Marvelous Monday: Week 17

Oh, my. Back when I was trying not to grouch endlessly about the long winter, a wise friend pointed out how glorious it would be when spring finally did arrive. And oh, she was right! It's the third consecutive day of 70 degrees or more, and it is just wonderful. Lots of good time out in the world this weekend for me: a book club party that was marvelously themed after the book we read (The Night Circus), baseball games outside, long walks in the sun that left a certain sweater-wearing dog all tired out.

So, some marvelous things to begin the workweek:

1) I love weeks that start with a Sunday family dinner. Yesterday morning I assembled the beloved pulled pork in the crockpot and baked the lemon blueberry marble cake my mom had requested after seeing it on Pinterest. When I got back later in the afternoon, I assembled the taco accessories (my personal favorite was cooking onions way down in the cast iron for the first time) and put the rest of the cake together.

We celebrated my dear mom's birthday:

It's just too bad Wish doesn't really get along with my family or feel comfortable with them, you know?

2) In addition to the marvelous temperatures this weekend, I forgot how marvelous the clouds are in the warmer months. Big, puffy white spring clouds!!

3) Book report: Last week I previewed that my Kindle library loan of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was just about to expire, and I only got about halfway through before that happened. (Cry!) But then I looked it up in the library catalog again and there was no waiting list for another copy! It's back on!

4) This week includes the start of May, and that month includes a visit from Ellie.

5) I bought a Crowd Cut offer for a kayaking/canoeing/paddleboarding company - I think the same one from my family's kayaking adventure a couple of years ago - and cannot wait to get out on the lakes at least once this summer.

What is marvelous about your week or weekend, Reader? Any reading recommendations for when I finally finish The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks? Did you spend time outside this weekend?