...that is, my sense of centeredness. D.'s momma is home, resting under the watchful eye of her doting husband. D. & i spent the better part of this fine spring day taming unruly parts of our yard & inhaling the glorious scent of purple hyacinth. Baby Girl made it safely to her vacation destination. Big Bro showed his momma the love last night by cooking dinner...spaghetti alfredo (is it impolite to lick my dish???). Little Man is finally up & about fully after an illness that was beginning to worry me.
late in the afternoon today i sat in a sunbeam for a few moments of quiet, reading evening prayer. the 'rightness' of it all...the words i was reading, the thoughts that extended for those i hold dear, all the events of the past week (even the more trying events) weighed lightly in that still frame of life. it was as though the slightest of whisper reached my ear telling me all is well. it was a moment of sitting in the lap of God, a moment of freedom~ from care, from worry.
it occured to me later this evening (actually just a bit ago), when i was past the hour of my internet lenten fast (no internet before 5pm), that i was already bearing some fruit from this sacrifice. this break was not just a token observance of lent...it was something i truly needed. into the void of my internet surfing time day in and day out, i have discovered spaces of quiet, spaces of rest. time to simply 'be'...& be filled. even before ash wednesday my thoughts were shifting to a more quiet way. now, they are downright peaceful.
this internet fasting has been humbling too. thursday afternoon i commented to boyworld that i had not only accomplished all the week's minutia of work, but i had also tackled several long overdue projects too. without a pause they simultaneously reminded me that it was likely due to the fact that i was not "wasting time online!" uh huh. humbling.
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giving way to gratitude...
129. the ordinary beauty of this day wrapped in 70F sunshine
130. the scent of purple hyacinth
131. D.'s momma's healing
132. tired muscles after a good day's work
133. a glass of cool, fresh water
134. sleeping with the window open again
135. boyworld's completion of their 3rd quarter of the school year yesterday!!
morning coffee on the deck (light coat needed but brilliant sun was quick to warm) with a swirl of birdsong that included a very precious treat~~ a jenny wren calling from our neighbor's tree! these sweet little birds were a favorite of my daddy (his birthday was yesterday). every year he would be sure to have a jenny wren house in one of his trees. he took great joy in leisure time on his swing listening to this wren's beautiful song. they nest in the area of PA where i grew up, but they do not here in eastern NC. however we are graced with their migratory visits in the spring & fall. imagine my joy the first year we lived in our home when i heard this song on my daddy's birthday~~ a gift from him for me, it seemed.
D.'s parents have been here since last week & his mom is doing so much better. they are enjoying an early spring (PA is still a bit behind in temps & blooms). & i am enjoying family time multiplied plus boyworld healthy & on spring break!...aaahhhh. you cannot imagine how grateful i am for this time right now...
it has been a rough month in so many ways at our home...even the gentle end is tempered by sadness. my soul sister L.'s mom passed away last week & our friend D. remains in the hospital with some complications. it seems so strange some days to look at a brand new blossom emerge, to breathe its glorious scent~~ the beauty collides in my brain with the sadness. when they both settle into place, the hope of springtime wins.
internet fasting (as in no internet before 5pm during lent)...yeah, i've taken it in the solar plexus with this one. i have fallen into the cycle of using an entire pack of post-it notes each day to scribble all the online things i must accomplish after 5pm. then i find that at 5pm i am either running errands or preparing dinner, so the internet actual access is later. then i am tired. i can't read the day's post-it notes. & i start to fall asleep in front of my keyboard, telling myself i will take care of stuff tomorrow. all in all it has been a serious reorientation of time management coupled with an improvement in prioritizing. at lent's half way point i can honestly tell you that i miss the computer time more than i miss the chocolate!...but i will gladly enjoy both in due time :-)
serendipity
tonight
bring on the 
the 
the 
& my newest love affair from costa rica...
& black wool clogs do not mix!!
