Monthly Musings: April 2022
Hello friends! I hope this post finds you well 🙂 I’m here today to share our Monthly Musings: April 2022 post, our monthly catch-up of sorts. How are you keeping? Today, this fine April 6th, is my dad’s birthday! He’s turning the big 5-6, and when I spoke to him on the phone just now he definitely sounded a little bit wiser than usual! My dad is the absolute hardest working person I know, and as such, we won’t get to celebrate together as a family until this coming Saturday. There’ll be dinner and drinks and, more than likely, a highly competitive game of 30 Seconds. Dad: if you somehow manage to see this post, happy birthday! I hope your day is fantastic and we’re looking forward to this weekend 🙂
Now, let’s get down to business!
So much happened in the last month, it feels like an age since I shared March’s MM post. There’s no easy way to say this, so: on the 17th of March, one of my friends, Conor, passed away in his home surrounded by his family and closest friends. He was 29, and he had an inoperable brain tumor. We all knew the end was coming, but gosh, that doesn’t make it any easier. Every day since Conor’s passing has felt like a week, and all of my friends have been rallying around each other for support. Daily emotions have ranged from laughing at old happy memories to random out-of-the-blue crying. I still can’t wrap my head around losing a friend, but I’ll get there.
In light of this, the offering below is somewhat sparse on content – but I’m working on getting all cylinders fired up for next month. Until then, April’s monthly musings are below. Thanks for being here, friends.
Monthly Musings: April 2022
Covid-19 update: nothing new. Cases are still very high, but they haven’t brought back in any restrictions yet. Hopefully this will change in the coming weeks, but I have no idea. The only thing I know: everyone has it. We ourselves had a close call after a few people we hugged at Conor’s funeral tested positive, but thankfully we remained healthy and negative. I despise doing antigen tests, so I hope to not get into this situation again.
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Speaking of Conor’s funeral, it was really quite nice – as nice as a funeral can be, I suppose. It was held in Mount Jerome Cemetery and it was an extremely personal service. I basically bawled the whole way through, but there were some very touching words said by his best friend, mom, brother, and cousin. Conor created a playlist for the ceremony before he passed, and I’ve basically had it on repeat ever since I first heard it. I will never be able to hear Cosmic Dancer or A Quiet Life without thinking of Conor, which is actually rather comforting.
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I briefly mentioned this in my last post, but I’ve been having tooth issues all month long. I went in for what I thought would be a routine filling at the very beginning of March, and the same damn tooth is still giving me trouble. I’ve since been back to the dentist no less than 3-times, and I have to go back again next week. There’s been a filing down, a course of antibiotics, and a temporary filling – all in the hopes of settling one evil molar. Uyyyyyy.
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Two new recipes hit the blog in the last month: Homemade Dunes Blanche and Miracle Overnight Bread. The first are adorable little choux buns topped with a pearl sugar craquelin and filled until almost bursting with a lighter-than-air chantilly creme. They’re just as deliciously addictive as they sound, trust me. The second is a miraculous no-knead bread that I’m currently addicted to making. Is there anything better than pulling a freshly baked loaf out of your oven? I’ll wait.
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April is the blog’s birthday month, and I’m not too sure if/what I’ll bake. Spring always has me craving all the lemony bakes – see last year’s Lemon Bundt Cake with Sugared Blueberries – and this year is no different. Perhaps an old-school lemon & poppy seed bake is in my near future? We shall see. Previous blog birthday bakes include: Chocolate Birthday Cake / Buttermilk Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting / Triple Chocolate Birthday Cake / Rhubarb Panna Cotta.
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In case you missed it, I finally got around to sharing A Long Weekend in Luxembourg. It’s a recap of the time Boyfriend and I spent in Luxembourg City, and it’s jam-packed with every single ounce of information I have. Today, I’m putting the finishing touches on my Vianden post, so you can expect it to hit the blog next week! Watch this space.
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Okay – who else watched the Oscars? I had to force Boyfriend to get up with me, and thank goodness I did, imagine missing the slapping incident!? I always love watching the Oscars, but who could’ve predicted this year’s would be so worth watching! Wild. Anyways – I’m so glad CODA won best picture! We LOVED it; it’s totally amazing and beyond deserving! I’m intrigued to see The Eyes of Tammy Faye after Jessica Chastain nabbed Best Actress, but my enthusiasm to watch King Richard has plunged. We’re hoping to watch both Drive My Car and Dune during the month, and I’m rather looking forward to them both 🙂
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I found another hotel for my hotel bucket list – which I was actually joking about making, but now might genuinely need to start – Hotel Can Ferrereta in Mallorca. Mallorca has never been somewhere I’ve dreamed of visiting, but OMG I have to stay here. How beautiful!
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Have you joined the Wordle train yet? I’ve also recently started playing Octordle, 8 Wordles at once, and Sedecordle, 16 Wordles at once. It might seem a bit mad, but I find it very calming lately. Join me!
And there we have it, our Monthly Musings: April 2022 post. Short and sweet, but perhaps you found something to take away with you. Until next time!
Stay safe and healthy,
Vicki
PS, I took a grand total of 5 photos over the course of the last month. Said photos include: two selfies I took on a joyously empty DART carriage, two photos of Boyfriend with his hair jokingly tied in a scrunchie, and one photo of a donut. Instead of any of these, please enjoy the above recycled photo of some beautiful tulips from last year. xo