Helloooooooo… happy Monday evening, friends.  Sorry for the late post.  One of those days.  The weekend was good, at least.  It poured down rain most of the weekend, but somehow that was what I wanted.  My garden appreciated it, and we were still able to get out for a quick hike at Mount Vernon when the rain broke very briefly on Sunday morning.  Backing up, though – our rainy-day activity for Saturday was a playdate at the home of one of Peanut’s new friends from camp.  I stuck around for the duration, since I don’t know the family and didn’t want to just drop her off the way I would with a kid whose parents I knew really well.  As it turned out, Peanut’s streak of picking friends with cool parents continues – her friend’s mom and I really hit it off.  We had a ton in common – both lawyers, both from New York State, both went to college in central NY, etc.  She also told me that she has been experimenting with baking her own artisan breads for a few weeks now, and the pictures she showed me of her loaves were crazy impressive, especially for a beginner!  I decided right then and there to try again with yeast baking, and on Sunday – while the rain kept pouring down – I mixed up a loaf of sourdough sandwich bread.  No specialized equipment, unless you count the sourdough starter I’ve been housing in my fridge for several weeks now (thanks Rebecca!), and for a first (ish, I’ve baked with yeast twice before, but not for years) try, I was darn pleased with how it came out.

Reading.  Lovely and ruminative reading week over here.  I finished up North and South mid-week and I can’t believe it took me so long to read it!  Mr. Thornton – sigh.  Then there was a bit of fumbling around to find a new book.  I started a book for book club and couldn’t read it – a very rare occurrence for me, but bad things happening to kids is one of my trigger warnings and the first few chapters were just miserable.  I pushed longer than I ordinarily would have, because book club, but about 50 pages in (out of 540!) I finally threw in the towel.  I’ll at least be able to explain to the book club why I just couldn’t.  Anyway – looking for something more my speed, I turned to another library book: Summer, by Edith Wharton.  I love Wharton but still have a handful of her books that I’ve not yet read, and this is one of them.  I’m about two-thirds of the way through it now and just having a wonderful time over it.  (The fireworks scene!  Breathtaking.)

Watching.  With much determination, Steve and I have managed to dodge the kid-thrown obstacles and gotten a few episodes into the latest drop of The Great British Baking Show on Netflix.  I think I’m rooting for Benjamina and Andrew, but I like Tom and Candice too.  Really, they’re all delightful!  What is it about that show?  Pure unadulterated comfort.

Listening.  Whenever I’m reading less, I’m often listening more, and that has been the case for the past few weeks – lots of podcasts.  I’ve worked my way through a bunch of back episodes on my podcatcher, although I still have a ways to go.  Highlight – the Bonnets at Dawn ladies discussing The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which I read years ago.  It might be time for a re-read.

Blogging.  I’m totally disoriented this week, and have no idea what I’m going to write about.  It’ll be a surprise for you and for me!  But I will have posts for you on Wednesday and Friday, unless I flake.  How’s that for assurances?

Moving.  More of the same.  I am working on a solution to my current life-overwhelm, and if it works out I am hoping that I’ll have more time to focus on me in addition to everything else I have to do.  Details when I can.  In the meantime – the summer movement continues – hikes, neighborhood walks, chasing Nugget around the playground.

Loving.  I didn’t think I was going to have anything to say to this today.  It’s just been one of those days.  But I do want to tell you about Nugget’s compliments.  Friends, if you’ve never been the subject of a three-year-old boy’s admiration, I can’t recommend it highly enough.  I’ve been told that I’m “as beautiful as a tow truck,” which is high praise indeed.  And this weekend, Nugget told me I was “as snuggly as a bulldozer and as little as a mouse.”  Awwwww.

Asking.  What are you reading this week?