Currently July 2021
Currently | 7.29.21
Life in the Age of the Queen
[Explaination of the name in April's Currently.] It’s been a while and I have avoided this post for the last few months as it is one of the few monthly posts where I get more personal. Not only did life get really hard for just about everyone last year due to the queen’s reign of terror (right now being maintained by her trusty demon knight, Delta…) but also during my father was diagnosed with 2 different types of cancer which he valiantly fought against but ultimately lost his battle to in May. The last time I saw him was when he was (along with my mother) waving goodbye to Mr. Misadventures and I as we hit the road to move from Phoenix to Raleigh.
Once I had my 2 pokes, I had a trip planned to return to Phoenix to visit my parents, but I was unable to get there before he passed. I was able to return for his service, which was full military honors in a national cemetery in Washington state, but I remain a bit bitter about the circumstances that caused his cancer, his exposure to Agent Orange while serving his country in Vietnam. So “thank you for your service” has a bitter taste as that very service shaved off precious years from his life.
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I didn't share all the ups and downs that went along with last year. A lot of people lost a lot of people last year and cancer impacts millions of families, so as with everything in life, nothing stops for you, it keeps moving. That is what I am trying to do. I wanted to share so you know the reason behind my missing Currently posts for May and June.
Now, onto July and what's been going on in the Misadventures world!
Watching | Mafiosa
> We have been watching quite a few French series that are slowly being added to MHZ (a partner of Amazon Prime) and just started season 1 of Mafiosa which as the title suggests, is about a Mafia family, this one set in Corsica (an island off of France). We held off watching Lupin 2 for a while. We wanted to relish the 5 episodes and waited a few weeks post-release to watch it. I liked season 1 better, but still found season 2 interesting because I miss Paris so much and Mr. Misadventures, and I love to figure out all the film locations, which I shared in my updated post on the topic.
We also watched WandaVision (liked); The Falcon & Winter Soldier (loved) and Loki (didn’t like). I had several plane rides between Raleigh and Phoenix and Phoenix and Seattle and started season 4 of This is Us and season 18 of Top Chef (2 shows that Mr. Misadventures doesn't watch), both of which I will finish next month on my next trip to Phoenix. I also watched the Friends reunion special which I felt was a total letdown…
On the movie side, waiting for F9 and Black Widow to stream. Just saw the news this week about a new Julia Child movie (and a new series coming to HBO). I love Julia (here are 5 things she taught me about life) and am looking forward to these new peeks into her life. Lastly, I am voraciously reading and watching anything related to the new SATC reboot! My SATC Paris post remains one of my all-time top-performing posts so I am not the only one who loves the show! Also, SATC taught me 5 things about life!
Reading | 28 Summers
> I have not been reading much, but I am a sucker for an epic star-crossed lovers story which is why I re-read The Thornbirds almost every year and why one of my favorite movies is Same Time Next Year. So when I saw Raleigh-Durham food-blogger/grammer Better with Ju mention 28 Summers which she shared in her post on a weekend in Beaufort (right after I’d been there) I snatched it up! I have just purchased the follow-up book, The Sixth Wedding, as well as the latest JD Robb book, Faithless in Death, both of which I need to finish before the latest Chef Bruno book comes out at the beginning of August!
Best Bite | Layered Croissanterie
> Every month Layered Croissanterie in downtown Raleigh comes out with a new set of monthly flavors and every month Mr. Misadventures and I make the journey there to enjoy them. It is our once-a-month cheat and I allow myself 2 items. The problem is selecting the 2! Besides her amazing croissants (both sweet and savory) she does a donut of the month and kouing amanns. The amount of time I spend making a decision is frankly ridiculous but the reward is so sweet!
Working On | Going Gutenberg
> If you are a blogger you will know what that means! The Classic editor is going away and blocks are here to stay so I am learning to use them and build pages and posts. I also will convert my older posts too, so it is a process!
Feeling | Ancited
> I made that word up. It is part anxious, part excited! We have a big trip to France planned for September/October and fingers-crossed-until-they-bleed we will actually get to go. We are keeping apprised of the conditions in France, including travel restrictions and what to do once we get there. My friend Meg of Paris by Mouth wrote a very informative post on how to transform your American vaccination card into a French Health Pass.
Loving | …
> Loving is such a strong word at the moment. I am not sure I am loving anything, or at least not anything above and beyond the few things I mentioned above. I am still figuring out life what life without my dad looks like, helping my mom, spending more time on the backend of my blog than I want, wondering about upcoming trips and that damn Delta knight. I would say I am taking one day at a time with work (which keeps me busy and satisfied) and life.
My Favorite Photo | Merci!
> No favorite photo, but just one last word…MERCI! This past month I quietly marked my 13th blogiversary and I want to thank all of you for continuing to come back and read and comment!
Published in June + July!
- Where to See Wild Horses in the Outer Banks
- Frenchie Finds July 2021
- Paris in July
- J’adore – Beach Camping Essentials
- Camping on Cape Lookout National Seashore
- Frenchie Finds June 2021
- Traveling As A Couple – Hotel Things You Need
- Paris in June
That’s my month, what’s CURRENTLY going on with you?
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It is nice to get the update because although the pandemic is not over it is easing a bit. I would love to travel now that airlines are at full functionality.
I have to admit I liked Loki the best of the three, Wondavision was probably second, I haven’t watched the second series of Lupin yet either but it is on my list!
So sorry to hear of your dad’s passing. My dad passed in 2019 and I was unable to be there
July sounds like a great month, the Best Bite Layered Croissanterie sounds pretty amazing
Sending a hug and good thoughts for you and your family Andi. I’ve found that in hard times it helps to step back from blogging to process emotions, but in other ways I’ve also found blogging to be therapeutic.
Not very excited about the Block Editor in WP, to be honest. Ugh. I hate changes like that.
I am also very sorry about your Dad’s passing 🙁 how hard this – already hard – part of life must have been during Covid. I am so sorry.
Thanks for the update. And so sorry to hear about your dad.
Andi so sorry to hear about your Dad. If you are in AZ & have time, I’d love to see you. I’m in Surprise.
I was sad to hear from your aunt Patti about your dad. I didn’t know the details until I read your post tonight. Did you know I introduced your mom, my high school BFF, to your dad? They had a great life together and got to see and live in so many interesting places, with you and your sister. I know you have great memories of him that will warm your heart always. Take care and keep well.
Paula Moore Barber
I’d love to watch Mafiosa too. The story seems interesting.
I am sorry to hear about your loss. My mom had cancer, I totally get how horrible it can be.
Hi Andi, I’m sorry about your dad. I hope you’re coping well. *sends virtual hug*
Also… CURRENTLY, as in like NOW – I’m fangirling and exploring your blog. I’m a Francophile myself (my boyfriend is French) so I got excited about meeting another who loves all things French. I would love to get more French series recommendations.
So sorry to hear about your dad passing. Mes condoleances.
Thank you for sharing your life updates with us. I’ve used Gutenberg when I was still with WordPress and I kinda liked its features. It can be a bit confusing sometimes though.
Sounds like a great July. I have been trying to read more myself, and I try to at least read a book a month. I’d love to read more like a book a week though.
I am so sorry for your loss. It has been a hard year for a lot of us and I think that a half of us lost someone who love.
I haven’t read 28 Summers book, it sounds great! I’ll definitely check it out.
I converted all my posts over to Gutenberg as well. I finally got used to it!