Summer mode ☑️
More LatAm lit on the way: Ernesto Sabato, Adolfo Bioy Cesares, and Julio Cortázar (along with the complete short stories of Graham Greene).
Finished 2666, which I liked a lot. Started Como agua para chocolate and am enjoying it. Not entirely sure where to go next. I may go look at more stuff by Yoko Ogawa or John Crowley’s Aegypt books. Blake Couch’s Wayward Pines series is also coming highly recommended to me.
Mexico was nice, though the weather was a bit weird. The wind kept it cooler than expected. The hotel was lovely and the food was excellent. Looking forward to England and Scotland in a few weeks and it will be the longest vacation we’ve taken since…uh…maybe ever.
Wrapped up S2 of Severance and am thoroughly invested. Very interested to see where they go next and how they address a couple of large-ish unanswered questions related to Irving. I love, love, love the visual design of the show, especially the weird dissonance of the props: older cars and retro-tech on the desktops, but also iPhones and whatnot.
Otherwise, we’re slowly transitioning to summer-mode here. Hasn’t really gotten too warm yet, but all in good time.
Climbing prairie rose, one of several wild rambling roses that have taken over here and there.
Yep, it’s official!
Pawpaws. Here’s hoping they make it to maturity!
The next few days are going to be crazy: travel for work, followed by one final weekend downtown for tribunal case sponsorship training and the lector installation mass for the cohort behind us, followed by quasi-business-but-mostly-fun travel to Mexico. A few weeks after that we have our real vacation set: England and Scotland by train.
Still feels weird to know that I’m done with school. It’s generally dominated my brain for the last 4-5 years and all at once, that’s it. Only a couple of us were able to make it to the graduation ceremony this past weekend, but the ones who went said they called out our names, so I guess it’s more or less official.
I’m in (I think) the final part of 2666. It’s been wonderful, bleak, and weird, all at the same time. I don’t know if there are any answers coming, but won’t be surprised either way. The chapter “The Part About The Crimes” was difficult, relentless reading. One bright spot was catching various references the author makes to other Mexican writers - Paz and Rulfo - who I’ve recently read.
Regarding the conclave and election of Pope Leo XIV: hooray! It was great fun to watch the announcement. Very excited to see what’s next.
The weather here has been characteristically spring-ish: warm, then cool, then warm again, then thunderstormy. Most of the pollen has thankfully cleared out and everything is lush and green. It’s not been hot yet, but I think we’re getting into the high 80s this week, which will be wonderful.
Assisting during the Easter Vigil (photo credit: Diocese of Nashville)
Blue-eyed grass
