WEEKLY UPDATES: A NEW MONTH, A NEW NORMAL?

On By Laurel-Rain SnowIn weekly updates

Good morning! Today’s post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves, for weekly updates.

Mailbox Monday is hosted at the home site: Mailbox Monday.

And let’s join Kathryn, our leader in It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, at Book Date.

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Another week and another month have flown by! I only read and reviewed two books, but I enjoyed them both. I started watching Firefly Lane on Netflix, and I’m finding it addictive.

This week, I received my second vaccine! What a relief. I hope everyone will soon follow along, eventually leading us all to a safer place. Will we soon find a New Normal?

Now I want to grab some coffee and share the details of the week.

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LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Monthly Wrap-Up

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Every Waking Hour”

Happy Books…and a Mug…

WWW Post…

A Great Rediscovery!

Coffee Chat:  A Happy February So Far…

Bookish Friday:  “The Shadow Box”

Review:  The Book of Two Ways, by Jodi PicoultReview:  The Turn of the Key, by Ruth Ware

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INCOMING BOOKS: 

Empty physical mailbox!  I downloaded three e-books….

Hadley and Grace, by Suzanne Redfearn

The Shadow Box, by Luanne Rice

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, by Elle Cosimano

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CURRENTLY READING:  Pretty Little Wife, by Darby Kane

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That was my week!  What did yours look like?  I enjoyed this lemon yogurt cake one night.

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76 thoughts on “WEEKLY UPDATES: A NEW MONTH, A NEW NORMAL?”

    1. Thanks, Kathryn, I finished Season I of Firefly Lane, and because it ended on a cliff hanger, I’ll be holding my breath until they bring more episodes!

      I am cautiously optimistic about our New Normal, but having both shots behind me makes me feel hopeful. Stay safe!

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  5. Congrats on the vaccine! And Firefly Lane looks fun. We were scrolling through Netflix and it popped up but we haven’t tried it yet…

    I hope you have a good weekend and hopefully n pesky vaccine side effects.

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    1. Thanks, Greg, I wasn’t sure about Firefly Lane in the first few episodes, but then it intensified and the pace improved…and I couldn’t stop watching!

      Occasional side effects yesterday, but then they were gone. For good? I don’t know, but nothing has been that bad.

      Enjoy your week, and stay safe.

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  7. Hi! Just finished Hadley and Grace and I really enjoyed it! Such a good story, I highly recommend. I’ve not been watching much tv this past week but I’m also not reading as much. What am I doing? I can’t really say,, because I don’t know where the time went.

    You always tempt me with yummy desserts! We’ve gone since Jan. 3 with no snacking after dinner and no pastries, ice cream, etc. You would think I’d see a difference. A bit noticed, but not weighing myself until I know there will be a dramatic reading of the scale, lol. Last year, with all the Covid stress, I binged on sweets frequently. Oh well….

    Take care and enjoy your books and shows this week.

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Rita, and binging on food and viewing is part of the process in a Pandemic, I do believe. I haven’t weighed lately, either, but when I did, I had gained about ten pounds throughout. But…it could have been worse!

      When I eat ice cream, I tend to choose sugar free…so I hope that helps. LOL.

      I will read Hadley and Grace soon!

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  10. Yay for the second vaccine shot! I can’t wait to get mine, though it will probably be a few more months. My sister got both of her shots last month, since she’s a home health nurse. It went great!

    Enjoy your books! I’ve seen Finlay Donovan all over Instagram lately.

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  11. Yum, I love lemon cake. My sister binged Firefly Lane last week and said she’s hoping for another season. I read the novel years ago and enjoyed it so I might give it a try. Have a good week!

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  12. Diane

    So happy you got the second vaccine – My husband got his first vaccine last week, no side effects and is scheduled for his second on 3/3. I’ll have to wait till March as it goes by age here for the general population. Hope you have a good week. Snow is to start here soon – we had 10″ last week as well… sigh.

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    1. I am grateful for the vaccine.Good news for you, Diane. I realize that I have been able to get mine sooner because of where I live, and then recall how much I fought about living here! LOL.

      Enjoy your week and your books!

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  14. I left my job with the schools, so I lost my vaccine appointment. But now I’ll be working from home, so I suppose it works for now. I think Hadley & Grace is on my TBR pile too. Hope it’s good! Thanks for sharing and enjoy your week 🙂

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  17. That’s great that you were able to get your second dose – congrats and bring on the new normal!! We’re still trying to get a first dose scheduled for my husband. I’m going to have to wait a little longer. Another friend said she’s enjoying Firefly Lane, so I added it to my Netflix queue last week. Hadley & Grace is waiting on my kindle, too. Have a good week!

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    1. i ended up watching the whole season of Firefly Lane, and now want another one!

      I hope everyone gets the vaccine soon! I know that my living in a residential senior facility is why I got mine so soon. I’m grateful about that, even though I still ask myself “why am I even here?” LOL.

      I know that I probably needed to be here in the beginning, with my post-hospitalization and surgery, but now I am fine. But moving out is not a good idea.

      I hope you have a great week, JoAnn, and enjoy your books and movies.

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  19. Firefly Lane looks good. I’ll eventually get around to watching it. Congrats on getting your second shot. I hope I’ll be eligible to get it soon, but it’s not looking that way. You never know 🙂

    Finlay Donovan Is Killing It looks so good. I added that one to my wish list. I hope you have a great week!

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    1. Thanks, Yvonne, I am very glad to have gotten both shots. I guess that’s the upside of living in a senior residence!

      I loved Firefly Lane…and I think Finlay Donovan Is Killing It will be hilarious. Enjoy your week.

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  23. Literary Feline

    I am glad you are enjoying Firefly Lane. I have been hearing good things about the series. Yay for getting your second vaccine. I am so glad to hear it, Laurel-Rain. I get mine next week if all goes as planned. My mom is getting her first shot today. I hope you like your current read and your new books. I really enjoyed Finlay Donovan is Killing It. I hope you have a great week!

    Liked by 1 person

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  25. I wish I had a way to send fireworks up into the sky to show how happy I am that you have gotten your second vaccine. Wonderful news.

    The new Jodi Picoult looks good. Glad to see you enjoyed it a lot.

    I wonder what you will think about Hadley and Grace.

    Oh, lemon yogurt cake. I wonder if I can find a recipe online for that. I love lemon yogurt.

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    1. Thanks, Melinda, it feels like we are just beginning a journey toward some kind of normal, but that we are only at the early phase of it because of how many people are ignoring the public health precautions. I don’t think we’ll ever have the same kind of “normal” again!

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  28. Hubby and I get our second shot this week. Some people locally have said they were a bit under the weather after the second shot, but that doesn’t last too long.
    The weeks do seem to be moving quickly. I’m glad you are enjoying your reading and yummy-looking desserts.
    Have a good week and Happy Reading!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks, Martha, it is a relief to have both shots behind me, especially when there were shortages…and the anxiety of not knowing if we could get the second one!

      I am ready to settle into my books with reduced anxiety! Enjoy your week.

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      1. So glad that you are now feeling so much better and can relax sufficiently now to really enjoy your reading.

        I’m holding my breath until Himself is vaccinated, as he is a key worker who goes out every single day. It’s just a question of being patient!

        Liked by 1 person

  33. Hi Lorraine,

    I am loving the sound of ‘Pretty Little Wife’ and ‘The Shadow Box’, both of which seem to be doing the rounds right now and have received some excellent ratings and reviews.

    I really need to know if you make all your own lovely desserts which you feature, they sound scrumptious and look amazing!

    Who knows what the ‘new normal’ is going to look like. My husband has just had his first jab as he has a health condition, but mine won’t be due until at least April. Then we both have to wait a further 3 months for the second jab, so by the the autumn will be back upon us and we will be hunkering down for the winter again. That’s almost two years of my life I shall never get back!!

    Good Luck with your second jab and stay safe 🙂

    Yvonne x

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks, Yvonne, and the desserts come from our community dining room. None of us have stoves, and the cooking is a benefit of living here.

      It is hard to wait so long for the vaccine! I wish it would all happen so much faster for everyone!

      Enjoy your week.

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  34. So glad to hear about your second vaccine! What a relief I’m sure!

    I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Pretty Little Wife. I’m in the middle of a fantasy series but it’s the next thriller I want to read after.

    Have a great week and happy reading!

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  35. The Shadow Box seems like a departure from Luanne Rice’s usual! At my library, everyone seems to only want Firefly Lane, Bridgerton books, or Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. Nothing else will do! Glad you’ve gotten the vaccine. We’re moving in the right direction, finally!

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  36. I am so glad that you were able to get your second vaccine. What a relief! I think that my state is coming in last on vaccine distribution so who knows when I will be able to get mine. I think that I want to read Firefly Lane before checking out the Netflix show. I hope that you are having a great week!

    Liked by 1 person

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