Happy Star Wars Day, fellow geeks!  May the Fourth be with you!  Beware, if we are friends on Facebook, I will be re-posting Drunk Austen’s Colin-Firth-with-a-lightsaber mashup pic.  Every year.

So, how were your weekends?  For a quarantine weekend, ours was pretty nice.  It got started early – on Friday afternoon we took a ride over to our new house to meet with the realtor, do a walk-through and pick up the keys.  There are a few small maintenance items that we’re asking the landlord to take care of before we move in, and the place needs a good cleaning.  But it was fun to see it again and to be able to really start planning how we’re going to use the space.  While I’m going to miss our sweet row house in Old Town, the new place is an upgrade in pretty much every way (the only exceptions being walkability and the kitchen).  Anyway – after the house appointment, we headed home for leftovers and The Mandalorian.

Saturday was absolutely gorgeous outside, and we took advantage of it by spending almost the entire day outdoors.  First up was a family walk – our goal was the waterfront, but Peanut asked to stop by the library (which is closed; she just wanted to gaze at the building, and yes she is definitely my daughter) and the kids ended up having so much fun running around the courtyard there that we never made it any further.  We just hung out at the library running sprints and playing tag and “What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?”.  (There’s a sentence I never thought I’d write.)  After lunch we were back outdoors – or at least, Nugget and I were.  This is very exciting: we rode together on the bike path!  Up to now I’ve been taking both kids out and walking alongside them as they ride.  Nugget can get to a decent clip but Peanut is a glacier and I couldn’t ride with them and also keep track of two kids with very different paces.  But I determined that Nugget is fast enough to allow me to ride with him without falling off from going too slow, and I decided that this was the weekend.  Dream come true, you guys!  I definitely still rode the brakes and stopped a lot; he’s fast for a five-year-old but he’s not faster than a carbon-framed road bike.  I’m going to have to break him of the habit of looking behind him to make sure I’m still there; I assured him repeatedly that he could go as fast as he wanted and I’d have no problem keeping up.  Anyway – this was so much fun.  I love cycling; longtime readers might remember when I had more spare time and rode in a few distance events, like the Skyride in Buffalo and the Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City.  And I grew up cruising the bike paths with my parents and my brother.  So I’ve been looking forward to riding as a family for ages now.  It’s not possible yet – I need to build Peanut’s confidence and get Steve a bike of his own.  But this was a good start.  We spent the rest of the day on our back patio; I cleaned up a bunch of weeds and dead plants and started getting the garden ready to move, and the kids messed around in the sandbox.  I think the only time I went indoors all day was to bake bread.  Definitely a good day.

Whew!  And that was just Saturday.  Sunday was more low-key, for sure.  I got out for a run in the morning and got in some good patio time in the afternoon, but it rained in between.  And we had three – count ’em – FaceTime dates on the schedule for Sunday.  Social at a distance FTW.  First Peanut spent about an hour and a half gabbing and giggling with her bestie, S, who lives one county away – over in Arlington.  It had been too long since they got to talk, and I’m so glad we made this happen.  And I even got the phone away from her for a few minutes at the end, so I had a very quick catch-up session with S’s mom, Rachel.  Just a brief check-in and planning for the next FaceTime play date and real-life hugs as soon as possible.  In the afternoon, we had two more FaceTime appointments – Steve’s mom, followed immediately by my brother and sister-in-law.  It was good to see all of their faces.  And that was Sunday.  I am beat, and also so content.

Reading.  It was another slow reading week, but I’m glad to report that things picked up near the end.  I spent most of the week half-heartedly plodding my way through The Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook, which is an absolutely wonderful book that I’ll use to great effect as a reference volume, but isn’t especially well-suited for reading cover to cover.  I think it broke through my slump, though, so it’s a winner.  On Friday evening I picked up Where Angels Fear to Tread, another title from my Classics Club Challenge list, and read it in a few big gulps between Friday night and Sunday morning.  Finally, wanting another non-fiction title, I picked up Jane Austen at Home.  I borrowed it from my friend Susan ages ago, and it has been sitting on my shelf making me feel guilty ever since.  I’ve only got one unread library book left on my stack, and I’d love to get through the small pile I borrowed from Susan before I move.  Steve would tell you there is literally no length to which I will not go in order to avoid reading my own books, but that’s not it at all.  It’s just that these shiny new borrowed books are everywhere I look.  I can’t help myself.

Watching.  So much great watching this week!  (I never say that.)  Several episodes of The Mandalorian – even Peanut is into it now, and Steve, Nugget and I are ob. sessed.  We’re six episodes in now and my only complaint is: not enough Cara Dune!  The people want more Cara Dune!  (Also, do I love Cara more than Jyn Urso?  Possibly.  Evidently I like a strong female character with a chip on her shoulder and a healthy disrespect for authority.)  Other great watching of the week: the Parks and Recreation special reunion episode, which was everything I wanted it to be and more, and Miranda Mills’ tour of the bookshelves in her home office, via YouTube, on Tuesday (my designated TV night, apparently).  Although I did get a touch of the motion sickness when Miranda tried to hold the camera while simultaneously extracting a book from her packed – and fabulous – shelves.  And lastly – you’ll have to read my “loving” section.

Listening.  Not as much listening, because I didn’t do great with my running this week.  Only got out a few times, listening to episodes of The Mom Hour each time.  And I tried to put on R.E.M. while we were hanging out at the patio, but was promptly smacked down by Peanut, who asked in a voice absolutely dripping with scorn, “Mom.  What is this?  It sounds like moaning.”  Two things: she is seven going on seventeen, you guys, and that sound you heard was my nineties-kid heart shattering into a million pieces.  WHO DOES NOT LIKE R.E.M.???  I cannot.

Moving.  Didn’t do as well as I wanted to, but I got out for a couple of runs, and several morning walks, and had the aforementioned amazingly wonderfully happy joyful bike riding afternoon with my little buddy.  The good news, other than HAPPY JOYFUL BIKE SATURDAY, was that my run on Sunday felt great.  I felt strong, breathing was easy, and I had a huge smile on my face the whole time.  The AMR training plan is definitely doing something.

Making.  The usual.  Sourdough bread, requested by Steve.  And progress on a couple of back family yearbooks that I want to finish before the next Shutterfly sale.  A lot of clean dishes and wiped-down counters, and a growing pile of homeschool work product.  I’m trying so hard not to let the kids see that I am stressed, and to make this a happy and memorable time for them.  Some days, I do this better than other days.  This weekend was good.

Blogging.  I have a Classics Club Challenge review post for you on Wednesday – I’m way behind on reviews, but still trotting along with the books themselves.  And then some real talk about quarantine on Friday.  All stuff I think everyone is feeling at this stage.

Loving.  I can’t stop watching this, you guys – the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s FeederWatch Live Cam at the Treman Bird Feeding Garden.  Between the breeze in the leaves, the sparkling water just behind the feeder, and the winged visitors, it might be the most peaceful thing I’ve ever seen.  I sat and stared at it for chunks of time all weekend, and saw red-winged blackbirds, American goldfinches, mourning doves, cardinals, common grackles, blue jays downy and red-belled woodpeckers, and more, visit for a snack.  Literally.  Can’t.  Get.  Enough.

Asking.  What are you reading this week?