Thursdays offer us a chance to slow down (metaphorically, if not in real life) and look back at all the beauty of the last week. I offer you three highlights:

1. Eri came down to visit last weekend. She and I were college roommates and have known each other now for 14 years — longer than all but two of my friends. We rode bikes and talked and went to the zoo. We ate at a new (for us) restaurant. We lazed Sunday morning with the paper. We watched The West Wing. We talked about old times. And new. And times to come. All in all a lovely visit.

2. In preparation of Eri’s visit (and in reaction to Jason and Essia’s), Rudi and I spent several days last week doing hard core cleaning. The process of cleaning itself is not beautiful, but the results are, and the Burrow is now at least twenty pounds lighter because of all the shredding we got done.

3. In the last few days, I’ve had the opportunity to deal with some unresolved knitting projects. As you saw earlier, the mousies got finished. And yesterday I sent off Jason’s hat, which I finished a day late way back in February. (I’m sure St. Louis is not still cold enough to require a wool hat (pictured here with the unfinished mousies), but now he has one for the first cold breeze next fall.) Last night the sock I’ve been knitting came off the needles so I can now use those needles (if necessary) to cast on Rudi’s summer socks. (I also will be casting on the shawl I’m making out of the yarn I bought last year at Sheep and Wool so I can go to this year’s festival with a clear conscience.)