Yard and Other Updates

• We've had some beautiful sunny days and we've had some rain, too. 
• This year, forsythias did not do well and most of our azaleas did not do well, either - barely any blooms.
• Rhododendron bushes look nice. The new baby-bush we planted a year or two ago has nice purple blooms.
• There was massive pachysandra death all over our yard (but mostly around trees and next to our house). Possibly the result of last year's draught?
• If I don't plant my cucumber seedlings in the garden soon - they will die. If I plant the cucumber seedlings in the garden, the groundhog and the rabbits will eat them. I do not foresee any home-grown cucumbers this summer.

Other news:

• We went to see The Hobbit at Arden theater. It was well done, but probably not my favorite theater production ever. E couldn't come (he was working), so we took one of C's friends instead.
• We had both sets of grandparents over for Mother's Day. It was nice. I did not cook. 
• We all went to see E's youth orchestra concert. 
• E had his first AP test ever. He seems happy with how it went.
• Kitchen is almost done. But not yet - a few things are still missing or in-progress. It is functional - so we are mostly moved back in and using it all the time.
• C had a spectacular game last weekend (football/soccer). She contributed to quite a few close-call-saves when she was playing defense. Then she played mid-field and scored an absolutely breath-taking goal at the very end of the game.
• We are working out the details of our summer Baltic trip (we will be in Finland, Estonia, and Latvia).

Reading:

• Random old Russian books that I happened to have on my kindle (thriller/mystery type stuff by Polina Dashkova and Tatyana Ustinova) - I was in between books and needed something light and instantly available and not requiring deep commitment.
• I have a pile of books waiting to be picked up at the library. I am having a bit of decision-paralysis because I am not sure what type of book is going to work for me right now and I don't want to start a book only to realize that it is not quite fitting my current mood.

Watching

• Ted Lasso - waiting for the second season from the library.
• The Rig - entertaining but annoying (because it is just...too much and hard to suspend disbelieve and over-done in terms of tension and emotions)