Hello, hello, hello.  Hello, new week.  I am not ready for you – am I ever?  I gave myself almost a three-day weekend, taking Friday morning off to hike.  (WHAT?!)  The bluebells on the Bluebell Loop Trail were peaking this weekend, but Sunday’s weather looked gross and we had Saturday plans, and I’ve been working so much lately, so we said “the heck with it!” and took advantage of the stunning weather on Friday morning to go traipsing through the bluebells.  (Pictures on Wednesday.)  I was back at the keyboard on Friday afternoon, but it was such a relaxing way to ease into the weekend.  Saturday was another glorious one, but I spent most of the morning indoors – Peanut and I had tickets to Disney on Ice.  (I hear those thuds of you all falling off your chairs at once.  Be a little subtle, people.)  Peanut had been begging for months, and I finally caved, so on Saturday morning Steve packed Nugget off for a haircut and a trip to the zoo while Peanut and I drove out to Fairfax to see the show.  It was totally overwhelming and I’d be lying if I said it was fun for me, but Peanut loved every second and that’s what counts.  The things we do for the kiddos we love, right?  Sunday was dreary, but we squeezed in another short hike at Mount Vernon in the morning – the animals are out! – sprinting for the car just as the skies opened up.  We spent the afternoon and evening cuddled up at home – reading, napping and baking banana muffins.  Ahhhhh.

Reading.  Such a fun reading week, y’all.  I started the week by finishing up The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street (nominally the sequel to 84, Charing Cross Road) and loved it.  Then I tore through It’s Hard to be Hip Over Thirty: And Other Tragedies of Married Life in one day – funny and heartfelt poems about marriage and motherhood in the 1960s.  On Tuesday, my copy of Space Opera arrived – a publication-day delivery, as Catherynne M. Valente is an automatic pre-order for me.  I’ve been slowly working my way through it, savoring her beautiful writing and wacky imagination, all week.

Watching.  Not very much.  Yesterday Steve lamented that we are not currently in the middle of any shows, and nothing looks particularly likely or appealing right now.  (We could resume Grantchester, but we’d have to dig up the BluRay.)  I’ve been in the mood for light ‘n funny, so when we do curl up with a TV show, it’s old standby Parks and Recreation.  We’re just watching random re-runs.  (Sexy Dexy strikes again!)

Listening.  A smattering of book podcasts (I’m forever catching up) and plenty of Decemberists.  The concert’s next week!

Moving.  Two hikes this week have definitely helped my step totals.  Mount Vernon is surprisingly hilly, too.  Other than that – once again – not enough.  I spend way too much time wishing I had a more flexible schedule or just a little bit of time to myself to run or do yoga, but it’s just not happening.  I’m relying on walking and hiking, and chasing Nugget around various playgrounds, right now.  The good news is my Fitbit thinks I exercise.  So I guess that toddler-chasing must be getting my heart rate up from time to time.

Blogging.  Bluebell pictures on Wednesday, and another poem on Friday.  (It’s a fun poem and a bit silly – I hope you like it.)

Loving.  I have really been enjoying the “Tea Reads” podcast series from Miranda and Sophie of the Tea & Tattle Podcast.  The episodes themselves are bite-sized (ten to twelve minutes each) and each one focuses on a short read – generally an article or poem – that can be completed in the amount of time it takes to drink a cup of tea (hence the name of the series).  I loved Miranda and Sophie’s discussions of a Financial Times article on bibliomemoirs (and was inspired to seek out My Life with Bob: Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues, one of the titles Miranda mentioned) and their comments on a John Betjeman poem about railway travel (I’ve not read any Betjeman yet, but I have two of his books – Summoned by Bells and Tennis Whites and Teacakes – and both are high on my list).  There’s a new “Tea Reads” up featuring Mary Oliver, and I will definitely be savoring that one this week.

Asking.  What are you reading lately?