Hello! Happy Friday!

We’re back in the swing of things after spring break, and it’s been a good week. We’re also super happy because my father-in-law is here for a visit, and he’s helping Husband build a treehouse in our backyard! It’s been a fun week, and we’re excited for a fun weekend. Here are a few things on my mind this week:

1. Baby chicks. Last Saturday, we got four baby chicks. We’ve had a coop for over a year, but we waited until this spring to get to get the chickens. They are so cute! They live inside for now, “brooding” in a Rubbermaid bin with hay and a heat lamp, in our den. BB and BG call them “The Sisters” – Fluffer, Fluffy Rose, Carlotta, and Gertrude (Gertie for short). BB is obsessed with their food and water intake, and BG just wants to snuggle them all day. They are growing so fast. Well, except for Fluffer – we’re not sure what’s going on with her – and we’re wondering if she’s a “her” at all. She’s about half the size of the other sisters, and she behaves very differently than them as well. But she eats and drinks and is the loudest chirper of the lot. It will be months before we will have eggs, but are already having lots of fun!

2. S*Town. Have you listened to this podcast yet? I first heard about it from Sorta Awesome, another podcast I like. S*Town is by the producers of Serial and This American Life. I may be the one person in the country who hasn’t listened to Serial, but I’ve heard great things about it. (Confession: I’ve been slow to join the podcast wagon. I’ll listen to one occasionally when I’m folding laundry or out for a walk, but I forget about them most of the time.) Something about the way Laura and Megan described S*Town made me curious. OH MY GOSH. I’m obsessed. I’m three episodes in (there are seven total), and I find myself planning ahead for when I can listen the following day. The story is captivating, the characters are fascinating, and the music behind the narrative and dialog is beautiful.  (And the fact that the people from Woodstock, Alabama, have accents that sound similar to the people from where I’m from in East Tennessee certainly adds to the appeal.) Language Warning: The S in S*Town stands for a common four-letter word, and the podcast is full of many more of them.

3. How to Open a New Book. I remember getting new textbooks in 3nd grade, and our teacher led the class in this same series of steps to make sure the books were ready. I have thought of this several times over the years, but I didn’t realize this was actually a “thing”. And even though it’s 2017, and I have a Kindle and an iPad, I still read the majority of my books on actual pages, so this is something I’m going to remember for next time.

4. Are you required to find + follow your calling? I’ve read several articles (and even books) on this lately, and it’s really resonating with me and giving me freedom in figuring out what’s next in my life. Surprisingly, with that freedom has come MORE motivation to do the things that line up with my passions – like writing (here on the blog) and giving new life to old things (on Etsy). A good read.

5. Get Out Now. Loved this excerpt from John Stilgoe, featured on Austin Kleon’s blog.

Our weekend will be full of baseball, treehouse construction, and quality time with the baby chicks. I hope it’s also full of books and exploring passions and enjoying being outside (even in the rain). Hope your weekend is full of lots of good things for you, too. Thank you so much for reading!