Weekending.

...I'm typing this at my usual spot in the kitchen and Sara is beside me making calls (relocating involves no end of phone calls) and I can't help but think how different it will be a week from now. I'm thinking I'll likely be sitting here...but Sara will be at work. in Wisconsin. (yikes!)

We started Friday afternoon with a three-of-us lunch at our favorite Bistro VG. We've enjoyed so many three-of-us lunches here, going back to when Sara was in middle school and Katie was in her first year of college. Our conversations have covered so much - high school, prom, jobs, boyfriends, girlfriends, sororities, spring breaks, college, study abroad, Europe, graduations, holiday menus, a wedding and a baby...and now Sara moving away.

(and yes there was browned butter tart for dessert. peach. and yes, it was delicious.)

Saturday morning I ran by myself for the first time in months. The greenway was busy and I had The Sparrow playing on my phone (oh my. I am IN LOVE with this book!)...and it felt familiar and so good to be back.

Then we had "the aunts" party at my sister's house. Sara surprised Katie with a knitted baby gift (a beautiful blanket and a hat). Katie had no idea Sara even knew how to knit!

Then we had snacks and drinks, knitted, talked, watched soccer and baseball (?!) before we managed a very bad photo. (ok, it's a great photo of Sara!)

Me with Holly, Karen, Lydia, Sara, Katie

I found the photo from Katie's party (five years ago) and yeah, I think the June afternoon sun isn't so good. We'll have to try a different location/angle next time!

Anyway, it was fun and that really is all that matters! When we got home, Sara and Marc assembled the last of her furniture (four chairs and a hall console) while I knitted (of course).

After Sunday church, I had a completely free day. The first in a long time now that I'm not teaching on Sundays anymore. I'm looking forward to the free afternoons...for cooking, knitting, meeting up with friends. Maybe even a walk (once the weather cools off). Yesterday I read (finished Love the One You're With, which I wasn't crazy about but the last 100 pages were the best part and it was nice to read them in one long sitting) and then knitted. and listened to more of The Sparrow. I'm making good forward progress on the Mystery Shawl (10 more rows of clue 3, then clues 4 and 5 to finish), but the stockinette sweater has been anything but zen. Here's what it looked like at 11pm last night. I'd just ripped back the last two stripes that had a funky join at the color change. Sad to say that was the 2nd time I'd ripped last night and the third time I'd ripped since I started. Yep, it took me FOUR tries to get it perfect.

the wine and the M&Ms came out after the 2nd rip... cannot blame that for my bad knitting!

I'm hoping it's on track now. I knit a little this morning and I am finally knitting "new" yarn (again). There are more stripes for the sleeves but the rest of the body is plain stockinette in the round. That should be zen, right?!

It's fun to type this and see the photos all in one place. Family, fun, celebrating, food, knitting, good books and even a run. The stuff of the very best weekends!

Hope yours was fun, too!