September wrap-up and plans for October

Geez, where did this month even go? I'm scrambling to write this post before October is upon me!

Reading

I read 8 books this month and I'm shocked to realize that 4 of them are nonfiction. I only read one of the Community Read nominees for work (and it was a re-read of Wonder) so I'm behind on that. Let's look at the categories I'm tracking.

Reading Challenge List: Um. Nothing from the list, though I just started reading White Teeth by Zadie Smith, but I completed the race category by reading They Can't Kill Us All by Wesley Lowery.

CBAM: Not participating this month, but am planning to read Angels in America for October.

Romance: The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean

Nonfiction: Lots! The aforementioned They Can't Kill Us All; self-help book The Miracle Morning; In the Shadow of Liberty; and The Fact of a Body.

Listening

I'd never seen a white squirrel before, but saw one in Montreal
and then this one right in my neighborhood.

I listened to Wonder by R.J. Palacio for the Community Read committee. It was a re-read and I didn't post about it by my original post is here. I was planning to finish off His Dark Materials on audio, but instead have just been catching up on podcasts. By the Book has finished their first season and I'm very sad, but their second season is apparently starting in November and they've promised some mini-episodes between now and then.

Watching

I have finally finished season 9 of Doctor Who and learned that season 10 is only available on Amazon Prime for an additional fee. But there's a new season of Call the Midwife so I'll be starting that soon.

Knitting

Still working on the East Neuk Hoodie. I'm almost back to where I was when I ripped it out, which is definitely a good thing but also doesn't feel like actual progress.

Eating

Everything. All the time. Unhealthy stuff, mostly. Food makes me feel like adulting is just impossible. I mean, we're expect to hold full-time jobs, sleep 8 hours a night, exercise, floss, walk the dog, pay bills, clean our houses, AND prepare delicious wholesome meals. It's not possible. And this is for people without children. And not even counting family obligations, romance, or a social life. Who decided that we all need to do all this stuff? Because I'd like to give them a stern talking-to.

Doing

I took two trips this month! We had planned to go camping the first week and dropped the dog off at boarding on Labor Day. The plan was to leave for camping the next day, but the weather forecast was so bad that at the last minute we booked an Airbnb in Montreal and drove up there for a few days. We visited the botanical gardens and there was a great installation of sculptures made out of branches that you could walk inside. They were so amazing! I kind of want to live inside of one.

Later in the month was my annual trip with my sisters and niece to CT to visit my aunt. We spent a long weekend catching up, maybe doing a couple of activities, and mostly sitting around lazily eating baked goods. We had more activities this year so it flew by faster than usual, but it was still a good time. We went to the Durham Fair and to Old Sturbridge Village, as well as visiting another aunt and uncle who live nearby and making a trip to Little Poland in New Britain to get some

Bernie the labradoodle

kielbasa. (We're part Polish.) We also visited a New Age shop and I bought a Buddha statue, which now resides on a little table near my pew. My aunt has a new puppy, who is very energetic. She is kind of ridiculous, and was maybe a little annoying to the other dog who is elderly.

Plans for October

I'll be reading Middlemarch with some friends, which I'm really looking forward to. I'm also hoping to make real, actual progress on my knitting project. The New England Library Association Conference is later in the month, which is always fun, but even more so this year since it will be in Burlington, VT and our featured author speaker is Chris Bohjalian.

How was your September?