May 2021: Month in Review
May Excursion: Getting my First Vaccine omgomgomg
Last Saturday I set out to get my first vaccination against COVID19!! I was elated and extremely grateful. It was the right choice for me, my family, and my community.
The whole process was very organized: I arrived with 2 minutes to spare, the vaccination site was running behind, so I waited for 15 minutes with my group, happily reading. There were tons of staff on site to answer questions; I had a very clear sense of what was happening now, what would happen next, etc.
The mood, I felt, was a lot more somber than I would have expected (we are so close!!). All the staff were cheerful, clear, and positive, and they were playing music to try and lighten the mood. As my spouse gently pointed out, while I am focused on the renewal and the promise of freedom this vax will give me, many are more likely mourning this global pandemic which has been unprecedented and unbelievably tragic for many.
I'm especially thrilled as I got the Moderna vaccine - thank you, Dolly Parton, for being the Patron Saint of Vaccination (and also, incidentally, a role model of mine for women who choose not to be a parent).
For myself, getting vaxxed was a civic duty much like voting. I know that is a loaded statement and it is my truth.
I have 0 regrets and the biggest downside, if any, was that my arm is still sore a week later.
My spouse got her first dose this past Wednesday and is feeling fine, sadly not blessed with Moderna --we can't all be so lucky ;)
Most-Liked Chore: Switching to Summer Linens
Like most Canadians, we use flannel sheets and such for most of the year. This month we broke out our summer (i.e. just cotton) sheets. Usually its a lot more fun/seasonal than it was this year, however, I had seen these sheets a lot more regularly this past year as I used them for packing. Rather surprisingly, they still smelled a little stale/stuffy, so I'll be on the hunt this summer for some nice lavender sachets to toss in among the linen closet.
Least-Liked Chore: Updating my Resume
In the industry I work in, we move so quickly that niceties like cover letters and up-to-date resumes are very-nearly obsolete; it's all based on reputation. I am, of course, extremely privileged that my work could carry on easily during the pandemic.
Nevertheless, every once in a while I try to update my resume and it's a mess - in the blur of OT, I can hardly remember what happened if not for my LinkedIn. Tidy resume overviews and snappy summaries are beyond me when all I can think of is the next delivery date.
May Recipes
Pinch of Yum recipes have been reliable in my household - their SOS Recipes series has a lot of quick, tasty faves both veg and non-veg alike!
This past month we've also fallen back on old faves from Spilling the Beans: Cooking and Baking with Beans and Grains Every Day by Calgary-based cookbook authors Julie Van Rosendaal and Sue Duncan including their Cheesy Black Bean Dip, Marinated Lentil Couscous Salad, and Spinach, Bean, and Pasta Soup.
We have also enjoyed 'Crispy Kale Pizza with Marinara Sauce' and 'Roasted Cherry Tomato Crostini with White Bean Pesto' from Love Real Food by Katheryne Taylor of Cookie and Kate. HOWEVER, this recommendation comes with a very big grain of salt: in this cookbook, Taylor refers to vegetarian diet as a factor to combat the obesity epidemic in America. I am very against vegetarianism as a weight-loss diet and sharply question the rhetoric surrounding obesity (i.e. I think 99% of it is fatphobia). I also agree that the BMI is not based on science.
Further reading: I Want No Part Of Your Secret Fatphobic Club.
May Quote
Courage is not the absence of fear [...] Courage is fear conquered by something stronger than fear. This may be love, or loyalty, or the big story that has finally grabbed you, or the creative energy that bursts forth when you open the sacred spring of your imagination.
- from Growing Big Dreams: Manifesting your Heart's Desires Through Twelve Secrets of the Imagination by Robert Moss
