My summer has been quiet but rich in simple pleasures. Soft-serve cones with rainbow sprinkles, outdoor yoga sessions, mini golf, sunrise walks and sunset runs, dramatic skies, leisurely seafood feasts, afternoons reading on the patio, quality time on park benches, fresh raspberries in my lemonade, sunbeam naps with my old cat, lush flowers beckoning me to stop and sniff. The list is long, but I've downloaded each and every sensation of the season.
"Gathering the colors," one of my yoga instructors called it, referring to the children's storybook, Frederick. The book is about a little field mouse who knows how valuable it is to have a harvest of vibrant, enjoyable memories to draw from that can help you get through more challenging times that inevitably lie ahead.
So, from here on out--and until further notice--I'm committed to focusing on everything that's bright and living and lush in experience. Such as:
- Brushing my hand across the lavender leaves
- Tuning in to the steady hum of insect chirps
- Sucking down wedges of watermelon before the juices drip down my wrist
- Watching the blue jays, cardinals, finches, and doves mingle and dine at our bird feeder
- Enjoying the sunshine on my shoulders and the warm whisk of wind by my ears
- Stopping to take in the talents of a street musician
- Savoring local and in-season produce
- Walking barefoot across the grass
- Breathing deep
"Supplies," Frederick calls them. Even more essential than a scarf and gloves for this New England girl, I say.
_________________________________________________________________________ © 2009 Good Karma Housekeeping. Making the space--mentally and physically--to live happily ever after. (Photo taken in the Boston Public Garden during my summer staycation)
