Wow, it is June already, and with the global pandemic still at full strength and no end in sight, it definitely has the feeling of a very strange year. While we have certainly missed a number of our favorite things as a result of COVID-19 (we have yet to go to the cottage, yet to play golf, canceled our summer camping trip, the 3 concerts we bought tickets for have been canceled, yet to go to a baseball game and most importantly really miss having the kids over for dinner) we are fortunate to all be healthy and to be able to support each other through this very unusual time. We do a Jitsi video call every week we call our virtual beer where we chat and get updated on how everyone is doing. Not as good as meeting in real life but fun nonetheless. The flip side is Teresa and I had a great trip to Japan and South Korea before the pandemic caused travel issues and we had a great time. We were extremely fortunate with the timing of our trip. Blog posts will be coming in the future describing our trip and all the fun we had.
Most exciting our youngest son Brendan got married on May 30. Although not the wedding that Candace and Brendan originally planned it was still a very special day, we had lots of fun, relatives from both families made it to congratulate Brendan and Candace and we had a great time. We love Brendan and Candace very much and are very very happy for them. The originally planned party is coming in 2021.
So there are a number of new things on the website.
New in books - I added the 10 new books I read in May. If you go to the What to Read blog you will find the books in both the fiction and non-fiction lists. I decided to expand my Canadian reading and have added three non-fiction books about Canadians and one non-fiction by a Canadian writer. All the newly added books are highlighted in red. Fields of Fire by James Webb is fantastic and is definitely a future book of the month. I have also chosen a book of the month in both fiction and non-fiction. These are also highlighted in red.
The non-fiction book of the month is Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydide's Trap? by Graham Allison. If you are interested in the power struggle between China and the United States for global domination you will enjoy this book. It seems even more relevant given what is going on with China and the US right now (btw my conclusion is that Trump is giving up the US position in the world, China will fill the gap and the US may never reclaim the position again) Definitely worth reading.
The fiction book of the month is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I have read 3 books by Hosseini, all great but this was the first one I read so it is first on the list. Along with being a fascinating story, it gives great insight into the culture and environment in Afganistan. One of my favorite books ever.
New in Wine - if you go to the Great Wines under $20! post you will find two new white wines. Both light and crisp, great for summer, and really affordable. I also added a new category, Wine in a Can. I am going to say I would not normally be big on wine in a can but for Brendan and Candace's wedding, we were trying to make everything as contactless as possible, soooo, wine in a can. The best was Joiy a sparkling wine from Australia which we toasted the newlyweds. It was delicious, a great find, enjoy.
Lots more to come on the blog. As mentioned I am going to a post(s) on our recent trip and I have a number of ideas for posts on activism (which was one of the original reason for starting the blog), family, golf and on and on (I clearly need to get writing).
As always if you have ideas or comments let me know at thethirdperiod.ca@gmail.com
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