Pennsylvania smartweed, seen on our walk this morning, although there's also plenty of it right here in my yard.
So far today I have:
*done a full-body workout (about 10 minutes, mostly abs but also some leg)
*walked the dog (twice)
*begun an essay on Margaret Cavendish, 17th-century Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
*pegged away at some of my own writing
*picked up my car, which we had taken in to have aligned (so my new tires don't wear out so fast)
*stopped in at Aldi for some salmon, corn on the cob, and other items for tonight's dinner
*washed and hung laundry
*made the bed
I would really love to finish this Margaret Cavendish essay, because the weekend is going to be a wash as far as work is concerned, and next week I really need to make hay before I leave for New Hampshire on the 14th. I'm tired just thinking about it. But I'm also tired thinking about Margaret Cavendish. No, scratch that. Margaret Cavendish is fine. She was a fascinating person. It's thinking about writing about Margaret Cavendish that makes me want to lie down.
And now it's raining on my laundry on the line. At least it's also raining on my garden, so I don't have to water it. That's a silver lining. Also, the laundry will dry. It's just towels. I can leave it on the line all weekend, no biggie.
I need to keep reading Pearl as well, for class on Tuesday. But all I really want to do is read Agatha Christie mysteries, one after another.
Wearing today:
*Secondhand Not Perfect Linen Smock dress (S/M) in Dark Blue-Gray, bought December 2023, last worn July 22. Wears in 2025: 14
*Secondhand Xero Z-Trek sandals
Nice and easy. My default comfort summer dress. I'm super tempted to wear it again tomorrow, though I have been planning to wear my shorter Emerald Green version of the same dress. I probably will wear that one, because I do try not to repeat the same dress and get in a rut, but this one is so very soft and flowy that it's tempting . . .
Our camp chairs are out there getting rained on, too. which is fun.
OK, now I've been out and brought the chairs into the back porch, so they can dry before tomorrow. We bought "Bring Own Seating"-level tickets to this festival, which could very well have meant "Bring Own Butt-Soakers," had I not acted. Of course, it could rain tomorrow afternoon up there --- August afternoons in the mountains are notoriously thunderstormy. But we'll hope it doesn't.
I need to pack: put out what I'm wearing tomorrow, bring something to wear for Mass and brunch with festivalgoing friends in Asheville on Sunday.