assorted thoughts: seven quick takes

one

Yesterday marked one month from my due date of April 27.  One month!  How did that happen?!  I'm not sure if I can accurately say that the months have 'flown by,' or anything like that, but I do think that a second pregnancy is really a different experience from a first, in the sense that you already have a toddler needing you all. the. time., and less time for navel-gazing and prenatal yoga and birth classes and reading in preparation for the labor and all those good things.

two

I'm going to publicly admit that making the perfect cup of coffee usually eludes me.  Recently when we had a little family reunion in Arizona for my youngest brother's wedding, my brother Jonathan made this amazing pot of coffee that was just perfect.  Why can't I make coffee like that?  Is it just that coffee made by someone other than oneself will always taste better, seem like more of an indulgence?  Do I have an inferior coffee maker? (Probably; it was free.)  Or am I simply unable to attain to the proper ratio of water to coffee grounds?

Tell me, readers: how do you make the perfect cup of coffee?

three

Coffee, by the way, is best enjoyed first thing in the morning and then again during nap time, preferably with a slice of toast spread with creamed honey and sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon.

four

I found this dining room corner hutch listed on Craigslist for FREE a couple of weekends ago -- can't beat that price!

Nathan and his brother picked it up and moved it in, and I am loving the addition to our dining room!

five

Like most New Englanders this time of year, I'm so ready for spring.  Enough with the cold weather and snow already; give me crocuses pushing their tiny heads up through the dirt in my front flower beds, and tulips blooming cheerfully in the yard.

In an effort to usher in spring despite the icy piles of dirty snow still in our yard, I bought some of the $1.50 bunches of daffodils at Trader Joe's and created a simple but bright little spring mantel display.

six

This week is a little crazy; I've had rehearsals in Plymouth (about an hour and fifteen minutes away) every night except Tuesday, with another one tonight and a concert tomorrow.  While I may not be in love with everything on the program, we are doing Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and the second movement {starting around 3:45 into the linked video} pretty much makes the driving {and the practicing of an Amy Beach symphony... sigh} worth it.   That and the fact that I get to carpool with a friend and chat during the long drives!

It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I just think that is a beautiful piece of music.

seven

Once I make it through the end of this week, I get to focus on the last details of pulling together my upcoming violin studio recital for my students, and then... getting ready to have a baby!  I think it's time to start thinking about packing a bag to take to the birth center, a toddler overnight bag, and a snacks-for-Dad bag.

All of this probably means that Nathan and I should try to settle on a name pretty soon, don't you think?  An agreement has not yet been reached, and it would just be awkward to have a baby that doesn't get named for days on end after her birth, don't you think?  Now accepting name recommendations... just don't publicly recommend one you know I'm actually considering because then you'll open up the floor to criticisms from not-so-innocent bystanders, and we all know how {un-}charming that is.

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For more quick takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Have a lovely Friday, everyone!