I’m back in D.C. after a nice, relaxing weekend up in Connecticut with the family.

I spent much of the weekend, sitting in the sun with pink drinks. I knit and read and talked with my folks and Gramma. I sometimes forget how much I enjoy the sun. And I ate chocolate and raspberries (together!), although that part wasn’t until evening.

Dad and I played Scrabble. Dad generously allowed me to get away with playing “zoot,” which, it turns out, cannot be separated from “suit” and still be considered a word (slang and proper names — even of Muppets — not being allowed).

I spent the last two mornings curled up on Gramma’s couch, just hanging out in my pj’s. Unfortunately, of the three mornings I was there, today was really the first one where I was able to head downstairs at a reasonable hour with time to relax.

Mum calmly picked up pieces, as I, early in the morning, frantically rushed around with a nearly finished elephant (he’s a future blog post), half-eaten breakfast, and unwrapped presents trying not to be late for Karen’s baby shower. (Unfortunately, my own doubts about the computer-generated directions and my faith in an elderly man’s “shortcut” to the restaurant helped to thwart that goal.) Mum is at her best in a crisis, and my difficulty with deadlines and timeframes means I nearly always bring some unnecessarily frazzled moments careening onto her doorstep. She just steps into the fray and sorts things out, meaning I leave better prepared than I otherwise would.

Stopping to shop on my way back from the baby shower allowed me to miss the crazy storms that whirled through the region Sunday afternoon. The bikers parked under overpasses ought to have clued me in to the weather ahead of us, but it wasn’t until I encountered the traffic congestion caused by verges strewn with hail, streets covered with downed greenery, and the standing foot-deep puddles on the roadway that I realized what I’d just barely missed.

After a lovely barbecued lunch this afternoon, my new sneakers, cds, and I arrived at BWI, where Rudi had thoughtfully driven to pick me up. It was a great weekend. I was glad to be able to visit and I’m happy now to be home (particularly since I know the next visit is next month).