Week 9 & 10 of 2024 (In Review)

Spring is in the air! Buds are noticeable, the first blooms are out, plant growth on the forest floor has begun, nests are furiously being built in trees all around us (peep the one above). But it’s been a beautiful past two weeks of crisp, sunny days were wonderful for being just normal winter weeks of the year. Fully embracing my maternity leave days this year (balanced with a wee bit of teaching) has been going so well and although we’ve weathered through colds cycling through everyone in the house and some health challenges here and there, they have been beautiful.

Last week was particularly, accidentally magical. Baby play dates outside and in baby cafes and lots of culture in the evenings! I can’t believe I went to the opera (Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte) and to a very serendipitous Icelandic concert within two days of each other. Listening to these artists I felt absolutely transported to Reykjavik. You know that feeling that you could be sitting in a room and feel like you must be somewhere else in the world, that it definitely doesn’t feel like the town you live in? That feeling gives me life… and exactly how it was that night at Rabenstejnska. I feel so lucky to live in a city where I can walk fifteen minutes to the opera and six minutes to a museum/event space. Culture, and walkability. Other than Icelandic music, perhaps the way to my heart?

I also got to sneak away to read some Aristotle in a beautiful cafe with a cappuccino on my own last week. Heavenly, but it’s too bad that the first book of Aristotle’s Ethics can be total gobbledygook sometimes! Even so, I plod and plug away.

So many coffees, so much kultura and beautiful music, time alone, time with friends… last week had me spoiled.

What I Wore

This mama got dressed up for the opera and anytime one gets dressed up these days it’s worth a photo. I love my heeled Clarks loafers (so so much) but I think I’m finally going to sell them as they are the wrong size and I can’t do this [to my feet] anymore. But gosh, are they beautiful and have been nice while it’s lasted.

What We Ate

This lasagna soup from A Beautiful Mess was fantastic. I bookmarked it as I was initially skeptical… how can lasagna become a soup and still taste like lasagna? The answer is this recipe (and also ricotta).

Sourdough potato-spelt gnocchi (from DM) first pan-fried, then add in some sliced-in-half cherry tomatoes and basil and a splash of water, lid on, sizzle. Top with slices of mozzarella. The flavor of the gnocchi really makes this for me so if you try it, find the best quality possible!

What I’ve Been Watching

A few absolutely wonderful films. Last week we watched Zone of Interest — who knew such basic scenes from a household could have one so rapt? But it’s not any ordinary household although it appears to me… it’s the one belonging to the family of the commander of Auschwitz and it’s right over the wall of the camp. Mesmerizing how horrifying it is for this family to live here and go on with their life as usual, and based on a true story.

Then I have quite fallen in love with Poor Things. It is perhaps my favorite film I’ve seen in the past year. The humor, the outfits, the story… to say nothing of the superb acting. Bella Baxter for president. The less you know about it going in, the better it will be, as the trailer does it absolutely no justice. I’m so glad it won the Oscars that it did, although I obviously felt it deserved more.

What films have you been enjoying this winter?

And so goes the last edition of Week in Review for this winter! Spring is coming and we’re enjoying a little city break trip this week for a change of scenery. My little bookworm and I wish you a nice start of spring!