Today I'm reveling in the warm air outside, yesterday too. The clouds aren't hampering my mood, which is awesome. When the weather is good, my mood is so much better! Here are a few of the things I enjoy while the weather is good to us:
The deck on the back of the house. It's 20' up off the ground, so it's perfect for the cats to be able to go out and enjoy the weather. I spend so much time out there during the spring, summer, and fall. It's a tragedy when I have to bring the furniture back in for the winter. The warm air swirling around us, the indoor plants swaying in the breeze... it's magical. If only I was less lazy and could bother to bring out a chair for myself. I end up sitting on the deck floor, playing with the cats, enjoying the sunshine...
The smell of spring in the air. It's such a blessing to have a day or two in March to sit, close my eyes, and breathe in the warm air. It makes life so much easier to take. Life inside is tough in the winter. I get so down. I have a standing relationship with the local tanning salon that I tend to visit more often when the weather breaks. It gets worse, I think, when there are days like this, and then there are rainy, snowy, cold days to deal with. New York weather has always been volatile and it helps to have a way to get out of the dooms and glooms of the weather. I don't often go, as I age... I feel bad enough about how I look, so tanning sits in the back of my mind as a bad alternative. Spray tans... they have their place, but I've never been one to choose that over the sun or the "fake and bake".
Watching things bloom and grow. You can't beat the thrill you get when you see the lovely flowers that bloom in the spring. It's such a buzz to see the forsythia, the snow lilies... Crocuses... it makes us feel as though the death is soon over. I can't tell you how amazing it is to see growth in our yard. It's again, magical. No matter the wind, clouds, sun... those little perennials are sure to show up, and make a day that much more tolerable.
As for my work life, it's way more volatile than the plant life. It depends on me - my mood - my commitment. I've been blessed with talent in the art world, but one cannot be human without wishing for more in areas I haven't been blessed with. Most recently I've had many dreams about elephants. Being a savior, mostly. I love the feelings I have in the midst of those dreams. I wish for myself the life of saving elephants... being a part of sanctuaries... being relevant in these things. It's tough to avoid feeling irrelevant when your dreams bring it right back into focus. I will, based on the promises I've had in my prayer life, be relevant to the survival of elephants in our world. I trust the Lord in these things, because He brings me my dreams. He made me this way. He knows my heart, the heart that He placed in me when I was made. I have no doubt that my dreams will be seen in the reality of my life, be it here or in eternity.
Being alone. It's not something that I say often, and I end up dealing with being alone a lot more than I anticipated several years ago, but being on my own is something that I enjoy most of the time. There are days, mind you, that I wish I had someone else in the house, namely Ben, but his work keeps that from being a reality. It has become an effort for me to live alone a lot of the time, since over a year ago when he spent 4 months in London. Meanwhile, I've adapted. I enjoy the quiet time... the time with just the cats. It may be something a lot of you may see as negative, but there are points in time where its necessary. I enjoy the quiet, being able to be myself... being able to focus on me, and on my home and animals. It can be refreshing honestly. Instead of seeing my lonely days as a detriment, I find myself able to focus on what needs to be done around the house, and for myself and my animals. I mop (which I hate to do), sweep, dust, organize, decorate, and spend time with my cats. It's a way of life that not most of my friends deal with, but it helps me. I know the Lord has given me this life for a reason, and I focus on those reasons. Getting ahead of chores, being aware of the cats needs, being able to deal with the taxes, the things we need to keep. Cleaning the house in order to have guests. We don't often have house guests, but we will have Ben's parents in April, and it helps for me to have the time I need to get things done. Order pillows... clean out the guest room, get a plumber here to fix the faucets... I'm sure other people may see these as quick and easy fixes, but these things take me a while to accomplish. Life gets in the way, and I'm grateful for the time I need to accomplish the things it takes to make my guests feel welcome and comfortable.
Revel in the beauty of the warm weather. Spend time outside, and enjoy the warm air across your face. Go barefoot! I love being barefoot on the deck, and outside when it's possible. It makes you feel like you're in touch with the world... like you're alive! Enjoy it! It's worth the time to spend outside. Take a breath, deep and refreshing! You will be made new!
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