life lately {the may 2020 edition}...

The page turn from April to May was heavy, and while staying home was just fine with me, the weight and reality of the situation had certainly set in on my heart. Are we really wearing masks? When will ever dine out again? Do we get together to celebrate a birthday? How long do you think we'll be working from home? Should we still plan our summer trip? 

1. May has never been so still... ever. 

2. This deserves it's own post... but Eric dreamed up our pop-up ice cream store,
and we took our show on the road, and spread a little joy.

3. After hundreds of texts we decided we could safely celebrate his birthday -
and realized that blowing out the candles is no longer acceptable...
unless you have your own personal birthday dessert.
We had a good laugh over that, and my nephew still
had his chance to make a wish.

4. We were invited to a new hiking trail, and caught up with Brenda,
who worked with Cam on his Eagle Scout project.
The scenery was beautiful, and the hike was great...
but the best part was Camden hearing Brenda's advice
{which was the same as mine, but who listens to Mom?}

5. I painted my kitchen cabinets! Yes, I really did.
I was cringing the whole time, afraid I was ruining them... but I LOVE THEM!

6. We may not be dining out, but we can still pick up from our favorite place.
And... it just makes me smile when some of your favorite people
are thinking about you and saving a few corks for your wine wall!

7. Walk, walk, walk... sometimes fast, sometimes slow... 

8. Another project I've been dreaming about -
a wood valance for my dining room, and I LOVE IT!

9. Working from home is the new thing, and perhaps Scout doesn't love
me taking over her window seat. Somehow we are making it work. 

Hitting the two month mark was surreal... and even more so as it became apparent we would still be counting. But we soldiered on, holding the anxiety at bay as best we could...

a beautiful start...

The morning had me procrastinating, but an announcement of the chilly air was all I needed to be motivated. I have enjoyed the cooler mornings, and was thrilled to hear they had returned. I kissed him goodbye and off I went, knowing I only had about a miles worth of time before I needed to be at my dining room desk for work. 

Stepping out, it wasn't only the air that made me catch my breath - the sky was starting to warm pink. My footsteps lead me right, and I picked up the pace. Destination? Sunrise on the lake. My shadow in the streetlights made me smile as we raced down the sidewalk. 

Making my way briskly, I decided that forty-eight degrees is my perfect walking weather. The thought made me grin, as I am embracing the last couple of days of forty-eight years. And sunrise? Certainly another favorite. I love to watch the sky make its way from night to light, and the way the sun and clouds play together, making art in the sky. Cotton candy wisps, gradient pink, sky blue. 

Twenty minutes well spent, and a beautiful start to the day. 

life lately... {the april 2020 edition}

 I wasn't going to go back, but then I thought it might be a good challenge... to see if I could actually find nine pictures from April. So here is April... not necessarily in order. 

1. homemade margaritas... because we're home. and we have time.

2. this pretty weed was enjoying a little sun flare 

on our safari road walk...seek the beauty!

3. i painted the livingroom |
(and then the piano room, and the bathroom, and the front door...)
and put up some photos of place we love.
the qualifier? had to have a brilliant blue sky. 

4. when your quarantine friends set up a beautiful dining area by the pool, under the lights...
for your monthly Cooper's Hawk wine dinner.

5. palm sunday... i wanted to be festive and cut a few palms
for the online service. and... scout ate them.

6. how did i never notice the heart shaped marking on this neighborhood tree?

7. easter... we tried to zoom our favorite game with my parents...
it was a good for a laugh, at least!

8. my massachusetts kim was moved from her comfy OR to ICU...
the work was difficult, and heart heavy. super hero?
she says no... but i think she made some heroic choices, with love. 

9. it hit me hard when the hand-drawn copy paper arrows
were all of a sudden more permanent. 

Oh April... we made it through, day by day. 

pay attention...

I wonder if the people who live in Colorado see the mountains every day... or if, after living there a while, the astonishment fades. I was fascinated by them at every turn... and my camera is full of not-so-great shots that I tried to take from the car as we wove our way mountainside.

In this go-go-go society, are we rushing through daily life stomping the roses because they are blocking access to the next event? or buried so deep in our phones, head down, that we are blinded by the blue light, letting life pass unnoticed?

I think these past months have taught us... that rushing is unnecessary, because there is no place to go. That the only real place to be is the here, and the now. And really? It's quite beautiful. We walk and the breeze whips around, directing our eyes to a ripple across the water, or the way the leaves shimmy and dance in the light. We sit and we rest, and in the quiet of nothing, I see how the sun shines through the sea grape leaves. And it brings me joy. 

From home, we may long for the flashy places, and the excitement they might hold. There is a time for that, and I hope we'll get there again. But these small moments, that are all around us, in the rush and the still, they are valuable. I pray that I will not let them go by the wayside. I hope, that on the other side of this mess, I remember to leave space to breathe, and don't have to remind myself to seek the beauty. 

I asked Laura... do you still notice the mountains?
Yes, everyday as I walk to school I look up at them in awe. 

pay attention, be astonished, tell about it...
-Mary Oliver