February Wrap-Up

Greetings! This is my second monthly wrap-up in 2019. My January wrap-up was posted here. I plan to write a wrap-up for each month so I can look back and see how well the year has turned out.

FEBRUARY 2019

ARTS

In February I viewed two visually interesting outdoor art events titled Icefest 2019 and Ice Breakers 2019, and two wonderful indoor art exhibits titled Same Dream by Omar Ba, and Mapping Worlds by Shuvinai Ashoona.

I wrote about my visit to the Icefest 2019 event here. The Ice Breakers blog draft is in progress. Each of the two indoor art exhibits had about thirty or more beautiful paintings. Taking photos without flash was allowed so I took several photos and might share some of them in another blog post. In the interim, I included two photos below.

Omar Ba is an artist born in Dakar, Senegal. He lives and works between Dakar and Geneva. His works have been shown in Belgium, Switzerland, the UK, and Senegal.

Art by Omar Ba

Shuvinai Ashoona lives in Kinngait (formerly known as Cape Dorset) on the southern tip of Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada. Her work has been shown in various galleries and museums in Canadian cities.

Art by Shuvinai Ashoona

BLOGS

In February I blogged about my travels to explore some of the main attractions in Guatemala, my fit and fun walk to see Icefest Hollywood North ice sculptures and ice carving demonstrations, one monthly wrap-up for January, and one final update for my Winter Fun List.

• Day Trip to Chichicastenango 
• January Wrap-Up
• Boat Trip on Lake Atitlan & Santiago Village
• Wellness Post: Icefest 2019
• Winter Fun List Final Update
• Postcard from Guatemala City

BOOKS

I read seven books written by authors from Australia, Canada, the UK, and the USA. I was kind of surprised that I could finish this many books in a short month like February.

• Scrublands by Chris Hammer, 368 pages.
• Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini, 48 pages - This book was inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis and the death of Alan Kurdi. The Afghan-American author, Khaled Hosseini, will donate author proceeds from this book to the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees and The Khaled Hosseini Foundation to help fund lifesaving relief efforts to help refugees around the globe.
  
• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, 432 pages - This book was made into a movie starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck in 2014. The movie and the actress were nominated for several awards. It must be quite a thriller to watch.
  
• Washington Black by Esi Edugyan, 419 pages - I was so pleased to pick up and read this book which won the 2018 Giller Prize in Canada. Last time I checked, there were 1685 holds for 399 copies in the Toronto Public Library system. If you're looking for an award-winning Canadian author, add this book to your reading list.
• Defending Jacob by William Landay, 421 pages.
• The Widow by Fiona Barton, 336 pages. 
• Family & Other Catastrophes by Alexandra Borowitz, 302 pages.

CONCERTS

I attended two piano concerts performed by Rudin Lengo and Jean-Luc Therrien, one guitar concert by Louis Lawlor, and one choir and organ concert by Bach Children's Chorus at Roy Thomson Hall. The live singing and music were simply incredible.

Organ at Roy Thomson Hall

FAMILY and FRIENDS

Sharing delicious food with my family and friends was the theme in February. Each week we had a food event: A potluck dinner with my family clan, followed by a potluck lunch with my yoga class, and a Mexican fiesta dinner on Family Day. There were desserts at each event, too. I also met up with my friends for three coffee and one lunch catch-ups. One of my friends is taking early retirement in March so it's an exciting time for her.

Potluck lunch

HEALTH

Being at home the entire February means I can be consistent with my fitness routine. I got in all my daily meditation time, and walked outdoors for forty-five minutes or more every day, except three Sundays which were my rest days. I also completed thirteen strength workouts in the gym, eight yoga classes, and four swimming sessions.

LEARNING

I continued my French an Spanish lessons on Duolingo, fifteen minutes for each language daily. I also learned about the new artists when I went to see their art exhibits or attend their concerts, and new authors when I read books that are new-to-me. I usually end up researching more about the artist or the author and their works.

MOVIES

I watched four movies in February. As we know by now Bohemian Rhapsody won four Oscars for Best Actor, Film Editing, Sound Mixing, and Sound Editing, and Shallow from A Star Is Born won an Oscar in the Original Song category.

• Johnny English Strikes Again starring Rowan Atkinson
• Bohemian Rhapsody starring Rami Malek
• The Front Runner starring Hugh Jackman
• A Star Is Born starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper

TRAVEL PLANNING

My sister and I booked a guided tour to Croatia, Bosnia, and Slovenia in March.  We're both looking forward to the trip. The weather forecast at our destinations definitely looks more spring-like than what we have at home at the moment.

Overall, February was a fun-filled month for me. I enjoyed time with my family and friends, and the continuity of my health and leisure activities. March is off to a great start with plenty of new things for me to explore and learn.

How was your February? What good things happened? I'd love to hear your comments.