This Summer. These Moments. These Days.

How do you sum up that which seems impossible to sum up?

How to express concisely that which is so, so far from concise?

I read once that it seems years and years will go by without many changes at all, then suddenly everything changes all at once. That seems to be the way of it, I will agree. My last post, on Palm Sunday, we were looking forward to Spring Break trip to Legoland, summer vacation and well, just the joy that comes with the spring blooms and warmer weather.

A few weeks later, I was hired to teach a class at a local university. One of my long-time goals. Just one class, not a full-time position, but still, thrilling. In the midst of this, however, my mother passed into spirit.

My mother, in her late teens

We all hear about how difficult it can be to lose a parent, but until we go through it, it's impossible to understand. I won't write more about this now. But it happened. And in the midst of processing this, something else happened...

I interviewed for, and was offered, a dream job! Another long-time goal, finally realized. A bright spot. However, the very day after I accepted the position, my father was hospitalized with a massive stroke.

My father, in his 20s

And all the while, regular life went on. Animals had to be fed; children had to be cared for and kept in the age-appropriate spaces between knowledge about what was happening and protection from the knowledge of what was happening; homes had to be tended; bliss and joy had to be found and shared. I reconnected with old friends and reacquainted myself with things I once enjoyed but had, for whatever reasons, not found time for lately. I shed the skin of a former profession and, through workshops and training, stepped into a new career. I found moments of laughter with family I'd not seen for years, and depths of compassion I didn't know I possessed as I watched my beloved, rugged, lumber-jack like father struggle to feed himself.

Though I am in my 5th decade of life, my mother's passing, my father's stroke, and my career change have all left me feeling a bit lost in the world. A strange mix of grief and emancipation. I miss my mother and long for my father's return to a healthy independent state. I am nervous about learning the ropes of my new job and a bit more sentimental than I expected to be about leaving my old one. I feel as though I am leaping without a safety net, and at the same time, have a rush of creativity that has me doing everything from creating new works on my easel to making jewelry from found objects during quiet summer-citronella-incense-coffee-friends evenings on my patio.

Autumn Puddles, diptych, oil on canvas

And all the while, the birds sing, the cicadas hum, the sun rises and sets. Nothing waits for us to catch up or be ready. Eventually you being to feel normal again. In time, people quit texting or calling to see how you are. Cards quit coming in the mail. You are able to forget that terrible things have happened for moments at a time, and you can fully reach out and embrace with joy the new things that are coming your way. As Robert Frost so eloquently said once, "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on."

I sit with my toes in the sand while my child rushes the waves. I am grieving and I am happy. I want to both hide from the world and revel in it. I want to sing and laugh from excitement and I want to be silent and still with sadness. And in this summer, in these moments, during these days, all of this is normal.

All of this is sane.

All of this is me.

Being Outdoors vs. Being 'Outdoorsy'

Someone asked me if I was 'outdoorsy' type of person a while back, and I wasn't sure how to respond because I don't know all the connotations that term is meant to imply. And I don't really like labels that categorize me as one type of person or another.

But this week, I did something that was really glorious...it was so simple, yet it made me feel youthful and fully in the moment, outdoors.

My son attended a Lego camp at a local university, which is about half an hour drive away in the middle of the day and last for three hours. A dear friend lives in this town but we weren't able to connect on the first day of the camp, So there I was, three hours to kill in a small university town where nearly everything, including the local coffee shop, (bummer!) was closed for summer holidays.

So, I took my trusty Hello Kitty and trade picnic blankets, which are always in back of the car, spread them out under a nice shade tree, grabbed my knitting, and had a most pleasant afternoon in the summer air, at one point even taking a nap!

Working on a pair of matching hats for twin girls coming in October! 

It seems such a small thing but how often do we, as adults, enjoy simple time outside without boating on lakes, swimming in beaches, or driving for hours to find mountains to climb? How often do we just spread a blanket on the ground outside in the shade and simply relax?

Though it is mid-summer here, on this day I was blessed with overcast sky and a breeze which made temps feel cooler. In the South, summer is often the great exodus from outdoors, especially during midday, due to the heat. Busy towns look like ghost towns between noon and 5pm. So I was pretty much on my own, minus a bit of occasional traffic passing by, but that was okay too.

My view!

I have spent time in Europe and lived in the North, and there I always saw people spread out blankets enjoying outside time in pleasant weather, not doing anything more strenuous than perhaps tossing a frisbee on a nice afternoon. Parks and university lawns and public places would be dotted with color as people found and took their places with picnic baskets and toys for small children who might be present. I think maybe here in the South we take pleasant weather for granted a bit, especially in summer when a cool day randomly inserts itself in the midst of almost triple-digit temps. Had my friend been free that afternoon, or the coffee shop been open, I might not have enjoyed this time outside, either!

Outside time doesn't have to be grand or involve doing 'outdoorsy' things (which I think means boating, hiking, swimming, etc.) But fresh air and time out-of-doors is good for mind, body and soul. I don't believe one needs to necessarily drive many miles to enjoy time outside in nature - my hours on the university grounds were rejuvenating and restful, and such a simple thing to accomplish, and something I can do anytime in my own neighborhood when weather allows.

So the next pleasant day, when you have a few hours to spare, spread a blanket on the ground, grab a good book or fun project and a bottle of water, and enjoy some outside time. You don't have to break a sweat, I promise!

Wednesday Photo Essay + A Visit to Sans Souci Community Garden

Most of my mornings start like this...

Which is perfectly okay! Only a few more weeks and I'm done...at least until September! Rising early to it all done before the day begins works for me, and also allows for a bit of time outside before the extreme heat of Southern summer kicks in. I call it the eight-to-six rule, meaning from about eight in the morning until six in the evening, it's not very pleasant to be outdoors.

This doesn't mean we don't make the effort, though! Here are a few images from this week's explorations!

"Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder." 

- E.B. White

And a walk about the garden earlier this week proved to be delightful! Tiny tomatoes, bell peppers and spaghetti squash. I am never without the belief that it's all utterly amazing, a miracle.

And lastly, a wonderful visit to the Sans Souci Community Garden in Greenville. This garden has been a tremendous source of inspiration to me for many years, and I was thrilled to be able to finally see it in person.

I was also thrilled to visit the Haywood Mall while in Greenville, but we won't discuss that!

I hope you are enjoying these photo essay mini-posts! You can follow Sans Souci Community Garden on Facebook, and I recommend dropping by if you live in or near the area. Lots of awesome stuff happening there!

Now we're heading off for some skating fun! See you Sunday!

~Amy

Asheville Adventure!

In early March, I wrote about the Adventure Principle, stating in that blog "my soul tends to need renewing as the seasons renew." While I love a big adventure that involves planes or trains or long, long drives, I'm a huge fan of the mini-break...little weekend getaways that break up the everyday routines. Because I believe in living simply, I try to keep these mini-breaks local enough that we are seeing new sites without large traveling expenses. After all, even a walk in a different part of one's hometown can be an adventure! By keeping them somewhat local, however, I believe we appreciate more what our own area of the world has to offer, which is ALOT!

This past Monday was Memorial Day, and Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the beginning of summer in the US. As temperatures soared this week, we headed to for the coolness of the Western NC mountains to visit Asheville for the holiday weekend. The first stop was the main Spiritex store for a little eco-friendly shopping!

And a show! The Carolina Catskins, one of Asheville's popular street music groups, were performing directly outside the Spiritex shop. We enjoyed listening to them very much!

Later we enjoyed lunch at a favorite restaurant and looking about in the town...

 

I love hotels and staying in new places. On this trip, we stayed at the Days Inn on Tunnel Road, near the Asheville mall. I knew I had chosen nice place to stay when I was checking in and saw complimentary holiday-themed pastries with coffee in the lobby! We were very satisfied with this hotel and I would recommend it if you are traveling to Asheville for overnight stay!

Though Asheville has an endless array of things to do and see, we were all about being outdoors and taking it easy. As well as city exploring, there was much swimming and poolside lounging to be enjoyed!

 

A major highlight of the trip was a session at Asheville's Therapeutic Salt Cave. I can't say enough wonderful things about this place. I've wanted to try it for a very long time, and I'm so glad I did! My son enjoyed it alot as well. It was very peaceful, healing experience! I could not take any pictures because of policy, but visit http://www.ashevillesaltcave.com/ to see images and learn more!

The best thing about our holiday is it did not, as we say here, 'break the bank'. It did not even come close. We were able to have a great time without overspending on activities and souvenirs. I try to apply simple living practices I believe in so strongly to traveling as well as daily life. We enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city, delicious foods and colors present everywhere.

 

 

A fun treat was having coffee and dessert in this renovated double-decker bus, brought over from England in the 1970s and converted to a coffee shop!

 

I must say again, there is so much to do in Asheville, more than I have even touched on in this post. But this is a little glimpse of our time there, which was so wonderful and refreshing break from routines. And because Asheville is only a couple of hours from our town, I was home Sunday just in time for an evening run! 

And now to focus on remaining school days and then changes as we begin a summer schooling program, a new experience for the both of us that changed our summer travel and leisure plans, but has also opened up new opportunity for me to pursue a goal I've had for a long time. Here's a hint: it's related to yoga! More on that coming in future post! :-)