Hi friends – thanks for giving me a little time off and thanks for coming back.  I spent the last two weeks reflecting and focusing on family, and while I still don’t feel like I have words, I’m here.  Life is definitely not the same and will never be the same again, and we are all navigating a new reality without a beloved family member.  And that’s all I really want to say online, so please forgive me for any vagueness.

Anyway – I hope you all had lovely weekends.  We were busy, as usual.  On Saturday we drove down to Dominion Raceway so Steve could enjoy his 2017 Christmas present – the experience of driving three supercars (a Porsche, a Ferrari and a Lamborghini) around a racetrack.  We did this last July as well, but he only drove the Porsche then – this year, he got the premium package.  He loved every moment, of course – said the Ferrari was his favorite, but really every car was a total blast for him to drive.  I’m not a car person and I totally don’t get the fascination, but he loves this and I’m happy to gift him the experience.  Sunday was a hanging-out-at-home kind of day.  The kids and I tried to get some cleaning done; I felt like I was beating back the mess with a stick, but some progress was made and then immediately counteracted, which is how it always is.  Late in the afternoon we hosted some friends for a play date, then I spent the evening eating sesame tofu, chatting to my brother on the phone, and walking up and down the stairs for Nugget’s extended disco bedtime routine (Peanut falls asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow – just like Mom).  And now the sun’s rising on another week, and it’s time to get to work.

Reading.  After several weeks of not-quite-slumping, I feel like I finally got my reading groove back at the end of the week.  I’ve been reading both Howards End and North and South for a couple of weeks now, kind of bumping back and forth between the two and not really giving either my full attention.  I finally buckled down and tore through the last third of Howards End on Saturday.  On Sunday, on a whim, I picked up I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, which I waited patiently for on the library holds queue for months, and read it in a day.  It’s a slim volume and also completely absorbing – definitely going to be one of my top reads of the year.  Then it was back to North and South, which I am trying to read slowly so as to savor it – mission accomplished, I think.  Oh, and in the meantime, I’ve gotten into the habit of reading an essay or two from Slightly Foxed every night before bed, and I’m about halfway through volume five.  So – yes, definitely back in my reading groove; I have read some great stuff over the past week.

Listening.  Since I have been not-quite-slumping, I’m doing a lot of listening – lots of podcasts, as usual.  I finally broke into season two of Annotated, which I have been saving for a rainy day, and listened to the first episode on “Saving Shakespeare.”  It was just as good as the first season’s episodes, and I am greedily hoarding the rest of the season for the next time I need a pick-me-up.  Other than that – lots of bookish podcasts, as is my general tendency, with some parenting podcasts mixed in.

Watching.  For this category, I have very little to report.  Steve and I attempted to watch the first episode of the “new” (or new-to-us-Yanks) series of The Great British Baking Show, which just dropped on Netflix, but due to kiddo interference we were unsuccessful.  We’ll get back to it this week, I’m sure.

Moving.  Summer-style movement here.  Lots of kid-chasing, and a little bit of other stuff.  Some hiking – stay tuned for a recap on Friday.  Some lake swimming, and a tiny bit of kayaking.  We visited my folks for the Fourth of July weekend and spent a day at the lake.  I’d hoped to get in a good long paddle while there, but it was not to be.  Nugget cried if I got more than five feet from the dock without him, but it was impossible to paddle with him – you try paddling a single kayak with a three-year-old who insists on also wielding his own (adult-sized) paddle, and you’ll see what I mean.  And before I was able to get into a good groove, we got hit with a thunderstorm and had to rush off the lake.  I’m sad that I’ve barely paddled at all this summer, but the season’s young.

Blogging.  Catching up after this unanticipated break – if you check in with me on Wednesday, you’ll find June’s reading recap, and on Friday, I’ve got a hiking report to share – a good one, involving a waterfall in western Massachusetts.

Loving.  Thank you to those who left such kind comments on this post.  I promise to respond to them all in short order.  This blog has brought some wonderful, loving people into my life and I am so grateful for that.  The network of friends that I have, both online and off, brings joy into almost every day and is playing a huge role in getting me through the current sad season.  Love you all.

Asking.  What are you reading this week?