we spent a few days (including the boy’s birthday) decompressing in comporta, in a tiny home in the middle of nowhere, with no one around. it was just us and the pine trees swaying in the wind, a big window with a view to the pond. every time we are in a tiny house, i get a little enamored by the concept and dream of a tiny place of our own. i think part of the appeal of it is just the need to forcefully declutter and live with less stuff. it’s kind of hard to do that in a big house, but i find the idea mentally soothing.

we drove north to plant trees in leiria with postcrossing friends that we see once a year for this event. it was a hard job this year, with lots of rain the whole morning. i’m glad i had my yellow raincoat from aldi with me! <3

we watched “a colorful dream” (a czech animation movie the boy remembered watching during a long flight) and i finished reading funny story, a light romance as a palate cleanser. i immediately forgot my plan to read the library books and dipped into book 5 of the murderbot diaries. i’m a little bit obsessed with the series at this point, and can barely put the book down.

i overdid it on the running and spent the week with shin splints, which wasn’t much fun… but being back north, we got to spend some time with this cute marshmallow! she still doesn’t talk all that much, but she’s easy-going and up for anything — even with us, the uncle and auntie she only meets every few months. i’m really thankful for that.