A Perfect Week-end at the End of the Term

I have had a good week-end, particularly considering the amount of work that must be done in the next 13 days.  Let me try to capture some of the moments:

--I walked to Wegmans, the closest grocery store to me.  I actually did this twice, because I realized that I needed vegetables (Friday's trip) to go with the last of the Thanksgiving turkey, and then I realized I needed some lotion and that I could get it at Wegmans as easily/cheaply as at the least well-stocked Target in North America.  So it's been a week-end of treats, like baguettes and cheese and wine, as well as more nutritious food.

--My spouse and I had good conversations, by way of video chat, and we played Yahtzee (we both have sets of dice).  We also watched birds on the deck of our North Carolina house together.  Bird watching is bringing us joy.  It's not the only element bringing us joy, but it has been unexpected.  I thought all the birds would have migrated by now, and I'm realizing how little I really know about the migratory patterns of birds.

--I've gotten some of my writing done, along with lots of thinking about what I plan to write.  I also got some books for one of my papers.  

--I pulled out my quilt, not the small piecing, but the big quilt that I assembled at the quilt retreat:

I got so much quilting done.  I needed to watch the second season of Fleabag to make sure that I could support what I planned to write about in my paper for Pastoral Care and Counseling in Context class.

--In addition to my walks to Wegmans, I took neighborhood walks and delighted in the holiday decorations, particularly in my evening walk last night.

--I have also delighted in my own holiday decorations--all sorts of lights drape my living room window.

--I went to bed early, at 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday night, and I slept and slept and slept.  I was a bit concerned that I might be setting up an unsustainable pattern--I can't go to be every night at 7, can I?  So last night, I timed my last walk of the day for a bit later.

--I watched much of the movie Scrooged last night, which I remember liking when I saw it at the theatre when it was released decades ago, but it left me somewhat underwhelmed last night.  Happily, I could just turn it off and go to bed, closer to 9 than 7.  And I had an interesting private message exchange with a grad school friend about the film as I watched it in real time--almost as good as seeing a movie with a friend in person.

Over the next few days, I need to get actual words into documents; happily, I still have time.  I know what I want to write, which can be half the battle.  But writing does take time, so I need to factor that in.  I also have grading to do, even though grades aren't due for my online classes until next week.

But first, let me take a walk so that I can get my thoughts in order and structure my day.