May

There is really no excuse for the fact that we've haven't blogged for, what, nearly three weeks? Sort of embarrassing. Work has taken a decidedly welcome turn into pleasant slowness--I left work Friday AT FOUR with my inbox cleaned out, no constituent mail to write, and 29 emails in my inbox. Let me say that again, 29 emails (not the 435 with which I started the day). Unheard of. It's possible that in some far-flung realm of the imagination, I could get bored if this kept up. Bring it on.

While things have been slowing to a happy pace for me, they've sped up for Jason, who has had a really busy week or two. I think he was really looking forward to a weekend, and that is probably why he is still asleep while I sit here, way too early on a Sunday morning, drinking my Lady Grey and kind of hoping it rains today so that I can get some work on my thesis done. (If the sun is shining, chalk this up as another day of sunny distracted lack of progress.)

I am sitting here trying to think of what we've been up to that has kept us from blogging, and nothing comes to mind. We did have an awesome Sunday school retreat a couple weekends ago, but that is for another blog (when, hopefully, I have at least one picture to share). I do, however, have pictures from Cal and Clark's first birthday bash. Cute.

Last weekend Tilly and I hit the farmer's market in Falls Church for the first time this year, where we bought tasty asparagus and amazing peonies, before heading off to book club, where we ate crepes with Nutella and didn't talk about the book at all.

Yesterday we had delicious blueberry muffins for breakfast on the deck (still slightly chilly outside, but worth chattering through breakfast). And our garden is now planted and beautiful--I'm always such a good gardener in the spring, until July comes and my carefully-tended plants start inexplicably wilting away.

Friday my office got a behind-the-scenes tour of the National Zoo, which was pretty sweet. My favorite parts were the adorable baby gorilla and the frogs with poisonous skin. I was really hankering for a nephew to share the experience with.
And finally, we have spent our nights all week planning our upcoming trip to France, where we plan to bike through lavender fields, picnic, and eat chocolate croissants and goat cheese until we are ill. The Provence vacation inspired not only the French breakfast from last post, but also my favorite summer soupe au pistou--my goal this summer is to make the soup at least once with only produce grown in my garden (minus potatoes, which I didn't get around to planting). Since it's a primarily veggie soup--beans, leeks, carrots, zucchini, basil, etc.--I consider this a pretty decent feat...and the whole reason I planted carrots this year!