Happy weekend! The city has been lively this week with lots of things to do and good things on the way. Earlier this week, we got to experience the Perseid meteor shower! You can continue to look to the skies this weekend as the Illumination fireworks show will light up the city on Saturday night. There’s also been a lot of excitement with the return of Songs from the Shed on Sparks Street. We even got word that the Canadian Museum of Nature will reopen it’s doors on Labour Day weekend.  If you’d rather stay home though, there’s a lot of options for you, including a free online course called Indigenous Canada through the University of Alberta. Below I’ve got even more ideas for keeping it safe at home!  

Listening: 

This week I checked out a new podcast called Psycho Analysis: A Horror Therapy Podcast, which talks about mental health and wellness as portrayed through horror films. The episode that drew me in was all about Ari Aster’s 2019 film, Midsommar and how it unpacks toxic relationships and mental health. The film follows Dani, who, after facing a massive family tragedy, embarks to Sweden with her partner, Christian, and his anthropology PHD buddies to witness a rare festival in a remote village. As they settle in, things take a sinister turn and become very spooky. I would recommend this film for horror enthusiasts and those interested in mental health, but along with a lot of trigger warnings. It is extremely disturbing yet stunning. The podcast was a nice way of validating some of my thoughts while opening my eyes to other aspects of the film I’d missed.  

Watching: 

The Umbrella Academy is back for season two! If you missed season one, it follows seven orphan kids, who were all born on the same day and possess different superpowers. They were adopted by a rich scientist, Sir Reginald Hargreeves and trained as superheroes. After many years of being separated, the Hargreeves are reunited when their father passes. A big component of the show is time travel, which *spoiler alert*, ends up separating the family again in season two. Sibling Number 5 has to reunite the others in record time to save the world once again. You can check out the series, based on the graphic novel created by My Chemical Romance’s, Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, on Netflix.  

Spending Time: 

This week I learned yet another board game, Monopoly Deal. If you’ve played Monopoly, this offers a much shorter but similarly cutthroat game style for two to five players. It’s perfect for a small group, making it ideal for these COVID-19 times. You can play a round of it in 15-30 minutes. 

And that about wraps it up! What’s on your Stay Home Club this week? Let me know!