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Update 🐾
Happy Mother’s Day 🙂
This week has actually been fairly productive! I am working extra hard on my Portuguese immersion studies and having so much conversation time in PT. It’s my heritage language, I am Canadian-Portuguese, and one day my partner and I would like to move to Portugal, so now is the time for me to improve it. When will we move? I honestly don’t know, it may be more like a retirement thing or summer home in the future, but it’s where my heart wants us to end up. It’s a goal of mine!
Since I left the blog, we purchased a house and moved in. It’s such a pleasure to be outside getting our garden ready! Currently, there isn’t much going since we are just tidying up and doing some outdoor spring cleaning. I live in Alberta and it was snowing just a couple of weeks ago so there is much to work on! So, I’ve raked up lots of leaves, and having been tidying up old foliage. I cannot wait to start planting, stain our deck and our fence, and do some pressure washing!
Thank you to everyone who share condolences regarding the passing of our cat Olivia on her anniversary post, as well as for her recently passed best friend Melanie, our 12 year old goldfish. It meant a great deal to me.
Reading/Watching Update
I am currently immersing myself in books in European Portuguese.
Currently Reading
Title: Alérgica A Pessoas
Author: Sara Andersen
Publisher: Desrotina
Release Date: September 18th, 2025
Title: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon – Livro 1
Author: Naoko Takeuchi; Translation: Arnaldo Massato Oka
Publisher: Distrito Manga
Release Date: October, 2025
Finished Reading
Title: Moonwalk
Author: Michael Jackson
Publisher: Doubleday
Release Date: February 1st, 1988
Star Rating: 4 stars
Title: You are Not Alone: Michael: Through a Brother’s Eyes
Author: Jermaine Jackson
Publisher: Touchstone
Release Date: October 26th, 2011
Star Rating: 4 stars
New to my shelf
Title: Bodies and Battlements
Author: Elizabeth Penney
Published on: May 27th, 2025
Published by: Minotaur Books
Title: Dungeons and Danger
Author: Elizabeth Penney
Release Date: May 26th, 2026
Published by: Minotaur Books
Just Watched
Title: The Drama (2026)
Star Rating: 2.5 stars
Review: I wasn’t a huge fan of the acting in the film, but I do think it was a creative movie with a hook that kept you intrigued the whole time.
Title: Michael (2026)
Star Rating: 4 stars
Review: Growing up, I was a huge fan of MJ’s music, but also The Jackson Five. Before I listened to his music, I remember watching a film called “Now and Then” and they played a couple of hits from the Jackson 5. I didn’t even know he was a part of the group until much later! I went to see the film twice – regular and then IMAX. Highlights for me were Jaafar’s performance – he really became Michael. As well as stellar performances from Colman Domingo, Juliano Krue Valdi (little Mike), and Nia Long.
Currently Watching
Title: The Testaments
Thoughts: This show is so intense! It’s a continuation/spinoff of The Handmaid’s Tale. My coworkers think I have no chill for watching this show. This may be true, it’s stressful and can be very triggering at times. But I also think it’s important to watch if you can because it’s so powerful. THT really changed my world perspective and I’m very grateful for that.
Title: From
Thoughts: Another show with no chill! From is now in it’s 4th season and is a show by the people behind Lost. Honestly, it’s bleak, depressing, but interesting enough! And we’re in it now, so we just have to finish it!
Title: Big Mistakes
Thoughts: I’m feeling pretty on the fence about this one!
Last Week on the blog
This Week on the blog
- Top Ten Tuesdays
- The Sunday Post #26
QOTD: How are you doing?
Love Sarah’s Scribbles and Sailor Moon! Happy reading!
Thank you, yes they are both wonderful!
Yay for getting in the garden. We planted a few things a week or so ago, but we are currently in the 40s. I am hoping we have had our last freeze though. Have a good week!
Oh, I just looked that up and that’s about 4C here. Cooler weather but agree, I hope it means the last of the freezing weather.
I hope you have a great week too, Cindy!
I need to get out to see the Michael Jackson movie! Is the one you have here, The Drama, is that Robert Pattinson in the picture? I don’t know if I remember that one! I watched an episode or two of From, but don’t have a subscription to the streaming service it is on, so haven’t been able to finish it. I got bored with the last two seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale, but really do want to try The Testaments. I just signed up for a 3 month cheap subscription to Hulu, so I should be able to watch it though. Hope you have a good week. Thanks for visiting my Sunday post!
I hope you enjoy the film! And yes, that sure is Rob P.
I would definitely say that The Testaments is worth a watch. It’s an interesting perspective. Have a great week, as well!
Making a new place feel like home can be a lot of fun! I hope you have lots of the fun parts and few annoying bits where something turns out to be broken, ahaha.
Nicky @ The Bibliophibian recently posted…Review – The Grendel Affair
Thank you so much – that’s definitely the dream! Hahaha.
I read the first book in the Elizabeth Penney series. I have the second one to read next. I enjoyed the first one, so I hope the second one is good too. I hope you enjoy your books and have a great week!
That’s so cool you’ve read Elizabeth Penney! She’s a great writer, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the second book.
Happy reading, and you have a great week as well, Yvonne!
Good luck studying Portuguese! I learned that language more than 30 years ago but I don’t think I could still speak it now!
Thank you, yes it’s a beautiful language.
Obrigada pela visita – boa semana!
How fun!!! I am reminded of the Colin Firth learning Portuguese scenes in Love Actually now. Lolol. I am sure you are doing much better than he did.
Hahaha oh right, I remember that from Love Actually now that you mention it!
I love having a garden. I planted perennials all around the house when we moved in, in 2019 I have daylilies, iris, tickseed, wind flowers, toad lilies, tricytrus, coral bells, bee balm, astilbe, hydrangea, Hellebore, azaleas, camelias, peonies and lilacs. I only have to replace ones that die out either from weather or bad placement on my part. We also have a big food garden. We’re eating lettuce, spinach and chard, along with herbs. I have tomatoes, beets, snow peas and peppers still coming up.
My brother married a woman from Brazil so her Portuguese is excellent. That is another place you might consider vacationing. Although I went with my brother and SIL so they knew about everything and I didn’t have to figure anything out.
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
Your garden sounds amazing! And all of those delicious veggies coming up – makes me super hungry for dinner! Hahaha.
YES Brazil is definitely on the list! I speak European Portuguese so the accent is quite different but I understand brazilian portuguese really well. We want to go there in the future to watch the Rio Open. We love João Fonseca!
I have family in Alberta. I went there years ago one summer and I loved it! Congratulations on your new home. How exciting! I was also a Michael Jackson fan growing up. I didn’t know he wrote a book!! I will have to check that out. I also want to see the new movie. Have a great week! 🙂
Oh, how cool that you have family in Alberta! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it. I really love that in Edmonton we have lots of food options. I’m vegan so that helps a great deal when it comes time to order food! And lots of fun cultural events as well. Heritage Fest is wonderful if you ever have the chance to come out again! So is Taste of Edmonton.
Yes, the book is a good one. And I actually really enjoyed the second book on there, “You Are Not Alone” which was written by his brother Jermaine. They are both worth checking out! Hope you have a great week as well!
I’m a big fan of Michael Jackson’s music and loved MJ One when I saw it in Vegas a few years ago. I need to see the movie too. I hope you don’t get any more snow for the the rest of spring and summer.
I’m sure the show was great! Thank you so much, we sure hope we don’t get lots of snow as well!
Congratulations on your new home!
I’m looking forward to watching Michael, in the shorts I’ve seen Jaafar’s imitation of him is impressive.
Thanks for sharing your week
I hope you love it!
I was a fan of Michael Jackson’s music, but his life seemed turbulent with rumors of him being a child molester. Congratulations on your new house! Planting a garden is rewarding, even if a lot of work. I have so many flowers in my cutting garden and we have lots of veggies maturing. My great-grandmother was Portuguese, her family from the Azore Islands. I would love to visit someday. It’s wonderful that you’re learning the language! Have a great week!
Thank you, we really enjoy the home! Amazing that your grandmother is from the Azores – that’s where my family is from too. São Miguel!
I hope you have a great week as well!
Before we ended up choosing Albania, we considered Portugal. I hope to visit Portugal at some point. Congratulations on your new house!
Thank you so much! And oh I hope you do, Portugal is wonderful!