There’s not a whole lot of news, actually.
Which, frankly, is how I like it.
This is me on my front stoop:
I added the PicMonkey glasses to cover up those dark circles. I added the glasses hoping I’d look like Grace Patton.
Yeah. How’s that workin’ for ya?
It’s not, but a girl can dream.
And I do a ton of dreaming on my front stoop! It’s become my new morning routine: a place to sit and simply stare; a place to sit and think and think and sit.
It’s a place where I feel incredible peace.
Except…you know that expression “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” ? Well, my neighbor’s grass is greener–MUCH greener! What’s up with that?
They also have a gorgeous garden:
that fills my line of vision with incredible envy beauty.
(I used my zoom lens for that last shot. I thought it might, you know, kind of freak them out if they looked up from the breakfast table and saw me standing there.)
Also in my line of vision is this gently spinning metal cross:
which was a gift from my sister and which reminds me of her. If ever you meet my gorgeous oldest sis, you’ll know that being reminded of her is a VERY good thing. She rocks.
Do you have a person in your life who, if you were to open up your favorite book and tap it, that person would be on the exact same page?
(That’s a metaphor, by the way.)
Also in my line of vision of vision as I sip my coffee on the front stoop:
My very endearing and extremely demanding 5-year-old.
He’s drawing of picture of “him mom,” you see, who doesn’t want to take him for a walk just yet.
George always requests an early morning walk. And then he requests a late morning walk and an early afternoon walk and a late afternoon-almost-evening-pre-supper-when-I-should-be-cooking walk.
Not even kidding.
Joining his big brother in the ranks of very-endearing-but-even-MORE-demanding is the local 18-month-old.
He’s staring forlornly at a dog and its owner that, alas, he didn’t get to pet.
(The dog, I mean. Not the owner.)
Big brother to the rescue!
Because there’s no human slight that can’t be fixed by the sword.
“Do you think I’d give it to you justlikethat? You can’t be serious!”
Gosh, I love it when Big Brother teases.
And then, sword in hand, Francis finds his inner peace…
…while his (blogging) mom puts down her camera…
…lest she get soundly cracked in the face.
And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the e-book recommendation that I promised! (Tell me the truth: did you skip ahead for it?) One of the reasons I sit on my stoop so much–and believe me, I think my neighbors think I’m a little weird–is that I’ve been reading this e-book by Sarah Mackenzie.
I read it in long, slow, savory snatches. I read a paragraph here and a paragraph there, (it’s a wonderful read!), and then I go sit with my kids. I just…sit. I have the luxury to do this because it’s summer break; I make the time to do this because my dirty floor can wait.
The thing is, it’s all going so very fast. My oldest is working his first summer job and is gone six nights a week. This is an uncomfortable precursor to his leaving home. He’s a senior! We’ve got one short year left with him.
You might not be in a similar place. You might be a hard-working mom of lots of littles. Trust me: it all goes very fast (!) and if I could recommend JUST ONE THING, it would be to enjoy those little moments more.
(In truth, I could recommend lots of things. I’m a font of advice! If only you’d ask. : )
Wish I was there, on the other side of the crack. With a cup of coffee on this summer morning.
My mother would say "don't wish your life away." I guess that means either don't wish, or just do it. š
The porch is hard on the bottom, though. You need a pillow or something…like a chair. Yeah, a chair.
Love that blondie. He is just too cute. He got a haircut? Don't stress those chicks leaving the nest. They come back and then you wonder where all the quiet went. It just gets sucked right out of the air. Not that you'll have much quiet for a while.
Love ya.
The concrete IS hard but I've got a nicely padded bottom.
(That said, I've been fishing for pretty porch ideas on Pinterest.)
I love your comments, Barbara! They–and you–are the best.
Wish I could sit on your porch with ya!!!! If your boys would share their sword then my babe could chew on it and then maybe she'd sit still for 30 seconds, and then I'd sit still for 35!
Are you enjoying that oldest's job? š
Summer just got here yesterday. It's about time!
What's this? Summer just got here YESTERDAY?
For this Minnesotan, "summer" means grass! And going barefoot! Even if, you know, it's "summer" in April. : )
It's seriously been cooooooold until two days ago. We had one or two beautiful trick-ha-into-thinking-it's-summer days, but then back to cold and dreary.
But, we've had grass, so I guess, it's been summer all along and I didn't know it. Silly me.
š
I LOVE this!! I've been sitting on my porch a ton this summer, soaking up all of the outside that I can. (between driving everyone to swimming lessons and swim team and to be with their friends)
Is Sarah's book helping you with sitting and enjoying that peace?
Sarah's book IS helping me, Jamie, in that I'm much less worried about that To-Do list.
For example…
We have a ton of schoolwork that's been left undone. An unfinished book report (or two) (or three) here; an English test there; a Vocab. test there. What we ARE doing, though, is catching our breath. I'M catching my breath and just…enjoying my kids, without all the pressure that I'd built up in my head.
Your little guy is sooo cute. And looks just like Angela, I think.
– Jennifer
Please do share all of your advice!
I read this last night, but didn't comment. I then wrestled with thoughts from my own front porch during the night and almost cried. This summer feels like one we so deserved after last winter. I've been making the time just to 'be' and sit back, but in the midst of that feeling overwhelmed by the to do list. We decided to build a chicken coop (almost complete) and also decided to switch around bedrooms. This of course brought chaos and disaster. The hardest part though is that it has left me without a schoolroom and books, school supplies and stuff disorganized. sigh. For this planner/organizer it's driving me nuts. The thing is, I don't have the energy to tackle it all and I want to enjoy summer not be bogged down by dealing with homeschooling 'stuff' during break. The other thing is, I don't know which room to dismantle in order to make a room/space to hold all my schooling needs. This week I just feel like starting school sometime when the snow flies again just to have a longer break. Also to avoid the fact that I have.not.a.thing. planned for the coming school year.
Sorry. Didn't mean to overshare. Just being real and I knew you'd understand. I should probably check into Sarah's book ASAP, huh?
Keep enjoying the stoop and hopefully I can find a way to enjoy my porch too.
Oh hon, I should take pictures of OUR chaos and disaster! That's one of the reasons I just sit on that step. Literally, I could sort and organize and clean around the clock, but where would that get my inner peace?
(Granted, I'd maybe find that lost library book…)
I think, dear Sarah, that it's okay for a Minnesotan to be unbalanced over the summer. A BIT unbalanced, maybe? Because we've EARNED this green!!! That said, I have several books on organization checked out right now and I am picking my way through them…bit by bit…and maybe, just maybe, I'll be "organized" by the time September comes 'round.
Maybe. ; )
But hey, you've got chickens! That's so SO cool!!