Well, here we go – a new week.  For those who enjoyed a long weekend, I hope it was wonderful and restful, and that your Sunday Scaries weren’t too bad.  Mine hit hard – after four days of not working (but lots of worrying that I should be) and a busy week ahead.  But let’s not talk about that.  How were your Thanksgivings?  We had a great one – shoved off early on Wednesday to drive up to Albany, NY, to visit my folks.  (What do you think of that skyline?  The river, the mountains, the sunset…)  Thanksgiving was as peaceful and relaxing as I’d predicted – after getting through the remains of my particularly time-sensitive work on Wednesday afternoon, I gave myself over to resting.  My mom cooked a delicious dinner and I didn’t have to help at all, and over the course of the weekend I got in all of the things I was hoping for – lots of reading time, visits with two of my closest friends, holiday lights in Washington Park and a delicious dinner out at Dove + Deer, a hike in the crisp November air, and a long afternoon of chatting with my grandmother and aunt.  We even managed to decorate my parents’ Christmas tree on Saturday night.  So – a successful Thanksgiving weekend.  Now it’s a busy December ahead, between holiday preparations and wrapping up the year at work.  Full steam ahead!

Reading.  It was a very busy reading week – as I’d hoped and expected, knowing that I had a luxuriously long weekend and limited responsibilities.  Sometimes I spend more time chatting to my mom than reading on visits to NY, but not this time, thanks to a painful cough and laryngitis.  So there was nothing for it but to read, and read, and read some more.  I finished Wait for Me!, the memoirs of Debo Mitford, a.k.a. the Duchess of Devonshire, on Wednesday evening, polished off Poems of Gratitude between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, then spent most of the rest of the weekend feverishly flipping pages in Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession.  I finished it just as we rolled into our driveway, chilled to the bone by the last chapter (shudder) and promptly – or as soon as the kids were settled in, anyway – polished off the December chapter of The Almanac 2019, which I’ve been reading all year, as a palate cleanser.  Still seeking something comforting to begin the workweek with, I’m now well into Not That It Matters, a collection of essays by A.A. Milne.  Next up – I’m not sure, but I’m thinking something Christmassy.

Watching.  I’m strictly Team After Thanksgiving when it comes to Christmas music and movies, but since we have now passed the date, all bets are off.  Most importantly in terms of viewing, the kids celebrated a milestone – the first viewing of Home Alone.  Nugget’s jaw was on the floor.  And Nana used it as a teachable moment for advising the kids about the dangers of being disrespectful and generally annoying.  (Look what happened to Kevin McAllister!  He had to sleep in the attic and then his family went to France without him!)  Just as important as Home Alone was the traditional post-Christmas-tree-decorating first viewing of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, which will be played on repeat all season.  You serious, Clark?

Listening.  This is the category that suffers for the wealth of reading and watching that was done this week.  I didn’t listen to much of anything, save a couple of podcast episodes in the early part of the week.  Can’t even remember what they were, so clearly nothing too exciting.

Making.  I’m rather pleased to report that I didn’t make anything.  In a week when most people were tied to their kitchens, I was relaxing on the couch with a book.  (Thanks, Mom!)  With all the holiday preparations ahead of me, that will surely change this week – but it was restful.

Blogging.  November reading round-up coming atcha on Wednesday, and a hike recap from our Thanksgiving travels on Friday.  Check back with me then!

Loving.  As gift-giving season gets underway, I am feeling rather smug, because I have teacher gifts all taken care of.  For those who are still looking for ideas, I love to give Rescue Gifts – there’s a variety of themes and price points, and Rescue.org has a good score on Charity Watch.  They’re good for last-minute shopping, because you can get an e-gift card delivered to the recipient’s email, but I like to order the printed cards for the kids to give their teachers on the last day of school before the holiday break.  I thought far enough ahead this year and ordered before Thanksgiving, which leaves me plenty of time.  I’m feeling good about having one of my holiday to-do list items checked off, and even better about the kids’ gifts – school supplies for refugee children, dedicated in their teachers’ names – this year.

Asking.  What are you reading this week?