Monday! You’re back! It’s funny – since I changed jobs, I really don’t mind Mondays anymore. That’s telling, right? It may not last, but I’m enjoying this new lease on life for now, anyway. Not to say that it wasn’t a great weekend. It was one of those weekends spent mostly outside, drenched in sun and fresh breezes (and quite a lot of sweat – it’s summer in the swamp, after all), and I crashed on the couch bone-tired on Sunday night. Just how I like it, especially in the summer.

On Saturday morning, I rolled out of bed and immediately shoved off to take Nugget mountain biking. I had promised him days before, and we were both looking forward to the ride. I’ve been diligently researching kid-friendly trails for my budding shredder, and found a wide trail (really an old dirt road) with basically no obstacles, so we hit it up. It was fun, but hillier than expected and we had to dodge several groups of hikers strolling along six abreast, which wasn’t awesome. It’s poor trail etiquette to begin with, and I’m trying to teach Nugget the rules of the road. But we navigated the human obstacles and had a great ride. It started to rain just as we were wrapping up our ride, but fortunately it was only a passing summer shower, because pretty much as soon as we got home (after feeding the kiddos a quick lunch) we were back out the door, this time as a foursome, headed for our favorite kayaking spot just upriver from Georgetown. Between wind and current, it was a tough paddle – but fun. Can you believe that was just Saturday morning? The rest of the day was considerably more low-key. I puttered around cleaning, took a long walk after dinner, and read a bit.

Sunday was another active day. I slept in a little later than intended, so to beat the heat I pretty much rolled right out of bed and into my running shoes for four very sweaty miles in my hilly neighborhood. (Sometimes I really miss those flat Old Town streets and bike paths… sigh.) Came home and changed from road runners to trail runners – we hit up one of our local parks, Seneca Regional Park, for a family hike. We often avoid Seneca because there is a BIG and STEEP hill to contend with, but Steve suggested it would be good preparation for the Adirondacks later this summer, and I couldn’t argue with that. Between the run and the hike, my legs were pretty much dead after that; again, the rest of the day was devoted to house chores and errands, which was about all I had energy to do. But I love these active weekends; I have energy to burn after sitting at my dining room table solving problems with my brain all week.

Reading. Bit of a slow reading week – typical for summer. My reading pace always slows way down when the temperature heats up; I don’t worry about it. I spent the week luxuriating in British Summer Time Begins; it’s been on my list for months now but I was saving it for actual summer, and it was so much fun. The weekend was for my last remaining library checkout, the new Kazuo Ishiguro. Klara and the Sun has a very Never Let Me Go vibe, which is concerning. I’ll wrap it up today; really hope things turn out okay for that poor confused robot.

Listening. Finally! I have a good mix of things to report to you. First of all, I made a summer music playlist! Poor little Nugget had to listen to me belt out “Into the Mystic” (I like to really go for it on “IIIIIIIIII wanna rock your gypsy sooooooooul“) and “Letter Never Sent” – among others – on the way back from REI on Sunday. And I’ve also knocked out over an hour of All Creatures Great and Small on Audible, over a few post-dinner walks last week. Another couple of weeks of strolling the neighborhood and I’ll be done with it.

Watching. It’s Tour de France season again! Steve, who hates riding bikes himself (so sad) has good-naturedly watched the first two stages with me. I applied a combination of wheedling (“It’s really all about the shots of the French countryside, you love France!”) and guilt (“I’m always fourth in line for the TV!”) and amazingly, it worked. My plan is to keep this going as long as possible. I really want to watch the entire tour – fast-forwarding through the Peloton cycling through interminable back roads, obviously, and focusing on the really important stuff (French villages, King of the Mountain pushes, and the stage finish for the yellow jersey of the day). And when Le Tour is over, it’s only five days until the Opening Ceremonies of the next Olympics, so basically, I’m in charge of the family’s sports watching for the next two-ish months.

Making. Well, I intended to actually finish this task, but I’ve made… progress, at least… at dismantling the kiddos’ school setups. Nugget’s in particular looks like a hurricane went through it. I’ve gathered up the reusable supplies and started packing them into a Rubbermaid, begun a garbage bag for the worn-out stuff and random scribbles, and tidied up the crayon drawer, so – a good start. By the end of this week, I hope to have completely cleaned out, packed up and thrown away all of the school detritus. Send chocolate, you guys. Actually – forget chocolate. Send wine.

Moving. Another super active week! A double-digit mileage week in terms of running; several walks and bike rides in the neighborhood and local parks; a tough hike on Sunday; a morning of paddleboarding before work and a windy paddle on the Potomac with the family; a strength workout; a yoga workout. I’ve got a streak going of doing at least something every day, and it’s been so much fun. Another side effect of the new job: I have motivation again.

Blogging. I thought I was done with my Tales from the Exurbs for a little while, but we have a very dignified new neighbor and I just have to introduce you all, so that’s Wednesday. And on Friday, my wrap-up – for what it’s worth – of my slow June in books. Check in with me then!

Loving. Did you know that Instagram has a new feature that allows you to enter your pronouns into your profile? (I mean, other than just in the field for your name.) This is a new development that is just so wonderful. It’s so important for allyship to normalize sharing pronouns – to send the message that gender is a large spectrum, and also to create a safe space for trans, nonbinary, and other folx to share their pronouns. I entered my “she/her” and it’s now in slightly smaller letters below my name on my profile – yay! If you haven’t already added your pronouns to your Instagram profile, would you please consider it? It’s so very important.

Asking. What are you reading this week?

Good Monday morning, friends! How were your weekends? Were you celebrating Juneteenth and Father’s Day? We had a busy weekend showering Steve with love and appreciation for all he does for our family. On Saturday, we were out the door early for a favorite hike – Riverbend to Great Falls (for a picnic) and then back. It’s not a particularly demanding hike, but at about four miles it’s quite a distance for the munchkins’ little legs. They were champs, though – especially on the way back, powered as they were by hot dog buns spread liberally with Nutella. (We’re low on groceries.) I spent the rest of Saturday reading – The Vanishing Half, a beautiful new(ish) novel by a Black author, and several articles about Critical Race Theory and the law.

On Sunday, Steve bounced out of bed early for Formula One (I believe it was the French Grand Prix this weekend?) so we gave him his present over breakfast – I had ordered his favorite chicken wings from Duff’s, a Buffalo institution; he hasn’t had them since we moved back to Virginia five years ago now, so to say he was excited would be an understatement. (And surprised. I’ve learned that the trick to keeping a gift a surprise until the appropriate time is not telling the kids anything.) The rest of the morning was slow. Steve and I both got out for runs in the humidity, then fed the kids an early lunch and headed for the river. Steve’s wish for a Father’s Day activity was kayaking at our favorite spot, and I’m happy to oblige that. We wrapped up the weekend with sushi, and I think our resident dad felt very celebrated.

Reading. A good reading week! After bogging down in Ready Player Two (how? well, the concept is basically the same as Ready Player One, so it doesn’t come across as quite so creative the second time around, and I couldn’t care less about the gang’s mission on the planet of Prince, let alone for seven chapters) I finally finished – and moved on to more library books for most of the week. The Vanishing Half occupied the second half of the week, and it was time very well spent; I don’t know if I loved it as much as The Mothers, but I loved it, it was wonderful. Then I spent Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon over Wintering – an odd seasonal choice, I know, but this is when my number came up at the library, so what can I do? Finally, on Sunday evening, I was able to turn back to my own shelf; I do have one more library book out right now, but British Summer Time Begins was calling to me.

Watching. Not much over the course of the week, but good weekend watching! On Saturday night, Steve generously signed one of his nights of TV choice over to the kids, and they picked Luca, a new Pixar movie that just dropped on Disney+. It was actually adorable, and we all enjoyed it. And then on Sunday, we started Okavango: River of Dreams – Steve’s choice. I’ve had a longtime life goal to kayak the Okavango, and Steve has apparently become obsessed with the idea, too. (No complaints here!) We made it through about a third of the movie before the kids sacked out, so there will be more Okavango to come this week.

Listening. Eh, nothing much new to report here. Same New Pornographers (or “Carl and Neko,” as I call them in mixed company) on repeat.

Making. Nothing much to report here, either – no cooking or baking, although I had big plans to make a paleo peach crisp that will have to wait a bit longer. Infuriatingly, our dishwasher repair techs no-showed for our appointment on Wednesday. We called, and our landlord called, and we were promised a visit on Thursday. And then they no-showed on Thursday, too, and now no one is available until this coming Wednesday (allegedly). We’ve worked out that we have been without a working dishwasher for a quarter of the time we have lived in this house, which – while it doesn’t make the house uninhabitable – is totally unacceptable. I hope to have some paleo peach crisp to show you next week, but honestly? Don’t hold your breath.

Moving. It was a great week of movement! Four runs, a long hike, a tough (current, wind) paddle, and one strength training session. The highlight was running around the Little League ballpark one day last week, after dropping Nugget off at baseball camp. I’m having way too much fun running in my new Hokas. I’ve been a loyal Brooks customer since 2010, and I still love their shoes, but… Hokas, man, they’re just so soft and springy.

Blogging. Big audacious bucket list goals coming atcha on Wednesday, and on Friday… something. I haven’t figured out what yet. We’ll all be surprised!

Loving. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, grandpas, stepdads, father figures, mentors, and to the Second Gentleman! Steve does so much for us all year, and it was fun to plan a day of spoiling him. He was surprised and delighted by his present – PSA, upstate New Yorkers, you can order Duff’s through Goldbelly, it’s expensive but that look was worth it.

Asking. What are you reading this week?

Morning, friends! How were your weekends? I’m sad to see the back of this one. Since starting my new job I don’t dread Mondays the way I used to (a good sign!) but all the same, we had so much fun over Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday morning, Nugget and I had a kayaking date at Fletcher’s Cove, our favorite paddling spot (just upriver from Georgetown). Steve and Peanut were off brunching in Old Town while Nugget and I tackled the mighty Potomac. The current was especially strong on Saturday – so much so that the boathouse employee told me that by the afternoon he probably wouldn’t be letting folks out on the river anymore; we were glad we were there in the morning, before it got too hairy. We made good distance considering the current, and we saw a bunch of different birds – success! After turning in our kayak, we changed out of our river clothes and into some more respectable shorts and t-shirts, and had our own brunch date in Georgetown, followed by bike shopping. Nugget wanted to check out the next size up in mountain bikes – for his wish list, fam. I promised him a stop in a couple of bike shops, but sternly told him “I am not buying any bikes today, buddy, so don’t ask.” Famous last words? On a whim, we stuck our heads in the Bicycle Pro Shop on M Street – a Georgetown institution – and they randomly, serendipitously, had a Specialized Rockhopper Sport, size XS, color papaya – the very bike I’ve been gazing soulfully at online for over a year, which has been sold out everywhere. So after swearing up and down that I was REALLY NOT BUYING ANY BIKES TODAY, Nugget and I found ourselves wheeling the Rockhopper down M Street, back to the car and home to the mountain bike capital of Northern Virginia. Saw that coming a mile away.

Since kayaking, brunch and bike shopping (and a play date later in the afternoon, I didn’t even mention that) were apparently not enough for one weekend, I ran around all Sunday working off excess energy – starting with a 5K at 6:30 a.m. (hey, I was up), followed by a hike at our local favorite, Riverbend Park, and then Nugget and Mommy’s Excellent Adventures continued with our first trail ride. We hit a section of Difficult Run and Nugget was a total champ – riding over rocks and roots, down hills and through puddles (we were both whooping out loud at the puddles). We finished the ride caked in mud – our legs, our tires, and our bike frames – and delighted. We’re already planning next weekend’s ride.

Reading. Kind of a slow reading week – ’tis the season. I’m always full of big plans to read late into the bright summer evenings, and I always find myself scrolling through pictures and reliving the adventures of the week instead. But I have turned some pages. Mid-week, I finished up The Kitchen Front – it’s already back at the library. Then I took a break on the library stack and polished off a back issue of Slightly Foxed (always so good). Now it’s back to it; as of press time I’m about three-quarters of the way through Ready Player Two. It’s fun and all, but not as enthralling as its predecessor, Ready Player One. I have a few more library deadlines looming, so it’ll be another week or two before I can get back to my own shelves, but I’m looking forward to that (and I really am making an effort to be more disciplined about the holds queue).

Watching. Still working our way through Miss Marple on Britbox (I love it; Steve seems to be tolerating it okay). And with the kids, we’ve had a fun week over two Disneynature films – Dolphin Reef and Elephant. I loved them both. Did you know that Elephant is narrated by Duchess Meghan? Mind officially blown. Also, it was wonderful.

Listening. I’m trying to remember if I put in any podcast or audiobook time this week; if I did, it wasn’t memorable. It was another music-heavy week, particularly The New Pornographers again. I’ve been listening to “Chump Change” on repeat.

Moving. Very busy week! Three runs, several long evening walks, a hike, and a muddy trail ride on my new treasure. (Nugget and I are mulling over names for the new bike. We’re leaning toward “Adventure Annie,” Annie for short. Validation welcome.) I’ve been on a mission to get a sixty-day streak of 10,000 steps a day; I found myself looping the couch or calling relatives just to have an excuse to pace around the living room with my phone, but today will be day 10, so I’m on my way.

Making. Um, nothing much? My dishwasher is broken – again, and have I mentioned lately how sick I am of renting? – so we’ve been eating ALL the takeout and doing basically no cooking. I did make the aforementioned several phone calls. The highlight was to my BFF, Rebecca, on Thursday evening. She is starting her own law firm, and this week is the big launch! I’m so excited for her; we’ve spent hours going over all the details over the phone over the past few months. So, making – phone calls, yes, lots of them.

Blogging. Getting back to post-pandemic planning with my medium-sized goals on Wednesday, and musing on a year living in the exurbs (I can’t believe it’s been a whole year) on Friday.

Loving. Did you know that the Duchess of Cornwall has a bookstagram? The handle is duchessofcornwallsreadingroom, and I can’t get enough. Camilla recommends the Cazalet Chronicles, A Gentleman in Moscow, The Secret Commonwealth, Swallows and Amazons – basically, she has impeccable taste. Apparently there’s also a show in which Camilla interviews authors and talks about books? I have to find a way to stream this.

Asking. What are you reading this week?

Morning, guys. Happy… whoops!… Tuesday. I have no excuse for flaking on you yesterday, or Friday either. Just caught up in a whirl of other things, and I forgot. Sorry! It was a very full, busy weekend. My parents came down for a visit, primarily for the purpose of watching Nugget’s final tee-ball game of the season. They had originally planned to come the weekend before Memorial Day, but plans shifted with a family funeral. But you know what? It ended up being good, because Nugget got a trophy for playing the season, and he was so proud and excited that his Nana and Grandad were there to see it. After the game, we headed to Algonkian Regional Park for a short/easy hike along the river – but it was kind of a fail. Nugget was tired and didn’t want to move (very unusual for him), we got separated as a result – with Peanut and my parents going on ahead; Nugget and Daddy loitering on the beach; and me indecisively lingering in the middle, not sure if I should rush ahead to catch up with Peanut, stay behind and comfort Nugget, or what. I ended up trying so hard to catch Peanut and my parents that I overtook them. See? Kind of a fail.

On Sunday, we planned to take the grandparents kayaking at our favorite spot – Fletcher’s Cove, upriver from Georgetown. In the morning, my parents and I took the munchkins to practice riding their bikes (poor Steve had to work – he has a trial this week). The bike riding was a mixed bag, but kayaking was a highlight of the weekend. It felt so good to be back out on the river. My mom and I shared a boat; Peanut went with Steve (as usual); and Nugget teamed up with Grandad. I smiled the whole time – I’ve had so much fun paddleboarding this season, but kayaking is my first paddlesports love. We finished the weekend with Old Brogue takeout and a campfire; the cicada logistics were tricky, but the s’mores were (as always) delicious.

Reading. As always when I have houseguests, I had a slow reading week (it was worth it, though!). I finished Drawn from Life on Memorial Day, then spent most of the week over A Thousand Ships – the Trojan War and Odyssey from the perspective of the women, and it was fabulous. A potential highlight of the year – we’ll see. Over the weekend, I turned to The Kitchen Front, which is sweet – but without much reading time, I am only halfway through as of press time.

Watching. I’ve been wanting to show my parents Rock the Park, because I’ve always thought they would love it. So I finally did, and they did! Over the weekend they cruised through at least half of the six seasons’ worth of episodes. (Impressive, no?)

Listening. Finally got back to my audiobook! Trying to get my steps in via the treadmill on Monday evening, I popped my earbuds in and turned on All Creatures Great and Small. I’ve been meaning to do that – walk with my audiobook – but the cicadas have made going outside kind of unpleasant; it hadn’t occurred to me to use the treadmill for that purpose, but I’ll definitely treadmill-and-audiobook again soon.

Moving. Pretty active week! On top of a few neighborhood runs, I am just always moving at this time of year. On Memorial Day, we did a family hiking double-header (Mason Neck State Park and then Pohick Bay Regional Park), and then Nugget and I went out for a good two-and-a-half hours of paddleboarding. And we’re always tearing around when my parents visit – showing them our favorite hiking spots, chasing after the kids, and – this time – kayaking.

Making. Lots of yummy good food this week! Antipasti salad from The Giadzy – everyone loved it; I’ll make it again soon. Saucy chicken with artichokes, a “Mommy original” recipe. And, the best, the first campfire of the season – which by extension leads to the first s’mores of the season! YUM.

Blogging. Bookish week for you. I was planning to do my “medium” post-pandemic plans, but since I forgot to post my May reading round-up on Friday, we’ll table after-COVID dreaming until next week and talk about books on Wednesday. And on Friday, because I have a Themed Reads post for these long days near the Solstice.

Loving. This one is a little bittersweet – Nugget’s first Little League season is officially in the books! We have had so much fun these past few months. He’s made the very best baseball friends and learned a ton from his coach. He’s actually really good (unsurprisingly; Nugget has yet to meet a sport he didn’t immediately pick up) and – more to the point – he’s absolutely fallen in love with baseball. One of the little girls from his kindergarten class was on the team as well, and they have paired up for a couple of standout plays. (He’s always so proud – “Z and I tagged TWO RUNNERS OUT today, Mommy! I said Z, let’s get them out, and she threw me the ball and we tagged them but it was ALL HER!”) Oh – have I mentioned what a good sport he is? Whenever he and a teammate work together on a play, he gives them all the credit; and in almost every game he fields a ball and then hands it to the littlest teammate, a pint-sized four-year-old girl, to throw to first base. MELT. MY. HEART. Anyway – I’m so proud of how much he has learned and grown and what a good teammate he is, and he is so excited for the next steps – baseball camp this summer, tee-ball skills this fall, and then coach pitch next spring. I love how much he loves baseball.

Asking. What are you reading this week?

Good morning, and happy holiday Monday to my friends in the U.S.! How are you remembering and celebrating today? Not to mention enjoying the unofficial kickoff to summer? Unfortunately, this particular kickoff to summer has been grey, rainy, and cool – a far cry from last weekend’s 95 degree weather and burning hot beach sand. On Saturday, we woke up to driving rain; we spent the morning huddled in the house and only got out for errands in the afternoon. Nugget accompanied me to pick up a tent I’d ordered at REI; I had selected curbside pickup, but we ended up going into the store, which was a mistake. Nugget invariably wants everything at REI, and I can’t resist his little face, and also I want everything at REI too. So instead of camp mattresses for the kids – what I intended to find in-store – we came home with water bottles, Smartwool socks, a conversation starter game, and a new bike helmet (which he did actually need – his old one was getting to be too small). Whoops.

Sunday was grey and chilly too, but I couldn’t face another indoor day, so Nugget and I threw his bike in the trunk and went to test out his new helmet at one of the local elementary schools. (Daddy and Peanut were content to have another couch day.) Nugget decided it would be fun to ride around the bases on his tee-ball practice field, and also found a hill to careen down. We spent about two hours playing hopscotch and basketball, exploring a nature trail on the school grounds, and tearing around the baseball fields on two wheels (Nugget) and two feet (me). And then we came home and Nugget threw a tantrum because I wouldn’t let him eat an ENTIRE full-sized Hershey bar. I’m so mean. (Can’t win ’em all…)

Reading. Bit of a slow reading week. I was navigating a stressful situation all week, and it put me off my books a bit. Finished up the latest installment in Maisie Dobbs’ adventures on Monday, but spent most of the week unable to read more than a few pages of Majesty at a time. Eventually, I did knock it off, and the weekend was given over to E. H. Shepard’s memoirs Drawn from Memory and Drawn from Life, which have been on my TBR for ages. They’re peppered with illustrations in Shepard’s signature charming style, and I am loving them. Next up will be something off my library stack, but exactly what remains to be seen.

Watching. Who has two thumbs and a seven day trial subscription to BritBox? THIS girl. Turns out, all that was necessary to get Steve to finally dive in was finding out that Nigellissima is available. Boys. We watched an episode and a half on Sunday evening, then Nugget asked to go to bed. I tucked him in and rubbed his back until he dropped off, then came downstairs to find Steve and Peanut asleep on the couch, with Nigella still cooking onscreen. When your watching companions are asleep (literally snoring) there is only one thing to do: stealthily switch over to Marple. Steve woke up midway through “The Body in the Library: Part I” and was quite confused. Rest of the week, we watched more NatGeo shows on Disney+… lots of wildcats this week.

Listening. More music, because it’s been another stressful week and I still don’t have the attention for my audiobook. More New Pornographers and more Heather Nova. Oh, and I did manage a couple of podcast episodes – it was good to reunite with The Mom Hour.

Making. Not much creativity this week, I’m sad to say. Just one of those weeks. Some dinners for the family, some attempts to book summer travel (unsuccessful thus far). The best thing I made is down below – read on.

Moving. I did a lot of walking this week – walking off frustrations at some unnecessary drama involving a few co-workers from one of my former firms. Queen Elizabeth says a brisk walk always helps, and who am I to argue with Queen Elizabeth? I may have gotten out for a run or two, but honestly, I can’t remember.

Blogging. I’ve been doing a lot of dreaming about what I want post-pandemic life to look like, and I’m making the first of three bucket lists for the After Times this coming Wednesday. And on Friday, my May reading recap – check in with me then.

Loving. You guys. Can we talk about my new favorite breakfast? Let me set the scene here. I am not really much of a sweet tooth, especially in the morning – although I do love plain Greek yogurt, I am ambivalent about fruit and granola for breakfast, and those are the traditional accompaniments to yogurt, right? Recently I had the idea to make a savory yogurt bowl, and let me tell you, it was life-changing. I don’t say that lightly. I started with a base of my favorite Fage 2% plain Greek yogurt, then added a generous helping of halved cherry tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, and – here’s the best part – a shower of everything bagel seasoning. I was going to do za’atar, to nod to my quick labneh dip that I often make to go with crudites, but the bagel seasoning called to me and, not for nothing, it’s pure genius. If you like yogurt but aren’t big on sweets, you NEED to try this. I came up with the idea on Friday morning and have eaten it four days in a row.

Asking. What are you reading this week?

Well! Another Monday. Sorry for flaking on you guys last week. We had a death in the family (not entirely unexpected, but you’re never really ready to lose someone you love, are you?) and last week at this time Steve and the kids and I were en route to New York for the funeral, and I just couldn’t bring myself to sit down and write a blog post even when we rolled into town. I’m a very private griever and don’t want to go into any details, so I’ll leave it there.

Anyway – I have two weeks to recap for you here so I’ll try to keep it short and simple. Last Friday (so, a little over a week ago) I got my second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Yay! I was originally supposed to get it on Wednesday, the 12th, but since that was my third day of work I rescheduled it for the following Friday in order to give myself the weekend to bounce back if needed. Luckily, I seem to be one of the fortunate ones who escaped with almost no side effects from either dose. So we spent last weekend getting ready to head north, and then most of last week was devoted to spending time with family. We drove back on Thursday morning, because Steve had his second dose of Moderna on Friday, and Nugget had tee-ball (and team picture day, a can’t-miss!) on Saturday.

I had big plans for being productive this weekend – cleaning the house and prepping meals. My first two weeks at the corporate job have flown by in a haze of onboarding, but now actual work is starting to come across my desk, and I figured I could use a weekend to get the rest of life in order so I could really concentrate on learning the new job. As it happened, I totally blew off the productivity plans – but I think I needed that. On Saturday, Steve was a little tired from his shot, so I took Nugget for his tee-ball team pictures and then kept him busy on the playground. Steve was feeling good enough to come to the game and carry out his normal first base coach responsibilities, so that was good. The afternoon was spent rushing around to Target and other errands, getting ready for a much-needed fun Sunday at the beach. My law school BFF, Carly, and I have been trying to make plans for a few weekends now, and we kept getting rained out. With a sunny 95 degree day forecasted, I texted Carly: “Weird idea. What about a beach day?” She was into it (that’s one of my favorite things about Carly – she’s always down for whatever) and on Sunday morning we headed to the beach. Steve was still feeling a bit run-down, so he stayed home and the kids and I met up with Carly, her husband Matt, and their two munchkins. It was a HOT and sunny day, so much fun, and just what I needed. We ate watermelon and cherries out of huge tubs I packed; bobbed around in the refreshingly cool water; and took the kids for rides on my paddleboard. (Carly, Matt and I all took turns tooling around with the munchkins; only Peanut declined a ride.) It was glorious.

Reading. Two weeks to cover, so I did get through some books – but it was a busy and emotional two weeks, so I didn’t get through as many books as I otherwise would’ve. Anyway, superquick – I started off last week with Spring, one of Melissa Harrison’s beautiful seasonal anthologies. So good, of course! Then blazed through The Guest List, which was an interesting, twisty suspense novel. Needing a break from intensity, I picked up Mrs. Tim of the Regiment, which had been on my TBR for ages (I love D.E. Stevenson, and Mrs. Tim might be her most famous character; how had I not made it to that series yet??). Then, scared straight by a notice from the library that I had no renewals available for either Such a Fun Age or the new Maisie Dobbs, I diligently applied myself. I’m nearly done with The Consequences of Fear as of press time. And no idea what I’ll pick up next! Probably another library book, although my shelves are calling.

Watching. Hmmm. With two weeks of material to cover, I’m not sure if I’ll remember it all – but I’ll try. We finished Secrets of the Whales (finally!) and then watched Giants of the Deep Blue, because we were still on a whale jag. (Or I should say: Steve and the kids were still on a whale jag. I’m always on a whale jag. Whale jag is baseline for me.) Nugget also requested Wild Cats of India, so we’re working our way through that one now. And while we were at my parents’ house last week, we watched the usuals – Free Willy and (I think?) The Sandlot. Of course.

Listening. Lots of music. I just don’t have the emotional energy to focus on an audiobook or even a podcast. Plenty of The New Pornographers; some Alexei Murdoch; some Annie Lennox; and I downloaded Heather Nova’s Siren and found myself immediately plunged back into 1999, belting out “Winterblue” as I cruised down the highway. (Any other Heather Nova fans from back in the day? I saw her at Lilith Fair in 1998. Remember Lilith Fair? MEMORIES.)

Making. Uh, I don’t know. Lots of dinners for the family. Many, many check marks on my onboarding checklist for the new corporate job (I am deriving an embarrassing amount of joy in checking items off). That’s about it.

Moving. Good couple of weeks of movement. Quite a few runs, some strength training, some hiking, some paddleboarding in the Chesapeake. A nice mix of activities – hoping for more runs this coming week, but I’m going to have to get up earlier, because it’s H-O-T out there these days.

Blogging. Another tales from the exurbs on Wednesday – about some recent visitors that I’m not too happy about. And on Friday, I have a Themed Reads post with an entire booklist. Check in with me then.

Loving. I have said many times, and I’ll say many times more – I am so fortunate when it comes to friends. Last weekend, as my mom and I were discussing logistics for the upcoming family funeral, she suggested that Steve may have to stay home to watch the kids during the wake on Tuesday evening. “No,” I said, “I need him to come to the wake.” My mom understood, but asked, “Who’ll watch the kids?” With total confidence, I replied, “Jenn will watch them.” Jenn, my high school best friend, always has my back (and I have hers). It only occurred to me later that it might be a little unusual to have total faith, without even asking, that your high school BFF will jump to babysit your kids at a moment’s notice. But I knew that she would. After I got off the phone with my mom, I immediately called Jenn and tearfully told her about the death in the family. (And I hate crying in front of people, or even audibly over the phone – so you know this is a good friend.) “What do you need?” she asked. “Can you watch the kids on Tuesday night?” I wailed. Immediately, and without hesitation, she promised to be there. (On her election night; she was running for School Board – which I, I’m embarrassed to say, completely forgot in the haze of my own bereavement.) On Tuesday, Jenn showed up promptly at 4:00 p.m., with her husband and daughter in tow, and jumped immediately into mothering my kids too. Steve and I went off to the wake and were able to spend the time remembering with my family – and I was grateful, all evening, that I had a friend who would drop EVERYTHING to be there when I needed her. I have a few friends like that – my college BFF, Rebecca, law school BFF, Carly, and several of my Alexandria neighborhood friends. I am really blessed when it comes to the girlfriends in my life. Okay, gushing over – but I should tell you, Jenn won her election decisively.

Asking. What are you reading this week?

Morning, friends! Happy new week, and happy belated Mother’s Day – I hope that those of my friends who were celebrating had a good time showering the mother figures in your lives with love, and if you’re moms or mother figures yourselves, I hope that you were pampered as you deserve! Steve worked his butt off and pulled out all of the stops to give me a good day, and I felt very loved and appreciated.

Rewinding – vacation week is behind me now, and it felt good to take a pause and a breath between jobs. I got out paddling twice – not as much as I had wanted, thanks to the weather, but better than nothing; on my second paddling day I saw three gorgeous great blue herons, and two hawks diving for fish – pretty cool. Later in the week I made an impromptu trip up to my parents’ house to get in a visit to my grandmother. It wasn’t a planned trip, but it was good to get there and to see a few people (my grandmother most especially). Rather than deal with the production of traveling with the whole family, I just brought Nugget with me, and he had a good time basking in all the grandparent attention. (I hear that Peanut enjoyed having Daddy all to herself for a few days, too!) Although it was a very quick trip, I managed a long visit to my grandmother and a wine evening with a family friend, and Nugget got to show his grandparents how his bike riding is coming along. (He now does tricks. Every one takes a few months off my life.) We drove back on Saturday and arrived home around lunchtime, then spent the afternoon bumming around the house. We were supposed to kayak with friends, but the weather was cold and rainy – so no go.

On Mother’s Day I woke up early and couldn’t fall back asleep, so I decided to lace up my running shoes and bang out a 5K. I’d registered myself for a local 5K with a virtual option, and signed Nugget up for the 1K kids’ fun run, and the deadline to get ‘er done was Saturday – but I figured one day late still counted. I ran the first 4K on my own and was pleased to find that my legs still remembered what to do even after weeks of being too busy to run (I know, I know). I swung back to the house and picked Nugget up for the final 1K and we finished the race together; he’s the best running buddy ever. After our race, Steve went out and picked up smoked salmon for brunch – yum – which he presented alongside my gift: an electric air pump to make inflating my stand-up paddleboard easier. Sounds weird, but was the perfect present for me. After brunch, we headed out for a hike at Seneca Regional Park. Lots of fresh air; just what I wanted. I spent the afternoon hanging around and reading, and then everyone treated me to takeout. All in all, a good day, and a good weekend!

Reading. You can tell I was on vacation last week, huh? It was quite the reading week – although heavily front-loaded. I finished The Geography Reader, Vol. I, the latest issue of Slightly Foxed, and Rhubarb Rhubarb: A Correspondence Between a Hopeless Gardener and a Hopeful Cook all on Monday. All excellent and absorbing, but I enjoyed Rhubarb Rhubarb most; I flew through it in one sitting. After that, I felt a guilty pull toward my library stack, and spent the week over The Last Mrs. Summers (good fun, and a nod to one of my favorite classics – Rebecca) and The Other Bennet Sister, which I liked but didn’t love. Ended Sunday night curled up on the couch with Spring, from Melissa Harrison’s quartet of seasonal anthologies; I can already say I’m enjoying it as much as I did Winter – so, very much. Next up I think I’ll have to return to the library stack, as I am out of renewals on Lucy Foley’s The Guest List.

Watching. Almost done with Secrets of the Whales from NatGeo; we’re into the final episode – on sperm whales – now. The episode features my favorite marine biologist, Dr. Asha de Vos (and yes, Steve and the kids think it’s hilarious that I have a favorite marine biologist) and I am anxiously awaiting her appearance. Nugget and I also watched a family favorite – The Sandlot – with Nana and Grandad on Friday night.

Listening. Mostly, I listened to a succession of movies on the iPad, which entertained Nugget while I drove to and from my parents’ house. Also a bit of music; not much. Hoping to get my attention back so I can finish my audiobook one of these days.

Making. Conversation, lots of it – with my parents, family friend, Steve (always) and my grandmother; although the last was mostly me delivering a lecture about whales. (What? My dad told me to tell Grandmother about some upcoming travel plans, which obviously involve whales because I have to be me.)

Moving. I’m glad to report that I am finally getting my running mojo back, I think. On Wednesday I drove over to Riverbend for a solo trail run, which was lovely – except that I saw a (harmless) snake on the trail and after that, every stick was a snake. I’m not afraid of snakes, but I have a healthy respect for them and don’t want to step on one. Obviously. And then on Sunday, I banged out a 5K at a decently fast (for me) pace despite having not run for weeks as I wrapped up my old job. Pretty pleased with that, and it’s always fun to run with Nugget. Oh, and my mom and I took a long walk along the riverfront in Albany on Friday, while Nugget and my dad rode bikes. Not a particularly challenging workout (we had plenty of oxygen left to discuss mystery novels, the British royal family, and how much we love President Biden – so we weren’t exactly breaking a sweat) but all steps are good steps.

Blogging. Bookish week coming atcha! I have my belated April reading round-up for you on Wednesday, and a Classics Club review on Friday. Check in with me then!

Loving. It’s the Monday after Mother’s Day, so I am thinking about how fortunate I am to be surrounded by loving, supportive, and special women – not only my mom and grandmother, of course, but also aunts, family friends who have been like mothers to me, and female mentors. And then there are dear friends who have mothered my kids, and my cousin and other friends who have become mothers recently. And of course, I felt so loved and cherished – not least because Steve worked so hard to give me a special day. It’s been a hard year for all of us, and it was just so nice to feel appreciated (by Steve, at least! ha!).

Asking. What are you reading this week?

Morning, friends! This is my week off between jobs – my last day at my firm was Friday, and I start the corporate job a week from today – but I’ll try to keep my glee at being “on vacation” down to a manageable, hopefully not too annoying, level. I’m planning to spend as much of the week outdoors as possible, weather and pollen permitting. We’re supposed to have some thunderstorms, so those will keep me indoors but I’m hoping they’ll wash away the pollen and give me a couple of good post-rain hiking days.

So, how were your weekends? Mine started a little inauspiciously – I worked until about 7:00 p.m. on Friday, trying to wrap everything up (didn’t quite make it, but I did what I could) and came home to another power outage. Oof. The power came back on just as we were falling asleep, so extra fun. On Saturday, I was out the door early to meet my now-former co-workers for a farewell brunch. (Not that it’s really farewell – I’m going to a client, so I’ll still be attending office events, and I’ve been told that I’m officially a “client panelist” at every firm conference from now until eternity – ha!) Brunch was lovely – a little bittersweet, but there was lots of laughter. It was hard to tear myself away. Anyway – the rest of the day was low-key. Steve had to work pretty much all day, and Sunday as well – poor guy.

On Sunday, I woke up to blazing sunshine and climbing temperatures, so I decided it was time to get out onto the water. I packed up my paddleboard – a generous and already much-loved Christmas present, thank you Steve! – and headed to Beaverdam Reservoir, where we’ve hiked a few times and I’ve jealously eyed the paddlers who have been out on the water since March. Sunday, it was finally my turn. It took me a little bit to get the paddleboard inflated, but once I did I made a beeline for the water and spent ninety minutes tooling around the reservoir. I hugged the shoreline and didn’t go too far from the launch site; no sense getting overly ambitious on the first paddle of the season. Hoping I can get out again at least once or twice this coming week; Steve has to work and the kids are in school, so I’m planning to get in some quality time for exhaling before the new job starts up. It’s going to be a good week.

Reading. Not a bad reading week! It started and ended particularly well. I finished Spring Magic early in the week and absolutely loved it. It was one of those books that presents a real temptation to turn back to the first page and begin all over again; somehow I resisted. Turning to Magpie Murders, off the library stack, I was a little underwhelmed. It probably didn’t help to follow one of the highlights of the year so far, but I thought Magpie Murders was only okay. Probably won’t be continuing with the series, but I suppose you never know. I finished the weekend with a new acquisition – The Geography Reader Volume 1, by Elinor Brent-Dyer. EBD published four “geography” novellas focusing on different Commonwealth nations, and Girls Gone By Publishers has collected them into two volumes. The first volume gathers A Quintette in Queensland and Verena Visits New Zealand; at press time I’m nearly done and enjoying it tremendously.

Watching. Not a big week on the watching front. The kids have been such miserable housemates that “family TV time” has been suspended until they get their attitudes right. So – only about 20 minutes worth of Secrets of the Whales. Steve and I did watch another episode of The Crown on Sunday night. I know that show has its detractors, but we can’t get enough.

Listening. A little bit of All Creatures Great and Small on Audible, but mostly music. I’ve been so scattered over the past week, it was all I could focus on. Some Alexei Murdoch and lots and lots of The New Pornographers.

Making. Transition memos, motions to withdraw as counsel, final emails, and one last settlement-in-principle to go out on a high note. That’s about it. And I’m about to make a big leap into a whole new phase of my career.

Moving. Let me tell you: inflating a stand-up paddleboard to fifteen PSI using a hand pump is NO JOKE. That was the biggest workout of the week; made the actual paddleboarding feel like a breeze. Otherwise: some walks, a little yoga. I thought about running. Does that count?

Blogging. Normally I’d have my last month’s reading round-up for you, but that will have to wait for next week. On Wednesday I’m musing about career changes and bravery, and sharing (a little bit) more about my new job. And on Friday, scratching the travel itch by taking a few – okay, many – turns in the way-back machine and sharing some old pictures from one special day of a dream trip Steve and I took in the day before kids. That’s all the hints I’m giving, though! Check in with me then – it’s a good one.

Loving. Very few things provide the immediate boost that the return of paddling season brings me! My hands just feel right with a paddle in them. I’m usually stir-crazy and itching to get out on the water by mid-May, so I’m glad that the weather allowed me to get going earlier this year. Paddling is my favorite thing to do – yes, even more than hiking – and I’ve been waiting months to get my new paddleboard wet. I’ve got plans to kayak soon too, now that the heat is beginning to settle in, but it just feels good to get my feet wet and dig a paddle into the water.

Asking. What are you reading this week?

Morning, friends. How were your weekends? Mine wasn’t bad, overall. Steve had to work, which was a bummer for him – I probably should have worked too, but I just… didn’t. On Saturday morning we were out the door bright and early to hike; Nugget had requested a “hike we’ve never done before,” which tested my ingenuity, because we’ve hiked pretty much every park within a 45-minute or so range. (In case you couldn’t tell, we hike a lot.) But I found one spot we’d not yet tried, the unfortunately named Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, and we headed out to explore. It ended up being a good find – multiple ponds, lots of birds (I regretted leaving my wildlife camera at home; won’t make that mistake next time), a network of intersecting trails to check out, and a visitor center with A PLAYROOM and an INDOOR BEE HIVE. (The kids almost would have preferred to spend the entire time there, rather than on the trails with us.) We headed home and knocked around the house for a bit while Steve worked, then shoved off to play some itty bitty Arizona Diamondbacks in tee-ball. Nugget fielded a grounder and actually tagged a runner out, the first time anyone has done that this season (on his team or any of the other teams we’ve played).

On Sunday, we woke up to rain, so we spent the morning knocking around the house. I logged some solid reading time on the couch while Steve worked and the kids messed around in the family room (Nugget has recently gotten into a video game, send help). The rain stop and the sky cleared up around midday, so we put on our rain boots and headed out for an afternoon hike at our local favorite, Riverbend Regional Park. It was a good one; we spotted both of the resident eagles and their hatchlings in their nest. I got some pictures – stay tuned. That was the high point of Sunday; things tumbled off a cliff shortly thereafter. I had big plans for a home-cooked dinner (chicken cacciatore) and a cozy evening of watching The Crown with Steve after tucking the kids into bed; all were scuttled when I was reducing the homemade sauce for the chicken on my (electric) stove and the entire house went dark. Moments later, I heard everyone shouting – Steve wanting to know what the backup plan was for dinner; Peanut in a panic because her bedroom light turned off; and Nugget having a meltdown because the TV had gone dark in the middle of his video game. Turned out, a tree had fallen across a power line one street over and our entire neighborhood was blacked out. Whoops. We made the best of it – takeaway Thai (I’ll finish the chicken cacciatore tonight instead), reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to the kids under the skylights until their bedtime, and then chatting to my mom over the phone in the dark while Steve read by candlelight. Not quite the Sunday night I had in mind, but nice in its way. And now I have one more week of law firm life; lots to do in the meantime.

Reading. Pretty good reading week! I finished up A Bite of the Apple midweek – it was interesting, if slow in parts. (Glad I read it, and also glad I got it from the library.) Turned back to poetry and read Devotions, a wide-ranging collection of Mary Oliver poetry that my mom bought for me a few Christmases ago. So good – especially “Humpbacks,” which I’d never read before; I should have known that Mary Oliver would be a whale hugger like me. Saturday afternoon and Sunday – at least until the lights went out and Steve claimed all of the candles for his book – was devoted to Spring Magic, which I am LOVING. It’s one of those conflicting books where I am both dying to find out what happens (feverishly turning pages) but also want to read slowly so it will last longer.

Watching. I’ve been looking forward to Secrets of the Whales on Disney+ NatGeo for over a month, and it finally dropped on Earth Day! We’re watching with the kids, which means each 45-minute episode takes us three nights to finish because we never make it more than 15 minutes before someone sacks out on the couch. So we’ve watched the episode on orcas, and 2/3 of the episode on humpbacks. More whale fun to come this week! (Now that we have power back. It came on in the middle of the night; I checked on Nugget at 4:30 and found him smiling broadly: “Mama, the power’s back! I was afraid I’d never watch Dinosaur King again!”)

Listening. Still on a New Pornographers kick. I decided that I really needed to get a bit more up to date and listened to their 2019 album, The Morse Code of Brake Lights, instead of Electric Version. (Rolling Stone described the album as “anxiety pop” so…) Predictably, I fell hard for “Falling Down the Stairs of your Smile” and ended up listening to it on repeat. And a couple of podcasts – the April episode of Lia Leendertz’s As the Season Turns, and part of a 46 of 46 episode while driving to and from the grocery store on Sunday. The kids came along for the ride and found 46 of 46 especially hilarious.

Making. Well, there was that interrupted chicken cacciatore, does that count? A few other homemade dinners over the course of the week, too – I tried a recipe for cauliflower rice risotto, which was okay but not amazing. And a lot of filed emails; I want my coworkers to be able to find everything they need after I’m gone.

Moving. It was another week of just hiking, cleaning the house, and chasing after the kids – functional fitness. I say this every week. Hopefully I can find some time to get some more formal workouts in this week because I miss them.

Blogging. A Classics Club review of The Iliad and The Odyssey on Wednesday – good timing for National Poetry Month, right? And one final Poetry Friday of 2021. Check in with me then!

Loving. Have we talked about the Furrowed Middlebrow collection from Dean Street Press? I’m starting to compile quite a heap of them. On top of being so pretty (see the cover of Spring Magic, above) they’re a delight to read – they feel good to hold, and the selection of titles is so well curated; I’ve enjoyed every single one I’ve read so far. I love a small publisher or imprint, especially those that focus on forgotten or out-of-print classics.

Asking. What are you reading this week?

Good (achoo!) morning! How were your (sniffle, sniffle, achoo!) weekends? I’d kind of like a do-over on mine. Honestly, it wasn’t that bad – I just felt out of sorts all weekend. I’m tired and a little frazzled; the pollen hit me hard on Sunday, Nugget had multiple injuries (the guy plays hard) and I’m unattractively jealous of Steve’s vaccine appointment. It’s brought out a really lovely color in me.

Last week was a whirlwind. I’ve vaguely hinted a few times now that I had something big on the burner, and this is what it is: I’m changing jobs. After spending most of my career in law firms, I’ve accepted a position in the legal department of a west-coast based tech giant. (I am not moving; although both the company and my team are based out west, I’ll be staying in northern Virginia and working from corporate offices here.) The past month has been an exhausting round of interviewing and overthinking everything, but I’ve made my decision and submitted my resignation to my current employer, and I’m finally starting to move out of having anxiety around this change, and into the realm of excitement. There’s a lot to do in my last two weeks of law firm life (maybe ever! although my boss did tell me, “If you don’t like it, just come on home” so I have options) and I’m staring down two weeks of feverish activity to get all of my cases in shape to be turned over to someone else. Two weeks to get it all in order, then a week off, and then – big changes ahead.

Anyway, the weekend was a tiny bit of a bust. I spent most of it stressing about transitioning out of firm life, angsting about whether I will ever get a vaccine appointment, and comforting Nugget through a string of calamities – a skinned knee on Friday; a spill off his bike on Saturday; a playdate in which his head seemed to be magnetically attracted to his little buddy’s on Sunday. The guy is covered in battle scars. And I attempted to read outside on Sunday morning; made it an hour before the pollen drove me indoors and I’ve been streaming from the eyes ever since. There were some good moments, though, I swear. Nugget had the best time at his tee-ball game on Friday afternoon; even did a jaunty little hop into home base on one run. (My Nats are also on a hot streak. It’s been a good week on the baseball front.) And in between head-crashing incidents, we had fun at Gravelly Point on Sunday, watching planes take off and land at National Airport with my law school BFF, Carly, and her family. Next weekend, though, I am hoping for a little more peace and quiet, and a little less blood and pollen.

Reading. It was one of those weeks of very little activity during the workweek, followed by feverish page-turning on the weekend. On Friday, I finished up The Odyssey – enjoyed it much more than The Iliad; I’m not sure if that was the plot or the translation, but in any event, it was good fun. I needed something short after hundreds and hundreds of pages of Homer, though, so I ripped through another Candlestick Press – Ten Poems about Birds, this time. On Saturday, I decided – no shade to National Poetry Month at all, but I need a break from iambic pentameter. Brain candy was called for, and The Heir Affair, off my library stack, delivered. The sequel to The Royal We departed from the strict Will-and-Kate fanfiction plot, but was just as much of a page-turner as its predecessor; I tore through 460 page by Sunday morning. Took a brief break to finish reading Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill to Peanut, and then turned to another off the library stack – A Bite of the Apple: A Life with Books, Writers, and Virago. I can’t resist a book about books, and I am very interested in the story behind the Virago publishing house. Spent Sunday evening curled up with it, and that was time well spent.

Watching. Most of the week’s watching was devoted to a three-part Rick Steves series about European travel tips; this is torture, but we keep putting ourselves through it. Will we never learn? 2023, Alps or bust! And on Sunday evening Steve and I also watched our weekly episode of The Crown. We’re getting close to the end of the fourth season. What to watch next? I’m angling for a BritBox subscription. Anyone have one?

Listening. What with all the upheaval in my career, I have not really had the mental bandwidth for an audiobook – or even a podcast – in the past week. It’s been music or silence. Mostly music; mostly The New Pornographers (or “Carl and Neko” as I refer to them in front of the kids.) One song in particular has become my anthem of right now; I’ll share it on Friday.

Making. A first aid kit for the car. Can you believe I didn’t have one? Clearly, Calamity Joe needs me armed with bandages, antiseptic cream, and medicinal honey pads everywhere I go. Next up, I think I’m going to repurpose one of my Stasher bags for a travel-sized kit that I can throw in my tote whenever we go anywhere. I was caught flat-footed this weekend.

Moving. Just a chasing-after-kids kind of week. I’m really feeling the lack of more formal workouts. I need to get back on the roads and the weights stat. I say this every week.

Blogging. Themed Reads on Wednesday, and it’s a National Poetry Month special for you! And on Friday, I’m departing a little from Wordsworth and Graham and cummings, and sharing some music (which is totally poetry).

Loving. Although I could do without the pollen, there is one thing about spring that always brings me joy: the return of summer shandy. (It gets warm enough, soon enough, here that April is totally shandy-appropriate.) I think it’s in the stores year-round, actually, but I notice it starting around mid-April. I brought a case home from Wegmans last week, and since I’m the only one who drinks it, it should last me a good long while. Related: I also picked up a new-to-me “beermosa” sour – Dogfish Head “Sunday Feels.” It’s not going to replace my beloved SeaQuench, but I am loving the blend of peaches, grapes, and tart citrus; this will be in the rotation all summer long.

Asking. When you eat Triscuits, do you also replay this scene from Billy Madison in your mind?

Also, what are you reading?