I have a question for you guys: how do you fend off the dreaded Sunday Scaries? I mean that creeping sense of dread that the week is coming and there’s nothing you can do about it. It starts for me at around noon on Sunday. It’s definitely more intense when I have a task I am dreading, or a difficult person that I know I’m going to have to deal with at some point in the upcoming five days (thankfully, the difficult people are not my co-workers, who are wonderful!). And it can really eat up an afternoon. Know what I mean? Anyway. Sunday Scaries aside, we did have a relaxing weekend. It was Peanut’s half birthday, so we let her decide where we were hiking, and all she wanted to do was visit the park right in our neighborhood – nice and easy. It ended up that both Saturday and Sunday followed the same pattern: wake up slowly, straggle out the door to the neighborhood park, come home and be productive for a few hours, crash with book. On Saturday, the afternoon productivity took the form of a massive clean-out and organizing of Nugget’s bedroom, and a work call at the same time. On Sunday, I tornadoed through the ground floor, cleaned Nugget’s school station and my work area, did dishes, swept, ordered some new cleaning supplies (we were running low) and took Nugget out to the garden center for more birdseed. That was the big fun of the weekend; randomly, I had never brought him before – I usually just run in, pick up the birdseed I need, and rush on home – and every time I go I think about how much he would love it there. In addition to a bunch of stuff he likes (birdseed, bird feeders, gardening supplies) they have a little farm out front with pigs, chickens, bunnies, and goats. Dude went nuts – even stuck his finger in and petted the rooster before I realized what he was about – and I’m so glad I finally got around to bringing him.

And now, another week begins. Wish me luck…

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Reading. So! Some reading week. I spent most of it with Moby-Dick. Full review coming on Friday, but, spoiler ahoy – not my cup of tea. Pages and pages and pages of how-to manual on whaling, interspersed with gory cetacean murder scenes… just not for me. The weekend was more promising. First of all, on Friday morning – prior to turning grimly back to Moby-Dick – Peanut and I finished our read-aloud of Betsy-Tacy and Tib. I don’t mention it every week, but we generally always have a book on the go, and if it’s a classic I’ll include it in my “read” totals for the year, because it’s just as much for me as it is for her. The rest of the weekend was devoted to pure fun. On Friday night, after finishing Moby-Dick, I turned to my library (!!!) book, That Can Be Arranged: A Muslim Love Story. I’ll write more about it next week, but for now: when a graphic novel memoir opens by paraphrasing Jane Austen, you just know it’s going to be wonderful. It was a quick read, and I finished it by 9:00 on Saturday morning – off to the races. Most of the rest of my weekend reading time was devoted to A Winter Away, from the Furrowed Middlebrow collection for Dean Street Press, which I LOVED. No predictions now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that one ends up on my top-ten list for the year. And finally, ended Sunday curled up with another Furrowed Middlebrow book – The Woods in Winter, by Stella Gibbons (yes, she of Cold Comfort Farm fame). Can you tell I’m on a winter books jag right now?

Watching. A little of this and a little of that – some Rick Steves, some Rock the Park, but the most exciting thing is: I introduced the kids (and poor Steve) to the 1996 Matilda movie. The kids love it and have insisted on watching it twice as a family this week. Steve is barely tolerating it. I am jubilant. I bought Peanut the book for a small half-birthday present, and she is devouring it, Matilda-like.

Listening. Still binging those bookish podcasts, yo. I finished my stash of back episodes of Tea or Books and The Slightly Foxed Podcast, and a few episodes of Shedunnit, just for good measure. (Where am I finding time to listen to all of these podcasts? I have no idea. I listen when I drive to the grocery story and when I do dishes, but that’s it?) As of blog post press time, I am midway through an episode of Shedunnit on vacation-themed murder mysteries – so good.

Making. A clean, tidy and organized little boy’s room – that’s my big achievement for the week. I spent Saturday afternoon putting together a closet organizer and then filling it up with Nugget’s toys. He loves his clean room, and being able to find his stuff. We’re working on paring down the toys to what both kids actually enjoy playing with; Nugget in particular seems to be much happier when he’s not surrounded by clutter.

Moving. Boring week to report. A couple of Peloton workouts, some walks, and maybe one run? I can’t even remember.

Blogging. Bookish week for ya! On Wednesday, I have February’s Themed Reads, and on Friday, that review of Moby-Dick. I am sorry to tell you, the gif website failed me this time, so it won’t be a very funny post. I would say there’s a cookie in it for you if you make it through the whole review, but hell, I had to read the whole book.

Loving. This one is kind of bittersweet. So, before I left my last job, my work wife Samantha gave me a gift set of three Beautycounter hand lotions. All three smell fabulous; all three are almost empty. They’ve literally been saving my life – or more specifically, my hands – in this winter season. I am prone to dry skin in general, especially on my hands and especially when I am stressed out. This busy pandemic winter has been a recipe for disastrously scaly skin; it’s actually painful. These days I am never without one of the Beautycounter hand lotions from my dear Sam; they’re the best hand creams I have ever used. (I am a big Beautycounter fan in general.) Sadly, it seems Beautycounter no longer carries them – maybe they’re a holiday thing? – but I have a big jar of their citrus mimosa hand cream on its way to me. I will report back.

Asking. What are you reading this week?