“With age, comes wisdom. With travel, comes understanding”–Sandra Lake
We were home for three weeks and two days between trips, which was plenty of time. We settled in to home life, and although I spent much of that time in the yard, we went on a few local hikes, shared dinners with friends which included more restaurants than we are used to now, and did a lot of bike riding. John had numerous day outings without me, as I either chose to stay in the yard or was visiting with women friends. He is gracious about giving me time to myself, some of which I spend on much-desired womanly gatherings.
My goodness, the yard is amazing this year! It has matured magnificently, providing so much rich natural beauty that at times my heart aches with taking it all in. I do not have words to describe the joy and peace I feel when I am puttering about, whether it is deadheading flowers, pulling weeds, or cutting a bouquet. It is all so very good and brings me deep gratitude for the abundance. It is truly a gift to look deeply into nature, there is so much to see just beyond the cursory glance…
There is quite the team lined up to work in the yard while we are gone. The aphids and Japanese beetles will wreak havoc if they are not hand-removed from the plants and flowers, the weeds grow tall seemingly overnight (Midwest weather!), and as a fan of deadheading to allow for prolonged flowering, this is another hand done task. We also installed security cameras on the cusp of our first trip this year, which allows for some amusing viewing for us of the comings and goings in and around our house! I have friends coming over to harvest figs, as they continue to ripen. We’ve savored ~ one dozen ourselves, but the rest will be enjoyed by others. What a blessing to share!
Vanda received a deep clean as soon as we got home, then sat for the next 3+ weeks. I discovered that because I left the side window and the roof vent open quite a lot of debris had accumulated on the counter tops and in the screens (gotta love the wacky windy Midwest weather!). Two days ago I vacuumed the screens, the interior floor, and the bed, then closed the window/vent but turned on the air conditioner to keep Vanda from getting too hot. I did not want to pack her up–all done yesterday–if it was 100 degrees inside!
I am a serious list maker, thankfully, as I live by my prep list for these long trips. The ToDo list has been modified a time or two but is now dialed in as we’ve learned along the way. Efficiency is coveted by me so I was pleased yesterday when I was able to work through the tasks with ease.
Ok, so now you know what being home was like. We are on our way to Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, New York, and Canada. The weather will range from quite warm to chilly in the mornings, all for which we are prepared; we will hike many waterfalls, ride numerous trails, visit with our kids, and undoubtedly be immersed in beauty.
“Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet”–Ticht Nhat Hanh
