Yawwwwwn. G’morning, friends. How were your weekends? Mine was busy – as usual – probably too busy. Last week, as I mentioned, I was in Seattle on business for five days. It was a wonderful trip, as trips to Seattle always are: lots of time spent with colleagues who have become friends, plenty of laughter, new friends from other business lines and countries, and three really inspiring days of speakers. I’m still getting used to feeling actually happy and energized and joyful about my job – it’s a new experience for me as a lawyer.

Anyway, as fun as the week was, I was wiped out by the end and really needed a weekend of just downtime, so obviously I did the exact opposite. On Saturday I slept late (guess I was still on Pacific time, unusual for me because I normally snap right into the local time whenever I travel) but when I woke up we rolled out the door right away and headed over to Riverbend Park, our local favorite, to wander our favorite trail and check on the local eagles. Surprise: we arrived to find a bluebell festival in full swing. There was a “ninja course” and “magnet fishing” and the kids were in hog heaven – although we did drag them away for that hike for a little while. It was bonus bluebells, because our big plan for the weekend was to hike at our old favorite flower-viewing spot, the Bluebell Loop Trail at Bull Run Regional Park, on Sunday. Which is what we did, and it was absolutely glorious – full recap coming on Wednesday. Followed immediately by swim lessons (for Peanut only; Nugget went on Friday and we just juggled the schedule again so they’re now going on Saturdays, at the same timeslot, big exhale people). And then instead of collapsing on the couch like I wanted to, I spent the afternoon baking focaccia, hanging the eno hammock for the kids, and building the first bonfire of the season. I need a weekend to recover from my weekend.

Reading. Not much time for books last week, but I made the most of what time I had. I was reading Green Thoughts at the end of last weekend, but left it home and brought my kindle with me to Seattle. Had big plans for whipping through several kindle books, but there wasn’t that much downtime and what downtime there was, I was so fried that I – wait for it, wait for it – watched TV. I know. I did make it through one book, though: Cheerfulness Breaks In, because Barsetshire is always a good place for the weary. Turned back to Green Thoughts when I got home and wrapped it up in the car on the way to swim lessons, then picked up Kate Hardy. I’m only about a third of the way in but it’s delightful so far.

Watching. Surprising amounts of TV, but I just wanted to turn my brain off; that happens sometimes. I love watching The Daily Show when I go out to Seattle because it’s on at the entirely respectable and manageable hour of 8:00 p.m. – except for last week, which was apparently a hiatus of some sort. Sob. But they replaced it with back-to-back episodes of The Office, so I laughed my way through quite a few visits with Jim, Pam, Andy, Dwight and the gang and then switched over to Nick at Nite – which was showing Friends all night long and making me feel old. Can I say, too, that Friends has not aged well. Still love Monica and Chandler but was cringing a lot, especially at Joey. (Sob, again.) I’ve never liked Ross, so while his obnoxious character traits were definitely in sharper relief too, it was less of a disappointment.

Listening. Between work and naps on the plane to and fro, I also listened to a bunch of podcast episodes. I had big plans to pick one and treat it like an audiobook and blaze through back-to-back episodes but I ended up flitting from The Mom Hour to The Read-Aloud Revival to The Stubborn Light of Things to Tea or Books to As the Season Turns and enjoyed every minute.

Making. Basically no work product all last week, whoops. That’s what happens when you’re fully booked up with conference activities. I’ll pay for it this week – more than 100 unread emails and I’m covering for a colleague on vacation, yowsers. Good thing I like what I do. Outside of work, I made: lots of bluebell photos; Sunday dinner – homemade focaccia and a tomato and bean bake, yum; a gigantic bonfire and, related, a yard completely cleared of winter storm debris and a diminished (but still very untidy) woodpile. Not a bad weekend’s work.

Moving. Had two absolutely lovely runs in Seattle: one morning looping the Seattle Center – from my hotel to the Space Needle, around the Chihuly Gardens and PacSci, circumnavigating Climate Pledge Arena (release the Kraken!) and back; the second morning down to the waterfront, running along Alaskan Way from Pike Place all the way to the Mariners’ ballpark and back. The mountains were out and it was glorious. Also squeezed in two barre workouts, because I am trying to be better about resistance training. And two bluebell hikes over the weekend. I’m exhausted, in a good way.

Blogging. Sharing bluebell pictures with you on Wednesday, because how can I not? (If you’re local to DC or NoVA, note that the bluebells should be peaking for another week or so, so you still have time.) And back to Colorado on Friday: a sweet mountain town and a hiking trail with the absolute stinking cutest name I’ve ever seen.

Loving. This will come as no surprise, but the thing that has made my life for the past week has been getting outside as much as humanly possible. I keep seeing all this research about how important time in nature is to physical and mental health, and it’s so true. And my fresh air time took me to such wonderful places this past week – from running along a seawall with jaw-dropping mountains in the distance, to squelching through mud with my family and gaping at a glory of bluebells, to standing in my own backyard poking at a roaring bonfire for two hours. I always feel better starting the week with my fresh air tank full.

Asking. What are you reading this week?