go "don't work too hard!" - in gest, of course. He goes "you don't have to worry about THAT!" LOL he cracked me up.
MAY:
7. What are you looking forward to this month? memorial day weekend- I have FIVE days off <3
April - all Türkiye!
DeleteI agree that road trips are great but also can be draining. I once rented a car to drive around Ireland and I kind of got sick of stopping and pulling over to look at stuff and wished o could just be looking at it. Although I do like driving. I do wish we had more options for trains at home though. And I mean good ones. I have taken Amtrak and they are often late and also the Coast Starlight doesn't even have a view of the coast! Grrr...
Lovely to catch up and see what is happening for you. I am sorry about the weather. It's been rainy in Europe in general I would say. As for the caterpillars... not a fan to be honest but the behavior is interesting.
ReplyDeleteI was not aware about the prices for markets.
So, you don't like insects or just not caterpillars? Haha. We had silk worms at school and I enjoyed seeing them hatch and spin their silk!
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