A pair of mallards have decided to take up residence on our front lawn this week. I have been feeding them frozen organic corn (it has been so hot recently). I put out the last of my supply on the sidewalk this morning, and they ate their fill. An opportunistic crow has been sneaking off… Continue reading Thursday morning notes from around the house
There is magic in the present moment. I had every intention of writing about our day at the market yesterday, about seeing Toulouse Lautrec at the art museum, and about our our time with friends and their pet pig Rose. Instead, I am moved to share with you the sight of the leaves dancing on… Continue reading Sunday here & now
Today is wet, gray, and quiet. I am sitting at my writing desk with the window open; the rain has stopped for the moment. No one is outside except for the squirrels and birds. The still grass and tree leaves are covered in the sheen of this morning’s rain. The sky grows darker as I… Continue reading Rainy day notes
I’m looking out the window from my seat behind our desk in the music room. It’s a sunny day in Florida today, and I can see a breeze rustling through the leaves of the tree (Piper’s favorite) just beyond the window pane. There is a shiny steel blue car parked in front of the blue… Continue reading A little note on a Tuesday morning
Our sweet Piper woke us up at 5 AM Easter morning, ready to begin the day’s festivities. Bleary eyed (and a bit bewildered), Will and I reminded her of the early time. We managed to get another hour or so of sleep after that, snuggled together like canned sardines in bed. Eventually, Rowan woke up… Continue reading Easter & notes on our week
This morning I brought Rowan to the library, where we returned a few books and checked out several more. We said Hello to the friendly librarians, and Rowan helped me to scan the barcodes at the self-checkout computer. Afterward, we walked next door to the cafe. We brought our drinks (a dark roast coffee for… Continue reading The promise of rain on the first of April
As I step onto the back porch to transfer a small load of laundry to the dryer, the promise of afternoon sun beckons me further into the yard. The concrete walkway feels warm on the soles of my bare feet. I step into the grass, which is patchy and irregular. I feel the sandy earth… Continue reading Just (now) a moment
This morning we smelled orange blossoms as we walked down to the lake. My neighbor’s tree is a mix of hanging fruit and heady flowers. I picked one up that had fallen to the ground and showed Rowan, who said it smelled like honey. Later, we found a tall dandelion growing in the patch of… Continue reading Small pleasures
I have been cooking oatmeal, washing laundry, making beds, and reestablishing a sense of rhythm in our home. I have been vacuuming, washing dishes, cooking soup. Cleaning sinks, putting away toys, folding our favorite blankets. Wiping fingerprints from mirrors and windows, making school lunches, and tending to our garden. Slowing down to tend to the… Continue reading Slowing things down
I’m looking outside the window at my neighbor’s orange tree, heavy with hanging fruit that is almost ripe enough to eat. A man rides his bike slowly through the street. He, like many others this morning, is bundled in layers to ward off the cold. I hear his tires come to a halt, and watch… Continue reading Friday daydreams
