I was telling my neighbor about that new coffee shop on Elm Street and he said he already tried it last weekend. He said the pour-over was decent but the cold brew was too acidic for his taste. I usually go for a flat white so I might still give it a shot. We also started talking about his vegetable garden and apparently he grows heirloom tomatoes every summer. He gave me a few tips on soil pH and composting which I really needed because my own garden has been struggling with drainage lately. I think I finally figured out the issue though it was mostly about overwatering and compacted soil. He recommended adding some perlite and sand to improve aeration so I am going to try that this weekend. We chatted for almost an hour and I barely noticed the time passing. It was one of those spontaneous conversations that just flows naturally. He also mentioned a documentary about marine biology that he watched recently and said the cinematography was stunning. I added it to my watchlist. Anyway that is what I have been up to.

I finally got around to reorganizing my bookshelf last weekend and it was way more satisfying than I expected. I grouped everything by genre and then alphabetically by author so now I can actually find what I am looking for. I found a couple of old paperbacks I forgot I owned including a signed copy of a poetry collection from college. I also cleared out about twenty books to donate. A friend told me about a little free library near the park so I might drop them off there. I spent the rest of the afternoon reading on the porch which felt great because the weather was perfect. Not too humid for once. I made a pitcher of iced tea and just sat there for hours turning pages. I finished the whole novel in one sitting which I have not done in ages. It was a mystery set in a small coastal town and the ending caught me completely off guard. I love when a story does that. I already recommended it to a coworker. I think I will try to make more time for reading this month. It is such a simple pleasure but it really resets my mood.