The Weekly Write-Up #7

In this newsletter…

• ‘Mysteries’ is in the name and in both of these books!

• What if you could go behind the scenes of a Marvel movie?

• You’ll NEVER lose anything with this device!

• 4 Places, 4 Foods: Greece Edition 🇬🇷

Something I Read

RED ROCK MYSTERIES AND THE VIRGINIA MYSTERIES

I really like both reading mystery books and trying to figure out the answer before the mystery book reveals it! My brother and I have both read these book series a few years back and really enjoyed them.

The first is Red Rock Mysteries, written by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry. I actually shared The Wormling, which is also written by them, in a newsletter two weeks ago. This series has 15 books, and I think that I’ve read all of them. I own the physical copies of the first 4 which are pictured above, but the rest of them I read on my Kindle (to be talked about eventually). One of the interesting things about these books is the style in which they were written. The chapters were really short (many were 3-5 pages), and the chapters alternated between the perspective of the two main characters. The books were excellent at telling the story of each mystery and connecting with the reader. I really enjoyed reading these books and would recommend them to older kids and tweens especially, but other ages would enjoy them too!

The other series is The Virginia Mysteries by Stephen K. Smith, which has 10 books. I haven’t read the last two of these because I think they were published more recently. Again, I only have the first 5, and the rest I read on Kindle. This series was VERY GOOD and one of my personal favorite mystery series. These books were incredibly captivating and also great for teens! Like Red Rock Mysteries, I read this series a long time ago and don’t really remember what happened. I just remember that it was really great! The 9th and 10th books were published since I read the first 8, so I may go back and read those. Also, I really like the cover art for this series! This series is great for tweens and younger teens!

Something I Watched

MARVEL STUDIOS: ASSEMBLED

As you know if you read my past newsletter, I really like Marvel. I also like behind the scenes and seeing how movies are made. The Assembledseries and movies do just this. It is actually perplexing, though because there are two different Marvel Studios: Assembled. First, there is the Marvel Studios Assembled, which is a series of 6 episodes.

This series includes the making of…

• WandaVision

• The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

• Loki

• Black Widow

• What if…?

• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

There are also separate “movies” (about 1hr long) which include the making of…

• Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness

• Thor: Love and Thunder

• Moon Knight

• Hawkeye

• Eternals

• Ms. Marvel

• She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

All of these together make a total of 14 behind-the-scenes Marvel entertainment. These are really entertaining to watch. I haven’t watched all of them, but have skimmed through most of them. It is so fascinating to see how they made all the scenes in the movies. They also have interviews with some actors and crew. They are definitely worth checking out after watching the movie/show that it is about!

Tech Thoughts

AIRTAG

Apple AirTag

The AirTag is the newest Apple device that I’ve come across. My parents just bought some to track their luggage for their Greece trip, and I’ve been testing them out a bit since. This is actually an ingenious device. The AirTag connects to the FindMy network, so you can find it easily from your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. It is great for using with keys, luggage, backpacks, purses, pets, or anything else that you don’t want to lose! After testing this a bit, I found out that it is extremely accurate and built around privacy. My parents were able to see exactly where all of their bags were on their trip. If they were to lose a bag somewhere, whether in Greece or during transportation, they would be able to know exactly where it is.

This device is a bit pricey for something that just tracks your stuff. From Apple, the AirTag is $29 for 1 and $99 if you buy 4. It is worth it, though, if you want to keep track of something valuable like a wallet or your luggage. It really depends on what you are using it for. Keep in mind that you don’t need one to keep track of your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch because they already have tracking built into them. Being someone who loses things ALL THE TIME, I really appreciate a device like this. At some point, I intend to buy one of these to attach to my car keys because I know that I will lose them at some point! I will definitely also consider buying some to attach to other items that I don’t want to lose. You can purchase them on Apple’s Website or from many other places. Accessories are also offered to help attach them to your keys or your luggage (although you could just throw one inside). If you find yourself worrying about losing stuff or have lost your wallet for the 87th time, consider buying one of these!

Tech Deal: As of right now, the 4th Generation iPad Air (2020) is on sale at Walmart for $349, which is an astonishing deal worth checking out! It is only while supplies last, so act fast!

Wild Card

PLACES TO VISIT IN GREECE

View from my parents’ Airbnb in Athens

“4 Places, 4 Foods” is something that I came up with this week to give you an overview of a new place that I (or one of my family members) went to. For this newsletter, I’m going to talk about my parents’ trip to Greece! They just went to Greece a few weeks ago and spent a few days in both Athens and Santorini. After hearing about their trip, I figured I would share some places to visit if you are ever in Greece! Here were some of my parents’ favorite places to visit in Greece (not in any specific order).

The Places

1. Acropolis: The Acropolis is one of the first things that comes to people’s minds when they think of Greece. My parents could actually see this from their balcony of their Airbnb in Athens (pictured above).

2. Mars Hill: My parents actually visited Mars Hill 3 times during their visit in Athens. Fun Fact: The Apostle Paul actually preached from this hill during his ministry in Athens, Greece.

3. The Ancient Agora : This was the central public place of ancient Athens. A lot of the buildings from that time are still there, but in ruins. It is really cool if you get to see these stunning works of architecture.

4. Santorini: While this isn’t a very specific place, my parents confidently said this was one of their favorite parts. Santorini is an island that is part of Greece. From the pictures and my parents’ explanations, it is absolutely breathtaking.

The Foods

1. Fried Feta Cheese with Honey: I have never tried this, but it sounds delicious! Combining two great foods and frying it sounds like a great idea to me! They got this appetizer at Kofini in Santorini.

2. Stuffed Tomatoes: My mom got this at Klepsidra Cafe in Athens, but I’m sure you can get it at other places. It consists of a tomato stuffed with rice, tomato sauce, and other vegetables.

3. Greek Salad: The Greek Salad can be found just about anywhere in Greece. This iconic dish includes tomatoes, olive oil, cucumbers, onions, peppers, feta cheese, and of course olives!

4. Gelato: This is another food that you can find almost anywhere in Greece. Gelato is the Italian version of ice cream. I’ve tried it before in the states and it is delicious!