Monday, you’re showing up too soon as always! I am particularly sad to bid goodbye to this weekend. Nothing especially exciting happened – it was just a nice, relaxing couple of days. I decided that I wanted to be mostly analog, so I almost completely unplugged from my phone and it was glorious. On Saturday morning I took Nugget out to run errands – we got him a haircut, returned a jacket to Target, and did a big grocery stock-up run at Wegmans. Once we got home, I spent a few hours doing a big batch-cooking marathon, then we headed out for a family walk. We’d intended to walk down to the river, but only made it as far as the playground. Oh, well! Sunday was more of the same – with the addition of a hike in Rock Creek Park in the morning. A few of the trees are just starting to show color, but our peak foliage is still a week or two away. In the afternoon – more batch-cooking (the fridge is loaded) and then I took Nugget for a bike ride to the playground. It was very simple, and just right.
Reading. It was a pacey reading week, even for me. I started the week back in John Moore’s Brensham, visiting with old friends like Mr. Chorlton and Pistol, Bardolph and Nym, and meeting new ones like William Hart – The Blue Field is the final volume of Moore’s Brensham trilogy, and I’m sad to leave that world behind. Next up, I blazed through the latest Lady Georgianna mystery – Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding. Georgie can’t seem to make it through a month without stumbling on a dead body or a conspiracy! Finally, over the course of Saturday and Sunday, on the recommendation of my friend Zan, I read the heartbreakingly powerful The Girl Who Smiled Beads, a memoir of life as a refugee after the Rwandan genocide of the 1990s. At press time, I’m not sure what will be next – but I’m definitely looking for something lighthearted.
Watching. We’re still working our way through The Good Place, season two. It’s just as fantastic as the first season (except for not enough Bad Janet! the people demand more Bad Janet!). My brother told me that he and his wife tried to watch and couldn’t make it through the first episode. WHAT?!?!
Listening. I was switching back and forth between Audible and podcasts this week. I’m listening to Educated on audio, as it’s my book club book and the audiobook was the only free (well, I spent a credit on it) version I could get ahold of. We’ve definitely fallen off the wagon of trying to pick things that are in the public domain or at least out for a few years so that folks don’t have to spend money to get the book. It’s hard to listen to, but I do think we’re going to have a lot to discuss at book club. The rest of my earbud time has been spent with podcasts – mostly Speak Up for Blue, but I also listened to the fall top ten list from Sorta Awesome.
Making. Per the above, it was a very cooking-heavy weekend. Maybe it’s the arrival of cold weather (which I can’t celebrate – I know lots of people are jumping for joy, but I like heat and I’m in deep mourning for my flip-flops) but I just felt compelled to stock my fridge this weekend. In addition to the usual chopping of cucumbers and fruit for the week, I made red wine-braised lentils; coconut tofu curry; roasted butternut squash; tofu, apple and butternut squash breakfast hash; and homemade cinnamon applesauce. We will be eating well this week.
Blogging. Talking about book club on Wednesday, and then (hopefully) sharing pictures of our final hike of vacation on Friday. (They’re all still in my camera, and I need to dig out the USB cord so I can get them uploaded. Here’s hoping.)
Loving. After my marathon cooking weekend, I have to give shouts to my favorite All-Clad soup pot – similar to this one. It’s my go-to cooking vessel and it’s called into service several times a week and still looks brand-new. This weekend I used it for the braised lentils, the tofu curry and the applesauce. It wasn’t inexpensive, but I’ve been using it regularly for almost ten years now and man, do I love it. There’s something about the sight of soup, stew or curry bubbling away in that gleaming stainless steel – it’s as comforting as it gets.
Asking. What are you reading this week?
covered in flour 
I was planning on visiting my parents this weekend to go see the fall leaves on Skyline Drive. Do you think this weekend will still be too early to really see the good colors? I guess it might not be meant to be anyway because so far it looks like it is calling for rain in northern va on Saturday too.
The weather does look like it’s going to be gross (grrrr – I’m so sick of gloomy weekend weather!) but aside from leaky skies I think the foliage should be hitting peak, especially out in the mountains. It was still fairly green when we were there last weekend, but I usually notice leaves changing around the end of October/beginning of November around here. So I think you’d be right on time. And on the plus side – if it’s not actually raining – grey skies are nice for photographing foliage!
I appreciate your optimism! It makes me think I might be able to salvage my trip this weekend after all. I was pretty much decided on cancelling but now, maybe it still will be worth the drive! Thanks!
I hope I’m not leading you astray! I do think if you pushed it by a week there should still be foliage. Where I am, closer to DC, the leaves are always on the late side, but I know that in the mountains they appear earlier.
Thanks for the advice! Due to the weather on Saturday, we only went as far as Bull Mountain instead of Skyline Drive and the leaves definitely weren’t quite at their peak but it was still beautiful to see. I’ll make it to Skyline eventually!
Reading “Educated” and “The Girl Who Smiled Beads” close together…you’re right, those are two heavy books. I got a lot out of both of them, though. And I feel like I read them really close together as well.
Glad you had such a nice weekend! I stayed inside a lot and did food prep for the week ahead, too. It’s nice not to have so much to do when you get home from work.
Very heavy! I was listening to “Educated” this morning on my way in and I think I’m at the most difficult part, which I knew was coming but doesn’t make it any easier to hear. This is the kind of book I would normally prefer to read visually, but audio was the only option!
And yay for another vote for batch-cooking! I know that’s something we have in common. You’re so right, it is much easier not to come home to a fridge full of raw materials and no inspiration… Although I’m always inspired to make a curry these days, because my walk home takes me past the most delicious-smelling Indian restaurant!