Monthly Musings: May 2024
Hello, friends! Happy May bank holiday weekend! Thus far, it’s not quite the heatwave they talked about, but when did that ever stop an Irish person from having a great weekend!? Do you have any plans? I had very exciting plans to do several batches of laundry and get it all hung out in the sunshine to dry – but it looks like I might have to lower my expectations? We also have dinner plans with my family (+ favourite extended family members) tonight, a seafront stroll or two on the agenda, and some quality time with the couch booked in. Aren’t long holiday weekends the literal best? I love how they always seem to stretch on and on in the best possible way. Anyways! I’m here today to share our Monthly Musings: May 2024 post with you! Ready?
Life chatter, travel talk, recipes, books, movies, etc. – the usual, I suppose you could say – are all listed below for your perusal. I’ll be over here, toying with the idea of doing a spot of hoovering, dusting, or general household cleaning… but we’ll see.
Enjoy!
monthly musings: may 2024
Husband and I have been legally married for six-months already! It came around so fast! We marked the day by going out and having a very romantic 99 ice cream on the seafront, and it was honestly just delightful! Six months in, we’re happier than ever before, we laugh more than we used to, and the novelty of saying “my husband/my wife” to strangers hasn’t yet worn off. It’s so wonderful! Thank you, Husband, for a marvelous first 6-months! I hope we have many, many more ❤️
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Speaking of Husband, he shared his latest short film last month! BRING YOUR OWN GHOST, which we lovingly refer to as BYOG, is about a podcast-er that visits a haunted 2004 Ford Fiesta and summons her own ghost. It’s scary, it’s fun, and it’s such a dang original idea! I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention that my sister plays the podcast-er girlie, and the amount of people that mistook her for a fully fledged actress is so numerous, I think she needs to reconsider her career choice! Honestly though, this is some of Husband’s finest film-work, and I’m so overwhelmingly proud of him. So much so, I almost want to forgive him for putting us through the stresses of filming this three short weeks before our wedding in November! Almost, but not quite. Catch the link to watch it on YouTube here.
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We’re jetting off on our next trip in twelve short days! Did you figure out where we’re headed from my previous clues? Drumroll, please! We’re heading tooo…. Norway!! I’m so excited! My thirtieth country! Husband’s first time in Scandinavia! Did I mention — my thirtieth country! We’re staying in the most adorable little hotel in the gorgeous Aker Brygge district, and I can barely wait! We also just realized the other day that we’ll be there on May 17th, aka Constitution Day! A national holiday celebrating Norway’s independence! How fun!! Eeeeep!
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Oof, remember my bizarre-o ailment from last month? WELL. I decided to go and get my bloods checked just to be absolutely sure I didn’t have anything to worry about, and they came back all-clear! On one hand, I’m relieved there isn’t any underlying issues etc., but on the other hand, what the actual heck was that random virus that semi-immobilized me?! So crazy!
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In case you missed it: Passionate Baker turned twelve last week! We celebrated by devouring huge bowls of Husband’s famous ice-cream sundaes, which may be my new favourite way to celebrate anything. Marking the birthday with a whole dedicated post isn’t something I do every year, but I’ve really been feeling the blogging groove again lately! I’ve been posting more frequently – four times last month! – and sitting down to write my posts is something I’m finding so much joy in again. It almost feels like the good ole days of yore, when I posted multiple times a week! Thanks for riding this crazy blogging train with me, friends, I’m so glad you’re here! If you’d like to read the birthday post: Passionate Baker is 12! | A Birthday Sundae.
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My first two Japanese travel posts are up on the blog! Japan Travel Tips | Notes From Our Honeymoon was the first to hit the site, and if I may say so, is truly the bomb.com, detailing every helpful nugget of information we gleaned from our trip. That post was followed by Two Weeks in Japan | Our Honeymoon Itinerary, which discusses exactly what it says on the tin. This month, I’ll be sharing my three(!) Tokyo guides, and shortly thereafter, my Kyoto and Osaka guides! I hope you’re enjoying reading them as much as I’m enjoying writing them! Side note: I love that there’s a new continent on the drop-down ‘Travel Guides’ section of the menu bar above! It warms the cockles of my heart!
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The 28th of this month marks ten whole years since my bestie and I started walking the Camino! It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done – both mentally & physically – but I am so glad I did it! We started in the little town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees, and finished 34-days later when we stopped walking outside the Cathedral de Santiago in the Galicia region of Spain. It was, without doubt, one of the best things I’ve done in my whole life. This quote really sums up our journey for me: “It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realize what’s changed is you.” If you’d like to read my guide all about our journey: Walking the Camino de Santiago | A Photo Journal.
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Okay, movie-talk! We spent a good chunk of time over the last month watching the O.J.: Made in America documentary, and wow, there are almost no words for how insane it is. The documentary itself was great, going into the whole backstory and the temperature in the States at the time, showcasing how bizarre and terrible it all was. A truly heartbreaking, ridiculous, overtly American story – if you know what I mean? There were no other new-to-us watches that we LOVED, but The Zone of Interest was good, if not a little wanky, and The Land of Saints & Sinners was fun for a Friday night. Rewatch highlights include: the ever solid Goodfellas, the cheese-tastic Just Go With It, and the corny AF Safe Haven. Did you watch anything great? Catch the full list of everything we watched on our Letterboxd.
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Friends, Husband saved me from my book rereading crisis! He gallantly borrowed several books from the library for me and I have never been so grateful! I read three new-to-me goodies over the last month, and not a single reread! I devoured two Taylor Jenkins Reid – who, henceforth, shall be referred to as TJR – books: Maybe In Another Life and One True Loves. Both were great, but the latter really got me in the feels! I just love TJR’s style of writing, you know? It’s familiar and comforting, but still page-turningly intriguing. After those, I read Jo Nesbo’s The Night House, a sci-fi/horror. Honestly, the novel was so bizarre in parts that at one stage I actually thought it was too ridiculous, but I soldiered on, it leveled out again, and I would say overall that I enjoyed it. What’re you reading?
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I don’t have any recipes from around the web this month, so I thought I’d dig through the archives from Mays past for baking inspiration instead! These breakfast Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies – which thankfully got a glow-up during my self-unemployed period! – are first up, dating all the way back to 2013. A few quiet Mays followed, until 2016 when I shared my Maple Pecan Granola recipe. I sure am a sucker for all things granola! In May 2017, I shared this Earl Grey Tea Cake, which, aside from being delicious, is also one of my favourite photo-shoots I’ve ever done. Two years of salty goods follow: these Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies from 2018, and this Salted Maple Pie from 2019. I’m sorry, but if you’re not making salty-sweet bakes, you’re doing it wrong. Lastly, from 2021, these Cream Cheese Brownies. Mmm, brownies. Anything catch your eye?
And with that, our Monthly Musings: May 2024 post comes to an end. I hope you found something to take away with you – be it a recipe, a travel guide, or Husband’s wonderful spooky short film. While you were reading, I decided against doing any household chores. Let’s just chill out this weekend, yeah? Chat again next month!
Hugs,
Vicki xo
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