Senses Inventory: Friday of Possibility

   By 9:07 this morning I had finished my strongest run of the past week, 

started a big load of laundry, fed the animals, 

and fought off no fewer than six moments of deep despair 

over things beyond my control. 

Walking back outside with my last cup of perfect coffee,

I noticed the sky was different. 

I remembered a recent love letter from my husband. 

And I saw the day ahead of me as a clean canvas. 

Giddy over this complicated spark of energy 

cupped in my hands like that fated Baby Bumblebee 

that is always getting carried home to someone's mommy, 

I sat down to take this inventory.

Seeing:  Metallic gold and silver clouds filtering the brilliant sun in the east and low, dark purple clouds sheathing the sky in the south and west. More pools of shade on the ground than I have seen here in weeks. A giant red wasp hanging the air above the water sprinkler, which is providing a wet playground for our five geese and occasionally a few of the chickens. Shimmering wet grass beneath all of this activity. Big trees waving their leafy arms at the new day. Four leggeds calmly finishing their breakfast.

Hearing:  The chit-chit-chit and then the giggling spray of the helicopter water sprinkler, the authoritative drone of the pool pump and too-loud suction noise of the filter there. Chickens clucking, geese whining, and guineas doing their necessary battle over property and sex. (They can't live with each other; they can't live without each other.) Locusts filling in the gaps between all of these sounds, a constant humming backdrop that feels meditative today, not desolate.

Smelling:  Sunblock. Sweet, sharp horse manure. Something full of pollen in the flower bed behind me. And dirt. I love being able to smell bare dirt. It smells clean, which is funny.

Tasting:  Salty sweat when I lick my lips and the last long swallow of sweet coffee, cold now because I have let it sit on this patio table too long while I soak up my surroundings. But it's still delicious, and I can chew on the grounds that have fallen to the bottom of my cup.

Touching:  Breeze! An almost cool breeze, refreshing and light, not like the furnace blast we are so used to feeling these past few weeks. I still feel heat on my bare skin, but it's comfortable at this early hour, still that pleasant summer heat that makes me want to invite all of our friends over to cook steaks and watch the fireflies come to life. The kind of pleasant summertime heat that makes me glad for bikinis and chlorine, watermelon and sweet iced tea. I also feel the rough plastic of my sunglasses' arms behind my ears, where I have probably held them carelessly between my teeth. And I feel the excellent plush lawn chair cushion holding me firmly in this moment.

Thinking:  About the power of positivity, of gathering together your strengths rather than all the time searching out and magnifying your weaknesses (and those of others). Thinking of the gardens, of how many weeks might be left before the beautiful transition to autumn veggies and fruit orchard work. Thinking of my Mom and what it was like for her when I left home. Thinking of how much I have in life versus how much I give or produce.

Feeling:  Relief to have spent time with my girls yesterday, to see them so healthy and vibrant. I hope they are as happy on the inside as they appear to be on the outside, and I hope they know the truth of things despite some ugliness surrounding them. I hope they don't mind resembling me so much, as sometimes teen aged girls hate to look like their Moms. Feeling worry for my sister and her children, confidence in my husband, excitement over a new writing project, and an overarching, belly trembling hope for our immediate future. I feel happier and more stable than I have in a long time.

Here at this farm we are not without problems, confusion, grief, or failure..

But we are so flooded with help and miracles!

We are steeped in natural beauty that reminds me of this grand design.

We are given morning after morning to start fresh, to enjoy the small rituals all over again, 

to try once more to not only get things right but also to build things up.

We are surrounded by good, strong, smart people who despite our failings... love us.

And together we keep circling this dream and this root of love 

that is worth everything.

Wishing You a Perfectly Love Filled, Miraculous Weekend!

Take a Minute to Notice Your Beautiful, Unique Life.

xoxoxo