fully recovered from tonsillitis, the week was mostly about staying put and letting the antibiotics do their work.

we finished watching olive kitteridge, a mini-series based on the book by the same name. the story is slightly depressing perhaps, but a beautiful portrait of a grumpy life, as they often are. frances mcdormand was just perfect for the role.

also on the media diet, i read heartstopper #5 and finished listening to gift from the sea. i didn’t know anne morrow lindbergh (wife of aviation pionner charles lindbergh) was not only a writer but also an accomplished pilot! although the book is quite old now, her meditations on women’s lives touch on many things that have crossed my mind over the years, like the need for solitude and the shedding of stuff (physical and otherwise) that clutters our days.

i picked up the most perfect turnip from the backyard garden! ahah, i feel like these 2 sqm of land have given me more joy in the past year than a lot of other things.

and this song, on loop:

first weeknotes of the year!

– it was a busy week, so my brain couldn’t focus much on reading proper serious stuff… but i made my way through a couple more of ozeman novels, which felt light, teenagey and contemporary.

– the kid tried out the sweater i knit for her and it fit! 😍

– went to the yearly dentist checkup and he found no cavities in my teeth. hurray!

– driving back home was the highlight of the week. the feeling of opening the doors and being home after some weeks away… there’s nothing quite like it.

– in the three weeks we were away, the broccolis have exploded! 😱 i don’t know what magic is this, but i have 2 monster broccoli. we’ve eaten one of them already, and transformed some of the leaves into even more caldo verde. it really feels like a miracle, especially for such a newbie like me.

– we got the composter! it’s a huge, dalek-shaped contraption that feels a little flimsy. i think it’s going to take ages for us to fill it up, but the neighbors have already offered to give us their grass clippings, which should help. that said, we’re supposed to be aiming for a ratio of 50% greens (eg, veggie scraps) and 50% browns (dried leaves, paper) and we definitely have more of the first than the second. i might have to raid the neighborhood’s recycling bins for some paper we can shred…

– at least one chiffchaff but possibly 2! are wintering in our garden, eating bugs off the raised bed and living their best lives. they are so tiny and precious, and i’m honored they’ve chosen us as their southern holiday vacation home.