this week was good because of...

...a lovely double date on Saturday night with a colleague and her husband that included dinner at our favorite Greek restaurant and catching a really great movie.

...a cuddly moment with kitty cat while I ate breakfast on my Monday off.

...letting myself take time to read...and read...and read.

...baking an orange-vanilla cake for our small group.

...a recipe for roasted strawberry buttermilk cake that I am very interested in making.

...relaxing and reading at the pool - on Monday and on Saturday.

...a range of beautiful weather - from hot and sunny on Memorial Day to mild and partly sunny on Saturday...both of which work wonderfully for the pool.

...making a chef salad for dinner (on the left) and taking the time to cut up extra veggies to have a salad for lunch the next day (on the right).

...my photo order from Kodak Gallery arriving in the mail.  (You know you've ordered a lot of pictures when they come in a box!)

...a beautiful new song from Big & Rich.

...getting to spend time catching up with a former student who was in town on her way to her next life experience.

...a really wi$e trip to the grocery store today.

...a rewarding, productive two-day departmental retreat full of honest, thoughtful dialogue and yes - a lot of laughter, too.

...having a low-key dinner-and-a-movie night at home, too.

...snacking on a chocolate tart at Starbucks while I worked in my new journal.

...a fun travel feature in today's paper about one of my favorite cities.

...securing a lower auto insurance rate with a few small changes to my policy.

...a delicious wedge salad at a neat little restaurant in a nearby small town.

...refreshingly candid conversations with a colleague during an evening walk.

...a yummy plate of snacks for a late-afternoon lunch today.

...getting a Summer 2012 mix CD in the mail from an old friend.  (I haven't gotten to listen to it yet, but he usually has pretty good taste in his compilations!)

What made your week good?

Where I am: home

What I'm reading: just finished The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht