Yesterday was our first day of normal life in quite some time. I’d been out of town for three weeks, home for one day and then involved in our Aunt’s medical crisis for more than two more weeks. Yesterday we didn’t have to be anywhere, though husband did stop by the Aunt’s just to see how her first night alone in almost three weeks went. Thankfully, she did fine and I’m sure she’s just as happy as we are to have us off her living room sofa.
Katie and I did some yard work; weeding and sniffing and such things as that. Sometimes all we did was sit in the sun and enjoy being with each other. I think that counts as yard work too.
I dug up a small bed that had filled in with grass and weeds over the past couple of summers. I’ll replant it later this spring. It was a lot of work and reminds me that last time I dug this up I was younger and fitter.
While digging I came across these small plants, greenish red leaves and blue purple bells of flowers. Tiny. The smell when I crushed the leaves took me right back to my grandmother’s farm, where these lived in her lawn, particularly, as I recall, back by grandpa’s workshop. I sat in the sun and crunched leaves and remembered playing on the farm, picking black raspberries, watching the pigs, playing with barn kittens. It was a good place to play. There are good memories there.
I accidentally left a weed or two in my own garden yesterday just so I can pull them later and smell that old familiar small and relive the memories.
Later on I got out the tiny teeter and Katie was all raring to go, walking over it, still carefully, especially at the pivot point, but without any apparent fear. So I went and got her Dad, to show him how much more confident she is. And guess what? While he stood in the door watching she first refused to do the teeter at all, then CREPT up to the pivot point and laid down on it. Well, that’s new! And now she won’t go on it at all.
Ah Katie girl. We’re going to school in about an hour, the first time in probably 6 or 7 weeks. Hope you remember a little bit about heeling and staying.
Should be interesting!
I went for an inland walk today, away from the mesmerizing lake into the sunlit woods looking for a bit of stillness. And of course photo opportunities. There were signs of spring everywhere, even way up here. I was surprised to realize the pussy willows are blooming already. The sun was shining, there was a light breeze. It was good to be outside after the past couple of cold windy days.
So today I notice the robin eating last years wild grapes high in a tree, the way sun glints off of white birch, the fat chickadee swooping past.
Puttering is a learned skill. So is relaxing. You’d think I’d have those down, given I’m not working at the moment. No job related stress to distract me from enjoying life. But during a walk today I figured out that I haven’t really learned to relax. Not totally.
So of course I did, making it around and through the big wet puddle with only one soaking foot. Ah well..it dried out before we got to the next puddle.
Change Is Hard 