A long exhale. Catching up, finally. Taking a breath. Finishing up projects. Listening to mysteries on audiobook. Finishing my West Wing rewatch and immediately just starting over again. The baby looking at books on the couch with her ankles crossed, like possibly she’s thirteen years of age. A two hour nap. Writing a short story. Making a lot of soup. New pajamas. Bracing for the winter. Donating to Fair Fight. Avon under a blanket. Candles that smell like Christmas tree farms. The light through the yellow leaves in the mornings.

Wearing a mask. Still staying home, mostly. Garden filling in. The baby saying “kiss”. Some time in the pool, finally. A lot of recreational real-estate browsing. Writing the ole electeds. Smitten Kitchen baked chickpeas. Learning about police abolition. An at-home goal-setting retreat. Writing a romcom. Burgers and sweet potato fries. Sing, Unburied, Sing. A Mad Men rewatch. Making pesto. Fireworks, every night. WQXR. Some fun virtual events. Shopping Black-owned businesses. Planning for the future. Remembering to say thank you for what we’ve got.

Cabin fever. The baby learning to crawl. New sandals and the Instagram bathing suit. Finding a volunteer gig, I think. Cheer, which I loved so much. That time of year when I’m a little sick of all my music. Refining my taste in picture books.Booking tour dates (!). Not being tired of soup yet, thank goodness. Hosting dinners. A weekend away. Switching back to a bullet journal and immediately exhaling. Booking a massage. Waiting for news. Recalibrating for the rest of the winter. Trying not to complain about the weather. Trying not to wish away the here and now.

Girl Scout cookie time (did you know you can order Girl Scout cookies online now, BECAUSE YOU CAN, not everything about living in the future is terrible). Trying so, so hard to scroll less. Starting up the ol’ book promo machine. The Women Are Here podcast. Looking for a new show. A lot of back and forth to New York. The baby sitting up, eating solids, smiling to break my heart. Making complicated recipes. Making rice + beans with a crispy egg. Reading two books at once. Clacking away at a ghostwriting project. Working out some body image garbage. Feeling bored, but not surprised, by everything about awards season. Avon in her winter headquarters, parked in front of the heating vent. Listening to Broadway soundtracks in the afternoons. Still extremely tired and wondering if that’s just how it is now? Waiting on my Amaryllis. Getting the paper again. A few really beautiful days.

A locomotive made of cold. A winter CSA. Jamie Oliver. The baby sitting up, sort of. A week of chilly rain. Maine. Watchmen, still. A trip to the Fogg. Thanksgiving planning. Dinner with friends. Cookies in the oven. Lining up work for the new year. My mom up from New York. The RULES FOR BEING A GIRL cover, revealed.

Dark early mornings. Baby socks. The Dutch House. Tacos in Austin. A 4:30 pm mug of milky tea. Jamaica Pond. The Righteous Gemstones. Walks to the library. Putting the garden to bed. Apple picking in Vermont. Writing, sort of. I guess.  A visit from the lady cousins. White Lies. A deep clarity. Halloween PJs. Getting super into puzzles again. Baking a lot of cakes.

Wrapping up some work stuff. Finishing the nursery. Normal People. Making spreadsheets. Washing tiny clothes. Taking long walks with Avon. Becoming. Long weekends in Vermont. Lurking around the library. Hanging out on the deck. Watching my snap peas come in. This house being mostly renovated, I think, after four years of working on it? Buying a lot of wicker baskets, frankly. Killing Eve. Spotify’s Coffee Table Jazz playlist. Blasts from the past. Thinking about the future.

Mud season. Pruning the garden back. Taking drastic measures. Trying morning pages. A Felicity rewatch. Buying fewer groceries. A 54-hour long Putumayo playlist. Eating Easter candy. Thinking up traditions. Going to bed early. Putting everything through a sieve and shaking it. Smelling the rain.