The Sunday Currently III

statue outside the Children's Chapel at Washington National Cathedral

Given the heartbreaking events of last week, I'd like to start today's Sunday Currently off on a somber note:

praying... for all those affected by the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday. Nothing will repair the innocence lost, the families shattered, or the country shocked by the horrific deaths of 26 people in that elementary school.  But I am also...

hoping... that we take responsibility as a nation and recognize that this is the time to talk about gun control. Our leaders will only begin to address the inadequacies of our laws (relating to gun control and mental health care among others) if we urge them to. A change must be made and the change must start with us.

Now, although the massacre at Sandy Hook will never be far from our minds, I'm going to return to the Sunday Currently I had planned to write.  When we are hit with the realization that our lives can be taken away from us in the blink of an eye, it's important to relish what we have.  So, these days, I am:

listening... to Peter, Paul, and Mary's holiday album.  My sister and I grew up on a diet of The Weavers, Pete Seeger, and Peter, Paul, and Mary, and I find it incredibly comforting to play the tracks in the kitchen as my parents putter around.  My favorite is The Cherry Tee Carol.  (I did try to like the Sufjan Stevens holiday album, too, since everyone recommends it so highly, but just couldn't get on board.  Clearly my hipness peaked in 1967...)

watching... Suits!  Sarah's obsessed with this show; she convinced me that I should use my weeks of unemployment to get caught up on the first two seasons before the new one premiers in January.  I didn't think I could be into another show about lawyers, but I'm totally hooked.  The storylines are gripping, of course, though I'd pe perfectly happy watching an hour-long montage of Harvey simply existing in his supremely well-tailored Tom Ford suits.

cooking... my way through Foolproof, Ina Garten's new cookbook.  Mom went to the signing last week and picked up a few copies for us - I've totally been geeking out over it!  I love the Barefoot Contessa and I especially love that her recipes are usually simple and accessible, but sometimes I get a little frustrated with just how pared-back they can be.  However, this new cookbook manages to make the basics fun and interesting!  Tonight we're going to have her Chicken with Wild Mushrooms over mashed potatoes - yum!

drinking... ginger tea, still.  I found a new brand - Archer Farms, sold only at Target - that has the ideal lemon to ginger ratio and pairs perfectly with a teaspoon of honey.  (These are the important things, you know.)  But also I've discovered the black magic that is the Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha, and I allow myself one short (aka kids' size) cup a week as a special treat.  Amazing!

marveling... at the wonderful strangeness of my adopted country.  Did you know that there's a BBC radio program where they broadcast church bells ringing for a minute and a half?  Every week features a different church from around the country - today it's York Minster.  Only in England...

loving... my new blog design by the very talented Bobbi from Ready to Blog!  We had a Skype consult a few weeks ago and I was delighted by how Bobbi took my ideas and ran with them so creatively. Plus, she installed everything in a way that will allow me to control the aesthetics of this blog as I wasn't really able to before.  Thank you, friend!

cleaning... up my Pinterest boards and the images on Betsy Transatlantically.  If you follow me on Twitter, you'll see my outraged grumblings every time I find a photo or graphic that isn't sourced properly - especially when it's reposted or repinned by a major blogger, who should know better - and so, following {av}'s tips and suggestions, I dove into my own Pinterest account to make sure that everything was appropriately credited.  Imagine my shame when I realized that I had to start even closer to home!  So if you ever feel the urge to go back into my archives, please be patient - it's going to take me a few weeks to straighten out 580+ pins and 750+ old posts.

trying... to shake this cold before my impromptu trip to New York tomorrow!  I felt it coming last Wednesday, when I spent the day wallowing in my lurgy, but it didn't really manifest until after yesterday's 5 mile race in Baltimore.  Hopefully it'll wear itself out today so that I won't spend the whole bus ride making my fellow travelers uncomfortable!

So yes, the past week has been pretty mellow.  But I've only got one more week at home - well, with Monday and Tuesday in NYC - before two weeks of Christmas in England and then - oh, and then!  I have news to share with you, dear readers.  You'll just have to be patient until I do!  And, in the meantime, I wish you all a very relaxing end of the weekend.

linking up with siddathornton today!
all photos from Instagram