Hello everyone and a blessed Sunday to you all. I hope this post finds you all well. Another pretty gloomy but a little less tiring week has passed, and now it is time to reflect on what we’ve been doing, reading and watching over that time.
We a little more into the swing of things now it is the third (but hopefully penultimate) week of England’s second lockdown. I am afraid, other than work, I have not been up to much though. While thankfully staff and pupils in my ‘bubble’ have settled into our new, new routine, it has not been so good for the rest of the school: as there have been three more positive cases and so 
three more ‘bubbles’ have had to go into self-isolation. which only leaves us and one other year group actually at school! 🙁
On a positive though, my anxiety and sinuses have been a little easier this week, with my continued concerted efforts to look after myself with healthy homemade lunches; plenty of camomile tea; weekend jogs; using my S.A.D lamp and more hearty, comfort food. This included a new concoction of my own design, which I cobbled together from leftover veg and roast lamb, a tin of tomatoes, herbs, stock and spaghetti. I am going to call Lamb & Root Veg Minestrone – It was delish, if I do say so myself, whatever you call it! 😋
Unlike the first, this second lockdown is proving very good for my reading, well that and the fact I have thrown myself into taking part in the Nonfiction November and Novellas in November reading events. This week, I have finished reading another two novellas! First, the super-short non-fiction, The Berlin Wall: A Very Brief History by Mark Black, a quick and concise history 
of the physical and ideological barrier that divided Berlin/Germany for 28 years.
Next, I was completely hooked by the Golden-Age mystery, Crooked House by Agatha Christie, a gripping investigation the poisoning of the wealthy patriarch and entrepreneur, Aristide Leonides, which full of twists, turns and possible suspects! Now I am reading the short non-fiction, Martin Luther and John Calvin: Leaders of the Protestant Reformation by Charles River Editors. Now I realise I really must read more novellas, as they make me feel so accomplished! 😁
With all that reading, I have done even less viewing this week. I caught up on this week’s episode of the new American crime-drama, Prodigal Son (2020), and I am now impatiently waiting for the last episode! 😬 I also caught a couple of episodes of the latest series of the reality show, I’m a Celebrity… Get 
Me Out of Here, but only because my dad was watching them. Due to the pandemic, this year, the show is being made at a Welsh castle, which is fun!
With our Friday night ‘Chippy’ takeaway (I had fried chicken, chips and curry sauce), my dad and I settled down to watch the recent Melissa McCarthy comedy film, Life of the Party (2018). Nothing ground-breaking but it had us laughing, which is what we needed. Another film we enjoyed this week was the fascinating documentary film, Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb (2020), about some of the wonderful Ancient Egyptian finds they have been discovering at Saqqara.
Finally, with the continuing lockdown, I sadly won’t be able to go to church or visit my grandad again today, so instead I plan to spend a quiet day at home: blogging, reading, watching my church’s online service and cooking a simple lunch of fish pie for just my dad and I.
For now though, that’s all folks! I look forward to catching up with you all next Sunday. Where ever you are in the world, I hope you and your loved ones are well: staying healthy and happy. God bless and bye for now!👋🙏🙂
Now over to you: I’d love to hear how you are? What you have been reading and watching? Anything spooky? What are things like where you live?
I have linked this post into the weekly meme, The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer.
That sounds like a yummy concoction. Here things are pretty steady at the moment. We are still in a partial lock-down. The restaurants and bars are still closed.. but the zoo’s and museums have opened up again. We’ll see for how long I guess.
I hope things get better for you soon too.
Have a great week and happy reading.
Thank you so much, Maureen and I hope things stay pretty steady for as lockdown goes where you live. 🙏🙂
We had communion for the first time since February this year on Sunday. Very strictly organized and controlled, but it was wonderful.
I’m trying to remember the plot for Crooked House now and I just can’t. Guess I will just need to read it again!
Thanks for visiting us and I wish you a wonderful week!
Oh Mareli, it is wonderful to hear you were able to enjoy taking Holy Communion recently, for the first time since February! Before this second lockdown, we were able to take the bread during our services at church, but not the wine. I hope this will begin again once lockdown has ended. 🙏 And you’re welcome – Thank you for visiting back. 😊
I’m also finding that this second lockdown is treating my reading life better than the first. 🙂 I managed to finish a massive fantasy book this last week which I’m pretty pleased with.
Well done for finishing that massive fantasy book, Viki! I am pleased you are at least finding this second lockdown useful for reading. 🙂
That’s a lovely view. Hope you and your bubble continue to stay safe! Comfort food is good for the soul and yours sounds healthy, too. I loved Crooked House although it’s been many years since I read it. I have Sleeping Murder on audio I just need to finish the book I’m on at present. Happy reading and have a wonderful week, Jessica!
Thank you, Rachel 😊 I hope you have been able to finish what you were reading, so you could start listening to Sleeping Murder. 😃
That soup looks delicious. Comfort food really does go a long way toward improving our mood, I think! And I hope things don’t get any worse with Covid at the school.
I want to read more Christie too.
Not to blow my own trumpet, but the soup was amazing, Greg! Not sure I can get take huge credit because I just kept throwing leftovers and things I like into the pot and voilà! 😅
I’m glad you’re feeling better and reading more. The Crooked House looks good. I hope you have a great week!
Thank you so much, Yvonne 😊
I think one of the positives to the pandemic and lockdowns or restrictions is the tremendous growth with online venues including church. I love the access to places and events that before all this required you to show up in person. It’s definitely a crazy time full of ups and downs. Stay safe and I hope you have a nice week ❤️
Aw thank you so much, Tessa for thinking of the positives and you are so right: it is wonderful how creative people have been to keep church groups and services going online, and have also reached out to new people who wouldn’t usually come to regular church. 🙂
Life is definitely full of ups and downs right now for all of us, but glad to know you’re doing well in the grand scheme of things and that your anxiety and sinuses are better. I’m sitting here trying to decide if I want to drive into town to sit in our church parking lot while the service is broadcast over the radio (then drive through to get communion!). I’m sure it would be good for me to at least see everyone else sitting in their cars, but still…. Such strange times! 😑
Thank you, Kelly 🙂 If you did decide to drive into town for the radio service and drive-through communion, I hope you enjoyed it. I watched my church’s online service which was really good and based on this being ‘Stirring Sunday’, which I hadn’t heard of before! I pray we’ll both be able to attend proper services for Christmas. 🙏🌟
I’ve not heard of “stirring Sunday”, either…. and me, too!! Though I’m not holding my breath, considering Advent begins next week.
Apparently people traditionally think of ‘Stirring Sunday’ as the day to start making your Christmas pudding and it is good luck for all the family members to take a turn stirring. But in fact the name original comes from the prayer collect for this Sunday in the Book of Common Prayer, which begins with the words, “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people”. A fun and interesting few facts, I thought! 😁
Very interesting, indeed!
I recall reading Crooked House longer ago than I care to recall – and there is a wonderful film of the book, too. I hope the coming week is a good one and that you continue to avoid COVID within your school bubble. My grandson is currently isolating as someone in his class has the virus. I think you are all heroes!
Thank you so much, SJ 😊 There is a 2017 film adaptation of Crooked House on Netflix which I am planning to watch now I have finished the book. I hope you grandson copes okay with isolation and will be back to school before he knows it. 🙏
Thank you! I’m hoping he’s going to sail through it, too. He’s good at keeping himself busy with drawing – I’m wishing him to stay well!
Having read Crooked House book years ago, we watched the film recently and I loved it. I am glad your allergies are better this year. Stay safe!
Thank you, Gayathri 🙂 and great to hear you enjoyed the film, because I plan to watch it now I finished the book.
A pink sky in the morning means a beautiful sunny day 🙂 I’m sorry for your grandpa, it’s a sad period of time for our elders. I hear a lot about The prodigal son, I’ll have to take a look, I’m curious now. I love Agatha Christie, I started re-reading all her books and my next is The murder of Roger Ackroyd – I remember who the murderer is but I love her writing style and atmosphere. Have a nice sunday 🙂
Thank you, Izabel 🙂 I hope you have chance to check out The Prodigal Son and continue to enjoy re-reading Agatha Christie’s brilliant mysteries. I really need to read more of her books! 😃