Sitting in my oh-so-cushy chair in the sunroom I can look out into my yard, hear the melodic sound of gently flowing water in the fountain, and watch numerous birds scratching around in the detritus or taking bugs from the fresh green leaves, while they sing and chase each other about. I am happy to be home.
It’s been a interesting 24 hours; we were not able to camp at Reelfoot Lake last night as we had planned due to the heavy line of storms predicted for the midwest–when we checked in around 1:30 in the afternoon, we were told that we would be the only people camping there as all other reservations had either been cancelled or rescheduled. Checking the weather, we could see that the storm would descend upon Evansville around 7 PM, with the GPS telling us we could be home by 5:30 PM if we left right away. John was not thrilled about driving in a storm, understandably, but we decided to haul it out of there, towards home. We made it without any signs of the severe storm to come but for darkening skies, with time to unpack the van, time for me to cruise around the yard admiring the burgeoning signs of spring, and time to cut a few springs of blooms for the house.
In case you are wondering, the tornado sirens went off at least a half-dozen times last night, between 7 PM and 10 PM. Our neighborhood was blessedly unscathed but for a bit of downed tree debris, but that cannot be said for areas not so far from us. The wind was horrific, and the lightening/thunder/rain was intense. Weather in the Midwest can be dicey, for sure.
Now that I am home, I have some notes to share:
- Showering without having to wear water shoes is a delight! Campground showers vary so much, some are quite nice while others are … not as nice, but we can all agree that any shower is a good shower. Wearing water shoes is mandatory in a campground shower regardless of how nice it may look. I was especially pleased during last night’s shower at home, noticing how good it felt to be in a shower barefooted!
- Cooking at home is so different than in Vanda! Obviously, having a lot of counter space on which to spread out to chop veggies, prep soup and cheese bread (that’s what we ate–the dinner I would have made had we camped at Reelfoot!) is liberating, but mostly for me, I did not have to do the dishes!! John is the family dishwasher at home, while I reign over all things kitchen, in Vanda. I have written in the past about his animated dishwashing style that typically brings water all over the counters and floor, which we just cannot have in the small kitchen space in the van! I won’t be washing dishes for all the rest of April!
- Sleeping in is luxurious! We have an 0500 wakeup routine when we are traveling because … sunrise photos! While I have always appreciated a quiet morning, not rushing as I sip coffee, journal, meditate, or read the news, I also appreciate routine. I like having a schedule, a plan, a life of habit. The unknown or unexpected can be jarring, so 0500 it is. Not this morning, however! I awakened at 7 AM, to full daylight, feeling somewhat wicked with this indulgence.
- My yard is a glorious mess as it is typically in early spring. It is gratifying to see so many sprigs of what will soon hold magnificent and colorful flowers, pushing back up from the soil, after their winter slumber. My tidy nature can be challenged at this time of year — while many of the stalks from last year’s blooms have fallen over creating a mess, there are also many stalks still standing tall, their drab brown a stark contrast to the new green growth at their base. These stalks, and all of the fall leaves, are left alone throughout the winter to provide important habitat for overwintering insects, their larvae, and many varieties of seeds, both of which offer winter food for the birds. As I walked around the yard yesterday afternoon before the storm, and again this morning, I thought I might get on the spring cleaning sooner than later to begin the arduous task of preparing for abundant summer blooms. Then, sitting in the sunroom, I watched as numerous birds plucked seeds from last year’s dried flower heads, reminding me that we have created a diverse and rich haven for the birds and bugs, and to just cool my jets regarding the clean up effort! We’ll be home through all of April, giving me the last week to tidy up before we set out on our next trip.
- A conundrum of so much travel is feeling disconnected from friends in Evansville as well as from the numerous and diverse events — peaceful protests, performance art, shared dinners, walks at our favorite parks in search of flowers and birds — we miss that while we are gone. Time at home for the next four weeks will be filled with catching up on all of those blessings in our lives. I cherish being at home as much as I cherish being in Vanda.
