I did a little shopping today.

The yarn was a splurge when I decided that since the bank has closed earlier than I’d expected it to (and I couldn’t get a roll of quarters to do laundry), I could stop by the yarn shop across the street. They’d recently gotten in a nice assortment of self-striping Havirland Pax Sock. The colorway is The Final Girls (all the Halloween-themed colors seemed to be named after horror films).

The books and cd are all second-hand via the used book sale from my local branch’s Friends of the Library. As a bonus, some of the books were free because I joined the Friends. Most of them I wouldn’t necessarily have bought if they’d been new, but I’ve been on the holds list for The Wedding Date and would have borrowed Christmas Bells toward the holiday. And if I don’t like them, I can donate them back to the library and some other schmuck can buy them next time.

Happy Saturday to me!

Rudi’s heading out early tomorrow morning for a cycling event in West Virginia, so I’m on my own for the weekend. Here’s what I hope it includes:

• Chatting with friends.
• Perusing the library book sale. (Also, trading some overdue materials for what’s come in off my holds list.)
• Sleeping in.
• Taking in the H Street Festival.
• Finishing my shawl.
• Procuring quarters for the laundry before the bank closes.
• Harvesting tomatoes and planting more fall greens at the garden.
• Getting started on a fall apartment cleaning.
• Hanging out with Sarah on Sunday.
• Painting my nails.

What are you hoping to check off this weekend?

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. A little girl of about four, wearing a pink bike helmet, races a corgi puppy up a set of stairs in the park. “I won!” she exclaims.

2. My job is near a mid-week farmers market and I have been celebrating by buying raspberries, which are back in season here.

3. Our library got DVDs of The Librarians, so Rudi and I have been able to resume watching the series.

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately?

I realize I’m giving you a lot of light content recently and I’m sorry about that. The new job is a lot, mentally and emotionally, and I seem to spend a lot of my downtime napping. I assume I will build up a tolerance in the days to come and will be able to resume having a life. This week is already better than last in that I haven’t had to cancel all evening plans to nap instead, but simply fall asleep when I am home. So, maybe next week?

Anyway, this shot, taken yesterday evening, is from the balcony of The Anthem, one of the concert venues on the Wharf, looking out over the Washington Channel.

Back in the spring, I gave Rudi concert tickets for his birthday and tonight was the show!

Berlin (“Take My Breath Away”) and OMD (“If You Leave”) opened for the B-52s. Personally, “Love Shack” is my favorite song of theirs, but “Roam” has to be a close second. Here’s them performing the latter tune:

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic from That Artsy Reader Girl invites us to consider the snacks we like to consume while reading.

Mine include:

1. Peanut butter or plain M&Ms
2. Oreos
3. Ritz with peanut butter or cream cheese (the latter I spread with a knife, while the former tends to be just dipped in the jar)
4. Granola (eaten out of the bag)
5. Blueberries
6. Apples
7. Tortilla chips
8. Chocolate chips
9. Triscuits
10. Honey Bunches of Oats (usually eaten out of the box)

How about you? Do you tend to munch on anything particular while reading?